Author Archive
Oursourcing Your Way to Success in 2012
So you have made the decision that 2012 is going to be your year. You want to grow your business and you have decided that outsourcing your administration to a Virtual Assistant is the way to help do this.
Great decision! But this can be a very scary time outsourcing parts of your business but never fear Little Miss Useful has some great tips to make the outsourcing process a little smoother.
1. Start out small
I have outsourced myself and know first hand what it is like to feel like you are losing a little bit of control in your business (particularly hard if you are a control freak like me!) so the best way to do this is to start out small.
Once you have found a provider start by sending adhoc jobs and as you receive the work back and feel ready to hand over more, then do so. Starting out slowly helps to build the trust between your and your Virtual Assistant.
2. Be specific
Being specific about what you want and also what your deadline is will definitely make outsourcing easier. Your Virtual Assistant will more than likely have a few clients at a time so the more specific you are about a deadline the better your outcome will be. It also makes your virtual assistant’s life a little easier when it comes to prioritising tasks.
The other thing to do is tell your virtual assistant which are your priorities, particularly important if you hand over a long list of things to do. Tell your VA which is the most important to you to be completed first and then work from there.
Quick Tip: Also be very specific with how much time you want spent on a task, which will avoid any high bills. My clients can quite often say keep going until you have done 2 hours work and then let me know where we are at. It is a great way to stay in touch about a project and also keep your costs under control.
3. Don’t choose a Virtual Assistant based solely on price
I know price (especially in small business) is a consideration, but please don’t let it be your only consideration. You are paying your Virtual Assistant not only for their time but also for their expertise and knowledge. My client’s quite often don’t only use me to do the work but also to consult for my ideas on how a process can work better. What you need to look at is the value you are getting from your Virtual Assistant instead of worrying about the price so much.
JUST FOR FUN! I saw this on Facebook the other day (can’t remember who shared it, so sorry to whoever it was!) and thought it was very clever and oh so relevant.
4. Do your research
Finding the right Virtual Assistant can take time, so make sure you do your research. Ask colleagues if they have ever used a VA and if they have any recommendations, I don’t think you can beat recommendations when working with a Virtual Assistant. There are also dedicated websites and networks that help you find the right VA’s companies like www.virtuallyyours.com.au can help you with your search. Companies like that usually have reference checks and certain service level standard they operate to.
5. Always sign a contract
There I said it and yes a lot of people don’t like to work using a contract but it is so important that you do. The contract protects you and tells you how your information is used. More often then not when working with a Virtual Assistant you need to give them access to a lot of sensitive information, whether that be passwords or actual information on your products. So a privacy policy and contract is a must!
How to create a MailChimp Autoresponder
Welcome to the first Useful Tip of the Month.
This month I will show you how to set up an autoresponder in MailChimp.
To view the video click on the image below.
Facebook FAQ’s for Business
Interacting on Facebook Business pages is a common question here at Little Miss Useful, so I wanted to share with you my top 5 questions clients ask me.
1. Can a page see my personal information if i LIKE them?
Pages cannot see the profiles of people who like the page. The only information they can see is your profile photo and name.
The administrators of a page will however, be able to see anything you’ve made available to public (should they visit your profile). So be sure that you have your privacy settings set up correctly.
Pages are able to communicate with you (once you like the page) by sending messages.
2. What is the difference between my personal profile and a business page?
Profiles represent individuals and must be held under an individual name, while Pages allow an organisation, business, celebrity, or band to maintain a professional presence on Facebook.
In addition, Pages are managed by admins who have personal Facebook profiles. Pages are not separate Facebook accounts and do not have separate login information from your profile. They are simply different entities on your site, similar to how Groups and Events function.
Once you have set up a Page within your profile, you may add other admins to help you manage this Page. People who choose to connect to your Page won’t be able to see that you are the Page admin or have any access to your personal account.
3. I want a Facebook username for my business page. How can I do this?
You are able to claim your custom URL (or username) once you have 25 fans. For example the Little Miss Useful URL is www.facebook.com/littlemissuseful. To claim your URL you go to http://www.facebook.com/username
You simply choose the username you would like for your page and Facebook will let you know if available. Make sure you choose wisely as once you set your username you are unable to change this.
