Scalability

  • Scalability

    Two Must-Use Tools to Organize Your Online Business (and Life!)

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    Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning that I may earn a commission (at no cost to you) if you click through and sign up. I only promote products that I use personally and find essential in my business!

    Sometimes, all the details you have to keep straight to organize your online business make my head spin:

    • Log-in details to dozens of systems
    • Social media strategies
    • Podcast guests and air dates
    • Launch plans and due dates
    • Customer service and billing issues
    • …and SO much more

    With my team of Virtual Assistants and the businesses we serve, it’s impossible to manage it all without the right tools. Here are two free tools to organize your business (and life) that we love:

    1. Trello

    Trello is the best thing since sliced bread. I even jokingly call it “my brain”. Basically, Trello is a free project management system that looks like virtual sticky notes.

    Trello is the best thing since sliced bread.

    There endless ways to set up your boards. In our agency, we set up a board for each of our clients that organizes all of their projects. This is where we manage weekly to-do lists and break down larger projects into manageable tasks. I love that we can jointly assign due dates, attach relevant documents and mark things off a checklist.

    I also have a personal board that breaks down things each week to help me when organizing my virtual assistant business. Every morning, I pick the top 3 tasks (both personal and professional) that need to be completed and I’ll add them to the day’s list. I also pop doctor appointments, reminders, and things I don’t want to forget here too. There’s an app as well so I can pull it up quickly if I want to write something down to remember while I’m on the go (or lying in bed trying to sleep) which I use frequently.

    Learn more about Trello here.

    2. Slack

    Use Slack to keep communication in one (searchable) place. If I’m communicating with clients in too many places (email, Trello, text, etc.), chances are I’ll forget something important. Slack is the modern version of AOL Instant Messenger.

    Organized by channel, Slack allows you to ask your clients all of those quick questions that pop up throughout the day. If you’re working with a team, you can seamlessly communicate progress or questions. Plus, you can integrate your Slack with your Trello account to create cards from conversations as you need.

    While Slack has an app you can use to text on your phone, I delete it from my phone unless I’ll be away from my desk for long periods of time during the workday. Even though you can set yourself as “away” or shut off notifications, having constant access to conversations that take place outside of my working hours was really draining my energy.

    …

    Whether you use Trello or a notebook or another system, I encourage you to take the time to organize your business before you start scaling. Without a way to track all of your moving pieces, you’ll spend too much time in the weeds of your business. (And if you need help, you know who to call!)

  • Scalability, Skillset, Strategy

    Done-For-You Service Providers 101

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    What do done-for-you service providers do for clients? I'm giving you a quick guide to virtual assistants, online business managers and other freelancers.

    Let me tell you a story about one of my clients: 

    Kate is a brilliant coach was working on writing her first book and launching a membership site to compliment it. When we hopped on our discovery call, she was spinning her wheels. After all, she was trying to work with her clients, get her book to the editor, set up a membership site, figure out what to post on social media, and to create a new opt-in to build her mailing list.

    But Kate was doing none of this well because she knew enough to be dangerous but not enough to get results.

    (Sound familiar?)

    There’s a big difference between planning to do something and actually doing it. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, right? But you would be amazed at how many business owners get stuck at the planning stage and never get to the implementation.

    It’s not for lack of trying either. Kate watched the webinars and started (but not finished) a few online courses on starting an online business.

    But the second Kate realized she needed help, she saw titles like “virtual assistant” and “online business manager” and “social media manager”. She found marketing agencies and freelance graphic designers. And she was left trying to figure out the terminology so she could decide what done-for-you service provider would best fit her business’s needs.

    When I hopped on that call with Kate, she asked me, “What is the difference between a virtual assistant, online business manager, and social media manager? I’m just really confused.”

    Since I get asked this a lot, here’s your quick introduction to the world of done-for-you service providers:

    Virtual Assistants:

    Virtual Assistants (often called VAs) are the backbone of many online businesses. It’s their role to support entrepreneurs in the day-to-day tasks that keep their businesses running. Virtual assistants often specialize in certain tasks but generally can handle inbox and calendar management, social media posting, customer support…and so much more. While there are some VAs that will write blog posts or handle graphic design, this is a specialized skill set.

