by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Oct 14, 2015 | Entrepreneur, Organization, Small Business, Toolbox
Picture this quintessential bit of information that has been picking at your brain and eating you up inside, you remember – someone on a beach with a digital tool, getting their work done while enjoying their family.
Drives you crazy, doesn’t it?
The cool breeze, the aqua green water, the white sand and some cheeky entrepreneur who is making it work! You stop and wonder; “How does she do it?”
Well, working remotely requires Systems, Tools and Technology. It’s not only possible to take a vacation, it’s doable, and within this article are the three things you need to know to make it work.
First, let’s identify a few fears here:
“No way. There’s too much to do and only I can do it.”
“My business would fall apart if I took time off.”
“Vacation? Only if I can have Wi-Fi.”
Put on your grown-up shoes and let’s roll up our sleeves and get you out of your office.
Systems:
Developing your daily operational structures ensures consistency, ease of use, and process management for yourself and those you bring on to your team as you grow. They become your auto-pilot during your absence.
Systems are the rules, policies, and procedures that your team follows and can consistently repeat as your company grows. They can be:
- Customer Support
- Inventory
- Marketing
- Accounting
- Human Resources
- Social Media
- Feedback
- On-boarding
- Meeting Procedures
- Customer Relations
While I admit, it isn’t always easy to walk away or tune out even for a short time, it is possible and you have earned it. Technology has given us 24/7 connectedness and the necessary tools to be able to step away. So, if you can marry your systems AND your tools, with your team, you can hide on an island or at least celebrate some downtime without as much guilt or worry.
Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment. – Jim Rohn
I may not always practice what I preach, but I do operate with systems, a team, and automation tools, enabling me to work from anywhere. On a 2015, 2 week trip, I visited 11 states, mountain biked in at least 7, visited majestic mountains dividing these great states, toured the longest cave system in the world and saw a part of the country that instills a real sense of America, history and the people who fought to establish our great nation.
Tools & Technology:
All of this travel was made possible BECAUSE I have systems, processes, tools, and impeccable organizational skills. I love what I do and do what I love. It’s passion, not work.
The Secret Sauce: Everyone has a few tips and tricks to share – start talking in your community, ask a VA or check with other entrepreneurs who seem to be ‘always on’.
TIP:
I think one of the best time-savers I used was shared via a client. Managing client Gmail accounts can be a hassle if you have to constantly sign in and out of Chrome. The secret sauce is that you can create different user-profiles and never have to login but just keep their Chrome account in your icon tray. I currently have 8 active Chrome browsers in my icon tray for email management, calendaring, social media, and other various client specific projects.
Along with creating the individual user profiles, I also have each client’s daily core programs and most-used apps saved in their own bookmark toolbar. I truly embrace organization and structure; maintaining files and systems for everything! This process not only saves me from needing to keep 10+ tabs open at all times but streamlines each associated platform, tool, page, or required details to operate behind the scenes for each client.
Over the years I have fine-tuned skills, tricks and techniques, as we all do. It is a growth process and so vital for your business as well. I love the tip above. I am able to save/sync client apps, bookmarks, extensions, logins, favorite sites, etc. When a client shares their profiles with me, it provides me access to all of their data and company information. I do recommend the 2-step verification as well. Security is a must for every business.
TIP:
In order to manage all of the projects and clients, my favorite project management tool is Redbooth (formerly Teambox). I feel it is THE tool to use as it is very user friendly, streamlines communications, keeps everything in one central location and provides the opportunity to upload tasks, assign deadlines and a “taskmaster”, engage in real-time communication, share files, have conversations(similar to emails) and maintain editable notes (like Google Docs). Every time there is a project activity, Redbooth sends an email notification with the details. From here, you can reply directly from your email, or you can log in to your account. The dashboard interface is straightforward, displaying the key tools you use every day to effectively manage your projects and time.
