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.

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   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

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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

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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

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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

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Subscribe to the My Business Help Newsletter and you will recieve a code to receive $100 OFF the Go For Growth Seminar

ALSO go into the draw to WIN a ticket to the workshop valued at $750.

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Too many clients are wasting their precious design budgets by not starting the design process correctly.

The first and most vital step in the design process is to produce a well thought out brief and give it to your designer at the beginning of a project. Doing this will produce a win-win result for both client and designer, as clear guidelines are in place before a project commences.

Just as a builder needs architectural plans to build a house, a creative designer requires an informative brief to produce an effective visual solution.

 What is a Creative Brief?

A creative brief is a written plan of the objectives, outcomes and influences that shape a design. A creative brief is not a list of instructions, nor is it a checklist for designers. A creative brief is a well-mapped document, supplied by the client to the designer.

 What things should a client consider when putting together a brief for their creative designer?

Things to include:

1. Job description – Clearly state what you actually want the creative designer to produce for you.
2. Target audience – It is important to do some market research before starting the design process. An effective, advertising campaign cannot be produced without knowledge of the target audience.
3. What are your objectives? What is the desired response of your campaign? ?What’s the call to action, e.g. do you want the client to call you, enquire online etc.)
4. What is your goal?
5. Are there any influencing factors that need to be considered? E.g. a particular colour that needs to be used, style guides that must be adhered to.
6. Is there any artwork to be supplied for inclusion?
7. Discuss a practical timeframe

So basically with a little time spent initially before you approach a designer, can help save you money in the long run.

You don’t need to have marketing degree or have completed a marketing analysis before any design job, it doesn’t need to be that in depth. Just some basic information, a bit of brain storming about what you want the particular design project to achieve, explained in your words, can end up saving you lots of time, money and distress at the time of production.

Save time - business owners are time poor, so spending time initially with save you an enormous amount of time during the proofing process - who wants to waste time going thru 15 sets of changes because the designer isn’t getting the message across because you didn’t explain it thoroughly in the first place

Save Money - if a thorough brief is given, then as the client you will very quickly be able to see if the designer you have chosen is capable and talented enough to actually produce an effective design solution for you.

A talented, professional graphic designer will:

1)     ask you to write a brief for them or go through a series of questions that will establish the guidelines for the brief before the job starts

2)   be able to produce a viable solution or range of possible solutions within the first round of proofs.

Contact Tanzie on:

m 0414 611 851  .  creative@kaleidoscopedesign.com.au  .  kaleidoscopedesignmanagement.com.au

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Market research myths for SMEs:

(1)    Think of market research in terms of what large corporations do; a mixed quant and qual approach, ending up with a large report that requires in-house researchers to absorb and develop strategy. They are big budget and require time to act on the results – two things SMEs don’t generally have.

(2)    Think it is easy to whip up a survey and invite people on social media and then change their business according to those results.

The best ways for SMEs to do market research to grow their business:

(1)    Do something small to get started and have time to absorb the results and act on them.
(2)    Utilise your existing tribe. Existing contacts already have a wealth of information that can help you grow and are waiting for you to ask them.
(3)    Put research into your business calendar like you include a marketing and sales strategy. Make sure you complete a whole feedback cycle, communicating back the results so participants know that you’ve listened.

3 Questions that SMEs can ask to get started:

(1)    A question that allows you to benchmark your business, such as the Net Promoter. How likely are you to recommend us to friends or colleagues on a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 is very unlikely and 10 is very likely. The 9s and 10s are promoters, 7 & 8 neutrals or passives, 6 and below are detractors.

(2)    A question you can put into word cloud software, such as Wordle or CloudMaker. Word cloud software will make words with a higher frequency bigger and a lower frequency smaller. It is a great way to see if the words you use to describe your business are the same as the ones your tribe uses. If there is a disconnect, then you need to take action to change that. When you think about My Business Help, what are the first 3 words that come to mind. Lara Solomon blogged about word clouds recently: http://www.socialrabbit.net/2011/08/it-looks-cloudy-online/

(3)    An open response question to get ideas. Ending a survey with just ‘Other comments’ doesn’t help participants give you ideas, but if you end with a question that is more specific you will get more useful information. If there was one thing we could do differently to improve your experience, what is it?

Distributing your survey on social media:

It can be a great way to get participants, but they could be the wrong ones.
If you’re going to make business decisions based on the results you need to know that your target market have done the survey, so either ask questions in the survey so you can find out who have done it and if they are your target market, or distribute the survey in another way.

You can also listen to a PODCAST of this interview.

Article by: Tribe Research: www.triberesearch.com.au

We hold Survey Design Masterclasses and have a Survey Design Review service so you can submit your survey and have it inexpensively reviewed by research professionals.
Our software www.tribaltoolkit.com has two tools: CloudMaker (word cloud generator) and ActionMap (shows you what you should be prioritising for marketing and business improvement).

Tribe Research: Explore | Uncover | Drive Change
office :: p | +61 2 8096 2546 f | +61 2 8028 9884
email ask@triberesearch.com.au

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If you missed the launch of the My Business Help Radio Program on FM90.5  or would like to hear them again you can by visiting our PODCASTS page.

Also, you can check out the pictures from the inside of the "studio" at FM90.5 in our Gallery.

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Attract customers and ensure the ongoing success if your small business with this no-nonsense guide. Whether you own a bakery or a boutique, a plumbing or a finance business, this book gives you straightforward strategies to find more prospects, build your customer base and secure market share.

Small-business guru, Carolyn Tate empowers you to apply hundreds of high-impact and creative ways to market your business without breaking the bank.

You can purchase Small Business Marketing for Dummies here.

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