Author: admin

As a small business owner, you will always be on the lookout for ways to make your business run more productively and efficiently. Using a time management system or scheduling app can help, but you do need to find the right package to streamline your workflow.

Even selecting a package takes valuable time. You need to learn each new system, input your project information and teach any employees or clients how to use it effectively too, all of which uses up business hours. So, you’ll want to know the package you choose is the right one from the start. But, with so many options out there, how do you pick a system without feeling overwhelmed by technology?

As virtual assistants we use a lot of online apps and packages to help organise and plan our workload. When we start working with a new client, they might already have their own way of working or preferred systems to use, and of course we are happy to use those too. That means that we have used a lot of different brands offering similar tools.

One of the questions we are often asked is which systems are best. We can only answer that based on our own preferences, but we are happy to share those with you.

LastPass – the app we cannot do without

Of all the systems we use to make life easier, LastPass is the one we could not do without. This password management tool safeguards every password we use. And when you consider that we have individual log ins for each client, that’s a lot of passwords to remember.

Asana – project management made easy

There are a lot of options when it comes to project management tools. Depending on the client’s preferences, we use others such as Trello and Monday. However, when it comes down to efficiency and productivity, our definite favourite is Asana.

Using Asana helps organise individual projects for clients and keep them updated on workflows. We know which tasks are assigned to whom, set deadlines and monitor progress. And, when needed, we have clear reporting options too.

Toggl – keeping track of time

If there is one thing that consistently takes us all by surprise, it’s how long even the simplest of tasks can take. As every business owner knows, you stop for a few minutes to write one email, and before you know it you’ve been at your desk for an hour. A simple social post may take five minutes to write, but by the time you’ve found the right image and scheduled the post, half an hour’s flown by.

So, we like to take the guess work out of time management by tracking exactly how long a task takes with Toggl – the simplest of time tracking tools. Because we know how much time to allow for a job, we can clearly set client expectations as to how your booked time is being spent.

Canva – keeping design and branding consistent

Unless you’re a graphic designer, you probably don’t need to use complex and expensive design programmes such as Illustrator. But every business needs the occasional image work, whether that’s a leaflet, a social media picture or an event header.

If you have never tried Canva, take a look. It’s free to get started and once you’ve started creating, we know you’ll love it. The controls are fairly intuitive and there are a lot of templates so that designing really is made easy. Plus, with our Pro package we can save individual client brand colours and layouts to our dashboard to create consistent images. This is one tool that we all love to use.

Microsoft 365 – collaborate and communicate

We work with multiple clients that over the last 12 months have switched to Microsoft 365 and here’s why we recommend it to everyone:

• Accessibility – How many times do you go to a meeting and realise the document you want is on your office computer, not your laptop? With Microsoft 365 all your files are stored on a cloud meaning that your work can be accessed from anywhere on any device as long as you have internet or data access.
• Security – Microsoft 365 is set up with 2 factor authentication making is a lot harder for anyone to access your files giving you peace of mind when you are working away from the office.
• Improved Comms – using Microsoft Teams to communicate with your team or clients either via the chat function or meeting function. Cuts out the needs for a separate Zoom subscription.
• Collaboration – by using Sharepoint or Onedrive you can work on documents with your Team at the same time effortlessly.

Xero –accounting for small businesses

We certainly think that every business needs a finance software package to make your business really efficient. Which one you prefer is a personal choice. Some of the better-known ones are FreeAgent, QuickBooks and Xero. We always recommend Xero to clients who don’t have one already in place.

It’s worth looking around

There are always new software options coming on to the market and challenging the best-known brands. As we find out about them, we love to go have a look and see if they would suit our clients better than sticking to the mainstream systems, purely because they are well-known.

Take Adobe, for example. When it comes to PDF tools, most people assume Adobe is the only option. But after some trial and testing of new software on the market, we personally recommend Soda. It has the same editing and conversion abilities, and at a fraction of the price.

We know that you probably don’t have the time to try every new programme that’s developed. To be fair, we don’t either. But when a client asks us if we can find them a solution to a particular problem – like better time management or how to create pdf’s without using Adobe, we are happy to do the research.

