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Business

customer care

How Client Communications Can Go Wrong

customer care

How Client Communications Can Go Wrong

TASK Virtual Assistant

Client communications are the secret ingredient that can turn any business venture into a sizzling success or a fizzled failure. Your clients are willing to put their trust and faith in your ability to deliver the tax and accounting services they need. But this is a type of trust that can be easily broken.

One reason clients quickly lose confidence in you is the lure of the competition. Maybe they've heard good things about the company down the road, and they're wondering if the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.

Maybe they're worried about money and subconsciously looking for any reason to break up with you in a professional sense so they can rationalize not investing.

Here are some common reasons why your client communications can go wrong and how that ultimately breaks their trust in you.

Becoming too personal with clients

There is a fine line between showing your humanity to people with whom you do business and over-disclosing.

Over-disclosure means sharing personal details that are irrelevant to the client's reason for coming to you.

For example, maybe the client needs your guidance on managing finances more effectively. A revealing conversation about your recent divorce would not be relevant to the topic in question. It might even have the client thinking less of you for being unprofessional.

These talks may ultimately lead you to a broken client agreement or an order that never materializes. Therefore, it's best to avoid getting too personal when dealing with people professionally.

Overwhelming clients with too much information

Your clients come to you wanting help, guidance, or solutions. For example, they may need an expert to prepare their taxes, provide payroll services, or other accounting needs.

Overwhelming clients with too much information means getting too deep into your offer's finer points. It's more than likely that they only need an overview to help them understand your competence and capabilities. And they require time to digest the information you've provided.

If you throw it all at them, they might even think of you as less of an expert when all is said and done.

A professional presentation typically contains clear, concise, well-ordered points that support the main idea and provide enough supporting detail to facilitate meaning.

Going off on side tangents in your client communication does not lend credibility in their estimation.

Not providing enough information

On the other hand, one surefire way to break trust with your clients is not to provide enough detail.

We talked about over-delivering, but probably a more common predicament is the company whose clients come to them with unmet communication expectations.

There is a delicate balance between over and underwhelming your clients. So naturally, you want to walk this fine line if you hope to gain their admiration, respect, and trust in your ability.

If you have trouble knowing how much is too much versus not enough info to provide clients, try crafting it in advance and use it as a guide during your conversation.

Providing irrelevant details

The problem of providing details that the client may not need likely stems from an accountant's need to prove their expertise.

The client may initially be impressed by your accumulated knowledge, sure. But ultimately, if the topic gets off track of their problems and how to solve them, the client will leave the conversation scratching their head. In addition, irrelevant information will leave them wondering if they should have gone with someone else who's work is more relevant to them.

If you have trouble sticking to the main issue when talking with clients, you might try preparing a script for each type of problem that people will likely come to you with needing your expertise to solve.

Don't read off the script like you're in the school play. Instead, use it to cement the thoughts in your mind. Then, practice a bit with the script in hand so you can convey your thoughts in an organized fashion when the time comes.

Not personalizing your message

Your clients know when you are reading off a script.

Most of us have experienced the frustration of sitting on a client service call and hearing phony, scripted questions like "How can I make your day great," your clients are not likely to fall for a dialogue between you and them that takes place with you reciting lines off a cue card.

If you are not in a profession where talking comes naturally, you can give yourself a cheat sheet by writing out a few bulleted points on note cards to help you keep client calls flowing productively.

However, in time you should become more comfortable with speaking to clients. If you organize the points you want to make and continue to practice saying them naturally and conversationally, eventually, you'll find that the cards are no longer necessary.

Do you control your day, or do your tasks control you? Take our short quiz and find out. The results may surprise you (or maybe not).

Check it out for yourself!  Click below to get started

customer care

High-Touch Customer Care

customer care

High-Touch Customer Care

TASK Virtual Assistant

Gary Vaynerchuk, serial entrepreneur and one of the most sought-after public speakers today, has stated that the best marketing strategy ever is to simply care, and high-touch marketing shows that you care.

Now imagine if you took that same marketing strategy and used it in your customer care program.

High Touch, as defined by yourdictionary.com, is dealing with or interacting with a human being as opposed to transacting with computers or high-tech.

High-touch customer care focuses on human interaction, dealing with or interacting with your clients as human beings in a personal and empathetic way using low-tech methods.

High-touch involves ensuring that you increase the human factor in all your client-facing efforts. Even though most of your business may be conducted online today, your customers still value social interaction, and because of this fact, high-touch methods can be the differentiator for your accounting firm.

As an Accountant or CPA, there is one thing that can set your business apart from the giant multinational corporate firms - the individual care you can give a client. You can offer a better experience to your clients because you understand their journey and how it relates to what you can offer them at that point in terms of service and education. By prioritizing a personalized approach, you can create an unrivaled customer experience that not only sets you apart from competitors but also fosters loyalty and trust and ultimately drives your bottom line.

High-touch consists of creating hyper-personalized experiences for your clients.

Clients value experiences today more than ever in the history of humans. The great thing is that you can do that more easily because, as a small Accounting firm, you are able to personalize the client experience, individually. The hard part is developing that experience, virtually.

Many Accountants and CPAs had to pivot to a virtual environment during the Covid-19 Pandemic, and, as a result, those online businesses and websites had a more attentive audience.  Now that restrictions have lifted and people are slowly returning to a life outside their home, and away from the computer, you want to be careful with how you nurture that audience; finding the correct balance to keeping their attention, without coming across as a used-car salesman.

Clients Want to Feel Special

The higher value client experience will translate into your customers feeling like VIPs.

When clients feel like very important people, they are more willing to pay more for that upgraded experience. People will pay for value, and feeling special makes them feel important.

By taking the time to listen, empathize, and engage with your customers truly, you demonstrate a genuine commitment to their satisfaction. This personalized approach not only enhances their overall experience but also builds a strong emotional connection, creating excitement and passion because they are getting more of what they really want from you, making them more likely to become brand advocates and repeat customers.

The most important marketing skill you have is to listen to your clients.

Really get to know your client.  Read all correspondence between your firm and the client. Take notes about their problems, issues, and happiness. Fill in the information in your client file as you discover it.

