by Amber Miller | Oct 5, 2017 | Social Media
Did you know that you can use Facebook ads to collect leads for your newsletter? And that you don’t need a landing page to do it? Yep. It’s called a Lead Ad, and it can help you grow your email list big time.
When you set up a Lead Ad, and one of your targeted audience members clicks on the ad, a form opens up with their Facebook information already entered. There’s no need for them to type in their name, email address, etc. But, their privacy is still protected, so no need to worry that you’re violating the CAN-SPAM rules.
So now that you know this is a thing, and a pretty cool thing, we put together a brief tutorial on how to set up a Facebook Lead Ad:
Step 1
The first step is go into your Facebook Ads Manager and click the “Create Ad” button at the top right.
Step 2
Then, choose your objective “Lead Generation” then give your campaign a name.
After that, you set up your ads like any other type of Facebook ad. You select your Facebook business page, your audience, your budget, and your schedule. Then you choose how you want your ad to look (e.g., single image, carousel, or even a video) and add the ad copy.
Step 3
Now comes the part that’s different about a Facebook Lead Ad! At the bottom of the page, you will see a section called “Lead Form.” All you do is click on the button “+ New Form” to make a new one.
Step 4
A pop-up screen will appear:
There are four sections you need to complete in order to create your Lead Ad: Welcome Screen (optional), Questions, Privacy Policy, and the Thank You Screen (which is not visible in the above image). There are a few things to note here:
- You must have a privacy policy on your website to link to in order to be able to use Facebook’s Lead Ads. If you don’t have one, you can generate one here.
- Your image should have as little text as possible in it, just like with other Facebook ad images. The more text you have, the less likely people are to see it, and the more expensive your ad becomes.
Once everything is set to your specifications, all you have to do is save your form and confirm it to send it to the Facebook Ad team for approval. And then you should start seeing leads start to come in!
But how do you get the leads from your ads? There are several CRM integrations you can use to collect your leads, or you can download them to a spreadsheet if you do not have a CRM yet.
If you need help with creating a Facebook Lead Ad to grow your email list, you can contact us here at Smart to Finish to get you set up and ready to go!
by Amber Miller | Sep 27, 2017 | Infusionsoft
If you run an online business and haven’t checked out Infusionsoft, you’re missing an opportunity to automate your marketing and increase your revenue. Maybe you’re interested in Infusionsoft, but you really don’t know what it can do for you. If so, here are 10 Infusionsoft facts to help you learn about just how powerful of a tool it is:
1. Infusionsoft is a fully integrated customer relationship management (CRM) system and a complete marketing and e-commerce solution. What does that mean exactly? In essence, it is one system that combines multiple features. Instead of having an e-commerce program (Shopify, 1ShoppingCart, etc.), an email management program (MailChimp, iContact, Aweber etc.), and a customer database (Salesforce), you have one tool that does it ALL, and more too!
2. Unlike other software companies, Infusionsoft is focused solely on small businesses. They started out as small business, and over half of their employees have owned or worked for small businesses too. It’s great to work with a team of people who really understand the small business mindset.
3. Infusionsoft has 9 Core Values, and they truly live them. If you ever get a chance to visit their headquarters, you’ll see the core values posted as soon as you walk in the door. You can also ask any employee to explain them to you and they will (excitedly!). Why should you care? Because the values include: We Empower Entrepreneurs. Their staff and partners truly consult to help small business owners learn how to market, grow, and scale. They offer regular education and training, too.
4. You can use the Infusionsoft Campaign Builder to quickly create a complete marketing program that is customized to your contacts.
5. Infusionsoft integrates with your social media accounts, which allows you and your contacts to share your messages socially with just one-click.
6. You can use Infusionsoft to automate a lot of the manual work you do now. With marketing automation, you can send out personalized emails, send reminders, and even resend information that someone hasn’t opened or clicked on yet.
7. If you’re selling anything online, Infusionsoft’s e-commerce module will allow you to sell even more. You can easily create upsells, sell subscription programs, create coupons and special promotions, design a storefront, and more!
