Small Business Online: Thriving in a Virtual World

Virtual Assistants – A GREAT Choice for your Team – Part Two

When you’re trying to determine what to outsource to a Virtual Team or Virtual Assistant, be bold. Consider more than just your day-to-day mundane tasks (like customer service and answering the phones – yes, they can do that virtually!). Project-oriented assignments might not seem like something you can outsource. Spend a little time analyzing the amount of time your staff spends researching projects or preparing reports. Handing those assignments to a team of outsourced, skilled, virtual professionals is one of the best business decisions your firm can make. These assignments are often a virtual professional’s strong suit, and delegating them will pay your business exponentially in ROI.  VA’s also often have administrative and office management backgrounds. So they’re fast, efficient, detailed and responsive to deadlines. The trick is to find one that’s a good fit for your company, your needs and your corporate culture. So what are some of the great assignments that you might not currently be doing that a virtual professional could bring to the table?

* Revamping your website (yes, you CAN avoid the expense of your web team on this one!)
* Creating and writing your blog (remember, you should be blogging at LEAST once a week)
* Creating or updating your online social networking profiles
* Creating a great PowerPoint presentation about your firm (you can put one on Linkedin now!)
* Writing and printing marketing materials or writing and distributing press releases 
* Corporate and EMAIL newsletters
* Developing teleseminars and webinars in your area of expertise
* Video email and building your Youtube presence (consider a tip of the day)
* Building an AMAZING social networking presence and following

Remember, take finding a VA very seriously. Use a professional organization to get bids on your work (IVAA.org for instance). Get and CHECK references. Invite them to participate in a team meeting and contribute a few ideas on strategy to be sure that they get your industry. Because whatever you choose to outsource to them, a Virtual Professional is MUCH more than a secretary. Your VA is a one-stop-shop, hourly PARTNER in YOUR company’s success story.
To your continued success, Dave Churchville
dave@myclientspot.com
ClientSpot by ExtremePlanner Software
http://www.myclientspot.com

Virtual Assistants – A GREAT Choice for your Team – Part ONE

When we think of outsourcing our administrative tasks, what first comes to mind are the basic, day-to-day things, like travel arrangements, events, calendar management, transcription and document creation. The truth is though, if we run a productive company, we need to outsource more than the obvious, and we need to do it at every opportunity! Doing this frees you and your team and allows everyone to focus on their BEST contributions to your business, what they’re roles are supposed to be – and it gets everyone focused on the real goal, your bottom line.

But how do you determine WHAT to hand over to a great virtual professional? Ask your team to list two things: The work they don’t enjoy and the more mundane or routine tasks that take up more than five hours of their work week. Don’t be afraid to do this. We all want our careers to be something we find challenging and enjoyable. No one wants to go to “work” every day and feel like they’re on a treadmill – exhausted and uninspired. So work that your team hates isn’t only annoying, it’s distracting. Removing those tasks from their plate will inspire them and demonstrate that you value their work and their role in your company.

To your continued success, Dave Churchville
dave@myclientspot.com
ClientSpot by ExtremePlanner Software
http://www.myclientspot.com

Bridges, Roadblocks and Mentoring Groups, Oh My! – Part Two

Once you have the core of your group, if you’re courageous enough, you can ask each person to invite one guest that they’d like to share the experience with. Keep the total number of mentoring group members to around eight though, to insure that everyone gets what they need. Invite each member of your mentoring group to write up a synopsis and bio to be sent to everyone before you start. Next, choose a format for your mentoring group. Perhaps you each share your greatest idea of success and what you need to get there at the top of the hour, and then each member takes a turn being the focus of the group. Whatever you do, be sure to have a time keeper for your mentoring group meetings to avoid disappointment or misunderstanding. Ask the members if they would be amenable to taping the meetings for days when someone may not be present. You can distribute the recording of your success meetings to everyone to maximize your success.

Finally, keep a GOALS and PROGRESS sheet for all members of your mentoring group. These can be personal, professional, spiritual – anything that the member in question wishes to attract to their life. Remember that the tone of your mentoring group should always be one of support and honest appraisal. Harsh criticism is the enemy of success when it comes to building connections and trust. The MOST important lesson about mentoring groups, however, is that they WORK. They keep people inspired, connected and ACCOUNTABLE. So start your process today, and pick a launch date for your own success circle to keep yourself accountable.

To your continued success,

Dave Churchville
dave@myclientspot.com
ClientSpot by ExtremePlanner Software
http://www.myclientspot.com

Bridges, Roadblocks and Mentoring Groups, Oh My! – Part One

We’ve all heard the expression that there’s strength in numbers. We’ve also heard that misery loves company. Why do I mention these two ideas in the same blog? Because when we’re talking about success groups or mentoring groups, WHO you pick and HOW you pick them is vital to the group’s success and to YOUR success. In the immortal words of Vince Lombardi, “Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” Now that might sound a little bit dramatic when we’re talking about mentoring, but believe me, it isn’t. If it’s done right, your mentoring group becomes where you learn shortcuts and how to avoid the detours of your industry, and it is how you can build some of your BEST bridges to meaningful networking. 

When you think of who to invite into your mentoring circle, your number one goal is to avoid toxicity. Regardless of what else they might bring to the table, avoid toxic naysayers at all costs. Your mentoring circle needs to be a small group of like-minded, forward thinking success builders. It can be either a group of people from different industries who bring varying talents to the forum, or your mentoring group can be made up of friends and competitors from WITHIN your industry. No matter which way your mentoring group goes, definitely seek out those who are further along on the road to success. If you’re the group organizer, you can begin to search out your group through professional organizations or even online (check out the groups on Linkedin). You can also join existing mentoring-type groups through www.MeetupGroups.com and keep close track of whom you connect with. Amazing networking connections can definitely become the seeds of amazing mentoring groups.

For more on how to create a successful agenda week after week and create success for every member of your group, check in for Part Two on this topic later in the week. 

To your continued success,

Dave Churchville
dave@myclientspot.com
ClientSpot by ExtremePlanner Software
http://www.myclientspot.com