Using your client files, create a full profile for each of your top clients that include their name, demographics, family information, services they receive from you and potential areas of growth, communication history, social media profiles, websites, and more. The more information you can find that is relevant to your offerings, the better.

Do make sure to set a schedule for learning about your top clients, as doing this can be remarkably interesting but quite time-consuming.

Create personalized interactive communities for your VIP customers to join and really bring the conversation with your best clients to a new level. Bring your clients closer to you so that you can help them more and they can learn more. The more open you are, and the more they learn from you, the more likely they are going to stick around when you announce your price increases.

Another way to get to know your clients is through their websites.  Find their websites if they have them based on the information you can find in your system. If they do not have websites, that’s okay. You can find out information by who they follow on social media, and the sites they like to visit.

Social Media is Not a One-Way Virtual Street...

Friend/Follow their social media. Ensure that you follow or friend them based on the information they have given to you. If you discover that you do not have that much information on them, see if you can find them following you on your social media platforms so you can follow them back. If not, invite them to follow you so you can follow them back. Quick side note here - hiring a social media manager can greatly help with this task!!

High-touch customer care is using personalized marketing methods that provide a lot of human touchpoints and can easily be incorporated into your business model by:

More Segmentation – The more you can segment your audience, the better. Using the technology to break down your customers into smaller, more personalized groups will help you develop the right offers as well as content to market those offers.

Extreme Personalization – With extreme personalization, it can’t be automated. This is going to include doing things just for one client at a time. For example, sending a thank you note in the mail after they sign on.

Personal Phone Calls – Give your clients a call to thank them and offer your personal help. Most of the time, you’ll end up leaving a message, but they’ll still feel super special getting a call of thanks from you.

Relationship Building – Find out who your top ten clients are and focus on following them on social media and interacting with them more. You can also send surveys to incorporate technology in helping build the relationships closer.

Customized Packages and Offers – Develop a special offer that is just for your top ten. Talk to them and let them tell you what they want, then give it to them.

Ultimately, high-touch customer care is all about super personalized marketing that provides a way for you to include your unique human touch for your clients - all of them, not just the top ten.

Implementing high-touch customer care and personalized marketing strategies is truly a win-win for your business. By investing in these practices, you demonstrate your commitment to exceptional customer service, earning the trust and loyalty of your clientele. In return, your customers reward you with increased engagement, repeat business, and positive word-of-mouth referrals. Additionally, through personalized marketing, you optimize your marketing efforts, ensuring maximum impact and return on investment.

Wondering if you need a virtual assistant? Imagine if you could get rid of all the time-wasting tasks that clog up your schedule and just focus on what matters most to your business. Sounds good, right?

Contact me at Info@thetaskva.com for more information, or schedule a quick 15-minute chat.

Take our quiz and see if you need a helping hand.

defining a virtual assistant

Getting the Help You Need Virtually

defining a virtual assistant

Getting the Help You Need Virtually

TASK Virtual Assistant

In today's fast-paced business world, accountants and Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) often find themselves overwhelmed by a multitude of tasks. Keeping up with all of the routines can be difficult. There are fifty million things to accomplish in one day with too little time and too few people to help. However, with the rise of virtual assistance, they can now access a valuable resource that can alleviate their workload and enhance their overall efficiency.

When you need an extra helping hand, look to a virtual assistant.  Most VAs offer a variety of services, from administrative to technical to creative, and will advertise themselves in their area of expertise.  For example, some assistants will focus on designing websites for you and maintaining the website or database after completion.

One of the benefits of hiring a virtual assistant is cost savings.  They will work for you from their own home office; they are not employees, so you do not need to pay employee tax or benefits. Partnering with a VA allows you to pay for the work you need and not for idle time.  Simply put, if there is no work, you don't pay them.

Finding A Virtual Assistant

Finding a reliable virtual assistant begins with clearly defining your needs and expectations. Consider the specific tasks you want to delegate, such as data entry, bookkeeping, tax preparation, or client communication. Look for virtual assistants with a background in accounting or finance to ensure they possess the necessary skills and understanding of your industry.

You can find virtual assistants through reputable online platforms such as VANetworking, the VA industry's market leader since 2003, that connect businesses with skilled professionals. Take the time to review their profiles, read client testimonials, and assess their qualifications and experience. Conduct interviews to ensure a good fit and discuss their availability, communication methods, and work processes.

Pricing a Virtual Assistant

Pricing for virtual assistant services can vary depending on factors such as experience, skill level, and the complexity of tasks. Some virtual assistants charge an hourly rate, while others offer package deals or retainer-based pricing. Consider your budget and the value you expect from the virtual assistant's support. Keep in mind that investing in a skilled virtual assistant can lead to significant time savings and increased productivity.

Benefits of a Virtual Assistant

Short-term Benefits:

Quick Onboarding: Virtual assistants are experienced professionals who can adapt swiftly to new environments and tools. They require minimal training, allowing accountants and CPAs to experience immediate relief from their workload.

Cost Savings: Hiring full-time staff to handle temporary or seasonal tasks can be costly. Virtual assistants offer a cost-effective alternative, as they can be engaged on an as-needed basis, eliminating the need for long-term commitments or benefits packages.

Diverse Skill Set: Virtual assistants often possess a diverse skill set beyond basic accounting tasks. They can offer support in areas such as project management, marketing, research, or customer service, providing additional value to your business.

Long-term Benefits:

Time Savings: Virtual assistants can handle time-consuming tasks such as data entry, report generation, and document organization. By delegating these responsibilities, accountants and CPAs can free up valuable time to focus on core activities, such as financial analysis, strategic planning, and client consultations.

Enhanced Efficiency: Virtual assistants bring expertise and efficiency to repetitive tasks, ensuring accuracy and timely completion. They can assist with bookkeeping, reconciliations, and other administrative duties, reducing the risk of errors and allowing accountants to work with confidence.

Scalability: Virtual assistants provide a flexible solution, allowing businesses to scale their support according to workload fluctuations. During peak periods, such as tax season, virtual assistants can handle the increased demands, preventing overload and burnout among the accounting team.