Redbooth is very robust and full-featured as they have continued to improve and enhance their offerings to make it the “go-to” app for project management. You can also schedule HD live meetings and have them immediately added to your calendar with the call details. Once your meeting is started, you can also screen share or record the meeting for future reference or for team members that weren’t able to attend.
Other Redbooth benefits:
Reporting for each workspace, calendar, tasks and users
Mobile Apps for IOS and Android
Integration with: Google Drive, SharePoint, Evernote, Office 365, Dropbox, Outlook, Gmail, MS Project
TIP:
In keeping with time management, an absolute must in the day and life of a Virtual Assistant, is time tracking. While there are so many options, some more techie than others, I prefer 2 KISS basics. This FREE stopwatch and timer and a spreadsheet. I keep this handy little tool saved in my personal browser as well as each client bookmark bar enabling me to stop, start and track the time spent on all tasks and projects. Honoring the simple and frankly, the unsophisticated tool is a time saver in and of itself. I don’t need some fancy apparatus with bells and whistles. I need accuracy and accountability. There’s a time and a place for upgraded technology.
Here is the deal, find the right resources you need to make your vacation or working remotely actually work.
Do your OWN research and find what works best for you, your business and your method of working.
I don’t believe there is one set tool, system or process that solves issues for the masses.
We learn and operate in so many different ways, left brain, right brain, hands-on, visual, and so on, that it makes strategic sense to implement your chosen tool not simply because someone tells you to, but because it works for YOU. Test and retest until you it all comes together according to your needs and preferences. Soon you too can travel with your office right in your lap as I do, but just be sure that you’ve got a designated driver.
You might even want to hire a VA to keep track of it all for you!
Over to you: please share your tips for working remotely and having a life.
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Jun 9, 2015 | LinkedIn, Small Business, Social Media
LinkedIn isn’t simply a platform for job hunters and recruiters, but also multi-dimensional social media channel to build your circle of influence and network with other professionals.
The stats alone will convince you that LinkedIn is a marketing tool you just can’t ignore.
- There are more than 460 million users on LinkedIn — in 200 countries and territories. That’s quite the global reach.
- 133 million users in the US
- 1 in 3 professionals have a LinkedIn account
- Over 49% of key decision makers are on LinkedIn
- 35% of users access LinkedIn everyday
- Reachforce found that 44% of B2B marketers have generated leads via LinkedIn.
- There are over 1 billion LinkedIn endorsements
- Over 25 million LinkedIn profiles are viewed each day
Your LinkedIn profile will act as your laser-focused billboard, presenting you as the subject matter expert in your field. Writing it may seem like a daunting task, but simply set aside some time, maybe a weekend to brainstorm what you want to share. Gather your information in outline form and dive in. If you aren’t confident with your skills, hire out the creative writing aspect but keep in mind, you’ll have to do some of the heavy lifting as well.
Headline
By default, LinkedIn will populate this field with your current company and job title. You are not obligated to retain this. Mix it up and get creative using robust keywords and phrases. List your expertise and other credentials as well, but don’t overwhelm the header with details. It can be overkill. Try to keep it to about 10-15 words. Less is more.
Summary
Design your killer profile to gain traction with a strong summary, industry keywords and in the first person tense, using “I.” Example: “I facilitated a team of 18 people to drive sales 24% above the previous quarter.” List 4-5 of your principal achievements. It’s important to note that you are writing to your target market, so make sure you are hitting some of the crucial points that would make the most sense to them.
Photo
If you don’t have a professional headshot, make time for a photo shoot. Wear something businesslike, no flash or bling. AND smile. It portrays you as someone who is real, reachable, open and personable. People are influenced by visual images, so keep in mind that you have just a few seconds to make an impression. Make it a good one.
Content
Fill in the blanks: awards, recognition, special achievements, education, associations, volunteer work and so forth. It helps to clearly demonstrate your well-roundedness, diversity in projects and skills as well as making you appear more versatile.
Endorsements/Recommendations
It never hurts to ask. Reach out to people you know, past and present clients, or even colleagues. People are always delighted to share a few kudos. Give it a try. Here’s a small tip for you, reciprocate the kindness.
