Are you currently worried about your small business’s future? The coronavirus outbreak has turned the entire world upside down. There are times when it feels almost like a movie; it’s surreal. Many Americans are locked down in their homes, watching the news, wondering what’s next. But small business owners have even more worries. With social distancing becoming the norm and mandatory closure of non-essential businesses, entrepreneurs are trying to figure out how they can protect their businesses until we get to the other side of the crisis. The government is even providing help to small businesses with funding, grants, and…
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Want to know the worst feeling in the world when you’re a small business owner creating a sense of emergency? It’s when you feel the first inklings that you’re getting sick. You know the signs. Sleep the night before may not happen. Your energy is running dry, or you get a tickle in the back of your throat. You think, “I’m getting sick. I can’t afford to get sick! I have too much to do this week!!!” As a small business owner, it’s not unusual that everything is on your shoulders. Your customer service, marketing, daily tasks, sales, EVERYTHING goes…
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Ok, I’m going to admit it. I… occasionally… binge watch Netflix. I know, I know, I’ve heard all the arguments against it. It ruins the show, it’s a waste of time, etc. But the fact is that it’s fun to binge watch a show with your loved ones (or by yourself with a giant bowl of popcorn). Binge watching has gone from something that only those who buy DVD box sets do to something that just about everyone does. You pick a show on Netflix, sit down on the couch, and enjoy the ride. But Netflix is only one option…
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One of the most terrifying and exciting things in life is having to start again.Let’s face it – we are all getting older! Maybe your children have finally left home for university, (Eben, my son, started college early and skipped his senior year!) or perhaps you’re thinking of retiring from your long-time job and want to try something new this time around! Maybe you have recently been let go at work, or simply grew bored and finally want to do what you have always wanted with your life. No matter which the situation, it’s still terrifying and thrilling. For example,…
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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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I like to think of myself as a veteran small business owner. Ever since my twenties, I’ve felt the drive to create my own work. It’s something that comes from within me, to create a business from nothing. I’m sure that many of the small business owners and entrepreneurs reading this blog can relate! I’ve been through ups and downs and have learned many lessons along the way. One of the most important lessons was the necessity of needing help. For the first ten years of my business, I did everything myself without any help. Not even a virtual assistant.…
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Recently, there have been a number of stories in the news that a record number of pregnant women are running for political office, more than at any other point in our country’s history. This absolutely remarkable shift was foreshadowed just a few short months ago when the sitting Prime Minister of New Zealand gave birth to her daughter. Can you imagine being the leader of a country while at the exact same time balancing the responsibilities of being a new parent? For many small business owners out there, it’s easy because they are going through something very similar. It’s time…
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When was the last time that you got a really good night’s sleep? As a small business owner myself, I know what it’s like to have to have to work 12 to 14 hour days. Back when I first started my business, I would get up in the morning, work all day, and then go to sleep. It’s rewarding, no question, but also exhausting. And what choice do we have? As a small business owner, you’re responsible for everything and, if something doesn’t get done, the only person that you can blame is yourself. But what if it didn’t have…
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Do you have an Instagram account set up for your business? If not, you’re missing an incredibly valuable opportunity to connect with potential clients and customers in a way that is unique from every other social media channel. Instagram is currently the most used social media network out there today, with over 800 million monthly users. Even better, these are highly engaged users! They are actively looking for content, services, and products, all of which you and your small business could provide them with. So the 800 million dollar question is… Why aren’t you on Instagram yet? [Tweet “Is your…
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One of the biggest challenges that small businesses can run into is a lack of funds to hire new employees. If your business is rapidly expanding and you need an extra hand, hiring someone to help out might be unavoidable. Unfortunately, you have to pay for their training, their sick days, holidays, etc. With a Virtual Assistant, you can get the same, if not an even better result for much less overhead. AdministrationIf you are in the business of providing services to customers, then client care probably takes up a great deal of your time, especially if you have few…
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