by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Apr 8, 2014 | Entrepreneur, Productivity, Small Business, Social Media, Virtual Assistant
It’s me! I’m not talking about Siri or Google Now. I’m real. I’m live. Not some plug and play doll, but a real human being, and educated executive with a vested interest in YOUR business success.
A Virtual Assistant is similar to an in-house team member but we help you manage your daily business operations and tasks from our office. We give your back your time to focus ON your business rather than IN it. All of the back end daily administrative and social media management can be a real time suck, which takes you away from your core business acumen. Your job is to run your business and not get bogged down and buried by routine tasks and lengthy To Do lists.
The Bonus of a Virtual Assistant Partnership?
You don’t have to pay for additional overhead, office space, training, insurances, vacation time, taxes, supplies, or furniture.
You only invest for the time spent working on your projects.
As a Virtual Assistant, I outsource as well, helping to increase my productivity, business development and efficiency. If I want to continue to scale my company, I know I can’t go it alone.
M. Shannon Hernandez of The Writing Whisperer,
“I knew that in order to grow my business, the way I envisioned from the very beginning, I needed a support team from the get go. When I am speaking with new business owners, or ones that can’t seem to find the time to get everything done, the very first piece of advice I offer is to partner with a virtual assistant. And once you do, you should embrace this person and her unique skill sets and treat her like a key player in your business.”
After Michael Hyatt left the role of CEO of Thomas Nelson, he rejoiced in the freedom of being his own boss with no more office politics and he was able to follow his passion. We all know that feeling. But soon enough,
“I was spending the bulk of my time responding to email, managing my calendar, booking my own travel, and handling the hundreds of details that go with running a small business. This went on for about three months. I felt like I was drowning. I was running out of hours—and energy. I had to do something.”
Michael created a team of Virtual Assistants!
“None of them work full-time for me. None of them are employees. Together they have enabled me to create a debt-free, highly-profitable, rapidly-growing business. I simply could not have done this without the use of virtual assistants.”
Managing your business and your online presence takes effort, hours, consistency and dedication. You know it is a 24/7/365 day a year journey. Not something part-time. Not a hobby. It is your passion to create and grow a thriving company. Can you do it ALL yourself without sacrificing quality and effectiveness?
“I believe every entrepreneur should be utilizing the sheer power of hiring and working with virtual staff. Back in 2010 when I made the escape from my office, I was doing it for my personal reasons. However, since then I’ve realized that my virtual team has helped our company to grow in not only an efficient way, but also in a much faster manner.” Chris Ducker.
What Can You Outsource to a Virtual Assistant?
The list is limitless!! Here’s a few ideas.
- Content research and curation
- Blog post creation
- Editing/proofing of blog posts, websites, documents
- Blog commenting
- Ghost writing
- Social media management
- Social bookmarking
- Directory submission
- Article marketing
- Web design
- Landing page design and set up
- Bookkeeping
- Calendaring
- Appointment scheduling
- Email management
- E-newsletters
- Customer follow up
Outsource Anything That
- Doesn’t directly generate revenue
- Isn’t your core genius
- Represents administrative tasks
- You don’t like to do
- You don’t want to do
- Is too tedious
- Takes up too much time
- Provides a low payoff
“The whole transition from working in the business to working on the business means letting go of what you’re comfortable doing. You always need to be thinking big and challenging yourself.” Mary Jo Gorman.
Tips to Working with a Virtual Assistant
After you have chosen your vested virtual partner be ready to experience outstanding results.
- Understand your daily processes and business operations
- Be well aware of your core genius and high payoff activities
- Clearly outline your goals
- Know what you want to outsource: for example, content curation, proofing/editing/uploading of blogs, email and calendar management, social media and project management
- Outsource one offs, projects, administrative tasks and daily business operations
- Establish your workflow
- Define specifics, desired outcomes, expectations and deadlines
- Prepare documents to support the processes you use to complete tasks. You may also discover that your VA has some other efficient tools and ideas as well. Be open for discussions
- Accountability and communications are a must for success and satisfaction
- Provide valued, honest feedback
- Trust the VA you have chosen – avoid the need to micromanage
- Expect to participate in monthly strategy calls to brainstorm, share ideas and talk about your business
- If they are to interact with your clients or vendors, create an email address for them at your domain
- Recognize that you are part of a TEAM, investing in your partnership and business
- Every month, review what is working and what isn’t. Consider outsourcing additional operations management or projects while you may decide to pull back others
- Continue to foster and nurture your relationship just like you would with an in-house staff member
Does this all sound enticing?
Do you ever wonder what or how your competition grows their business? If you are ready to scale and spend more time focused on your business core, then the time is NOW to think about partnering with a Virtual Assistant.
Reach out to Ace via our contact page and let’s get the discussions going.
