by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Aug 19, 2014 | Delegation, Entrepreneur, Productivity, Virtual Assistant
You relish the feeling of owning and operating your own business. You are the boss. The king of your company, controlling your own destiny and driving the success of the organization. You understand the systems and processes required to prosper in the business world.
You are a visionary. A thought leader, delivering strategy and tactics to meet your goals.
Being an entrepreneur requires a mindset that isn’t just about collecting a paycheck but more about creating a thriving business, meeting needs, being intuitive and developing your company in such a way that it impacts your stakeholders. According to the US Small Business Association, there are approximately 23 million small businesses in America just like yourself, facing challenges, making innovations, adapting to change and attempting to own a piece of the market share.
Entrepreneurial mindset refers to a specific state of mind which orientates human conduct towards entrepreneurial activities and outcomes. Individuals with entrepreneurial mindsets are often drawn to opportunities, innovation and new value creation. Financial Times
This is just a small piece of the equation.
Keeping this in mind, think about all of the daily projects and tasks that you continue to add to your plate that is already overflowing. It is a meal for many. How are you able to scale your company while managing all of the day to day, routine and mundane tasks? It’s like flipping the lever on a container of jelly beans and filling up the bag until it overflows, scattering a rainbow of colors all over the floor.
What happens next?
Aside from a sugar high, you are left with an inedible mess on the floor. Sure, the colors are pretty; they may have landed in some obscure graphic design but they are of no use now. Make the most of your life, your passions and your valued time.
STOP! Don’t burden yourself with the unnecessary. It’s a liability to you and your company.
You know what you do best. You know why you started the business. You have the entrepreneurial mentality but like many small business owners or solo-preneurs, you (we) tend to wear every hat in the company. Hats that should be distributed to more than one person. To a team.
Empower yourself for higher performance!
But the essence of teamwork is not actually perfection – the essence is constant growth. One of the must-have things you will need as an entrepreneur is a loyal right-hand person who will not leave you no matter what troubles you will face in your entrepreneurial journey. Victorino Abrugar
Being an entrepreneur is no simple endeavor. It requires a 24/7/365 days a year drive, dedication and commitment to growing your business. It isn’t a hobby – it’s a lifestyle.
What makes a business owner a CEO of their company and what keeps them slugging it out alone?
In “Stay Focused on Your Core Genius,” by Jack Canfield he clearly demonstrates the power and need to delegate what doesn’t serve you and your valued expertise.
I believe you have inside of you a core genius… some one thing that you love to do, and do so well, that you hardly feel like doing anything else. It’s effortless for you and a whole lot of fun. And if you could make money doing it, you’d make it your lifetime’s work. For me, my core genius lies in the area of teaching, training, coaching and motivating. Another core genius is writing and compiling books.
Over my 35 year career, I have written, co-authored, compiled and edited more than 150 books, and I love to do it! I do it well, and people report that they get great value from it.
Compare that to the other people in the world who go through life doing everything, even those tasks they’re bad at or that could be done more cheaply, better, and faster by someone else.
They simply can’t find the time to focus on their core genius because they fail to delegate even the most menial of tasks.
Most entrepreneurs spend less than 30% of their time focusing on their core genius and unique abilities.
Read this once. Twice. Three times.
What are you holding onto that doesn’t represent your core genius? That isn’t the greatest value of your time and expertise? Anthony Iannarino believes, “The most productive people spend their time where it produces a greater return on investment. They invest their time where it produces the outcomes that they really want.”
My clients outsource to me for these exact reasons. It is impossible to do it all and be it all to everyone while operating a successful business. While you may want manage every single aspect of your company from top to bottom, it will come at a price. There comes a point in time when every entrepreneur needs to realize it is time to step back from the desk, the daily activities and become the CEO of their company. The overseer who is no longer tromping in the trenches but actively running the business. Working ON it, rather than IN it, instilling the long-term vision required for your company’s growth and longevity.
“Scale Your Business Beyond Yourself.” When you choose the activities and projects you are going to delegate, commit to making the best use of these hours. Don’t simply be busy or squander your time on social media. Have a plan in place for those new found hours dedicated to working on your business, productively! This is a high payoff investment.
In fact, by the time they’ve launched a business, it often seems entrepreneurs are doing everything but the one thing they went into business for in the first place.
It takes time to create new habits and get in the flow with different systems, but once you re-establish your entrepreneurial role, you will experience greater growth in addition to deeper visions for your company. It is a future of win-wins. Live your dream as the entrepreneur, not the employee. As Jason T. Wiser of On Track Tips says:
Stop being a one man band, start being a business owner. You no longer need to do it all yourself, but you need to know how to delegate and let go of tasks.
Are you ready to take the advice of Jack and Jason to scale your business? If not, what are your roadblocks?
