Google Tools - A Productivity Gem
I know many of you probably have a Gmail account and may use Google Alerts and track your RSS feeds with Google Reader. But are you leveraging the wide array of Google tools to maximize your productivity?
I am currently having a “love affair” with Google tools as I find that the more I incorporate the web apps into my daily work activities, the more organized and productive I am. Here is why I am loving Google these days…
I am tracking my work emails with a Gmail account and have actually added my other work emails via the POP tool into Google Mail to consolidate all my mail activity into one location.
I am then using Google Calendar to track my schedule, meetings, and urgent time-sensitive tasks. Google Calendar has a cool feature that delivers email alerts at 5am in the morning with your scheduled appointments and activities. From a multi-tasking standpoint, I like that I can be writing an email and then quickly jump into Google Calendar to update my schedule.
I then track all my spreadsheets and work documents with Google Docs, which again is nicely integrated into the Gmail Interface. I have all the VAs and contractors I work with use Google docs which enables us to quickly share and collaborate on documents.
Not to mention, you can track all RSS feeds with Google Reader, which makes it easy to review existing feeds and add new ones..
Now, I know there are many other great productivity tools and web apps on the market, but my personal opinion is that it is hard to match up against the integrated, user-friendly and easy to access elements of Google Tools.
In short, Google Tools ROCKS!
Going For Gold in your Virtual Assistant Business
I don’t know about you, but I have been engrossed in the Olympics over the past few days and have just been awestruck by the amazing displays of athleticism, perseverance and drive!
Now, since I am likely not going to be training for a Olympic Triathalon or the 200 Butterfly any time soon, I started thinking about what I can learn from these amazing athletes that translates to my Internet Business. Well, a lot actually…..
In listening to many interviews with the Gold Medal Olympians, there were four common reasons they cited that they believed helped them to achieve their Olympic Dreams. Here are four essential elements you will need to consistently “Win Gold” in your Virtual Assistant Business:
1. Set Clear and Measurable Goals for Your Virtual Business
These Gold Medalists were CERTAIN about their goals - they knew what specific time they would need to achieve in order to break a record and ultimately secure themselves at the top of the podium!
How clear and measurable are your goals for your Virtual Assistant Business right now? Are they realistic? Do they help you to stay focussed on the priorities and tasks you need to accomplish on a day to day basis. Are they measurable? This last one is key. One of your goals might be to “Increase Your Client Base This Year”. This is a great goal, but it is not specific or measurable. A specific goal might look like this:
“Increase My Client Base to 10 new clients and $25000 more billable hours in 2008″
That is a measurable goal! I know for myself that I have four specific goals for my business that shape and define my priorities and tasks each and every day. Without those goals, I would be like a “Ship without a Rudder”, with no clear sense of where I am going.
A “Gold Medal” Virtual Assistants sets clear, specific and measurable goals!
2. Establish Consistent Training Patterns.
The Gold Medalists interviewed all spoke to the rigourous training regimes they endured over the past four years to help prepare them for this Olympic Event. You think of a swimmer like Michael Phelps. Sure, he is sheer Genetic Perfection for swimming with his Long Torso, flexible body, huge flipper-like feet and 6′7 wing span - But, that is not the sole reason he consistently finishes first. It is direct result of a systematic and consistent training program over the last four years that has prepared him for greatness!
Similarly with your business, it is imperative to build in regular training/learning times in your daily, weekly and monthly schedules. One of the traps of running your own Virtual Business is that you get so consumed with the day to day tasks of the biz, that you fail to spend any quality time on learning new skills and technology, investing in professional development and trying to stay current in your industry. If you don’t discipline yourself to learning new things, you will be left behind!
In order to ensure that you remain as current and equipped as possible, you need to create a block of time possibly each week where you shut off all your work and you simply read ebooks, articles or blog posts, listen to webinars and take online courses. As a Virtual Assistant, I would recommend taking a look at our training programs at VAClassroom as this will keep you that much more current and competitive in a fast-growing Virtual Assistance Industry!
I normally will take a 3 hour block each week to catch up on my reading, learning new skills and listening to podcasts and webinars. I try to do whatever it takes to ensure that I am using the most current tools to build my business to the next level!
