by WP-Dev | Mar 26, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
As a business owner you want to make sure you are giving your clients the best service around … all the time! But it is human nature to let things fall through the cracks as we juggle a myriad of things, most times not purposefully, but it happens.
So how do you keep your clients happy, get the work done and keep track of what is going on overall in your business (and ultimately in your clients business)?
Project Management Tools
Using apps and software programs that can help you keep everything in one place and that can allow you, at a quick glance, to see what has been done, what is on hold and what still needs to be done as well as the timeline and so on is imperative in this day and age. Having effective project management tools in your business is the best thing you can for yourself and your clients.
Now, there are so many available out there, which one should you choose? That all depends on the type of business you have. Is your niche marketing, are you a graphic designer, website developer, customer service or a blogger? The type of business you have will determine which tool will best serve you and provide you with the outcome that desire.
In this article I am going to discuss two lesser used tools which specialize in the marketing space and the customer service space. CoSchedule and FreshDesk – Both are great project management tools for the marketing and customer service sector (and can be applied to many other sectors too).
Which one is the most beneficial for your business? Let’s find out …
CoSchedule
CoSchedule is great for the marketing industry as it has a Marketing Suite built in with features such as:
- Marketing Calendar – A global visual real-time calendar that allows you to see (wherever you may be in the world) how the content will look with graphics and text. This can be shared with the entire team. The calendar is customizable and can be changed as the business need changes.
- Content Organizer – Imagine a triage for your content schedule and strategy. Prioritize things and shift as needed, all in real-time and allowing your global team to access it all.
- Work Organizer –This one is all about your team. Help them reach their full potential, set deadlines, allow them to see progress and so on. This will alleviate bottlenecks and possible missing of important deadlines.
- Social Organizer – Make templates so that they can be filled in and re-used, eliminate the busy work. Keep the workflow and work communication transparent and you can automatically set tasks and social plans and content that need to recur. “Set and Forget” is their motto.
- Asset Organizer – Categorize the work at hand. Quickly locate and access and use the folders you need to get the work done, on time every time.
Overall this feature is perfect for business and enterprise. It allows strategies to be put in place, it allows for flexibility, it gives global real-time views so that a team can have access no matter where they may be in the world. Transparency and customization is also evident in this feature of CoSchedule.
If you are an individual or a startup, do not fret, you too can benefit from the Editorial Calendar feature of CoSchedule. These include:
- Blog Editorial Calendar
- WordPress Integration
- Social Media Publishing
- Re-queue Social Automation
- Task Management
You can organize everything in one place and schedule out content and articles without the headaches. The automation and integration features of the key benefits with this feature.
FreshDesk
Is providing stellar customer service more your buzz? Then FreshDesk may take preference between these two project management tools. Let us find out more.
“Trusted by 150,000+ businesses”
That statement says a lot, there are many reasons as to why this statistic is the truth and here are some of them.
- Convert emails to tickets – This feature allows you to take emails from customers and automatically turn them into tickets and respond that much faster. Never miss another email.
- Intuitive Reporting – This feature is great because you track team performance and customer satisfaction.
- Social Helpdesk – This is a brilliant feature as it allows you to take Tweets and Facebook messages and automatically convert them into tickets. You can now respond to customers anywhere, anytime.
- Smart Automations – Automate the ticket assignment process
- Seamless Integrations – Have everything your support team needs in one place with ease of access.
- Knowledge base – Set up a Knowledge Base. This allows customers to possibly find the answers they are looking for, and therefore they would not have to wait on a response from the support team. For example, adding screenshots or links to changing passwords, or changing profile details and so on.
Overall, Freshdesk would be great for anyone who wants to create a seamless, effective communication channel with their customers and provide high-end customer service around every corner.
Is this you?
Conclusion
These two project management tools are by no means the only ones available, however they seem really great and capable of handling the tasks at hand.
As you can tell they both have different functions in the workplace, but that is not to say you would not benefit from both. Essentially, if you have a product or service that you offer, you need to have systems and processes in place (CoSchedule) and a customer service platform (FreshDesk).
