As a small business owner, I really dislike being locked into a contract. I’ve heard horror stories from my clients who got locked into long-term contracts with a firm that didn’t deliver what they promised! Now, I’m not bad-mouthing my competitors here! The aim of countless virtual assistant firms out there is to help your business succeed. When you’re running a small business, you need to have flexibility, especially when you’re first starting out. Your income might not be predictable and having a big fixed cost can become a nightmare for your budget. With many reputable virtual assistant firms, you don’t…
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One of the most time-consuming activities for a small business is client onboarding. There are so many steps necessary to give your customers your full focus and attention. By automating the process, you can free up SO much time that you can better spend actually serving their needs. If you are a small business owner with a limited, or non-existent staff, onboarding can take up a ton of your time. While larger businesses can afford to assign someone to handle these responsibilities, your onboarding process entirely relies on you. But what can you do? Well, the solution is automation! By…
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There are some holidays that seem almost custom-made to give you the perfect excuse to reach out to former and current clients, telling them how much you appreciated their business. There is Christmas, of course. Valentine’s Day is another popular occasion. And then, there is the November holiday that is coming up fast, Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the time of year where we gather with family and friends to give thanks for all of the wonderful things in our lives. For the small business owner or entrepreneur, Thanksgiving also gives you an ideal opportunity to be thankful for your business, including…
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What would your company be without your clients? One of the keys to a successful small business is to develop long-term client relationships. For a business to become truly successful, you need to build a foundation of repeat customers and clients you can rely on. This can require a tremendous amount of time and effort, just like developing any other lasting relationship in your life. Here are some tips on how you can get started strengthening your client relationships, with the goal of eventually converting them into regular, long-term clients: Communication is the KeyAll of my long-term client relationships have…
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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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Seminars are a staple in the business world. The problem is that seminars are expensive and somewhat inconvenient affairs that, although useful and informative, sometimes only attract limited audiences. But today, thanks to the power of technology, anyone can reach a much wider audience around the world! Using a real-time video conference, known as a webinar, small business owners can give a much more cost-effective talk. A webinar is basically an online seminar. It offers your clients a real-time connection to you; they actually hear you speak and can respond through chat. With the option for anyone in the world…
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Clients are the single biggest determining factor in the success of your small business, so you need to show them how valued they are. Your client care approach should focus on both attracting new clients, and retaining current ones for repeat business. In order to grow your business, you’ll need to make clients happy so they’ll return to work with you again, and so they’ll recommend you to their colleagues. [Tweet “Determine what you need from your client care system and implement technology that will provide it.”] I know that most of my clients find Jennie Lyon Virtual Assistant Services…
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Attracting new clients is essential for the success of all small businesses, and the majority of new clients you get will find you online first. That means your business needs to have a strong online presence, starting with its website. As someone who runs a business entirely online, I can guarantee this makes a difference! Think of your website as the “store window” of your online business. It needs to be attractive, up-to-date, and interesting enough to draw potential clients in to engage with your business on a deeper level. [Tweet “Not attracting the right kinds of clients? Your website…
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Onboarding new clients is one of the most time-consuming and important tasks for any small business. Ideally, your onboarding system should run smoothly and leave clients feeling taken care of, but in the messiness of real life, that doesn’t always happen. I find that the best way to manage onboarding successfully is to automate as much of the process as possible. Of course, you still need to give the prospects and new clients your personal time and attention! However, if you can leave all the details to be dealt with according to a set of basic procedures, it frees up…
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