Blogging is a great way to get the word out to consumers about your product or services. If you are considering taking your business to the next [...]]]> If you run a small business, you may find that the world of blogging for business owners is a world that you need to be a part of.

Blogging is a great way to get the word out to consumers about your product or services. If you are considering taking your business to the next level, think about starting a blog. At the very least, it will provide a link back to your website.

Blogging for business owners has a lot in common with other types of blogging, but has its own unique pitfalls and strengths. As a business owner the key to having a successful blog is keeping your goals clear, concise and concrete at every step.

It can be very easy to get sidetracked, especially if you are just learning all about the possibilities of blogging technology, but if you want your blog to succeed you need to stay focused. Endeavour to maintain a theme for a series of blogs before changing to a different one.

It is essential that you prepare a plan for how often you will update, how you will promote your blog and retain readers, whether you will feature photographs or video, and other aspects of your blog. Then follow that plan with the same sense of purpose that you used when you built your business.

Terence Kierans CAVB (Certified Australian Virtual Business)
Principal, Cyberspace Virtual Services
PO Box 93 Quinns Rocks, Western Australia 6030
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Start by producing procedures for your routine business tasks. These procedures are then used as work instructions for completing specific tasks; you don’t have to hand-hold someone to get them to carry them out.

To produce task procedures, the “how to” aspects, ask “How do I?”, then begin at the beginning [...]]]> How to Start Systemising

Start by producing procedures for your routine business tasks. These procedures are then used as work instructions for completing specific tasks; you don’t have to hand-hold someone to get them to carry them out.

To produce task procedures, the “how to” aspects, ask “How do I?”, then begin at the beginning – as suggested by the King in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – and go on till you come to the end: then stop.

As suggested in Part 2, chart each step that is used to compile the process. That’s it, unless the steps are inconsistent. In which case it would be necessary to provide guidelines to indicate the rules to be abided by.

The whole idea of systemising in this manner is twofold.

1. You now have a means of controlling the quality of your work, and
2. In the event of illness for a one-person business, or other calamity, another person could easily pick up the threads and provide continuity for you.

Terence Kierans CAVB (Certified Australian Virtual Business)
Principal, Cyberspace Virtual Services
PO Box 93 Quinns Rocks, Western Australia 6030
http://www.virtualservices.com.au – Experience the Difference
http://vacertified.com/client-info/ – First in the World to be VA Certified (and you can benefit)
http://www.avbn.com.au – Australian Virtual Business Network—You Deserve the Best
http://a4vb.com.au/  – Alliance for Virtual Businesses, Australian Chapter—Supporting the Future of Business Through Innovative Ideas
2007 Thomas Leonard International VA of Distinction Award Nominee
Contented Member of ‘A Clayton’s Secretary’
Use our skills to help you succeed
Tel: 61 8 9304 6983 Fax: 61 8 6230 5156 Mobile: 61 414 25 1091 UK Residents: 07092391723

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A survey carried out some time ago produced the estimate that people carrying out administrative functions or providing services spend about 40 to 50 percent of their time dealing [...]]]> When you are systemising your business, and producing procedure manuals have you ever used Process Maps? Have you ever used them to systemise a client’s business?

A survey carried out some time ago produced the estimate that people carrying out administrative functions or providing services spend about 40 to 50 percent of their time dealing with waste; correcting things that are wrong, chasing down misfiled or misplaced things, querying incomplete instructions, re-inventing the wheel, and so on. These go on in even the best organised businesses.

Just imagine that you could reduce these wasteful habits in your own business. How much more productive would you be? Compiling process maps can provide an analysis of a process and highlight areas of inefficiency and waste; leading to methods to deliver improvements.

Process mapping, or flow charting, is an extremely powerful technique. It depicts, visually, how each step in a process leads to the final product or service output. It is one of the most effective improvement techniques you can use.

Terence Kierans CAVB (Certified Australian Virtual Business)
Principal, Cyberspace Virtual Services
PO Box 93 Quinns Rocks, Western Australia 6030
http://www.virtualservices.com.au – Experience the Difference
http://vacertified.com/client-info/ – First in the World  to be VA Certified (and you can benefit)
http://www.avbn.com.au – Australian Virtual Business Network—You Deserve the Best
2007 Thomas Leonard International VA of Distinction Award Nominee
Contented Member of ‘A Clayton’s Secretary’
Use our skills to help you succeed
Tel: 61 8 9304 6983 Fax: 61 8 6230 5156 Mobile: 61 414 25 1091 UK Residents: 07092391723

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It would also enable you to ascertain critical processes, their priority in the recovery phase, and anything dependent upon those processes so can set a goal for overall [...]]]> Briefly it is to enable you to determine the impacts resulting from possible disasters and interruptions that could affect your business; the risks you have assessed previously.

