In a nutshell:
In the end, the success of your VA business is entirely and completely reliant upon you and the decisions that you make. Success is within your reach, if only you can stay focused on your goals. You must decide to reach for your goals, and then, you must have the discipline necessary to reach them.
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How to Stay Focussed on Your Business Goals
5. You should allot a certain portion of your day to email and to regular mail. For example, allot one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon to handling all your written communications. Unless you dedicate specific time slots to the handling of email and post, you will soon find yourself on the downward slope of decreased productivity as you constantly check and respond to email to put off whatever you should be doing.
How to Stay Focussed on Your Business Goals
4. Don’t permit your friends and extended family to put on you. Many people are under the misapprehension that if someone works from home then they are not actually working. They may believe that you are fair game for a social call during the day or that you may be able to run errands that would otherwise mean them taking time off work.
It’s really important to set the ground rules early and then stand firm. You must make certain your friends and family understand that when you are working, then you ARE working and that when your time is interrupted, you will not be earning. You are the only one who can stand up for you. Your friends and family will seldom be able to appreciate your dedication to your business, unless you make the effort to make sure that they have the same respect for your business that you do.
How to Stay Focussed on Your Business Goals
3. When you are dealing with family in the course of your workday, it is important to schedule your activities as much as possible. With small children, you must take time when you need to, but you should also work hard to make sure you dedicate a specific number of hours to your workday.
With older children, it is much easier to tell them that you will be working between the hours of x and y. Then your children, and even your friends, must understand that certain hours of your day are devoted to the activities of your business.
How to Stay Focussed on Your Business Goals
2. Remember that owning your own business is not the same as being employed in a job. Some people go to work and coast along, playing games or enjoying online social networking (Facebook and co.), some socialise over the kettle or printer, and others, most often those who are paid in a commission or tip environment, go to work to work and to make money. When you work for yourself, what you make in terms of money is directly proportional to your productivity. Therefore, wouldn’t it make sense to stay focused on getting as much done in as short of a period as possible?
Go to work to work and to make money. Leave socialising for when your workday has ended.
How to Stay Focussed on Your Business Goals
1. Whatever your reason for going out on your own, you must keep your reason in the forefront of your mind. If you forget your reason for starting your own Virtual Assistant business, you will not be working for yourself for long. It is far too easy to let circumstance drive you and when circumstance is in the driver’s seat, you are more likely to crash and burn.
How to Stay Focussed on Your Business Goals
As the owner of a Virtual Assistant business, you will find hundreds of distractions that vie for your time, energy and focus. Common distractions can include children, family and friends, neighbours, pets, constant telephone calls, mail and deliveries, household chores, television (Lorraine Kelly or Loose Women anyone?) and so many more.
As the owner of your own Virtual Assistant business, you must always remember your purpose in bringing your profession home. What was your reason for wanting to own your own home based business? Was your goal to work from home so that you can share more in the lives of your children? Was your goal to be out from under the rule of a dictatorial boss? Was your goal to have the freedom to work when it is convenient for you? Was your goal to reap the rewards of your efforts and make lots of money working for yourself?
Whatever your reasons for starting your VA business, over the next few days we will give you a few tips that will help you stay focused.
Creating the Right First Impression
Do What You Say, When You Say You Will
It sounds obvious but make sure you follow up. If you have said you will send through a contacts details, make sure you do it. If you have arranged to send through more information by the end of the day, make sure you do. Nothing will kill a relationship faster than not following up as and when you say you will.
Creating the Right First Impression
What Else Can You Add of Value?
When you are meeting a prospect or attending a networking event you will understandably be focused on what you can get out of the experience. But be prepared to give a little too. It could simply be making an introduction to another of your contacts that could be useful to your prospect or offering a free piece of advice or your expert opinion. Small helpful acts like this will create a great impression and ensure you are memorable to your prospect.
Creating the Right First Impression
Make Yourself Clear
Make sure you are prepared for the specific situation. If you are attending a networking group, make sure you have perfected your one minute presentation and are prepared to speak to prospects on a one-to-one basis and have a ready answer to the inevitable question ‘What do you do’. If meeting a prospect who knows a little more about you and your business, make sure you are clear on what you are offering and how your service works and be prepared to explain this in simple terms with out jargon.
Creating the Right First Impression
Are You Interested?
As well as having the opportunity to speak about yourself and your business, it is equally important to show interest in your prospect and their business activities. You will create a great first impression if you listen carefully and ask questions. By doing this you will be able to find common points of connection as well as identify areas where you will be able to help them professionally.
Creating the Right First Impression
Oozing Confidence?
Now you’re sure you look the part you can walk into any room with your head held high and confidence intact. Arrive in plenty of time for any appointment as you don’t want to be rushed. Stand up straight and tall and look the other person in the eye when introducing yourself, and don’t forget to shake hands firmly – no-one likes a limp lettuce handshake!