These are the packages we recommend at this time. And remember, if you need help in setting up your business or inputting your workflows to any of these programmes, that’s something we can help you with. Just call us today on  01785 337 810 or email us at helen@aggrandiseva.com to talk through the right option for your business.

We’re celebrating this month, as Aggrandise VA turns five. How exciting is that!!

When we launched, five whole years ago, I had a huge amount of experience in administration and organisation so I was confident that we would be able to provide an amazing service to our clients.  However, I’d never owned my own business and didn’t really have the first clue about how to build a success business!

Like every new business owner, there it was a massive learning curve.  I don’t like to say there were many mistakes, so let’s call them ‘lessons’.   Here are 5 key things I’ve learnt in my first 5 years:

Learn to say NO (harder than it sounds!)

When you first start your own business, you’re bound to be concerned about where the next client is coming from. This makes you very likely to say yes to every request you get. If you have quite a broad scope of services, this can be a good way to discover the ones you really want to offer and streamline your business niche over time.

However, you’ll have requests from clients for services you don’t really offer or services you really don’t like doing.  Over time I learnt to say no to those requests and to clients who were not going to be a great fit for us, because the more ‘out of your scope’ the task or client is, the more time consuming and unprofitable, your working day becomes less enjoyable and most importantly you won’t be providing a service that you can be proud of.

Don’t be afraid to say no to a request that doesn’t suit your business – it’s empowering.

We know our clients value us for the services we do offer – and we’re always happy to recommend another business if we know they can help with your specific query.

Invest in your own Self-development

There’s always something new to learn and it’s so important to invest in your own self-development. As well as keeping up with changes in your own industry, there are things a business owner needs to know – like marketing yourself online or managing your bookkeeping. Sometimes budget can be an issue when you first start a business, so do what I did, contact your local Business Growth Hub, they offer fantastic and often free workshops to new local businesses, plus it’s a great opportunity to network with other local businesses.

Not only does self-development keep you at the top of your field, but you can be sure that if you don’t know how to do something your clients will ask you about it! So, making sure you stay up to date is good for you and good for your business.

Know your Value

This is another area where self-confidence is important. When you first launch your business you will almost certainly question your price, whether it’s because you are looking at what your competitors are doing or you are faced with a potential client who tries to drive your price down. You’ll hear comments like “I really like you but I can get support cheaper elsewhere.” Or, like I heard many times “ why should I pay you that when I can pay a VA in the Philippines £5 an hour”

Your value is not just based on the work you do but the experience and knowledge you bring to the table.

It’s important that you know your value. You are a specialist in what you do. If the client is a good fit for you, they will also understand that your services will add value to their business. Don’t be tempted to offer discounts just to keep a client. And if they are more concerned about the price than the service you offer, perhaps the competitor would be a better fit for them.

Effective Networking Builds your Business

For many small businesses, networking is a vital part of their monthly marketing. This was definitely one of the biggest learning curves for me. I had never been in the position of having to talk about myself so much and I wasn’t great at it!

Of course, networking isn’t just talking about yourself. It’s listening to other people, recognising who to connect with, and even learning which groups are worthwhile. In my first group, I was a member for a year before I realised that while it was a supportive and social experience, it had not helped to grow my business at all, which was, after all, the point of going.

Networking is not about making friends. First and foremost, it’s a marketing tool. So, I would recommend keeping a spreadsheet of the costs of networking compared to the incoming business and make clear decisions about which groups are the most cost effective.

Work with a Business Coach

There are many tools that we use to make our business more efficient. We tend to think of these in terms of technology or equipment. However, over the last 18 months I’ve been working with a business coach, and I have to say that it’s changed my approach.

We all tend to focus so much on our clients that our own business gets left behind. My coach made me stop and think about the way my business was running and put in processes to make me proactive rather than reactive. Altogether, Aggrandise VA now feels more professional and structured. I think having a business coach is like having that objective third party, giving you an independent view on your business and holds you accountable.