8. There’s an app for that: the Infusionsoft mobile app. If you’re on-the-go and need to collect payments, or access or update your customer data, you can do that from any mobile device. Plus, Infusionsoft emails, web forms, and pages are all optimized for mobile display.
9. Easily segment your list by just about anything you want. You can track and tag people who open/don’t open emails, purchase a product, opt-in for your free offer, sign-up to attend a webinar – the possibilities are endless.
10. Integrate with just about any application you’re using now with Infusionsoft’s API data. You can sync data from other systems like survey tools, scheduling software, accounting programs, WordPress, and many, many more. In fact there are over 200 apps alone in the Infusionsoft Marketplace.
Bonus Fact
Here’s one more to add to our list of Infusionsoft facts: Infusionsoft experts are the backbone to their success. The Smart to Finish Team has over 20 years combined experience helping small business owners leverage Infusionsoft for their business. We’ve visited Infusionsoft Headquarters, have some great friends and partners on the Infusionsoft Team, and are here to help you succeed with your Infusionsoft application.
Ready to multiply your efforts while reducing costs and increasing revenue? Contact the Smart to Finish Team, and we’ll help set up your new Infusionsoft application, audit and clean up your existing app, and help strategize and create a campaign that will help you reach your business goals.
by Amber Miller | Sep 21, 2017 | Wordpress Maintenance
If you have an online business, and you haven’t thought about SEO (search engine optimization) for your website, you are more than likely missing out on a lot of traffic. And if you’re missing a lot of traffic, that means missing a lot of sales.
While there is more than one way to drive traffic to your website, you shouldn’t ignore the free traffic that you can get from Google and Bing with a good SEO strategy. But what if you don’t know anything about SEO, and don’t have the time to learn the ins and outs of it? That’s where a good WordPress SEO plugin comes in. So, in this article, I will discuss the top 3 SEO plugins for WordPress and how they can help you boost your SEO efforts.
Yoast
If you’ve already done some research on SEO plugins for WordPress, you probably ran across Yoast. It is the top SEO plugin, and it is my personal favorite and top recommendation. Not only does it provide SEO suggestions for better optimization (e.g., keyword utilization, alt-text for images, article length), it also provides tips for writing better content. Some of my other favorite features include:
- XML sitemap generator (no need for a separate plugin)
- Page analysis tool (uses a traffic light with red, yellow, and green to rate your SEO)
- Built-in open graph metadata (which turns links into rich objects on social media)
- Built-in Google authenticator and Analytics
It is fairly straightforward to set up, but if you ever need help, the built-in help section provides clear, concise directions. There is both a free option and a paid option, but if you’re just starting out with SEO, the free version will be more than enough for your website.
All-in-One SEO Pack
If you don’t want to use Yoast, my second recommendation for a WordPress SEO plugin is All-in-One SEO Pack. Like Yoast, you don’t need much experience to get it set up and working to boost your SEO. It also shares some of the same features as Yoast such as built-in Google Analytics and XML sitemap. But it has some features that Yoast does not:
- Automatic title optimization
- Automatic meta-tag generation
Both of these features might help your search engine rankings. AIOSEO provides you with as much or as little control as you want so that as you gain more experience, you will be able to use the more advanced features of the plugin. There is both a free version and a paid version for when you’re ready to use the more advanced features of this plugin.
Squirrly SEO
Squirrly SEO touts itself as the SEO plugin for non-SEO experts. It also works with both Yoast AND All-in-One SEO Pack, so there’s no need to uninstall and reinstall either of those plugins and lose all of your SEO work.
The features I like most are:
- Helps you find keywords and topics your audience actually uses.
- Lets you know when you’re doing things right by giving you the green light (much like Yoast)
- Provides a keyword research tool that rivals Google Keyword Planner
- Monitors progress and sends you reports
This is what’s known as a “freemium” plugin, which means that there’s a limit to what you can use with the free version (e.g., you only get so many keywords you can research). But as with all of these SEO plugins, the free version should suit you just fine as you’re just starting out.
