CKPA - Virtual Assistant for you!

New blog

2007-06-25T11:07:00.000Z

I am excited to announce that the Wordpress installation has been successful and the new blog is ready.

Please go take a look and bookmark the new site.

Look forward to seeing you over there.

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Another award honour

2007-06-24T23:18:00.000Z

I am really excited to announce that I have been awarded the VANA Blog of the month award by my peers for this blog.

I am just glad that people enjoy it and hopefully find some useful tips that they can implement in their businesses.

Thanks again to everyone at VANA!

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

New software installation

2007-06-21T19:43:00.000Z

I mentioned last time that I had decided to switch my blog over to Wordpress and was trying to install it.

Luckily I have the fantastic help of Crystal, fellow VA colleague and Rev member to sort this out for me as it is proving rather difficult to get my host to co-operate.

I am hoping to have it sorted soon and then I can get on and move everything across - hopefully the next post will be using Wordpress!

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Finally decided the time has come

2007-06-13T20:59:00.000Z

I have decided that I want to start using Wordpress as my blog software and am biting the bullet to try to install it - I will let you know how I get on.

Would appreciate any tips.

Wish me luck,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Treat Your Customers Like Children

2007-06-08T19:27:00.000Z

I attended my first Tiny Talk session with my 6 month old daughter today and met some great people. Basically the class teaches us sign language through music to bridge the gap in communication until they can talk.

What I notived was that the communication tools were very simple and easy to pick up. The simpleness of it reminded me about a great post written by Karen Skidmore.

Would love to hear people comment about their communication successes and failures.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

My favourite productivity tip

2007-06-07T19:46:00.000Z

I have been tagged by my VA colleague Crystal Pina - thanks Crystal. The topic for this tag is our favorite productivity tips, which was started by Ben Yoskovitz at the Instigator Blog.

My best productivity tip.....using Outlook for everything. Heres how I use it:

Calendar - all appointments are included on my calendar including personal, family and business.

Tasks - I include all tasks relating to my business and my clients and also have recurring tasks for certain items (writing newsletter copy, client invoices, specific deadlines etc).

Contacts - all my personal and business contacts are in one place and I make use of the category facility so that I can search for people easier.

Bonus Tip
Take time to focus on YOUR business. I take part in monthly vision calls where for 5 hours, I concentrate on doing some tasks for my business that I haven't been able to do that doesn't include client work (marketing, writing etc).

Who shall I tag?
From the US, my VA colleagues Laurie Dart, Patty Dost and Karen McGreevey. From the UK, Jaqueline Rogers and Karen Skidmore - can't wait to see your posts!

Here are the rules from the Instigator Blog:

1. Write a post on your best productivity tips
2. Include links to other people that have written posts, or include their tips in your post with proper attribution
3. If you use Technorati Tags, then tag your post “ultimate guide to productivity”
4. Tag others in your post to spread the meme. Tag as many people as you like!
5. If you link back to Instigator Blog and email Ben, he’ll be sure to include at least 2 links back to you.

Happy tagging!

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

How to PR and sell e-courses and e-books

2007-06-06T14:39:00.000Z

By Paula Gardner of Do Your Own PR

So you’ve delved deep into your interest and passions and come up with an inspiring and motivating programme that you can sell on a global scale. You know you’ve got a killer product but without getting people to actually come along and take a look at your site how are you going to seduce them into falling in love with it?

The key is in marketing and PR.

But you don’t have to think big agency bucks or huge strategic marketing plans. Just tapping into that same passion that inspired your product in the first place can really work wonders. I call this the MELT factor, as just like something melting, once you start the process it seems to carry on with a life of its own.

M - Market your product / ecourse / ebook

Optimise your site with the search engines. If you just want to get started you don’t have to pay a fortune to do this (although you will get many emails from search engine optimisation companies suggesting that you do). Just do a search on the subject and there are many web sites that will give you the advice for free. I can recommend a good guide at www.company-wizard.co.uk
Write a Press release and send it to your local papers and any other publication, website or radio programme that might find your product of interest
Talk about it on forums and network in e-networking clubs like www.ecademy.com . Write a short article on your subject, or use some of your ecourse, and offer it as free content to websites in return for a link
Start a newsletter and publicise it on your website, in your signature and on forms and discussion groups. A regular newsletter that is a combination of good practical help and ideas plus a little soft selling can go a long way towards marketing your products.

E - Elevate your product to professional status

It’s not just something you are interested in; it’s your business so invest in it.

Get a good website. If you shop around you don’t have to pay a small fortune to get something sleek and professional
Invest in those business cards
Simple touches like an email signature with website links and a brief description of the site can elevate your business from hobby to professional status.

L - Love it

I see lots of people who have set up their own small businesses only to admit that they haven’t told their friends and colleagues because they are shy, or afraid of being laughed at. This is such a shame.

Think of all the people you know. And all the people they know. What a huge untapped resource. Imagine if you tapped into your passion for your subject, be it fine wine or doll making, and sent an email or catch up letter to everyone you knew telling them conversationally what you are doing now. Imagine how many of them would remember and mention you to their friend who was interested in fine wine or doll making, or who might email you back with “That’s a great idea, you should get in touch with....”

And suddenly more doors are open for you, more people are buying from you, all because you’ve re-tapped into that passion.

T - Time

It’s so easy for someone else to say spend time on it. But the temptation is to set it and then sit back, celebratory glass of wine in hand, and say “Phew! Glad that’s done”. But you do have to spend time marketing and promoting your product. Even 15 minutes or half an hour carved out from each day will soon start to pay dividends. It might sound a little, but over a whole year the impact will be phenomenal.

Schedule it in so that it is a sacred as any meeting or dentist appointment. As the results start coming in, you’ll find yourself wanting to do more!

Setting up a regular newsletter is a great first step to building up a reservoir of potential customers. Check out our newsletter ecourse for the low-down on how to set one up, create a compelling and readable newsletter, promote it effectively and, of course, use it to sell your products without being seen as a spammer. For more info click here.

Do you want some help marketing your product? Contact us now to discuss what areas you need help with and how using the services of a Virtual Assistant could help.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

How can a Lifestyle Manager help me?

2007-06-01T22:48:00.000Z

I am launching a new service on 16th July, Lifestyle Management, to compliment my Virtual Assistant business. Thought the following article would explain a little bit about how you could utilise this service.

Do you work hard and want to play hard?
Have a never ending to do list for your personal life?
Too busy at work to even think about home?

Are you one of the growing numbers of cash rich, time poor individuals who never seems to be able to get anything done in their personal lives?

People today are working longer hours at work leaving little or no time to sort out their personal lives - their personal to do list is not really a priority.

If this sounds familiar, then this is where a Lifestyle Manager can help.

In essence, you get a Personal Assistant for your personal life and they can help you with a whole range of tasks including:

Home improvement project (building work, decorating, garden landscaping) - your Lifestyle Manager could become the Project Manager and deal with everything

Family and friends important dates - use the reminder service and receive text message / email / telephone call to remind you of birthdays, anniversaries etc

Family holidays - liaison with Travel Agents to ensure the family holiday is perfect

Household staff (Cleaners, Nannies, Au Pairs etc) - your Lifestyle Manager can recruit and manage the staff taking away any hassle for you

Restaurant bookings - let your Lifestyle Manager know where you want to eat and they will take cae of the arrangements

Event management - arranging a wide variety of events leaving you to enjoy yourself

Selling or purchasing property - your Lifestyle Manager can be the point of contact with all parties and co-ordinate all arrangements

Relocations - let your Lifestyle Manager handle everything from finding the house to researching schools etc

Vehicle maintenance - your Lifestyle Manager can schedule all necessary service / MOT appointments, deal with insurance renewals and car tax etc

Pregnancy / new Mum support - help with everything you need from pregnancy bump to new arrival (equipment, child care, home help etc)

Want to find out more and put your name down on the waiting list to start with a Lifestyle Manager on 16th July, then please contact us.