For a comparison as far as usability and price points go, you can click here and get up to date information to help you decide on the way forward.
Happy Project Managing!
by WP-Dev | Mar 24, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic that we are all facing at present I thought that it would be very appropriate to encourage everyone to find that place that you can call your happy place.
Do you have a happy place? A physical place that you can retreat to that grounds you and makes you feel peaceful and find balance. Finding your happy place sounds cliché, I know, but everyone has at least one. A happy place is a serine place that puts positive thoughts in your mind and a smile on your face. This is where we can be our true selves allowing ourselves to be present, casting aside grudges of the past and pausing our worries for the future.
Recharge your batteries
Everyone needs a place they can go to where they can step out of daily life and just relax. All of us need a place to recharge our batteries, where we feel safe and where we can do things that bring us joy. We all have that one place our mind immediately goes to when we imagine a safe and comfortable environment. It’s important to remember that your happy place mustn’t be something that uses up your energy,
I have a love affair with the beach. There is something about looking out over the beautiful endless ocean, feeling the sand beneath my feet, and smelling that fresh salty air. It never disappoints, rather it is always there to soothe my soul and dissipate my worries. With each wave that rolls in, comes calm and loving energy. It is definitely my happy place.
When finding a happy place, you need to have an open-mind and be willing to try new things. It is always good to experience new things alone. You will know if the place or activity you are doing brings you peace of mind and become stress-free.
How it benefits you
A happy place gives you the chance to be in your own little world, feel happy and de-stress. Whether it be with a good book, a movie, a meal, exercising or at a relaxing spot. You get to find out what really makes you happy and how beneficial it is in your life. A happy place can get you out of a bad mood or a bad state of mind.
Creating Your Happy Place
- What kind of environments are you most drawn to?
- Where do you feel most energized and alive?
- Where do you feel most calm and at peace?
- It’s somewhere you feel safe.
- It has things in it you enjoy.
- It has privacy.
- You literally look forward to being there.
- You feel peace and joy in it.
- Take a few minutes to jot down a list of the places that always brings you the most pleasure.
- It could even be that your happy place isn’t physically real, but a mental place you can go to when you need to.
I hope that these 10 tips help you find your happy place.
Conclusion
If you don’t have a happy place, dealing with your stress and isolation during these very trying times will probably be much harder. Stay Safe!
by WP-Dev | Mar 19, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
The Coronavirus pandemic is forcing us into isolation and cabin fever is already a problem for many. If you can safely engage in outdoors activities, there are so many benefits. There are so many fun things to do, even if you cannot use a public facility.
Research shows that there are both physical and mental health benefits to being outdoors (even if it’s just 20 minutes!), Here’s some top benefits of spending time outdoors:
- Taking a walk in nature improves short-term memory.
- Helps de-stressing you.
- Help eliminate fatigue.
- Helps fight depression and anxiety. A natural stress-reliever.
- Lowers blood pressure.
- Improves your ability to focus.
- And of course, absorbing the much needed Vitamin D.
Spending time with children outdoors
There are many benefits for children and youth playing outside. Outside they release energy, use their loud voices, play vigorously and engage in messy projects. Children can also experience the plants and animals in their local ecosystems. Children should work on their fine and gross motor skills – mastering both is good for their growth and independence. Having good motor skills can help them explore the world around them and gain strength and confidence. Other research shows more benefits for children to play outside, like:
- Better physical health
- Numerous opportunities to strengthen motor skills
- Greater visual-motor integration (the ability to control hand and body movement guided by vision)
- Stronger verbal and social skills
- Production of Vitamin D (essential Vitamin for bone health)
- Increased attention and cognitive abilities
The outdoor space is suitable for a wide variety of activities, active and quiet. Playing in the park and going camping are great ways to spend time outdoors. Here is some ideas to teach the young ones while outside:
- Quiet area: Painting and reading outside.