So now that you have a better idea about how SEO plugins for WordPress can help you boost your website traffic, why not contact us here at Smart to Finish? We can help you choose the best plugin for your needs, install it, and get it all set up and running smoothly.
by Amber Miller | Sep 15, 2017 | Infusionsoft
Infusionsoft is an amazing tool for small business owners who want to automate their marketing and increase their sales. It’s not a software you can just sign up for a begin using. You need a strategy and a plan, and that’s why you need an expert to guide you along the way.
Infusionsoft understands this, and that’s why you also need to purchase a KickStart Plan when you sign up. This initial plan will help you create the overall structure for your new software, but that’s just the beginning. To ensure you are using the software in a way that benefits your business, you need to continually update your plan and consider how to best use Infusionsoft for your business.
Here are just a few of the benefits an experienced Infusionsoft Professional provides:
1. Experience!
This is number one for a reason. Understanding how to use Infusionsoft, and why and when to use certain features is key to having a system that runs on autopilot. If you consider yourself to be a “techie,” you can learn which buttons to press and how to set up the various systems. However, you may not understand the WHY – and that’s key. Infusionsoft is a marketing automation program, so there should be careful planning and thought with every action you take. An experienced Infusionsoft professional will be able to guide you to make good decisions and set things up that seamlessly flow together.
2. Insight
A qualified Infusionsoft professional will be able to provide you with real-life examples of ways you can leverage Infusionsoft to work for your business. For example, at Smart to Finish, we take a look at your business model and recommend ways to automate certain in-house processes, streamline your marketing, and even set up systems to automate key functions. There is no one set way to use Infusionsoft, and an Infusionsoft Pro can provide you with the advice you need to succeed.
3. Training
You may not want to know how to do everything in Infusionsoft. But, you will want to know how to run key reports and access other important data. An experienced Infusionsoft professional can show you exactly how to get the information you need, when you need it.
4. Marketing Know-How
In addition to setting up your software, you need to have digital marketing savvy to get the most from Infusionsoft. An experienced Infusionsoft professional understands one-click upsells, membership systems, marketing funnels, the fundamentals of setting up a launch from A-Z, and can provide you advice in all of these areas.
5. Connections
An experienced Infusionsoft Team like Smart to Finish has connections that a newbie won’t. After working in Infusionsoft for years, an Infusionsoft Pro has access to optimized support and private networking groups. This type of access is invaluable. You’ll be one of the first to:
- Know if there are any system issues
- Know when new features are rolled out
- Get invited to beta test new items
- hHave access to discounts for additional features
Access is always a good thing!
If you’re investing in Infusionsoft to automate your marketing, hire an Infusionsoft Professional to ensure your investment brings you lots of returns. If you’re ready to put your business on autopilot and create a full marketing system for your business, contact the Smart to Finish Team.
by Amber Miller | Sep 7, 2017 | Social Media
You have a Facebook page, and Facebook constantly asks you if you would like to boost a post or start an ad campaign. Maybe you’re hesitant to pull the trigger on Facebook advertising because you’ve heard so many myths about it. However, once you get past the myths, you will see just how powerful a platform it can be to help promote your business and boost your brand. Here are the top 4 myths of Facebook advertising, and what the truth really is:
Myth #1: It’s too expensive.
There’s no need to throw tons of money at a Facebook ad campaign. Did you know that you can run an ad campaign for as little as $2 per day? While that may not get you a whole lot of results, it might get you some results…which is better than nothing at all, right? It’s also a good way to test your ads and see how they are working. Also, Facebook only charges you per click, not per view. You are only paying for people who interact with your ad, so it might not cost as much as you think.
Myth #2: It won’t work for my business
Another common myth is that it doesn’t work for B2B companies, only B2C companies. Well, with over 2 billion Facebook users, that’s not really true. You can bet there are business owners on Facebook who might be thrilled to see what your company can do for them. There are a ton of audience targeting options, and you can choose to run a campaign to generate leads rather than make sales such as boosting a blog post or offering a free ebook.
