Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category
Should you outsource?
I don’t know if you are anything like me but I get myself really worked up about my business and try and do too many things and then don’t quite understand when things don’t work the way I want them to. It is so easy to think we can do it all!
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but we can’t be everything to everyone, nor can we take care of every detail of our businesses and succeed.
I know what I want to accomplish and I am sure you do too but reaching that goal and following the necessary steps to get there are not always as easy as it seems. It takes commitment, proper planning, goal setting, and assistance when needed.
That seems to be the secret – know when to reach out for help or outsource when necessary. If you are spending hours of your time doing something you’re not skilled at why are you wasting your time? You have to ask yourself whether your time would be better spent elsewhere.
It’s important to understand the process or steps needed to accomplish your goal but you don’t have to actually do everything yourself.
For example, I have designed my own business cards in the past and look after the printing of them. However, why am I spending hours printing them out on my printer where they may or may not turn out to be perfect? With a click of a button I can send them to the local print shop who I know will do an excellent job and I can pick them up the next time I am downtown.
Not only have I freed myself up to write this article which will be more beneficial to my business but I also will have very professional business cards to hand out to prospective clients. It’s about setting priorities and knowing your limitations. What are you wasting your time doing?
The cost of NOT outsourcing
It’s really easy for me to tell you to hire someone to take care of some of your tasks since I don’t have to pay the bill. You do.
But… rather than looking at the financial cost look at the actual cost it will be in relation to hours spent doing the job. Even more important is the cost of the lost time doing something that will benefit your business. Maybe spending that time contacting potential clients, creating new services, learning a new skill or taking care of business commitments with current clients will be more beneficial.
Some typical outsourcing tasks for business owners
- Website design and setup
- Creating a logo
- Marketing material – business cards, brochures, coupons, postcards
- Opt-in creation and maintenance
- Bookkeeping
- Newsletters to clients
- Email campaigns
- Customer service issues
- Correspondence
- Social media campaign creation/maintenance
- Posting blogs
- Create surveys
Authors tasks for outsourcing
- Website design and set up/maintenance
- Conversion of books to digital products
- Amazon author set up
- Newsletters to readers
- Social media campaign creation/maintenance
- Blog posts
- Book tour creation / implementation
- Repurpose content into video, PDF, DVD, CD, eBooks
- Marketing material – business cards, brochures, flyers
And the lists go on and on…………………..
Are you wasting too much time and not focusing on what really should be done?
All the best,
PS: Hiring a professional to create a website that reflects you and your business is extremely important. The benefit of having LoracVS build you a WordPress website or blog is to free up your time and give you a professional platform your clients will respond to and Google will love. Contact us today.
Carol Ann Quibell, is the owner of Lorac Virtual Solutions, providing virtual solutions to business owners by assisting them with WordPress website creation,social media, business plans, online marketing and writing services.
The greatest tool for creating websites or blogs is WordPress for a variety of very good reasons.
- Google absolutely loves WordPress!
- Easy to make your content search engine friendly.
- Google searches every page, PDF files, images, videos – all easy to accomplish.
- Easy to learn and update yourself, making changes whenever you wish.
- Many options available to personalize your site.
- Hundreds of plugins to make your website do what you want it to do.
- Easy to connect your site to social media and mobile friendly.
- Professional look and feel – easy to create.
- Brand your business with a one-time purchased theme.
- Multiple websites possible from a single installation.
The popular content management system of WordPress can be used in a self-hosted or hosted version but we recommend the easy to use hosted service provided by Hostgator which is easy to get it up and running very quickly.
All the best,
PS: WordPress is the absolute best tool for creating your website! Hostgator is one of the best hosting services available that makes WordPress set up even easier. Sign up today for both and use the coupon loracvs2012 to receive $9.94 discount on Hostgator.
Guest Blogger Jerri Goranson shares information on Amazon Author Pages. For every author who has a book listed on Amazon completing the profile on Author Pages is important. Below are answers to some of the questions you may have.
Question: What are Amazon Author Pages?
- Amazon Author Pages are dedicated in offering customers a new way to browse and shop favorite authors, discover new books, and much more. Each Author Page includes a bibliography, and should include a biography, author photo, discussion board, and more. More features to come.
Question: How do I locate an Amazon Author Page?
- Click on the author’s name on the book detail page or search for the author’s name from the Amazon.com Books Store. You’ll see an Amazon Author Page icon at the top of the search results with a link to their Author Page.
Question: What if I’m an author who doesn’t have an Amazon Author Page?
- If you’re an author with a book listed in Amazon’s catalog, you are eligible to join Author Central, a free service provided by Amazon where you can share information about yourself and your work and request an Author Page.
Question: What can I do if I see an error on an Amazon Author Page?
- The Author Pages Feedback form is available to alert Amazon of any Author Page issues or to submit any suggestions on how to improve these pages.
In preparation of your book launch, be sure to put energy into your Author Central page on Amazon. This is your place to shine, share your books, videos, blog posts, tweets, reviews and more.
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Jerri is the Author of Book Marketing Virtually: How you can benefit from using an Online Book Marketing Specialist- visit her book blog at www.bookmarketingvirtually.com
I hope Jerri’s blog answered some of your questions regarding Amazon Author’s Pages and if you would like even more information on how you can promote yourself on Amazon contact us at LoracVS and we will do our best to assist you with your questions.
All the best,
Carol Ann Quibell, is the owner of Lorac Virtual Solutions, providing virtual solutions to business owners by assisting them with social media, developing business plans, online marketing and writing services.
Guest Blogger Janet Patten shares her knowledge on marketing your business with videos.
