So many people can’t spell their own name!

This is a very spur of the moment moan sparked off by a project we are currently working on for a client. We are in the middle of cleansing a rather large database and phase one is trawling through an enormous inbox of bounce back emails to delete and amend records in the database.

I am, quite frankly, SHOCKED by the number of people who seem to be incapable of typing their own name correctly when signing up for a newsletter let alone give a valid email address. Seriously guys how difficult is it?

Have we really entered an age where we have so little attention span for the task we are completing at that particular moment that we have become unable to spell our own names? Or give them capital letters?

Is it really that hard to type on a keyboard? I appreciate many people are not expert touch typists but even using the two finger approach can successfully produce the appropriate letters and numbers in the right order.

For business owners this is a total pain in the backside as the database is the most important tool we will develop for pestering, oops, I mean contacting our clients. We need our newsletters, emails and letters to look professional but typos and wrong info will destroy this so you need to take control…

Keep an eye on your email bounce backs received. I know its not the most exciting job in the world but don’t let them build up and do try to amend and delete on a regular basis. This way you know your database is effective and it’s true worth. There’s no point boasting about your database of 5000 contacts if over 2000 of those email addresses don’t work!

When you receive newsletter signups do check and amend for spelling and capital letters on the name and address details or anything you send out will look like you just can’t be bothered to get it right.

Maybe take a look at having a double opt-in signup. This checks you are being given a valid email so recipients have to click on a link emailed to them to verify their request and add them to your list of victims.

And don’t forget to retype the records where someone COULDN’T FIND HOW TO TURN THE CAPS LOCK OFF. Very annoying!

Anyway rant over, I’m going to see how we are getting on with this database We can help you with yours too if you find it that boring and time consuming!

Communication is the key…

…how many times have you heard that? It’s important in all aspects of life but as small business owners we have to ensure we keep our communication as open, effective and informative as possible to provide the best possible service to our clients.

Julie Farmer of MyPA talks here about communication between virtual assistants and our clients but these apply to all of us in business so read on!

We can communicate with each other in so many different ways, but as a virtual assistant, with our clients, any break in communication or miss-understanding between the two can spell disaster.  Communication is key, from the simple talking and jotting down a few notes about a project to the full on project management support that a VA can offer, this all requires excellent communication and listening skills.

We take for granted the communication we once had between office staff and managers before starting our own businesses, but we knew that this is what kept the office and business running smoothly and effectively.  This is why as a VA we must also learn to communicate effectively with our clients.

Right from the beginning of a client/VA relationship, the communication between the two must be equal.  If there are miss-understandings or one of the parties is not listening fully, then projects can fail.  As a VA is not always located in their clients’ office (and they are also not the only client) there are many opportunities for conversations and requests to be forgotten or to be misjudged.  It is good practice therefore, after a meeting or discussion about a new or on-going project, to complete a correspondence document detailing what was spoken about and the main points required to fulfil the tasks agreed upon.  This is then sent to the client and kept for your own records to look back on if needs be.  It can also be a useful document to pass onto other members of your team if they have to work on the same project.

In the virtual world, communication between VA’s and their (remote) clients has been made even simpler with online project management systems.  From a simple task to a large, intricate project requiring many peoples’ inputs, an online system enables you to communicate with every person involved just by updating the task log after each task has been worked on.  By giving your client their own log-in details, they can be kept up to date at the click of a mouse – simple and effective communication.

There is no replacement for a face to face meeting now and then to fully get to know a client, VA and indeed the projects you will be working on.

Need help becoming a VA? Buy Julie’s book entitled ‘Becoming a Virtual Assistant and avoid the mistakes I made’ available on Amazon.

Get productive on Social Media – our top 10 tips!

Could you benefit from being more productive? It means better time management and we all know time is money, and on social media it means a more focused approach which will yield higher quality interactions and connections.

1.  Look at each social media platform.

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, WordPress, Pinterest…if you don’t feel comfortable using your chosen platforms then you will dread doing it. You can get training from companies like ourselves or if you have teengaers ask them! Child labour is acceptable in these circumstances.

2. You don’t have to use all of them!

There is nothing wrong with starting with one social media platform and easing into it slowly. Think carefully about your client base, are you supplying the general public in which case a Facebook Page is a must or are you focused on business to business in which case LinkedIn may be better.

3. Is it only you who is capable of social media interaction?

Do you have team members who can take on the responsibility of the day to day activities? Or you could outsource some of it?

4. Plan in advance.

Social media should be part of your marketing plan and I do believe most people plan their year in advance???? If you don’t, it will become time consuming.

5. Create good content.

Keep it fresh, informative, current and interactive. Make sure it is full of your keywords. Content is King and conversation is Queen!

6. Use a social media dashboard.

The most popular are Hootsuite or Tweetdeck. These bring your social media platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and WordPress under one umbrella for scheduling in advance, tracking statistics on your interactions and following your conversations. My personal favourite is HootSuite!