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Apr 3, 2014 | Entrepreneur, Life Thoughts, Small Business
Most people equate success with financial wealth and independence but is there something more intrinsic beyond the mighty dollar? In my post “Measure of Success | Is it Dollars or Sense?” I shared what success means to me and the different levels for my personal evaluation. Every person, every entrepreneur has their own vision and measures of success.
One of my clients has recently been honored with an opportunity of great magnitude and prestige to help impact the lives of others, without financial remuneration. In discussing this extraordinary honor he said:
It’s very humbling and makes you appreciate the importance of focusing on being ‘significant vs. being successful.
I don’t think there is much of a differentiation unless you are only bound by money. When you truly think of all of the things money can’t buy, you are wealthier than you realize.
When you are able to give without expecting a return, you are rich.
When you give deeply from the heart, you are rich.
It is this wealth that teaches.
This wealth that is more significant than a coin.
After our discussion, my client shared the video Significance vs Success by Coach Tony Dungy, prior head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the Indianapolis Colts.
I believe Coach Dungy’s significance clearly represented success. What an empowering feeling to realize that you influenced someone else’s life with a positive direction. It is not only gratifying but hopefully an inspiration for others to pay it forward. Touching the lives of others holds greater power than any bank roll. It keeps on giving, far exceeding any dollar value. It is real. It is human.
Significant versus Success
Make change.
Share value.
Do the unexpected.
Random Acts of Kindness #RAOK
A Personal Story:
For many months after my mom passed away from breast cancer, we continued to receive notes and letters from the organizations that she belonged to or volunteered for over the years. Many we didn’t even know about. My dad would call me to read yet another note expressing their condolences mixed with the deep appreciation they had for my mom and her altruistic participation with their organization. She was a true giver of heart and spirit. Like no other. My mom was the director for the International Center at a local college and they built a lounge for the international students, naming it after her. A true testament to her devotion and care for others.
This is being:
1. Significant
2. A success
3. Wealthy
In response to my amazing client: being significant is being a success.
A lot of people who believe they are successful because they have everything they want. They have added value to themselves. But I believe significance comes when you add value to others and you can’t have true success without significance. John C. Maxwell
What about YOU? What are your thoughts on significance versus success?
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Apr 1, 2014 | Content Marketing
Marketing has drastically changed over the past several decades in terms of the delivery methods but no matter how you look it, it is still content driven and always will be. It used to be solely about print media and ad space but now it is more about vying for attention from your online audience. This can be the biggest constraint but with the right content, geared toward the right market, you have an opportunity to be seen and heard.
Organizations are pumping up their online efforts to write compelling content and devour a piece of the market share, the hungry consumer. If you are not part of this bandwidth, churning out and feeding the insatiable, then you are doing a great disservice to your brand and your buyers. Content marketing offers the potential to communicate, engage and acquire new customers as well as to continue deepening relationships by adding value to your customers and prospects lives. For your efforts to be effective, your content must deliver an impact: a result to drive readership, sharing and interest. It isn’t merely finding an article and pushing it out. It should resonate with your company, your mission, your solutions and YOUR followers.
Your customers and prospects are searching for relevant data to help them in their buying decisions. You want to be that driver. You want to stay one step ahead of your competition, even industry colleagues, but to do this, you must be distributing value. Meeting pain points. Making sure your content conveys the information your audience is chasing.
When creating your content, think about some of the common questions you have been asked.
- What problems does your product or service solve?
- How will your product or service help them improve their career, their daily lives?
- What makes it difficult for them to do what they need to do on a daily basis?
- What are their obstacles to success?
Your solution based content can produce reactions and needs to your offerings. Help your readers thrive and flourish.
Content marketing is a strong leader in your social media channels. The Content Marketing Institute said:
“Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”
Inspire!
Don’t focus on what you have to say; understand what your target market wants to read. Your content marketing strategy should serve and deliver based upon the needs of your target market, offering solutions and viable outcomes for their greatest pain points.
Get inspired with the top 8 daily habits of some of the world’s most effective content marketers.
“Traditional marketing talks at people. Content marketing talks with them.” – Doug Kessler
In a recent study by MarketingProfs and the Content Marketing Institute their results demonstrated that 93% of B2B organizations now use content-based tactics for their marketing promotions and 73% specified they now produce more content than the previous year.
Peg Fitzpatrick’s post: Feed the Content Monster defines the industry social terms and helps you to understand the what, where, why and how of content marketing. It answers all of your questions, providing you guidance and suggestions to jump in the content ring. Get ready. Research. Curate. Write. Share.
What is the content monster? This is the void for content marketers between content creation and content sharing. The content monster needs to be fed consistently. Content marketing is a great way for brands and small businesses to reach their clients and prospective clients. If you are creating your own media or blog content, content creation is a time-consuming and important task. Most blogs and businesses aren’t producing an original video or blog article each day. If you do have the time and talent to produce great quality content, you still need to share more than one thing per day on social media. So, how can you feed the content monster and curate amazing content to share?
