This has to be the best summer I’ve experienced since returning to the UK over twelve years ago. Consistent days of sunshine have been glorious. They’ve lulled me into a false sense of security in the vain hope they may continue forever! But already the wetter days seem to be returning. Oh well, that’s what we expect from British weather isn’t it?

On a beautiful summer’s evening, on the 31st July, Paul and I (Paul’s my husband for those of you who didn’t know), were invited with a group of twelve friends to go to Highclere Castle to listen to the Battle Proms. The husband of a friend, Tom Bott of High Society Orchestra, was playing in the orchestra so actually knowing one of the musicians personally made the event even more exciting. Hiring a school bus, off we went with picnic baskets, wine, chairs, umbrellas and cagoules. An hour later we off-loaded and went through the gates to the open space where people were already setting up their picnic places. Families, couples both young and old, all enjoying a perfect summer’s evening. Some were dressed formally and others were attired in dinner suits and frocks, with the majority just dressed casually – everyone mingling, laughing and dancing.

The castle stood in its splendour as the perfect backdrop, almost shining in its glory, in the secure knowledge it was being admired by so many people that evening. The highlight for me was when we saluted Carolyn Grace in her LF Mark IX Spitfire as she performed a carefully choreographed display to the orchestra’s opening pieces. This display took place against a sunset going behind a dark cloud, twisting and twirling just like a scene in a film, stunning, even for a non aviation enthusiast like me.

Battle commenced as the big guns came out for a unique performance that gives the concert its name. Beethoven’s Battle Symphony was playing in the background with live firing cannons, infantry musket fire and fireworks. Detonation technology enabled this piece to be performed with the guns firing precisely in time with the original composition and the fireworks display simply took my breath away.
The whole evening provided a complete escape from our normal work routines and stresses. By taking the time out to travel not too far away and enjoying a beautiful evening surrounded by friends was a superb tonic which definitely recharged some flagging batteries. It was a clear reminder to me of how important it is to take time out – no matter what tasks are crying out for our attention.

I hope you have all taken some time out this summer to “smell the roses” as the old saying goes and have recharged your own batteries. Long may the Summer continue!

Take this week for example. During the week two new opportunities were presented to me, one verbally and one by email, both of which I took time to ponder over.

Opportunity 1 – Nigel Botterill’s Entrepreneurs Circle

I received an e-mail which encouraged me to listen to a webinar entitled “18 Secrets of Business Success”. It was an hour long so I made sure I put the time aside. One hour later I had gathered a load of free (yes free) information that I could implement for my business. Now Nigel is a bit like the Marmite factor – some love him and some don’t. That’s fine, we are all entitled to our opinion. For me I found him refreshingly honest and down to earth. If you have an hour to spare and would like to have access to some amazing down to earth business facts then why not listen to the webinar here. and see what you think.

Opportunity 2 – David Webb – Investment Properties.

I first met David of makemoneygofurther nearly two years ago through 4Networking. Although there was no immediate business synergy over a period of 18months, and numerous cooked breakfasts, I started to help David with his client database. This led on to me creating his social media streaming and recently producing a video with regards to the investment properties and a personal video for his website.

So why, you might ask, am I highlighting these two opportunities? It’s because we all get emails arriving in our inbox day in day out and 90% of them are not relevant to what we are looking for at that particular time. However, by not opening the email you will never know what it contained or whether it was relevant to you in your present situation. It’s very easy to just “delete” because you haven’t got the time to read it but in doing so – what might you be missing?

As a networker I have met hundreds of people all who have my details – let’s face it we readily hand out our business cards when we attend networking events in the hope that someone will contact us – so why should we not expect to receive emails from them? Just because you may not have done any work for them in the past does not mean to say you won’t in the future. Likewise you may not need their services yet but you just may at sometime round the corner.

Each day I receive upwards of 20/30 emails highlighting Social Media, Email Newsletters, CRM, Coaching etc. Each one gets opened and read, perhaps not on the day it was originally received, but it does eventually. Admittedly most of them then get deleted but I am very conscious that sometimes I might be deleting something of relevance. If, for example, I had deleted the above two opportunities I would have missed out on worthwhile information relevant to me at this present moment.

I accept that everyone has their own opinions but what I find unacceptable is terseness, rudeness and lack of respect. By using services I supply as a moderator I often need to bring to people’s attention opportunities that are available through mail merge or email campaigns. The above two opportunities are no exception. The majority of people who were sent the information read and listened which was great. However, I also received some emails back that were – well to be honest -just rude. But hey ho – I’m a grown up, I’ve learned to get tough and to accept the insults, put downs and rejections.

