Business Plans
Top 3 Resolutions for Virtual Assistants
Got Motivation? Of course you do. It’s almost the New Year and we can’t help but imagine all the things will accomplish in 2011. Did you know that 90% of American’s have the same top two resolutions? First, Get Healthy. Secondly, Gain Financial Freedom. But what about in the “work world”?
I surveyed my colleagues in the “Virtual” world. The top three resolutions were pretty much unanimous…but they all followed the same theory: Be more profitable. Makes sense, right?
Here are the top 3 resolutions:
1. Get Better Clients
Dump the “duds”. Clients who don’t pay in a timely manner or those who are not paying your top rate should be “introduced” to someone new. It’s not just about the “money” factor here, but the clients that require the most maintenance usually pay the least and create more stress in your world. Be careful though…make sure that you have set your clients up for success and don’t leave them high and dry. Prepare a transition plan for them. You would want the same respect in return.
2. Network More
Spend time using the social media avenues so that you can meet the people that are going to help you expand your business. Be sure to take advantage of the chance to get in front of your clients or future clients through quality social networking…not just empty posts. Take every “in-person” opportunity to tell someone about your business. You never know who they might know.
3. Get More Work-Life Balance
So this is the tough one and it takes tons of discipline. It can be difficult to “clock-out” when you know that with your computer, blackberry, or the phone is a few steps away in the other room. My advice, Make sure to SHUT DOWN at quitting time. Make time for yourself and make time for your family. If you are wound tight all the time, you won’t be nearly as productive for your clients or as present and available for your family (or yourself).
Whatever your resolutions for 2011, be sure to write them down and post them in a very obvious place. Also, check-in on a weekly basis and give yourself a new task to help you get to your ultimate goal.
Happy New Year!
Productive New Years Resolutions – Be Efficient with Change
Are you ready for change?
New Year’s resolutions are notoriously tough to keep, but this year could be different. I found a quiz created by the psychologists at the Center for Motivation and Change that helps you better understand how you develop new habits.
There are three essential elements for creating long-lasting change: a strong sense of self-awareness, a strategic approach to the challenge, and a good perspective on the difficulties involved.
There are a total of 12 questions that I will share with you over the next few days. On the last day, I will share the answers from the Center for Motivation and Change with you so keep track of your answers! It’s a fun way to learn new things about yourself!
1. When you consider your goal, what else do you automatically think of?
a.) The sacrifices I’ll have to make.
b.) All the great things that will come of it.
c.) I actually try not to think about it too much. “Just do it” is my motto.
d.) Both the costs and the benefits. I can’t help feeling a little hesitant.
2. How important is this goal to your happiness?
a.) This is it! If I meet my goal, I will finally be happy.
b.) It’s a pretty big deal, but I realize it’s not the answer to all my problems.
c.) It doesn’t seem crucial to me-though I feel like it should.
d.) It’s a small but important step for me.
3. What is inspiring you to try to make this change?
a.) A suggestion from a loved one.
b.) My own desire.
c.) Societal pressure.
d.) At least two of the above.
4. Do you expect to encounter any obstacles on your path?
a.) Yes, my path is a minefield!
b.) I certainly imagine I will, though I don’t know exactly what they will be.
c.) Not really. Once I decide to do something, nothing can stand in my way.
d.) I can think of a few. But I have some ideas about how to get past them.
5. If you were to start making the change today, what would you do first?
a.) I don’t have a plan per se. Determination is all I really need.
b.) I’d talk to a friend about my expectations. I want to be sure they’re realistic.
c.) I have no clue. I get overwhelmed just thinking about it.
d.) I’d make a rough list of the steps I need to take.
6. Say a few weeks down the road you slip back into old behaviors. Which scenario is most likely?
a.) I’d feel very discouraged and probably give up, at least temporarily.
b.) I’d try to figure out what went wrong and fix the problem.
c.) I can’t even entertain that possibility now. It would be like giving myself permission to fail.
d.) I’d look back to the success I had early on and use it as inspiration to keep going.
