When partnering with a virtual assistant to streamline your business, you want to make the most of the time you’re paying them for. There are a number of useful tools for organizing your virtual team that can help you streamline your partnership with your virtual assistant. These range from materials you can create yourself, to apps and websites for project or schedule management. Some of the ones I use in my business are listed below, along with other suggestions to make your life easier when partnering with a virtual assistant. Procedure ManualsI’ve written about procedure manuals before in more detail,…
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Regardless of whether you’re running a small business from home, working in shared office space, or still sitting in a cubicle at a large company, having an organized work space is beneficial for both your mood and your productivity. Creating a focused, inspiring, energizing work space is important if you want to be industrious during the work day and have efficient workflow. A messy, disorganized, distracting work space will draw your attention away from the important tasks at hand, make you more prone to procrastinate, and cause low-level anxiety which is counterproductive to accomplishing your goals each day. [Tweet “Workplace…
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The new year is well underway, and hopefully your business plans for the year are too. If you’ve been running your business for some time now, it’s easy to get comfortable doing things exactly the same way year in and year out. However, this comfort can be what leads to small businesses stagnating and ultimately failing to grow and scale themselves. If you’re worried that you might be taking the easy route and not doing enough to keep your business fresh and relevant to the current market conditions and customer needs, it might be time to consider looking for professional…
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After reading a few posts here on the Jennie Lyon Virtual Assistant Services blog, hopefully you’re aware of what a Virtual Assistant is, what they can do for your business, and why it’s a great idea to outsource your work to one. The next step is to actually find a virtual assistant who you can work well with and is a good match for your needs. You need someone who you can trust with your business, and who has the necessary experience doing the sorts of tasks you’re planning to hand off. Now, you might be at a loss when…
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“Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life.”Easy words, but infinitely more difficult in practice. No matter how much you enjoy your job, there will always be stresses, problems, conflicts, and setbacks. At times, you might even find yourself asking the question “Why do I do this again?”. Thankfully, you can have a fresh start whenever you like and with it comes the opportunity to refocus on what you love about your job and make positive changes to minimize unnecessary stresses in the future. [Tweet “Delegation and outsourcing are the key to finding more…
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What’s your reaction when you hear the world “virtual assistant”? Do you think smart, strategic, cost effective, expertise, efficiency? Of, if you haven’t fully internalized the benefits of hiring a virtual assistant yet, is your gut reaction more along the lines of relinquishing control and even spending (unnecessary) money? If your associations are trusting, I get it. The idea of partnering a virtual assistant definitely requires an archetypal leap, particularly for entrepreneurs and small business owners who are used to doing everything themselves. The concept requires a shift in perspective in order to really understand why and how partnering with…
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For many, the holiday season is a time to relax, be with family, and take a break from the ins and outs of the workplace. However, for small business owners and entrepreneurs, the holidays can be the busiest time of year. It’s an excellent time to reach out to clients, wish them good cheer, and keep them in the loop as to how your business is doing, and what you’re planning for the upcoming year. With all those potential customers and clients opening their wallets for Christmas, the stress of keeping them coming back can be a bit much. This…
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Are you investing your energy in the right parts of your business? As a business owner and entrepreneur, of course it’s very important to be engaged in your business. However, there is a crucial distinction between managing the big picture to make sure that your business is growing and moving forward, and getting tied up in the nitty gritty day-to-day details. Micromanaging does not necessarily mean that you’re micromanaging a person; it could be that you’re micromanaging the business itself. Really, the way to be successful is to step away from the minutia to shift your perspective and priorities. Nobody…
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As an entrepreneur, you are your most valuable asset. You are an expert in your field, and you’re great at what you do. You’re a high functioning and very capable individual and it’s natural that you’ll need to overcome the feeling that no one else can do the work as well as you could do it yourself. At some point you’ll overcome that hurdle and you’ll start to realize that your time is a limited resource and your biggest asset. The time will come when finding great help will be the only way for your business to expand and thrive…
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“Copy” refers to written information that will be published in a book, newspaper, magazine, website, ad, or on social media sites. Copy is a silent but powerful medium through which clients, prospects, and other businesses are introduced to and stay connected with your business. Without this written content, your business’ ability to represent itself would be limited to images, your brick-and-mortar store (if you have one), and personal interactions. As you have probably guessed, professional copy is an important part of your business! Many small business owners are experts in their own right, but few are also talented, effective copywriters.…
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