Myth #3: I need a big Facebook fan base
Do you only have a few likes on your Facebook page? That shouldn’t stop you from using Facebook ads. You can create an audience from scratch, and Facebook will happily serve it up to any of its 2+ billion users. Or, if you have an email list, you can import that to create an audience for Facebook to target. The real key is to focus more on your audience demographics more so than keywords (as you might do in a Google Adwords campaign).
Myth #4: People hate Facebook ads and always skip over them
Facebook has an algorithm working behind the scenes that tries to show its users relevant ads or posts geared toward their likes. The more clicks an ad gets, the more relevant it becomes. It also gets a higher quality rating. Sure, an annoying or spammy ad for slips through occasionally, but it will disappear because it probably isn’t getting any interaction. And when Facebook sees it’s not getting any interaction, then Facebook is less likely to show it to its users.
So, now that you know the truth behind some of the top myths of Facebook advertising, why not set up an ad campaign? If you need help setting up an ad campaign, the team here at Smart to Finish will be happy to assist you. Contact us today to get started!
by Amber Miller | Aug 31, 2017 | Infusionsoft
Running a business is sometimes like running a marathon. You have to train, prepare for “bad weather,” have a team to support you, understand your competition, pace yourself, and know that the impossible can happen when you put your mind to it.
You also need the right equipment. A marathon runner isn’t going to start a race without the right shoes, and you shouldn’t run your business without the right tools.
Infusionsoft, the leading sales and marketing software, is one of the tools you need to go the distance. It can help you automate your business and achieve real growth, too.
Here is a list of five ways Infusionsoft can help grow your business and put it ahead of the competition:
1. Behavior Marketing
When a customer opens an email, downloads your free offer, clicks a link, or even logs into your website, you should track that behavior and then USE it to market to them. You can follow up if someone doesn’t click your download, remind someone that you have important resources on your website, send more emails about an offer that someone has shown interest in, and more. Prospects are more likely to be turned into buyers when the sales messages they receive are relevant, and you are actually priming them for the sale. Infusionsoft makes this an easy and seamless process.
2. Upsell
The goal of a sales funnel is to get someone to make a purchase. Once they do, it’s always easier to sell to them again rather than converting a new customer. Using Infusionsoft, you can highlight a companion product to one the customer has already selected, or draw attention to related products, all with just a few clicks. In fact, statistics show that the probability of selling to a new prospect is 5% to 20%. The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60% to 70%. Imagine how your revenue can increase with just adding upsells and cross-sells to all of your products!
3. Testing
Are your marketing emails working? How do you really know? You have to test! By using Infusionsoft’s campaign builder, you can set up two different marketing email sequences that are each a bit different. Consider using different subject lines, changing the length of the content, including/not including images, or using different calls to action. After testing, review which emails have a higher open rate, more engagement (clicks/downloads, etc.), and better sales conversions. Then, take action on the results or even do further testing.
Note: it’s important to test one change at a time, check your results, and then test the next item on your list. By doing a bit of split testing, you’ll be able to improve your marketing emails and increase your sales. One recent client saw a 38% increase in sales conversions just by doing some basic split testing!
4. Update Your Marketing
If you’re stuck in a marketing rut, or aren’t even sure where to start, Infusionsoft provides pre-built marketing campaigns you can download and install – for FREE! With just a few clicks, you can create marketing campaigns such as:
- New custom welcome and nurture
- Birthday or anniversary greetings
- Automated event registrations
- Appointment reminders
- Follow-ups
- A Black Friday sale
One of our favorites is the Refer-A-Friend campaign. With just a few clicks, you can set up an easy way to ask for and collect referrals. By implementing just a couple of these campaigns, you can increase your revenue and reduce your marketing time and costs.