Incorporating a virtual assistant into the workflow of busy accountants and CPAs can significantly improve productivity, efficiency, and work-life balance. By carefully selecting a virtual assistant with accounting expertise and considering pricing structures, accountants can unlock long-term benefits such as time savings, enhanced efficiency, and scalability. Additionally, the short-term advantages of quick onboarding, cost savings, and a diverse skill set make virtual assistants a valuable resource for accounting professionals seeking to optimize their operations in today's digital age.

Have questions? I'm here to help! Set up a NO OBLIGATION, and TOTALLY FREE call to discover the possibilities!

Accountants Ethical Behavior

3 Essential Ethical Behaviors for Accountants

Accountants Ethical Behavior

3 Essential Ethical Behaviors for Accountants

TASK Virtual Assistant

As an accountant, it's crucial to maintain a high level of ethical behavior. After all, you're dealing with sensitive financial information, and your clients rely on you to keep that information confidential.

One of the most important ethical principles for accountants is integrity, meaning honesty and transparency in all your dealings and not engaging in deceptive or misleading behavior.

As an accountant, it is your responsibility to ensure that financial reports accurately reflect your client's financial situation. Therefore, presenting financial information accurately and completely without intentional or unintentional misrepresentations is vital.

Another critical ethical principle for accountants is objectivity. You must remain impartial and avoid any conflicts of interest. For example, having a personal and financial relationship with a client could create a conflict of interest that compromises your objectivity. In such cases, it's essential to disclose the conflict of interest to your client and take steps to manage it appropriately. Do not let personal or financial relationships influence your work; always remain objective when advising your clients.

Confidentiality is also essential for accountants. You must keep all client information confidential and not disclose it to anyone without the client's express permission. This includes not sharing information with colleagues, friends, or family members.

Similarly, if you encounter a situation where you suspect fraud or other illegal activities, it is not only essential to report it promptly to the appropriate authorities; it is your legal obligation. Failure to do so could compromise your ethical responsibilities and expose you to legal liability.

As an accountant, you must always comply with the law and regulations. Therefore, you should keep up-to-date with any changes in legislation and ensure that your clients follow all the necessary rules and regulations.

It's worth noting that ethical dilemmas in accounting can sometimes be complex and challenging to navigate. In such cases, seeking guidance from a professional organization, such as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), can be helpful.

Lastly, remember that ethics extend beyond your office walls. As an accountant, you represent the accounting profession, and your behavior can have a broader impact on its reputation. So, behave ethically at work and in your personal life.

Just remember, ethics are a critical component of being an accountant, and maintaining a high level of ethical behavior ensures that you build trust with your clients and uphold the integrity of the accounting profession.

planning success

Client Management Through Daily Planning & Organization

planning success

Client Management Through Daily Planning & Organization

TASK Virtual Assistant
What do client management and daily planning have in common? For starters, they are two essential skills for any business professional. When done well, these activities can help you stay organized and on top of your work.
Effective client management is essential for ensuring successful productivity. To make sure all of your clients get the attention they deserve, here are some effective strategies you can use for daily planning & organization. Doing this will help you maximize your productivity and ensure swift service to all your clients.

 

Strategy 1: Establish Clear Goals and Objectives for Each Client

Establishing clear goals and objectives with each client is an important step in building a successful client relationship. Having clearly defined goals ensures that everyone is on the same page and helps to ensure that the project runs smoothly from start to finish. It also allows you to measure progress and success, as well as identify areas for improvement. By setting specific goals with your clients, you can help them achieve their desired outcomes in a timely manner. Furthermore, it will help you build trust with your clients and ensure that they are satisfied with the services provided.

 

Strategy 2: Use Automation to Your Advantage, Make Your Job Easier

Automated systems can be extremely beneficial for tracking client progress and scheduling appointments. With the help of a calendar app for clients, digital appointment scheduler, and workflow automation software, businesses can save time and money while providing better customer service. Automation also eliminates manual tasks that are time-consuming and prone to human error. By automating these processes, businesses can focus on more important tasks, such as creating content or marketing strategies. Automated systems also allow businesses to track client progress in real time, which helps them make informed decisions quickly. Additionally, automated systems provide an efficient way to schedule appointments with clients without any hassle or confusion.

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Strategy 3: Stay Organized With Technology

Staying organized is essential for productivity and success. Setting priorities and utilizing technology are two of the best practices to help you stay organized. With the right task list manager app, you can easily create and manage tasks, prioritize them using various task prioritization methodologies, and track your progress. This will help you stay focused on what’s important and ensure that you don’t miss any deadlines or important tasks. By utilizing technology in this way, you can make sure that your daily tasks are completed on time and that you remain organized throughout the day.
success

Get Out Of Your Head For Success

success

Get Out Of Your Head For Success

TASK Virtual Assistant

Success in business stems from success in other areas of your life. You can’t really succeed to the extent that you would like to financially without making sure you’re up to par in other parts of your life, such as your mental state and physical fitness.

By keeping up with those parts as well, you’ll be much more well-rounded and able to succeed so much easier. Mental wellness is a very important aspect of your life and it’s extremely important for your success.

Mental health, for many years, was overlooked and not seen as a priority. A new term has emerged in recent years: “high functioning anxiety.” Although it is not yet a mental health diagnosis, it helps to describe something so many are experiencing. It has been shown that mental health is extremely important and is directly linked with your success in life.

You can’t go far in life when you’re struggling with things like anxiety because you’ll always be in your own head and unable to make the advancements you need for success. In her book, The Happier Approach, Nancy Jane Smith, walks people through how to get out of their head and into their body. Shifting your focus is sometimes just what you need!

In order to have a healthy mind, you need to give yourself time to relax and decompress, because, if you’re crowding your life with all work all the time, you’re going to get burnt out and start to dislike the job you’re doing. If you don’t enjoy what you do, it’s going to go downhill fast. You’ll put in less and less effort and you’ll never attain that success that you want.

Just as your mental well-being is important, so is your physical health.

Good physical health allows you to wake up each day feeling refreshed and ready to go, something that’s very important for your happiness and for your success. Being physically active and fit is good for your health, and it also helps you find happiness more frequently.

Keeping your body hydrated, properly nourished, and challenging yourself physically are the best ways to keep you in top physical health. I can hear you saying “but I don’t have time to workout”. Guess what, you really do have the time, you just need to find it.

