How do you remain productive?
November 29, 2007 by Kylie Short · 2 Comments
When I began my business, it was easy to be productive and to maintain contact with my clients. Reaching deadlines was never a problem and everyone was happy. Since then, I had another baby and my business has grown very quickly.
In the face of it all, it would be easy to lose productivity and get caught up in answering emails, returning phone calls, marketing and networking but I still need to get these things done. I still need to market my business and build my brand even though I am just about full.
So what should I do?
For me, the increase in stress levels just about did me in. I don’t like to turn anyone away, especially if they have a need and so I found myself taking on work and promising to have it done quickly. For me, I’ve always tried to under promise and over deliver, but when you are doing this for EVERYONE, something has to give. That something for me was sleep which of course caused stress.
To maintain my productivity I’ve implemented a couple of strategies that I will share with you now.
Firstly, I’ve hired myself an in-house assistant and her name is Beckie. I’ve only had her for 3 days but gosh can she work. She shows initative, completes work quickly and at a high level of quality and the best thing is, she’s completed tasks that I’ve had on my to-do list since the start. Things like creating and sending a client feedback form or tidying up my contacts. Beckie is an absolute star and I can already see big things for her. I have big plans for Beckie and together we will be tackling some huge projects that are near and dear to me.
Secondly, I’ve added three Virtual Assistants to my team. Laurie Dart, Lisa Callsen and Deirdre Shockley are all highly qualified administrative professionals and each have their own niche or speciality. I decided to become a multi-VA business simply because I don’t like to turn anyone away and although I may act like a ‘know it all’ at times, I DON’T know it all. Between the four of us WE DO!
Tilda Virtual Services can now provide a holistic approach to each client’s needs. This has been a goal for me since the beginning of my business and now after 18 months it has come to fruition.
Remaining productive is something we all need to address at various stages of the business life cycle. Whether you are in the startup phase or in the business growth phase like I am, how you deal with it and plan for productivity can often mean the difference between keeping those great clients and losing them. I plan to keep ALL my clients and growing the number of Virtual Assistants I call Associates. I want to connect clients to solutions and I can now do this without stress and without leaving anyone behind.
I’ve also begun using Basecamp again. I started using it a few months ago and none of my clients seemed to get into it. That has all changed now! My team are based in the States and to access important information about each client we needed a collaborative space in which to do it. Basecamp helps us to do this while reducing the number of emails I get daily. So how do you remain productive? Can you outsource your administration too? I have to say that being on the ‘other side of the fence’ is definitely an eye opener and I am kicking myself for not doing this sooner!
Send Kylie to the IVAA Summit in April 2008
November 29, 2007 by Kylie Short · 1 Comment
Being born, raised and now living in Australia has its perks. Beautiful country and all my family are here, but…. to go to a Virtual Assistant Convention… well… the price of the plane ticket puts it a little out of my reach.
I’ve worked out that I need to save $130 a week between now and April 2008 to be able to pay for my ticket to go to the IVAA Summit in Charlotte NC. My ticket will be about $3000 AUD return and if you feel sorry enough for me to donate $1 or $20, then that is $1 closer to reaching my goal.
So if you’d like to send a Virtual Assistant to her first VA Convention, then click on the donate button and you’ll make one VA very happy!
“Spoiling” your clients or customers
November 19, 2007 by Kylie Short · 2 Comments
I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about.
You receive an email or a phone call inquiring about your business and how you can help them. They’re excited to have found you and in most cases have already read your website. They know the benefits of using a (please circle) Virtual Assistant/Freelancer/Website Designer/Graphic Designer and they are ready to talk to you about how you can help them realise their dreams and goals. They are ready to sign the dotted line.
Just like courting a new lover you answer phone calls and emails straight away because you’re just so excited to be working with this new client. You want to build a relationship quickly but steadily and so you make yourself more available then you would tend to normally.
After a while, you start to ease back on the gas. You are still enjoying every moment of working together but the rest of your clients are feeling left out and perhaps even jealous.
You start to feel torn between your new client and your existing clients. You definitely have enough time to go around but how do you make them all feel just as equally important as each other? How do you keep that new relationship “glow”?