Creating the Right First Impression
Looking Good?
Is your blouse ironed or are your shoes in need of a polish? It may sound immaterial but in the eyes of your potential client the care you take over your appearance symbolises the level of care and attention to detail you would take over their work. If you turn up with chipped nail polish and lipstick on your teeth they may wonder if you going to send out their letters with spelling mistakes or send emails to the wrong people. Make time to check your appearance before meeting your prospects.
Creating the Right First Impression
As the old saying goes, you only get one chance to create a good first impression. When you are running your own business, it’s imperative that within the first few seconds of meeting you or being introduced to your business, you create a great first impression. In the following series, we’ll give you some simple tips that will have the prospects that you meet being impressed by you, liking you and, critically, wanting to do business with you.
Tips To Improve Your VA Business
Build your newsletter or Ezine subscriber list by offering something for free in exchange for their email address, perhaps an article or report for example.
Tips To Improve Your VA Business
Build a blog so you can regularly and informally keep in touch with your readers.
Tips To Improve Your VA Business
Build a blog so you can regularly and informally keep in touch with your readers.
Tips To Improve Your VA Business
Write regular press releases and send them to publications aimed at your target market. Even if your particular story is not run, you will be seen as the expert in your field and may be approached later.
Tips To Improve Your VA Business
Syndicate your articles to attract new visitors to your web site and newsletter list.
Tips To Improve Your VA Business
Write articles aimed at your target market then add them to your web site. This showcases you as the expert in that particular field.
Tips To Improve Your VA Business
Make sure your web site is the best it can be. This is your virtual shop window and the first impression most potential clients will see.
Tips To Improve Your VA Business
Build your newsletter or Ezine subscriber list – put a sign up box on your web site.
Tips To Improve Your VA Business
Set up a newsletter or Ezine to keep in touch with both clients and prospects.
Tips To Improve Your VA Business
Ask your existing clients and contacts for referrals to potential clients and connectors.
Tips To Improve Your VA Business
Join a local networking group to gain local visibility and at least one online group too, don’t forget as a ‘virtual’ worker you can work with anyone, anywhere!
Tips To Improve Your VA Business
Create pre-paid packages to entice clients to pay in advance for blocks of time, they benefit from a small discount, you benefit from not having to chase overdue invoices and increased budgeting capacity.
BT’s Ten Top Tips from Get Fit for Mobile Working – Tip 10
Tip 10
Adjust settings on your software so that the image and text are large enough for you to see comfortably.
BT’s Ten Top Tips from Get Fit for Mobile Working – Tip 9
Tip 9
Don’t hold the phone between ear and shoulder – you’re likely to get a sore neck.
BT’s Ten Top Tips from Get Fit for Mobile Working – Tip 8
Tip 8
Take regular breaks away from the keyboard and screen.
BT’s Ten Top Tips from Get Fit for Mobile Working – Tip 7
Tip 7
Make sure there is nothing underneath your workstation that restricts your posture.
BT’s Ten Top Tips from Get Fit for Mobile Working – Tip 6
Tip 6
Exercise your hands, wrists and neck regularly.
BT’s Ten Top Tips from Get Fit for Mobile Working – Tip 5
Tip 5
Position items so you don’t twist your back; screens should be at a comfortable viewing height in front of you. Ensure your back is supported.
BT’s Ten Top Tips from Get Fit for Mobile Working – Tip 4
Tip 4
Don’t rest wrists or forearms on the edge of desks.
BT’s Ten Top Tips from Get Fit for Mobile Working – Tip 3
Tip 3
Alternate between thumbs and fingers when typing on smartphones.
BT’s Ten Top Tips from Get Fit for Mobile Working – Tip 2
Tip 2
Hold your head so ears are above shoulders. Don’t stick your chin forward or bend or twist your neck.
BT’s Ten Top Tips from Get Fit for Mobile Working – Tip 1
With more and more of us working from home and spending hours hunched over a computer, back and neck problems are on the increase. Without a healthy and safety policy and constant training and reminders we can quickly slip into bad habits (I know I’m guilty!).
Over the next few posts we are going to be sharing with you BTs Ten Top Tips from Get Fit for Mobile Working.
Tip 1
Use the backrest of your chair. Don’t slouch forwards. Keep shoulders in line with your hips.
Peter Jones’ 10 Golden Rules of an Entrepreneur – Rule 10
Rule 10: Use your intuition
Listen to your instincts. They can protect you from making poor business decisions and guide you down the right path.
Peter Jones’ 10 Golden Rules of an Entrepreneur – Rule 9
Rule 9: Be caring
Relationships with people are key. Business and personal relationships should be cherished. Treat people how you yourself would want to be treated. Always remember that people are the lifeblood and engine room of any business.