The point of this blog? Simply this – be respectful. If you network regularly then expect to receive emails on a daily basis. If the information contained in the email is of no interest then just delete it or reply and ask to be deleted from the mailing list. If you are going to respond then take a few moments to think about what you are going to say before firing off a one-liner that probably bears the frustrations of your day rather than having any relevance to the initial email.

Email etiquette is as important as face-to-face etiquette and there is no excuse for rudeness. Good networkers try to help each other and to share ideas. And even if the ideas are of no interest then a polite ‘Thanks anyway’ is better than discourtesy. Nobody can predict where the next potential opportunity can lead to – and by sharing ideas we might not only grow our businesses – we will also grow as individuals.

If I join a networking group I want to be able to have choice. If I don’t have a choice then I will have to look outside of the network should I not particularly “click” with the only person in the room providing the service that I need.
The advantage of not adopting a “lock out” policy is all about the variety of characters you meet in the room – hopefully vibrant characters with their own little quirks and idiosyncrasies. How boring it would be to sit in a room where there is only one type of person from each field/service. Now when I say ‘how boring’ I must confess that I haven’t witnessed the situation personally because as I don’t agree with the principle I don’t join those types of group. I have however, often been at networking events where there have been over 5 or 6 Virtual Assistants in the room with each of us providing very different services but still under the banner of “Virtual Assistant”. When this happens, rather than feel threatened, it’s useful to find out what services your competitors actually undertake (that you might not) and use the situation to ask them if they would be willing to promote your services or form a collaboration – which in turn extends the services that you are able to provide.

I was recently contacted by a gentleman who was seeking the services of a Virtual Assistant providing all the services of a PA i.e. diary management, letters, flight bookings etc. As I don’t provide all the services he required I was pleased to be able to pass him on to another VA who does exactly what he was looking for – therefore providing a solution to his request. How disappointed he would have been if I had been the only VA in the group unable to provide the service he wanted!

There are, no doubt, some networking groups where this lock out practice may well work. For example in situations where the attendees are from large organisations and sending representatives on their behalf – so there is no point in having 3 or 4 reps from the same company. However as most networking groups are designed for small businesses let’s keep the new characters coming in and let’s keep the doors open to every sector – allowing everybody more freedom of choice.

I spend a lot of time both personally and as a service to my clients on Social Media sites interacting, learning, gaining useful information and soaking up as much knowledge as I can.  Each day I come across new sites, applications and news that I otherwise probably wouldn’t find.

So my question to you is this: Do you SHAG? i.e. Do you SHARE your knowledge? Just because you might think something is common knowledge I can assure you that there will be plenty of people who don’t know about what you do, the programmes you use that they might benefit from or expertise that you excel at that could help someone else.  My advice is that you should make a point of sharing at least one piece of information each day.

Do you HANG OUT on social sites at least once a day (at a minimum)? You should, because you will make on-line friends, pick up useful tips and find services that may be of use to you.

Also, make sure you have an ATTITUDE. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind, albeit in the nicest possible way.  Call me a prude if you want but personally I don’t like foul language or confrontation because I don’t think it benefits anyone. But having an attitude whereby you assist and encourage people can only be a good thing for everyone.

Finally GOSSIP – we all do it. Did you hear about “X”? How fantastic it was that “X” has secured a client – so grateful to “X” for their insight into “X” – as well as the odd bit of celebrity news that may be causing a stir!

So here’s the bottom line…

By sharing your knowledge with others not only does it help you qualify your own expertise but it helps other people too.

By hanging out and having an online presence on a daily basis means you are “open” for discussion – whether for business or for exchanging ideas.

By having the right attitude means you will become known for ‘meaning what you say’ and ‘saying what you mean’!

By taking part in Gossip means you are talking about someone or something – and that’s real life.  And gossip doesn’t have to be a bad or negative thing – someone talking about your business, or you personally, gives you and your business credibility.

So go on – I dare you! SHAG daily and enjoy!

Whatever Fabio Capello’s secret game plan might be it’s started me thinking about my own ‘game plan’. In other words what is my strategy for ‘winning’ the next few business challenges. Who am I competing against? And what are my tactics to ensure success? After some soul searching I think I’ve got everything ready for kick off and I can almost feel my fans cheering.

But what about you?

Be honest now. What is your game plan? It’s now June and the half time whistle for 2010 has already been blown. So what is your strategy for the second half? Are you losing already or is victory now in sight? In other words – is your game plan on track or have you lost sight of your goals?

