Gearing up for 2012 – VA Biz Tips

November 16th, 2011 by Amanda Rose No comments »

For those of you who didn't hear my VA Biz News today on My Business Help's radio program, here are some tips to get you ready for 2012 in your business and to stop panicking should you need to take time out of your business over the upcoming Festive Season and school holidays!

As a Mum and business owner I know the importance of spending time in your business, as well as on it but also importantly to take time out to spend with our children and family.

Tips for items you can do during the quieter festive season to gear up and prepare for 2012:

  • Sort through your business cards, if you don't know the person and you have not made
    any notes, do not keep the business card any longer.

  • If you have made a note on the card and you feel that this person may be someone you can network with, connect with or possibly receive business from, keep these business cards to the side ready to input and follow up.

  • Now, if you don't already have a database, now is the perfect time to find one to suit you,
    create it and now enter these business cards ready to create follow ups.

  • Sort out your marketing schedule, blogs, articles, media etc for 2012 - make a plan ready.

  • Sort your filing (yes, we all have this!).

 

Are you thinking of going on leave over the break - make sure you work out how your business may run in your absence.

Items such as:

- email management
- phone answering
- mail collection
- blog and social media updates,

may seem like something which can wait until you get back, but you may miss out on clients without realising it.  What if you get an enquiry which you do not act on until you get back - in that timeframe, they have already sourced someone else to do it!

We have already started receiving calls from business owners asking how we can help them over this coming school holidays (a) to help them gear up for 2012, and (b) to assist with their business whilst they go on leave...

Now is the time to GEAR UP for 2012 and the Festive Season!

Hazel Theocharous
Assisting U Virtually
www.assistinguvirtually.com.au

Hazel has been operating her Virtual Assistance business for 4 years now and enjoys watching her clients' businesses grow because they have learnt the assets of outsourcing their admin.  She offers a personalised service to all of her clients and follows the work/life balance which she offers her clients.

What is the importance of Networking?

October 21st, 2011 by Amanda Rose No comments »

   How important is Networking to you and your business?
by Hazel of Assisting U Virtually

Why?
* to grow your business
* to connect with the right people
* to create a support network around you.

 

There are a number of ways to network but you need to find out the best way for you and your business.  Whether it is online via social media or face-to-face in networking groups, or both - there are so many options.

Networking face-to-face is important because you can form a relationship which is based on both of you making a commitment to help each other grow and a trust forms.  This will not happen overnight  but if you connect at a networking function, you should ensure that you commit to continue to keep in contact, not to bug the other person but to slowly build up a rapore.

There are a number of options of networking groups, you can join your local Chamber of Commerce, women's groups, organisations have their own groups and breakfast groups exist.

Social media is the way of the future too in terms of networking - you can build up a following by offering advice to followers on the various forms of social media.  As an expert in your field, by posting updates and posts, you will offer realistic advice which will eventually lead to a growth in your customer base and an acknowledgement by the community that you really are an expert in your field.

Don't sit back and think that the world of networking is scary - instead, back yourself and your business and promote it - know your worth and let everyone know.  Be happy to network for others as well because this will increase the trust between yourself and others too.

Assisting U Virtually

Virtual Assistant (VA) Case Study

October 10th, 2011 by Amanda Rose No comments »

Sometimes it is easier to work out if you can utilise the services of another business if you realise that your business is very much like another already outsourcing their admin and other services.

So, we thought we would outline one case study of a small businesses utilising my services and how:

Case Study 1

A husband and wife team own their own business –  a cleaning business - where both of them are working in the business.   The wife is trying to work in the business and undertake all of the admin as well.  They also have 3 children.

Their admin includes invoicing, marketing briefs and newsletters, providing quotes to new customers, sending letters and tenders etc etc.

Ultimately, they need to create a website and other marketing solutions for their business and work out a networking campaign suited to their business as well.

They are not sure what to do – there is no time for admin and it is all catching up on them.

RESULT

They haven’t processed a BAS to the ATO 3 times in a row so there are now fines on top of what they owe.

They haven’t invoiced any of their clients for several weeks.

Any monies owed to them hasn’t been chased and therefore they do not have a cashflow in their business (and subsequently their personal lives).

Customer details hadn’t been captured into a database and therefore updates were not being carried out and kept up to date.