C’mon, I know I’m not the only one to have done it. And this is where I’m going to get a little preachy with you. You need to continue making each client feel like they are the most important one you have. To do this you need what I call a “Communications Plan”.
A Communications Plan is simply having a system in which you maintain contact with your clients, especially the ones you aren’t working with on a daily basis. If you don’t maintain contact and communicate with your clients, how will you know when they need you? How will you know they are satisfied with their current level of service? How will you know if you are seeing the ‘real’ them and they are seeing the ‘real’ you? And finally, how will you know if your working relationship is a good fit for both parties?
Your Communications Plan can be made up of various strategies including:
- Weekly emails
- Weekly/Fortnightly or Monthly teleconference or online meetings
- Monthly “Clients Only” newsletters
- Handwritten notes or cards
- The possibilities are endless…..
The key here is to being regular and consistent. Your client may be extremely busy and is still learning how to use a Virtual Assistant. If you don’t keep in regular contact, how will you know when that client is finally ready to hand over some of their to do list to you?
I for one will be working on my Communications Plan as I’ve been a bit lax these last few weeks. Having a Communications Plan is how I plan to make each of my clients feel as important as each other.
Do you have a Communications Plan in place already and if so, have you recorded it somewhere to remind you? What system do you use to keep in touch with your client base and why have you chosen to use it? I would love to hear your thoughts!
Time Stealers
November 15, 2007 by Kylie Short · 1 Comment
Working from home comes with its own hazards. Friends dropping by, toddlers under the table, spouse not being supportive…..
The main hazard in working from home is the good ole ‘time stealer’. Time stealers can come in a variety of forms but typically look like your closest friend/sister/mother-in-law dropping by for a cuppa because ‘oh but you’re at home now’. It can also look like the washing waiting to be hung out to dry. It can also be you procrastinating by surfing the internet instead of doing client work.
How you deal with these time stealers will help to define you as a professional.
Begin with defining your boundaries to family and friends. Tell them you are working at to come back at 4pm. Once you do this a couple of times, not only is it liberating but they will start to understand. AND you’ll start to feel better and perhaps see yourself in a different light.
Remove all distractions. You’d be surprised at how much you can get done without that basket sitting there looking at you. If removing a distraction includes outsourcing certain things around the house, then do it.
Be mindful of the time you waste doing non-billing activities. If its to build your business or if its for educational/research purposes, then so be it. But if you are just flat out wasting time then you need to look a bit deeper and see why you are procrastinating. There is a stack of open source software out there on the internet that can log every stroke you make to enable you to analyse where you are spending your time. You might be unpleasantly surprised to just see where you time is going.
So share with us your time wasters. What are they and what do you do to prevent them from stealing your time?
Ohh I’m special….
November 7, 2007 by Kylie Short · 3 Comments
Catching up on my blog reading I noticed that Melissa awarded me the “I’m fabulous” award.
All I can say is wow! Working as a Virtual Assistant and with clients a minimum of 2 - 11 hours away, to be recognised like this.. well it makes me all gushy. I tend to get stuck into the day to day running of my business, raising children, raising a code monkey and getting client work done that I haven’t been taking the time to slow down a little and look around at what I have created and the people I’ve met. But then again, that’s probably typical of most small business owners.
So in keeping with tradition I’d like to award the Totally Fabulous ‘I’m Fabulous’ Award to:
- Fiona Dixon of Moment by Moment - Fiona gave birth to her daughter at 27 weeks and at a time when most women would concentrate on looking forward, to milestones being reached and general child rearing, Fee decided that through her own experiences, she would open a business/online web portal for families and friends of premature babies. Her passion and her heart make her business special and much needed. At such a turbulent and heartbreaking time, parents can be assured of emotional support from someone who has been there herself.
- Kathie Thomas author of Worth More than rubies - I find Kathie inspirational. Starting her business with 5 daughters and going on to becoming a published author, speaker and Virtual Assistant extraordinare… well, need I say more?
Congratulations ladies and know that I love your work and wish you all the best!