Claim Your Custom Profile URL
LinkedIn’s default profile URL is not only hard to remember and share but it doesn’t showcase your name or your brand, making it more difficult for Google to display your profile page in the search results. Personalize your custom URL with your name or company name that is consistent with your other social media platforms. Click here to update your profile URL settings.
Status Updates
Everything you share is a direct reflection of yourself, your brand and your company. Your content is the cornerstone of building your digital footprint and circle of influence. It’s how you communicate your expertise with your target audience. It helps establish you as a credible source by nurturing the relationships with real content that drives conversation, educates, and encourages that coveted SHARE. With each post, consider what your audience wants and needs. Don’t get too comfortable on the soapbox because if that’s where you’re shouting your message from – trust me, no one is listening. Always remember that good content solves your customers’ problems. This is what drives your own personal influence. There’s no need to shout how awesome you are. Your content will speak for itself.
Consistency and frequency are key to authenticating your online reputation. It isn’t good enough to share a post on LinkedIn once a week. You won’t be able to develop a watchful audience unless you maintain a visible presence. Sharing content that matters – and doing it often – is the only way to build your personal brand.
To keep yourself in check, outline the topics or themes you’d like to share in support of your keywords and phrases. Write your own posts as a LinkedIn Publisher, in addition to searching for quality content from others to share as status updates. Authoring your posts in the Publisher format allows:
- People to follow you
- You to write long form posts
- Google to index your posts
- Your posts to reach a larger public audience
- Showcase your expertise
You’ve got your posts all lined up but what’s next? When to post? According to HubSpot research, the best times to share content on LinkedIn are on Tuesday’s 10-11 am (via AddThis) while Fannit stated the best times are 7-8 am and 5-6 pm. My suggestion is also to test different days and times to see what produces the best results with your personal audience. Science and social metrics can be a struggle, but pay attention to your engagement, comments, likes and shares. Everyone is different as are their goals and tactics. Find what works best for you.
Start with this as a recipe for posting
- Post 2-3 times per day, 7 days a week
- Mix up your posts with URLs, images, or even quotes
- Comment on other people’s content
- Share in various target groups
- Write long-form posts as “LinkedIn Publisher”
- Search for our keywords and phrases in the “posts” section
Growing your network
The next rung toward your success is to join a few industry groups with like-minded peers, target audience and influencers. Participating in LinkedIn Groups affords you the opportunity to further develop your own thought leadership with professionals in your field. They function as a “private” space to interact with other members that share common interests, skills and industries, further widening your network and affiliations. While you are permitted to join up to 50 groups, it is advisable that you maintain a level of sanity and be a little choosy with the number of groups you join. It can be overwhelming to try and keep up with the discussions as well as share relevant content. Don’t overextend yourself.
Creating your profile, posting and joining groups is the foundation to your LinkedIn success but as with any SOCIAL network, it requires the human touch and by that I mean engagement with your community. Set aside time each day to fully engage in conversations and comment on posts that resonate with you. It is the nurturing of relationships that builds trust in you and your brand. People buy from people. That will never change.
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Feb 25, 2015 | Entrepreneur, Productivity, Small Business, Social Media
No, not a financial burden imposed by the state, but the tax social media can have on an entrepreneur can feel like a huge time-sucker.
Dictionary.com presents 5 ways to define the word tax, the best fit for this article is:
Too Many Hats
An entrepreneur has a lot to do in a bootstrapped business. They are the person performing the customer service or generating the product they deliver to a client AND they are also every other department such as marketing, creative design, accounting, sales, talent management, and more. Their passion is clear and focused on the service and product, but it can begin to dwindle with the burden of necessary duties to support that business.
Social Media Visibility
Add to this, there is an expectation that all entrepreneurs are online at all times providing continual content to build a loyal audience and that content must live on Social Media platforms. After 6 months to a year of generating content, responding, being conversational to build relationships, and doing everything they can to rise above the noise and be noticed, they grow weary of it all. I heard one woman entrepreneur state that because of social media, she needs a wife, an assistant, and a design team because the weight of her business does not fit into the 24 hours she is given. Some days it feels like a heavy tax and burden on an entrepreneur’s day.
