6 Telecommuter Tips


Develop a Pre-work ritual. Have one thing in the morning that indicates to you that it’s time to work. It could be something as simple as jumping into the shower at a certain time or flipping your laptop lid open at your desk.
Batch. Don’t make a list of a gazillion tasks to complete. simplify things by batching similar tasks and prioritizing. Differentiate the urgent from the important to make your days more productive.
Work in blocks. Set certain time blocks for completion of tasks, jobs, projects. This will ensure you do not end up working into the wee hours of the night and that you are structured, efficient and productive.
Structure your everday responsibilities. Don’t leave the structure just for your 9-5. The more organised you are across the board the more you and everyone around will benefit, not just colleagues, family and friend included.
Maximise your work area. develop a filing system that keeps you organized and will help you maintain your especially productive bursts.
Invest in communication. Take the time to learn new technology that keeps you in touch with colleagues and even friends and family. This will help you maximise your time and make better decisions more quickly and confidently.

Make Sure Team Building has a Business Purpose


Team building exercises at the beginning of meetings and training sessions or at retreats can give employees the shot in the arm they need to feel rejuvenated about their organization, their fellow employees and the work they do. Not to be overestimated however, ice breakers and team building cannot be long term solutions to an organization’s problems.
Avoid team building sessions that have a glaring disconnect from the reality of the company and it’s employees. Honesty in the way these sessions are dealt with will go a long way to how relevant they are deemed by those participating.
Don’t lose productive hours at the cooler with employees complaining about the irrelevance of the team building activities. Don’t invest time, energy and money into team building for team building sake.
Use team building sessions to reinforce what is positive and healthy about your culture and your company’s stated vision and mission. Encourage employees to share motivational stories and philosophies that align with that vision and mission.

Tips for Meeting Clients


When preparing for a client meeting there are some fundamentals that when observed greatly increase the chances of you winning new business, referrals and client confidence. Here are a few tips that we have compiled:
Research your client. He/she will be impressed that you took the time to find out about their industry and their needs. It will prevent you from making unproductive or even embarrassing assumptions and it will give you the professional image you need to instil confidence in the client that you will conduct all aspects of your business just as professionally.
Have an agenda handy and follow it. Clients will want you to take the lead. After all you're the expert. Prepare for questions that your client may have so he or she gets the right answers and not off the cuff responses that are not well thought out. Having an agenda will bring you closer to achieving a desired goal by the time the meeting is over. Ideally, you and your client should both feel some closure and that the meeting accomplished a clear valuable goal by the time you leave the meeting room.
Be concise and relevant. Since most of the initial meeting will be explaining what you have done in the past for other clients, it is important that you communicate effectively how your past experience is relevant to your client's current problem. This is why researching your client/prospect and their industry prior to the meeting is so important. Stick to the important points and answer your clients queries precisely and economically and they will be very impressed and grateful.
Location. Location. Location. Impress your client with a professional easy-to-access venue. Meeting in a coffee shop with its many distractions and less than professional atmosphere is far from the ideal. If you want your client or prospect to have confidence in you then you should find a professional business centre which will have a receptionist, waiting area, catering options as well as tech facilities in case you need to make a presentation or simply use the internet.

In Honour of the Ever Evolving Administrative Professional



TORONTO, ON, June 13, 2012 – Food, fashion and fascinators were in abundant supply at the Rostie Group’s Second Annual High Tea celebration held on Thursday, June 7 at the meeting and office space provider’s 20 Bay Street WaterPark Place location in Toronto’s thriving south core. The High Tea, which was originally held during Administrative Professionals week in April last year, is an appreciation event in honour of the city’s hardworking executive assistants and admin professionals.
Well-known Toronto-based designer Freda’s was featured at the fashion show which took place in “Rainy Lake” the Rostie Group’s largest meeting room where each one of the guests who was already outfitted with a classy, white fascinator and matching Chanel-esque shopper bag sat on either side of the runway.
Guests could also watch the show from outside of the Rainy Lake meeting room thanks to screens accessible from any conceivable vantage point which streamed the show live, thanks to technology provided by one of the event’s sponsors, GoToMeeting.
“Every day we interact with executive assistants. We know firsthand how hard they work and this High Tea event is owner Cynthia Rostie’s way of recognizing that and showing them the appreciation they deserve. The profession is evolving and these individuals deserved increased recognition for the increasing value of their input,” said Marketing Communications Specialist at the Rostie Group, John Aymes. “It’s not a bad day to be an executive assistant. At the Rostie Group High Tea you can have free massages, food, Godiva Chocolate, a salsa performance and lesson by P.O.S.E. Dance Studio, an intimate fashion show by Freda’s and of course tea served by a knowledgeable sommelier, Lynda Budd from Tea Alchemy.”
Guests could also be found in one of the Rostie Group’s more popular meeting spaces, the Pacific Room, vying for fine Canadian Art as part of a charity silent auction, with proceeds going towards ‘The Freedom Walk – Journey for Justice’ which hopes to educate Canadians on the impact on victims of crime, abuse and bullying. The auction was curated by Colette French, Director of Cooper’s Fine Art Gallery whose own successful painting career included shows at the Equinox Gallery in Vancouver and the Nancy Pool Studio in Toronto. French donated an original work of art created by Canadian painter Audrey Garwood to the Rostie Group’s silent auction.
Some 200 administrative professionals from the GTA attended the Rostie Group’s appreciation event and according to the company, feedback has been phenomenally positive.
“Based on the responses we’ve had here today there is no doubt that the Rostie Group High Tea has the potential to be a fixture on the city’s calendar in the near future,” Aymes stated.
About the Rostie Group: The Rostie Group has for the past 20 years provided commercial meeting, event, office and virtual space in Ontario. The company is known for its flexible service, wide range of amenities, competitive prices and great view of Toronto’s vibrant south core.
A model smiles for the camera during the fashion show portion of the Rostie Group's High Tea in honour of Executive Assistants. Famous Toronto-based designer Freda's was the featured designer.

