You know the old saying that mistakes are why they put erasers on the end of pencils? Well, that might do the trick when you’re in the 6th grade, but when you’re a small business owner, mistakes have slightly higher stakes! As a small business owner, I’ve faced countless difficulties throughout my career. Heck, like everyone else in the world in 2020, I’ve faced incredible challenges over the last few months! The good thing is that I’ve learned how to take those mistakes and learn from them. But trust me, that wasn’t easy! I’ve always found that the next best…
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Have you ever heard the old saying, “Those that can’t, teach?” Personally, I always thought that is absolutely ridiculous. It’s not just disrespectful to teachers, who sacrifice so much for their students, but it’s also just flat out wrong. There can be a similar perception about coaches in sports. “Those that can’t play, coach.” Again, ridiculous. The wealth of knowledge and experience that a talented coach can bring is incalculable. With their watchful and experienced eye, they can help shape an athlete or team into the best they can possibly be. That takes talent! Thankfully, there isn’t a negative perception…
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Who in their right mind would plant seeds in the dead of winter? Smart small business owners, that’s who! The biggest hope for a new year is growing your business. That’s what most New Year’s Resolutions are about, people want to grow. Grow their business, grow their income, personal growth. Growing your business doesn’t happen by accident though, you need to plant seeds. For an entrepreneur, the seeds of growth are plans for the future, and January is the perfect time to make them. Seed #1: Make a New Year Business Plan Do you have a business plan, written down…
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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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If you do a search online, you will find that there are countless Virtual Assistant companies out there, each with their own specialties and strengths. There are Virtual Assistant firms that cater to huge, multi-national corporations and ones that specialize in specific industries like finance. When you are looking for a Virtual Assistant company as a small business entrepreneur, you need to make sure that you are getting one that can handle all of your business’ needs, has a solid amount of experience, and charges a reasonable price. You also want to make sure that they are flexible enough to…
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Everyone loves a summer vacation, but taking one can seem impossible for busy entrepreneurs! When you run your own small business, it can consume all of your time and energy if you aren’t careful, and letting go can be difficult. Trust me when I say that I understand! However, even passionate entrepreneurs need time to relax, and that means finding a team who can keep your business running smoothly in your absence. When you have a virtual team that you trust, it makes taking time off much less stressful. The trick to developing that trust is getting used to working…
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For a small business owner, taking a vacation often depends on staying ahead of clients’ needs. You can’t afford to let things slip or have radio silence reign in your absence. I’ve always found that clients appreciate an entrepreneur who makes every effort to maintain continuous service no matter what time of year it is. However, that doesn’t have to mean skipping your vacation(s)! Some clients are wonderful, and understand that everyone needs a break now and then. Others may have (unrealistically) high expectations and not want to see any break in the service they receive from your business. You…
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Writing can be daunting for many small business owners; you’re an expert in your field, but that doesn’t mean you’re also an incredible wordsmith! Even savvy entrepreneurs don’t always stop to consider just how much writing work is involved in running their own business. Aside from emails (and any other documents you send to clients), you also have to worry about website copy, advertisements, and branding collateral like brochures. That doesn’t even begin to cover all the regular blogging and social media posts a small business needs to appear active in this digital age! The quality of your copy demonstrates…
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Have you paid much attention to Pinterest lately? It may not have the immediacy of Instagram, but it’s still a very important social media platform for small business owners! Pinterest combines visuals with powerful organizational and search capabilities. Content uploaded to it can still go “viral” like Instagram and Facebook posts, but also has more staying power and is easier to find months or years later. Pinterest is an incredible visual search engine that functions differently from other social media. Click To Tweet I’ve personally used Pinterest to great effect for my businesses. I’ve gained followers on multiple social media…
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