BizBlog - Virtual Assistants Bizpro’s Business Blog

Bizpro has literally been built on networking.

When the business was first started, I networked online using Ecademy, and within two months I started networking face to face with 4Networking, who at that point in time were a relatively fledgling business, having been founded just over a year before. Bizpro has never looked back. 4Networking has turned traditional networking on its head. Gone are the stiff collars and cufflinks of yesteryear, instead it’s been replaced with a whole new breed of networkers. It’s brought together business owners of the 21^st century who realise that building the business relationship first and foremost is the key to gaining new business. People deal with people. 4Networking has never been about rules; most small business owners started their own businesses to escape rules in some form or another. 4Networking works with as few rules as possible. No one is forced to attend the breakfast meetings, and with their ‘passport’ membership, you can visit as many meetings as you like, where ever you are in the country. In the 18 months since I’ve been a member, the number of groups has more than tripled and they are rapidly spreading across the UK.

I’ve been the group leader for the Swindon group for just under a year, before that I was group leader of Faringdon and Operations assistant at Cirencester. I really enjoy being involved and it has done wonders for my profile. Not only have I made some great contacts and new clients from 4Networking, I’ve also had great fun. With the help of their online forum, I’ve even won new clients that I’ve never even met! Now, when I am looking for a supplier, I will always look to 4Networking members first, as I too prefer to deal with people I have ‘met’ and got to know.

Of course, I have tried other networking groups, and will continue to do so. It’s surprisingly encouraged by 4networkings MD, Brad Burton. He knows that his product works, and it works well, and he has nothing to fear by the competition.

So why not check it out for yourself? www.4networking.biz If you do, don’t forget to say hello!

Bizpro gets asked about telephone answering services a lot, and whilst we are happy to research the market for clients and get them the best deal, it’s not something we offer as a service ourselves. We believe that as Virtual Assistants & Virtual PA’s our focus needs to be on client work and not just answering the telephone. To us answering the telephone can be just as much of an interruption to our work as it can be to a client. We believe that if you are looking for telephone answering services you should look at a dedicated telephone answering service that is specifically set up to do just that.

And we should know!

We currently outsource all our reception calls to a firm called Kendlebell based in Swindon. We’re happy to admit we use a call answering service, as we are great advocates of outsourcing.

We keep telling our clients how beneficial it is, so we have to practice what we preach!

Kendlebell help to take the pressure off us. They know our service, what we offer, who deals with what, and we know our business is in safe hands. Answer phones aren’t really an option when it comes to business. Most callers won’t leave messages, and prefer to speak to a real person.

Who are we to argue?!

So many people shrink at the mere mention of that ‘C’ word, but like it or not it’s approaching, and approaching fast too.

So what are your plans? Are you organised, or are you a last minute person? Are you planning to take a well earned break or are you having to slog it out over the festive period? If you are lucky enough to be taking a well earned break for Christmas have you thought about what your competitors are doing? What your clients needs are?

Of course, there is always a very simple answer – outsource! With the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day, Bizpro will be hard at work doing the jobs you don’t like or just don’t have time for. We can take care of those last minute requests on Christmas eve, or perhaps even put together that database you’ve been meaning to do. We can even send your Christmas cards for you, so all you have to worry about is enjoying yourself over the festive holiday!

Whether you are planning a corporate event, a training workshop, seminar or even a wedding, there are certain rules and tips that will really help to ensure it all runs smoothly.

Planning

Nothing arranged in the last minute will ever be a true success. For any event you need to start planning ideally 5 months in advance. Put it all down on paper first. Work out what your final outcome will be, what you want to see at the event, and what value you want people to gain from it and then work backwards until it’s all written down. Every last detail.

From that point you can work out what it will take to get you there. You can work out who you need quotes from, who you can delegate to, who is on board. Think of your worse case scenarios and how you would combat them. Write it all down. The devil really is in the detail with events, and nothing should come as a surprise.

Accountability & Responsibility.

Know who is responsible for what areas of the event, from planning and organising through to hosting and ushering the actual event itself. People are like sheep, they need herding. If you are lucky enough to have a team of organisers then make sure you allocate according to strengths and that everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet. Specify all tasks to ensure that everyone is where of their own areas of responsibility.

Timing

Timing for your event is crucial. Not just on the day, but on the days leading up to it. With a fully documented time plan everyone can be aware of exactly which tasks will be completed by which date. Don’t forget to allow contingency planning. Think about how much time you will need to rearrange certain aspects of the event if issues arise. Don’t be afraid to plan for someone to stand in, in the event of a no show. It’s certainly best to have all the bases covered before you get to the day and find your main act hasn’t shown up. On the same note, it’s crucial that you get firm guarantees from the main acts if you have them and to also keep in regular contact with them, and getting a final confirmation one week before.

Budgets

When working out your budget for an event, make sure that you include as much information as possible. It’s surprising how many people do not account for their own travelling expenses when organising their event. As a rule, if at all possible book the venue without paying a deposit, as a preliminary booking, and get the payment date as close to your event date as possible. There are many hotels which will allow you to pay a deposit a week before, then say 50% on the day and 50% after – negotiate. Your own cash flow is the important one here.

Of course this should mean that you can cancel should you fail to sell enough tickets although that shouldn’t be a problem if you follow the advice detailed in my event planning e-book. Available from Bizpro shortly. Click here to register your interest.

For any job you do, whether in work or home life, having the right tools for it certainly makes life easier, if not quicker. It makes sense to look at the bigger picture when faced with a job that you either don’t have the right tools for, the right training, or the right frame of mind. Sometimes, it can be much more cost effective to pay someone else to do the job for you, especially when they seem to have all the right tools, training, and experience, etc. However, sometimes things aren’t always as they appear and sometimes you can be temporarily blinded by your own need for that person to be able to do the job. So how can you safeguard against this? How can you tell you have the right person for the job every time? How do you check their credentials?

It’s an interesting point, and something that I’m careful about myself. I like to think I’m a reasonably good judge of character, but I’ve had my fingers burned, too (albeit rarely, thank goodness). In business, I am a firm believer in testimonials. They are possibly the most powerful tool you can get which validates your business and your work. They’re certainly not fool proof, (personally, I would always be aware of testimonials whose author would only put their initials to the statement), but if used correctly, they are valuable. I make it a point in my business to ask for testimonials from my clients, if they are happy with the service they have received. On the same side, if they are not happy, I would also like to know about it. Far better for you to be made aware of your faults so you can take steps to remedy them, than it is for everyone else to be made aware of them!

I use feedback forms for training, and feedback forms for my work. Any feedback or testimonial is worth its weight in gold as I know how constructive it can be for a business to know where they are falling down, and where they are exceptional. Likewise, I always try to leave a testimonial or feedback for my suppliers too.

As for the right tools for the job, if we didn’t have them, we wouldn’t be here. ;o)

It’s finally here!

Bizpro has a funky new look and a great new website to go with it. It’s a vast improvement on the last one, more user friendly and packed with lots of useful tips and information too!

Designed and produced by the fabulous Duncan Michael MacGregor from Duck on Water; a very patient and understanding web designer who has amazed me with his knowledge of websites, gadgets and his ability to know exactly what I am looking for and what looks good.

It would be good to get your feedback and comments on the site, so feel free to let me know!