Outsourcing – a first-hand experience!

As a Virtual Assistant who specialises in helping people to work more efficiently by allowing them to ‘outsource’ certain tasks to me, I must admit that until recently I had little first-hand experience of relinquishing control over my own day-to-day administrative tasks; I was advising my own customers to ‘work smarter, not harder’, yet insisted on carrying out every single aspect of my own business, despite the fact that my business was growing fast.

A couple of months ago, as I frantically searched for ‘interesting’ and ‘relevant’ content to post to my Business Social Media pages (on the wrong side of midnight), a thought suddenly struck me – what if I was to outsource a few of my own tasks, like Social Media content and scheduling, to an outside agency?  I immediately posted a message on to a Virtual Assistant Networking Group I belong to on Facebook, asking for help and advice.  Despite our ‘virtual’ and remote nature, Virtual Assistants are a very supportive community and are happy to share their own experiences and make recommendations in order to help a fellow VA in need! Seconds after posting my plea for help, I had a number of Social Media specialists offering to help, many of whom were willing to send through samples of their work so that I could review their content and check that it ‘fit in’ with the kind of tone that was important to my business.  After taking a good look at the content and their hourly rates, I decided to go with a Social Media Manager called Gemma who offered the kind of assistance that I was looking for at a reasonable price.

The first few days were a little nerve-wracking, I must admit, but I was given the opportunity to clearly describe the kind of Social Media posts that I was looking for, and Gemma sent across some potential content for me to review prior to posting anything, which was reassuring!  I was also able to retain control of my personal information, as Gemma’s Social Media Scheduling Tool allows her to post to my accounts without me having to give her the passwords details – a handy ‘plus’, though I would have entrusted this information to her if required, as I know that as another ‘Virtual Assistant’, Gemma is bound by the same ethical responsibilities for client confidentiality as I am.

The whole experience of outsourcing a small portion of my personal work has been a positive one, and valuable! It’s given me a great insight into the concerns that some of my own clients may have initially before they decide to outsource work to a Virtual Assistant.  It has also given me first-hand experience of the positive impact that outsourcing can have! The few hours a week that Gemma spends dealing with my Business Social Media Accounts has given me more precious free time to focus on what I do best – helping other businesses to work more efficiently by assisting with THEIR day-to-day administrative tasks, and to build relationships with new customers.  In addition, I also have the time to dedicate to the bits of Social Media Marketing that I really enjoy, like networking on Twitter or sharing interesting content on Facebook when I see something that I think my Facebook friends would enjoy! Outsourcing doesn’t have to mean handing over control completely if you don’t want to, and most VA’s will be happy to fit in with your specific business needs, just as Gemma has done for me!

So what have I learnt from my own ‘outsourcing’ journey? Firstly, that finding the right kind of assistance for your business doesn’t take long! Certainly not as long as it would take to advertise, interview for, and train up a brand new member of staff to assist you (as well as being far cheaper!).  The growing population of UK Virtual Assistants means that you should be able to find the perfect Virtual Assistant for your unique business, as every VA has their own specialist skills and experience.  When speaking to potential VA’s, don’t be afraid to ask questions – you need to be convinced that they can (and will!) communicate clearly and effectively with you, that they have excellent attention to detail, understand your business, and aren’t afraid to make suggestions or receive constructive feedback from you.  These are all important foundations for any successful business relationship, and will help to ensure that the outsourcing process is as smooth as possible for you and your VA.

If you have been considering outsourcing, but are a little wary about the costs involved, it is important to think about the value of your own time and the amount of time that you are ‘wasting’ on tasks that could easily be completed by an external agency.  I’ve highlighted this idea in a little graphic below:

 

So if you are looking to work smarter, I can strongly recommend outsourcing some of your day-to-day administrative tasks – it really can make an incredibly positive difference to your daily working life!

 

 

 

 

 

The importance of individuality

2016 has been a sad year for the world of entertainment, with the loss of many well-known and well-loved celebrities – individuals of exceptional talent and ‘larger than life’ personalities, like David Bowie, Ronnie Corbett, Victoria Wood and Prince. As the news passes, I have found myself pausing and reflecting on how I have been influenced by these incredible men and women, and how I could continue to learn from their example.