- Physical area: Activities and materials to strengthen motor skills. Playgrounds / Playing with balls / jump ropes / riding bicycle and group games (Playing tag)
- Nature area: Activities and material found in nature (Finding different leaves/bark)
- Social area: Where the picnic table and benches are located
- Drama area: Where they can role play, for example play in a doll house
Make time for outside learning experiences by planning fun and creative experiences. Do not be afraid to bring the indoors out too. Fresh air is always a good thing for children.
The outdoors boosts your immune system whether young and old, enhances creativity and provides free aromatherapy, as research shows it’s really important to sometimes stop and smell the roses.
The influence of Covid-19 (Coronavirus)
Amidst the worldwide pandemic it’s difficult to spend time with family and friends outdoors, as big gatherings have been banned. South Africa has imposed severe restrictions, as the number of cases reported has rise and rise.
Restrictions include closing 35 out of 53 of South Africa’s land border crossings and 2 of its 8 seaports. Banning air travel entries from most countries and shutting all schools till after the Easter weekend in mid-April. Authorities recommend staying at home during the Covid-19 restrictions, but outdoor time does not have to be restricted if you have a private yard/back yard. For those with or without a back yard, here is some fun activities to do:
- Build a fort.
- Read and role play.
- Board + card games.
- Puzzle challenge.
- Make cookies (Let them cut their own cookies and make their own designs/ let them ice them with different colours.}
- (Learn them to filter water, plant seeds, identify different shapes and sizes leaves etc)
- DIY – make drawings/paintings for family or friends.
How to keep safe while at home:
- Wash your hands regularly
- Avoid touching your eyes and mouth – especially if your hands are unwashed
- Cover your face when you sneeze or cough
- Avoid gatherings with extended family and friends
- If you go out – avoid touching objects used by many (Example: Railing) and use hand sanitizer
Spending time outdoors has a lot of health benefits for you and your children. However, during the outbreak – keep safe for future outdoor adventures and outings. Be positive and make the best of this self-isolation situation. Be safe, be healthy.
Photo by Emma Bauso from Pexels
by WP-Dev | Mar 17, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
We all have dreams and aspirations. Things that inspire us to do better and be better. What is that for you? What do you use as your way to stay on track and keep your head in the game when it feels like you are drowning?
For me, it is knowing that I can create and manifest anything I want, whenever I want (okay maybe not at the snap of my fingers), but I know that if I use the power of mind and the techniques I have come to learn over the years that I can bring to me all that I deserve. And you can too!
So what’s so special about the brain?
I am inspired by the idea that our brains are not just sitting there helping us to talk or walk. Our brains and our thoughts have a vibrational frequency. That old saying, “On the same wavelength”, pretty much refers to the brainwaves we emit – the same ones we send out into the Universe with every thought.
It has been proven that positive thoughts creating positive vibrations move faster into the universe and the more we think them and the more we feel them the more likely what you are wanting to be present in your life will become a reality.
I have many stories of my own where I believe fully this is how things have manifested in my life. From going to work on a cruise ship at 21 to meeting the love of my life (just as I had pictured him in my thoughts) when I thought love was something I was not destined for. Even something as simple as working from home with like-minded people and raising two beautiful, high vibrational little boys.
All things I believe that my thoughts helped me make possible.
Great, I’m gonna sit back and wait for happiness!
Now let’s get something straight, there’s no way you can sit back, think beautiful thoughts of finding your soulmate and having riches and BAM, they fall in your lap! No. no, that is not the way it works.
How I see the Law of Attraction working in my life is this: I think about what I would want to come into my life. What I desire. I keep that thought, I feel gratitude for that thought and for everything else around me. I believe that what I desire is coming to me and I feel grateful for that.
I then believe what happens is, the universe hands you an opportunity, or two, or three, and what you choose to do with those opportunities determines whether your desire is manifested.
I can imagine it is difficult trying to figure out whether you have been given the signs as it were. You probably wondering, “But how will I even know?” Believe me you will know, and sometimes we do not even think about it, the opportunity comes along, we go with it without a second thought and maybe 6 months or 1 year down the line you will be sitting on your couch and suddenly you will look at where you are and what you have achieved.