“Workout, workout as hard as you can, and workout without excuses nor apologies. The discipline of tough physical training is obviously great for mental and physical strength, but over time, it also instills many more important lessons in a gradual and subtle progression. … It is the sheer effort but also the rest, nutrition and focus. These same skills, that are so important to our business and personal life, cannot become better engrained than through challenging training." --Itay Rosenfeld, CEO of Voxbone, a provider of Communications-as-a-Service (CaaS)

Without a healthy mental state and physical fitness, life can become a bit stale. Tracking progress in both of these categories is crucial. When you’re journaling or making notes about your day, talk about things that you’ve done to better your physical and mental health and be specific.

By keeping notes on your progress, you can tweak your methods in order to have better results, especially after seeing what worked for you and what didn’t. Everyone has different needs, so what might work for one person might not work for you. Find your balance.

Remember, as tempting as it is to only focus on success, you need to focus on all aspects of your life in order to truly be successful,. Take a look at  33 Daily Habits, which gives you simple, daily habits of successful entrepreneurs. There’s no fun in being financially well-off if you’re depressed and out of shape.

tax prep

Hire a Tax Preparer or Go It Alone?

tax prep

Hire a Tax Preparer or Go It Alone?

TASK Virtual Assistant

Albert Einstein once said, "The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax".

But more and more people are making the move to doing their taxes at home. With programs like 1040.com andFreeTaxUSA available, the process can be simplified and the refund swift in coming. However, going it alone is not always the wisest or most cost-efficient choice.

Let’s weigh some of the key factors in determining whether you should go it alone, or enlist the aid of a professional tax preparer.

Is it worth your time?
For the self-employed, it may be more advantageous to enlist the services of a professional tax preparer or Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Doing your own taxes, especially those related to a business, takes time. And, time is money.

Do you have the knowledge to glean all of the tax-related benefits involved in owning your own business?
Being self-employed may just be one of the greatest tax strategies of our time. As a self-employed individual, you are in control of your taxable income. With the right know-how, you can fully control how much tax you pay. In fact, there are many tax advantages to being self-employed, and, oftentimes, a professional can find tax savings and deductions related to your business that you may have otherwise overlooked.

Ultimately, for the self-employed, it’s a matter of weighing the cost against the advantages of hiring a professional. Keep in mind, however, hiring a professional can often result in tax savings that more than make up for the cost of the service.

What if you aren’t self-employed? What if you are filing for yourself or your family?
In this case, it may be worthwhile to consider going it alone. Programs like 1040.com make it easier for you and will walk you through the process step-by-step and often make receiving your refund a simple and expedient process.

Above all else, though, the best rule of thumb to follow in either situation is to trust yourself. Base your decision on whichever route gives you the most peace of mind. If you are comfortable completing the tax forms and utilizing the programs available for going it on your own, then this may be the best route for you. If however, you have any doubts or concerns, your best bet may be to hire a professional tax preparer.

Whatever you decide, download our Tax Preparation Guide and Checklist to help you better prepare.Tax Planner

strategic planning, goal setting

Your Complete Guide to Strategic Task Lists

strategic planning, goal setting

Your Complete Guide To Strategic Task Lists

TASK Virtual Assistant

Here’s the honest truth for entrepreneurs - your task list will NEVER be complete. There will always be more to do! So how can you manage everything without tasks or projects slipping through the cracks? Use strategic task lists.

Why You Should Use a Strategic Task List

A strategic task list is a list of tasks that can help you achieve your goals. It is a tool that can help you stay organized and focused on what you need to accomplish. It can be used for a variety of purposes and is one of the strongest time-management tools you can have in your arsenal.

Strategic Planning:

Use the list to organize your thoughts and plan out your agenda for the day or week with each item representing an action or project you want to complete.

Goal Setting:

The tasks on the list are those things that support your goals, making it easier to remember what needs to be accomplished in order to reach them.

Resource Management:

This type of task list is often used by people who need reminders about what’s happening at work so they know which meetings they need to attend, identify gaps, and maximize capacity.

Change Your Strategy by Having a Strategic Task List

If you have a task list, you are more likely to complete it within time limits which will lead you to accomplish your goals faster.

With a written strategic task list, you are less likely to be derailed or distracted by small tasks that may not seem urgent but actually are urgent. Being able to identify what needs immediate attention is important for an organization’s success.

When there is clarity about what needs to be accomplished time gaps are eliminated and you achieve maximum productivity levels.

Create the Perfect Strategic Task List

Creating the perfect strategic task is easier than you might think. Following these simple steps will ensure that your task list is effective:

First, do a brain dump! Using a pen and paper, set a timer for 15 minutes. Write down EVERYTHING that you need to do - business and personal. Do not assign deadlines, edit or prioritize yet. When the timer goes off, try to go for another 5 minutes.

Next, prioritize the tasks using the time management matrix:

Urgent + Important: Must do tasks with a clear deadline such as paying taxes, paying bills, completing work on a deadline. If this isn’t done - there is a clear consequence!

Urgent + NOT Important: Time-sensitive tasks that should get done such as replying to your emails, client communication, working with your team. This is an excellent area to automate and systemize.

NOT Urgent + NOT Important: These are tricky tasks because these are the ‘should do’ tasks we say yes to without determining if they really help us reach our goals. Learn to say NO to these tasks. Outsource to another to handle this area.

NOT Urgent + IMPORTANT: This is where you want to play! Focus your time and energy on important revenue-generating tasks such as marketing, sales, or developing new revenue streams.
Many of the tasks should be based on your goals. I find it helpful to keep a printed copy of my goals on my desk, usually in my day planner, for quick reference.

Finally, check your daily task list at night and prioritize the remaining tasks based on what you should be working on first. Create a fresh list every morning pulling forward the unfinished tasks from the day before.

It is important for any organization to have a strategic task list. Whether your company has 1 employee or 100 employees, using strategic lists will help them understand the steps needed to reach the end goal and thus, provide stability and consistency in your strategy.

It is important for any organization to have a strategic task list. Whether your company has 1 employee or 100 employees, using strategic lists will help them understand the steps needed to reach the end goal and thus, provide stability and consistency in your strategy.

To help you get started with your strategic goal planning, grab this FREE Goal Planner:

smart goals

Are You Realistic About Your Goals?

smart goals

Are Your Realistic About Your Goals?