It would also enable you to ascertain critical processes, their priority in the recovery phase, and anything dependent upon those processes so can set a goal for overall recovery

You cannot develop a strategy for your Business Continuity Plan if you cannot determine the extent of the impact on your business of risks occurring.

The purpose of the BIA is to:

• Determine those functions of your business that are critical to its operation together with those particular processes / applications each function accomplishes.
• Put a figure on the potential loss to you and your business for each of those processes if they cannot be conducted for a given period of time.
• Research the probability of losing each function and assign a risk factor— low (L), medium (M), high (H) or severe (S).
  Any process rated H or S must be further evaluated in order to determine alternative strategies.
• Finally, you need to decide upon what you consider to be an upper limit of for any outage that could be caused by the occurrence of an H or S risk function so as to reduce the effects to M or L

Terence Kierans CAVB (Certified Australian Virtual Business)
Principal, Cyberspace Virtual Services
PO Box 93 Quinns Rocks, Western Australia 6030
http://www.virtualservices.com.au – Experience the Difference
http://vacertified.com/client-info/ – First in the World  to be VA Certified (and you can benefit)
http://www.avbn.com.au – Australian Virtual Business Network—You Deserve the Best
2007 Thomas Leonard International VA of Distinction Award Nominee
Contented Member of ‘A Clayton’s Secretary’
Use our skills to help you succeed
Tel: 61 8 9304 6983 Fax: 61 8 6230 5156 Mobile: 61 414 25 1091 UK Residents: 07092391723

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Are you procrastinating in business? Do you keep coming up against “brick walls” that stop you growing your business? Maybe you are flat out, with your wheels spinning and not making the money you should be. I think we all find ourselves in these [...]]]> The 5 Archetypes of Facing Fears in Business

Are you procrastinating in business? Do you keep coming up against “brick walls” that stop you growing your business? Maybe you are flat out, with your wheels spinning and not making the money you should be. I think we all find ourselves in these situations at times. Very often, the reason this happens is because there is a fear we are holding onto that we are not even aware of. As entrepreneurs, if we don’t deal with this fear and move on, our businesses will never reach the stage they should.

To read the entire article and find the rest of the quote “Before you can have a mind-shift you first need to ….” Please also make sure you leave your comments below the article. I’ll read and respond to every one personally!

You can read this entire article and please leave a comment
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An award winning on-line community recognised for generous and honest marketing advice for women on the internet. She is also an international best selling author and multiple award winner, including Australian Marketer of The Year 2009.

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E-Myth Revisited is a book which all business owners and managers should treat as a bible. It too lays down a methodology for systemising your business, the basics of which are just [...]]]> A Business Fusion workshop I attended last week amplified my belief that many businesses, large and small, do not operate on a system.

E-Myth Revisited is a book which all business owners and managers should treat as a bible. It too lays down a methodology for systemising your business, the basics of which are just as applicable to the small business.

The mainstay of systemising your business is documentation; documenting, from beginning to end, every process your business employs. Have you documented all the actions that you accomplish in running your business on a daily basis?

From experience, the average business owner does not enjoy writing documents—unless it is part of their business; as it is mine. I have heard of business owners who have claimed that that their business really is systemised- it’s just that the systems are all in their head. Sorry guys—and you may not like this—but that doesn’t count!

Take that first step today; spend a few days paying particular attention to the activities that you perform and record everything that you do in a notebook or journal. Now that you have recorded your actions, organise and order them into groups (for example: accounting, client processes, product creation, answering e?mails, etc).

Now we come to the crunch—put it all down on paper.

Don’t want, or have the time, to turn that data into information that can, and should, be used. Then outsource it to a documentation expert.

*****

Stuck in this area?

Contact me at info@virtualservices.com.au
to find out how I can help you.

Terence Kierans CAVB (Certified Australian Virtual Business)
Principal, Cyberspace Virtual Services, Western Australia
www.virtualservices.com.au – Experience the Difference
http://vacertified.com/client-info/ – First in the World to be VA Certified (and you can benefit)
www.avbn.com.au – Australian Virtual Business Network—You Deserve the Best
2007 Thomas Leonard International VA of Distinction Award Nominee
Contented Member of ‘A Clayton’s Secretary’
Use our skills to help you succeed
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The gift called “asking” has been around for a long, long time. One of life’s fundamental truths states, “Ask and you shall receive.” Kids are masters at using this gift, but we adults seem to have lost our ability to ask. We [...]]]> The Power of Asking; 7 Ways to Boost Your Business
by Jack Canfield

The gift called “asking” has been around for a long, long time. One of life’s fundamental truths states, “Ask and you shall receive.” Kids are masters at using this gift, but we adults seem to have lost our ability to ask. We come up with all sorts of excuses and reasons to avoid any possibility of rejection.

Yet the world responds to those who ask! If you are not moving closer to what you want, you probably aren’t doing enough asking.