About the author

Emma Walker is the owner of CKPA Office Solutions Ltd, a UK based Virtual Assistant company that specialises in helping Entrepreneurs, Business Coaches and businesses in the construction / property sector make more money by freeing up their valuable time from administrative and secretarial tasks.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

International Virtual Assistants Day

2007-05-18T11:39:00.000Z

Have you wished your Virtual Assistant a Happy International Virtual Assistants Day?

For those of you that haven't engaged the services of a Virtual Assistant (or VA), then why not contact me to find out how you could gain an extra 3 months each year to focus on doing what you do best.

To all the VA's out there, enjoy our day as we all deserve it!

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Blogs: 17 Mistakes professionals make with their blogs

2007-05-10T19:14:00.000Z

I came across this article and thought it would benefit readers to take the time to look at their own blogs to see if they are guilty of any of these mistakes – I know I am and I will be rectifying those soon!

Are you getting results from your business blog? Is it getting harder for you to spend time on your blog because you’re just not seeing how it is going to pay off? If so, you’re not alone. Hundreds of blogs are started each day and many of them are abandoned after several months because it takes time and energy to keep a good business blog going.

Make no mistake, blogs are a great tool for building community, interacting with potential clients and marketing your services. And, it’s not enough to set one up and post occasionally. You have to use it effectively to drive traffic and gain readership.

We’ve discovered several common mistakes professionals make with their blogs. Mostly, they aren’t using some of the features available to them with their blogging software, because it hasn’t been sufficiently explained. Eyes glaze over with the mention of RSS, pinging, trackbacks and permalinks. Professionals may be ignoring these things, hoping they don’t really need to know. But they do if they want results from their business blog.

Here’s a list of what we found on a recent trip around the professional business blogosphere:

Content

1. Not posting frequently enough (recommended 2 – 3 times a week).

2. Content is not focused and the target audience is not clearly defined.

3. Posting articles that are too long, instead of using extended post features.

4. Not linking profusely (because the professional isn’t researching their field on the internet).

5. Poor spelling, bad grammar and typos.

Design

6. No name of author in tag line or on side bar.

7. No author photo.

8. No signature or name in the footer; no way to tell who wrote post on a multi author site.

9. No subscription form; no way to get blog updates through RSS or email.

10. No way for readers to leave comments and use trackbacks.

11. Too many categories or none at all.

12. No information about their business services and products.

13. Calendars for no reason at all (what is the point of those calendars anyway?)

Marketing

14. Blog isn’t submitted to blog directories.

15. Not pinging each time a new post is published.

16. Not using trackbacks referring or linking to other blogs.

17. No blogroll or list of favourite blogs or websites.

If you’re considering using a blog to build your business, optimise it by taking time to learn the features and steps that will ensure success. A blog is like any other marketing tool – you've got to use it correctly to get positive results.

Here are a couple of suggestions

1. Get an ebook and take the time to learn about your blog software or hosting provider.

2. Hire a professional blog expert to coach you on how to rev up your blog.

Patsi Krakoff and Denise Wakeman are two blog experts who have teamed up to form The Blog Squad (http://www.fixmyblog.com). They provide advanced training and coaching for professionals who want to beef up their blog for marketing optimization. Each month a blog is selected as Blog of the Month and undergoes a rigorous makeover. At the end of the month, the blog must pass the Blog Squad Seal of Approval to be certified a success. Patsi and Denise also publish a popular blog at http://www.buildabetterblog.com

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

How to make working from home enjoyable and productive

2007-05-03T07:23:00.000Z

By Robert Warlow - Small Business Success

For many people the ultimate dream is to escape from the rat race and work from home. To some people who have achieved this dream it has turned into the ultimate nightmare!
With the everyday stresses of life, work and commuting, working from home can appear to be the way out, but it is not as easy and idyllic as it sounds. If you are seriously thinking about setting up in business on your own and working from home, what are the pitfalls and what can you do to avoid them?

Understanding your motivation
It can be too tempting to stay in bed for ‘a little longer’ when you are working at home. The need to get up and beat the early morning traffic or to be at your desk by 8.30am is missing when you only have a short walk to your new place of work.

If you are to be effective in your new work environment you have to find a motivator which is sufficiently strong enough to get you up and about and at your desk by your appointed time. To find out what your motivator is cast your mind back to why you wanted to work from home in the first place. Was it to spend more time with the family? Was it to give you freedom to pursue other interests?

If you don’t find these strong enough to get you out of bed, find a financial reason. Visualise you and your family being thrown out of your house because you couldn’t make the mortgage payment! Keep this image in mind and the next time you find yourself staring at the bedroom ceiling raise this image and you’ll quickly find yourself at your desk!

Establish a routine
We are all creatures of habit and a set routine can help keep us motivated and focused on the job in hand. Set yourself a starting time, a tea break and lunch break etc. A set routine can help you settle into your new role much more quickly than a ‘let’s see what happens today’ approach. Without a working schedule, which includes a finite finishing time to the day, your working day will be unfocused and could stretch late into the night, ending what ever social life you may have.

You’re all alone
Working from home can be a lonely existence. As human beings we are born to seek out contact with other humans. In an office environment there is daily contact, quick 10 minute chats at the coffee machine finding out what colleagues did the night before, and someone to celebrate a big sale with. All of this is essential to making our lives feel complete and yet this is missing from a home based business.

To overcome this feeling of isolation, which will be especially pronounced during your early months, you must establish a network of people who are in the same position as you. Agree that you will talk on the phone at least twice a week, and arrange to have lunch or a quick coffee once every couple of weeks. Your family may not be the right people to talk over a business problem with, so you have to find someone who can relate to your successes and problems.

Get out of the house
Staying in the house Monday to Friday without seeing the light of day is certainly not good for your health or state of mind. You may be so focused on your work that you convince yourself you cannot afford the time to leave the house. But this is a false economy. You have to schedule time to move out and experience a different environment.

As well as meeting your fellow home workers for a regular get together, join a health club, go for a swim once or twice a week, go to the cinema, check out your local Business Link to see what seminars they are running – anything to get you out of the house! Don’t get trapped into only working, eating and sleeping in your home.

Be mobile
These days you can do most work related tasks away from your home desk. Once your business is established invest in a laptop, PDA and a good mobile phone. Armed with these devices you can take your office with you and work from your garden, the local park, or even the library. It doesn’t matter where, just as long as you are out of the house and being around the rest of the human race.

Create an office
If you have been used to working in a formal office environment all your working life, then switching to the kitchen table or the spare room can be an unwelcome distraction. To give you that discipline and focus designate a part of the house as your office. If you have a spare room or study then even better. Buy a desk and office chair, filing cabinets and other office style stationery. Remove all family and home related items so this tells your mind that you are at work and not home.

Get organised
In any office you have too many colleagues and clients visiting you to allow your work area to get cluttered. At home it’s different. Unless you are expecting clients on a regular basis then it’s too easy to allow your paperwork and filing to get out of hand. The saying that a cluttered desk leads to a cluttered mind is true. Your efficiency and productivity will suffer unless you are organised. Buy filing cabinets, box files, waste paper bin, put up shelves, so that everything is in place.