The Anchor
The message seems to be, if you are not on social media, you don’t exist. Yet many feel that being tied to the responsibility of social media keeps them from living, much less working on their business. They want to be there interacting with the people who need their business, but it doesn’t always feel like they are reaching an audience when using social media. It is a tough balance, entrepreneurship, and all it entails. However, there is a strategy that can be implemented to ease the load on a business owner’s time.
Delegation. Plain and simple.
Delegating is the simple act of entrusting authority to another person. While you can’t or shouldn’t delegate every task or responsibility in your business, you should move some of the non-essentials off of your plate. The ones that are the most time consuming, don’t generate revenue and take you away from the core of your business.
According to VerticalResponse, 23 percent of CEOs and business owners spend between six to 10 valuable hours each week on social media.
In a Constant Contact market survey, they found that:
- Small business owners spend at least 20 hours per week on marketing
- 82% market their business using many different platforms, including email, e-newsletters, social media
Wow! That is a big chunk of time to give up. I bet this doesn’t even include those hidden hours when you are sucked into the black hole of searching and link clinking. Before you know it, the day is over.
Who nurtured your business and your clients?
Yes! Your social media efforts represent the architectural structure that leads to brand recognition, credibility, a positive customer experience, brand advocates, increased web traffic, search rankings, and word-of-mouth marketing. There is absolutely NO question that you do need an online presence. It is vital in today’s super socially connected world. Everyone does business online; searching brands and companies, reviews, social proof, connections, tips, tools, apps, and addresses. It is only going to continue to expand.
BUT…..
What about the commitment to your business beyond social engagement?
Are you ready to apply for your social media tax rebate and get back to building your company??
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Dec 17, 2014 | Delegation, Small Business, Virtual Assistant
Owning and operating a scalable business takes a team to fortify the back end, the daily routines, the foundational systems, and processes, let alone the everyday task of social media. After you’ve done it all yourself day after day and you’re ready for a business lifeline, take heed of my client’s advice to other business owners and start-ups. Cultivate the business mindset for growth and profit. You don’t have to go it alone, nor should you.
Humbled and honored by a client’s written word, I’d like to share his opinion about our long-time valued partnership.
Besides transcribing shows Suzie helped organize timelines and tasks for my books, edited and proofed them, served as a sounding board giving much-needed feedback, she found online collaboration tools to help facilitate an easier process, she’s schooled me on social media tools, made introductions to other resources and been an avid cheerleader and friend.
Her role has been a key factor in reaching my goals.
You’re hiring a partner, a coach, an employee, even a boss when you hire the right virtual assistant. If you hire the right virtual assistant, your life is made easier and more productive.
Have you truly got the time to build your business, generate revenue, and manage ALL of the necessary components of your company? Single-handedly?
Take some time to investigate your options for growth. If you haven’t already, write out your goals, both short term, and long term, including action steps and a timeline. List every hat in the company with about how much time you SHOULD invest and DO invest in each. Are there places that are falling between the cracks? Projects or responsibilities that never seem to get finished or even started?
Upon review, are you a superhero with a magic red cape who can do it all and be it all to everyone? Make an honest and sincere assessment of your organization? Can it withstand just one person at the helm or would you benefit from a co-pilot? A little scrutiny goes a long way toward your successful longevity.
If you’re still not sure about delegating, here is another client exchange:
I actually found Suzie from internet/social media, her posts and activity was something we were trying to do so I figured if she could do it for herself she could do it for us. Suzie wasn’t my first attempt at a VA, the 1st one didn’t work out mostly because our styles didn’t fit together.
My personality is that I know what I don’t want more than what I do want ….so people who work with us have to be able to think things thru and come up with solutions. I’m not good at giving detailed specific instructions. I tried Suzie on a couple of ugly projects and she worked thru them, she pushed me when I needed pushing and she made the decisions when she knew she was right.
