Posted July 28th, 2009
Okay, I have gone all “scientific” on you! My thought process went something like…Christmas is coming up fast…snow…snowflakes are unique…businesses should be unique in their approach to support…don’t ask!
You’ve heard the saying “No two snowflakes are alike”, right? Well, the same is true for businesses and their respective support needs. It seems that business owners have had a knee jerk reaction to staffing their businesses instead of really thinking through how the job they’re recruiting for works into the bigger picture of business growth. Could this be part of the reason why our economy is bleeding jobs? Its worth considering. The most important thing to note is that taking the wrong approach to support can have dire consequences in the long run.
Many small businesses have made the common decision to hire an administrative assistant without really thinking through the process. Without any clear cut direction, it is no wonder then, why many small business end up in an abyss of static support. Following the beaten path of support for the sake of support is no way to differentiate yourself from the competition or to get growing in the right direction.
When a business owner hires an assistant with the basic requirements only being file this, email that or answer the phone, there is no real value being added to the business. While some get lucky and land an savvy assistant that really gets things moving and pulled together in a business. Others plateau and languish in routine tasks that kill morale and does noting to move the business forward.
There are two casualties of the “Static Approach” to staffing: a) the employee, who gets burned out and discouraged from not having a real challenge and opportunity for professional growth and b) you as the business owner suffer as you pay for busy work and still find yourself doing too much and profiting too little.
This economic climate has created the conditions for fantastic opportunities for small businesses to get it right. The Snowflake Effect calls business owners to look at their business as if it were a snowflake, with its own unique design. Let’s take a look at the two different types of businesses and determine which one you want to be:
The Frozen Raindrop Business: Rain that freezes is not a snowflake but sleet. Sleet has no special design or symmetry it just falls heavy. Consider whether your business is actively engaged in employing mundane, non-moving support that falls heavy on your bottom line.
The Snowflake Business: A Snowflake is made if ice crystals that, depending on the conditions, can grow into a complex, effortlessly beautiful and one of a kind snowflake. Approach hiring with the “how will this help me grow” , question in mind. Make sure that the support in your business is capable of creating the conditions to grow into a one of a kind brand people can’t get enough of!
The Moral to this Metaphor: Snowflake good! Raindrop bad! Before hiring, think about where you want to take your business and actively encourage whomever you hire to perform their work to affect the greater goal, be it sales or helping free your time to do the things you really excel at. It’s time to stop doing things for the sake of doing them. In business, be intentional. Be complex. Be a flake!
Be sure to share your thoughts on this post with me.
Until next post…Happy wishing!
Posted July 26th, 2009
When I started my company back in 2007, I knew that I needed a website. But, I did not have the money or the knowledge of where to begin. The inner nerd in me set out to learn web design and build my own site. Initially, drawn in by the website template gnomes… I bought one, customized it and loved it for all of two weeks. I was stuck! My knowledge of a what a good website needs was changing but my website was not (mostly because I was limited in my ability and funds to change it)..but, changeless nevertheless.
I know I am not the only small business owner who has struggled with this, or some other, scenario. But, I have since seen the light and value in having a blog based website powered by WordPress.
WordPress for me is such a magical blog tool and publishing platform. The versatility it provides is nothing short of amazing and there are plugins for just about anything you can imagine. Here are just a few of the cool things you can do with a WordPress site:
- Display and promote your products and services (Just as you would a typical website)
- Easily build and Manage a Membership site
- Sell products and services
- Create a blog that seamlessly integrates with your site and social networking activities (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
And more….
WordPress comes with free themes to get you started. But, there are many other options out there, in the form of themes, that will provide you with the ability to quickly and easily build a site that matches your company’s branding. Some of the sites I’d recommend are:
Get inspired by WordPress. It can do so much for your business. WordPress has opened up a whole new world of opportunities for my own company and I just like to share anything I think will make a difference in the business of other entreprenuers.