Getting organised and being efficient also includes setting the ground rules with the family. They need to understand that you are at work and not at their beck and call for every little job that needs doing. Be firm and say no unless it is very urgent and requires immediate attention. Allow nothing to get in the way of your business.

Working from home can be a liberating experience, yet at the same time it can be dangerous unless properly handled. Before embarking on your home business, take time to plan and prepare how you are going to deal with the transition. Done correctly, working from home can be a very attractive alternative to the daily grind of the office.

© Robert Warlow - Small Business Success
http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to the Small Business Success, a free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles.

For more information visit http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

Here at CKPA, we work with home based businesses so know the challenges you face and can help free up some extra time for you to focus on other tasks. Contact us now to discuss how partnering with a Virtual Assistant could be the answer for your business.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Happy Administrative Professionals Week

2007-04-26T11:20:00.000Z

Did you wish your admin staff a happy Admin Day yesterday? If not, you still have time as it is currently Administrative Professionals Week.

Don't have any admin staff but still doing the work? Contact us to see how a Virtual Assistant can help.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Improving my email marketing

2007-04-19T14:51:00.000Z

At the beginning of the year I set myself various targets that I wanted to achieve in my business and one of them was to improve my email marketing campaign.

I decided that I wanted to take my newsletter to the next level and start using a paid subscription service to distribute it. I set a timescale of achieving this goal in April so that my May newsletter will go out with the new service.

So far I have signed up with AWeber as they seem the best 'fit' with what I want to achieve and I know a few colleagues who use it and recommend its service. I would be interested to hear other people's comments on AWeber - please post a comment.

Are you utilising this important marketing facility in your business? If not, I suggest you consider it to see how this can improve your sales. Concerned that you don't have time to manage and maintain a newsletter - hire a Virtual Assistant.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

The joy of being your own boss

2007-04-13T13:30:00.000Z

One of the reasons I wanted to be my own boss and start a business was so that I could determine when I worked and who I worked with. Now fair enough, this can mean working long hours, weekends and not switching off - but the rewards are well worth it!

Why, I will give you a couple of examples:

My husband and I own a caravan so that we can take regular holidays whenever we feel like it and also take our beloved 2 dogs with us. We decided to go away for the Easter break and went to a great site in Malvern for 5 days. I took work with me and my O2 XDA device which enables me to send and receive emails from anywhere - therefore I had a relaxing break with my family but also did some work.

Yesterday, my 19 week old daughter Megan had her 3rd set of immunisation injections which meant she was very clingy and miserable for the rest of the day. Now working for myself, I got to spend time with my daughter to soothe her and didn't feel guilty about it as I just did any necessary work when she was asleep - perfect for us both!

I would love to hear other peoples comments on their experiences of being their own boss - please comment.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Want to gain more time?

2007-03-29T15:19:00.000Z

I thought I would share with you the 60 second presentation script that I used at my BNI Chapter on Tuesday.

BNI Script
We can help people make more money with the services of a Virtual Assistant.

Over the weekend we have all lost 1 hour of our time with Daylight Savings Time coming into effect.

So I thought I would tell you how you and your business could gain an extra 10 hours a week to spend focussing on what you do best.

This time could be freed up by outsourcing your routine administrative tasks to CKPA which would mean you would gain an extra 3 months per year.

Who do you know that could benefit from gaining 3 months of extra time to focus on growing their business? I am particularly interested in speaking to business coaches, small businesses and builders who do the administration themselves.

Do you know anyone that would benefit from a free, no obligation consultation to see if working with a Virtual Assistant and CKPA can help them? Please contact me now to book an appointment.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

What an honour

2007-03-28T11:02:00.000Z

Can't believe I have not posted this great honour received from VANA - please read news item taken from my website.

MD receives award from networking group (14th March 2007) - Emma Walker has been awarded The VAccolade Business Entrpreneur Award for March 2007 from Virtual Assistant Networking Association (VANA). Speaking of this award, Emma "is proud to receive this recognition from her VA peers and is thrilled to be part of this wonderful organisation".

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Identity fraud

2007-03-15T14:41:00.000Z

We were very lucky this time, but we all need to be more vigilant with our personal information!

My husband M received a letter yesterday from a reputable company in the UK (who we happen to have our mortgage with) regarding a recent application. Neither of us had any idea what they were talking about as we haven't applied for anything.

Today, M calls the sender of the letter (Fraud Unit) to be told that our address had been used as a previous address for someone living in Peckham and that they had used M's date of birth. What is really strange is that we have lived at our address since it was built 3 years ago.

Luckily we have caught this fraud in time, but just a reminder to shred everything with any personal information on.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Happy International Women's Day

2007-03-08T18:11:00.000Z

Today is International Women's Day and I would just like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you for all the support I receive from the great women in my life - thank you all.

What is this day about? Following meaning taken from Wikipedia:
International Women's Day (IWD) is marked on 8th March every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women. Started as a political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries (primarily Russia and the countries of former Soviet bloc).

In some celebrations, the day lost its political flavour, and became simply an occasion for men to express their sympathy and love to the women around them - somewhat similar to Western Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day mixed together. In others, however, the political and human rights theme as designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.

The IWD is also celebrated as the first spring holiday, as in the listed countries the first day of March is considered the first day of the spring season.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Microsoft Vista

2007-03-01T13:51:00.000Z

Well I am really excited as last night, I purchased Microsoft Vista and Office 2007 Ultimate software and now can't wait for it to be delivered so that I can install it.

I decided to bite the bullet and get it now as I want to benefit immediately from the new features which should save me time running my business.

As a Virtual Assistant, I am especially looking forward to working with:

Groove - as an online collaboration tool with my clients
Outlook - utilising the added functionality to help me manage both mine and my clients time more efficiently

I will do a review of Vista and the different Office 2007 software at a later date.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Request for help please

2007-02-27T18:26:00.000Z

I am busy writing content for my newsletter and I want to include some tips from successful networkers in my April edition (subscribe via website now).

For anyone who sends in a tip, I will include your name, company and website link which is sent out to my subscriber list.

Please send all tips via email.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Blogging as a useful marketing tool

2007-02-16T23:14:00.000Z

What is a Blog?
A Blog is an online diary detailing an Authors thoughts and ideas. Used effectively, a Blog can help businesses reach their customers, target market and industry.

Why should I use a Blog?
Blogs are fast becoming a ‘must have’ addition to a businesses’ marketing and PR activities.

Used in conjunction with a website, newsletter and other media, a Blog can become another means to stay in touch with your target market – therefore increasing the chance of them saying ‘yes’!

I don’t have the time, how can I still utilise this tool?
To ensure that your Blog is successful, you need to make posts on a regular basis. If you can’t do this, then delegate to someone within your company or outsource to a Virtual Assistant.

Resources
Below are the top 3 software available for writing Blogs. However, technology changes daily so have a look at what is around!

Blogger – free facility and software which is extremely easy to use
Wordpress – open source but some programming skills would be an advantage
Typepad – small monthly cost involved

To learn more about Blogs and how it can help your business, contact us now.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Be consistent

2007-02-08T17:32:00.000Z

I recently had a meeting with someone who I used to believe was good at what they did and valued their advice - I actually implemented their advice with some marketing material I had produced!

However, what really annoyed me was that the advice I had given was the total opposite of that given previously.

