by Amber Miller | May 19, 2017 | Delegating, Entrepreneur
Are you still trying to figure out how you can get everything done in just 24 hours a day?
Most days, it probably seems like an impossible task. How can you run a business, spend quality time with family and friends, and still have time to enjoy hobbies and other interests? There’s a lot to do and very little time. Even so, there are fast and easy tips you can implement in your daily routine that will simplify your life, reduce stress, and help you to be more productive. (more…)
by Amber Miller | Apr 16, 2017 | Delegating, Virtual Assisting
Utilizing the services of a virtual assistant can save you hours of time a week to focus on the more exciting aspects of your business. But what do you even give your VA to work on? Depending on who you’re working with, virtual assistants can handle tasks as simple as updating spreadsheets to basically running your whole business for you online.
If you’re looking for ways to cut down on your workload and utilize the talents of your assistants, here are 5 things to outsource to a virtual assistant.
Social Media Updates
Why spend your precious time writing and updating all of your social media accounts when you can have someone do it for you? Spend that extra free time making connections face to face.
Email Management
Virtual assistants can be white labeled, which can be super handy if you need someone to manage your email customer service accounts. Have your VA connect with your customers for you.
Scheduling
Sick of trying to manage your company calendar? Your personal calendar? Most virtual assistants can handle this tedious task for you.
Online Research
Need to gather some information for a new product, new competitor, new laws in your industry?? Send your virtual assistant on the hunt for you.
Data Entry
We know you hate tedious tasks that take up your precious time. Data Entry is one of those things. There’s no reason for you to focus on adding information when you should be focusing on how to reach more clients. Hand the tedious tasks off!!
Our team of virtual assistants can accomplish a lot more than what’s on this list. If you’re interested to see how we can help grow your business and save you time in the long run, give us a shout out. Have some other ideas on what you can give to a virtual assistant?? Please share with us in the comments below!
by Amber Miller | Mar 29, 2017 | Blog, Business Development, Delegating, Entrepreneur
If you’re trying to run a small business with little help, then you know how overwhelming things can become. Most of the time financial resources come into play, or people feel they can complete projects quicker themselves. The truth of the matter is if you ever want to succeed in business, you’re going to need to delegate.
When you hire a virtual assisting team to help run your business, you’re hiring a team of professionals that will most likely complete a job quicker and more efficiently. In addition, allowing a team to take over all of your administrative, web marketing, and web development tasks will save you a lot of money in the long run. This allows business owners to get back to what they do best, bringing in new customers and expanding their business.
Here are three tips on how you can delegate successfully:
- Figure out what you’re willing to delegate
When you’re first starting out, you should consider assigning smaller tasks and work up to the larger, more complicated tasks. This will give your virtual assisting team time to learn your procedures, policies, and way of doing things.
- Pick the right person for the job
Find out the strengths and weaknesses of each of your team members and pass along projects to those you believe are the best fit for the job. A couple of things to look for in virtual assistants include; confidence, self-motivation, and able to work without constant supervision.
- Make sure you communicate CLEARLY!
This is probably the most important key to great delegation. No matter what the task, always be upfront about expectations, deadlines, and provide all of the information the team or person will need to complete the goals for the task. Communication should be clear and concise — the more direction you give your team, the better your chances of them coming back with exactly what you wanted.
Delegating in business is critical to your success. Set yourself up for the future by investing in yourself now. Get started with an experienced virtual assistant team like Smart to Finish that can make your business succeed and your life a little easier.
by Amber Miller | Feb 14, 2017 | Blog, Business Development, Delegating, Entrepreneur
These days, it seems like the world is moving way too fast for any of us to keep up. If you’re trying to run a small business while trying to keep up with the hustle and bustle of life today, it’s especially difficult. There’s just so much to do and so little time to do it. We’ve all experienced times where you’re so bogged down with stuff to do it seems like you’re never going to get to everything you need to. Where does the time go?
If you feel like you’ve lost track of time and you’re ready to take it back, then read on my friend. We have compiled a list of five ways you can take back your free time and be more in control of your availability. So without further ado…
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Where is all of your time going in the first place?
Before we can figure out how to better manage your time, we need to know where it’s all going in the first place. Track your time for a couple of weeks and see where you’re spending the most of it.
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Time to Eliminate
Now that you’ve figured out where all your time is going, you’re ready to start eliminating those non essential tasks you’re spending way too much time on. Have a virtual assistant or part time employee? Delegate these tasks out!
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Avoid Multi-tasking
I know, I know, this is much easier said than done. But think about it… if you focus on one important thing at a time and just keep busting them out, eventually, you’re going to be through your to-do list and it’s only noon… Time for a lunch time margarita, don’t ya think?
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Set Aside Time to Communicate
Only check email a couple of times a day and set a specific time aside to do it! Continuously checking your email throughout the day is extremely wasteful because you’re focusing on more than one item, and you’re going to get distracted by new items coming in all day long. Just stop. Check first thing in the morning and after lunch, and that’s it!
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Learn it’s OK to say NO
You need to figure out what your limits are. If you’re already stretching your time thin, say NO. It’s really OK to say it if you just can’t manage the work. Your customers will be much happier waiting for products and services if they know you can focus your entire energy making sure they’re getting the best of your products and services. If you’re rushing through too many client orders at once, things can get messed up, mistakes can be made, and customers can get upset.
Still having trouble trying to figure out time management? We would love to help get you back on the road to vacations and free time with the family. Contact us today to get started.
by Amber Miller | Sep 14, 2016 | Blog, Delegating, Entrepreneur
As a small business owner, do you ever think you yourself, “I’m doing way too many things myself”? Guess what, most small business owners are in this category. They’re doing way too many things that they could, and should, be delegating to someone else to take care of for them. If you feel like you’re overloaded in work and don’t have the time to focus on more important things (like growing your business), ask yourself these four questions:
- What am I doing that someone else could do better? (social media graphics, blog posts, admin tasks?)