Check back frequently as I have much more to share about the magic of WordPress. Feel free to share any questions, suggestions or opinions!
Until next post…Happy Wishing!
Posted July 25th, 2009
Okay, I am currently working on a book and I just can’t contain my excitement! If you have been talking, thinking, dreaming and wishing about writing a book, but just have not pursued it because you wouldn’t know how to get it published, I have found the perfect solution for you.
Blurb.com (taken from their website): Blurb is a company and a community that believes passionately in the joy of books – reading them, making them, sharing them, and selling them.
Whether you want to create a simple booklet to gift to your clients or author a informative reading for your niche audience, you can do it all with this software.
Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think!
Happy Wishing!
Posted July 20th, 2009
A Shy Entrepreneur? What an Oxymoron, right? When you think of the word “entrepreneur” you think of a go getter, a savvy risk taker with a gift for engaging people. But, the reality is that “48 percent of people 
identify themselves as shy”, according to an article in Psychology Today.
So, this means there are quite a few entrepreneurs out there with sweaty palms and butterflies as the push every day to try to build their business. Myself included!
There is no getting around having to get in the thick of engaging and networking with people, if you want to build a successful business. And, there is no doubt that the internet definitely takes some of the pain out of public speaking and networking situations.
But, while it is definitely possible to build your business as the man or woman behind the curtain, it is doubly beneficial and healthy to participate in some mix of internet and person-to-person networking!
From my own perspective, I find that I am more at ease when I am (or at least tell myself I am) in control of the situation. How would I do that? The answer is…make it about your audience and not about you. If you commit to the mission of listening to the needs and wants of your audience, you can feel more comfortable and natural about speaking in front of or to anyone.
In addition to my two cents…check out this neat article I found, “10 Networking Tips for the Shy Entrepreneur“. Very practical..enjoy!
**Remember, we are all just people at the end of the day, dealing with the same issues of life and putting on our pants one leg at a time! Trust me you are fabulous—Now it’s time to let the rest of us experience your glory!
Until next post…Happy Wishing!
Posted July 14th, 2009
You run a fast growing small business and found yourself needing to hire an administrative assistant. You went through the grueling and costly process of placing ads and interviews to find a jewel for your office. After a few months on the job you find yourself thinking… “What would I do without my assistant?” A few months turns into several years and then comes the day you’ve always hoped wouldn’t come. Your assistant comes to you and utters those words “I am leaving”. You smile and calmly express how sorry you are to lose her while inside you are FREAKING OUT! What are you gonna do? How are you going to replace your Gal Friday? The world must be coming to an end…right?
Yes that’s right! Businesses all around the world are experiencing this weird phenomenon of Administrative Assistants getting up from their desks and leaving to join the Virtual Assistance Revolution. Just kidding…well…sort of.
See there really is a revolution underway. It turns out, a spiraling economy and mass layoffs create quite the perfect storm of opportunity.
What if that same employee called you up a few months down the line and proposed to pick up where she left off except you could pay her less and she will be working from her home office? Would you jump at the offer?
Support professionals, who have spent years in the administrative support field, are finding the concept of becoming their own boss, while still providing expert support services to businesses, enticing. This is quite a ways away from the traditional employee/employer relationship that has been the norm in our society. Its even a bit of a stretch from the cost cutting appeal of telecommuting. So how can savvy administrative support professionals, turned entrepreneurs, benefit you?
Value for Value:
First, let’s consider the inherit value of using a Virtual Assistant instead of a traditional Administrative Assistant. You are partnering with another business owner whose success hinges on your success. VAs are typically very proactive about supporting your business through the lens of growth oriented support. This means you don’t just get someone who is carrying our processes, but, someone who is purposefully looking for ways to help you grow your business. Your success is your VA’s success as well!
Cost Advantages:
If you don’t know, you will shortly! No employment taxes, benefits, sick pay and other employee related expenses to worry about. When you work with a VA you don’t have to worry about your hard earned dollars being flushed down the drain of wasted employee time. In today’s economy every cent counts and you can count on only paying for the time it takes to complete your projects or tasks, when you partner with a VA.