Click to read more: pegfitzpatrick.com
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Mar 27, 2014 | Customer Service
Customer service has always been and will continue to be a driving factor for all entrepreneurs, freelancers and business owners. Without the customer, you don’t have a business so you had better be damn sure you are listening and understanding their needs because if you aren’t, your competitor is. You have the opportunity of creating a brand advocate OR a vocal, viral monster who will inform the world about your lack of service and attentiveness.
Merely satisfying customers will not be enough to earn their loyalty. Instead, they must experience exceptional service worthy of their repeat business and referral. Understand the factors that drive this customer revolution. Rick Tate
Delivering the desirable and effective customer experience is an ongoing process and should extend beyond the close. Don’t let it stop there. You have earned an interested buyer and as in any successful relationship, the attentiveness to caring should not end simply because you sealed the deal. You should always be thinking of the small touches, the nuances and added service to continue to nurture your client. Think long-term partnership.
According to The 2012 American Express® Global Customer Service Barometer:
- Social Media Savvy Consumers Have High Expectations: They’ll Spend More When They Get Good Service and Ditch Companies When They Don’t
- More Than Eight in Ten of These Consumers Have Bailed on a Purchase Because of a Poor Service Experience Compared to 55% Overall
- Nine in ten of Americans surveyed (93%) say that companies fail to exceed their service expectations.
- Americans will tell an average of 15 people about positive experiences – up 67% from 9 last year
- Americans will tell an average of 24 people about poor experiences – up 50% from 16 in 2011
Social Media Raises the Stakes for Service (infographic)
Customer satisfaction is your competitive advantage: use it or lose it.
Providing quality unsurpassed service should be as simple as treating others the way you want to be treated. It seems so simple yet many companies fall short of this basic premise. The Golden Rule is your Midas Touch.
Think of a time when you didn’t receive the service you expected:
- How did it make you feel?
- Did you reach out to customer service?
- What method (s) did you use to tell your story?
- Was your issue satisfactorily resolved?
- Did you share your experience with others?
- Would you use this company again?
Create a CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE that infuses:
- Satisfaction in your products and services
- Comfort that they know you care
- Assurance that their issues are heard and respected
- Security in believing in your company
- Trust in your pledge to them
- Loyalty to your brand and values
- Confidence that you will go the extra mile
- Reliance that your team wants to ensure 100% customer satisfaction
When you are able to serve and deliver, you will generate not only happy customers, but brand advocates; the cornerstone of your success because it isn’t just your widgets that open the door. Build your company around real promises, outcomes and solutions to build the trust of your buyers and potential customers. Your business can’t survive online without the trust from your consumers; earn the trust and loyalty of your audience; your community. Cultivate your relationships through authentic communications and reliability. Your network is always looking for validation to ensure that a potential partnership or connection is dependable, trustworthy and “real.” Remove the feeling of vulnerability and risk of doing business with someone behind a keyboard. Read about the 10 Tips to Build Trust Online.
Trust removes fear, doubt, and friction. It dislodges things that are stuck. If you want to help your dream client make change, work first on winning the battle for trust. Anthony Iannarino
How do you create the best ongoing customer experience?
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Mar 25, 2014 | Delegation, Productivity, Small Business
Part of being effective during your work hours is the discipline to spend time on what is truly important even if other things try to steer you off course. Efficiency is learning about your awareness to, acceptance of and ability to determine your real work, the actual tasks and projects that propel you forward versus time suckers, bad habits, procrastination or other low payoff activities that take you away from your personal and professional aspirations. It is a continual building process and without a strong sturdy foundation, you may find yourself with a few cracks, leading to disaster, lost time or missed opportunities.
What are you putting off today and WHY? There are things we hate to do or aren’t all that much of a priority, but what happens when you continually push things under the rug? For one, your To Do list multiplies to such great lengths that some activities just get buried at the bottom.
Procrastination List or To Do list?
Go look at your list, your calendar or wherever you record your tasks and projects. I’ll wait.
How long have some of the items been on the list? Are there any you just file in your head to do, but never make it to a list to get done?
Be honest!! What are you going to do about it? And WHEN?
Stop running away from your lists and responsibilities.
Learn to take action and manage your procrastination.
Melanie Benson Strick, America’s Leading Business Optimizer gives you tips on how to SQUASH your procrastination habits. They are very simple and easy to implement today! Read what she has to say and see if you can’t change up a few of your activities and get more important things done.
“When you find yourself procrastinating high payoff activities because you don’t have time or don’t enjoy doing them, its time to activate a more powerful approach to getting things done.
Here are the four ways to squash procrastination and get her important tasks done:
Delegate. My favorite way to handle tasks that must be done but that drain my energy is to delegate those activities to someone else who enjoys doing them. My motto is if someone can do it better, faster or cheaper than me, get it off my plate.” Melanie Benson Strick
Click to learn about Melanie’s other three suggestions: successconnections.com
What are YOUR tips to manage procrastination?