TASK Virtual Assistant

People often struggle in both life and business with the process of goal-setting—more than likely, you’ve read a lot about creating SMART goals. SMART is an acronym for: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. SMART goals give direction and focus to your efforts. If your goal is without focus, or if you are unable to tell if it's working, odds are you'll be wasting time.

Let's Be Clear

If there’s one thing that keeps people stuck, it’s a lack of clarity.

You know you want to quit your soul-sucking day job in favor of the freedom of self-employment, but you aren’t clear on the steps to take. You want to take an exotic vacation, but you aren’t sure where to go—or how to make it happen. You want to grow your business but aren’t even sure what that means.

The truth is, with ambiguous “goals” such as these, in five or ten years, you’ll still be right where you’re at today. But with a little clarity, you can achieve any goal you can conceive. The first step is simple, visualize what you want.

Start With A Vision

A vision board is a planning tool that allows you to unleash your creativity and daydream in a tangible format. Vision boards can serve to keep you inspired when boredom strikes and remind you of why you’re working so hard when all you want to do is take a nap. Best of all, creating a vision board is easy—and fun!

Start by collecting images that represent your biggest goals. Gather pictures from magazines, photos from a favorite vacation, ads of products you want to have. I had a postcard from the New Yorker hotel I used to keep pinned on a board above my desk. I looked at it every day and knew I would be there one day. Four months later, I accepted a position at a start-up company in New York City!

Use images, graphics, photos that express what you want. Dollar signs, or a specific figure, to represent your desired bank account balance. Phrases and quotes that inspire you. Add it all to your new vision board.

Your vision board is a living document. Your dreams and goals will change. Some you will achieve and remove from your board to make room for bigger and better dreams. Some you will decide no longer matter, and you’ll trade them for some others. It’s your vision, and it’s entirely up to you what dreams you choose to follow.

Keep your vision board within sight; you’ll be better able to focus on the steps necessary to reach your goals. I keep mine hanging on my wall directly opposite my bed. It’s the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see before going to sleep.

Now, Create Your Goals

Using your vision board as your roadmap, create three SMART business goals and at least two SMART personal development goals. Quantitate each goal and include a deadline date. Write your goals out and keep them visible. If this is not feasible, make sure they are easily accessible.

Keep It Real

It’s fun to fantasize about becoming a millionaire or making a high six-figure salary while sitting on the beach. The problem with this is that it’s just not that realistic. It’s not to say that no one has ever done it, but more than likely, they already had tons of resources like money and contacts that allowed them to delegate while they were lying on the beach.

When you come up with a figure or a measure for your goal to track, you want the number to be realistic and not just pulled out of thin air.

To be accurate and realistic about how much you can earn, you need to figure out the order of operations at your business.  How many hours will you have available for clients, and how many hours will be set aside for business administration? A typical 40-hour workweek will probably give you four or five hours billable in a day, and the rest of the time, you’ll need to work on marketing and other aspects of your business. If your billable rate is $40 an hour, that will provide a gross income of $1,000/week. Reduce that by business expenses and personal draw to reach your net income. Will that be enough to sustain and grow your business?

Perhaps you can find other ways to increase your billable hours, such as outsourcing or hiring full-time employees. The main thing is that you should not leave these numbers to chance. Design your entire day and determine what is realistic for your goals in each case. Don’t just pull a number out of the air. Think about the number and how it can happen or not happen before you put it in writing.

Personally Speaking

Use the same process for your personal development goals. Think about what skills you want to improve; how long will it take to develop? Are there classes you can take? A good freelance education source is Freelance University. You can find any skill development course in their extensive library. Now, create a SMART goal. For example, perhaps you want to become more efficient with Excel to maintain your financial plan or even automate some of your tasks. You could write, “By March 1 (or any date you choose), take an Excel course to increase efficiency with some of my business administration tasks.”

Review Your Goals

Now that you’ve taken the time to create some fantastic goals set up a schedule to evaluate your goals. I suggest reviewing your goals quarterly at a minimum. Assess where you are, is the goal progressing as anticipated; are you on track to complete as stated? Make any necessary alterations and note why the changes are required.

Planning and working towards your goals should not be a source of stress if you remember to think about what you want and how you will get there. This step helps clarify expectations and ensures that the goal is SMART and worthwhile.

To help you get started with your strategic goal planning, grab this FREE Goal Planner:

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letter writing, handwritten letter

The Handwritten Letter

letter writing, handwritten letter

The Handwritten Letter

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Letter writing seems to be a lost art in today's age of instant messaging and email. However, whether it's the power of the written word or the belief that a handwritten letter is more meaningful and unique, it is still alive and kicking as many people prefer to receive handwritten letters and cards.

I remember receiving my birthday card, or an encouraging note (on a notecard!) from the VP of our division, back in my Corporate life. I cannot express how I felt opening that card and reading the handwritten note from her. Even more amazing, was knowing that she took the time to write a personalized message in all the notes and cards she sent out, to all the employees. This is the same tradition my mother instilled in us girls, and I hope I have passed it on to my daughter. The handwritten letter or note is about as personal as you can get, and something I do in my business today.

The process of letter writing has changed over time as we moved more into a digitalized world. However, some people continue to put pen to paper because they believe that there is something more personal about it than other digital formats. Handwritten letters can be more personalized than an email because they can show personality in their words through the actual handwriting itself, or drawing pictures on the letter or card. This personality cannot be replicated in an email or text.

While some people may argue that handwritten letters are less efficient than paperless postcards or emails, there are many benefits to handwritten postcards and letters.

Surprise and delight your clients

Companies should not underestimate the power of handwritten letters. It can increase clients' enthusiasm and surprise them with a personal touch. A handwritten letter helps to form a bond with your client.

Improves your memory

Handwriting helps us remember things better. The act of writing by hand engages more of the brain than typing on a computer or using predictive text on your smartphone. It's easier for us to remember what we've written down if it's in our own handwriting.

Promotes mindfulness

The simple act of handwriting something generates a sense of calm and mindfulness that you can’t get from typing or even talking on the phone. This is the same sense of calm we feel when coloring. Some people use handwritten letters as an excuse to send snail mail – hand-written postcards, letters with drawings, thank you notes, etc. Others use them as a creative outlet – drawing doodles or little sketches on their envelopes for no reason at all.

