Switch off – and get more done!

Small business, Time management0 comments

It’s come to that time of year when things have started to pick up again after the summer break.  I know that I’ve been busy over the last few weeks doing both client work and also marketing stuff for my own business.

However, I sometimes find it difficult to focus on projects especially with all the other things that grab your attention – such as emails, Twitter, Facebook, the internet.  So how can you minimise the distractions and accomplish everything you need to do within your working day?

Well the answer is to switch off!

One of the biggest distractions for most people is the internet, whether it’s checking your emails, seeing what’s happening on Twitter, or reading what your friends have got up to on Facebook.

And most people do these things to stop them from focusing on the important stuff like making that difficult phone call or writing up a proposal – I know I do!  In fact Seth Godin mentioned this in one of his blogs a while back where he talks about turning off the noise for an hour and seeing what happens.

So if you really want to focus on a project and come to the end of the day feeling like you’ve accomplished something then the best thing to do is switch off the very thing that is stopping you from working effectively.

This may seem radical to some people – in fact most of us come out in a cold sweat if we don’t have instant access to our emails and social networking sites!   But by switching off the Internet – even if it’s only for an hour each day – you will be able to give your full attention to getting your important tasks done.  And if it does give you the opportunity to make that phone call you’ve been putting off for weeks then think of the sense of achievement that will give you!

If this sounds appealing but you don’t think you’ve got the willpower to do this alone, then check out a website called Freedom which will lock you away from the internet for up to 8 hours at a time.

Now doesn’t that sound scary?!

Are Your Fans Seeing Your Facebook Updates?

Online marketing, Small business0 comments

If you’re like me and are running a business by yourself then you know how important it is to streamline as many processes as possible to save you time.  One way of doing this is to manage your social media activities from one place using tools such as HootSuite and TweetDeck.  However, apart from the fact that you shouldn’t post the same content to all your social media accounts (that’s another blog in itself!), when it comes to Facebook, it can affect how it appears in your newsfeeds.

Now I’m someone who had set up their blogs so they were automatically posted on to my Facebook Page when published and used HootSuite to update my Page with other information.  However, I’ve read several articles recently that this is not the best way to add content to your Page as it can affect how it appears in your Fans’ newsfeeds.  How does this happen?  Well as you may or may not know, Facebook prioritises what appears in newsfeeds and this is dictated by something called Edge Rank.  This is an algorithm that uses certain factors such as the numbers of comments or likes, or age of a particular update which affects how likely it will appear.

The Edge Rank of a particular update will also be affected by whether or not it has been posted via a third party application such as Networked Blogs or HootSuite because Facebook will sometimes display these differently to updates posted in Facebook itself.  This is because Facebook will often  group updates from various Pages that have been posted via third party apps, rather than show them individually.  For example, Twitter feeds from various sources will be shown together in a Fan’s newsfeed, as will blogs posted via Networked Blogs.  This means that those updates posted via third party apps will have poorer visibility, or lower Facebook Edge Rank.

So although many small business owners use third party applications to manage the scheduling and management of their social media activities; if you do have the time then I would advise that you try to create status updates in Facebook itself so that you can get the most visibility for your content in your Fans’ newsfeeds.

So what do you think?  Leave a comment below!

Take a holiday on us!

Small business, Time management, Virtual Assistant0 comments

After speaking to some business owners recently, it seems that there are quite a few who won’t be taking a holiday over the summer period.  In fact, many people feel that they are not in a position to take a break because without them, their business would not survive.  However, in order to fully achieve personal and financial freedom from your business, it needs to be able to exist without you actually being there.  This can be something that a lot of people struggle with in the early days but one of the first steps is to start outsourcing those essential but non-fee earning tasks, such as admin and book keeping.

So if you are now feeling that your business is running you rather than the other way round, here are 5 ways a virtual assistant can give you the freedom to take a break from your business.

Manage your team.  If your business is made up of a team based in various locations then a virtual assistant can liaise with them while you’re away.  With your instructions, they can co-ordinate team activities to ensure that they stay on track and deadlines are being met.

Manage your clients.   One of the main things that a lot of business owners worry about when they’re away is ensuring that their clients are being properly looked after.  A virtual assistant can handle enquiries or issues via phone or email, or forward them to another member of the team.  They can also keep a record of client activities on a CRM system so you can track of what’s been happening.

Manage updates.  Having a holiday can result in a hiatus with your marketing activity.  If you’ve spent time building up an online following you don’t want to suddenly “disappear” for 2-3 weeks.  A virtual assistant can continue to post important business-related updates to Twitter and Facebook while you’re away, as well as schedule your regular blog posts.  They can also keep your contacts up to date with the latest news or promotions by sending out newsletters or updating your website.

Manage projects.  Don’t put off your holiday just because you’ve got a project or event coming up.  For example, a virtual assistant can handle many aspects of your events, such as liaising with attendees and speakers, organising the venue, handling enquiries, dealing with bookings and payment.