Canadian Art Fans in for a Treat at High Tea


An original work of Canadian artist, Audrey Garwood one of the country’s very finest of landscape painters will be part of a collection being auctioned for charity at the Rostie Group’s second annual High Tea on June 7. Curating the auction will be Colette French, Director of Cooper’s Fine Art Gallery, who initially exhibited Garwood’s paintings at Painted City Gallery and currently represents the artist’s estate.
Proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Association of Administrative Assistants (AAA) and to ‘The Freedom Walk – Journey for Justice’ which hopes to educate Canadians on the impact on victims of crime, abuse and bullying. The Rostie Group’s second annual High Tea is an appreciation event for Administrative Professionals and Executive Assistants from Toronto. Patrons can expect free massages, live music, a fashion show, prizes and much more according to organizers.
French, whose own successful painting career included shows at the Equinox Gallery in Vancouver and the Nancy Pool Studio in Toronto, said she was “delighted to offer an original work of art created by Garwood for the upcoming Charity Auction” at the High Tea which will run from 11.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. French will be on hand to speak briefly about the artist’s exceptional work, as well as answer questions about collecting and displaying art in personal and professional places.
Garwood was a member and exhibitor with the Ontario Society of Artists, Royal Canadian Academy and Women’s Caucus of the Arts and has successfully presented multiple one-woman shows. She was a member of the generation that was deeply inspired by the famous Canadian Group of Seven, as is evident in her stunning vibrant landscapes.
In a career that spanned five decades, Garwood received many awards for her artistic accomplishments. The honours bestowed upon her were significant: the Sterling Trust Award for Canadian painters; the Canadian Society of Printmakers Print Award; the San Francisco Art Festival’s Purchase award. She was also the youngest person and first woman to ever win the Forester Award.
Her work is now recognized by serious collectors and is represented in both private and public collections all across Canada as well as internationally.
Most recently Garwood’s work has been displayed at Coopers Fine Art Gallery, located at 111 Bathurst Street in Toronto. A new exhibition of Garwood’s paintings and prints is scheduled to open next month on Thursday, June 21.
About the Rostie Group: The Rostie Group has for the past 20 years provided commercial meeting, event, office and virtual space in Ontario. The company is known for its flexible service, wide range of amenities, competitive prices and great view of Toronto’s vibrant south core.
Colette French

How to choose a Meeting Room in Toronto


Inspections for choosing a meeting room provider can be particularly nerve racking. Agreed. However, we’re here to tell you it doesn’t have to be and here are a few short and sweet tips.
Put yourself in the attendees’ shoes
Do a surprise tour. Pop in unannounced and save yourself the distraction of the red carpet treatment that’s doled out for a prearranged visit.
Know your parameters
Your goals and parameters should ideally dictate the facilities you end up choosing. If you want to have excitement and interaction then your venue should have theatre capabilities and suitable tech support. If you are conducting training then you will do better with a location that can eliminate interuptions and has sound proof walls in each room.
Is there dedicated IT support? If not , are you able to risk running into a technical hitch right before your meeting begins and not have dedicated IT staff on hand?
Make a note of all the things that are important to you such as catering options that fit your budget, amenities, view and flexibility.
Take a closer look
Conduct a deep analysis to compare sites’ strengths and weakness. Evaluate locations based on relevant factors such as proximity to public transport, restaurants, parking, airports etc
How safe are the surroundings and how easy is it to get around if your attendees decide to leave the meeting room site?

What We Really Do - Meeting Rooms at the Rostie Group


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