7. Allocate a set amount of time…

everyday, weekly and monthly to spend on your social media. Don’t get distracted and carried away.

8. Set goals.

What do you want to achieve? Who do you want to get to know? How do you want to portray your company?

9. Do not hard sell.

I know some people find that really difficult. Don’t be tempted to add on the end of every tweet or update “We can help you!” or “see our website now”. Social Media is just that…social…it’s about building relationships and trust.

10. Interact Interact Interact!

This is so important. I was recently talking about the benefits of Twitter with a client and as I was explaining how it worked she looked at me in horror and said “I have to read everyone else’s crap?” “Yes you do, otherwise why should they read yours?”. So we decided Twitter wasn’t a good platform for her.
Start conversations, share useful information, ask questions. Show interest in others and they will show interest in return.

Easter Escape!

I have just taken the two weeks over Easter off from Mushroom Soufflé and loved every minute of it! Well, that is after I’ve panicked about making sure my extremely capable holiday cover and team member Ali had instructions to cover every eventuality including the end of the world.

I know I’m not the only control freak who breaks out in a cold sweat at the thought of leaving their baby in the hands of someone else (because that little voice tells us no one can do it as well as we can).

I know I’m not the only saddo (although I like to think of it more as ‘dedicated’) who for the first few days wakes up and still debates quickly checking emails even though we know we aren’t working and they are being checked by someone else.

But once over it that holiday feeling kicked in with a three day street dance workshop in High Wycombe . Seriously I can’t think about work and dance at the same time unless I want to fall flat on my face

The rest of the holiday has been four days down in Southsea, Portsmouth which I would recommend to anyone and lots of catching up with friends. As a result I feel relaxed, refreshed and ready to get back to work…but I’ve enjoyed it so much I think I need to work on my retirement plan as soon as possible!

Do you take time out and recharge or are you married to your business?

15 Ideas For Posting On Your Facebook Business Page

There is one issue that keeps raising it’s ugly little head when I talk to small business owners who have just started using social media or who are still debating taking the plunge…

“I don’t know to talk about!”

“What would people be interested in hearing?”

I was the business topics speaker at Athena Abingdon earlier this week and in my Social Media talk comparing Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn I gave some suggestions on what to post on a Facebook Business Page. Afterwards Penny Stephens told me those were really helpful to her so I have expanded on it here to help you too…

1. Breaking company news, tell everyone what is going on, maybe you have:
- a new member of staff
- won a new business contract
- new premises you are moving to
- a new product or service launching soon

2. Meet the Team! Post photos and videos of you and your staff, let people learn more about you. It builds trust and breaks down barriers

3. Photos of your office, workshop or warehouse so visitors know what to expect when they come for a meeting

4. Photos and videos of your products in action or being created

5. Events you are involved with…maybe you are exhibiting at an Exhibition or a public speaker at a conference or attending your networking groups. Let everyone know where they can find you!

6. Run a competition to tempt people over to LIKE your page

7. Give away a free e-book  as a thank you to everyone who LIKES your page or helps you by answering some questions

8. Create monthly offers and special discounts for your Facebook Fans

9. Share the latest industry updates, changes taking place that will affect your customers or new legislation

10. Share articles of interest from around the internet

11. Create short videos of hints and tips to share your expertise and advice. Social Media is about helping others and giving them a reason to share your content

12. Link to your blog (if you have one!), this will definitely be on my Facebook Page

13. Ask people to sign up to your mailing list to receive your newsletter…you can sign up to mine here!

14. Conduct Market Research amongst your Fans

15. Be proud of your client testimonials, you provide a great service or useful product, share the praise for all to see!

Now there is one less excuse for not having a Facebook Page! Plan it in advance, use it to engage with your customers and potential new customers and keep it fresh and interesting.

Good luck and get posting!

Making it a great 2012

What a great start to 2012!

I am officially loving this year. Since I woke up on 1^st January life and business have just got better and better.

But why? Because I have a really positive feeling about it and I’m willing to say yes to opportunities and make big changes and decisions.

Back in November I made the hard decision to leave my wonderful ladies of Athena Thame and move to the North Oxford group. My business was launched at Thame and has grown with them so it was a massive choice for me to make.

I was rather surprised, shocked and extremely excited to be asked by Penny Stephens (our networking ninja South Oxfordshire Regional Director) to chair the group for 2012. As I have never done this before I was a little nervous but then you realise your networking group is a good environment to push yourself out of your comfort zone without fear of criticism…even if most of them don’t really know who you are yet!

Wednesday 18^th January came around and I was imagining the meeting being a catastrophe as stepping into the amazing shoes of Peronel Barnes (super artistic marketing and business development guru at Create & Consult), the chair of 2011. Then I came to the conclusion that if it went wrong there was nothing wrong with laughing, learning from it and moving forwards.

