Erika's Blog - Northern Connections

On the May 2-4 weekend, I attended a Virtual Assistance conference in Toronto, Ontario. Being in a virtual business, it was great to actually meet in person many of the Virtual Assistants I have had conversations with over the internet. We were mentored by women who have been successful for several years, giving us instruction, tips and ideas for moving our own personal businesses ahead. There is nothing better than spending a few days with like-minded people who have been there, done that, and you can benefit from their experiences. I came away with renewed motivation, set up some personal coaching and signed up for technology classes in my home town. I didn't even know this person was so close to me. Often times a business person may look at the costs and decide they can't afford to attend, but personally I think it is money well-spent if it helps you in the long run to get closer to your goals.

Labels: business, motivation, networking, virtual assistant

In my last blog I talked about building relationships, either family or work-related. I volunteered to be on a communications committee recently to see where improvements can be made in the corporate environment. It was interesting to note that there is always much to do to make communications better. Front line workers often feel undervalued when their opinions are not listened to. Management may feel that they don't have time to relay important information down the line, or don't know who really needs (or wants) to know about high level issues. We often get deluged with emails in an attempt to keep staff informed. The real communication skill is not sending out newsletters, or fyi emails. It comes down to whether someone feels they are being listened to, understood and cared for in this busy, rushed world we live in. If you can master that, your staff will become truly engaged in their work and want to go the extra mile.

Labels: business, communication

I took the advice of my Business Coach and made some changes to my web site title and keywords. I also started writing articles and publishing on the internet. Between this and some backlinks from organizations that I joined, I was surprised to find my web site on page 2 of Google search. That is very exciting. Now I need to keep up the efforts to remain there and get even higher rankings.

Labels: business, internet marketing, seo

I am sure most business owners know what a strategic plan is, but I wonder how many actually have one and use it to plan their growth. A strategic plan should be a living document that gets revised regularly as demands change. It is not a document that gets prepared once and then sits in a file to be looked at again in a couple of years. I am currently a part of a team developing their strat plan for the first time and it is quite a learning experience for the group. If you haven't had experience in this before, it takes a bit of time looking at indicators and establishing milestones to ensure the results accurately reflect progress being made. Projects need to be planned and tasks assigned to staff. To get all staff to buy-in to the strategic planning process, it's a good idea to involve them in the decision making and also encourage their ideas and input. Our group has indicated they have gained from seeing other's programs and the benefit of working together as a team to move in one direction. There is lots of information available in preparing your Strategic Plan. If your are planning growth, you will need one so you don't veer off course.

Labels: business, strategic planning

You may have heard the saying "no success in business makes up for failure at home" (or something like that). I've been thinking about success lately as I started out my home-based business. I also look at people I work with who put their jobs ahead of their family time or leisure time. Their families beg to schedule time with them. Working can definitely be more interesting and stimulating. It is much more exciting than trying to converse at a 3-year old level, or bake cookies. I stayed home for 13 years raising my children. It is not easy, but the rewards are well worth it. Now I am working full time and working part time at a home-based business. My philosophy is that your family comes first before all else. Otherwise, why did anyone choose to have children just to have them raised by day care staff and babysitters, and then wonder why they have problems. I firmly believe a parent's job is to raise good, responsible, respectful kids, and that means sacrifice (personal time, material things, etc.). Business success is secondary. What do you think?

Labels: business, family, success

The best way to begin networking is to ask questions of the other person and their company. Learn what you can about them and their interests. When asking for their business card, ask who would be their best client so you can help them get referrals. Develop a data base of all the contacts you make with notations that remind you of your meeting. Cultivate a business relationship over a period of time. Keep in touch by sending them something of interest or value so they know you are thinking of them. Developing a business relationship will lead to opportunities for both parties. Wouldn't you refer someone that you know and have dealt with in the past? The same will happen to your business. Guess what? By fostering a strategic business friendship, you will be "top of the mind" when the opportunity for that referral comes up. Peter Drucker said 30 years ago, the purpose of business is "to create and keep a customer". That is still true today. Eventually your networking efforts will pay off.