Allows for reflection and a more thought-provoking message

Handwritten letters are deliberate, thought-provoking, and represent a deeper meaning than an email can. As we move deeper into the digital age and instantaneous writing with predictive text, we sometimes forget how important it is to be intentional with our words and expressions.

Sends the message that you care

Companies that use handwritten postcards or greeting cards for clients show that they have taken the time to personally put something together for them - which is an unexpected touch.

A handwritten letter is a time-honored tradition. It is the perfect way to show someone how much you care. Whether it's a heartfelt note, a long overdue apology, or even an invitation to be your date for the evening—a handwritten letter will express all of your feelings in just the right way.

Handwritten letters are not just about saying what you want to say—they are about who you are as well. Understandably, there are many things that people send by email these days that would have traditionally been sent by paper mail. But if you're looking for something personal and thoughtful, nothing beats the intimacy of the written word on paper!

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Tips For A Smooth Return After The Holidays

planning goals

Tips For a Smooth Return After the Holidays

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Taking some time off during the Holidays? Looking forward to enjoying some festivities, but dread the mountain of work you know will be waiting when you return? Make a few preparations now, before you leave, and follow some tips when you return, to help ease you back into a routine and maybe even stretch your relaxed and festive mood well into the first week or two of the new year!

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Tips Before You Leave:

Automate Your Email

Create Rules to Filter Emails:

Setting up filters to determine which emails should receive priority upon your return is a huge time saver! Gmail allows you to mark which email type, or contact, as important or with a star. You can even color-code your stars in order of priority in the Settings section.

In Outlook, go to “Rules & Alerts”. There you can fully customize how you want your incoming messages to behave. Sending them to a folder or marking as high priority, are just a couple of timesaving filters.

Out of Office Automatic Reply:

First, take time right now to set up your Out-Of-Office and Voicemail message. These are probably the two most overlooked yet simplest tasks to quickly take care of. Outlook’s “Automatic Replies” and Gmail’s Vacation Reply will let you schedule the OOO in advance. Your message can be anything from “I’m outta here!” (not really recommended 🤭) to something more elaborate with information the sender may need. You can also decide if you want the automatic reply to go to everyone, even those outside your organization, or contact list only.

Most voicemails will let you schedule an outgoing message to run at a specific time, but if your phone system doesn’t allow for advance messaging, write the message out now and have it ready to quickly record.

Remember, the idea of advanced settings is so you don’t stress yourself unnecessarily by waiting until 5 minutes before you’re trying to get out the door!

Organize Your Calendar Now

Schedule Meetings Now:

That New Year staff meeting can wait until  Tuesday afternoon – 2:30PM to be exact – after you return. A study by YouCanBookMe, shows this to be the very best time to schedule a meeting. Also, don’t forget to schedule a reminder, preferably with a scheduled email in addition to the popup reminder notification.

And, while you’re adding meetings to your calendar, I want you to schedule 3 lunches your first week back. As you ease your way back into the routine, time away becomes paramount. Schedule alternate days (I recommend this!), or consecutively, but do it in “ink” and do not allow yourself to cancel.

Make Time to Socialize:

Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of "The Humor Advantage,” recommends:

"If your work situation permits it, leave a day after you've 'officially' booked off and arrive a day before you've announced your official return. This buys you an extra distraction-free day at both ends of your vacation so that you leave feeling better prepared and more relaxed and return to work without feeling overwhelmed."

 Another wiggle room tip is your catch-up time. Everyone wants to catch up, get the details of your holiday, whether they stop by your desk, or catch you in the Zoom meeting,  these quick “water cooler” chats can quickly morph into a time vampire! Block about 30 minutes of “catch up” time to socialize and catch up with your office pals. Scheduling this time will help avoid unnecessary interruptions and keep you focused.

Prioritize Your Task List:

Make a complete list of all the projects you are working on. Are there any projects that have been on a backburner for over a year, take a good look at it – are you really going to work on them? Can they be delegated or even discarded? Take a few minutes to prioritize everything – use the Eisenhower Matrix to help organize these projects. Your “vacation brain” will thank you when it’s time to jump back into things.

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The Eisenhower Decision Matrix

Set up your return task list now for at least the first two days back. When adding tasks, keep it real! Don’t set unrealistic deadlines for your first day back and don’t try to do everything on that first day, this will only leave you overwhelmed, underproductive, and put you behind in your work.

The first day should be sorting through and answering priority emails, just dip your toe in the water, no cannonballs on this day!

Day two should consist of your top three priorities, in order of deadline dates.

Schedule Social Media Posts

Schedule your Holiday messages now using programs such as Hootsuite and Sendible. You can also schedule posts directly on your Facebook and Instagram business pages using Publishing Tools.

If you have a lot of customer interaction, you could hire a Virtual Assistant to reply to comments and private messages, and keep the engagement going.

Communicate

Get in touch with your clients and let them know you’ll be away. If you’re able, have a backup contact for them in case any urgent needs arise.  Clients will appreciate the high-touch service.

Kerr says:

"Contact any high-priority clients before going to make sure you've answered any questions and addressed their needs before heading out. It's not only a great customer service habit to get into, it will give you greater peace of mind. It also gives you a simple but legitimate excuse to reach out to clients you may not have talked to in a while."

If you work with a team, make sure everyone is aware of your travel plans and how to reach you in case of an emergency.

Clean Up Your Desk

About 20 minutes before the end of your day, take some time to clean up your desk. Put away the files you’ve been working on, put books back where they belong, straighten up the supplies. Take one last look at your Task list. Are there any projects that have been on a backburner for over a year – are you really going to work on them? Can they be delegated or even discarded?

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Tips For Your Return:

Stealth Mode 

Try to stay in a selective stealth mode the first few days back, giving those that “need to know” a heads up about your return.  Break up the first few days into little chunks. For example, take care of emails and phone calls on the first day,  and review reports on day two.

Do Not Stay Late

As tempting as it might be, slowly easing back into that full “work late” schedule will help you be more focused and productive.

