Moving Ahead in the New Year!

The new year has arrived and the first official Monday is tomorrow! Are you ready to make a difference in your life and business this year? Not that you have not made a difference every year but a new bigger difference this year!

The roll over of the annual calendar allows us all to make changes, updates, new commitments and face the past challenges head on.

This is the time to find ways to Move Past and Move Ahead of it all. If you have not sat down and made a list of what worked last year, what did not work last year, what changes you would like to see happen this year, what people you would like to connect with this year - it is not too late!

Take a moment to review your logo, your website message (your tag line and the direction the message is being delivered), your meta tags, your keywords - be sure your branding is in line with where you want your business to be going! Sometimes we start out with our branding in once place and after a few years (or maybe even a few months) the direction or mission has slightly changed but your branding has not been updated. Updating your branding to be sure the most current direction of your company is being relayed is vital to your growth! You want to continually connect with your target market right? Stay up to date!

There are several Virtual Assistants that specialize in niches like this - they can assist business owners who might not have enough time to go through all of the changes. There are VA’s that assist in keeping your SEO up to date and continually adding to your key words and meta tags so you stay on top! Last but not least there are Marketing Strategists that can help you from point A to point Z in putting it all together!

Remember there are Virtual Assistants and Strategists out here to help you… if you are interested in getting a couple of referrals, please contact me and I would be happy to make a connection!

The Power of the Unsubscribe Button! {advice from a bystander}

Do you find yourself getting too many email newsletters, updates and blasts from people out there? Do you sit wondering “why did I sign up for this?” or “Oh this is not what I thought it was?” or even “I did not give this person the right to email me!” ? With so many business out there focusing on internet marketing and building lists it s no wonder that you end up a a few of them.

It is likely some are very valuable to you and some are not. Some you just joined the “list” to get the free offer that was available, he he he.

The question is what do you do now with all of these coming into your email account? First of all STOP using your main email account to sign up for promotions - create a free Gmail account or Yahoo account to accept those. I prefer Gmail because of all of the filters and automatic actions you can have it do ~ if you would like more specific strategy information on using a dummy account contact me and I can give you more…

BUT what I want to focus on are emails that you feel “you get too many from this certain person”, you “feel they are too focused on just selling their products and not contributing” or you “feel you never asked to be on their list”. It is very easy to report them as spammers yes, and for some that fall into these three categories it might be warranted but when you think about it they are just trying to make it. By reporting someone as a spammer you really mess them up… their email management account can be shut down and worse yet they can loose their entire database. Is it worth doing that to someone just because they are bugging you? I say no.. it is just as easy to push the unsubscribe button! Some people will email back “Please Remove Me” but understand if the one in control of that account does not remove you correctly you can be imported again and back to getting emails.

As someone who manages several client’s email management accounts on several different platforms it is much appreciated when you just choose to unsubscribe. You might think, well they can see my name and that I unsubscribed - Yes They Can, oh well - they have to understand you do not want their information any longer, it is your choice. In reality if you are just trashing their blasts any ways you are not a true customer and their count is not accurate. Also if you take control and push the unsubscribe button you are blocking them from just importing your name in later down the road - you would have to personally sign up again to get their info!

Unsubscribing can be helpful to the marketer or the leader that is doing the blasting…when you unsubscribe use the comments area to let them know why you are unsubscribing. If you think they are pushing for a sale too much, sending out nonsense, you no longer belong/participate with that organization company or if you have a suggestion to make their marketing better don’t you think they would want to know? I would!

So when you are bothered by your overloaded inbox - think of cleaning out your “subscriptions” and unsubscribing to a few things, but be proactive and helpful at the same time!

Top 5 Ways to Add to the Productivity Between a VA & a Client

Virtual Assistants are here to do just that ASSIST business owners. When VA’s work with business owners there is a bond that should be created. A personal relationship and an understanding of what the business owner’s plans for their company is. Working together for a common goal increases the productivity along with the success of the business. Beyond the “bonding” between a VA and their client, there are some key elements that can increase the productivity of that “assistance”…

5 top ways to add to the productivity are:

• Needed Programs Available & Understood by both VA and BO
• Realistic Due Dates (scheduling is key)
• Authority Given to VA to Complete Tasks (of course once trained properly)
• A Repeatable Process for Tasks
• And TOP #1 WAY to increase productivity - CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS & COMMUNICATION!

