NOVEMBER IS - Movember - is an annual, month-long celebration of the moustache, highlighting men's health issues, specifically prostate cancer and depression in men.
Are you seeking some 'Words of Wisdom from Successful Small Business Superheroes' to inspire your business journey? Get your copy here
Enjoy reading this issue of basically business
Sharon
BUSINESS INSIGHTS
Are you stuck in a rut?
Not sure if you are really doing what you are supposed to?
Maybe your business needs a health check?
The FOCUS Checklist is a quick tool to assess where you are (and how you are feeling) in your business – RIGHT NOW.
It’s an opportunity for a Check-In and to identify small areas of improvement that can be implemented swiftly.
You get to assess various areas of your business on a scale of 0 - 10. With ‘0’ being ‘It’s pretty bad – help me’, to ‘10’ being ‘I rock this - I’m an expert’, and anywhere in between.
With a new awareness you will identify some areas of your business that may need extra FOCUS.
If you would like a copy, just hit REPLY and I'll get it to you.
ENTREPRENEUR REVIEW
Assisting business owners successfully organise and manage their business is the primary role for a Online Business Manager / Virtual Assistant. They know what it takes to run a business and can take some of the pressure off so that it looks like you do it all!
Like many VA's, Carina Gazzard continues to upskill in various areas of her business to be able to provide exceptional services for her clients.
How did the business originate? After having my children, I wanted to spend as much time with them and be there for school drop off and pick up each day. My husband is a fireman so he is a shift worker and I knew it would be hard for me to get a role that would work around these two major factors. My husband had always said I should start my own bookkeeping business and work from home as bookkeeping was my background but I just never thought I could do it. We moved from inner Melbourne down to Torquay on the Great Ocean Road and that was when I heard about Virtual Assistants and how they operated. I knew I had found my ideal business. I had 20 years experience in Admin and Bookkeeping so I started doing some other short courses and my business became a reality.
How long have you been in this business? 2 years
What do you love about your business? I love that I am able to work around my children and their activities and pick my hours. I love that I can take my work with me when we go travelling (which we do a lot). I also love learning new things and being a VA is great for that. I am constantly picking up new skills and offering new services to clients to help them with the tasks that they hate doing. I love admin, bookkeeping and being creative and I get to do them all in one business. I love the emails from clients thanking me when a task is complete. It makes my day that I have helped someone get their too-hard basket under control.
Is there anything you dislike? It can be a lonely day working for myself in my home office. Some days I may not talk to another adult between 9am and 3pm. That would be the only thing that I dislike but having access to places like co-working spaces can help with that. And when the internet is down, my business is also down which is not great for time management.
Favourite food:Nachos
Favourite colour: Blue
Favourite drink:GreenTea or Red Wine - depends on the time of day.
Favourite movie: Love Actually
Favourite time of the day:School Drop off time! Did I say that out loud?
Favourite item in your office:My two screens - makes life so much easier
Favourite app on your phone/tablet/computer:Instagram/Facebook - where would we be without Social Media? And Asana - my whole life is organised by that app!
What book are you reading right now? The Outsourcing Secret - Rosie Shilo
Which 3 people (dead or alive) would you invite to a dinner party? Why?My mum - she has passed away and I would love to see her again and for her to meet my daughter. Rosie Shilo - owner of Virtually Yours. She is the VA guru and queen. I would love to pick her brain. Jude Law - I love his accent and who wouldn't want him sitting at their dinner party?
Name 3 things on your bucket list: Travel, travel and travel (anywhere). We love it and do trips often.
What do you like to do for yourself?I like to go for a walk on my local beach and lap up how lucky we are to live where we do. I also love creating graphics and artwork in Canva for fun and work.
Who do you seek advice from? I am a member of some fantastic business groups locally and virtually that have some amazingly talented and knowledgeable people in them. They are helpful whether I need advice on a certain program or task for a client but they are also extremely supportive when we need advice or even a simple 'you got this' on those days when it all just seems too hard.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting their own business? The longer you sit on the fence the harder it is to start. Have a good business plan behind you and don't rush into anything until you are ready and have all of your business plans and goals set up. Know your ideal client and how you will be helping them and then market to that audience.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of working with a OBM/VA? It can take time for you and your VA to get into a rhythm. Be prepared, know what tasks you need to delegate to a VA and the best method you want to use to communicate with your VA. Guidelines set in place at the start is the key to an effective working relationship. Reach out to your VA to guide you. This is what they do for their business and have set up many new clients before. Be respectful at all times.
What is your tip for a work/life balance? I am pretty bad at this at the moment but sometimes you just need to turn the computer off and walk away. Find a daily activity that you love and fit that in each day no matter what. Work will always be there when you get back.
Apple / Android: Android, all the way.
Beach / Bush:Definitely beach all the way
APP REVIEW
Beat the hackers by using two factor authentication. Two-step verification is a process that involves two authentication methods performed one after the other to verify that someone or something requesting access is who or what they are declared to be.
Codes are uniquely crafted for your account when you need them. If you choose to use verification codes, they will be sent to your phone via text, voice call, or our mobile app. Each code can only be used once.
Google Authenticator is a FREE app that can be set up for any account that 2 step verification is warranted.
ON THE BLOG
Consistently growing your list is one the smartest things you can do for your business. By relying on social platforms to spread the word means you have no control over who or how your clients receive the information you are communicating.
Starting and running a small business requires a massive learning curve to obtain and meet all the relative compliance and legislation requirements.
There are a number of Government departments that can provide information and assistance for your business, regardless of industry.
From ASIC Connect to Australian Taxation Office as well as small business info, advice and more from your local State Government. Start 'Googling' and see what you need to know!
EVENTS WORTH NOTING THIS MONTH INCLUDE:
The final Fishbowl event for 2019 will be held on Thursday 28 November at 10am at Alcara Cafe, Helensburgh.
Keep an eye on the Facebook Group to stay up to date.
If you have an event that you would like shared, please let me know the details.