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Jul 2, 2014 | Productivity, Time Management
The digital ecosphere is chock full of educational posts to help keep you on time, on task and being productive, offering up a variety of viewpoints or suggestions but it is up to YOU to find what works and put it to work. All the tips, tools and sites are of no value unless you actually take action. We all want more out of our days, but simply wishing and reading won’t magically set you on fire.
“ Progress is the activity of today and the assurance of tomorrow. ” Ralph Waldo Emerson
You may already have a few time management or productivity hacks that are your favorites. The ones that keep you motivated and producing or….. you struggle with time and getting things done. The day zips by, the hours keep ticking, yet nothing really seems to be getting done. You want change. You crave the feeling of accomplishment, but you aren’t sure where to start or what to do first.
Set aside your trepidation and bewilderment.
You can instigate change. You CAN make a difference and become more productive, IF you want to. It’s up to you. Once you modify your mindset and gain clarity that you are more than ready, take baby steps, testing out a few tips and systems. You will soon discover what works best for you and your personality.
We all work differently.
No two people absorb or process information in the same manner. Just because Mark wakes at 5 AM to kickstart his day, it doesn’t mean that it is the best time for you. You have your own working hours; the times when you are most productive. Get a handle on it and schedule those hours for some of the more difficult projects.
- Find what works
- Embrace it
- Create a routine
- Stick to it
Ready? Set? Read!!
Time Management & Productivity Round Up
Top 3 Time Management Mistakes Identified By Togglers
Never Feel Overwhelmed Again: The 19 Best Ways to get organize
8 Quick Tips to Master Your Task Management
10 Useful Productivity Hacks for Small Business Owners
61 Productivity Experts Reveal The 3 Best Productivity Tools
How to Be 5 Times More Productive
Productivity Hacks From Startup Execs
7 Effective Time Management Tips To Maximize Your Productivity
Why We Brag About Being Busy (And How to Regain Focus)
25 Productivity Tips Plus One More
8 Tips For Reaching Maximum Productivity
This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means but it can represent a fresh start or a little fine tuning for you. No matter what level you are at, there is always room for growth and progress. By learning to work smarter and not harder or finding more time in your day, you will enhance your productivity, sense of accomplishment and happiness. After all, it is summertime so make the time to enjoy life to the fullest.
Image credit: Michael Kitces
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Apr 24, 2014 | Organization, Productivity, Time Management
How many times have you thought that you need more hours in your day or an extra pair of hands? You know the feeling, looking at your desk, your calendar, your Smartphone, your inbox…. Ugh, it is overflowing with things that need your attention. You can’t torch it. You can’t ignore it, but you can implement a few systems and processes to help you better manage the overwhelm and chaos, moving you to increase your productivity.
For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned. – Anonymous
The Notorious To Do list
The first step toward success is to be cognizant of the level of disturbances which you allow into your day. It could revolve around the daily notifications you receive regarding text messages, emails, news alerts, phone calls or any other immediate interruption that diverts your focus from the task at hand.
- Are you able to turn off or lower the volume of the notifications?
- Can you schedule 3-4 times throughout the day to review/respond to emails?
- Do you need to respond immediately to each byte of data that crosses your desk or your Smartphone?
Tips
- Prioritize and set deadlines.
- Know which projects require the most time and your undivided attention.
- Create your boundaries for working hours and “publicize” them.
- Tune out distractions.
- Stay on task.
Is Your Inbox Abundant with Clutter?
In 2011, it is estimated that there were 3.146 billion email accounts and 2.8 million emails sent and received every day. Wow!
Email has become the most predominant mode of office communications whether it is a quick hello or dissemination of corporate materials, contracts, projects and data. It is a necessity that we cannot live without.
Some inboxes can look like a nightmare of messages and To Dos if not properly maintained or left unchecked for an extended period of time. We are all busy working and managing the flow of information and business operations that it can just become an inconvenience to take the time to delete, file, schedule or otherwise take some form of action with each email. If you continually shy away from inbox management, it not only becomes unruly like a bad hair day, but it fosters a lack of productivity and organization. Who can afford that?
Have you ever spent wasted minutes or hours feverishly searching for an email that contains an important document? It becomes a frustrating unproductive endeavor that is a gross misuse of your valuable time AND time is money.
PING!! A new email is awaiting your attention.
- Schedule time to check your email at various intervals
- Make sure you have appropriate folders and filters for filing.
- Is it urgent?
- Can it be completed in 2-3 mins?
- Can you flag it to read later?
- Have you set up rules/alerts
- Delete it if it isn’t necessary and won’t add any value.