5. Track Your Leads
Do you know where your leads are coming from? Infusionsoft does! Using Infusionsoft’s lead source feature, you can track exactly where your leads originated. This can be the difference between making money and losing money on marketing that isn’t working. When you know exactly how much you’re spending on each marketing activity (Facebook, Twitter, events, etc.) and how much revenue you’re making from each one, you can make informed decisions about your marketing plan. Without knowing this information, you’re just playing a guessing game. Using this feature will allow you to cut marketing that isn’t working for you and spend more time in areas where you’re seeing real success.
So now that you know a few ways Infusionsoft can help grow your business, contact the Smart to Finish Team. Our Infusionsoft experts can help you map out a plan for your success.
by Amber Miller | Aug 25, 2017 | Entrepreneur
As a business owner your time is valuable and constantly in demand. How do you balance everything in your life while still growing your business? The best advice I can give a business owner is to focus on what you do best and create a community around you for support. That’s why you need to hire Smart to Finish. We will help you achieve your business goals while you work on dreaming big, working with clients, and bringing in more revenue. Here are 7 ways we can up-level your business and give you some much-needed time back:
1. Create processes and systems
Do you have a system in place for everything you do in your business? If the answer is no, then rely on the Smart to Finish team to help. A business with systems and processes in place is one that runs smoothly without you having to constantly manage it. The Smart to Finish team will review your current systems, recommend ways to streamline them, and then implement them for you too!
2. Run your launch
If you hold even just one product launch a year, getting help from the Smart to Finish team will save you money and bring you new revenue. Our team knows the software to use to make your launch successful so that you don’t have to learn yet another software program. We will set up your landing pages, opt-in pages, emails, social media, and more. Imagine sending your launch plan and having us implement it while you spend some much needed time with your family!
3. Be your gatekeeper
How many emails do you get a day? Do they all really need YOUR attention? The Smart to Finish team will handle your email and only bring the most important emails to your attention. We will manage all of your customer service issues, respond to social media requests, and even handle your appointment booking.
4. Build your list
If you are looking for new leads for your business (and who isn’t?!), the Smart to Finish team can help. We will set up a lead magnet on your website, looks great, ensure it’s delivered, and even test several lead magnets to ensure it’s bringing in the new leads that are right for your niche.
5. Manage your brand
Your online reputation is key to running a successful business, and the Smart to Finish team knows how to manage it for you. Whether it’s creating a new website, updating an existing one, or even writing social media content, we handle it all.
6. Recommend and set up tools
Are you unsure which software tool is best for your business goals? The Smart to Finish team is experienced with all of the latest tools including: LeadPages, Infusionsoft, ClickFunnels, WordPress, Zoom, and so many more. We will advise you on what’s working now and implement it for you too!
7. Help you grow
It’s time to grow your business, but you can’t do it alone. Rely on the Smart to Finish team to get you there. We will help you figure out which tasks to delegate, offer ideas and advice specific to your business goals, and help you implement all of the steps too.
As a business owner, your time is also your money, and you can have more of both when you hire Smart to Finish. I understand first-hand the demands of being a business owner and created my team to provide the support you need. Together we will both succeed!
by Amber Miller | Aug 22, 2017 | Delegating
We get it. You built your company from the ground up, and you have been wearing many hats to make your business a success. You’ve been doing your own marketing, bookkeeping, design, and the like, and it’s starting to become impossible to help your business grow. It’s hard to turn over control of your daily business tasks to anyone else. But when you learn how to let go of the reins and find tasks you can delegate to a virtual assistant, you will find that you can get back to what you love doing: running your company.
If you’ve never hired a virtual assistant before, you might not know what sorts of tasks they are capable of doing. Virtual assistants are more diverse in their skills than ever before. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of the top 6 business tasks you can assign to a virtual assistant to get you started. We’ve divided them up into different categories: administrative tasks, marketing, design, website setup and support, research, and writing/editing:
Online Business Support
- Invoicing and bookkeeping
- Calendar management
- Travel arrangements
- Managing emails and phone calls
- Project tracking (Teamwork, Asana, etc.)
Marketing
- Social media scheduling, posting, and managing ad campaigns for Facebook, Twitter, etc.
