Boy, I remember my first few years of business… When I think back, I kind of cringe at some of the mistakes that I made in my first few years as a small business owner. Now, sixteen years later, I simply can’t believe that I ever made those silly errors. But the reason that I am still in business is because I learned from them. Every single mistake I ever made, I learned from. That’s how you make a small business thrive. December is the perfect time to take a good look back at your year, figure out what worked…
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With the advent of social media, the world of advertising has been blown wide open. It used to be that small businesses would have to pay through the nose to get print ads in major publications. I mean, how else could they get the attention of new customers? But social media and the internet changed all that. Now, small businesses can run specifically targeted ads on social media platforms, and best of all, they can do it at a price point that is WAY cheaper than it used to be. One of the best advertising platforms today is an app…
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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 Key All of my long-term client relationships…
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As a self-employed entrepreneur, you know that the overall goal is to reach that sweet spot of a steady flow of business with a solid clientele you love. To accomplish this, it’s worth reconsidering the methods you use to market your services effectively and stand out as a pro in your field. Even if you are hugely talented, you probably won’t be able to draw in clients if you don’t use effective marketing techniques. There are quite a few marketing mistakes that many small business owners and entrepreneurs make, even if they are in-the-know. Sometimes it’s because they’ve never had…
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Automation is the way of the future. Large businesses and corporations around the world have been taking advantage of automation for decades now, saving themselves huge amounts of time and money. With the advent of many affordable online automation services, and the skills and abilities of Virtual Assistants, automation is now in the hands of small business owners and entrepreneurs. By effectively utilizing a Virtual Assistant experienced in setting up and managing these automated systems, you can also save yourself a great deal of time and energy that you can then reinvest back into your business. #1: Social MediaSocial media…
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Being a small business owner is a little bit like juggling, you have to keep all of the balls in the air. The trick is when your business grows and you are expected to catch more and more balls until finally… some of them are dropped. There are a ton of online tools out there that can help you better manage your business and relieve some of that stress. By unloading much of your workload, you might even be able to double your income! Here are some incredibly useful online tools that I recommend you check out to help keep…
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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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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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