If your opponents are winning then you might already be analysing the reasons. Is it down to a loss of direction or is it something to do with bad management? Are you floundering in defence or losing the ball somewhere midfield? Are you taking every opportunity to go for goal or are you spending so much time passing the ball from A to B that you never find a moment to strike?

Okay – that’s enough of the euphemisms. The point is this. In many ways running a business is just like running a football team. It’s all about strategy, tactics, focus and delivery. If you have a good business plan then the goals you have set yourself for 2010 should already be in sight.

If you are on track to win then congratulations! If you are off-target then maybe it’s time to revisit your game plan and make some tactical changes. Maybe it’s time to reflect on your performance to date, think about where you are going astray, then re-group and move forward. Maybe it’s time to -

• Go over your service offerings
• Clean out, mothball, re-invent
• Check what your competitors are doing
• Ensure you’re promoting the right messages
• Respond to and welcome change

Only you will know whether your game plan is the right one and whether it is working or not. Maybe I can help by offering some half time advice?

Just don’t ask me to step up to the penalty spot…

 The run up to going away on holiday, though, was predictably hectic as anyone running a small business will appreciate. I needed to make sure that all my clients were looked after whilst I was away and thanks to my excellent secretary I knew my “typing clients” would be in safe hands. 

Included in my packing was my trusty Blackberry, and although I had been given strict instructions from Paul (my husband), that it had to be kept out of sight most of the day, I was still able to check e-mails from time to time. I was also able to flag those that needed action on my return and skip through others to be viewed at a later date.

It was while I was skipping through my e-mails that I started to ponder – ‘Why is it that we find it so difficult to “turn off”?’  Why is it, when we work so hard to have a holiday or break from work that we still insist on checking our e-mails?  Has it become second nature, a habit, an addiction even? 

If you have read “The 4-Hour Work Week” by Timothy Ferris you will understand exactly where I am coming from.  It was whilst I was relaxing and gazing out to sea that I began to think about work and how everything was going. I thought about how I should develop my business so that I could look after my existing clients as well as seek new clients while simultaneously ensuring that I continue to strive for the perfect work/life balance.  Now don’t get me wrong – this doesn’t mean that I’m planning to laze on the beach each and every day (what a thought!) but it does mean I considered ways that Paul and I could travel more; something we both enjoy.

This led me on to thinking about my business in broader terms and how it has grown over the past two and a half years – and where I would like it to go in the future.  Joanna Martin described in her recent newsletter that “For some businesses, the changing of the seasons may mean you need to re-evaluate your product or service”.   Hmm…surely I was in the perfect place to be able to do this whilst relaxing on holiday? 

So I took some time to re-evaluate the services I provide already and asked myself did all of them work?  What services could I remove?  Maybe I should think about the ones that were taking up a lot of my time for little income? And what services could I introduce that could be beneficial to both my clients and myself? Quite quickly I was able to see what areas needed pruning or adjusting – and once I had made those decisions my mind was free to contemplate new areas.  By dusting off the elements that were clouding my judgement I was then able to see a way forward – so watch out for some new services that will be coming up! 

So my point is this: have you taken any time recently to reflect on your business? If not, perhaps you too need to take some time out. It doesn’t matter whether it is a two week holiday somewhere exotic or just a long weekend. The important thing is to step away from your business long enough to take an independent view from a new perspective.  My advice is to do this before more time slips through your fingers, because time taken to reflect on where you have come from, and where you are going, is never time wasted.

And you never know, you might well be very surprised at what you see – and what you can learn.

So in this blog I have decided to explain in simple terms exactly what a Virtual Assistant is and show how a VA can help businesses both large and small. In simple terms, a Virtual Assistant is an independent administrative assistant just like any other Assistant, Secretary or PA. The difference is that in this case a VA does not physically work within your office premises but works remotely using technology to service all your business needs and requirements.

Although no two VA’s are likely to provide identical offerings, most VA’s tend to focus on a number of core business services. Typically these would include secretarial type services like making phone calls and following them up, sending e-mails and physical mail, scheduling appointments, taking messages and even electronic filing. In addition, some VA’s will also maintain your web presence by managing your social media sites; Facebook, Linked-In and Twitter for example.

Some VA’s will also offer to maintain your business website or your blog, arrange mail-shot campaigns, arrange the distribution of company newsletters, write press releases and assist with general sales and marketing activities. For example, as part of my own business I look after a number of clients who need a 24/7 presence on the web through the medium of social media.   I am able to set up their accounts and profiles thus giving them the web presence they require.