A Gold Medal Virtual Assistant is a relentless and consistent learner!
3. Persevere, Persevere and then Persevere some more!
The successful Olympians adopt a “No Quit” attitude and persevere through the good times and trials of their Olympic career. All successful Olympians at one point in their career had to overcome some obstacles that blocked their way to Olympic stardom.
Now I have discussed this topic before, but I cannot stress enough the important role that perseverence and endurance play in building a successful business. Many of you have been through those times where there are virtually no clients and little revenues coming through the door and it is so easy to just pack in the business. It is during these times when you need to take stock of why your started this business in the first place and what are those goals you are trying to accomplish. This will motivate you and help you to exhaust all avenues to building your client base and income opportunities.
It is important to recognize that obstacles, challenges and adversity are a natural part of the journey towards Gold Medal Winning Performances! Don’t give up! Be sure to not miss the “little successes” that are happening in your business during those difficult days. Today, you might have met two new prospective clients in a Facebook group - that is a small victory as this could ultimately lead to two new clients!
A Gold Medal Virtual Assistant has an extraordinary level of sticktuitiveness!
4. Find a Mentor, Coach or Friend that will Support You In Your Business Endeavors.
In all the interviews I watch with these Gold Medal Winning Athletes, the common thread was having a supportive family, coach, friend or mentor that was “in their corner” and encouraging them to achieve their dreams at against all odds! I listened to the Gold Medal Winning Gymnast from the United States today talk about the pivotal role her Dad and coach played in helping her to achieve her Olympic dreams!
We ALL need find someone that will be a consistent source of encouragement and wisdom for our businesses. It can be a lonely place working in a Virtual Business to start with, but not having any mentor or major supporter can make it that much more difficult!
So, there you have it, four elements to achieving Gold Medal Success in your business!
VAClassroom Teleseminar for Virtual Assistants, Solopreneurs and Small Business Owners
I just wanted to let you know of an exciting free webinar event we are hosting at VAClassroom on Thursday August 7th at 2pm (EST) of this week.
I have to say that I am unusually excited about this event! Let me tell you why…
My friends at Freshbooks have graciously loaned their CEO Mike McDerment to us for an hour so he can share some powerful insights on:
“Virtual Nirvana: How to Remain Productive and Inspired When You Work Alone.”
You see, Mike is a serial Entrepreneur who has already led two successful Internet start-ups before his roaring success with Freshbooks.com. When he first started out he was not as fortunate to have the talented staff he now has with Freshbooks - he was a “Lone Ranger.” Mike has experienced firsthand the “Good, Bad, and Ugly” of working as a Virtual Solopreneur, like many of you!
Our intent with this webinar is to help re-charge your Virtual Business batteries and keep you engaged and passionate about the work you do!
Now, Mike and his Team at Freshbooks.com have graciously offered a $25 discount coupon on their small business billing packages for every participant on the call, which is awesome.
Also, our team at VAClassroom will be giving away a “Pure Digital Flip Camcorder” to one of the webinar participants on the call, so be sure to stick around until the end! I own The Flip and have used it for all my videos on YouTube - excellent tool!
To claim one of the 300 spots for this webinar event, just sign-up at the below link:
http://www.vaclassroom.com/teleseminar.aspx
Also, you will be able to access this event via the web at:
http://www.vaclassroom.com/instantteleseminar.com
This is going to be a great event and we look forward to seeing you there!
One Hour to Becoming a Highly Productive Virtual Assistant
For those of you who follow this blog, you might recall a post I wrote a few days back where I asked if anyone knew where I could buy a “Productivity Pill” that would instantly transform me into a highly organized, productive, and efficient virtual guru!
Well, although I am still in pursuit of the elusive productivity pill, I did come across the next best thing…..Zen Habits, “Top 20 Productivity lists to Rock Your Tasks“. It will take you a good 45 minutes to an hour to process this Top 20 list of productivity gems! As you are skimming this post, you might be saying, “But Craig, where can I find a hour in my day to read all these posts - I am too bogged down with my priority tasks.”
My Point Exactly!