- Email marketing campaigns
- Customer relationship management (Infusionsoft)
- Sales funnel creation and management (Clickfunnels, Leadpages, etc.)
- Client management
Design
- Web page design
- Ad design
- Banner design
- Logo design
- Infographics
- Business plans
- Ebook cover and layout design
- PowerPoint design
Website Setup and Support
Research
- SEO
- Competitor analysis
- Project-related searches
- Report data
Writing and Editing
- Blog posts
- Reports
- Ebooks
- Proofreading
And this is just a sample of what a virtual assistant (or better yet, a team of virtual assistants) can do for you. It’s up to you to decide which business tasks you can delegate to a virtual assistant (or virtual assistant team like we have here at Smart to Finish). But once you start delegating tasks, we promise you won’t ever look back!
by Amber Miller | Aug 16, 2017 | Infusionsoft, Marketing
A lead magnet is a free and valuable offer you make in exchange for someone providing you with contact details, such as an email address and name (you can ask for other information too!). Marketing is all about numbers, so the more qualified contacts you have on your mailing address the better. With that in mind, we have put together this lead magnet checklist to get you started.
Typically, a lead magnet will be on your website, and a visitor will need to complete a form in order to download the information. Now, you can’t just add any old sign-up form to your website and expect the leads to come rolling in. Follow the seven steps outlined below to make your lead magnet attract the business you want:
1. Offer Something of Value
A lead magnet is not a newsletter sign-up form. You want to create an attractive offer related to your business. For example, if you are a health coach you may want to provide a free e-book filled with healthy recipes. Or, if you’re a financial planner, you may want to provide a guide to saving for college, etc. Other lead magnet ideas include:
- A quiz
- Discounts
- Free trials
- A video series
You can easily create a form and deliver your lead magnet by using Infusionsoft’s campaign builder. In just a few minutes, you can create a stylish form that when completed by your visitors, they will automatically receive your content.
2. Say Thank You
After your new lead completes the web form you should direct them to a customized thank you page. Use this page to:
- Thank them for subscribing
- Let them know that they should check their email for their free gift
- Share more about yourself by adding a video or another piece of content that teaches them more about you.
Consider adding social media icons and ask them to follow you there too. If you use Infusionsoft, you can create a custom thank you page inside of Infusionsoft or direct the person to any page on your website. Then, you can track the links they click on your thank you page to test different thank you pages to see what gets the best results.
3. Set a Schedule
Now that you’ve added a new lead to your list, you want to keep the lines of communication open. You should create a series of emails that educates your new lead. You want to tell them about you and your brand, give them something else of value, and showcase your expertise. Be sure to let your lead know how often they’ll hear from you too. It’s easy to set up these nurturing emails by using Infusionsoft. You’ll be able to create branded emails that are mobile-friendly and deliver them at any frequency you select.
4. Call to Action
In every email you send, be sure to include some type of call to action. When you get leads to take action, you are conditioning them to say “Yes” in the future.
A call to action (CTA) can be anything from asking them to follow you on Facebook, a “Read More” link that directs to a blog post, or just asking them a Yes or No question. Every call to action is your opportunity to learn more about your leads so you can continually improve your marketing to them. Infusionsoft then tracks all the actions a lead takes on your emails so you’ll be able to easily see what your new lead is responding to.
5. Segment Your List
Use the information you learn from the actions your leads take in your emails and segment your list. In Infusionsoft you can apply a tag to every type of action a lead takes. For example, if a lead clicks on a link, you can apply a tag like: Clicked Follow Facebook link, or if they downloaded your lead magnet you can apply a tag like: Downloaded Lead Magnet. That way, you’ll know who is interested in connecting on Facebook, who was really enticed to download your lead magnet and can then send targeted messages to them.
Alternatively you can use Infusionsoft to run a report of everyone who completed your lead magnet form but did not download the lead magnet. Then you can follow-up with them to remind them to download your free offer, or make changes to your offer to make it more enticing.