Part of the lure of a vacation is that you're free to do as you please. Work often seems like the end of the fun part of your vacation. Nonetheless, with a bit of strategic planning, and following a few return tips, you can help relieve the stress of the return and harness the excitement and happiness of your vacation.

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Happy Holidays!

time management

7 Strategies For More Productivity

7 Strategies For More Productivity (and why they work!)

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TASK Virtual Assistant

One of the most difficult things about planning your day effectively is prioritizing your daily goals. With so many things that we want to accomplish each day, it can be tough to decide where to start. I’ve put together eight different strategies and why they work. Choose the best one for you, or mix them up. There is no right or wrong way as long as you make the most of your time and achieve your goals!

The Warren Buffet Strategy

This strategy has three steps:

Step 1: Write down your top twenty-five goals. These could be career goals, personal goals, weekly goals, annual goals, etc.)

Step 2: Go over your list and circle your top 5 goals. Make sure to take some time with this part; don’t rush it!

STOP – Do NOT proceed to Step 3 until you have first done the two steps above.

Step 3: Now you essentially have two lists: the circled items are List A, and the remaining items are List B. So logically, the next thing to do is start on your most important tasks. Well, not exactly. Here’s the catch – Buffet says this, “Everything you didn’t circle just became your Avoid-At-All-Costs list. No matter what, these things get no attention from you until you’ve succeeded with your Top 5.” For Step 3, you only want to focus on working on the items on List A.

Why it works:

Eliminating things you care about is the most difficult part of this productivity method. Those twenty items on List B are things you care about, just like the items on List A. They are tasks that important to you for one reason or another. It’s super easy to tell yourself that you’re being productive while spending time on those twenty tasks. But when you hold them up to your top five goals, those other tasks are simply distractions from your biggest goals. Spending your limited time on secondary priorities may just be the reason you still have twenty half-completed projects instead of five finished ones.

The Ivy Lee Strategy

Step 1: At the end of each day, jot down the six most important tasks you must accomplish the next day. ONLY six. Don’t write more than that. These can be work or personal tasks. (You could actually do a separate list for both!)

Step 2: Prioritize those six tasks in order of how important they are and how much they will impact your end goals.

Step 3: The next day, when you start working, focus ONLY on the first task. Work on it until it is finished before you move on to the next item on the list.

Step 4: Continue down the list, marking off each item as you complete it. Remember, you prioritized this list yesterday, so there’s no need to jump around between tasks – stick with the priority order you already lined up.

Step 5: At the end of the day, move any tasks you didn’t complete to a new list of six tasks for the next day. This is also a good time to re-evaluate each item and decide if it’s really one of the most important tasks you need to complete.

Step 6: Repeat this process every day (or every working day)

Why does it work?

Simply put, it works because it’s simple. This strategy requires you to make hard decisions. Trimming the fat is one of the best things you can do when your brain is full of ideas or you feel overwhelmed by your to-do list. It forces you to get really serious with yourself when you focus on eliminating those tasks that aren’t absolutely necessary. We all have a myriad of things we’d like to do, and we may even consider many of those things to be tasks we must do. But the truth is that imposing limits on yourself can make you a more productive person. If you try to do everything, you usually get nothing meaningful accomplished.

This strategy also eliminates the friction of starting. For most people, getting started is the biggest hurdle! Creating your prioritized list the day before allows you just to sit down and get to work the next day without spending hours waffling back and forth about what to work on. Just getting started is as important to your success as finishing.

Finally, effective productivity strategies require focus, and this strategy works because it gets rid of multi-tasking. As much as people like to think they are multi-tasking machines that can accomplish all the things at once, science says otherwise. Multi-tasking has been shown repeatedly to be inefficient. You can’t do great on the task when your attention is divided a million ways.

The Anthony Trollope Strategy

This strategy is even more simple than the others. Trollope simply did the following:

Step 1: Set a timer for 15 minutes.

Step 2: Write 250 words before the timer goes off.

Step 3: Repeat 12 times throughout the day for a total of 3 hours.

With this simple method, Trollope completed 47 novels, 18 non-fiction books, 12 short stories, and 2 plays, in addition to multiple articles and letters.

This division of time allowed me to produce over ten pages of an ordinary novel volume a day, and if kept up through ten months, would have given as its results three novels of three volumes each in the year…” —Anthony Trollope

Why does it work?

Anthony Trollope was an author (obviously), and writing a book is a pretty big project. It’s impossible to complete in one sitting, much less one day. So instead of tracking progress by how many books or chapters he wrote, Trollope simply aimed for 250 words in 15 minutes, multiple times a day. This made him feel accomplished and successful each day because, even though he wasn’t writing an ENTIRE book that day, he was completing 3,000 words towards the overall project daily.

Measuring progress in smaller increments helps you to keep the momentum going throughout a bigger task. And more momentum means more progress, which means even more tasks will get completed overall. This strategy applies to any big projects, not just writing ones. Think about how you can break your tasks out into highly productive, 15-minute segments throughout the day.

The quicker you finish a task and check it off of your to-do list, the faster you will feel like you are being productive and effective each day. This early win can be a crucial part of keeping your attitude upbeat, and your drive going as you complete the remainder of your tasks throughout the day.

Simply put, Anthony Trollope’s strategy allows you to get the immediate payoff of finishing a task quickly and the long-term value of working on your most important goals.

The Eisenhower Matrix Strategy

The Eisenhower Matrix strategy uses a decision matrix to help you prioritize the tasks on your to-do list. There are four different categories: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important.

Urgent and important – these are tasks you need to do right away

Important, but not urgent – these are tasks you should schedule to do later

Urgent, but not important – these are tasks you can (and should!) delegate to someone else

Neither urgent nor important – these are tasks that you should just remove from your to-do list completely

As you start each day, it’s important to look back at the previous day’s matrix to see what urgent and important tasks you didn’t complete. Those need to either be at the top of your list for the day or decide if you can delegate them right away. Or they aren’t as urgent as you initially thought, and you can move them to the section of the matrix for later scheduling. Remember, urgent tasks are those you need to react to or take action on right away, whereas important tasks help you reach your long-term goals.

Why does it work?

One of the best things about the Eisenhower Matrix is that you can use more than one for bigger plans (weekly, monthly, etc.) and for smaller daily tasks as well. The other great thing about it is that you can use it to help you make decisions and prioritize over and over.

