Hi everyone,

Welcome to the final issue of What's New for 2009! Can you believe how fast this year has sped by? We certainly can't.

It has been an incredibly busy year here at DeskDemon, where over the past 12 months we've introduced many new features to the site, the very latest being our social networking facilities, which we hope you will find invaluable.

Look out in 2010 for more news about the latest developments on DeskDemon all aimed at making your life easier. In the meantime, may we take this opportunity to send you our very best wishes for the season and to thank you for your continued support.

So, What's New for December?

Christmas is fast approaching but there's still time to make this an extra special Christmas with help from Avery. All you need is your PC, a printer, printable stationery and some Christmas spirit. Avery® Wizard is a simple, step-by-step guide to designing and printing your own Christmas stationery using Avery products. Start designing now and impress your loved ones.

Download your free software and festive ideas guide now.

Most people hate taking minutes but if you know what you are doing, and what to listen for, the task becomes much easier. Minutes Made Easy is a one-day course run across the UK which will develop your skills and confidence. Led by Joanna Gutmann, an experienced minute-taker and author of the Sunday Times book, Taking Minutes of Meetings.

You already know that business holiday presents are a great way to reach out to your clients, which include current, past customers you haven't seen in a while and prospective clients. But if you've ever been on the receiving end, you know that often times corporate gifts are impersonal, generic and boring. By using a little creativity you can express your appreciation and (hopefully) drum up some business without breaking the bank. Read on to discover a few ideas you can use this holiday season

Today, however, you do not have the luxury of confiding confidential information to much of anyone. Thanks to the internet, a single misplaced word can spread like wildfire until that information is everywhere. As a result, the ability to keep things confidential is much harder to develop and more highly prized than ever before by employers. Here are a few things to think about when you are dealing with confidential information:

It's enviable how some people can have the positive mental attitude to just breeze through life without any hang ups. They're the ones who can't seem to do anything wrong. They always manage to find a solution to every problem, and they always seem to attract all the good things in life. But these people aren't exactly born perfect. Like everyone else, they have their own shortcomings. It's just their positive mental attitude that makes them stand out. How do you cultivate such an attitude in the first place? Here's how:

If you are any type of administrative assistant - virtual, on-site, part time or otherwise - you may be tempted to allow yourself to consider your role in the company as a "just" role. This means that you think of yourself - or allow others to think of you - as "just a secretary," "just an administrator" or "just an assistant." However, when you are truly involved and effective in your role as "just" any of these things, you are, in reality, absolutely indispensable to the company

Have you discovered DDNet? It's the place where you can go to network with your peers across the UK and across the world. Here, you can create groups or join others; start your own blog or read what others have to say; discuss the latest issues on our forum boards, seek help from your peers or assist those who need it. To keep you informed of the latest discussions and additions to the DeskDemon Development Network, each month we'll highlight some of the most popular links. The network content is user generated, so take a minute and contribute to your peers: