Archive for the ‘Create a Supportive Environment’ Category

This week I have been noticing something very interesting. Several of my clients have some fairly large programs to fill and yes we have been doing social media, email broadcasts, etc. to promote these programs but each one of them has also been picking up the phone and calling people from their list to just have a conversation.

There was no script, this wasn’t delegated to a telemarketer, assistant or sales person, it was just the client reaching out from a place of wanting to help and share their gift. Each client has enrolled each person they have called on the phone.

I totally believe that had we not made them aware of the programs by sending the emails and posting on Facebook, they would have no clue what was up with my client but then to give that human touch and follow up with a call made that prospect even more confident in their decision to purchase.

How many times have you held off purchasing something because you wish you could talk to someone live to answer your questions, fears or concerns?

Is this a trend or are we just craving human connection rather than Tweeting, texting, emailing, etc.? Let me know what you think by completing the comment box below.

Thanks to Liz Nonnemacher of www.WickedlyChic.com for sharing some great resources with us…

“This made to order magazine holder (in a variety of colors) is great for storing magazines..which I always seem to have lying on my desk.”

It’s from Decorative Instincts, $30.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22599200

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“For just $4, you can have one of these business card holders on your desk. These come in a number of fabric choices. From Kreative Karryalls.”

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39954598

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“Check out these fun retro cans from Rhizo Designs. For $14, anyone can do better than the silly plastic cups that I have on my desk ”

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39949463

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“Finally…I have to promote one of my advertisers, Plumeria Bay. Yes, at $164, they’re pricey. However, every single item from this shop is so worth it. There’s nothing more cozy than working in your home office with a luxurious blanket wrapped around you.”

http://www.plumeriabay.com/products/cotton-blankets-bla.aspx

Thanks Liz for this great resources and your tips! Be sure to check Liz’s site out at www.WickedlyChic.com

Hand in hand with scheduling yourself time during the day, don’t forget that you need to have a life outside of work. Taking time away from your business is important to recharge your batteries, your creativity, and your sense of self.

If you’re trying to save money, every financial advisor will tell you the same thing. “Pay yourself first.” If you don’t take care of you, no one else will. Starting and running a business takes long hours and a lot of work, but burnout is a real danger, especially for entrepreneurs. Time off becomes an alien concept, as we too often become used to 80-hour work weeks, always wondering “is there something I’m missing back at my work?” Keep that up for too long, and your dream job of working for yourself from home becomes just as tedious and boring as working 9 to 5 for someone else in an office somewhere. What you need to do is plan some time off for yourself and just like your daily schedule, stick to it.

Here are 5 hints you might try:

1. Plan it out. Create a list of the projects you’re working on so you can schedule your vacation time when you don’t have any important deadlines. Give advanced planning time so you’ve got time to deal with any surprise conflicts.
2. Brief your clients. I used to have the problem of setting a vacation to start on a Friday and then get POUNDED with work on Thursday afternoon. By the time I got it finished up, it was Saturday night. Make sure your clients know that any work received after a certain day and time will not be addressed until you get back from your trip. Don’t be afraid to say “No” unless it’s an absolute emergency.
3. Schedule your time off during down-time. Every business has some form of down-time during the year. Try to schedule your vacation during one of those times so you don’t feel that you have to be working.
4. Take mini-vacations. Instead of taking a 2-week holiday, try taking long weekend trips 4- or 5-day weekends just to break up the monotony of work.
5. Take time off to learn new skills. If you’re the type of person who can’t just kick back and relax, take time off from your business to take a class on something you’ve always wanted to learn. A new hobby or skill or language will be the excuse you use to get away from the computer for awhile to give your batteries a chance to recharge.

Vacation anxiety is a common fear among all business owners, especially entrepreneurs. You’ve got to remember though, working 20-hour days adds up to a crappy product. You’ve learned how to schedule your days, but don’t forget to schedule your life as well. Give yourself permission to live. After all, that’s probably one of the reasons you started your own business in the first place.

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© Copyright 2009 Sheic Space®, LLC. All rights reserved.

Angee Robertson is the Founder and Editor of Sheic Space Online Magazine. Sheic Space celebrates the shift from a masculine workspace to a feminine workspace by sharing how other business women use their office space to support their creativity and nurture their soul. Be sure to visit www.sheicspace.com to sign-up to receive your FREE subscription.

by Alyssa Gregory

We tend to be more productive when we’re comfortable and healthy. One of the most important and easily overlooked elements of our comfort and health is the ergonomics of our workspaces.

If you work from home, you probably don’t have corporate guidelines ensuring that your setup is ergonomic. Plus, because of time and budget restrictions, you may not be doing everything you can to keep your body and mind working comfortably.