Tax Time is Around the Corner – Don’t get stressed!

Small business owners are notorious for gathering stacks of business cards and never having the time to build that follow up database.  I discussed ways a VA can help in this situation.  There is another “stack” that small business owners are notorious for collecting… is it the dreaded stack of receipts!  Receipts for meals, office supplies, invoices and so on…. When it is getting closer to the end of the year we all start dreading dealing with the “stack”!  Here are a couple of simple tips for  organizing (well they might not help this year but if you implement it now you will be on track for next year) Tip #1 - keep a pen with you everywhere and when you get a receipt for anything jot a note on it - for example if it is a meal receipt, who did you meet with? a small note on what was discussed, just enough to jog your memory. Tip #2 -  get an accordion file keeper and label the sections “meals”, “office supplies”, “business expenses”, “events”, “advertising *& marketing” and so on (you can get some suggestions from your accountant of sections they would like to see)  THEN here is the hard part…put the receipt in the file keeper in the right section!  A VA can help create a nice excel report for your tax accountant and your files listing all of the receipts along with the notes so “gosh for bid” you ever got audited you had ledgable notes and are organized!  I work a lot with my own records like this creating a chart by category and sorted by dates with all of the info - when, where, who and why on my excel!  My tax accountants Gail Hargrove in Granada Hills loves my system and wishes I would teach a class on it… well little did she know! And Bill Friedman Santa Clarita likes the organization and the fact I can just hand him my totals.

LinkedIn and Plaxo “a bit of news”

• LinkedIn  for Social Networking

There are several ways to network.  You can network in person and you can network “virtually” through venues set-up for Social Networking.  One of these Social Networks is called LinkedIn.  Linked in was started May 2003. It is a “corporate” setting and structure compared to other venues.  It is noted that 7.8 million people have used LinkedIn since its start and the daily growth is 6,980 new members.   You might have been asked to join it already.. have you?  Do you log in and use it?  Do you know how to?  LinkedIn is a site where people sign-up (register) and you import your entire database of contacts.  At this point anyone you invite or accept into your circle can see your database as well as you can see theirs.  And so on as the tree grows bigger.  This allows you to see who your “friend” knows and gives you the chance to ask for a warm introduction to that person - you connect with them and there you have it, you are now socially networking through LinkedIn.  LinkedIn has its own emailing area so you can communicate as well as make announcements about upcoming events to your contacts and all of the contacts you are linked to.  The key is to build relationships just as you would in face to face traditional networking.  Take advantage of this free way to network especially if your business can travel outside of your local area.

• Plaxo for Social Networking

In addition to your traditional, check out all that is available to you… we are working on a series of information about Social Networking.  Last week we talked about LinkedIn and today Plaxo.  Plaxo was started in November 2002.  It offered members an easy way to keep their contacts up to date.  It also is integrated into your outlook or outlook express. This allows for an easier way to keep up with changes in contact information with family, friends, clients, vendor and suppliers.  Plaxo also offers a paid service where you can connect to your information via your mobile phone!  Plaxo is used all over the world and manages over a billion contacts collectively.  Plaxo’s focus is keeping your records up to date at all times with the members of your database.  It has a different view of your contacts and that is, they are YOUR contacts and they are in a sense private.  You do not share contacts with other Plaxo members unless you share a contact directly.  The company put out a notice in Aug. 2007 stating they are looking into the social network value but at this point they did not have anything in the works.  Plaxo is a great way to keep your ever changing, ever updating outlook file clean and current but is not considered a great way to socially network.

Don’t Think You Can Afford a VA? The Question is Can You Not Afford to Have a VA in Your Business?

Do you ever say to yourself, “I wish I had some help in my business, but I just cannot afford to hire someone?” or “My friend just hired an assistant, I wish I could find the funds to hire one too.”  Money these days is a sensitive issue for everyone around.  As business owners we tend to cut corners in the administration areas and don’t hire the support  “staff” to get the job done.  It is easy to say “I can just cover the follow-up” or “I will enter these new contacts in my database” - the “I can do” and “I will do” statements tend to build up and our “to do” list grows out of control.  Are you really saving money by doing it all yourself?  Are you able to put the proper amount of time and focus ON YOUR business?  Are you able to keep up with follow-trough, follow-up and customer/client relationships?  When you sit back and think about it, it just may be costing you more in the long run by not having that support staff.  Hiring a Virtual Assistant can help free you up to focus on building and growing!  There are several types of Virtual Assistants out there - you can find VA’s that specialize in office work, bookkeeping, webmasters, blogging and so much more!  Look into it!

