Follow Up ~ a vital task for any business

Following up is often one of the most overlooked tasks with a business.  It’s easy to put  follow up on hold because, as a priority item, it tends to lose out over doing ‘work’ for an upcoming client or meeting.

Sometimes this can be a grave mistake. One phone call, email,  or contact of any method, can make or break your relationship with a client or joint venture partners. Keeping in touch keeps your name in the minds of others. When it’s time to do business again, if your name is in someone’s mind they are more likely to contact you.  If they have forgotten all about you and your service, they may not think to call you again.

I am reminded of a mortgage broker I spoke with last summer. One of her main issues was that she had no time for contact management of her clients; no time to keep in touch. She worked on current files and clients and kept up with those, the list of names to email and call kept growing. One day she had time and spent an afternoon calling clients to say  ‘Hello.  How are things?’.

What she got that afternoon was an eye opener. [Read more...]

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The solution is Remote Reception

I’ve decided that telephone answering has got to be the most requested service I am asked for as a virtual assistant.  Unfortunately, it is also a service I do not provide. It just does not fit into my work schedule, which is also tied to my family’s schedule.

However, there is a solution to all those telephone answering requests – Remote Reception.  Remote Reception  is simply that , people will answer your business telephone calls, remotely from their office. Better yet, I have just the company to help you out - SmileDog!

A business colleague of mine, Jeff Doyle, owns this business and his service is a must for anyone who has trouble answering their telephone. [Read more...]

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A Great Virtual Assistant – helping others!

A Virtual Assistant (VA) contact of mine, Candy Beauchamp – who I met through my online networking at VAnetworking – runs a very successful VA business, and has just launched her latest venture >>>>

2 Minutes with a VA

People were always asking her for advice (I know I did icon smile A Great Virtual Assistant   helping others! )and being so busy, she found it hard to answer everyone. Always wanting to help others, and as smart and savvy as she is; she comes up with another great business idea.  A Video Blog that helps other VAs by giving two minutes of her time.

Kudos to you Candy!  It’s always great to see others share their success and knowledge to new people (and old) in any industry.

So if any of you are thinking you have some questions about being a virtual assistant – Take 2 Minutes with Candy – I’m certain she’ll be able to help you out!

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It's Tax season… Are you ready for your Accountant?

If you have a great expense tracking system for your business and can say the word “Accountant” right now without having bad thoughts of something hidden in your closet, then this column is not for you.

If  however, like many busy people, you have been stuffing slips and receipts into an envelope or box – you may be feeling a bit stressed at the mention of the words tax and accountant.
Finding a solution to keeping track of expenses and invoices can be as simple as hiring a virtual assistant (VA) to do them as a special project right now, or to be even more efficient, on a regular basis during the year. Keeping up to date also means you have a better picture of where you stand financially.

Recently, I took on a client to do just this for her during the year – this will take me about 1 hour a week to keep her on track – and will save her double that in time, as well as allowing her more time to work directly with clients and invoice them.

More revenue and less time wasted, one of the major benefits of hiring a Virtual Assistant.  Hiring someone for one or two hours a week is something most businesses would never think of doing.  VA’s make this a possibility. They work for several clients and only for the time needed, and can take on a job that may only require one or two hours a week as well as ones needing 10 hours a week.

My advice to you as a business owner, is to look at your bookkeeping system and how effective it is.  If you are in a position right now where you will have to take several days to sort and organize everything in order to get your taxes done, may I suggest you look at a time saving alternative such as hiring a virtual assistant.
Call our office for a consultation and learn how you can be ready to smile at your accountant every time you see him or her.

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Virtual Assistants work in this economic situation

The message about the effectiveness of hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA) to help with business is getting out in the world. I know this because my mother, of all people, mentioned tonight how businesses must be seeing the value of VAs in this economy.

We were talking today -she is still a great sounding board for my business- and she started on this topic.  It was great! Her comments made me realize that all my chatter, networking and explaining to people about Virtual Assistants is working. Professionals and business owners are seeing that VAs can be the lifesaver many of them need. [Read more...]

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