You start to retrace your steps and land right back at that point where you had that initial thought about what you wanted and sent it out there to the universe. You then awaken to the fact that a few days later “X” happened or, “Y” came into your life and it just kind of happened and lead you to where you are at this exact moment.
It may sound strange and like some New Age, hippy mumbo jumbo, and you know what we are all entitled to our opinions because no one person is right. We are all human and all have our own beliefs.
But for me personally, I can think of so many instances in my life where because I constantly thought about something, it did happen and came into being. Some good, some bad. Because yes, just as positive thoughts become things, so to do the negative ones.
Conclusion
Truth is, I could talk for days and write thousands of words about why the power of my mind inspires me to be a better person, to think better thoughts, but I won’t! Instead I challenge you to go and take a moment and start thinking about things you want in your life. Feel that warmth of gratitude filling you up for these amazing things that you ‘have’. Feel gratitude for the things that you had and have left you (because these too were not by chance).
Then I would like impart on you a list of some of the books I read while on my journey. There are hundreds of titles available for you to read and learn from.
- The Law of Attraction by Esther Hicks
- Money and the Law of Attraction by Esther Hicks
- The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
- The Power by Rhonda Byrne
- The Magic by Rhonda Byrne
- Ask and it is Given by Jerry Hicks
- The Gratitude Effect by Dr John Demartini
- The Breakthrough Experience by Dr John Demartini
- Count Your Blessings by Dr. Demartini
- You can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
I am also including some links to things that help to bring about the sense of self, sense of being centered which really helps you on this journey of manifestation.
- Binaural Beats
- Hacks for Enhancing Brain Power
- Attitude of Gratitude
- Vision Boards
Happy reading, and happy manifesting!
by WP-Dev | Mar 12, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
Starting out as a Virtual Assistant
So, you have made the decision to leave the world of mono-employment and move out into a new realm, the exciting world of Virtual Assistants – congratulations, you have taken the step towards an exciting and gratifying career. You have your decision made, your big ‘Why’, your ‘What’ and your ‘How’ sorted. You know you have so much to offer as a VA and can’t wait to get started.
In considering your ‘Why’, you would either have come across this career path, personally known someone, or even have been following the career of one who has chosen to be a VA, and his would have struck that chord within you that made you sit up and take notice of this being the path you want to be walking. So, what’s next – have you considered finding a Mentor?
What does it mean?
The word Mentor conjures up different meaning for different folk. A Mentor is basically someone that has more experience, skills beyond those which you currently possess and from whom you can learn and benefit.
During your work career you would have had some Mentorship along the way, even if it was not an officially appointed Mentor as such, there would have been those who were showing you the way, teaching and guiding you in your work career. Perhaps you didn’t perceive them as Mentors at the time, but they were there.
When is the best time?
There is no specific point or level in your career that is ‘best’ in having a Mentor, neither is there any limit to the number of mentors that you may interact with. There will ALWAYS be a benefit in having a Mentor, ALWAYS something to be learnt, shared or emulated. Some will help and strengthen you in one area and others in a completely different area. It is all about the learning, the teaching and sharing of knowledge, the interaction and the paying forward of skills and expertise learned from another.
Choosing a mentor
Mentors come in all forms and do not necessarily need to be in the exact field in which you operate. You will already possess a great toolbox of skills in which you have experience and expertise, however, there is always space for honing them and adding a new sharp edge. Look for someone that displays the same values that you have, possesses some of the skills you would like to add to your own toolbox and is willing to listen to you, guide and direct you, but mostly, someone that you really admire and inspires you to succeed as they have. Approach them. Tell them that about your admiration of their success and ask if they would be willing to act as your Mentor. Many would be honoured to be exactly that.
As VA’s we should be constantly learning and evolving, so, the old saying with a twist here is ‘Learn Smarter, Not Harder’ and what better way than with someone who has already walked the path successfully.
by VA Connect | Mar 10, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
It’s been a thought lately of how do I determine self-worth, how do I measure this? How do you compare your self-worth compared to your friend, colleague, your nemesis?
