"Time is free, but it's priceless.
You can't own it, but you can use it.
You can't keep it, but you can spend it.
Once you've lost it, you can never get it back.
" It seems we are obsessed with time: it flies by -- where did it go? -- can you believe it's all already? I never have enough hours in the day...
We've all heard these comments - and have probably said them ourselves.
The one thing that is constant and unforgiving is time - you can never get it back or make more of it.
So the only way to manage time is just that - manage it! Delegating is a fantastic way to manage your time, and it takes a strong business person to be able to delegate effectively.
Hiring a VA Hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA) is your best bet to delegate effectively.
Remember, the right VA will be a business person just like yourself and will understand that delegation is key to running an efficient business.
The term VA means someone who will assist you in your business virtually - there are VA's who do admin tasks, bookkeeping, website design, travel, social media, marketing, copywriting - and everything in between! To Start I recommend that you keep a list for a week of everything you do.
Keep a pad and paper with you for an entire week, jot down notes on your smart phone, keep your notepad open on your computer - whatever method you would like - but keep a list somewhere.
After that week, assemble your list in one place and look at it.
Put a check by every single item on your list that someone else could do for you.
Then narrow down that list to the top three most important items that you do that need to get done - but not by you.
How much time do you think you waste by doing things that someone else could be taking care of for you? And how much is your time worth? Your Time is Priceless I'm guessing you're going to say that your time is priceless because it's your business and every minute you spend IN your business is preventing you from working ON your business.
I don't need to remind you that the way a business grows - or in our time how a business stays on top - is to constantly be "out" there and showing a strong presence.
It's virtually impossible to show that constant presence and do all the behind-the-scenes stuff.
Networking I'm sure you know how important networking is, and that means local as well as on-line networking.
The in-person networking you do is something you must do yourself, unless you have someone local that you work with or that works for you that can go out on your behalf for your business.
For example, if you're out and about in Bucks County networking, you know Kim Graziano - who is always showing up with a bright and sunny disposition on behalf of Chaddsford Winery.
On-Line Networking / Twitter And then there's the on-line networking, better known as your social media presence.
Twitter is a great place to develop a social media presence, as well as learn about your target audience and also what other people in your business arena are up to.
Yes, it takes time and dedication to keep your presence fresh on Twitter.
But do you know the do's and don'ts of Twitter? If you don't, you will probably do more harm than good.
For example, if you are just on Twitter to spam people with "look at my site," "come to my establishment," and other such similar tweets, you will be blocked quickly on Twitter, and it's almost impossible to get unblocked.
I've been on Twitter long enough to see those tweets come and go, and I can tell quickly those companies who will be successful on Twitter.
Those are the companies who create community - and that can be done with the actual owner/CEO/president of the company, or it can be done with someone they have in-house, they outsource to a VA, or all of the above.
The important thing is that you know the "rules" of Twitter and how to engage people and create that community - while being professional and getting your message out.
Facebook, LinkedIn and blogging should also be used along with Twitter to get people to your website.
Once you get them there, is your message clear? Tips for Your Website - Focus on what's important on your site! If your business sells one specific product, make sure that's the focus of the home page and place calls to action on inner pages for that item - Don't place random boxes all over your home page or use 20 different colors.
Pick a theme and stick with it! - Don't write a paragraph per page that goes on and on...
keep it short and to the point.
Focus on copywriting skills, and if you don't have those skills - hire someone who does! - Set up your navigation properly, and don't make your readers search to find something! Put the important items out in the open, like the contact page or where you place an order.
Using these simple tips along with hiring someone to help you - or delegating - most or all of these tasks will allow you to become more focused on growing your business instead of getting caught up in the day-to-day details that will eat up your precious time.
You can't own it, but you can use it.
You can't keep it, but you can spend it.
Once you've lost it, you can never get it back.
" It seems we are obsessed with time: it flies by -- where did it go? -- can you believe it's all already? I never have enough hours in the day...
We've all heard these comments - and have probably said them ourselves.
The one thing that is constant and unforgiving is time - you can never get it back or make more of it.
So the only way to manage time is just that - manage it! Delegating is a fantastic way to manage your time, and it takes a strong business person to be able to delegate effectively.
Hiring a VA Hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA) is your best bet to delegate effectively.
Remember, the right VA will be a business person just like yourself and will understand that delegation is key to running an efficient business.
The term VA means someone who will assist you in your business virtually - there are VA's who do admin tasks, bookkeeping, website design, travel, social media, marketing, copywriting - and everything in between! To Start I recommend that you keep a list for a week of everything you do.
Keep a pad and paper with you for an entire week, jot down notes on your smart phone, keep your notepad open on your computer - whatever method you would like - but keep a list somewhere.
After that week, assemble your list in one place and look at it.
Put a check by every single item on your list that someone else could do for you.
Then narrow down that list to the top three most important items that you do that need to get done - but not by you.
How much time do you think you waste by doing things that someone else could be taking care of for you? And how much is your time worth? Your Time is Priceless I'm guessing you're going to say that your time is priceless because it's your business and every minute you spend IN your business is preventing you from working ON your business.
I don't need to remind you that the way a business grows - or in our time how a business stays on top - is to constantly be "out" there and showing a strong presence.
It's virtually impossible to show that constant presence and do all the behind-the-scenes stuff.
Networking I'm sure you know how important networking is, and that means local as well as on-line networking.
The in-person networking you do is something you must do yourself, unless you have someone local that you work with or that works for you that can go out on your behalf for your business.
For example, if you're out and about in Bucks County networking, you know Kim Graziano - who is always showing up with a bright and sunny disposition on behalf of Chaddsford Winery.
On-Line Networking / Twitter And then there's the on-line networking, better known as your social media presence.
Twitter is a great place to develop a social media presence, as well as learn about your target audience and also what other people in your business arena are up to.
Yes, it takes time and dedication to keep your presence fresh on Twitter.
But do you know the do's and don'ts of Twitter? If you don't, you will probably do more harm than good.
For example, if you are just on Twitter to spam people with "look at my site," "come to my establishment," and other such similar tweets, you will be blocked quickly on Twitter, and it's almost impossible to get unblocked.
I've been on Twitter long enough to see those tweets come and go, and I can tell quickly those companies who will be successful on Twitter.
Those are the companies who create community - and that can be done with the actual owner/CEO/president of the company, or it can be done with someone they have in-house, they outsource to a VA, or all of the above.
The important thing is that you know the "rules" of Twitter and how to engage people and create that community - while being professional and getting your message out.
Facebook, LinkedIn and blogging should also be used along with Twitter to get people to your website.
Once you get them there, is your message clear? Tips for Your Website - Focus on what's important on your site! If your business sells one specific product, make sure that's the focus of the home page and place calls to action on inner pages for that item - Don't place random boxes all over your home page or use 20 different colors.
Pick a theme and stick with it! - Don't write a paragraph per page that goes on and on...
keep it short and to the point.
Focus on copywriting skills, and if you don't have those skills - hire someone who does! - Set up your navigation properly, and don't make your readers search to find something! Put the important items out in the open, like the contact page or where you place an order.
Using these simple tips along with hiring someone to help you - or delegating - most or all of these tasks will allow you to become more focused on growing your business instead of getting caught up in the day-to-day details that will eat up your precious time.