BizBlog - Virtual Assistants Bizpro’s Business Blog

I’m a firm believer in accountability. That is, I feel that when someone is held accountable for something, and have someone to answer to they are more likely to achieve it. Most small business owners find they have to wear a number of hats, and have a myriad of tasks to achieve, but more often than not the only person who they are accountable to is themselves.

The difficulty with having no one to push you, no one to show that you did those tasks you said you were going to is that it’s very easy to let them slide. They build up and continue to grow and the bigger they get, the more we are likely to want to put them off. There will always be those tasks that you enjoy doing and those tasks that you don’t. Inevitably, the ones you don’t enjoy doing get put to the bottom of the pile.

Sometimes, they stay there, until they become so urgent you have no choice to complete them, and that’s were you find the task has become even more daunting.

Of course, this is where a virtual assistant could help you, by doing those tasks you keep putting off and, if you pick the right virtual assistant, they get to know you and your business and will be able to foresee and act upon these tasks as they come up, thus preventing you from that viscous circle of unimportant on non urgent tasks.

However, a business coach can also help here. If you choose the right one, they can help you to put your business plans and goals together, and keep your eye focused on achieving your aims. They can act as a sounding board & help you realise your vision and grow as a business owner.

Business coaches know about business, they also know about people. A good coach will be able to connect with you on your level, and coach you to look at situations outside yourself, enabling you to think more clearly. They hold you accountable for your actions and make you look at where you want to be and the steps you need to take to get there.

Generally business coaches have reams of tools, tricks and books to help you on your journey. They know what works, and what can make you more effective in your business.

Most business coaches will also recognise the benefits of outsourcing to a virtual assistant. By passing on the tasks you don’t have the time nor inclination for can enable you to spend more time working on your business rather than in your business.

www.wholinks2me.com Useful site to check your inbound links are working…

www.copyscape.com Check to see who has copied your website content…

www.dontclick.it This one should get you thinking…

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)