When I think of David Bowie and Prince, the first thought that springs to mind is their integrity as individuals.  Despite popular trends and cultural ‘movements’, both the Goblin King and Prince remained fiercely individual and loyal to their own sense of ‘self’.  As a result, they remained almost ‘ageless’ – existing outside of passing trends and fads, remaining unique and ‘other’ in the predominantly mainstream, ‘middle of the road’ world of popular music.  This broadened their appeal, allowing their music to touch the hearts and minds of a far wider variety of people than many of their contemporaries.  It is this honesty and individuality that I have tried to emulate in my own life, though without embracing the off-the-wall make-up of Ziggy Stardust or adopting a symbol as my name…

I have embraced individuality as a cornerstone of my business, and I’ll explain why: in this digital world where more and more people are taking the leap and becoming ‘remote workers’ (including Virtual Assistants), we all need a Unique Selling Point to make us stand out from the competition – why not let your USP be yourself? When you focus on your strengths, are honest and maintain your personal integrity by not taking an ‘easy option’ if it interferes with your moral interpretation of what is acceptable or ‘right’, then you should already be standing out from the crowd; the likelihood is that your customers, colleagues and suppliers will already have been spreading positive testimonials about your abilities and positive work ethic, without you even having to ask! In addition, if you let your personality shine through your work – for example, highlighting your sense of humour in the odd, irreverent social media post – then you will also stand out from the crowd, as an amusing voice in a sea of bland and sales-y content.

But don’t just take my word for it – Richard Branson is also a firm believer in the power and value of individuality:

“To me, business isn’t about wearing suits or pleasing stockholders. It’s about being true to yourself, your ideas and focusing on the essentials”

Individuality doesn’t have to mean that you turn up to customer meetings dressed as a chicken, or carry out telephone conversations entirely in Klingon – all you have to do is lift yourself out of a faceless crowd and make a potential customer or supplier remember you, so that you are the first person to spring to mind when they think of your product or service.  As a result, this week, if I’m faced with a decision that I’m not sure about, I’m going to try asking myself ‘What would David Bowie do?’ before I make a decision.  I’ll probably still follow my head and decide what is most appropriate for me in any given situation, but at least I’ll have a moment to think of the often-bizarre, always-genius David Bowie and his eccentric costumes in what can often be seen as the grey world of corporate Britain!

Thank you for reading!

Top Tips for Working Remotely…thousands of miles away

It’s been another busy month for me! I’ve just come back from a working holiday in Dubai and before I know it I’ll be off again – a work trip to New York is next!  Thankfully, the very nature of a ‘virtual’ assistant means that I do not have to be physically present in a customer’s workplace, or even in the same country, to carry out my job effectively.

It has taken a little while to build up my confidence to work remotely (particularly when I’m thousands of miles away from my customers) so I thought I would share a few tips that you may find useful if you are also planning on working from abroad in the coming months, yet still want to provide high quality support for your valuable clients!

Tip number 1: Be aware of the time difference (and notify your client of this too, if appropriate!). No one appreciates a 2am telephone call, and though this seems like a fairly basic point, it is easy to get carried away when you are engrossed in work and forget an 8-hour time difference!  It might be a good idea to edit your ‘out of office’ email to reflect this fact, i.e. ‘I am currently working from Hong Kong and as a result may not be able to respond to your query immediately.  I will, however, endeavour to respond to your email as quickly as possible’.  You could also consider giving your important clients a direct contact number to use ‘in case of emergency’ for immediate contact with you, something that may help to reassure your customers that you are still able to assist with urgent issues, despite the distance and time difference.

Tip number 2: Make sure that your hotel or accommodation has a sufficient internet connection and/or WIFI.  This is another factor that many people take for granted, but as a frequent traveller I can confirm that not every hotel has a high quality internet connection at the top of their list of priorities! If in doubt, phone the hotel directly.  Also, be aware of the cost of internet access and make sure you factor this in to your expenses budget!

Tip number 3: Make sure that you have told your mobile phone provider that you are going abroad, and if you plan to use mobile data in order to check emails, etc. whilst you are away, consider talking to your provider about what kind of packages they offer as ‘add-ons’ to your usual tariff to make ‘data roaming’ more affordable.  The Ofcom website has some useful hints and tips for using a mobile phone abroad – I definitely recommend taking a look! http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/phone/mobile-phones/mobiles-abroad/check-your-phone-before-you-roam/

Tip number 4: Make sure that your travel insurance is sufficient to cover the cost of the electrical equipment that you are taking abroad with you! Laptops, mobile phones, etc. – the value of the technology you are carrying about in your hand luggage soon mounts up and if the worst does happen, you need to make sure that you can afford to replace any equipment that has gone missing.  This point also highlights the need to ensure your work is backed up appropriately – either on a cloud or an external storage device.