4. How often should I post on my page.
This is a tricky one and no amount of posting will work the same for every business. As a guide I usually recommend at least once a day and maybe twice per day if you have really great content. Our view is that any more than twice per day is overkill and you may end up having a higher ‘unlike’ rate.
5. I would like to schedule my Facebook posts, do you recommend any tools to do this?
There are a few different tools out there that allow you to schedule your posts on Facebook. My favourite would be HootSuite which allows you to schedule your Facebook posts and also allows you to post to multiple social networks (like Twitter and Linked In). HootSuite is free for the basic account and is so easy to use.
If you do use HootSuite to schedule your posts, make sure you get onto Facebook and post in real time – nothing beats the real you.
Need Help?
If you need any help regarding Facebook, Little Miss Useful can help. We have several options available to help support your use of Facebook.
Simply email nicole@littlemissuseful.com and we can talk about your requirements and how we can help.
Special Offer: Website and Facebook Package
Little Miss Useful has some big plans in the pipeline and I am very very excited about them.
Although I can’t tell you what the plans are just yet… I am feeling very excited and generous.
So to celebrate, Little Miss Useful has a special offer for our Website and Facebook packages.
Confirm one of our website packages by Friday 13th May and you will receive a bonus Facebook Fanpage set up completely FREE! That is a saving of $199.
Our website packages** start from $695 for a 5 page website. You can view all the packages available here.
For more information or to book please contact Little Miss Useful to see how we can help.
Terms and Conditions
- This special offer is limited to three packages only and must be booked in by Friday 13th May.
- Please allow 2-3 weeks turn around time.
- All packages require a 25% deposit prior to any work beginning.
- Little Miss Useful can offer advice on several options and recommend reputable service providers when it comes to graphic design, copywriting, themes and e-marketing companies. Little Miss Useful also provides reliable and cost-effective website hosting.
Latest website: Emit Fitness
Rhiannon Lovell from Emit Fitness contacted me about revamping her website.
Emit Fitness is all about energising, motivating, inspiring and transforming people so I wanted to ensure that her website displayed those qualities. I definitely feel like this was achieved.
The website had a large focus on the blog so the homepage is blog style and with a focus on fresh and motivating images.
A great graphic designer in Lamese from Words and Pictures definitely helped. Lamese created that beautiful banner at the top of Rhiannon’s website.
Here is the end result and I just love it!
What the client said
“If you need any kind of help with your blog, website or general administration, then Nicole Hammet from Little Miss Useful is the person to turn to. As a busy exercise professional, my days are filled with training and coaching clients so I rarely have enough time in my day to work on my website and administration. Nicole has taken the pain out of that experience by ‘taking charge’ of my website and taken it from basic to brilliant. My business leads have increased significantly and my whole business image is now very professional. Nothing is ever too much trouble for Nicole. Thanks a million!”
Rhiannon Lovell – Emit Fitness
If you would like to get online quickly speak to me about our WordPress packages.
Websites that work
Your website is one of the most important tools for your business in today’s online world. Your website can make or break your business.
So you want to ensure your website is performing well and converting visitors into valuable clients.
Here are my top tips for creating a website that works.
Plan for success
I can’t tell you how many clients have come to me and said ‘I need a website’ but do not have a clear idea on what they are trying to achieve or the content they want to see. All they know is that they should have a website without much thought behind it.
Planning your website is an essential part of building a site. If you don’t plan, then you plan to fail. It is much easier to work out a basic site-map of your site rather than doing this as you go along.
This important step will not only save you time but also money. Web designers are able to give you a more accurate quote if you know what you want.
Image links not working in WordPress
I have been working on quite a lot of wordpress websites lately and have been finding it very frustrating that when I link an image to a particular page or website, the changes haven’t been taking effect.
I finally worked out what the issue is (and whilst really slow) it is actually fixing my problem. WordPress seems to automatically add in a default link to the source of the image. So when the image was clicked on you were taking to the image source.