The advantages of using the services of a Virtual Assistant are many, but crucially it can prove to be a very cost-effective way of working. By using a VA your business will not have to pay for office space, a PC or office equipment, Internet connection, printer, phone, filing cabinet or desk. Also, because your VA is not on the company payroll, you do not have the additional expenses of health insurance, national insurance, sick pay and holidays. Also, most VA’s already have prior experience of working in an office environment and therefore need very little training in order to start becoming productive.

If you are running a business that uses a Virtual Assistant you will often find that they become an integral part of your team, providing a number of key benefits. To make the most of the services of a VA however, it is worth taking the time to plan exactly how to utilise this important resource to best advantage. For example, think about which tasks can be delegated to a VA, structure these tasks into a priority order and then discuss with your VA how these tasks can best be scheduled. In many cases a VA will specialise in a particular aspect of business and it is worth taking advantage of this expertise if possible.

Realistically, taking on the services of a VA is not always as cheap as taking on a school leaver or part-time Administrative Assistant, but because of their professional experience and reliability it is often more cost effective to utilise the services of a good VA than risk putting your business relationships into the hands of inexperienced staff. Also, it is always advisable to find a VA who is able to offer a wide range of skills than to use the services of a number of different VA’s – because a good VA who understands your business and is able to operate using their own initiative is a much better option than farming work out to a number of different individuals – and then having to coordinate their efforts.

The bottom line is that a good VA can be worth their weight in gold because they free up your time to focus on the most important parts of your business, while you are secure in the knowledge that all your administrative duties are being taken care of by a professional that you can trust.

Don’t forget that if you want any further information on any of the above topics then please do get in touch. On The Go is already helping successful businesses in many of the ways described above – as well as implementing their social networking strategies, helping them set up a consistent company profile and scheduling their media messages to give them a 24/7 web presence.

We all know just how important it is to build up a rapport with ones followers’ as well as keeping lines of communication open. The like – know – trust – strap line expresses succinctly the way relationships are built, the same as when we first meet someone face to face.  However, the reality is that when an advert is placed in a magazine there is no way of predicting who might look at it.  In other words you have had no personal interaction with the individuals who are attracted to the advert. Yet this doesn’t stop you from placing the advert and the magazine isn’t going to turn your advert down because you don’t know your target market.  So the key is to adopt the same strategy for your social media presence.  Simply place your posts and adverts linking to your website as you would in a magazine and thereby give your business the exposure it needs on the web.  You will soon start picking up followers, start to build up a rapport, find common interests, hopefully get to like them and eventually trust them.
 
Obviously it takes time to build up a “quality” list of followers on any network.  Don’t be tempted to subscribe to any application that promises to generate 100,000 of followers though – what is the point?  It is far better to have 50 genuine followers who are interested in you and your business than thousands of followers.

As a Virtual Assistant (VA) I look after clients who need a 24/7 presence on the web through the medium of social media.  By setting up their accounts, profiles and producing a continuous stream of posts I am able to give them the presence they require on the web thus giving them the space and time to focus on their day-to-day business.  I do, however, encourage them to spend a few minutes a day ‘personalising’ their posts so that it reflects their own personality and style. 
Sometimes though I am criticised for this approach to social media with comments like:
“You shouldn’t automate your tweets.”
“Don’t post the same information on every site.”
“Not everyone is on Twitter so don’t place an RT (re-tweet) message on LinkedIn, Facebook, FriendFeed etc.”
 
Most people involved with social media will be familiar with the most popular top sites.  Some of them are our preferred sites that we frequent daily, hourly, even every few minutes during a typical day.  Other sites we might just visit once a day or once a week. Occasionally, however, we find something of interest on what I refer to as the “dippers” and it’s often worth remaining with them, both from the perspective of finding interesting articles, potential new contacts and possibly items of general business interest. These may also open up new avenues to further promote your business.
 
In my view I don’t think anyone should say “do this” or “don’t do that”.  Each of us will try our own marketing strategies depending on what we feel comfortable with and I firmly believe that everyone has a right to experiment until they find what works best for them as individuals and as businesses. If you are in business and some of these issues resonate with you, then why not consider utilising the services of a professional VA to help you establish your own 24/7 presence? It might just be just what you need to start getting the phone to ring more often!

Don’t forget that if you want any further information on any of the above topics then please do get in touch. On The Go is already helping successful businesses implement their social networking strategies from helping them set up a consistent company profile through to scheduling their media messages giving them a 24/7 web presence.