Most small business owners probably think of green initiatives and sustainability efforts as something that only affects big business, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. With our climate being more and more affected by global change—leading to increases in droughts, hurricanes, wildfires, and other natural disasters—the onus is on all of us to take whatever action we can to help the planet. Living green has been a big part of my life for a long time, and I’ve been blogging about sustainability as a family activity since 2009. My business practices have also been overhauled to be more…
Read More
As an entrepreneur, your time is one of the major limiting resources when it comes to your business, and having a good system for organizing your schedule is a must. In my own business, I use a number of systems to keep my business organized, allowing me to be most productive possible each day. In the past I have discussed steps for managing your calendar, so I wanted to check in to see how that is working for you. Do you feel overwhelmed by the number of tasks you have at any given time during the work week? Does the…
Read More
Just as we teach our children, they teach us. It is an old saying, but has a lot of truth in it. It doesn’t necessarily mean that your children impart knowledge to you. It means that, by taking care of them and helping them grow, we are building and practicing skills that make us better parents. Believe it or not, there are a surprising number of parenting skills and techniques that can actually prove invaluable when it comes to starting or grown your own business. Read on for some of my favorite ways that parenting can teach you to be…
Read More
Here is an important question to ask yourself: How long has it been since you last had a vacation? If you need to put any thought into it, it has probably been far too long. Time away from work revitalizes us and keeps us energized and passionate about what we do. Vacations can be the perfect time to reconnect with your family and friends, see new places, or simple to explore some of your old habits like camping, hiking, skydiving… But the little voice in the back of your head is probably saying “But I am the only one who is holding…
Read More
When you are starting a new business or scaling your existing one, everything can be overwhelming. You are now your own boss, you have to provide your own direction! That direction usually heads to greater demands, pressures, and time crunches. The pressure certainly doesn’t lift once your company starts gaining success either. There will be hundreds of essential tasks pulling you in different directions. How do you know when you have too much on your plate? A clear sign is when otherwise enjoyable or important tasks get put aside, simply because you don’t have the time. For example, if you…
Read More
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…
Read More
There are so many little details that go into running a small business that it can be hard to keep track of as a new business owner. Knowing what you have in place already and what still needs to be done to keep your business properly organized and running smoothly is key for sustainable success. With that in mind, today we have a checklist of things you should have dealt with either when setting up your business initially, or on a yearly basis. Have you completed all of these? If so, congratulations — that’s a huge accomplishment that you should…
Read More
As an increasingly busy entrepreneur, how many hats do you wear? There are just so many aspects to the modern business world, it can often feel like you’re working 4, 9, 12, or even 15 or more different jobs. You’ve probably considered that eventually you’ll reach the point that you’ll need to get some help, or if you haven’t thought it about it yet, it’s a decision worth some consideration. It may be time to hire a virtual assistant. [Tweet “As an increasingly busy entrepreneur, how many hats do you wear? “] Here are some questions to ask yourself to…
Read More
“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…
Read More
The days of simply reading and liking social media posts are over. The most active and engaged social media users spend time asking questions, starting conversations about topics that are important to them, and sharing content that is meaningful to them. If your business wants to engage in meaningful conversation on social media, you need these top 4 tools. 1. Be Professional But Not StiffThink of social networking as virtual cocktail parties: charm, wit, and jokes are encouraged while maintaining professional boundaries and keeping the conversation relevant to all involved. There is an element to this type of conversation that…
Read More
