Have you ever heard the phrase, “Aging gracefully?” While I personally think that aging gracefully is a virtue, I can tell you one place where age really does matter: your website. After just a few years, even the most cutting-edge, beautiful, and well-designed website starts to look a little dated, or even worse, doesn’t function properly anymore! In fact, many websites look like they’ve gone without any updates for over a decade! Although, to be 100% honest, there are far fewer of them than there used to be. Over the last few months, COVID-19 has pivoted millions of small businesses…
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Everyone needs a helping hand, now and then. A webinar launch is no different. No matter what business you work in, you can’t do everything yourself. Sometimes, you need to bring in specialists who have experience, skills, and knowledge you don’t currently possess. Many small business owners might want to hire an accountant/bookkeeper to take care of their finances and taxes, so they don’t need to deal with all of those numbers. If you can’t answer the phone all day, perhaps hiring a receptionist could be a good idea. And if you don’t have time to write content for your…
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Are you worried about your revenue stream? Right now, small business owners everywhere are wondering how they can increase their revenue (or hold it even) during the coronavirus crisis. We currently don’t know how long this period of social distancing will last or if things will get even worse. What we do know is that most physical locations are closed, meaning that many small businesses have needed to pivot to online only. Thankfully, there are some ways you can create multiple online streams of income. It might require you to go slightly out of your comfort zone, but these strategies…
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There are few things more nerve-wracking for a small business than launching a new product. Believe me, I know how it feels! Since the early days of my digital marketing and virtual assistant business, I’ve expanded my offerings dozens of times. And every single time, I was filled with anxieties. I was worried that no one would be interested in that service, or that I spent all of that time and money for nothing. Over time, I’ve come to realize that there is an art to launching a brand-new product or service. If you know the formula, you can significantly…
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What’s inside your small business toolbox? My husband and I are currently in the process of building a vacation house. And if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there is a right tool for every job! This adage is true even in the small business world. There is a tool out there perfectly suited to every task. You only need to find it! And when you do, that tool could save you a crazy amount of time at your small business! Lacking time is one of the biggest challenges I face as a small business owner. There are…
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When did you last take a look at your business plan? One of the smartest things that a small business owner can do is create a yearly business plan. It’s an invaluable resource that helps them lay out their goals, challenges, and growth for the upcoming year. Whenever you feel like you are going off-course, you can always refer to the “north star” of your business plan! The only problem with creating a business plan is that it takes time. And around the holidays, time is the last thing you have (unless you have a virtual assistant)! You’re running around…
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Want to know the worst feeling in the world when you’re a small business owner creating a sense of emergency? It’s when you feel the first inklings that you’re getting sick. You know the signs. Sleep the night before may not happen. Your energy is running dry, or you get a tickle in the back of your throat. You think, “I’m getting sick. I can’t afford to get sick! I have too much to do this week!!!” As a small business owner, it’s not unusual that everything is on your shoulders. Your customer service, marketing, daily tasks, sales, EVERYTHING goes…
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For some small businesses, getting a new client is “Good news, bad news” time. The good news is that you have a new client! The bad news is that if you don’t have an automated onboarding system, it can be a massive headache. There is the first consultation, the follow-ups, sending/signing the contract, convincing them of the importance of filling out their client information form, invoices, scheduling your kick off call, learning their habits and preferences… It’s a ton of work! Of course, you can make things go much smoother by streamlining your entire client onboarding sequence. And a big…
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Does this situation sound familiar? You’re a small business entrepreneur, doing it all yourself. You have a big project due by the end of the day that only you can work on. Unfortunately, you also have to post your company’s social media, finish up writing a blog post, sort through your emails, and build a sales page. And that isn’t even counting the hundreds of distractions that can occur throughout the average business day. How on earth are you going to get your big project finished with all of those little, non-specialized tasks in your way? The answer is that you…
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As a small business owner, do you ever worry about getting locked into a contract when you need to outsource work? It’s a reasonable concern! There are many companies out there who look at small businesses like cows to be milked dry. To be frank, that isn’t good for your small business OR for the Virtual Assistant industry as a whole. Thankfully, with most reputable Virtual Assistant firms, you don’t have to worry about signing long-term contracts with them, locking you into their business and services. You can simply contract them for the period of time that you specify, and…
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