The Risks

Do you think your home office is fine because you feel fine? Don’t stop reading just yet! Even if you don’t have any recurring pain or discomfort right now, your workspace may still be unhealthy. Some long-term effects of a non-ergonomic work environment, especially for those of us who sit in front of a computer for most of the day, include:

• Stress on your muscles and joints
• Overall fatigue
• Pain in your hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, necks, or back
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Vision and eye strain
• Tendinopathy and bursitis (caused by overuse and repetitive motions)

The Test

Here are the most essential ergonomic guidelines you should be following while you work.

Y / N	My computer monitor is centered to where I am sitting, placed an arm’s length away and my eyes hit approximately 2″-3″ below the top of the monitor.
Y / N	The lighting in my workspace is indirect fluorescent lighting that doesn’t flicker.
Y / N	I sit in an adjustable chair that has lower lumbar support with my feet flat on the ground and my thighs parallel to the floor.
Y / N	I follow the 20/20/20 rule. That means I take a 20-second break every 20 minutes and look at least 20 feet away.
Y / N	I keep my wrists in a neutral position while typing, shoulders relaxed, and elbows at my side.
Y / N	There is no direct glare on my computer screen from lights or windows.
Y / N	I get up and stretch my back, hands, wrists, legs, neck and shoulders regularly during the day.
Y / N	My desk is setup so I have space on either side of it and easy access to the rear for cables, plugs, wires, etc.
Y / N	I don’t click too hard on my keyboard or mouse while working.
Y / N	I use my elbow instead of my wrist to move the mouse, and use keyboard shortcuts whenever necessary (or I have a trackball or joystick mouse that limits the necessary movement).
Y / N	I use a headset, earpiece or speakerphone for long calls.
Y / N	I use a document holder to prop up paper I am reading from while I work.

Your Grade

If you answered “yes” to all of the items above you get a passing grade in ergonomics and less negative long-term health risks from your daily work. Congratulations! If not, make some changes to your workspace and see the difference they make.

The tips above were compiled from Healthy Computing, an authority in office ergonomics and safety.

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Alyssa Gregory is the owner of avertua, LLC, a full-service virtual assistant firm. She has been designing websites since 1995, and has a passion for supporting small businesses. Alyssa provides business tips, advice and news through her Small Business Idea Generator blog.

by Ali Brown

While many business-owners have difficulty delegating work, at a certain point it becomes necessary to move the business forward. Hiring an assistant can help you run things more efficiently, letting you focus on the big picture as your assistant takes care of administrative tasks. Some companies hire admins to work on-site, but many others are using virtual assistants to take care of tasks like scheduling or invoicing remotely.

Here are five signs that you need an assistant.

1.    You forget to perform tasks like updating your website or confirming appointments. Sure, the world keeps turning even if your website hasn’t been updated or a few appointments get missed. But think how much better off your business could be if you didn’t have to think about these tasks or feel guilty for forgetting them! An assistant can easily be trained to help with marketing or scheduling so that these business functions always happen when they should.

2.    You waste time looking for lost documents or emails. In addition to your time spent performing menial tasks, losing an invoice or accidently deleting an email costs you even more time! If you’re so frazzled that this happens on a regular basis, then it’s time to hire help. An assistant will ensure that you stay on top of invoicing and filing so that you don’t miss payments or make costly administrative mistakes.

3.    You don’t have time to see family or friends. Every entrepreneur needs some downtime to relax and recharge. Spending time with family and friends is a great way to do this, so if you find yourself skipping out on brunches or birthday parties in favor of work, then it’s probably time to reprioritize. Hiring an assistant, even one who works just a few hours a week, frees you up to focus on what matters. And having time for yourself and the people you care about will also benefit your business, because you’ll be refreshed and ready to tackle new challenges.

4.    Your billable rate is higher than an assistant. Hopefully this is the case for most business-owners. Let’s say that you bill client at $100/hour and an assistant bills you $20/hour. Rather than taking time away from your paying clients to send out invoices or book appointments, pay an assistant her $20/hour while you earn $100/hour from your clients. Even after you pay your assistant, you’ll still bring in $80/hour that you otherwise wouldn’t have time to earn. So when you think about it mathematically, hiring an assistant makes a lot of sense (and cents)!

5.    You’ve been putting off tasks that you dislike. Most of us have tasks we dread doing, such as filing, following up on overdue invoices, or balancing the books. Imagine if *poof* all those ugly little tasks magically got done so you could spend time on more important tasks (because, let’s face it, many of us waste time procrastinating on these sorts of tasks anyway).

It doesn’t take a fairy godmother or a magic wand. All it takes is a little legwork to find someone you trust to get the job done.

Once you decide to hire an assistant, you can ask your colleagues for recommendations or log into websites such as IVAA.org (the International Virtual Assistants Association) to start your search.

© 2009 Ali International, LLC

Self-made multimillionaire entrepreneur and Inc. 500 CEO Ali Brown is devoted to creating financial freedom for women globally through the power of entrepreneurship. To learn how to create wealth and live an extraordinary life now, register for her free weekly articles at www.AliBrown.com