My final piece of advice to you is this – take some time out to enjoy yourself and learn a little about the country you are staying in.  This quote explains why (far more eloquently than I could!):

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

1. Jackson Brown from the book ‘P.S. I Love You: When Mom Wrote, She Always Saved the Best for Last’

 

* * * * * * *

If you are off on a work trip soon – enjoy yourself!

Seema

Self-Employed Holiday Survival

I’ve recently been away on holiday for a week (that’s me in Chamonix), and I must admit that as a Self-Employed person, holidays aren’t quite as relaxing as they once were! When I was an employee, not only did I have the financial ‘buffer’ of holiday pay, but there were other people that I worked alongside who could take some of the strain off me whilst I was away – answering calls, dealing with urgent enquiries and paperwork, etc.  As a Self-employed person, that ‘comfort blanket’ of financial and moral support from colleagues is stripped away.  Much as I love spending time with family and friends, there is now a constant, low level anxiety that fills my time away from the office: what if I miss an important phone call? What if I miss out on a brand new customer by not attending my weekly networking session?

We’ve all heard the old adage about how it’s important to ‘work to live, don’t live to work’, and articles on achieving the perfect ‘work-life’ balance frequently appear in magazines and newspapers, but when you rely solely on yourself and the work that you do for income it is easy to get carried away and continue to work day and night, come hell or high water!  However, despite the difficulties associated with ‘switching off’ for a few days, evidence suggests that a break from work can actually be beneficial to your productivity and general well-being.

In an article entitled ‘Psychological detachment from work during leisure time; The benefits of mentally disengaging from work’ (Sonnentag, S. (2012) Current Directions in Psychological Science, 21 (2), pp114-118), Sabine Sonnentag of the University of Mannheim collated evidence from a variety of psychological studies focusing specifically on recovery from work.  Her analysis of dozens of studies lead her to the conclusion that taking a break from work, both mentally and physically, is essential to maintaining top performance in a job role.  This not only highlights the importance of holidays and days away from the office but also regular ‘mini-breaks’ every day at work – whether it’s 5 minutes to make a nice refreshing cup of tea (or something herbal… or something incredibly calorific and topped with cream and marshmallows), or a brief walk to the post box and back to get some fresh air and exercise.

If you are planning a holiday and the anxiety has already started to hit home (‘But who will look after my clients when I am away?!’), why not consider working with a Virtual Assistant? The Virtual Assistant Community in the UK are incredibly supportive, and as a result, I have now built up a network of contacts who can assist me when I’m away.  As a VA myself, I am also in the perfect position to help you when you are away, or just to provide a ‘buffer’ on a weekly basis with the day-to-day administrative tasks that tend to pile up without warning! If you would like more information about the services that I can assist with, please head over to my website to take a look: http://www.hourglassvirtualassistant.com/.

Have a good week!

Business in December

 

This will be my first self-employed December. Do I feel excited? Nervous? Or neither?

It’s actually a combination of all three, with a few other emotions thrown in for good measure. Working for yourself has many pros and a few cons. I think December may be categorised as a con. In this world you don’t get to be part of Secret Santa where you have to buy Stuart from IT the nicest/funniest/rudest gift you can for £5. You don’t receive a mass email to the pot- luck Christmas lunch that will be held in the big meeting room on Tuesday 12^th Dec, starting at 1230 prompt. You don’t even get to write a happy holiday card to Lisa (even though you’ve only spoken to her twice all year).

Oh, I’m beginning to sound like I miss working in an office (I don’t). Working with the same people on a daily basis is not my bag. Since starting off alone and finding an array of clients, I have found that my skillset has improved dramatically and my knowledge of some areas has increased in many more ways than I first thought. I really do love being a VA.

Anyhoo, going back to December. This is the key month for many small businesses, especially the designer/makers, restaurants, small independent retailers out there. How do you keep up with the demand from your old and new customers as well as manage your social media, your accounts and your sale events?

I’m a big believer in looking after your customers. Customers invest into your business in more ways than one, so you should be continually engaging with them once they have walked out your door/completed the online checkout. I enjoy contacting businesses via social media where I’ve had both good and not so good experiences. It is massively surprising how few engage. I recently put a 4 out of 5 review on a new local independent restaurant on Facebook, the food was great but it was obvious they needed customers. Silly me thinking they would appreciate the positive comments I wrote. I was at least expecting a ‘like’!* Do they not care that I was one of only 6 customers in that evening or that I would like them to stay and not struggle in a difficult part of town or that I’m a big supporter of local businesses like theirs?? They probably do know and realise all of the above but do not prioritise it. When, and as I have just done, tell people about this restaurant I will include the bit about a lack of engagement. We live in a society where communication is key regardless of the type of relationship. Why and how are small businesses not prioritising this?