Manage your payments.  You don’t have to stop getting paid just because you’re on holiday.  A virtual assistant can raise and send out invoices to your clients and chase up payment as necessary.  They can also manage your expenses and reconcile your expenditure and income with your bank statement.  This means that you can keep the cash flowing in your business and return to a healthy bank balance!

By having a virtual assistant to manage and oversee your business while you’re on holiday, you can take out some of the worry about being away from your business.  You may need to be contacted during your absence but by having one person managing the process and keeping you up to date, you can keep the disruption to your holiday at a minimum.

7 Ways a Virtual Assistant Can Manage Your Social Media

How to, Online marketing, Small business, Virtual Assistant0 comments

I find that when I go out to networking events, I meet a lot of people who want to use social media to promote their business, but they feel that it’s a total waste of time.

Now as a business owner myself, I do know how precious time is!  But I also know how effective social media can be for small businesses.  The only thing you need is commitment and sometimes people just don’t want to take that step.  Because as we all know, once you get started with any kind of online marketing, you can’t just stop.  An out of date Twitter or Facebook account looks worse than not having one at all.

So if  you’ve been thinking about dipping your toe into social media but have seen it as another drain on your time, here are 7 ways that a virtual assistant can manage your social media activities for you.

Set up your Twitter and Facebook accounts. A virtual assistant can set up your profiles correctly so that  you are projecting a professional image to your contacts.  This includes designing a Facebook page with a profile image that matches your company branding.  As well as creating custom tabs to attract people to like your page which can include a sign up box or a video as appropriate.

Manage your LinkedIn profile. If you’re a B2B business then LinkedIn is an essential part of your social media marketing.  A virtual assistant can ensure that your LinkedIn profile looks professional and can add SEO so that it appears in search results.  They can also make your profile stand out by adding applications such as video, blogs, presentations etc, as well as search for any contacts you want to be introduced to and manage invitation requests.

Promote offers and events. If you have a workshop or special offer that you want to promote, then a virtual assistant can schedule details about these to your Twitter and Facebook accounts.  They can also set up a hashtag to track and handle any comments or enquiries from your followers related to the event or promotion.

Manage your followers. It’s not a good idea to follow everyone who follows you on Twitter as you could end up following spammers.  However, it can be very time consuming to check every time someone follows you to see if you want to follow them back.  A virtual assistant can do this for you and decide on whether to follow them based on criteria given by you.

Track keywords and conversations. A great way to raise your profile and build relationships on social media is to track discussions around subjects that are related to your business so you can respond to any comments or questions with tips and advice.  A virtual assistant can research keywords for you and set up search streams for these keywords on either HootSuite or TweetDeck.

Manage your blog. Blogging is a great way to share your knowledge and promote your authority. A virtual assistant can design a blog on WordPress, research content online based on relevant keywords or topics, and publish the blog so it automatically posts on your social media profiles.

Video marketing. This is becoming an increasingly popular way of promoting your business online.  A virtual assistant can upload your videos on to YouTube, add appropriate keywords and promote via your social media accounts or video sharing sites such as TubeMogul.

By outsourcing the set up and management of your social media activity to a virtual assistant, you can focus on raising your profile, promoting your authority and building relationships with your online contacts, which over time will start to generate leads for your business.

Time to Say No

Small business, Time management0 comments

When you first set up in business, your main focus is to get your name out there and start bringing in clients.  So you accept every request to attend a networking event or to connect online, and take any work offered, however small, to get you started.  But there comes a time when your business is growing and you have to start prioritising your client base and workload.  You may feel guilty about declining requests from people who helped get your business going.  So what can you do?

Well, it’s time to start saying no.

You may have a client who is difficult, doesn’t pay on time or only contacts when an emergency strikes and expects you to drop everything to help them.  Or perhaps you’ve met someone at a networking event who keeps asking you to quote for work but never gives you any business.  Then there are the people who add you to their mailing list without permission so they can send you newsletters or invite you to their workshops whether they are appropriate for your business or not.  Finally, you’ve got friends and family who think it’s OK to pop round or have a chat because you work from home.

If any of the above sound familiar then it’s time to put your foot down and say no.  It’s easy to be polite in the early days when  you’ve got the time and energy to handle these ad hoc demands.  However, as your business grows, the claims they are making on your time are stopping you from focusing on what’s really important.

• So review your client list and politely drop those who are neither respecting your time nor valuing the benefits of what you have to offer.
• If you’re getting asked to take part in activities that are not benefiting you or your business then let the person know that you are too busy to get involved.
• Unsubscribe from email newsletters that don’t bring any value to you or are no longer of interest.
• Finally, be firm with friends and family about their demands on your time. Although you don’t want to neglect them, it is far better to schedule time in your diary each week to meet up rather than just let them drop round when they feel like it.

This doesn’t mean to say that your business should run your life at the expense of your personal or professional relationships.  But you need to focus on those activities that will take you closer to your goals so you can achieve the growth and success that you want in your business.