Small Business With a Big Presence:
Last but not least, Virtual Assistants can work anywhere in the world for your business. If you want your business to be available 24 hours, you can assemble a team of assistants in different time zones. If you need to have a presence in a particular state or country, you can strategically contract with VAs around the globe to give your small business, big business leverage.
The Virtual Assistance industry has made business better, not only for the support professionals it’s made up of, but also for the businesses that they serve. With a little ingenuity, you can take your small business to successes you’ve dreamed of and beyond. So, if your administrative assistant has to say goodbye one day, you can smile on the inside and out and know that the Virtual Universe has created a better opportunity for you on the horizon!
Until Next Post…Happy Wishing!
Posted July 12th, 2009
I had an epiphany as I was writing for my book the other day. I was writing the words “Administrative Support”, and had to pause. What does administrative support mean to a business? More specifically, what does it mean to business growth? What small businesses need is Growth Oriented Support instead of Static Support.
Far too often, small businesses with a staff of even 1-20 employees, still find themselves stalled in the growth department or making modest gains, at best. How can this be? When you begin hiring employees, the idea behind it is supposed to be to have more man power to support current and future business growth. Right?
What is Static Support?
Static business support can be defined as any support function in a business that does not have a direct impact on business growth. Static support is a necessary and vital component to every business. It involves the day to day execution of processes and systems needed to support “In” business activities. These task typically include filing, phone answering, word processing, account management, customer service and other basic tasks that help deliver serviced to clients and customers. Static support does its job, but does not seek out opportunities that will further the growth of a business.
What is Growth Oriented Support?
Growth Oriented Support takes a hybrid approach to supporting a business. It combines the foundational functions needed to support “In” business processes, but also focuses on how the elements being supported contribute to a companies bottom line. The Growth Support Approach encourages your team to be proactive in creating solutions to make business better.
What causes a business to to get stuck in a Static Support Culture?
The problem may lie in the perception of your employees. Until I met and fell in love with Virtual Assistance and Online Business Management roles, I too was admittedly lost in the fog of static support. When I worked as an Administrative Assistant, I worked really hard and productively within my job description and even stepped outside of it every now and then. But, It was not clear to me then how my job functions worked into the overall vision of the company.
This is not a blast against employees or business owners. It’s just a new way to look at the the relationship. Many businesses include a “Seeking Administrative Assistant…”, or some variation of basic support in their wants ads. This is common practice. It essentially all starts with the “Want Ads”. If “Growth Support” was communicated in want ads instead of static support job duties, applicants would have a different perception of what their job requires and thus, perform them with your bottom line in mind! Of course, this means solidifying this theme in the interviewing process as well.
How can entrepreneurs leverage Growth Oriented Business Support?
As a business owner, what good is having support if it does not:
A) Free you up to focus on developing your business and
B) Contribute to your growth in some concrete and measurable way?
The business landscape is experiencing a quiet shift in business growth practices. Online Business Management and Virtual Assistance are the cornerstones of this powerful revolution. These business models are deeply rooted in the “How can I help grow this business?” mentality. There are a few ways a small business owner can make The Growth Support Approach™ work for their business:
- Develop a Growth Oriented Support Culture: In order to reap the benefits of the Growth Support Method, it is important that a business truly embrace this idea and make it a part of the culture. This means communicating your growth goals in want ads, interviews, employee reviews and incentives. Your team will need to know that no matter what their title, their role is important to the success of your business.
- Adopt a Hybrid Staffing Strategy: A hybrid approach to staffing where traditional staffing methods are integrated with virtual staffing (i.e. Virtual Assistants) can create a great growth dynamic for a business. This strategy would eliminate the restructuring of culture and allow for your current static support staff to mix with the growth oriented support of a team of Virtual Assistants.