Celebrating 5 years with Aggrandise VA

It has certainly been an eventful five years for Aggrandise VA, but I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved and how far we’ve come.  So, to everyone we have worked with, our family, friends and colleagues – from us to you, thank you for all your support over the last five years.

One of the most common concerns we hear from business owners is how they can go about delegating work to a virtual assistant. You know that you’re overworked and struggling to keep up with your admin, but the idea of handing it over to someone else can feel like a whole new chore. 

Of course, the aim of using us as your virtual assistant is that we make your work life easier and give you more time for your business. We like to think that we do that from the very beginning. So here are our tips for delegating your admin to your VA. 

Identify the admin tasks causing you issues

This might seem obvious, but actually deciding what you want to hand over to your VA is one of the biggest challenges. Some tasks seem too small to bother with or are just once a month. Some seem too complex to explain. And before long, you’ve talked yourself out of needing that VA again, and you’re back to juggling. Remember – your time is valuable, and better spent working with customers. The aim here is to make your work life easier. 

When we first meet you, we’ll have a long chat about what your current admin challenges are. We’ll help you breakdown the various tasks you do and establish how much time you’re spending on them – time that could be spent with your customers. 

Decide how long you need a VA for

Once we all have a better understanding of where you’re spending your time, we’ll know how long you actually need a VA for. It might be that you are entering a busy period or have a one-off project that is taking all your time, and you only need a quick fix to get you through it. If your admin tasks are more regular and long-term, you probably want to establish a strong relationship with the person that you’re delegating your business tasks too. 

At Aggrandise VA we want you to see us as an extension of your own office. Whether it’s short-term or ongoing, we pride ourselves on becoming a part of your team. We offer flexible contracts that give you the right amount of hourly support you need to get the job done. 

Consider which software or systems your VA needs

It’s likely that you already have your admin tasks set up on various software or systems. A virtual assistant is used to adapting to different systems, and we are very quick to pick up anything new. If you are using something we haven’t seen before, which can be common with purpose-built CRM systems, for example, there will naturally be a learning curve. But don’t give up and think it’s just easier to do it yourself. We’ll soon get the hang of it.

If you haven’t already got your admin set up – well, this is our speciality. We love systems and creating efficiencies. We’ll work out what you are currently doing, discuss how it’s working out for you and offer some recommendations for software that suits your kind of work and your budget, and that we have tried and tested. If we can help you to streamline some tasks then it will not only make your business more efficient, but there’ll have more time that we can use to take something else off your hands too.

Be honest about budgets

Talking of budgets, this is something you need to consider. You might well have a long list of admin tasks you want to hand to a virtual assistant, but you have to decide what can be done within your budget. It’s all about prioritising. What do you most want to hand over to someone else and not have to do yourself?

Security and confidentiality is vital

As with all businesses, we understand the importance of GDPR and cybersecurity, and take it very seriously. We use a system called LastPass to share confidential information, which means you can give us the access you need to without handing over your personal log in and password information. You can even share your business banking information so that we can handle your bookings.

We are happy to sign an NDA (if you have one), and we only start work after a complete client agreement is signed which outlines our Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Policy.

Working with a virtual assistant 

So, is handing over your business admin to a virtual assistant a whole new chore? As you can see, we start helping you from the very first conversation by working out what you need to delegate to us in the first place. 

We know that at the beginning you’ll need to spend time explaining things, but that short-term pain will be a long-term gain. Once you’ve delegated the tasks you don’t enjoy to us, you won’t have to do them again, and that definitely makes it worthwhile. And once we have your admin running smoothly, you’ve got all that time back to do something else – whether it’s working on your business, or just having a few hours a week for yourself. 

If you’d like to discover more about how Aggrandise VA can help you and your business, please get in touch today on 01785 337 810 or email us at helen@aggrandiseva.com.

At Aggrandise VA we love what we do and we like to know that we’ve added value to your business. Our clients see us as an asset, not a cost. But if you’ve not worked with us before, you might not be sure how we can do that. So, how can a virtual assistant help your business to grow?

The difference between a VA, EA, PA and OBM.