Why did this annoy me? Well I incorporated the ideas into my material as I wasn't the expert, yet now I am being told something completely different - please be consistent with me as now I am not going to believe what this person says in the future.

Anybody else want to share their experiences with advice, good and bad?

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Think before you speak

2007-02-02T18:35:00.000Z

Online networking is all the rave both on a personal and professional basis as technology and the internet has allowed people to access various forums regardless of location.

I belong to various organisations specific for Virtual Assistants and others relating to my personal and business interests. What I find amazing is how some people treat other people on these forums - as usual it is the minority that spoil it for the majority.

I have previously written about unprofessional conduct on a public forum before - read it here but thought I would give another example.

One of the forums I belong to was discussing the definition of a Virtual Assistant and a couple of these members were totally unprofessional, unethical and rude to other members - to the point of bullying.

To be honest, the definition of a Virtual Assistant is all down to personal opinion and I will not participate in any kind of dialogue where you are publicly ridiculed unless you agree to their dictation - that is why I left the corporate world after all!

Bottom line, remember that the internet is a public place and your posts are there to be seen by your peers and potential clients. Are you sure you want them to see you behaving unprofessionally? I don't think so.

There is a time and place for everything, so think before you speak!

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Are your peers colleagues or competition?

2007-01-25T14:25:00.000Z

All of us, irrespective of if we are business owners or employees, belong to a network of people in our own industries.

However, do you view them as your colleagues or competition?

The Virtual Assistant industry is a very supportive community and the majority of people do not view other VA's as competition as there is more than enough clients out there for everyone! I view fellow VA's as my colleagues and as such, I belong to a couple of industry specific networking groups.

Virtual Assistant Networking Association - public forum for aspiring and veteran VA's
VA Revolution - membership based organisation to help you revolutionise your VA business

For all you VA's reading this post, I highly recommend that you join these organisations as they can really help you and your business. Even though these organisations are US based, they are still relevant if you are based in the UK like me.

I would be interested to hear other people's comments on this subject and also your experiences of your specific industry networking group. Please post in the comments section.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Companies to update websites and emails before 2007

2007-01-18T14:36:00.000Z

You can locate the original news item here.

An article published on The Register (21st December 2006) outlined regulatory changes that will effect UK business email. From 1st January 2007, companies in the UK will be required to include certain regulatory information on all business email.

This update to the Companies Act requires you to clearly present the following information on your business emails:

Company Registration Number
Place of registration (e.g. England & Wales)
Registered office address

The article, which was written by Outlaw.com outlined how businesses failing to include this information will be in breach of the Companies Act and this can result in a fine. The article also mentions the UK Ecommerce Regulation requirement to include the same information on websites.

I have already updated my email signature to include the necessary information and am making changes to my website shortly. Is your information up to date? If not, make the changes now so that you don't incur a fine!

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

New Year means new opportunities

2007-01-15T17:47:00.000Z

A lot of people think about the same type of things at this time of year - New Years resolutions.

So are you taking the opportunity to plan for the year ahead and use it as a means to focus on how to get there?

For me, it is no use just thinking about what I want to achieve and how to get there, I have to have it written down in the necessary stages. For example, I am currently revamping my PR and marketing plan for 2007 and I am producing a calendar so that I know exactly what activities are needed and when - I can then schedule my time appropriately and plan in advance for any specific tasks or expenditure.

Do you need help with any planning for the year ahead to take up the many new opportunities? Contact us now to see how a Virtual Assistant and CKPA can help.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Happy New Year

2007-01-04T19:41:00.000Z

Well 2007 is now here and most of us are at work getting back into the swing of things after the Christmas and New Year break so I thought the first post of the year would be a very simple message:

"May we all have a successful year in all that we want"

Happy 2007 everyone!

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Pretty quiet

2006-12-08T17:01:00.000Z

It has been very quiet here at CKPA over the last couple of weeks because I have just had my daughter Megan Tayla on 2nd December and have been focussing my efforts on getting to know her - after she was too comfy to come out (17 days overdue).

So this is last post for 2006 and will be back to normal come January.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and happy New Year. Here's to a successful 2007!

Until next year,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Do you know who is on your contacts database?

2006-11-25T16:11:00.000Z

Your contacts database is one of the most valuable assets any business has regardless of what product or service you provide.

Why is your database so valuable?
Simple really, it is the means to communicate with your customers and associates about your products / services enabling your business to operate.

However, you need to ensure that your data is accurate and here are some ideas for you:

Schedule time on a regular basis to update your database
Don't throw away someone's business card thinking they won't be of any benefit to you, you can't see into the future and they could be the perfect referral source
Categorise your contacts for easy filtering (clients, associates, suppliers etc)
Include as much information as possible as you can only remember so much
But most importantly, use your database (send out newsletters, emails, letters)

If you don't have time to maintain your database, then I suggest you either find the time or delegate the task.

To see how CKPA and a Virtual Assistant could help your business by maintaining your database and much more, contact us now.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

What is a Virtual Assistant?

2006-11-16T11:15:00.000Z

I am finding that a lot of people do not understand what a Virtual Assistant (VA) is and what they can do for a business.

The following is the definition of a VA that I use on my website and marketing material.

VA definition
A Virtual Assistant (VA) is a self employed professional providing administrative, secretarial and creative services on a remote basis. Working from their own fully equipped office, VA's work with a variety of different clients helping them in their businesses on an ad hoc, regular or project specific basis.

By partnering with their own VA, individuals and businesses can make more money by focussing on what they do best and growing their business.

Ways a VA can help
To give you an idea of how a VA can help, here at CKPA, we currently offer the following types of support

PA & Secretarial – diary management, travel arrangements, reminder service
Legal Secretary Support - emergency, ad hoc or regular support for UK solicitors
Administrative – typing, spreadsheets, databases, research
Creative – mail shots, websites, newsletters, desktop publishing
Events & Meetings – organisation of any type of event or meeting
Virtual Office – telephone answering, email management, fax service
Accounts – send out invoices, credit control, payment of invoices
Project Assistance – office move / relocation, recruitment drive, HR

I have also written a blog entry about other, non recognised ways a VA can help which you can find here.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

What is your Indian name - part 2

2006-11-09T13:36:00.000Z

As promised in part 1, below is the Indian name that I chose for my 60 second commercial for my networking group and the reason why.

"After careful thought, I believe that my Indian name would be 'queen bee like the wind'. Why, well the queen bee is the hub of the hive – industrious, in charge and organised. You know the wind is there, you can feel its presence but you can’t necessarily see it

I work as a Virtual Assistant helping people with their administrative needs but remotely, I don’t always meet all of my clients!

I can provide all the services you would expect a PA to be able to do and more for less than half the cost of employing a full time employee."

I thought my Indian name summed up what a Virtual Assistant does, but please leave your comments.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

What is your Indian name - part 1

2006-11-02T11:22:00.000Z

I belong to a networking group which meets on a weekly basis with a sole aim to generate business for members. Each week, all members have to do a 60 second 'commercial' telling other members about their business and the type of referral wanted.

Sometimes, when you do something each week, you don't change things and therefore lose the impact of your message. This is bad news when there are 20 other members who could be out referring their clients and associates to you - but don't because they have switched off and aren't listening to what you want.

To combat this, the Leadership Team decided to try to inject a little humour into the mix but also to get members to prepare a different 60 second commercial by giving them a challenge:

'In the film Dances with Wolves, Kevin Costner was given that name because Indians watched him chasing a wolf out in the field.