Suzie could do the specific projects faster than we could do them, get them done on time better than us and all though my cost per hour for Suzie vs some of my employees is much higher, I found that it takes Suzie less time and it takes no supervision from me.
Don’t get hung up on a comparison of hourly costs and don’t think a VA is for the grunt work. Hiring a VA is a way to get another smart person on your staff at a low overall cost.
Delegating allows you to:
- Focus on your core genius: Do what you must do: the tasks and projects that ONLY you can and should be doing. The mainstay of your company.
- Increase your productivity: You can work on more high-level business operations instead of the routine and mundane day to day necessities.
- Eliminate distractions: There are many daily tasks that don’t require your immediate attention. Moving those off of your plate diminishes notifications and multi-tasking.
- Be client/company centric: You have more time to dedicate to building your business structures and relationships.
- Reduce your stress: You’ve got a vested partner working behind the scenes to ensure that everything is efficient, successful, and administered in a timely fashion.
- Bolster your work-life balance: The more you are able to move off of your desk, the more time you gain for your personal life. Nix the nights and weekends.
These are some time-saving and life-saving benefits for the entrepreneur. The gift of time is something we all need more of. If you want to seriously focus on what is important, rather than on what needs to be done, delegating might just be the tool for you.
When you do less, you achieve more.
If you’re ready for a few upgrades in 2015, contact us for a free consultation.
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Nov 18, 2014 | Business Values, Customer Service, Small Business
Earning a new client takes hard work, effort, and a real understanding of their needs and desires. A couple of posts or knowing your own value isn’t enough. You need to actually demonstrate your expertise, gain trust, and validate your ability to solve their most pressing problems.
Service vs Services
Your service, not services, is one of the key factors that can be your unique selling proposition. Your competitor may sell the same widgets, but it’s YOU who has the opportunity to capture your audience and offer something exceptional and distinctive.
Be compelling.
Putting an end to their troubles is what they want most. This is your real product. It is you, your service, and your ability to meet the customer/prospect needs that will drive your business. Their greatest pains are your selling features; how you’ll add to their lives like the genie in the magic lamp.
You’ll never have a product or price advantage again. They can be easily duplicated, but a strong customer service culture can’t be copied. Jerry Fritz
As an Executive Virtual Assistant, a few key areas where my clients struggle are:
- Not enough time to contribute to their day-to-day business operations
- Social media management
- Productivity
- Work-life balance
- Understanding the digital environment
- Focus and staying on task
- Project management
- Business development
These all essentially relate back to time; something they don’t have enough of, nor do most solopreneurs. Let’s just say I can create a highly sought-after commodity. Now if I could snap my fingers to solve “world peace” we’d all be better off.
Being in business isn’t just about the sale; it is about fulfilling needs, valuing your customer, and providing impeccable service. Remember, if you aren’t making love to your clients, prospects, or associates, someone else will.
Serve and deliver to generate not only happy customers but brand advocates; the foundation of your success. Shape your organizational culture around real pledges, results, and solutions to encourage the trust of your buyers and potential customers. Your business can’t survive online without it.
Your network is always looking for confirmation to ensure that a potential partnership or connection is dependable, trustworthy, and “real”
- Warrant the trust and loyalty of your audience; your community.
- Cultivate your relationships through trustworthy communications and reliability.
- Remove the feeling of vulnerability and risk of doing business with someone in the digital world.
“When you try to get close to people you build trust. Staying consistent with that strategy will not only build your influence and authority, but it will also help you make true connections! In order to create a personality that people will trust online, you have to learn how to make time to be personal.” Wade Harman
You are the architect of your business growth
Establish trust and comfort to build the foundation for a long-term partnership. Make it evident that you genuinely care about your clients and their goals. Your paycheck comes second to their ultimate satisfaction because, without them, there is no business. No success. Just a sign that says “Open.” You can’t eat that.