Networking and Collecting Business Cards – what do you do?

What do you do with the “tons” of business cards you have collected while networking??  Can your VA help you with this?? The answer is a bellowing YES!!  Networking is fun and sometimes can be a chore in itself.  You are out there at Chamber events, and sometimes multiple Chambers too.  You belong to a networking group, or two.  You attend “meet your neighbor” events and other locally sponsored events.  All of this is done to get your business out there and in the eyes of consumers and other business owners in order to attrack business.  But in doing all of this “networking” you have collected business cards by the masses and leads by the handfuls, what do you do with them all?  Staring at the piles can be overwhelming and some of us tend to do nothing and those leads and relationships can go cold.    A virtual assistant can help you create a data-base from those items.  Your VA can scan or hand input each one and delivers them to you via mail, email or even creates a shared database for the two of you to keep up to date!  This is a daunting admin task that is a time stealer for business owners!  Pass this task to your VA and free time for you to actually tend to those leads and relationships!

Your Virtual Assistant can help you with Hosting an Event!!

Many small business owners host throughout the year - these could be “open house” for a new business to lectures and workshops.    The events might be big and they might be a bit more intimate and special invite only.  Virtual Assistants can help set up ways for announcing the event, (newsletter format, email blast, regular mail, and website advertising).  VA’s can help by handling registration or RSVP’s (organizing them on a chart).  VA’s can take payment for the event through the business owner’s merchant account or paypal account if it requires payment to attend.  VA’s can follow up on the details of the event with the guest, confirming they have everything they need.  Wow, I am exhausted just going through all of the steps that need to happen to take note of RSVP’s and registrations for an event.  A VA can also help secure a location, secure food and speakers if needed.  There are so many tasks to hosting one event, why do it alone?  It would not make sense for the business owner to go through all of these administrative tasks to host an event without any help!   Check into a Virtual Assistant and see how they can assist you at your next event!

Your Virtual Assistant can help you with on-line Shopping Cart programs!!

Many small business owners have product for sale.  Products can consist of tangible “touchable” items like books, CD’s or DVD’s.  Products can be digital too like e-books and MP3 downloads.  Products can also be service or event based like counseling time, coaching time, seminars, webinars and workshops.  All of these items can be managed online through your website and programs called “shopping carts”.  There are several shopping cart programs you can subscribe to, 1Shopping Cart is just one to name for the moment.  Your VA can create items within your shopping cart and create a link to be put on your website.  Customers then can purchase or register right through the website.  Your VA can also set up “auto responders” so that your customers receive immediate messages regarding their purchase.  You can also use the shopping cart for reports on your product sales, tracking your customer’s purchases along with sending global “news blasts” to the data base that has been created by your customers.  Having a shopping cart is a great way to begin to automate your business and employing a VA to run it can even makes it more hands free for you!

Virtual Assistants are HUGE Contributors to the Success of Their Clients

Virtual Assistants take on the non-core tasks that busy entrepreneurs are finding themselves bogged down in.  A Virtual Assistant can free up time for that busy entrepreneur allowing him or her to build their clientele.  What would other areas would you be able to focus on in your business, as a business owner, if you had help with emails, customer service, scheduling and confirming appointments, invoicing and payment reconciling or any other administrative task that slows you down and takes up your time?

Who Uses Virtual Assistants?

Associations, Foundations & Organizations

Attorneys

Business Consultants, Writers, Sales Reps

Coaches—Business & Life

Contractors—Plumber, Electricians, etc.

Corporations

Entertainment Industry—Producers, Actors, etc.

Event Planners

Home-Based Business Owners

Import/Export Consultants

Marketing Companies

Non-Profit Organizations

Religious Organizations

Retail Shops/Stores

Specialists—Accountants, Attorneys, Architects, etc.

Travel Agencies

Just to name a few!

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