But what really makes it shine? The Eisenhower Matrix requires you to make tough decisions about your goals and all the tasks on your plate. The secret is the fourth quadrant of the matrix, the tasks that are not important or urgent.

Too often, we equate busyness with productivity, and that is not the case. In fact, the fastest way to get something “done” is to eliminate it entirely. This strategy allows you to regularly evaluate each task and ask yourself, “Do I really need to be doing this?” It takes a little more thought and effort, but the time and energy you save on those eliminated tasks will be well worth it!

The Essentialism Strategy

Essentialism, at its core, is about discernment in how you make decisions – with a slow, carefully considered “yes” or a quick, decisive “no.” It’s about recognizing all of your responsibilities and homing in on what is most essential to you. Being more intentional about your choices will give you more control over your daily life and, therefore, more time and energy available for productivity.

Step 1: Write each task down on a separate piece of paper (like a sticky note).

Step 2: Look at everything you have written before you and ask yourself, “If I could only keep one of these, which would it be?” Place the chosen task’s paper face down.

Step 3: Repeat Step 2 again with the remaining tasks. Once you’ve selected one, place it face down on top of the first task you selected.

Step 4: Repeat until all the papers are in one stack.

Step 5: Flip the stack over and work from the top, as you’ve just prioritized your to-do list!

Why does it work?

Saying “yes” to everything (or making no decision at all) means giving up your choice and losing control. Your purpose is greater than just being someone else’s workhorse. When you don’t make your own choices, you can’t work towards where you want to be, in either work or life. This often results in being overextended, stressed, frustrated, and less effective. Practicing discernment and saying “no” more frequently can take some work, but it gets easier as you go.

Personal Kanban Strategy

Personal Kanban is a system based on Lean manufacturing principles but applied on a personal level. Personal Kanban only has two rules: make your list visual and limit your work-in-progress (WIP). It’s a strategy that anyone can use, regardless of their situation, age, or learning style. Its visual nature is also great for those struggling with figuring out where to begin working on daily tasks.

Step 1: Create a board or poster with three columns: To-Do, In Progress, and Complete.

Step 2: Make a sticky note (also called a “card”) for each thing you need to complete.

Step 3: Add each sticky note to the To-Do column.

Step 4: Label each sticky note task as high, medium, or low priority

Step 5: Choose 2-3 tasks, place them in the In Progress column, and get to work.

Step 6: Move it to the Complete column as you complete each task. Then take another task from the To-Do column and move it over to In Progress.

Step 7: Rinse and repeat.

Why does it work?

Personal Kanban gives you a visual system to prioritize your tasks to promote balance and productivity. People often overextend themselves or bounce between unfinished products, so having a visual reminder of the In Progress tasks helps keep you on track and focused. Make sure to always move a new task into the In Progress column as you complete other tasks. This ensures that you will have a steady flow of tasks, which leads to increased productivity and effectiveness. It’s also a great way to keep you focused on only 2-3 tasks at any given time, helping prevent overwhelm and burnout.

The Attention Span & Energy Strategy

This strategy utilizes block scheduling to maximize your most productive times during the day. Your attention span and energy levels greatly impact productivity and distractibility. Focusing on harder and more time-consuming tasks during your most alert and productive hours will yield much better results.

Step 1: Evaluate your current calendar/schedule – Start by tracking how you spend your time for a week. Include every activity (even the mindless social media scrolling!) and how much time you spend on each thing. Once you have a better idea of how you are spending your time, it will be much easier to create a new, more efficient schedule.

Step 2: Look for patterns – Review your activities from the previous week and group the tasks into categories such as meetings, creative work, email, social media, household tasks, family time, etc. Alternatively, you can categorize tasks based on how you feel while doing them or how they impact your energy levels on a scale from 1 to 10. Any method will work; it’s all about what makes the most sense for you.

Step 3: Organize your time blocks – Use the categorization in Step 2 to help you lay out blocks of time throughout the day. Be sure to plan the most intensive tasks during your high-energy times. You may have to play around with the schedule to find what works best for you, but here’s an example for inspiration:

8:00-9:00 am – Check and respond to emails
9:00-10:00 am – Marketing tasks
10:00-10:15 am – Snack/walk break
10:15 am-10:45 am – Fold laundry and clean bathrooms
10:45-11:45 am – Phone calls
11:45-12:15 pm – Lunch/walk break
12:15-1:00 pm – Prep things for dinner
1:00-2:00 pm – Outsourcing check-ins/assignments
2:00-2:30 pm – Customer support tasks
2:30-3:30 pm – Graphic design work
3:30-4:00 pm – Evaluate today’s progress and create a schedule for tomorrow

Bonus Tip: Create day themes – some people find that switching gears during the day causes them to get distracted and lose focus. If that’s the case for you, try day themes instead. Monday can be marketing day, Tuesday can be a creative workday, etc. If you choose to go this route, be sure to schedule in a family/rest day as well to rejuvenate yourself.

Why does it work?

Block scheduling can be a great tool to combat procrastination. When you know you only have 30 minutes to get something done, staying focused and on task is much easier. It’s also a good way to get a better grasp of how much time it takes you to complete different tasks. We tend to underestimate how long things will take to complete – using a block schedule for a few weeks will give you a better idea of how much time you really need to complete things. Finally, when your schedule doesn’t allow space for mindless tasks like chatting with friends or scrolling social media, you’ll find it much easier to pay attention to the task at hand.

And finally, Newton’s Third Law of Motion says,

“When one body exerts a force on a second body, the second body simultaneously exerts a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction on the first body. (Equal and opposite forces.)”

Your typical productivity and efficiency level result from your life's productive and unproductive forces. Productive forces are things like focus, motivation, drive, and positivity. Unproductive forces include things such as poor sleep quality, stress, poor eating habits, and overextending yourself.

To become more productive and efficient, you must either increase your productive force or eliminate unproductive forces. Increasing your productive force is possible but often results in exhaustion and burnout. The better option is to work to remove unproductive forces from your life instead. You can do this by reducing stress, taking on fewer responsibilities, living a healthy lifestyle, setting appropriate boundaries, etc. It’s all about removing those obstacles that are holding you back.