If the Indians observed you in your professional day to day activities, what would they name you and why?'

So have a think about what your Indian name would be and why - let me know your answers and I will reveal my answer in part 2.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

10 ways to reduce the stress of Christmas

2006-10-19T12:04:00.000Z

Christmas is fast approaching and can be one of the most stressful times for any business. The secret to less stress during this holiday period is to be organised. Below you will find a list of things that all business owners need to consider to really enjoy the holiday.

What will your opening times be over the Christmas and New Year period?
Do you need to advertise your opening times anywhere (website, leaflets etc)?
Customised Christmas cards or purchase from shop?
Any gifts for valued clients / suppliers?
Do you need to purchase any stationery for 2007 (diaries, calendars etc)?
Any corporate branding promotional items (diaries, calendars etc)?
Is your Christmas lunch / party organised?
Is your contacts database up to date (to ensure all your cards go to right people / address)
Have you got any work deadlines approaching during the run up to Christmas?
Review work to complete for 2007 (Business Plan, Marketing Plan, recruitment)

Once you have answered these questions, you can proceed with drawing up an action plan to ensure that the necessary tasks are completed and on time.

CKPA and a Virtual Assistant can handle all of the above tasks for you and more - leaving you to concentrate on what you do best and enjoy the holiday season. Contact us now to book a FREE Information Session to discuss your requirements.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

How to build a customer focused business

2006-10-13T10:37:00.000Z

By Robert Warlow - Small Business Success

You can have the best products, the plushest offices, the best location, but unless you are a ‘customer focused’ business, all of this counts for nothing, you will never really hit the heights you deserve.

So what can you do to build a business which focuses outwardly on the customer, and not inwardly on the business?

Build passion and commitment
The first building block is passion and commitment. This is the very foundation stone of a customer focused business. Without passion and commitment the structure you will build above will be weak and prone to collapse at the first sign of stress.

The passion and commitment has to come from you and your staff. All of you have to totally believe in the concept of the customer being the centre of everything you do. From the moment you step into work everyone has to do whatever it takes to satisfy the customer.

As the key person in the business what can you do to build passion and commitment? Lead from the front and set an example. Keep the concept at the top of the agenda and demonstrate it in everything you do. Keep talking about it. Celebrate all the great examples of putting the customer totally in focus.

Build processes around your customer NOT the business
All great businesses have clearly laid down processes on how to get things done. Whether you have a formal Process Manual or a Quick Reference Guide which sets out your processes, a clear procedure provides confidence and clarity for both your staff and the customer.

But don’t just build your processes around making things easier for you, build them to make things easier for the customer. Look at every step in the process and ask yourself, “Can we do something to make it even easier for the customer to do business with us?” Are there steps which can be refined or even eliminated all together? Be inquisitive, bold and challenging!

Build a relationship
Building a relationship with your customer is at the very heart of a customer focused model. Build a strong, firm relationship and you will have a customer for life. The basis of relationship building is ABC – Always Be Communicating. Here are some ideas on building an enduring and profitable relationship through ABC:

Make a point to periodically call your customers - set up a diary system to provide you with a regular reminder or prompt. Call them even if you have nothing to sell! A strange concept perhaps but you never know what will come out of the conversation
Issue quarterly newsletters - telling them about your latest products, what you have planned for the future, a customer profile, news about new employees. Find anything which would be of interest and at the same time binding both of you closer together
Make it a point during any conversation to find out something about the business you didn’t know before - file away any interesting facts and think how you can use it in the future. Imagine how powerful it would be when you ask how the idea they mentioned in your last conversation was going!
Do memorable things - send birthday or anniversary cards to your key contact, a simple thank you note for doing business with us, send articles or newspaper cuttings, which you think will be of interest to them

Build a culture of ‘wanting to know’
If you are to build a reputation for being customer focused you should be making an effort to find out on a regular basis what they want from you. This can be achieved by either an informal phone call or a more formal survey via mail or email. Find out what they like about your business, what they don’t like and what changes they would like to see.

Having gathered together all the information, suggestions and ideas, set out an action plan to follow up. Once you have acted upon the workable suggestions, get in touch with the customers again and tell them what you have done in response to their comments. This will demonstrate that you have taken their ideas seriously and really care about what they think. Powerful stuff!

Being customer focused can be very rewarding and help in building a great business. Which of these steps are you going to put into practice today? Remember this – let the customer be your focus and you will become their focus.

© Robert Warlow - Small Business Success http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz/

Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to the Small Business Success, a free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles.

For more information visit http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz/

CKPA can help you and your business become customer focused by sending out newsletters, diary management, client liaison, production of manuals and much, much more. Contact us to see how we can help.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

What impression do you give out?

2006-10-09T16:56:00.000Z

I had the pleasure of having a 1-1 meeting with a fellow member of the BNI Chapter I belong to. To those of you that don't know about BNI, it is a referral based organisation that meets on a weekly business with a structured agenda to ensure members get the most business.

BNI places a big emphasis on 1-1 meetings with fellow members as they give you the opportunity to find out more about their business in order to be able to pass quality referrals.

During this 1-1 meeting last week, an interesting observation came out of the other members mouth - his mental impression of me and my business was someone who types, never mind all the other tasks we can perform! Now I try to educate members each week about all the tasks a Virtual Assistant can do but this highlighted to me that I need to change my approach - as it obviously wasn't working! Once I explained further to this member there was the classic AHA moment where he actually said he now understood what I could do for him and his business.

What impression are you giving and do you need to change it?

To see how a Virtual Assistant and CKPA can help your business, contact us now.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Perception IS reality

2006-09-28T09:56:00.000Z

People don't buy services, they buy people! If they don't like you or have trust in you, then people won't buy from you or refer other people to you.

I seem to be having a few pet peeves lately with certain members of a networking group I belong to which is starting to get very frustrating to say the least. This time, it is about only one member who as far as I am concerned is old enough and supposedly a mature professional who should know better.

What is the problem? Without going into all the details, this person has publicly disagreed with me, doesn't listen to what I am saying and doesn't respond to my emails asking for information.

Why is he doing this? I can only guess but the only thing that comes to me is that I am a LOT younger than him and I don't think he likes being told what to do by someone who is technically young enough to be his daughter.

I don't have problems with any of the members of this group on a personal level, but professionally, that is a different story!

If people treat me this way, do you think I am going to buy their services (and this particular members services would come in very handy to me soon)? Do you think I am going to refer my clients and associates to him? A big fat NO is the answer. How can I trust this person with my business or that of my clients and associates with an attitude that isn't professional.

Remember, how people perceive you and your business is reality to them. They won't think you might be having a bad day, hard time of late - they don't care. Now might be the time to review what you clients think of you and your business - for impartial advice and a Virtual Assistant to help you with this task, contact us now.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Email frustrations

2006-09-21T11:36:00.000Z

I'm afraid today's post is about a pet peeve of mine but also a very important business tool, so bear with me.

We are in the 21st Century and technology is a daily part of our personal and business lives - whether we like it or not. Nearly all businesses use email as one of their communication tools with their customers, associates and suppliers and advertise this fact on marketing material, websites, business cards etc.

I belong to a networking group and am a member of the Leadership Team. I regularly send out communications to our members via email so that everyone receives the information. What frustrates me though is that a good number of these members don't even look at their emails - even though they advertise a personalised email address on their business cards!

The other annoyance I have is when I specifically ask for information, normally to the benefit of everyone and THEIR business, and I get a big fat zero response.