I haven’t seen this in previous versions of wordpress and this seems to be happening only since moving to wordpress 3.1.
The manual way to fix the problem until the issue is resolved is to link your images as normal in your post, then manually update the link in the HTML editor. You need to edit the image source and remove the
<a rel="attachment wp-att-3434" href
of the image and replace it with
<a href
Whilst not the best way to fix the problem it will help temporarily.
Outsourcing and what I am learning from my own experiences
I wrote this article for my August newsletter but I felt like it deserved a blog post all on it’s own.
August was a huge learning period for me as I started outsourcing some of my own work, which is part of my master plan with baby number two on the way. I need a team around me to help give me that support over the months when bub has arrived. It will not only mean I won’t be a stressed out crazy lady and it also means that my clients have the best support possible as well.
I have been experiencing first hand the hesitation to let things go within the business. Ironic in the sense that it is one of the things I preach about being a Virtual Assistant. So I am actually taking my own advice that I give to clients and starting out slowly and building on things as I go. I think that this experience will also make me a better Virtual Assistant as I am going through the same situation/s that my clients go through on a regular basis.
I have to say that even though I am going through a big learning phase I am LOVING it. I really do love that I have people to back me up and help me out when I have too much on my plate. It feels amazing to send the work out and know that it is going to come back completed and ready for me to quality check prior to sending back to the relevant client. It is giving me more time with my clients and also giving me more time to spend with my family. I am proud to say that over the past two weekends I have been able to keep completely work free and isn’t that what outsourcing to a Virtual Assistant is all about… gaining time back for YOU.
The hardest thing about outsourcing is that feeling you are losing a little bit of control over your business, but it doesn’t have to be the case at all. So I wanted to share my top tips for working with a Virtual Assistant.
1. Start out small
Don’t dive in head first straight away, test the waters before hand. This might seem obvious but it is very true. Building a relationship and trust takes time so start by handing over smaller tasks first. This will help on several levels, you are able to gage the work ethic of the VA, you see the standard of work they produce, and you get to see if you are compatible in the way you work together. Not all VA’s will be right for you, so you need to choose one that fits in with you and your business.
2. Provide specific instructions and deadlines
Again this might seem very simple, but the amount of work that I am sent that doesn’t specify deadlines is amazing. This really helps to eliminate misunderstandings, the more specific the better!
3. Letting go
VA’s understand this point we really do. Your business is your baby, we completely understand as out business is our baby as well. So relinquishing that ‘control’ can be really difficult at first. Be open with your VA about how you are feeling and they will be able to guide you through this stage. The points I made in number 1 also help with this point, starting out slowly at your own pace will definitely help ease this feeling. I promise once you do let go and hand over the work you will feel a huge sense of relief.
4. Always remember why you are Outsourcing
Always keep in mind exactly what you are trying to achieve by outsourcing. Perhaps you want to work less hours or you want to focus your time on other projects but always keep this in the back of your mind and it will help you to achieve your goals.
5. Stay in regular contact
Communication is essential working with a VA. Set up a schedule of when you want to be in contact with your VA. Perhaps you want to be in touch once a week or as regular as once a day, but be up front from the outset and both you and your VA will know what to expect.
6. Your VA is a professional
Remember your VA has done this before and they know what they are doing.
Working with a Virtual Assistant could be one of the best decisions you could make for your business.
What would you do if you could gain a few extra hours back each month?
Unfinished Business – How to get the job done!
My office has been in shambles lately with not enough time to actually clean my office. So I asked one of my lovely clients Adele Blair of Green Apple Organising to give us some tips on how to organise your office.
With the new financial year upon us, wouldn’t it be great to start the new year with a clear conscious by having all those unfinished work tasks/projects completed?
I’m talking about those tasks/projects that play on our mind, weighing us down and preventing us from feeling like we are on top of things. They are almost always thought of in a negative frame of mind and make us feel like we are failing.
Let’s get started and make it a reality!
Think about (or actually stand in) the room that you do your most work in, whether it be at your office, in a home office or a space in the home where you spend the most time working. Picture it in your mind or if you are there, look around and get a really good feel for exactly what your office contains. Pay close attention to the following: continue reading »
The power of positve thinking
This past fortnight have been quite a challenge for me and the business. Every business has it’s ups and downs and this time it was more down than up (or so I thought).