Peter Jones’ 10 Golden Rules of an Entrepreneur – Rule 8
Rule 8: Perseverance
Tycoons go the extra mile. Perseverance, sheer determination and tenacity are core characteristics of the mindset of a Tycoon. Successful entrepreneurs battle against all the odds to build their business and always appreciate when it is time to get out. Try to have flexibility to work outside your own comfort zones in order to bring your dreams to fruition.
Peter Jones’ 10 Golden Rules of an Entrepreneur – Rule 7
Rule 7: Timing
Anticipating the changing needs of the market and partners is crucial. Timing when to enter a market or not will help optimise success, as will knowing the right time and circumstances to start your business.
Peter Jones’ 10 Golden Rules of an Entrepreneur – Rule 6
Rule 6: Take action
Action is the bridge between your vision and results. Action involves figuring out how to get from where you are now to where you want to be. Without action there would be no results.
Peter Jones’ 10 Golden Rules of an Entrepreneur – Rule 5
Rule 5: Aim for results
Tycoons make things happen. They are driven by results. Planning for your success is as important as achieving success. You need to know exactly how you got there so your success can be duplicated, scaled up and multiplied, and it is that which turns an entrepreneur into a Tycoon.
Peter Jones’ 10 Golden Rules of an Entrepreneur – Rule 4
Rule 4: Make a commitment
Committing to follow through once a decision is made is an invaluable ally on your road to success. Be prepared to work hard and make sacrifices. Commit to a common goal and make it happen, but commit to yourself and your health too.
Peter Jones’ 10 Golden Rules of an Entrepreneur – Rule 3
Rule 3: Build your confidence
If you don’t believe in yourself or your idea, why should anyone else? Gain confidence through gaining experience, skills and knowledge. Change your perception of failure to realise that it provides feedback. Feedback provides essential learning to help know what not to do the next time.
Peter Jones’ 10 Golden Rules of an Entrepreneur – Rule 2
Rule 2: Use your influence
All businesses need business partners to grow. Tycoons know the importance of filling the gaps and weaknesses in their own skill set or business idea, by finding the parts of the jigsaw puzzle to create the best chance of success.
Peter Jones’ 10 Golden Rules of an Entrepreneur – Rule 1
Peter Jones is a proven businessman and star of the BBC’s Dragons’ Den. He is also a judge for the BT Business Essence of the Entrepreneur 2008 awards. His entrepreneurial journey started early when, at the age of 16, he founded a tennis academy. He then set up a computer business, along with other business interests.
Peter has won many national awards, including Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year in 2001. Now in his early forties, Peter is considered to be one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs.
Over the next few posts, we will be sharing Peter’s top tips for an Entrepreneur:
Rule 1: Have a vision
Your vision is your destination. You’ll need a map to help you reach that destination, which will be made up of goals and results. The vision is the vital part, otherwise, you won’t know where you are heading and your goals will be irrelevant.
Are Your Feeling the Pinch?
6. BUSINESS SURVIVES ON THE BOTTOM LINE. NOT THE TOP LINE
Don’t worry about growing revenue. Worry about growing profit…. Make sure you understand what drives profitability in your business. To spur demand, you may have to get creative with pricing and product offerings, and you don’t want to put something out there that is actually unprofitable.
Consider diversifying to make the most of potential opportunities. Others’ weaknesses and instability could work to your advantage. You never know – you may identify a new market.
You can find more free advice and useful resources like this at www.venturenavigator.co.uk
VentureNavigator is a state-of-the-art online business planning tool designed to help start-ups and small businesses improve their chances of success. Anyone can log on to the VentureNavigator Web site, submit a potential business plan, and receive a personalized assessment on its strengths and weaknesses. VentureNavigator also offers a user forum, where users can interact with each other, discuss current topics, and offer their own business advice. The service is funded by the UK Government Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF), ensuring that the service is free of charge to end users.
Are You Feeling the Pinch?
5. TALK TO YOUR LENDERS
If you have debt financing, stay in communication with your creditors. Don’t wait until it’s too late before speaking with your lender. When you are already in a crisis and haven’t provided any warnings, situations may prove tricky. Maintain constant communication. It will help you should you ever need to renegotiate terms.
Are You Feeling the Pinch?
4. YOU CAN ALWAYS CUT MORE
You can forecast expenses, you can’t forecast revenue. Look for places to cut expenses. When times are good, companies tend to add staff and expenses that are nice to have, but not critical. It’s time to take a fresh look at those.
Keep focus on core markets and spend money solely in those areas. Avoid putting cash and time into areas that have proven less profitable.
Many companies begin by cutting advertising / marketing budgets. This can be a mistake. Instead of cutting these budgets, review the methods you are using. Are there more cost effective routes to market? Does your current strategy bring in the right results? If not, rework your efforts to deliver the best possible results.