So how did it go?

Fantastically! The support and feedback from my group was fab, there was lots of laughter and more importantly, lots of business taking place. I really enjoyed it and roll on Wednesday 15^th February. If you haven’t visited us yet you really should…before Penny realises I really shouldn’t be let loose in charge.

As if that wasn’t enough I was also honoured to be asked to be the Social Media speaker at the Athena Oxfordshire’s Springboard To Success Conference on Wednesday 25th January arranged by Penny and Claire Newell (our nifty networking North Oxfordshire Regional Director). It was an incredible day, I made new contacts, reconnected with existing and learnt so much from the other expert speakers all while raising my profile and establishing my credibility in my area of Social Media, what more can you ask for?

What opportunities are you taking advantage of this year?

Do you like sitting at your desk?

Whether you have rented office space or work from home you need to make sure that you are comfortable and that you make the most of the space. Too many business owners restrict themselves by only allocating a small desk or a cramped corner of the dining room, then wonder why they don’t like sitting there, avoid using it and aren’t productive when they do.

Create an area that you enjoy being in, if possible have a window you can look out of so you can stretch your eyes when working at the computer and I like to have wall space for pinning up reminders and visuals that encourage positivity and creativity and goals that I want to achieve.

We have 10 top tips to get you on the path to making your workstation more ergonomic and hopefully more productive:

1. Work Area: When setting up a work area, make sure that the space is large enough for you to spread out comfortably and allows for a full range of motion, which can be a special concern for those with especially long arms and legs (not something I’m blessed with). You should leave plenty of room to arrange the items you use most frequently in such a way that there is no strain for you to reach them. If you are like me you will also need a space for the cat to sit in whilst she supervises the workflow.

2. Laptops: It’s best to use your laptop on a desk rather than on your lap. If you use it frequently, you might be better served by using a separate keyboard and mouse rather than using the built-in keyboard and touch pad to reduce strain on your wrists and hands. Do try to resist the “curled up on the sofa” position which is where I quite often finish the working day – no good for your back and shoulders!

3. Keyboard: If you spend a lot of your workday typing, where you place your keyboard and how you use it can greatly affect your risk for getting RSI (repetitive strain injuries). Your keyboard should be placed so that your arms are parallel to your thighs. If your desk doesn’t allow for this, try getting a keyboard tray. You’ll also want to do your best to use good typing techniques, keep your wrists elevated and not hit the keys too hard which is a vice of mine as a couple of clients have noticed when I’ve been sat in their office!

4. Mouse: When setting up your desk, make sure to keep your mouse easily within reach and try not to grip it too tightly, as doing so can strain the muscles in your hand. If you find that using a mouse bothers you too much, try using an alternate input device like a trackball or a touch pad. I’ve yet to find a mouse that I’m completely happy with and generally stick to the touch pad.

5. Desk: There is no one-size-fits-all desk, so choose one that is right for you. You can help reduce your chance of injury by getting a document holder, arranging your electronics within your reach and making sure that the area underneath your desk remains uncluttered.

6. Chair: A good chair can do wonders, as sitting is much harder on your back than it might appear to be. Make sure to keep your lower back supported, and adjust your chair so that you can easily reach your keyboard and mouse. If this means raising the chair so that your feet don’t quite reach the floor, get a footrest to help keep your feet from dangling. I also like office chairs that spin round – very good for when I’m having a thinking moment and the cat likes to sit on the back and cling on while I do it. Gives us a small entertainment break when preparing for the next task.

7. Monitor: Improperly configured monitors can cause a great deal of eyestrain, resulting in headaches and difficulty concentrating. Center your monitor in front of you at a comfortable distance, and adjust the brightness settings so that it’s easy on your eyes. Make sure to take breaks from staring at your screen, too. Glare can be a problem as well, and if you can’t seem to eliminate it, use a glass glare filter.

8. Lighting: Common office lighting can often create a great deal of eyestrain by making your computer monitor difficult to see. Adjust your shades or lights as much as you can to reduce glare, and position your monitor at such an angle to light sources that reflection is reduced. It can be helpful to keep overhead lights dimmed and use a desk lamp for close work. Do look after your eyesight as much as possible or you will end up as blind as I am.

9. Work Habits: You can arrange your work habits so that you don’t put undue stress on any part of your body. Make sure to take frequent breaks, get up and walk around, and change positions frequently so that repetitive tasks and static work won’t take their tolls.

10. Phone: It can be tempting to multi-task and cradle your phone receiver between your neck and shoulder. However, this should be avoided, as it can create a great deal of strain in your neck muscles. If you need to have your hands free, try using a headset or put the call on speakerphone. I also understand the new iPhone 4s sends text messages and emails by voice activated software – pure genius, I need one!

Don’t let your work station put you off working!