Far too many business owners are continuously overwhelmed with all the facets of owning & trying to run a successful business. The reality is, if you're a business owner, your time is best served focusing on the bigger picture, goals, products, services & marketing.
But how is that even possible when there's so many other time consuming yet necessary tasks to get through?
Here's a simple & affordable solution! Introducing 3 types of 5VA (5 hours Virtual Assistance) packs, valid for use within 3 months, that cover a wide range of tasks you should be delegating.
Examples of how I can help you and your business:
Calendar management - Liaison & scheduling of appointments as well as prioritising your weekly tasks.
Organising travel & accommodation - Locating the cheapest flights, transfers & appropriate accommodation.
Database management - Are all of your vital contacts scattered everywhere – notes, emails, address books, diaries, your mobile & even in your memory? I can centralise them all ensuring your business contact lists stays relevant & up-to-date.
Managing email - Is your inbox a daily nightmare, taking up most of your morning to sort through? I can access your network & respond on your behalf, monitoring your incoming & outgoing emails freeing up valuable time.
Brainstorming ideas - Creating fresh ideas for your business on a regular basis, which provides motivation & support to those who find it hard to stay focused.
Setting Goals - Managing a practical 6 month timeline & making sure you stay on track of your goals with a weekly review.
Newsletters & Email blasts - Keep your existing clients & prospects in touch with what's happening in your business & industry.
Packages & Document Creation - I can co-ordinate the creation of new client booklets. Also, set up business templates/documents for easy every day use.
Promotional Merchandise - If you've got an seminar coming up & need some company products to distribute to attendees, I can oversee this process.
Supplier Comparison - Not sure where to get the best value for money? Let me research suppliers & do a cost/service comparison.
Meetings - I can create, distribute & follow up Agenda items & tasks. Then when the meeting is done, email me your digital recording for easy transcription of the Minutes.
Prospects - researching potential customers/clients.
Streamlining - Finding new & often FREE tools to help your business & you function more productively.
Directory Listings - How easy is it to find you & your business online? I can ensure you are listed on all relevant & current business directories, & don't forget your google profile!
Events - Need to organise a client or networking function? Let me scout locations, send out invitations, manage RSVPs & answer inquiries.
Online Research & Factfinding - From market research to competitors, or simply keeping you up-to-date with industry trends.
Proofreading & Editing Documents - I can provide a fresh perspective, suggestions & format professionally that important proposal before submission.
Client Invoicing or Personal Payments - A necessary evil! Quit being behind in your billing or even your personal bills & have me organise payments.
DTP & Presentations - Designing a new brochure or creating an impressive powerpoint presentation.
Introducing 5VA - Affordable Virtual Assistance
Connect Now and Start Caring!
Recently I attended a social media conference in Sydney called ConnectNow, and even though I only managed to attend Day 2 of the three days, I find I'm still pumped weeks later and full of hope for how the socialmediasphere will continue to evolve!
My main motivation to attend, apart from catching up with some Twitter friends, was a chance to see 2 men live, speaking in glorious 3D technicolour: Darren Rowse aka @Problogger and Gary Vaynerchuk aka @GaryVee.
The former I feel a kind of kinship towards as he is sort of indirectly responsible for propelling me to where I am today. A few years ago, when I started my virtual assistance business whilst living overseas, I stumbled upon Darren's blog and my journey into the blogosphere began. Shortly after, he posted about an experiment called "Social Media Love-in" where he asked his readers to promote their social media links in the comments so that they could easily connect. Not surprisingly, he received nearly 700 comments in a space of 24 hours!
What I noticed in those comments was many included their Twitter profiles, and at that stage I had only heard some buzz about it, but chose to stay away. I thought it was just another time wasting gimmic site (like Facebook!) which I certainly didn't have the time or patience for. But, curiousity did get the better of me, and I joined to experience myself what all the hype was about. Little did I know how it would positively alter the course of my professional and personal life!
Anyhoo, I was excited at finally meeting Darren and having the opportunity to personally thank him, and he struck me as exactly the person I had come to "know“ online which is a bonus. No fakery there, just intelligence, kindness and a totally unassuming disposition.
Then there's Gary. Well what can I say other than this outspoken American pocket-rocket just tells it like it is, which is really refreshing in this day and age where most water down their opinions for public consumption. What I also found appealing is after all his success, he's still down to earth and unjaded. The thing that impressed me the most however, was not his knowledge of social media, but the way he interacted with people, looking them straight in the eye when speaking or responding to a question. To be honest I had been skeptical up until that point, but he really does give a damn, and it's not all for show either.
He easily enthralled the audience with his enthusiasm and shared many wise insights, but the one phrase that has stuck in my mind since then is "Out-care the competition", and his success is a true example of this. Now I'm really looking forward to his next book about what he terms the "thank you economy" (If you haven't read his current publication "Crush It" then do yourself a favour!!)
So all in all, it was an awesome day of learning, especially about the importance and value of authentic human interactions – be it online or offline.
I have to send a BIG thank you to the ConnectNow organisers, @iconic88, @monikava, @iggypintado @transcribe, @jaysingh and also @jadecraven @sammutimer who came up from Melbourne for also making my day!
Alex
;)
* pics by @jadecraven & @iggypintado