6. Make an Offer
After you’ve nurtured your new subscriber and learned more about them, it’s time to make an offer. Use the data you collected to offer a low-cost product, also known as a tripwire. The goal is to get someone to make an initial purchase and then offer an upsell to them for your signature product. If you’re using Infusionsoft, you can create an order form and a link to that form right in your email. You can create an upsell that people see after they buy the first product, and collect payment all in just a few steps.
7. Test, Test, Test
It’s VERY important to have a system in place where you test every step of the process and do so continually. I recently signed up for a lead magnet from a very famous internet marketer and noticed that there were a ton of broken links and web pages that had missing key elements – how embarrassing. I wrote to them to let them know and they were so appreciative as they hadn’t tested that particularly sequence in 2 years – wow! Don’t let that happen to you!
Before implementation you should test every single piece of your lead magnet. Make sure:
- The web form works.
- Your Infusionsoft tags are applied.
- You are directed to the thank you page.
- You receive all of the emails.
- Your call to action links work.
- To place some test orders.
Make a note on your calendar to test this at least once a quarter. You’ll want to monitor and test the emails and offers themselves, too. If you notice that you aren’t getting as many leads as you once did, you may want to create a new lead magnet. Or, if you’re finding out that no one is clicking on the links in your emails, it may be time to refresh your copy.
If this lead magnet checklist has helped you, and you’re ready to set up your lead magnet in Infusionsoft, or any other system, the Smart to Finish Team can help. We can set everything up, provide advice on your content, share best practices, and more. Contact us today for the guidance you need to grow your list and increase your revenue.
by Amber Miller | Aug 9, 2017 | Delegating
Delegating is one of the most valuable tools in a small business owner’s arsenal, but it’s often overlooked and doesn’t get enough good press. That’s why Smart to Finish is designating August 28th as National Delegating Day, because we want small business owners everywhere to know how they can increase their time, effectiveness, and profitability when they know how to delegate.
When first starting out, small business owners need to wear many hats. As their businesses grow, however, small business owners will more than likely hit a wall if they continue to do everything themselves. And as a result, so will their business. By developing a team and delegating some of the daily tasks, a small business owner will be able to focus more on growing the business rather than continuing to overextend themselves.
What Is Delegating?
Put simply, it’s making decisions and handing authority over to someone else to complete a set amount of tasks. And when you delegate, you get the following benefits:
- Provides you with more time to focus on bigger picture tasks and things that matter to you
- Allows others to gain new skills and grow
- Develops trust with your team
When you learn to delegate, you will free yourself from everyday tasks and get back to doing what you love, running your business and being an effective leader.
What Prevents People from Delegating?
The main roadblock is the thinking “I can do it faster and more effectively if I do it myself.” Another common mindset it, “no one can do it better than I can.” It’s hard to give up control. But when you make the effort to train others to do the work you know is holding you back from bigger goals, the benefits are endless.
What Are the Best Ways to Delegate?
Once you allow yourself to give up control and turn tasks over to another person, you now need to have a plan for delegating your projects. Who should do them? How should they go about doing them? What can you do to make sure projects don’t go off track?
Outsource
First, if you can’t afford to hire employees, you should consider outsourcing your tasks to a virtual assistant or contractor. They often specialize in the tasks you know someone else should do such as bookkeeping, social media scheduling, website maintenance, marketing, and the like. And yes, while outsourcing does cost money, it does not cost as much as hiring employees.
Set Deadlines
Important tasks always have due dates. If it’s a large-scale project, then set up check-ins and milestones to make sure the project is moving forward.
Communicate Clearly
Once you have found a virtual assistant or contractor you can work with, it’s always a good idea to keep the lines of communication open. By communicating your wants and needs clearly up front, there will be less room for error during the course of the project. It’s also a good idea to request regular updates or status reports so that you can keep an eye on a project’s progress without having to constantly read and send emails.
So now that you understand the importance of delegating and how to delegate effectively, set your calendar to remind you that Delegation Day is August 28th and get your plans to boost your business by delegating! If you need help with delegating, please contact us at Smart to Finish where we manufacture time! We’d be happy to help take work off your plate!
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