As a contractor to other small businesses my business really revolves around the work that comes in. Sometimes there can be a lot of work and sometimes not as much. I have been very lucky in my business that I always have an even amount of work coming in, and there is always something to keep me busy.
About 3 weeks ago I found out that I would be losing a contract (well not losing, reducing hours). This was due to the change in structure in my client’s business and they needed a more permanent staff member instead of a contractor (fair call). This was one of my main clients… and needless to say I was a little worried about the loss in workload (and income) but I am a very positive person and not one to shy away from a challenge so I saw it as a chance to go on to bigger and better things.
Facebook Etiquette Tips
I was chatting to a colleague about Facebook the other day about ettiquete for using Facebook and in particular when using Facebook for business.
Facebook is an extremely powerful tool for businesses but you need to use Facebook correctly. This is a list of things that should help you when using Facebook for business.
1. Disable all game application notifications
This is very important when you use your profile for business and personal use. Do you really want to bombard business associates everytime you win a game of Mafia Wars or fed your animals on Farmville. It is unprofessional and clogs up people’s live feeds. So the best way to avoid this is to disable notifications in the applications. Even your personal friends will thank you for this one.
2. Don’t send too many page requests
This is becoming a problem on my Facebook profile. It is really important that if you are going to suggest fan pages to people that they be relevant and not very frequent.
There are a couple of people who are constantly sending me facebook fan page requests. The majority of them are not even for their own business but for others. To be honest it really gets frustrating having to go through so many requests and declining them. It has gotten to the point where I am even considering removing these people as friends so I am no longer harrassed by fan page requests.
3. Regular updates… but don’t go overboard
You need to keep in regular contact with your customers and clients so utilising the facebook page can be very effective. You should be consistent with your updates and try to update everyone on a regular basis. That said do not go overboard and update your page 10 times a day. For the same reason as the applications it can become very frustrating when your live feed is constantly full of updates.
4. Make it personal
When adding new friends on Facebook why not personalise it. Tell the person who you are and why you want to add them. I never add someone (unless I know who they are) to my facebook profile unless they give me a reason to. If you don’t add a personal message be prepared for people to ignore your request.
5. Do not sync your Twitter to Facebook
Generally people tweet a lot more than they update their facebook page. It is accepted that on Twitter you will update your status a lot, but as already mentioned it is not on Facebook. I would advise against syncing your Twitter account to Facebook or you will clog up live feeds. A good tool that allows you to pick and choose which updates go to both Facebook and Twitter is Hoot Suite and I highly recommend it.
Tutorial: Backing up your WordPress Website
One of the most common questions I receive is ‘How do I back up my database?’.
Unfortunately a small number of people do back up their websites. There have been quite a few cases recently where people have lost their entire website with no back up.
So I wanted to provide you with instructions on how to do this to prevent or minimise the damage if something goes wrong.
There are two steps to backing up your site;
1. Copying your wordpress files (this means your theme, uploaded media files and plugins)
2. Backing up your database (which includes all of your page and blog post content)
Balancing Act
I am sure most business owners (at one stage or another) struggle with the work/life balance. Generally you have your own business so you have the freedom to work your own hours, but in reality you work more hours than you would like.
This is one area I really struggle with. Particularly as I work from home my business is always ‘there’ and I don’t really switch off. This has very much been the case over the past 6 months as my business has grown the whole “switching off” idea just doesn’t work. continue reading »
150 Free Premium WordPress Themes
This little gem was sent to me by Nick Bowditch and I just had to share it with you all.
Living Digital has compiled a list of the top 150 free Premium WordPress themes. And there are some beauties on this list. continue reading »
WordPress 2.9.1 release
WordPress 2.9.1 has been released, and is now available for downloads.
Upgrading your WordPress to the latest version is simple. You can either upgrade automatically by using the upgrade option in your dashboard. Or you can upgrade manually using FTP. Download WordPress 2.9.1 from here.