- What are tasks that you could easily give others to do? (posting on social media, updating your website, filling out weekly reports?)
- What are tasks that you don’t necessarily like completing? (bookkeeping, legal stuff, faxing?)
- What kind of budget do you have to spend on extra help?
Chances are… you’ve got about twenty things on your list of tasks that could easily be delegated to a virtual assistant or someone else on your team suited for the role at hand. There’s no reason for the owner of a company to take the time to send a fax or file folders when they could be focusing on revenue generating activities such as meeting with prospective clients and joining planning sessions for new products and services. Let’s face it, a lot of things just aren’t in your job description any more. Doing work that takes away from accomplishing the tasks that you should be doing will distract you from getting anywhere with growing your business.
Delegating tasks is a great way for you to build teamwork and trust with your team. Giving your employees work to do tells them that you trust them to get the job done. Splitting up big group projects and giving tasks to different individuals helps your employees understand the role they play within your company and encourages open communication and trust between team members. In addition, it stimulates creativity and initiative within the team to get things done together.
Don’t have a team to help you get stuff done? Hire a virtual assistant! Most of the time, these individuals can take care of simple tasks and even help to manage the more sophisticated parts of your business (with a little training… you know, as a manager, it is your job to develop people after all ;-P). Virtual assistants can be a highly valuable asset due to their cost effective nature and the specialized services that they offer. You could find someone to take care of simple administrative tasks, or hire a virtual assistant to literally manage your whole company online for you.
When you invest in extra help to take care of the more mundane, time consuming tasks, you give yourself the opportunity to get back to what you do best: bring in new clients, keep current customers happy, and creating innovative new products and services to help your business flourish. Get back to focusing on the aspects of your business that only YOU can do, and let someone else take control on managing the rest. In addition, handing off a load of tasks will lower your stress level and get you back on the track to a healthy work/life balance.
Overall, delegating work will always benefit your team, your organization, and yourself. If you’re not delegating, it’s never too late to start.
by Amber Miller | Sep 7, 2016 | Blog, Delegating, Entrepreneur
There are a lot of reasons why small business owners and entrepreneurs should hire a virtual assistant. One of the biggest reasons is to help you pull yourself out of the giant pool of work you seem to be drowning in. Sound familiar?
Here are just nine reasons why you should consider hiring on a virtual assistant to help you get things taken care of.
- You’re Letting Core Tasks Slip Through The Cracks
Ever feel like you’re so overwhelmed with things to do that important tasks start to fall through the cracks? Don’t worry, we’ve ALL been there. If you’re starting to let the important stuff get behind, it’s time to hire some help.
- You’re Not The Best At Everything – Others Could Do It Better
Ever heard the phrase “Jack of all trades, Master of none”? Is this what you’re currently considering yourself as a busy entrepreneur or business owner trying to handle everything yourself? Guess what, it’s time for a reality check. In most cases, there’s something way better suited for the job than you. Don’t be afraid to give up a little power and let the professionals take care of it. NO MORE STICK FIGURE GRAPHICS OK!
- Your Business Is Growing And Employees Are Expensive
Office overhead can get super expensive… and so are full time employees. The positive thing about hiring a virtual assistant? No overhead costs since they work from their own space and no additional employee costs since they are strictly contract workers.
- You’re Absolutely SICK Of Repetitive Tasks
I don’t know about you… but I get sick of repetitive tasks I have to do on a daily basis. TALK ABOUT BOOOOORING! Want to gain that time back so you can spend it on more important things? Get a VA to do it for you.
- You’re Sick Of Trying To Find Work To Keep Your Employees Busy During Downtimes
Growing a small business usually keeps employees pretty busy, but what do you do about those pesky downtimes that always seem to show up? It can be hard trying to find productive ways to keep your employees busy and making you money. With a VA, you can assign them a couple of hours of work and bam, that’s it. You can reach out to them again when you’ve got more to do… No worrying about keeping them busy during a typical work day.
- My Customer Service Sucks Because I Am Too Busy To Respond
One of the biggest challenges of growing a business is keeping up with GOOD customer service and with all the ways customers can contact you these days (social media, email, phone, etc) it’s almost impossible to keep up with it all. Don’t get caught up in administration… Let a virtual assistant handle your business reputation and keep customers happy.
- Ready To Take Back A Health Work/Life Balance
Often time’s clients tell us their biggest pet peeve at the moment is not having enough time to enjoy their own lives outside of work. They’re so bogged down with things they need to get done they literally don’t have any time left over for themselves. Take back your work/life balance by pushing off work on a VA so you can get back to being YOU.
- You’re Overwhelmed Trying To Keep Up With Schedules/Meetings/Calls/Emails
It’s Monday morning and you’re sitting there looking at your calendar like, “How am I going to keep up with all these meetings, calls, emails this week?!?!?” Guess what, virtual assistants can handle your scheduling just like any personal assistant. Let them take care of your inbox, manage your phone calls, and set up your meeting schedule (making sure to keep that life/work balance we talked about in #7).
- Your Work Is No Longer Making You Happy
Are you so stressed out about your job or business that you’re no longer enjoying it? Or you’ve completely forgotten why you got into it in the first place? A lot of that stems from being way too bogged down with work and business responsibilities. Knock that crap off and get back to doing what you love by hiring a virtual assistant to deal with all that nasty stress and anxiety. Focus on the tasks you love doing the most and delegate the rest.
Any of this sound like you? If so, you should totally give us a call. No lies, we can really take the stress out of building a business and help you get back to the things that matter most – growing and running your business efficiently.
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