One of the biggest challenges facing small business owners is staying organized and finding a system that works for them to keep all those projects under control. Without some kind of organizational system in place, deadlines get forgotten, clients feel neglected, and it’s easy to waste time on less important tasks. The solution to all of these problems is to use a project management software—it helps you by dividing up tasks by client and project, setting deadlines, and providing reminders about work that needs to be finished. Modern project management systems are usually web-based, with mobile or desktop applications available.…
For an entrepreneur working with a virtual team to run a small business, communication is the single most important factor determining whether things run smoothly. It is absolutely critical to be able to communicate with your team members in an instant as things come up during the course of a work day. When there is seamless communication between your team members, you can set a more productive pace and get more accomplished. Email and phone calls have their uses, but for instantaneous communication, there is a popular new tool, called Slack. Slack is a platform for team communication that can be…
Many small business owners first try out the services of a virtual assistant when they want to take a longer summer vacation and need someone to handle client care and social media while they’re away. While this is a completely legitimate way to utilize a virtual assistant, there are so many other things they can help with after the summer is over! [Tweet “A virtual assistant can free up large blocks of time, so you can focus on expansion.”] With September comes more business, and more work on a day-to-day basis. For a “solopreneur”, that can mean long hours and…
Things tend to slow down for a lot of small businesses during late summer, but the smart entrepreneur knows this brief respite from constant client care and project work is the perfect opportunity to really work on improving systems and making changes to the way their business functions. When there’s less daily grind to get through, you have the chance to take a look at how your business is performing, plan for the future, and set new long-term goals. Last week we talked about how to use the slow period to integrate a new virtual assistant into your team, and…
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…
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…
In days past, it used to be that a potential client’s first impression of your business was your office. Just from the way it looked from the outside, they would instantly make a judgement. Your office was the first thing they had to go on about your professionalism, attention to detail, and level of success. But in today’s business world, a potential client’s first impression of your business is no longer your office. It is your website! [Tweet “In today’s business world, a potential client’s first impression is your website!”] Your website should be a portal into your entire business.…
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…
As entrepreneurs, we sometimes find ourselves pulled in many directions at once. Working from home can add a whole other dimension to this challenge. It can be difficult to keep focused on doing your job from home when your family is also competing for you time. This can be especially challenging when your children are home from school on summer break! So how can you keep focused when your kids are home this summer? Read on for some of my favorite tips! [Tweet “As an entrepreneur, how do you stay focused when your kids are on summer break? “] Create…
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…