    Online Business Managers:

    These professionals are the strategic heart of an online business. It’s their job to streamline established businesses and to manage the day-to-day tasks so the business owner can focus on higher level tasks. Often, this includes creating launch plans, marketing campaigns, and implementing new systems or processes in a business. Online Business Managers take on a high level of responsibility in a business and often oversee a team of virtual assistants and other done-for-you service providers who are in charge of implementing the plans.

    Social Media Managers:

    If you need someone to manage your Facebook page or Instagram account, a social media manager is going to help you strategize and streamline your social media posting. Many social media managers can also help you with Facebook group moderation, Instagram account growth or social media graphics. Make sure that your social media strategy includes some performance metrics around how engaged your followers are so you can monitor your progress.

    Other freelancers:

    Graphic designers, copywriters, and Facebook ads specialists are great additions to your team. While some virtual assistants can handle these task for you, it’s also great to pull in a specialist for certain projects. (HINT: If you have an online business manager, they can oversee these freelancers so you’re not juggling as much.) Often, if you’re already working with done-for-you service providers they can also refer you to amazing professionals they’ve worked with before.

    —

    In case you’re wondering, Kate just launched her book and membership site. As her Online Business Manager, I oversee a team of done-for-you service providers who manage her customer service needs, social media content, and are helping her produce her new podcast. She’s officially free to do what she does best–helping her clients live a life of their own design!

  • Scalability

    What Type of Virtual Assistant do I Need?

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    Recognize that a successful partnership is just as much about the way a Virtual Assistant approaches working with you as it is about their skill level!When you’re searching for a virtual assistant, it’s important that you understand what type of working relationship you want. While this is about the assistant’s experience and your business’s needs, it’s also about how your Virtual Assistant approaches your projects. Find the right fit and your business will run so smoothly.

    In my experience, there are two different types of Virtual Assistants:

    The Administrative Assistant:

    If you’re used to working in a corporate environment or you’re looking for an executive assistant, look for a Virtual Assistant who has experience supporting executives and business owners in this way. It’s a more cost-effective solution and be an efficient way to get support without the overhead of having an assistant physically present in your office. Virtual Administrative Assistants thrive on clear expectations. They’re great at helping you find order in your business by implementing systems and procedures.

    If you feel scattered or disorganized, it’s important that you have an understanding of what you want the end product to look like. You will get the highest level of support if you have a clear to-do list of what you need support with–finding order in your email inbox, helping book travel, or managing your calendar. If you’re unclear about your goals, you may feel like you’re spinning your wheels.

    The Hybrid Virtual Assistant

    Many Virtual Assistants bring specialized skills to the table. In addition to handling traditional administrative tasks, hybrid Virtual Assistants may also offer copywriting, social media marketing, or podcast production services to clients. If they don’t know how to do something, they are excited to grow their skill set. Often, these professionals are self-taught and highly creative.

    If you’re not clear about what your next steps are, hybrid Virtual Assistants are an asset to your business because they’re adept at strategizing with you. They often ask, “I wonder what would happen if…?” But if you already have a team of freelancers you enjoy working with, a hybrid may not be the best fit for your business. When you’re juggling many different contractors, you could need a virtual project manager to manage the moving pieces more than you need another team member.

    Which should I choose?

    To decide what type of support you need, take some time to write a job description. Beyond the nuts and bolts of what support you need, ask yourself these questions:

    • Do I want a team of people working in their zone of genius or a partnership with one person who does it all?
    • What type of collaboration am I looking for with my Virtual Assistant?
    • How will this Virtual Assistant interact with existing team members?
    • What should my business look like after 3 months working with an assistant?

    As you’re screening Virtual Assistants using this job description, don’t be afraid to ask them the same questions. Recognize that a successful partnership is just as much about the way a Virtual Assistant approaches working with you as it is about their skill level!