Here are seven asking strategies you can implement in your business (and in life) to boost your results and your bottom line:

Asking Strategy #1: Ask for Information

To win potential new clients, you first need to know what their current challenges are, what they want to accomplish and how they plan to do it. Only then can you proceed to demonstrate the advantages of your unique product or service.

Ask questions starting with the words who, why, what, where, when and how to obtain the information you need. Only when you truly understand and appreciate a prospect’s needs can you offer a solution. Once you know what’s important to them, stay on this topic and find solutions for them.

Asking Strategy #2: Ask for Business

Here’s an amazing statistic: after giving a complete presentation about the benefits of their product or service, more than 60 percent of the time salespeople never ask for the order! That’s a bad habit, and one that could ultimately put you out of business.

Always ask a closing question to secure the business. Don’t waffle or talk around it—or worse, wait for your prospect to ask you. No doubt you have heard of many good ways to ask the question, “Would you like to give it a try?” The point is, ask.

Asking Strategy #3: Ask for Written Endorsements

Well-written, results-oriented testimonials from highly respected people are powerful for future sales. They solidify the quality of your product or service and leverage you as a person who has integrity, is trustworthy and gets the job done on time.

When is the best time to ask? Right after you have provided excellent service, gone the extra mile to help out, or in any other way made your customer really happy.

Simply ask if your customer would be willing to give you a testimonial about the value of your product or service, plus any other helpful comments.

Asking Strategy #4: Ask for Top-Quality Referrals

Just about everyone in business knows the importance of referrals. It’s the easiest, least expensive way of ensuring your growth and success in the marketplace.

Your core clients will gladly give you referrals because you treat them so well. So why not ask all of them for referrals? It’s a habit that will dramatically increase your income. Like any other habit, the more you do it the easier it becomes.

Asking Strategy #5: Ask for More Business

Look for other products or services you can provide your customers. Devise a system that tells you when your clients will require more of your products. The simplest way is to ask your customers when you should contact them to reorder. It’s often easier to sell your existing clients more than to go looking for new ones.

Asking Strategy #6: Ask to Renegotiate

Regular business activities include negotiation. Many businesses get stuck because they lack skills in negotiation, yet this is simply another form of asking that can save a lot of time and money. Look at your vendors and suppliers and see if there are areas where you can be saving money. Just ask.

All sorts of contracts can be renegotiated in your personal life, too, such as changing your mortgage terms and rate, reviewing your cell phone plan and requesting a policy review with your insurance agent. As long as you negotiate ethically and in the spirit of win-win, you can enjoy a lot of flexibility. Nothing is ever cast in stone.

Asking Strategy #7: Ask for Feedback

This is a powerful way to fine-tune your business that is often overlooked. How do you really know if your product or service is meeting your customers’ needs? Ask them, “How are we doing? What can we do to improve our service to you? Please share what you like or don’t like about our products.” Set up regular customer surveys that ask good questions and tough questions.

HOW TO ASK

Some people don’t enjoy the fruits of asking because they don’t ask effectively. If you use vague language you will not be clearly understood. Here are five ways to ensure that your asking gets results.

Ask Clearly
Be precise. Think clearly about your request. Take time to prepare. Use a note pad to pick words that have the greatest impact. Words are powerful, so choose them carefully.

Ask with Confidence
People who ask confidently get more than those who are hesitant and uncertain. When you’ve figured out what you want to ask for, do it with certainty, boldness and confidence.

Ask Consistently
Some people fold after making one timid request. They quit too soon. Keep asking until you find the answers. In prospecting there are usually four or five “no’s” before you get a “yes.” Top producers understand this. When you find a way to ask that works, keep on asking it.

Ask Creatively
In this age of global competition, your asking may get lost in the crowd, unheard by the decision-makers you hope to reach. There is a way around this. If you want someone’s attention, don’t ask the ordinary way. Use your creativity to dream up a high-impact presentation.

Ask Sincerely
When you really need help, people will respond. Sincerity means dropping the image facade and showing a willingness to be vulnerable. Tell it the way it is, lumps and all. Don’t worry if your presentation isn’t perfect; ask from your heart. Keep it simple and people will open up to you.

© 2008 Jack Canfield

* * *

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Jack Canfield, America’s #1 Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com

* * *

Terence Kierans CAVB (Certified Australian Virtual Business)
Principal, Cyberspace Virtual Services, Western Australia
www.virtualservices.com.au – Experience the Difference
http://vacertified.com/client-info/ – First in the World to be VA Certified (and you can benefit)
www.avbn.com.au – Australian Virtual Business Network—You Deserve the Best
2007 Thomas Leonard International VA of Distinction Award Nominee
Contented Member of ‘A Clayton’s Secretary’
Use our skills to help you succeed
Tel: 61 8 9304 6983 Fax: 61 8 9304 3202 Mobile: 61 414 25 1091 UK Residents: 07092391723

Having problems coping with all that paperwork?
Turn those piles into files and find any document
in 10 seconds or less!
http://tinyurl.com/64ag2