According to the report by Customers 2020: “The customer of 2020 will be more informed and in charge of the experience they receive. They will expect companies to know their individual needs and personalize the experience. Immediate resolution will not be fast enough as customers will expect companies to proactively address their current and future needs.”
Don’t be a statistic. Understand and acknowledge the inherent value of creating an impeccable customer experience. Innovate and be intuitive to stay at least one step ahead. Simple everyday measures to honor and respect your clients/prospects will far exceed any type of product you sell. It is the behind the scenes sincerity of thought that generates the win-win.
SERVE up some hearty unsurpassed service
What dining options do you provide?
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Oct 1, 2014 | Entrepreneur, Small Business
Starting and growing your business is an exciting and at times, an overwhelming endeavor. The entrepreneurial spirit is a driving force to hang your shingle and as you know, it requires a specific mindset and continued effort to sustain and expand in your marketplace.
Break away: There may be several other businesses like yours and it is up to you to set yourself apart from the competition. It isn’t your widgets that generate the business. It’s you. Your service. Your commitment to your stakeholders.
Business ownership can be a 24/7 job and necessitates forward thinking and as Michael Port says, “thinking big.” Just because you opened your doors and provide a product or service, your job doesn’t end here. Build it and they will come is not enough. You must live in it, on it and breathe it.
Small business isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s for the brave, the patient and the persistent. It’s for the overcomer. Unknown
There is no room for stagnation or complacency if you intend to experience the full benefits of your company, aspiring greater revenues, satisfied customers, WOM marketing, new products/services and success. Embrace your business, your skills and your team on your journey as an entrepreneur.
Small Business Success Tips
- Have a passion for your business, service and product
- Solve an issue or problem, don’t just sell a widget
- Create blueprints to outline your goals, vision and action steps
- Set up systems for components of your business: i.e. marketing, sales channels, customer support, project management, social media and use them consistently. There is too much time and money lost searching for information or testing new tools and systems. Find one and use it
- Provide the service you expect from your own vendors
- Understand that response time to inquiries is very important. Don’t keep the prospect or customer waiting because your competitor is on your heels
- Stay connected and be available
- Never stop learning or reading for ways to help your business, network, customers or prospects
- Learn from failures and push forward, making new inroads
- Underpromise and overdeliver
- Be open to change and new directions based upon the market and your customers
- Know the difference between working ON your business, rather than IN it
- Why are you making yourself busy? All of the back end, low payoff, admin activities do not represent your core genius or generate income. It is important to allow delegation to become a strength, in order to grow and expand a business
- Social media and online marketing are here to stay – create a strong presence, understand the medium, know where your customers are
- Authenticity wins. If you aren’t true to yourself and your prospects, it is easily visible or soon to be discovered. Be real or don’t play at all
- Maintainable and consistent growth results from doing more of what produces progression and less of what seizes your time in the name of growth
- You must define the most profitable use of your working hours
- Focus your valuable time on the high payoff activities
- Limit distractions and stay centered on the task – you will be much more productive.
- Create collaborative teams within your company and industry
- Realize that every online action you take lasts a lifetime as your digital footprint. Your personal online brand represents you AND your company. Be cognizant of your posts and comments as your reputation may be determining your social impact
- Giving is better than receiving. Stop singing Me, Me, Me. Share the rich and relevant content of others in your network, industry, trusted circles, family, friends….. you know who. Reach out and ask how you can help. If you find a pertinent article to someone you know, email it. Go the extra mile
- Learn effective time management skills while you can’t manage time per say, you can manage yourself in terms of your priorities and scheduling. Never be late and don’t miss deadlines
- Maintain an organized office and life with productivity tools that work for you; whether it is a pen and paper, an online PM system or a spreadsheet, keep track of what you are doing, the milestones, results, action steps and To Do list
- Have some fun. Laugh a little and most of all, revel in your success as a business owner
Small business success doesn’t just happen overnight with a wish and a magic wand.
What is your secret weapon for success?
