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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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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Get contacted by any Nigerian princes lately? How about being sent an exclusive offer for cheap Canadian drugs? Or a free trip to Jamaica if you just fill out a survey? Spam email is an epidemic that has existed since the earliest days of the internet, and, despite promises every few years, it doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon. There are few things more annoying than spam email filling your inbox with unsolicited offers or attempts to scam you. As an entrepreneur, there is a good chance you know the frustration of your carefully crafted, targeted emails being…
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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! [Tweet “The quality of your copy…
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Getting your website in front of potential clients is essential for small business owners, and updating your web copy is the first step. Using search engine optimization (SEO) strategies is, in my experience, the quickest way to start getting more page views. SEO works on the algorithms that determine how to place a website in search result rankings. This means that the written content of your website, when properly optimized, brings in more potential clients! When a potential client searches for key terms related to the products and services your business offers, they are more likely to find your website…
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Social media is an essential component of marketing for small businesses, but it can also put a huge strain on busy entrepreneurs. The “always on” nature of our modern, interconnected world may mean your clients expect to be able to reach you via any communication channel at any time. This is a recipe for overworking yourself and living under constant stress. As entrepreneurs, we need to be especially careful to take care of ourselves. Small business owners are more likely to try and do it all when it comes to running our companies! The current expectation to maintain active social…
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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. [Tweet “Pinterest is an incredible visual search engine that functions differently from other social media.”] I’ve personally used Pinterest to great effect for my businesses. I’ve gained followers on multiple social media platforms, and…
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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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