Well if they can't be bothered to check or respond to my emails, why should I refer business to them? After all, I am one of their potential customers and if they treat me this way, how are they going to treat a paying customer!

I was having a talk with another member of this group who has the same frustrations as me and he said that our members are supposed to be mature business people who are serious about their business. I question whether they are serious business owners as their behaviour and actions speak differently - why should I have confidence and trust in them to be the specialists they are supposed to be?

Please remember that customers can include people who don't actually spend money with you, but they know and refer your future customers!

What is your communication like with all your customers and suppliers? Now might be the perfect opportunity to review your processes and train your staff. To see how CKPA and a Virtual Assistant can help improve communications within your business, contact us now.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Be an optimistic entrepreneur

2006-09-14T10:23:00.000Z

By Robert Warlow - Small Business Success

Any seasoned businessperson will tell a fresh faced entrepreneur that he has to have optimism - bucket fulls of it! A pessimistic entrepreneur just doesn’t ring true somehow.

You will find, if you are starting out on the road to self employment, that you are full of optimism, otherwise you would not be taking the steps you have. A healthy dose of optimism is essential to counter all the doom merchants!

You know the standard lines by now, “Do you honestly think you can make a living by doing that?”, “What will happen if your idea fails?”, “How are you going to keep on top of your bills?”

If all entrepreneurs listened to the doubters of this world nothing would have been discovered, invented or businesses opened.

If you aspire to be an entrepreneur then optimism is one quality you must have. It will provide you with the urge to persist during the darkest days. BUT, be careful not to tip the scales too far. A pathological optimist doesn’t necessarily equate to business success. What do I mean by a pathological optimist? Someone who can see no danger; someone who cannot see any downsides; someone with no skepticism or suspicions.

To run a successful business you have to have optimism and pessimism in balance. If you think you are the eternal optimist, go and look for someone who will find faults in your plan; ask the negative thinker for his comments! Only this way will you see the flaws which you were blind to before.

One word of warning - don’t get dragged into a discussion about the points raised. Entering into a debate, or defending your idea, will quickly end what is an important session. Listen, acknowledge and move on, thinking and taking action on what has been raised.

But remember, keep the scales in balance and don’t let them dampen your optimism!

© Robert Warlow - Small Business Success http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz/

Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to the Small Business Success, a free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles.

For more information visit http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz/

CKPA work with their clients to build effective relationships and offer honest advice to all ideas. We will tell you if we think something is good - or bad. To find out how we can help you and your business with our Virtual Assistant services, contact us now.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

How to keep your customers for life!

2006-09-07T11:20:00.000Z

By Robert Warlow - Small Business Success

Being in business isn’t just about getting a customer, selling him something and moving onto the next one. It’s all about making sure that your customers keep coming back to you and spend more money!

But how can you make sure that your customers stay customers for life? What strategies can you put into practice to keep bringing them back for more? A planned customer retention programme is something every established small business should have in place. That sounds great, but what is a retention plan and what should it include?

Do the groundwork
Before starting a retention programme, you need to understand where your business stands now as regards its retention track record. Ask yourself these 3 questions:

Do you know how many customers you have lost in the last 12 months?
If you do know how many, do you know why they stopped dealing with you?
Have you ever quantified the impact these losses have had on your bottom line?

Before you can put an effective retention plan in place, you have to answer these questions. They are the key to understanding and implementing an effective retention strategy. Let’s look at each of them in turn.

How many have you lost?
It’s essential you know how many people stop doing business with you at any one time. Keep a database of all your frequent customers; how often they buy; what they buy and in what quantity. Every month review the information and see if you can spot any worrying trends. Has the average order value been declining over the last 3 months? Has one customer’s regular order dried up altogether? If someone orders a large range of items each month but suddenly stops purchasing one particular range, why?

If you can’t track the customers you are loosing, how can you keep them or tempt them back?

Why have they turned their back on you?
Armed with the information on who’s deserting you, the fight back can start in earnest! There are sometimes very good reasons why business can dry up – the owner could have died, moved away, or closed down. Not a lot you can do about that! But what about more worrying reasons? Your product quality has gone downhill; the customer feels he is no longer getting value for money; your general service levels have declined. These are areas you have to know about, so you can get the business back on track.

If you see a slippage in business and you can identify who is contributing to it, then pick up the phone and get talking! Find out what the problem is. If you can bring them back into the fold, then great but if it’s genuinely too late, then at least you have gathered some important knowledge about where the business is going wrong.

What has it cost you?
You may be thinking that the odd customer here and there is not going to have a major impact on your lifestyle. Think again! Remember, it’s not just one sale, it’s a lifetime of sales that you are losing. Supposing a customer spends £1,000,000 per month with you. He walks away into the sunset and you never see him again. Imagine that he could have been doing business with you for the next 20 years – that’s £240,000,000! Interested now? Well you should be!

Working out the financial impact of loosing just one customer can really bring home the impact on the business. This should galvanise you into action and get you working on a retention plan.

Your Retention Plan
Having now convinced you that you need a Customer Retention Plan, what exactly should it include?

Have a system in place which allows you to answer all the questions we have just reviewed. Understand what is going on in the business, so you can identify and put matters right. Make sure you know who you lost, why you lost them and how much it has and will cost you
Get your staff together on a regular basis and remind them of the importance of retaining your customers. If you don’t get them on board then you have no hope
During your staff meetings hold brainstorming sessions so everyone can come up with ideas on how to hold onto your customers
Implement the good ideas and measure the results so you know what is working and what is not

A good retention plan can be just as effective as a good marketing plan; they achieve the same results – a contribution to profit. So, sit down and have a think about the steps you can put in place to keep your customers.

I saw a sign in a shop one day, it said, “It’s not how many come in, it’s how many come back that’s important.” Doesn’t that say it all!

© Robert Warlow - Small Business Success www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to the Small Business Success, a free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles.

For more information visit http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

CKPA can help any business keep in touch with its customers and provide a professional image. Contact us now to discuss your needs.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Small business challenges

2006-09-04T11:18:00.000Z

I run my own successful Virtual Assistant practice providing professional secretarial, creative and administrative support to individuals and businesses.

As a small business owner myself, I can totally understand the challenges that we all have to face. For example, what do business owners do with their administrative tasks when they are busy, overloaded with work, on holiday etc?

By hiring the services of a Virtual Assistant, they could free up their valuable time to focus on other tasks for their business, achieve better work / life balance, go on a much needed holiday - all in the safe knowledge that your business is taken care of by a professional partner.

To find out exactly how a CKPA Virtual Assistant can help you MAKE more money and SAVE money, contact us now.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Why I love being my own boss

2006-08-25T08:47:00.000Z

I have been running CKPA for just over 12 months now and absolutely love it. Why?

I am the boss and have only myself to answer to
I get to implement all the good ideas I had back in the corporate world that nobody listended to
I can choose who I work with by selecting the right type of clients
I currently work with a great bunch of clients
I decide my working hours and style depending on what is going on in my life

Why am I telling you this? I don't really know but I am loving my job and my business. I am even going to be working remotely next week with the help of technology from (hopefully) sunny Cornwall. Can you do that without taking holiday?

For business owners, don't you think you need a break before we head in to Autumn. To find out how CKPA can support you and your business, contact us now.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

The hidden power of networking

2006-08-17T11:52:00.000Z

By Robert Warlow - Small Business Success

We all make use of traditional forms of getting new business in – advertising, direct mail, brochures etc but networking is one form of marketing which, has been under-utilised. Until now that is. Small business owners are finally beginning to understand the power of networking and what it can do for their sales figures.