So actually, whilst writing this I think may have changed my own mind. December is full of opportunity for me. I’ll save that £5 and use it for the next time I’m sitting in a café engaging with your Twitter followers for you or organising your January sale event.

 

If you’re a small business and you can foresee December being hectic please do get in touch, I offer affordable and flexible options.

 

*Between writing and publishing this blog I received a ‘like’, it took them 5 days. Maybe I’m too demanding? Answers on a postcard…

The Importance of Taking a Break

So… I was going to write a blog on the above but during my research I came across a piece which seems to say exactly what I wanted to!

It’s a fantastic post which highlights the why’s and how’s you should drag yourself away from work and technology, something I know most of us find hard to do.

Here is the link, I hope you find it as useful as I did!

http://www.samovens.com/the-importance-of-taking-breaks/

September – Is this your new year too?

Brrr, can someone put the kettle on a make me a hot drink please?!! Where has the summer gone? As soon as September arrived it seemed as though the sun did a runner, leaving us with the autumn chill.

Well, summer now over, the academic year has begun and what I see as the new year. I’ve always seen September as the time of year to start something new. I began a 12-month round the world trip in September 2005, relocated to London in September 2008 and moved house in 2014 maybe this is down to my academic background or maybe it’s because it’s my birth month, yay (I like to think it’s the latter).  From recent conversations, it seems that I am not alone in thinking this way. This month, for most, also marks the start of a new beginning, a chance to get organised, set things up before the year is out and to reminisce about the summer. It’s also the perfect time to hire a VA!

I have a question to ask – How many advertising emails did you actually take note of, let alone read over the summer before pressing delete? If, like many, you had an inbox full of junk or spent a considerable amount of time of your holiday selecting masses of emails to delete, then it’s definitely time for a declutter and an inbox detox.

We all meet new people and experience new things over the summer and this is where we can come up with a lot of new ideas for blogs or articles. But now you’re back at work when will you find the time to research? Do not let your great ideas go to waste, you know  that feeling when you had a perfect idea only to come across something similar a couple of weeks later because you didn’t do anything? Working with a VA can ensure that doesn’t happen, I can help you stay ahead of the game by doing your research for you.

There’s a lot to be said for scheduling and how the busyness of September creeps upon us. One of my good friends who is an IT trainer annually complains of how after the quiet summer period, the time to reorganise and get back on the road to different sites seems to be sparse. In next to no time she’s yet again chasing her tail with a full diary, hundreds of unread emails and no time to relax over lunch as that is time utilised to sort things out. This is common for many, not just trainers on the go. It’s about time you had a proper lunch break right?

There are only 15 weeks left of 2015. In January what did you want to achieve this year and how much were you unable to do because you were bogged down with admin? Delegation is key! No one enjoys having a long to-do list which is mainly filled with unenjoyable tasks. Having a VA means you can have a calmer autumn, more time to prepare for the winter holidays, giving you a much better work-life balance.

How many hot drinks will you be making to avoid your to-do list?

#tubestrike

Whenever the unions who represent the London Underground employees of Transport for London (TfL) announce a tube strike you can clearly hear the moans and groans from Zones 1 to 9 and the surrounding areas. The second tube strike within a month hit London last week, luckily quite a few Londoners were off on their jollies, so although disruptive it didn’t have as much of an impact as the July strike.

Reasons for the strike were based on the new night service TfL are planning to introduce on 12 September (my birthday, yippee!). Yep, London still does not have a night service, our tubes stop service a little before 1am. Whilst in New York they have been running 24/7 since 1904, in Copenhagen since 2002 and in places like Berlin, Vienna and Stockholm where they run throughout the weekend. We still have to rely on night buses or taxis.

Our London Underground network carries 1.3million passengers per day. During the tube strike I wonder how many realised that it was easier to walk or cycle to work and have continued to do so. Or have considered if they even have to commute, meaning if they worked just as effectively from home? It is estimated that the strikes will costs of the economy somewhere between £50m and £300m. This is a huge loss for businesses, especially small businesses.