I see many articles and professionals state that self-worth is the same as self-esteem, and how you believe in yourself. Now I do believe in myself and I would say I have high self-esteem, but I tend to question my own self-worth or self-value.
The difference between self-worth and self-esteem
Based on this thinking I began doing some research and something resonated with me when I read the difference between self-worth and self-esteem by Dr Christina Hibbert, who states that one’s self-worth is what one thinks, feels and believes about oneself. Self-worth is the ability to recognize that one is greater than all of these things. It is realising that one is of value, loveable and necessary to this life, and of incomprehensible worth (2013).
There is self-worth in all areas of your life, it can be at work, at home, as a parent, as a daughter or son, as a friend. And if you are anything like me there are some characteristics that I carry throughout these areas of life, but the Maxine at home is a little different to the Maxine at work, the Maxine with colleagues is a little different to the Maxine as a friend. And it is within these different areas of life, that I find myself pondering over self-worth. How necessary am I? Am I worthy?
The answers to these questions play a major role in my ability to ask for that increase, to put up my hand with an idea (without thinking the fear of asking a stupid question), to step forward and ask to take the lead in a project, to put in my two cents out of fear of being told its wrong or won’t work, and I can go on and on. Self-worthiness plays an important role in my own thoughts, feeling and behavior.
Based on this it is safe to say that self-worth is achieved through self-identified abilities and own performances. For an international soccer star – I play soccer, therefore I have a spot on the team, and I am needed. For some employees its competing with others, for example salesmen compete during the year to win the top salesmen of the year award, it is through this achievement that some feel worthy, and necessary. For others it’s a little more difficult to find your niche, where you fit in and flourish. Where your skills are noticed and praised for. So, for those of us who sit on the more difficult side of identifying our self-worth, what can we do to feel more worthy, to identify our self-worth?
What doesn’t contribute?
A good place to start may be things that do not contribute to self-worth, according to author Stephanie Jade Wong (n.d.) these things are:
- Your bank account (the number in your bank account does not determine your self-worth)
- Your job title (it doesn’t matter what you do, but rather that you do it well and that it makes you happy)
- Your social media following (how many people actually know the real you on social media platforms, in turn how well do you know those who are liking and following you, probability is not very well)
- Your to-do list (achieving tasks during the day is great but how does this contribute to your self-worth?)
- Your relationship status (whether you are single, married, divorced, or not too sure, it does not have a direct impact on your self-worth)
- Your age (you are not too old or too young, your age does not factor into your ability to feel worthy.)
Now that we have looked at what doesn’t contribute to your self-worth, what does? According to researchers finding self-worth is much easier as a teenager than an adult, which makes sense. We put so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect at work, at home, with friends, and with our families. We tell ourselves that mistakes are unacceptable, that showing weakness is a flaw, and to show your emotions is a sign of weakness. But what if in fact it is all of these things that contribute to making ourselves feel worthy.
What contributes?
When looking at self-worth:
- Look at what truly matters, a person’s kindness, empathy towards others, respect for others, and how they treat others.
- Focus on not listening to that inner voice, rather take time to pause, ask that inner voice if she actually has a point, and do you actually need to hear what she is saying.
- Be careful to tie your self-worth to your job, as identified earlier, your job does not dictate your worth. Focus more on doing your daily tasks well. Be responsible and accountable and stand up when you do something wrong and even more so when you do something well.
It is not always easy to stay positive and feel worthy but when I am starting to feel low and that I should rather give up and let someone else do it, I am going to give myself a good talking to, focus on these 3 things and do what makes me happy.
References:
Ackerman, C. (2019). What is self-worth and how do we increase it? Retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/self-worth/
Hibbert, C. (2013). Self-esteem vs. self-worth. Dr. Christina Hibbert. Retrieved from https://www.drchristinahibbert.com/self-esteem-vs-self-worth/
Photo by Moose Photos from Pexels