The 4 Key Elements to Include in your Business Videos
Janet Patten
If you aren’t involved in marketing your business with video, you should really give this avenue some serious consideration. This is the most effective and engaging way to reach your customers. Having videos on your website or social media sites such as Facebook or YouTube will help you to communicate your brand and increase traffic to your website.
There are a few key elements that every marketing video should have. Cover the points listed below and you will have a winning marketing vehicle that works well. Here are some tips on what to consider and include in your video.
- Branded Intro- begin your video is with a screen that has your company logo, colours, website address and/or tagline. Make sure the design is clean, eye-catching and readable. The idea is to build your brand and to use this on all your videos to make them recognizable.
- Main Content- the body of your video could contain a series of photos, recorded video, PowerPoint slides or other graphics. This material should communicate your message and address problems or issues that you can solve for your customers. Use text callouts to enhance and highlight certain parts of the video. Try to include an area on the bottom or top that has your company name, phone number or website. Make sure that this area is readable and not obscured when posted on another site.
- Audio- Pay attention to sound quality and user experience. Choose music that doesn’t clash with your message or cause a distraction. Make sure you have the rights to use the music and have it play softly. Try to fade in and fade out the music at the beginning and end if you are able. If you are using recorded voice audio, then make sure that there is no static or background noise.
- Last Screen- At the end of your video you should have a call to action. Use text to direct people to your website or to call your business number, or direct viewers to a squeeze page to sign up for your offer. If you are posting on YouTube, you can add clickable links to the video or use the description area.
Be sure to include these 4 basic elements, and you will have a winning and high-converting video. This will help you build a strong brand and bring traffic to your website or offers.
Janet Patten is a Virtual Marketing Assistant and owner of Arcadia Creative Marketing, specializing in online local marketing and online video production. www.yourlocaleyes.com
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I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I have.
Carol Ann Quibell, is the owner of Lorac Virtual Solutions, providing virtual solutions to business owners by assisting them with social media, developing business plans, online marketing and writing services.
Guest Blogger Eunice Nisbett shares with you why you need a Virtual Assistant.
Who Says I Need a VA?
Eunice Nisbett, Savvy Corporate Planners+
A VA? What on earth is that, an Ipod? I know the term might be new to you. Or perhaps you have heard it before and did not even care. No it is not an Ipod. We’re human. We are Virtual Assistants! Your savvy administrative partners located away from your office, yet connected to you…virtually.
Yes, it has been a while since you started your business, and you are bogged down with the administrative details. Then again, perhaps you are a large company seeking to downsize and it is now time to outsource. Virtual assistance is the new outsourcing strategy.
Outsourcing what, you ask. Just about anything that takes you away from focusing on the bottom line – profits; anything that prevents you from taking the time to understand your clients’ needs and meet them; anything that diverts your attention from your business core. Let’s say anything admin.
The volume of administrative work I have to perform is negligible. I can do it myself, you respond. That’s what you think. However, stop for a minute and assess how you invest your time. How much time do you spend performing these administrative routines?
- Running around to secure your business license
- Arranging meetings
- Attending meetings
- Transcribing your handwritten notes
- Preparing your PowerPoint Presentations
- Preparing and mailing Invoices
- Preparing proposals
- Chasing payments
- Drafting, typing and editing documents
- Converting documents to PDF
- Making hotel and travel reservations
- Responding to emails and clearing your email account
- Sending out e-mail blasts
- Fiddling with setting up your Facebook Page or Tweeter Account
- Tweeting
- Contributing to discussions on Linkedin
- Recruiting staff
- Preparing your marketing material
- Performing Internet research
- Writing content for your Website
- Writing News Releases
- Creating Forms
- Conducting Surveys
- Launching your Newsletter campaign
- Marketing
It certainly adds up, doesn’t it? So what can a Virtual Assistant do for you?
Virtual Assistants are independent entrepreneurs. We make your life easier by freeing you of the administrative details, such as those listed above, to allow you to improve your bottom line. You do not need to pay our taxes, sick leave or vacation pay. You pay only for the hours we work for you or for the project at hand. We add value to your team and allow you to focus on growing your business.
If you are a large company which is downsizing, perhaps through attrition, you might have cut back on the number of administrative personnel in your team. There are projects which need to be completed:
- Updating your filing system
- Launching new products or services
- Keeping your publics informed
- Planning on-site or virtual corporate events
- Setting up or enhancing your social media marketing portfolio
Let a Virtual Assistant take care of these tasks and free your time for visioning and strategic planning. For example, let us do the running around for that corporate event – secure the venue; prepare the budget; select the entertainment; and invite the guests. As much or as little that you would like us to do, to ensure a memorable corporate event. We can also help you to host exciting virtual events, such as webinars.
Are you an Author ready to launch your new book? The let us team with you to take your book to the world. We will create your blog, take it on a virtual tour and market it. This will free you, so that in no time you will be ready to write another book.
As your virtual business partner, your VA will be in tune with your business support needs.
Need time to vision for your business and let it grow? I say, You Need a VA!
Team with one today!
Eunice Nisbett is an independent Administrative Services Consultant/Virtual Assistant, and owner of Savvy Corporate Planners+. A savvy, dependable, skilled and dedicated virtual entrepreneur with over twenty (20) years experience in coordinating, planning and supporting operational and administrative functions, Eunice presents a proven track record of professionalism and commitment to excellence. She works with entrepreneurs and corporate institutions globally to provide effective administrative support solutions to take their businesses to the next level. You may wish to visit her at www.savvyvirtuals.com.
I hope you found this as interesting as I did – thanks Eunice!
Carol Ann Quibell, is the owner of Lorac Virtual Solutions, providing virtual solutions to business owners by assisting them with social media, developing business plans, online marketing and writing services.