They need a streamlined Contact Sheet when a customer contacts them and a system for their filing and documentation because paperwork is building up and they do not know how to control it.

ANSWER

They cannot afford to employ anyone on a permanent basis so they decide to find a Virtual Assistant but are concerned because they do not want their information to be offsite.

A Virtual Assistant, although mainly works offsite (virtually) can attend a client’s office onsite at least once (or perhaps once a month).

The VA is employed and she/he:

  • pulls together all of the invoicing required and ensures all invoices are completed and sent;

  • chases up outstanding payments from customers;

  • creates a filing system (onsite initially) and does the initial filing for the husband and wife team – explaining to them both how it works so that they can easily file everything away as they complete something!.

  • all customer details are brought up to date in an easy to use database which the VA has created; and

  • all invoices/expenses are entered into an accounting package and sent to the business’s accountants or senior bookkeeper for BAS to be completed.

All in all:

The Admin has been Assessed, A VA has Assisted and the business has an Answer!  

The business can now choose to keep the VA on, on a hourly basis, a project basis or to do the work themselves!

Hazel
Assisting U Virtually

Go for Growth “Business Routines”

October 10th, 2011 by Amanda Rose No comments »

BLOG – Go for Growth (20 September 2011)

I had the wonderful opportunity to represent My Business Help at the Go for Growth Seminar with Verne Harmish providing practical advice on various aspects of business, including small businesses.

So let’s take you through a series of blog posts which will hopefully give you an insight into how Verne’s experience and advice can assist businesses across the board from small to large business.

Verne says “Routine Sets YOU Free!”.  What does he mean by this?

Well, my understanding from listening to him is that you need to set aside time each day for a face to face meeting with your senior executives – the same time every day.

 

Why would you do this? 

Well, it is a time for you (the CEO) and your senior management to specify specific issues each individual is having and to get it sorted straightaway.  It is also a time to ensure you know where your business is at, where your competition is at and get ahead of it.

What your team can sort through in 15 minutes by being face to face is much more effective than any email communication or adhoc meeting you may feel is necessary.

Verne provided so much practical advice but his suggestion was to put all of his ideas through a filter and then pick or choose the ideas which suit your company but you must make sure that you implement them – not just choose them.

Learning is important in the growth of a business.  Why?  What I learnt from Verne is that you should never stop learning.  His comment, “if you don’t read then you barely have an advantage over someone who can’t read”, really stuck in my mind.  How often do we take time out to sit back and read a business book to give us great insight into how and what we could do better.  On the weekend, switch off your blackberry or iPhone and read a book.

What type of book may depend on your business but he gave quite a few examples which I would like to share in this blog:

‘Where Good Ideas Come From’ – Steven Johnson

‘Hidden Champions’ – Hermann Simon

‘How Companies Win’ – Rick Kash and David Calhoun

You can also obtain free advice by clicking through to Verne’s website: http://www.gazelles.com/index.html.  There is an amazing amount of downloadable forms, articles and more for a small business owner to download and learn from.

Hazel, Assisting U Virtually
For
My Business Help

How a small business owner can utilize a Virtual Assistant (VA)?

September 19th, 2011 by Amanda Rose No comments »

There are various ways but it really does depend on the individual business.

It could be that a business owner decides that they do not want to attempt any admin and therefore a VA would do everything from typing through to database entries, phone answering to bookkeeping.

Other businesses only use a VA to undertake one or a couple of the following:

-          social media creation and updates
-          blog updates
-          typing and transcription
-          bookkeeping or data entry to MYOB
-          powerpoint presentations
-          collating business cards and adding to a database
-          e-newsletters

A new business could utilize a VA to assist with the set up of their office, systems and procedures.

A Virtual Assistant is a cost effective tool to add to your business.  There are no payroll overheads and as a VA has a professional background in everything admin, a business is in a win-win situation.

How can you tell if you need a VA?

-          When you are getting bogged down in paperwork.

-          When you are working so many hours but not making any money.

-          If you want and need to network but do not have the time.

-          When there is no flexibility any more.

-          When you are missing deadlines or important phone calls.

Do not lose sight of your business and why you commenced your business in the first place.  Seek assistance from a professional admin provider - your VA.

This is based on our first interview with mybusinesshelp.com.au on Alive 90.5.

Assisting U Virtually
www.assistinguvirtually.com.au