So, here is what I recommend you do…..If you have a laptop, vacate your VIrtual Office (the usual place you work), head down to the closest “swanky” WIFI Cafe, order your favorite beverage (Mine would be a Non-Fat Hazelnut Latte), find a cozy corner with a comfy couch, take a moment to let all the worries and stresses of the day drain out of you and then take a hour to read these 20 posts… Doesn’t that sound like sheer bliss?
Enjoy your “Productivity Boot Camp”!
Summize.com - A great tool for Finding New Virtual Assistant Clients!
I don’t know about you, but I love Web 2.0 and Social Media! There is never a shortage of cool social media applications and tools to simplify your life as a Virtual Assistant!
In the VAClassroom Forum, one of our members mentioned Summize, a cool new tool for searching the conversations in Twitter. I have to confess…. Initially it took me some time to warm up to Twitter - I initially thought it was a total time drag and would take time away from my pertinent business actvities. I thought, “Do people actually really care what I am doing right now?” It seemed kind of trivial, but as I have closely observed a number of Twitterers over the last while, I now see how Twitter can be used to share and view relevant content and connect the Twitter audience to your blog and website.
Summize has peaked my interest in Twitter even further as this social search engine allows you to search the Twitter conversations by specific keywords. My keyword specific searches in Summize pointed out a whole bunch of interesting Twitterers that would be worthwhile following.
Not only that, Summize can help you track new prospective VA Clients! For example; check out the below results from the search term “Virtual Assistant” :
Take a look at the 2nd, 5th and 6th twitter post - they are all related to hiring a Virtual Assistant. The last guy specifically says “Looking for a Virtual Assistant. Any suggestions are welcome”. I don’t know about you, but I would classify that as a HOT CLIENT LEAD!!
So, not only does Summize enhance your Internet research efforts, but also serves as a great resource for connecting with new VA Clients - how cool is that?
The “Time Tracking” Challenge for Virtual Assistants
Over the past couple weeks, we have received many responses to our question (on the optin form at VAClassroom), “What is the greatest challenge facing your Virtual Assistant Business today?” We will be reviewing these common challenges in the next few posts to come.
A couple subscribers admitted that one of their ongoing challenges is effectively tracking time for the different clients they work with. You might be thinking… tracking time is a piece of cake - just wear a watch, use a stop clock and you should be fine…
Yes, it may seem simple, but with short Instant messenger chats, calls on your cell phone, quick email questions from clients, the tracking of time can start to become a little murky, especially if you are a busy VA with multiple clients and projects on the go simultaneously! I know with the VAs I work with, I will often “Skype” them a quick question and have a little chat - they need to keep track of these little chats, calls, emails that they do on a daily basis for many different clients.
Well, here are three ideas to help manage this time tracking challenge…
1. I would recommend being upfront with your clients on your minimum time intervals for any task or inpromptu question they may have. In other words, you might set a minimum time interval of 10 minutes (or whatever you decide), so if you have a quick skype chat with a client, you will bill them at a minimum of 10 minutes of work. Again, it is important to be clear on this with client’s upfront so they don’t think you are padding the invoice:).
In the name of building long-term relationships with clients, you might also consider not charging for that occassional quick chat - that could go a long way to keeping a happy client as along as it does not become too frequent!
2. Another strategy for managing the time tracking issue is to shut off MSN, Skype, Cell Phones, PDAs when you are working on a specific client’s project in order to make your time tracking a little more cut and dry. I know this is easier said than done at times, but do you best to focus on one project or task at a time - this will help to maximize your productivity as well.
3. Invest in a Time Tracking Solution. There are a number of cool time tracking applications you can use to keep track of clients’ works on a minute by minute basis. I personally like FreshBooks as it also offers the billing and payment features for managing your clients invoices and payments.
FreshBooks enables you to track time across specific client tasks and projects as well as tracking the time of any staff you may have working on the same project. This is particularly useful for Multi-VA firms. I also like the accountability piece in which you can provide your client access to your Freshbooks account so they can monitor their budget and project activities. I think this adds a level of professionalism and credibility to your business efforts.
If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for our “VA Business PowerPack Contest” at VAClassroom.com as we have included a one year subscription to Freshbooks!