But what is networking?
In its most basic form, it’s word-of-mouth advertising but originated by you, not your customers. It involves taking every opportunity to raise awareness of your product or service amongst the people you meet. At a more sophisticated level, networking can be achieved by taking advantage of the formal networking groups or events that have been arranged purely with the idea of putting potential partners together. Perhaps the most famous example of effective networking was the First Tuesday group, which during the height of the dot-com era, was the primary way of getting new business ideas across to the people with the dosh!

But how can you, as a small business owner, become a more effective networker and take full advantage of the opportunities presented? We are going to give you some key tips and ideas on how to be a better networker.

What are the key advantages of networking?
Networking has some very good advantages over the traditional type of marketing:

It’s free! Talking to someone costs nothing except your time
It’s targeted marketing in that it’s likely the person you are talking to has a direct interest in your product or service. Consider newspaper advertising, which will mostly be read by people who have no interest in what you have to offer
It’s face to face marketing unlike direct mail, adverts and telephone calls. You have the immediate opportunity to establish rapport and get an understanding of the person’s problems
You have the chance to mix with business owners in other industries, which may open the door to new opportunities you had not previously considered
It’s not only a way of creating business but also a great way to solve problems and seek advice. Why sweat over a solution when someone has probably already experienced and solved the same problem? Ask and find out who can help you

Where to find a network
Finding a place to network, where like minded business owners are present, is not that difficult. Whilst you should be networking all the time – taking the opportunity to promote yourself whereever you can – it’s more effective if you can meet people who are there to do the same thing; you can get onto the same wavelength that much quicker. Here are some possible networking opportunities to think about:

Your local Chamber of Commerce or Business Club - as well as hosting their normal meetings (which are great networking opportunities anyway) they may hold regular networking sessions which are dedicated to putting business people together
Business Link – with their remit of helping local small businesses, some of them may already hold network meetings where they bring together a batch of ‘new recruits’. Check out the Business Link website for details of your nearest office and give them a call
Trade Associations – your industry may have an association which holds regular meetings. Whilst you are dealing with businesses in the same line as you, so making it difficult to get new business, you will still be able to find solutions to problems and pick up new ideas. Who knows, if you establish good rapport with another business, they may be happy to refer surplus work to you or tap into a unique specialisation you may have?
Seminars – keep a look out for seminars being run for small business owners. As well as being informative, they are a great networking opportunity, especially over coffee and lunch when you have the chance to start a conversation going along the lines of, “How do you think you’re going to apply that point we learnt this morning in your line of business?” In just this one question you will have found out what business they are in and one of the problems they are currently facing. If you’re lucky, you may be able to offer help as well – one extra sale!
Anywhere and everywhere – remember to network all the time! Never miss an opportunity to tell people what you do. You may only get a successful hit in one out of a hundred contacts, but one sale may be enough to make it all worthwhile!

Where and when are meetings likely to be held?
Formal networking events can be held over breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast sessions are popular because it allows business owners to start the day on a positive note, leaving the remainder of the day free for ‘business as usual’. However, how good are you at holding a sensible conversation at 7 o’clock in the morning? If you don’t look or sound your best in the early morning, then you had better find an alternative!

The best networking events are where you are free to ‘work the room’ and not be tied to a table with food being served.

Hotels and pubs are popular venues but if you are attending events hosted by Business Link then you may find them held at their offices.

What to prepare
As with any marketing promotion, any networking should be thoroughly prepared for. Badly presented sales pitches lead to lost sales; the same goes for networking. So what should you do before attending a networking session?

Step 1: Know your products and services inside out. If you are only just starting out, make sure you are fully briefed on all the in’s and out’s of your product.

Step 2: Write and rehearse an opening statement to the question “What do you do?” This may sound an easy question but try thinking an answer on the spot and at the same time making it some good! Not so easy. Write a clear and concise statement, which encapsulates everything about your business. Remember, this is your chance to impress! Having decided on your opening line, rehearse, rehearse and rehearse. It has to be word perfect and confident sounding.

Step 3: Make sure you have enough business cards. You don’t want to scribble your number on the back of a napkin! Not very professional.

Step 4: Double check the venue and time. You don’t want to turn up late and miss any opportunities or appear to be lacking in time management skills.

Step 5: Dress to impress. Make sure you are neat and tidy – everything a successful small business owner should be.

Step 6: Leave your house / office in plenty of time to make sure you don’t arrive totally stressed out

You’re off!
You have arrived at the venue and if this is your first time, what are you likely to do? Find the nearest corner and pray that someone doesn’t approach you! Networking, especially the first time, can be nerve-wracking. It does take a degree of confidence but over time this gets better.

© Robert Warlow - Small Business Success www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to the Small Business Success, a free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles.

For more information visit http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

To find out how CKPA can help with your company's networking - contact us now!

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

How to get your first customer

2006-08-03T12:46:00.000Z

One of CKPA's target markets is start up businesses and I think the most popular question they have, regardless of industry, is how to get their first customer. I saw this article and thought it might be beneficial.

By Robert Warlow - Small Business Success

Starting a new business is always tough. You have spent hours and hours putting your Business Plan together, sorting out the financing, arranging your office and buying equipment. And the big day arrives - you have to get out there and secure your first customer. It all looked so easy when you were planning, but now this is real and doesn’t seem as effortless as you thought.

What practical steps can you take to ensure your business gets off to a flying start?

Put a plan in place
If you didn’t write a Business Plan (tut tut!) then putting pen to paper is your first step. You have to carefully plan what you want to achieve and what you are trying to do. A Plan will help crystalise your thoughts and ideas and act as a spring board for creative thought.

It will also be a useful boost when you come to review your progress against what you set out to achieve – a cause for celebration or a kick up the backside!

The key element in your Plan is to spell out exactly who your typical customer is going to be. Are they young or old? Well off, or on the look out for bargains? Single or married?

Once you have clearly defined who you are after then chasing your first sale becomes easier.

Email all your contacts
You may not think that personal friends and family may be interested in your product or service, but don’t forget that they have friends and family as well and so can help spread the word!

Email every one in your address book and tell them, if they don’t already know, that you are starting up in business and need their help. In your email describe what you do and the products you offer and request that they forward it to everyone in their address book. A bit ‘spammy’ I know but when such a note comes from someone you know then it doesn’t seem so bad.

For those family and friends who don’t have email, call them, write to them, to officially launch your business. Very quickly word will spread and enquiries and orders will start to flood in.

Ask for a referral
It’s possible you may have ‘road-tested’ your business before you decided to go full time. In that case you will already have a small database of customers. Ask them if they can provide you with some names of people or businesses whom they think may be interested in what you have on offer.

A referral, or positive recommendation, is a powerful and easy way to give your business a kick start. If you want, why not offer a small gift, or a discount on the next sale, for all customers who refer someone to you? This gesture will further cement your relationship.

Tell everyone you meet
Be a walking advertising board for your business! Find any opportunity to tell people, especially strangers, what you do. Be enthusiastic! Have a rehearsed opening which encapsulates everything about the benefits and problems your business offers and solves.

Take your business cards wherever you go and leave them all over the place! Supermarkets, restaurants, shops, anywhere where people will find them.

