by myPABus | Aug 7, 2018 | Business Training, PA and Secretarial Training, PA EA and Secretary Blog
Do you want to change the signature image in Outlook 2016 to make your emails look professional, elegant and smart? With more and more options in MS Office and outlook, sometimes we just need a few hints along the way. To make sure your signature image in outlook 2016 is perfect then just follow these very simple instructions.
Instructions to resize a Signature Image in Outlook 2016
Open outlook as you would ordinarily do select the option to create an email as you would typically do.

A new email window will then appear.
Select the option Insert and then Signature.

A list of all the current signatures installed on your computer will appear. At the very bottom is the word Signature. Select this option, see below.

A new window will appear.

Select the email signature you want to edit, if you have not created an email signature select the option New, see above, in this example I will collect Corrigo free trial. Enter the narrative you wish to have on the signature in the box provided. Then add your image by selecting add picture icon, see above. This will then require you to find the location of the image on your computer or server.
Once the image has been selected, it will appear in the dialogue box. See below.
Using your mouse, click ONCE on the image. You will notice little squares appearing on the image, see below.

Once these little squares appear, press the right-hand button on your mouse and click once only.
A new screen will appear. Select the option Picture, see below.

This will open another window, see below. On this window select the option Size, see below.

The following screen will appear. It is from here that you can now resize your image. Please make sure that the Lock aspect ratio option is selected. If you have decided that 7.63 cm would be perfect, enter 7.63 in the Height option and press the enter button only. This will automatically adjust the Width.

Once the image is of the right size, please copy this narrative and place it under the image. Then select OK.
Download a printable version here. 07082018 – myPA Crib Sheets changing the size of an image in a signature
by myPABus | Jun 4, 2018 | Administrative Support, Business & Corporate, Business Training
Small Claims Fact Sheet
Small Claims Fact Sheet Objectives
- Introduction to Small Claims
- How to take Court Action
- What happens next in a Small Claims application?
- Does it cost money to take someone to Small Claims?
- Working out the interest on a Small Claims request
- You’ll have to go to court if…
- After the Hearing
1 Introduction – Small Claims
You can take court action against someone who owes you money and won’t pay. This is known as making a court claim. It can also be known as taking someone to a ‘small claims court’. You usually have to pay a court fee, and you may not win your case or get your money back.
2 How to take Court Action
The government has tried to make the process as easy as possible. The easiest way to claim it be completing the form online
https://www.gov.uk/make-money-claim-online
You can use this service to claim:
- For a fixed sum under £100,000
- Against no more than 2 people or organisations

3 What happens next in a Small Claims application?
- If they deny owing you money, you may have to go to court.
- You can get the court to order them to pay if they admit owing the money or don’t respond.
- If they still won’t pay, you’ll need to ask the court to take extra steps to collect the money – e.g. using bailiffs. This is called enforcing a judgment.
4 Does it cost money to take someone to Small Claims?
- Yes! It costs money to go to submit a small claims application.
- The fee is based on how much you are claiming + interest
- Using the Money Claim Online is cheaper than sending in the form.
amount |
Sending the form to court centre |
Using Money Claim Online |
Up to £300 |
£35 |
£25 |
£300.01 to £500 |
£50 |
£35 |
£500.01 to £1,000 |
£70 |
£60 |
£1,000.01 to £1,500 |
£80 |
£70 |
£1,500.01 to £3,000 |
£115 |
£105 |
£3,000.01 to £5,000 |
£205 |
£185 |
£5,000.01 to £10,000 |
£455 |
£410 |
£10,0
00.01 to £100,000 |
5% of the value of the claim |
4.5% of the value of the claim |
£100,000.01 to £200,000 |
5% of the value of the claim |
You can’t claim using Money Claim Online |
More than £200 000 |
£10 000 |
You can’t claim using Money Claim Online |
5 Working out your small claims interest
- The interest you can charge if another business is late paying for goods or a service is ‘statutory interest’ – this is 8% plus the Bank of England base rate for business to business transactions.
- You can’t claim statutory interest if there’s a different rate of interest in a contract.
After you have submitted your small claims
- The person or business who owes you money must respond to your claim within 14 days of receiving it.
- If you don’t get a response, you’ll have to ask the Court to order them to pay. You do this by continuing with the Money Claim Online form.
If you do get a response – YIPPEE!
- Tell them you are withdrawing your claim and also tell the Money Claim Online help desk.
6 You’ll have to go to court if…
- The person or business says they don’t owe you any money.
- They disagree with the amount.
- You can’t agree on how the money will be repaid.
- The court will send you a questionnaire asking for more information on the case. Fill this in and return it to the court.
This will incur additional costs.
- If your case is a small claim, under £10,000, it can be dealt with using written evidence, and not need a hearing.
If there is a hearing you can:
- Represent yourself
- Pay for a barrister or solicitor to represent you
- Ask someone to speak on your behalf, like your partner or an advice worker – you must get the court’s permission
7 After the Hearing
- You’ll receive a letter from the court, stating its decisions, and any actions you need to take.
Additional Resources
- I highly recommend using your local Citizens Advice Bureau for additional advice and support.
by myPABus | Mar 15, 2017 | Administrative Support, CPD - Continued Professional Development, PA and Secretarial Training

Planning your day to be proactive
When you think of a PA or a Secretary, you immediately think of someone organised, who is ultra-efficient and has their hand on the heartbeat of the department or their Boss’s Day. In effect, being proactive. Being Proactive is management speech stating that ‘a person is creating or controlling a situation rather than just responding to it after it has happened’. (more…)
by myPABus | Jan 12, 2017 | CPD - Continued Professional Development, PA and Secretarial Training

Smart Objectives for a Secretary
During your appraisal or work performance interview, you may be asked to set some SMART Objectives or goals for your future development within the company or department. Goal setting is of particular importance for a PA and Secretary if you want a promotion to become an Executive PA. When setting goals, it is always advisable to ensure that the goals set are easy to understand and attainable by you. However, the goals should also tax you and ensure that you stretch your current skill base to learn something new.
(more…)
by myPABus | Jan 6, 2017 | CPD - Continued Professional Development, PA and Secretarial Training
I am a great believer in continued professional development and, as a result, I listen to some podcasts on different business practices. This evening, I was listening to a podcast by an Australian Pro-blogger called Darren Rowse. He made an interesting

New Year’s Resolutions
suggestion about a New Year’s Resolution you could make. Further, how you could make a slight change this year and, turn the idea on its head. This is a fascinating concept for PAs, Secretaries and Executive PA in a business environment as we spend most of our time looking after other people. In his podcast, he suggested that instead of making a New Year’s resolution about you and what you are going to do this year or stop this year; you should turn it around and make the resolution about how you can help other people, yet stay within your chosen resolution. I would also add, to help you advance your chosen career.
(more…)