- If there is an attachment, download it and save it in the appropriate document folder
- Forward it with instructions to your virtual assistant
- If it is an appointment, drag it to your calendar
- Have separate email addresses for personal and business use
My Documents
You are inundated with digital paper that requires action and filing. Creating folders is a simple task to ensure your documents are organized and easily found. It can prove very time consuming if you have to scroll through one larger receptacle looking for a needed document. Sure, you can do a broad search but when proper file management is established, you can save a great deal of time and aggravation. Let your digital filing system mirror a physical filing system.
Tips:
- Create folders and sub-folders
- Use short names
- Be diligent about filing
- Separate current and completed works
- Archive older, unneeded documents – store in a separate folder, USB or cloud storage
- Create shortcuts or links to documents you use more consistently. Maintaining a single copy ensures you are always using the most current version.
- Delete unnecessary files
- Create shortcuts of your most used documents and save them on your desktop.
- If you routinely share documents with a group, consider using Google Docs, Teambox, Dropbox or another online sharing tool for collaborating.
- Save your data and make sure you always back up your computer
Taking the time to organize and streamline your office operations, even if it is just your email and documents, will help to increase your efficiency and productivity – which saves you time and money. The less time you must spend rummaging through folders and emails, the more time you have to devote to the your vital business operations and daily procedures.
Have a time and place for everything, and do everything in its time and place, and you will not only accomplish more, but have far more leisure than those who are always hurrying. – Tryon Edwards
Make organization a habit, not a one hit wonder. Get into a rhythm everyday and stick with it, just like you would with any lifestyle habit.
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Apr 17, 2014 | Entrepreneur, Productivity, Small Business, Time Management
Entrepreneurs are always strapped for time! You need more. Want more. Gotta have it but you need to realize the value of your time and how to best use every second, all 86,400 of them.
You can learn to maximize your productivity and feel like a rock star. I’m not talking about just being busy as that isn’t efficient. There is a difference between just using up some time, watching the hours tick by, and truly cranking out some real work that has an impact.
There’s always plenty of tips and tools you can enlist but it really comes down to you and what you are willing to do to best leverage your time, output and true success.
It is a choice. Everyone has the exact same amount of time in their day so it is about how you invest in it. Invest in you.
Achieve your goals and master your To Do list and projects for your greatest accomplishments or merely float through the day, kinda hoping things magically get done. Don’t operate your business like it’s in Disney Land.
You all need some downtime, nap time, and some time, BUT, don’t expect to realize winning results without a plan, focus, and dedication. It just doesn’t happen. Simple as that.
Victory comes at a cost.
Pay it or concede.
Productivity Simplicity
- Determine what is most important: in your day, in your life, in your business. That’s what you need to be doing.
- Make a plan: to achieve these important tasks and milestones. List out action steps.
- Priorities: have them. Understand them. Commit to them.
- Allow time for diversions: it always happens. A sink hole or you are somehow sidetracked but with proper planning, you are prepared.
- Set realistic timelines: if you don’t, you may be scrambling and only half finishing your lists or not putting in 100%. If you can’t give it your all, then it is half ass. Do you want that??
- Tick tock: don’t be ruled by the clock. It doesn’t tell you if you are being more efficient and productive. Your output does. 9-5 doesn’t mean anything if you are just “busy.”
- Create your goals: this helps to keep you on target daily, weekly, monthly. Revisit your list and revise as needed.
- Eliminate your distractions: there is nothing worse than the ping of a notification, TV, phone, etc that will detract your focus. Tune out and turn off. It’s okay. You won’t lose anything but you have everything to gain. Be in the moment and nowhere else.
- Don’t multi-task: it really does impede your productivity, decrease your brainpower, and limits your true attention to get one thing right. Put the emphasis on one project, one task at a time.
- Ask yourself, “how or does this serve my goals?” If something doesn’t really serve you, then STOP!
- Be accountable: yes, your day and how you manage your time is up to you. Own it. Do it.
- Timers: they work! Set a timer for 30 minutes that you will devote to the time on task. Don’t stop. Don’t stray. Just do it. At the end of those 30, take a 5-minute break and then hit it again.
- Break the chains: don’t be a prisoner to your email. Check it at set intervals.
- Review time: every night, review your day, and set your goals/action steps for the following day.
- Sing ME ME: yes, you must give back to yourself and establish a healthy work-life balance. Schedule in a time that is away from work; away from must do’s and have some fun. Refresh and refocus. Your brain needs it.
Michael LeBoeuf: “Waste your money and you’re only out of money, but waste your time and you’ve lost a part of your life.”
There are posts every day about what the most productive people do, 5 minutes to increase your productivity, how the top 10 entrepreneurs get things done, 30-second productivity boost; the list is endless but no matter what the post suggests, it is up to you to find and implement the tips and tools that you will use. The ones that resonate the most to help you increase your efficiency, work-life balance, time management, and productivity. Unless you are ready for a change, to kick it up to rock star status, then all of the recommendations are worthless.
You choose the productivity hacks that work for YOU.
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 | 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?