Before we start considering what we do, we should clarify who we are. There’re a few different titles for the work we do. Most people have heard of a PA – a Personal Assistant – or an EA – Executive Assistant. In classic terms, a PA works for one manager and may support with more traditional admin tasks. An EA may be more involved in day-to-day running of the business and offers additional skills.

The main difference between a PA, EA and a VA – Virtual Assistant – is that we’re, well, virtual. Your PA/EA will most likely be an employee who works in your office, while your VA is usually outsourced and works for themselves. 

The pros and cons of this relationship are really based on practical elements of budget and requirements. Your EA will need everything an employee would expect – desk, equipment, benefits packages – while your VA provides their own. An EA may have set working hours, while your VA is flexible. If you have a big project on and require your VA to provide more support, we can do that on a month-by-month basis. And when your VA is sick or on leave, another member of our team steps in so that you never lose your support.

When it comes down to the actual tasks that a VA or EA does, we offer the same services. Our job is to assist you with the day-to-day running of your business. What that looks like is very much up to you. 

And then there is the newer title that is growing in popularity – the Online Business Manager or OBM. It sounds very grand, but the service is the same. When you need help managing your business admin, we’re here to help you. 

There is one other benefit of using a VA we should mention. Your in-house EA will learn your systems and do things the way you always have done. As we work with different clients with different needs, we use a variety of systems. We are very much up to date with the latest technology and software options available. If you want us to, we can recommend online systems that might improve or even revolutionise your own processes. And, of course, we’re happy to learn yours too. 

The tasks we do to grow your business

If you haven’t used a VA before, you might ask for a nice list of things we can do for you. If you Google ‘jobs a VA can do’ you will find websites with a whole range of suggested tasks. At Aggrandise VA we don’t write a restrictive list. What we do is identify the tasks and the skills you need. If you need a traditional VA that will help you with diary management, email management or document production, that’s fine. And if you need something a little more specialised or tailored, for example social media support or CRM, EMS or LMS support, we can do that too.

You’ve launched your very own business so that you can use your skills – and instead you’re stuck spending all your time doing the admin tasks that come with running a business and not growing your business. Our aim is to give you back the freedom to do what you love.

By having more time for your clients, you have time for more clients. And that means business growth!

Admin and office support for your business

Here’s an example of how that might look for you. 

We work with our client, Amanda, who delivers training in legal and regulatory information. With her knowledge, her clients remain compliant in their industry. It’s an important and needed role, and she is in demand. The more time she has with clients, the more training she can deliver. She doesn’t want to have to turn clients away. 

So, we manage Amanda’s diary. We answer her emails, flagging up anything important and responding quickly to queries. We also provide support for her online membership portal, so that her members have a quick response to IT issues, lost passwords and so on – by phone and web chat support. 

The membership portal needs regular new content, which Amanda writes. We then upload it.  We manage her email management system ensuring automations are set up, data is accurate and up-to-date and that the mail shots are being sent. We keep an eye on comments and engagement on social media and respond appropriately. We organise her events and meetings, booking rooms, making sure she has everything she needs, including a projector, the correct leads and lunch/refreshments on hand. And we review and edit her workbooks and presentations for a professional finish. 

By passing all these tasks to us, Amanda can concentrate on creating the content that requires her experience and expertise. She is free to speak with her clients, knowing that those time-consuming admin tasks are done exactly the way she would want them. Her business is growing, and we’re handling the increase with her.

Using a VA is better for your health

At Aggrandise VA, our aim is not just to do your admin – it’s to take away the stress and pressure you feel in running your business, so you can focus on being the expert your clients need. We give you more time for your clients. But we also give you more time for yourself. 

As a lot of business owners know, running your own business isn’t a 9-5 job, especially if you are an entrepreneur. You probably find you’re doing your admin at home in the evenings. By passing those tasks to us, you also find you’ll have more home life back as well – better for your stress and your well-being. 

So,  what does a VA bring to your business?

• greater efficiency
• specialist admin skills
• better systems and processes
• less stress 
• better client and customer relations and communications
• better work/life balance 
• greater well-being

If you’d like to achieve more business growth without increasing your stress, contact us today on 01785 337 810 or email us at helen@aggrandiseva.com.