- Hire an Online Business Manager: With the surge of opportunities to increase profits via an online presence and the hot trend of adopting a virtual workforce, hiring an OBM is quite possibly the best way to kill two birds with one stone. An OBM can help implement a phased growth strategy in your business while also managing the manpower to support it. This option provides a business owner with the tools to move their business forward as well as the freedom to focus on doing the work they are passionate about.
It’s time to look at business though a different lens, especially in times like these where business norms are causing collapse and restructuring of many businesses. Be innovative. Be Courageous. Be on the move!
Do not follow where the path may lead.
Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Harold R. McAlindon
Until next post: Happy Wishing!
Posted July 6th, 2009
I came across this resource while having a enlightening conversation with my Aunt Janet who is a powerhouse. Thanks Auntie!
Okay, What if a potential customer could visit your site and be transported to a 3D rendered version of your office where they can chat with your receptionist, pick up brochures, purchase your products and attend seminars all without leaving the comfort of their homes, offices, I-Phones or Blackberry. What if your customers could experience you beyond your blogs, tweets, and Facebook pages and experience your business as they would…say a video game?
Sounds real high tech…huh? Well, I kid you not when I tell you, you can! My how technology flies. If you think Web 2.0 rocks, wait til you get a load of what the world of Web 3.0 could look like. Imagine the popular virtual game The SIMS combined with the talking head Sitepal on steroids and you’ve got SecondLife.com.
Of course coining the term Web 3.0 is a bit premature. However, it is likely that the technology the Second Life is showcasing, can be the beginning of the next web phenomenon. It’s hard to imagine an improvement on social media sweethearts like Twitter and Facebook. They’ve been such a wonderful asset to small businesses with short marketing dollars. But, the promise of new “Virtual World” technology is definitely cause for some heads to be turning.
The fact is, large companies like IBM and Xerox are using Second Life internally, to conduct training, meetings,and events; while innovate non-profits like Global Kids, use it to engage children in an entertaining and educating way. Think of the opportunity this presents to small businesses and professionals around the globe.
I imagine there are at least a few ways this technology can enhance small business communications:
Tooned Teleconferences: Teleconferences are great even synced with video using technologies such as SKype. But Second Life could add a really kind of out of this world atmosphere that is both informative and entertaining at the same time. Instead of listening to faceless voices you can transport users into an animated conference room full of animated versions of themselves watching your presentation while taking notes and discussing key points with one another all at once. And video conferencing can be made more interesting as well. Besides, animation just makes everything more fun, right?
Cool Client Consults: How much more fun would it be to meet a potential client and walk them through your product or services with interactive animation? Many consultants and Virtual Assistants are very familiar with the phone consultation. In the case of the VA with clients all around the country, interacting with clients or potential clients this way may bridge the virtual barrier stopping you from physically interacting with your clients.
Priceless Shopping Experience: People love shopping, the internet and video games. So, it seems only logical that if you combined all three elements, you could have a pretty successful online business. That is considering you are using other best practices to market, attract and retain customers. Oh, and what you are selling shouldn’t suck.
What a way to stand out from the crowd. As a former Choreographer, I love to entertain. As a business owner, I still do and as a consumer, I can definitely be persuaded to buy by a cool presentation and shiny objects.
With the emergence of Social Media, people have become submersed (and in some cases obsessed) with the interactive tools and applications that put a convenient twist on staying connected with friends, family, colleges and customers. One need only to look as far as the millions of people enamored with their IPhones and Blackberries to find proof that this trend is bound to continue.
I am no psychic. But, I predict that Second Life can become an exciting and entertaining medium for businesses to market and interact with their customers as well as with members of their own organization online.
But, as always, don’t just take my work for it. Check it our for yourself and let your imagination take you places.
Until next post…Happy Wishing!
Okay, I have gone all “scientific” on you! My thought process went something like…Christmas is coming up fast…snow…snowflakes are unique…businesses should be unique in their approach to support…don’t ask!