New Website – Green Apple Organising
Adele approached me in September 2009 and wanted me to help bring her new business venture to life.
Green Apple Organising was to be the ‘marketplace for fresh organising ideas in bite size pieces’. Adele wanted the site to be fresh, clean and uncluttered. The website was also to include an online shop using E-Junkie.
Creating a Twitter Landing Page
The other week I read a post on ProBlogger about Twitter landing pages.
Twitter landing pages are a customised homepage for those who come to your site via Twitter. I loved the idea so decided to create my own Twitter landing page. There are so many benefits to having a Twitter landing page. continue reading »
Virtual Events – Gaining the Virtual Edge
Last week I attended a VA Networking webinar, hosted by Leesa Barnes from the Association of Virtual Event Managers, Organisers and Hosts. The event discussed how to host virtual events and how they can help small businesses.
There is no doubt that cost cutting has affected the level of attendance at events. The majority of event managers are seeing a significat drop in attendance. In fact, Virtual Edge states that “67% of professionals responsible for traditional physical events report a drop in overall attendance.”
Create a Powerpoint presentation template
Creating a Powerpoint template that suits your business is really simple. Templates are great way to ensure all your employees use the same presentation format for the business, which really helps to formulate your brand. Templates can also save you a lot of time.
Manage your Tweetups with Twtvite
Do you organise events and Tweetups and on Twitter? I wanted to share a great and effective Twitter tool that will help you manage the event.
Twtvite assists you to promote your event, allow others to retweet the event, and also manages the RSVP’s. You can even create a hash tag for the event which is posted whenever you tweet or retweet the event.
I use Twtvite for the monthly networking lunches that I organise and just love it! It has made organising the event much easier I am able to track RSVP’s and also see who is retweeting about the event. Twtvite even provides attendees with a map for the venue and allows you to input the event into Outlook.
I would love to hear about more Twitter tools, particulalry for managing events.
Cheers
Nicole
Cleanse Your Inbox
I have been flat out lately with various projects and events and I am ashamed to say that my inbox has suffered as a result!
Usually my inbox is used as a to-do list of some sorts. The rest of my emails are filed or deleted, this has not been happening of late.
Busy times for this VA
Hi All,
Wow! Life is so hectic right now, both on a business and a personal level.
From a business perspective things just keep getting better and better, and now I am busier than ever. It is very rewarding seeing something that you have worked extremely hard on start to grow and propser!
Central Coast Tweet Up – CCBiz is born
On Thursday I was privileged to have lunch with 9 likeminded Central Coast small business owners… and of course fellow Tweeps @BigClick_Dean, @Dictates, @JohannaBD, @JustinRob, @lisalent, @Nickbowditch, @suehenry, @transcribe and @Woywegian.
It was absolutely fantastic and very inspiring to meet the people who you tweet with everyday. The lunch was an opportunity for everyone to network in a very casual and informal environment, ie. no pressure and from the feedback seen on Twitter it seems like it was a success! Everyone thought it would be a great opportunity to meet on a regular basis.
And so CCBiz was born! The new CCBiz (or Central Coast business) website will be coming very soon! CCBiz’s aim is to provide informal (and low-cost) networking for small businesses on the Central Coast, whilst also creating a network to support one and other in business. The site will include a blog with small businesses owners contributing and commenting on their profession, details of upcoming events, a business directory and much more!
We have a number of businesses already involved in getting this up and running and we have such a broad range of skills between everyone. Stay tuned for more details… we will be launching www.ccbiz.com.au in the coming weeks.
Event Planning tasks your Virtual Assistant can complete in one hour
I am participating in the ’31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge’ run by Darren Rowse at Pro Blogger. The challenge for day 2 was to write list blog post. Recently I posted a blog title ‘Tasks your Virtual Assistant can complete in an hour’. My current focus is planning an event for a client, so I decided to create a variation of my previous list and provide a list of 20 event planning tasks your Virtual Assistant could do in one hour.
