Newsletter – April 2018

 

How To Manage Being Crazy Busy
Due To Your Own Success

When starting out, many of us actually want to be crazy busy – because “busy” to many means success and money. However, when we’re crazy busy we can actually start becoming less successful and begin to lose money. How? Because we lose focus, and when we lose focus we start making mistakes.

Think of it like this: you drop the kids at daycare so you can focus on your work, because you know if you have the kids around there’s a likely chance you’ll end up typing the wrong thing into that all important email, or lack concentration during that long-distance phone call.

So, why not see our other work in this way, too? When you start becoming successful, you simply cannot do it all. This is where we need to prioritise, delegate and/or outsource, and use effective tools to assist us to be efficient – all of which we are focusing on this month, so make sure to keep reading.

If you need help reigning in the crazy, or any other aspect of your business, give me a call on 027 447 7577 and we can have a chat.

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Delegation

Congratulations, you’re busy and successful!

But, you’re too stressed and/or time poor to celebrate your success? This is a common occurence, especially with small business owners. More often than not, business owners feel like they have to do it all because, after all, it’s their business and only they know what’s right. Right? Wrong!

There are ways in which delegation or re-allocation of tasks is possible, even if you don’t employ staff yet, and there are also many different ways e.g. computer software/applications which can help you to prioritise, stay on task, and actually get that free time you blocked out in your calendar 12-months’ ago!

Delegation can be hard, especially if your business is an original idea of yours making it hard to let go of the reigns and trust someone else to do the job “right”! You may think things like “they don’t know the business like I do” or, “only I have all the information – they’d be asking questions every 5-minutes” and decide there’s nothing you can delegate, as every task allows you to answer using a statement such as these.
But, in reality you’re just not finding it easy to let go of some control – and that’s okay! – but I’m here to tell you there are some things you can delegate, such as:

• Follow up’s – Has someone put in a request through your website? Maybe left you a brief voicemail? Any query that is not a direct request for an appointment and is angled more towards a request for information can be handled by someone else. It is possible for someone else to pick up the phone, provide the basics, get the potential client’s details and briefly discuss with you before booking an appointment;
• Booking appointments – Provided you have a plan and procedures in place to ensure your calendar is being updated in real-time, all the time, then someone else is able to have a look at your calendar at any time, see your free time slots, and book your appointments;
• Marketing – Think newsletters and social media updates. Newsletters take at least 1 hour per month, for a good one, to create. This might not sound like much, but if you add this on top of everything else, wouldn’t you rather have that hour to relax? Additionally, social media is a great advertising and marketing tool, but many of us don’t know how to use it effectively or in minimal time.

 

All of the above can be delegated either to an existing staff member, or outsourced to a Virtual Assistant like Allsorted Admin. They handle only what you ask them to, and charge accordingly – no wages expense for time not spent on the job, only pay for what you need.
This is an especially good option for start-up’s and small businesses.

If you have any questions, queries, or think now is the right time for your
consultation with Steve, follow the contact links below.

Email Steve, or phone Steve on 027 447 7577.

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Computer Software and Apps

We’re all aware there’s an overload of Apps and other Software at our disposal, meant to make our lives easier. Here’s my picks of good software and apps which will actually save you time and make life easier. 

There’s a myriad of software and apps available, marketed to save you time and money. But, do they? If you don’t have time for normal day-to-day tasks, you definitely don’t have time to research and test the options to see what’s a good fit. So, below are my top picks of what my be useful:

Cashflow

Xero
Xero is a user-friendly cashflow software, which is available both on your computer and your smartphone via an app, so you can be up-to-date with your in- and out-flow of cash, issue invoices on the run, and keep track of spending. There are settings available to save you time, such as invoice reminders being set for specific intervals. Xero states:
“Let Xero’s simple, automated features take care of the time-consuming tasks, you’ll have more time to spend on the details you love.”

To find out more about Xero, click here.

MYOB
MYOB is another cashflow software which comes highly recommended by many, also available on both your computer and your smartphone. MYOB states:
“Easy online accounting software that has everything you need to take care of business, including payroll.”

To find out more about MYOB, click here.

Time and Client Management

Insightly
If you need a full service Customer Relationship Management portal, Insightly is probably for you. You can create tasks, save notes, email the client directly, and much more.

To find out more about Insightly, click here.

Fergus
Fergus is very similar to Insightly, but is aimed more at “tradies” rather than CEO’s. It allows you to manage your tasks, team and clients, as well as invoice and create reports.

To find out more about Fergus, click here.

If you have any questions, queries, or think now is the right time for your
consultation with Steve, follow the contact links below.

Email Steve, or phone Steve on 027 447 7577.

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Well, good news!
My first introduction session is FREE!

This introduction session is 1 hour long, and includes:

• Discussing your business
• Reviewing your goals
• Giving you ideas, and
• Discussing your options

To take advantage of this offer you can either click here to sign up,
or you can give me a call on 027 447 7577.

I look forward to helping you succeed!

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