7. Imagine that before you meet your goal, you start feeling worse rather than better. What would be your first impulse?
a.) There must be something wrong with me.
b.) It’s too soon to quit. I need to keep pushing myself.
c.) This is a sign. I’m not ready to change.
d.) I need to revisit my goal to see if it’s still what I really want.
8. Which best describes your attitude toward challenges?
a.) I embrace them, but I get impatient when I’m not successful right off the bat.
b.) It depends on the challenge. Sometimes I’m motivated; sometimes not so much.
c.) I have to admit I don’t love them. I prefer to stick with what’s familiar.
d.) When I commit to something. I’m committed 100 percent.
This content was provided by Jessica Walker Galland, DeskOfJess.com. Desk Of Jess provides copyediting services and Organizational Therapy for entrepreneurs in overwhelm. Visit her at www.deskofjess.com
Simple Business Plans That Work
A business plan is essential for the success of a business venture, because it clearly defines where you are and where you want to go. A company business plan can help you to convince a partner, investor, or lender about what your goals are and how you intend to reach them.
Even if you don’t require financing, business planning can help you to remember what you are trying to build, to monitor your progress, and to know what you need to do next at any time. Established businesses also need to maintain current business plans.
1. Are business plans really necessary?
You may be wondering why a professional business plan is needed at all, because you may have heard about people who succeeded without any planning. While this may work at times, if your business is important to you and if you want it to exist for a long time, it is essential to create a workable plan.
You will have to invest a lot of time and money in setting up your business and will have to take a significant financial risk. That’s why it is important to learn how to write a business plan.
A business plan is essential even if you feel that your business is too small to need one. If you feel that you can’t write or don’t know how to make one, bear in mind that most of the important work is done before you start writing a business plan, and you can get someone else to help you to improve the language.
2. What a business plan should include:
• The business plan executive summary can provide a concise overview of the history of the business, names of founders, number of employees, location, products or services, plant or facilities, investors, banking relationships, growth, including financial or market highlights, and future plans. A startup business plan summary may not include much historical information, apart from the background and experience of the promoter.
• The market analysis section includes the description of the industry and outlook, the target market, and the competition. It can provide details of the size of the target market, expected market share, and projected gross profit margins. You can look for data relating to your target market in government documents, trade association publications, and directories.
• The company description section includes information about the nature of the business and the primary factors that will make it a success. It can identify the customers whose needs you intend to satisfy, and mentions why you feel you have a superior ability to satisfy their needs.
• The organization and management section provides details about the ownership of the company along with profiles of the management team and board of directors. It can include an organizational chart and provide details about the legal structure of the business.
• The marketing and sales management section provides information about marketing and sales strategies that will help the business to succeed. This can include the market penetration strategy, growth strategy, channels of distribution, and communication strategy.
• The products or services section provides information about what you intend to sell. It can identify the unmet needs of your target market that your products or services will fulfill.
• The funding request section includes different funding scenarios, including a best case scenario and a worst case scenario, with matching financial statements. It can include details of the present funding requirements, as well as financial needs over the next five years.
• The financials section provides historical financial data for the last three to five years, if you have an established business. You also need to provide projected financial data for the next five years, and the projections need to be consistent with your funding request.
3. Create an effective business plan
Keep your target audience in mind when you write a business plan to ensure that it will have the desired impact on them. Create a concise plan that will inform and influence your target audience.
You can use Web based business plan software to create a plan that can be accessed from anywhere. All you need to do to create a business plan is to fill out a business plan form. You can also find use a business plan template or look at a few sample business plans to get ideas.
Make a business plan that is easy to read and understand. If you include too much information, readers may miss the really important points. Once you have created a business plan, cut out the non-essential details and highlight the key facts.
Use graphics to highlight the really important information, but don’t fill your report with too many of them. There is no need to make a thick volume that is packed with loads of confusing data and graphs.
A sound small business plan will help you to convince people that you know what you are talking about and have a business proposition that is likely to succeed.