- Research venues and compile a shortlist
- Research potential vendors and organise quotes
- Research sponsors for the event
- Research entertainers for the night
- Compile a guest list and/or an attendee database
- Create/monitor a sponsorship database
- Create a sponsorship document for potential sponsors
- Brainstorm themes and colour schemes
- Create an invitation
- Create a flyer for the event
- Update details on the event website
- Create invitations for an event
- Mail out 100 invitations, including stuffing and labelling envelopes
- Research accommodation options and travel for attendees
- Organise logistics and travel for attendees
- Organise catering for an event
- Compile a run-sheet for the event
- Create name badges for attendees
- Follow up on potential attendees
- Assist with invoicing attendees and sponsors
How to improve your virtual assistant relationship
A Virtual Assistant can be a great asset to any small business or entrepreneur. They can save you time and money by taking care of those small administrative tasks that you don’t want to do….. but do you really get the most out of your virtual assistant?
To get the most out of your virtual assistant be very clear on what tasks are to be delegated i.e. Will your virtual assistant be dealing with clients or will they just be doing back office tasks, such as formatting a document? Now if they are only formatting a document or updating a database then your virtual assistant chances are they won’t need much more information than the document and directions on how you want it formatted (e.g. font or text size).
However, if your virtual assistant is dealing with client matters it is extremely important that you brief your virtual assistant on your business and the task at hand – just as you would with an in-house employee. The reason for this is simple your virtual assistant needs to be briefed so that the task can be carried out as if they were dealing directly with you.
For example, I have recently been assisting a client with sponsorship for an event. My client has provided me with ample information to ensure I can do my job properly and professionally. My client has provided me with background on the event, details on her company, details on the event and also templates that I can use for standard responses to sponsors. I also have access to the sponsorship email account that I can use to respond to sponsors instead of using my virtual assistant email. It is small details like this that can make a HUGE difference.
Another way to maximise the benefit of a virtual assistant is to define clear parameters on what decisions your virtual assistant can make without consulting you. What is the point of hiring a virtual assistant if they need to speak to you every time a query comes in – you may as well be doing the task yourself.
Basically the more information you provide your virtual assistant the higher the quality of work you will receive. Please do not take this as the chance to micro-manage your virtual assistant because that is not how virtual assistants like to work, however ensure that you communicate your expectations right from the beginning and provide as much information as possible so that you can maximise the benefits of using a virtual assistant.
Cheers, Nicole
Tasks your Virtual Assistant can complete in one hour
I just love finding new resources and ideas that can help me market my Virtual Assistant business, so can you imagine my excitement when I came across this great little resource on Virtual Assistant Forums.
The document titled ‘Projects Your VA Can Accomplish in One Hour or Less was compiled by a few of the Virtual Assistants on the forum and lists 71 tasks that a Virtual Assistant could complete in one hour.
There are so many businesses out there who are thinking of hiring a Virtual Assistant but aren’t quite sure what to delegate…. well take a look at this list and you will be wondering no more!
I have selected 15 of my favourite tasks that a Virtual Assistant could complete in one hour.
- Update and manage your calendar
- Research travel, hotel and meeting facilities
- Book your flight, hotel, and/or rental car reservations and create a travel itinerary
- Do follow-up research on a client, prospect, applicant, or competitor
- Create a PowerPoint presentation
- Phone a minimum of 25 clients for a specific project
- Mail merge 50-100 letters including stuffing and mailing
- Data Entry of a minimum of 75 contacts into an excel spreadsheet
- Research a few venues to visit on your trip, along with directions to get to them from your hotel
- Update an old word processed file to reflect your company’s new colour, logo, font, etc.
- Post a job ad online and monitor resumes for the role
- Create correspondence for a client or prospect
- Edit and proof a minimum of a five page report
- Setup the process for an E-zine or newsletter
- Delete spam accumulated in your e-mail overnight, and sort, answer, or redirect remaining messages
I hope you enjoy the list as much as I did and remember don’t be afraid to delegate!
Who knows hiring a Virtual Assistant could be the best decision you ever make.
Cheers,
Nicole
What is a Virtual Assistant and How Can Your Business Benefit?
The most common response I receive from people when I tell them I am a Virtual Assistant is “What is a Virtual Assistant?”