Navigating the tube during the rush hour is sometimes quite unpleasant. Being 5’1” I was often the recipient of a newspaper being rested on my head or of a gentleman’s freshly deodorised armpit or if it was during the evening… well I don’t have to go into those details, bleugh! These memories make me pleased that I currently do not have to relive them. This is the luxury of being a VA and of having a VA to hand.  The work we do is totally unaffected by strikes, road traffic, leaves on the track and the wrong kind of snow (yes, this is a thing!). Maybe we produce work in the comfort of our homes sat in our pyjama’s at 11am or whilst being served a cuppa in our new favourite hangout or whilst sharing a desk at a business hub with a fellow entrepreneur. The fact of the matter is, we are pretty smug happy that we do not have to commute in the first place. Being virtual and mobile is just one of the pleasures of being a VA. I can send out your business tweets and retweet interesting articles whilst I’m making my morning tea and toast, it doesn’t matter as long as it’s done, right?

The mental and physical freedom of not having to navigate the tube or any sort of transport system is priceless. Compared to the average commuter I have an additional 10 hours in my working week which I can dedicate to my clients. I have a more relaxed mind-set and I can remain focussed as I do not get interrupted by office gossip or the chocolate tin (the latter being more relevant for me!).

Here are more advantages of hiring me, as your Virtual Assistant:

Cost-saving

• If you are self-employed VA’s are tax-deductible as I am not an employee
• I can help keep your business running 24/7
• You do not need to provide me with a desk
• You only pay for the work completed – you don’t have to pay for equipment or benefits

Time-savings

• Need help polishing a PowerPoint presentation, let me do that for you
• I can undertake extensive research on your behalf, saving you time
• Is it time to take a break? I can help plan and book your next holiday.
• As your VA I can generate new business for you by contacting potential buyers and sellers

Networking

This week I had my first opportunity to network as a Virtual Assistant. A two-day family wedding, a large and busy family wedding. Having not seen some of the guests in over a year (Facebook updates don’t quite count), I was quite excited to see them and to swap stories.

I wasn’t too sure what to expect when I spoke about the business, surprisingly, no one I spoke to had heard of a Virtual Assistant. I thought “Great! Now is my chance to use my unprepared elevator pitch”. I know the importance of a good elevator pitch and am aware of what it should include… What I found as the wedding event went on and the more people I spoke to my elevator pitch lengthened, with more detail and relevance but not too much to bore people. Working the room, my confidence grew, feedback was positive with many questions on the possible success of such a role. Were people really that busy that they needed help with their accounts? Can people not find a few minutes to post a Tweet? Explaining what I worked on with clients and why to a new audience was empowering. It reaffirmed my career choice.

Unfortunately I didn’t have any business cards at hand but I will definitely be following up interest via Facebook and LinkedIn.

I’m looking forward to my next opportunity to network. I’m a member of a few relevant groups via Meetup.com and Ladies who Latté, August is going to be busy but fun.

I’ve found a role where I can show off my organisation skills

Yesterday marked the start of my second week as a Virtual Assistant. The first seven days flew by, but what an exciting seven days they were!!

It began with figuring out a business name, yes I know it’s not the most important aspect of setting up a business, but for me I needed to give it its own identity from the start. I floated around a name sounding ‘virtual’ and ‘timely’, it took a lot of umming and ahing until settling upon Hourglass Virtual Assistant.

Next task – What can I offer?? I drafted a list of skills after reading a number of VA blogs and forums. I soon remembered that I was capable of doing much more. I mean, how could I forget the skills used and challenges faced when organising big birthday parties for friends or hen do’s, I’ve done eight of these kinds of events over the past five years!

Setting up a domain and website was pretty straightforward. I used GoDaddy.com , I found them and their services easy, helpful and hassle free. The website builder gave me the opportunity to design the website quickly but thoughtfully. Initially I wasn’t too sure about including a blog but then thought why not?! This is the first time I have been self-employed, what better way to document my experience.

One thing I didn’t foresee is the amount of paperwork involved, the client documents, my own documents and then there was setting up of a variety of online accounts, Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, Skype etcetera.  I gave HourglassVA the full online presence it requires.

I enjoy working from home, it gives me the freedom and flexibility to work wherever I wish. Being London based, the (average) one-hour commute can become tiresome, although a valuable time to catch up on a book I feel more at ease doing this in my local park in the East Village.

Over the week I’ve spoken to friends and family about this venture and I have bored Mr HVA with inane details of fonts numerous times but I have found all the feedback received to be invaluable. Ending the week with a weekend away in York, the trip gave me a chance to reflect on my achievements over the seven days, an opportunity to think of ways to make myself attractive to potential clients and to relax!

After a week of non-stop excitement, late nights and early mornings, the venture so far seems to be worth it. With two clients in sight, a website that I’m happy with, a new office chair (thanks Mr HVA!) and a plethora of ideas to start the new week, week two is going to be great!!