Labels: business, networking

I just finished reading a book called Endless Referrals. It was written a couple of years back, but the practises are common and have been used for a long time. The main thought is that the average person knows 250 people who they come in contact with throughout their lives. The first step in gaining referrals is to develop a relationship with your circle of people. As you offer to do things for them, without any expectations, you will build trust and a mutual friendship. Over time and as your circle comes to know, respect and trust you, referrals will start to come in from those you have helped. You now have access to their circle of 250 people. You can see how the ball starts to roll and your network expands. However, the main concept is to be a genuine, caring giver first. Then it becomes human nature that those you have helped will want to help you too by sending business your way.

www.erikamartlew.com

Labels: business, networking

It has been a very stressful week. My web site (and subsequently, My Blog) have been down. It took me several phone calls over the course of a few days to the domain registrar as well as my host server to figure out how to get back up, which we managed to do today. YAY!!! I am so relieved. There is nothing worse than feeling disconnected and wondering if people are trying to view your site only to get a Parked Page message. Thank goodness I have lots of patience. Godaddy sent me a customer survey to complete, and they are certainly going to get my 2 cents worth. Anyway, hopefully all will be well again in my world and I can continue merrily blogging and writing articles.

Labels: business, stress

I wanted to share with you how I manage to keep my Inbox down to about 6 emails, tops.
1. I do a quick scan as I open my emails to see if there is anything urgent.
2. As I open and read each email, I take action immediately. I don't read it and then go on to the next email. I decide whether it requires action from me or is it an information email.
3. If it requires a response, I do it right away. If I cannot respond right away, I leave it in the inbox for now.
DON'T OPEN THE NEXT EMAIL UNTIL YOU HAVE DEALT WITH THIS ONE.
4. If it is an information email, I decide whether I may need to refer to it in the future. If so, I save it in one of my personal folders. If I don't think I will need it again, I delete it.
DON'T OPEN THE NEXT EMAIL UNTIL YOU HAVE DEALT WITH THIS ONE.
By the time I have read through all my emails for the day, I should only have the action items left in my inbox that I can't respond to right away until I have gathered more information.
So that's my method. It has worked for me for years. People are amazed that my inbox is not overflowing like theirs is. Saves me a lot of stress and time in not having to re-read messages.
Try it and let me know if it works for you.

Visit my web site at www.erikamartlew.com

Labels: business, stress, time management

As I have been growing my Virtual Assistant business over the past few months, and getting very overwhelmed and stressed out with demands, I decided it was time to hire a Coach. I was fortunate to be able to find exactly the support I needed in marketing my services and especially learning how to optimize my web site and learn more about internet marketing. My coach, Tawnya Sutherland, from http://www.mediamage.com/ has been invaluable in helping me move along and to focus on specific areas. Through our weekly teleconferences, she gave me expert advice, suggested areas to work on, provided constructive criticism and feedback and steered me to helpful resources. Hiring a Business Coach should not be considered an expense, but an investment in yourself and your business. You will see immediate results.

Erika



For all your Virtual Assistant needs, visit my web site at http://www.erikamartlew.com/.

Labels: business, coaching, virtual assistant

It goes without saying that to develop a good reputation which will result in repeat sales and loyal customers, providing excellence in customer service is key. Word of mouth referrals are often a business's best source of gaining new customers. Then it is up to the business to keep those new customers by developing a trustworthy relationship with them. Get to know your clients and develop a level of trust through honest information exchange. Customers need to feel welcome and know that their business is appreciated. Listen and respond to their needs, perceiving what they are trying to accomplish through an open and candid conversation and then remove any barriers to meeting those needs. Knowledgeable customers are willing to pay for excellent service and will go to the businesses that provide it. When you create a positive atmosphere in your business through friendly and courteous service, your business will flourish through repeat sales and long-time customers.

Erika is a Virtual Assistant who provides help to small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Visit my web site at www.erikamartlew.com

Labels: business, customer service