So what is exactly is a Virtual Assistant?
The ‘International Virtual Assistants Association’ defines a Virtual Assistant as “an independent entrepreneur providing administrative, creative and/or technical services. Utilizing advanced technological modes of communication and data delivery, a professional VA assists clients in his/her area of expertise from his/her own office on a contractual basis”
So how can you as a business owner benefit from a Virtual Assistant?
Increase revenue
Why spend your precious time on administration tasks when you can get a Virtual Assistant take care of it instead? You can then focus on revenue generating tasks and increasing your client base.
Virtual Assistant become business partners
Virtual Assistants work hard to build up great working relationships with their clients. Virtual Assistants are in constant contact with their clients so that you can be assured that you are being provided the best service possible.
You don’t have to provide equipment or office space
A Virtual Assistant works from their own office and uses their own equipment so you don’t need to worry about providing expensive equipment or office space.
You only pay for the time spent on your tasks
A Virtual Assistant only works the hours you need to complete the project, which means a significant saving to your company when compared to a permanent staff member. The best thing is that Virtual Assistants work on an ad-hoc basis, so you can use them as frequently or as infrequently as you need to.
Why not speak to us to see how we can assist your business?
Cheers,
Nicole
Money saving ideas for businesses and individuals
With the Australian economy nearing a recession many companies are cutting back and trying to save money on unnecessary overheads. I have compiled a list of ways businesses can save money, not only now but also in the future
They are very simple and easy ways to save money and best of all they have no or minimal impact to your operations
Video/Conference calls
Many companies now offer cheap options for video and conference call facilities. Skype even offer free video calls for Skype to Skype calls. You will be saving on travel costs such as petrol, airfares and accommodation
Cheaper airfares
If you need to attend that interstate or international business meeting ensure that you book your flights in advance. Qantas and Jetstar offer cheaper flights for those that book flights in advance. The later you leave your flight booking the more you will pay in airfares. The savings can be well worth it. For example a fully flexible Sydney to Melbourne return flight with Qantas will cost around $740 whereas their e-deals cost you only $340 return, which is nearly a 50% saving! Be mindful that when booking internet fares that there are restrictions on changes and cancellations, so if you are a traveller that makes a lot of changes than ensure you book a flight that you can change or cancel
Hire contractors rather than permanent staff members
Using contractors can save you a lot of money. Contractors are paid per hour and as they are contractors you don’t need to pay superannuation, sick leave or holiday pay. Generally contractors use their own equipment so you don’t need to supply any equipment or programs. You can outsource almost any task these days whether it is a virtual assistant, book keeper or an accountant.
Go paperless
Why not help the environment and turn your office into a paperless office. You will save on printing supplies such as toner and paper and the best thing is you will also reduce the amount of filing you need to do.
Monitor your electricity usage
Save money with these really simple ideas that will reduce your electricity bill
1. Try to position your desk to maximise the natural light, so that you don’t need to use the lights all day
2. Use energy saving light bulbs
3. Turn off equipment when you are not using it.
4. Do not leave equipment on standby
Use an online fax service
Online fax services are a great idea to save money, companies such as and Faxmate provide this service for as low as $10 per month. Outgoing faxes are sent straight from your PC and the incoming faxes go directly into your Inbox.You will save on line rental, equipment and toners or even repairs to an old machine.
Cheers
Nicole
Goals for 2009
It is the beginning of 2009 and to kick off the new year in style we have launched our new website.
After reading the 2009 resolution blogs of Sarah Prout and Johanna Baker-Dowdell, it prompted me to create my own resolutions.
I see 2009 as being a very huge year for me, now that I have an online presence I can start to concentrate on increasing my customer base and networking.
So here are my goals for 2009!
1.Enhance my web presence via networking and SEO
2.Do one thing each day to promote my business
3.Increase my mailing list to 500 readers
4.Invest in a laptop
5.Do a course for Adobe Dreamweaver
6.Create a monthly newsletter
on a more personal level my goals for 2009 are
1.be the best mummy I can be
2.to be more patient
3.learn how to say no
4.join a sporting team
5.make more time for myself
Cheers
Nicole
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