Be a media star
The local newspaper or radio stations are always on the look out for stories which are of interest to the locality. Don’t expect them to run a story along the lines of ‘And today, Joe Bloggs has just started in business doing …’. Your story needs to be interesting and have an unusual slant. Did you travel the world and come up with your idea whilst riding a train in India? Did you have a flash of inspiration following a shocking experience? Carry out a survey which shows that local people are crying out for a service such as yours. Think of something that will grab the editor’s attention and this will increase your chances of appearing in print.

Build relationships
Don’t be disappointed if you don’t get a sale on the first approach. Sometimes you have to be patient. A way of achieving your batch of first sales is to concentrate on building a relationship with your prospective clients. Keep in touch, remind them you are still around and, assuming you have targeted correctly, they may eventually place that coveted order!

If you are about to start your business get planning right now and start to implement some of these ideas to get your new business off to a flying start.

© Robert Warlow - Small Business Success www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to the Small Business Success, a free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles.

For more information visit http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

CKPA can help any business start up in the beginning stages of business - contact us now to find out how.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Impressions count

2006-08-03T11:47:00.000Z

How do you present yourself to your clients?

We all know that first impressions count and that we don't get the chance to make a second first impression!

Lets say that you have an important meeting with a potential new client. Now this is worth a lot of money so is a big deal for your company. Do you turn up to the meeting all casual and not really making much of an effort - what do you think the potential new client will think to the quality of your work from this impression?

Or, do you turn up all suited and booted ready to represent your company with the right image?
Remember, the way you present yourself and your business to clients tells them how important they are to you!

So how can CKPA and a Virtual Assistant help you and your business to present the right image? Some areas we can help include:

Telephone Answering - divert your calls when you are in a meeting, on holiday, don't want to answer calls so that you never miss an important call again
PA & Secretarial - let us organise you with diary management, travel arrangements etc
Administrative - typing letters, reports, proposals, updating database, presentations etc
Events & Meetings - organise any type of event from a new product launch, sales meeting to Christmas party
Creative - send out newsletters, website design, desktop publishing etc
Projects - your office may be relocating, having a recruitment drive and don't want hassle of dealing with applications
Accounts - sendingout invoices, credit control etc
Virtual Office - email management, fax service etc

How to get the best out of your phone

2006-07-28T11:22:00.000Z

By Robert Warlow - Small Business Success

When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, little did he realise the positive effect it would have on customer service – or the negative effect it could also have!

Yes, the telephone can be a great tool in helping to provide exceptional customer service but it can also quickly destroy a customer’s perception of your service. What steps can you take to ensure that, whenever you or your staff use the phone, it adds something positive to the customer experience? Here are some ideas.

Answer Promptly
It’s an old tip but one usually ignored! You are sitting at your desk, deep in thought, writing your monthly report and the phone rings. “I’ll just finish this sentence quickly" you say to yourself and before you know it, the phone has rung 10 times. The caller is unlikely to be in a good mood – assuming they haven’t already hung up!

Just try and remember the last time you sat on a phone with it ringing and ringing. What pictures came into your mind while you were waiting? An image of the person you are trying to call sitting at his desk chatting or casually drinking a cup of coffee? Didn’t get you in a good mood did it? So why put your customers through it?

Aim to answer your phone within 3 to 5 rings. A prompt pick up will get the conversation off to a positive start and also avoids you having to open your conversation with an apology. So, get to the phone as quick as you can.

Be Enthusiastic
When you answer the phone make sure your voice conveys the message, “really happy to be speaking to you!” Make your voice light, bring a feeling of enthusiastic emotion to your tone and most importantly sound eager. You don’t want the caller thinking that you would rather be doing something else - even if you do!

Get a real upbeat feeling into your opening greeting. Say your “Good morning” or “Good afternoon” with a strong, enthusiastic tone. This will immediately lift your caller’s spirits and get you both off to a good start.

If you really are having a bad day (and we all get them), and enforced enthusiasm is going to be struggle, stand up and take the call. This helps makes your voice lighter and the change in position and body language can have a positive impact. Try it out.

Listen To What They Have To Say
You may think that you listen intently to all conversations you have. It’s difficult enough to do this when you are face to face with someone, but over the phone without eye contact, keeping your attention is even more difficult. It’s too easy, especially if the caller has a habit of padding out every point he wants to make, to think about the task you were just interrupted on, or about that chat you had with one of your suppliers earlier. Before you know it, you’ve lost track of what the caller is on about.

Actively listening to what is being said is a skill everyone needs if they are to use the phone as a tool for great customer service. But how can you keep your attention focused on what is being said?

First of all, commit to yourself that you will actively listen. Without a clear commitment nothing ever happens
Take notes during every call, even if you don’t need to. The act of having to capture the caller’s key points, will force you to listen. Just focus on writing down keywords, not complete sentences otherwise you’ll be concentrating on writing and not listening!
If an important statement has been made, repeat it back in your own words. This will force you to listen for the key points worth repeating
Ask questions. Don’t go too far with a constant barrage of questions but ask just enough to keep your mind alert

Active listening is not just about making sure you pick up all the key points; it’s also about respecting the caller. They will feel they have been treated with importance and respect if it’s clear you have been listening. Relevant questions and the occasional “umm” can go a long way to making the caller feel they have been listened to.

Avoid Distractions
If possible, try and remove as many distractions as you can while speaking on the phone, especially if the call is important. If your office door is open and general office noise is affecting your listening, ask the caller to hold for a moment and close the door.

If someone walks into your office while you are taking an important call, indicate for them to stay outside or come back. It can be very distracting having someone sitting at your desk while you are talking.

If you were working on your PC when the call came through, turn and face away from it. You don’t want your eyes and mind wandering back to look at the document you were working on!
Respect the caller’s time and remove or avoid anything which may cause your mind to drift off.

Finish Strongly
When the call is coming to an end it’s important to finish in a strong, convincing way. Summarise what has been agreed, what actions are to be taken and by whom. Leave the caller in no doubt as to what the next step is.

Just as your opening was full of enthusiasm, so should your closing statement. A good, strong and positive, “good to talk you and speak to you soon” closer will bring the call to a satisfactory end. Your customer will hang up knowing that the call was worthwhile.

Answer Phone and Voicemail Messages
If you are not at your desk or in the office, any recorded message you leave is just as important in creating the right impression as the actual call itself. Some people don’t like leaving messages but if your phone has the capability then use it. By leaving a message at least your customer will have the opportunity to partly satisfy the reason he called. Not being able to say anything can be frustrating.

Here are some thoughts on how to record effective messages:

Write out the message before you record it. Don’t do it off the cuff as it will probably be full of “umms” and pauses. It won’t sound professional
When recording, speak slowly and carefully, making sure that the caller can understand everything you say. This is especially the case for telephone numbers where you can be reached in an emergency
Make the message punchy and too the point. Don’t fill it with unnecessary information
Call your number and listen to the message. If it doesn’t sound right record it again and again until it does
Regularly change your message to reflect what you are doing. If you are going to be away on holiday, give a date when you will be back. If you are out only for the morning, tell the caller you will return their call in the afternoon. Messages which are up to date will make the caller more confident about leaving a message

If used correctly the telephone can be a great asset in building a reputation for providing exceptional customer service. Used incorrectly, it can damage your business and give another reason for your customers to go and take their business elsewhere.

© Robert Warlow - Small Business Successwww.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to the Small Business Success, a free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles.

For more information visit http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

Here at CKPA we recognise that all calls are important and that if you don't answer your call, then your competitor will. That is why we offer our Virtual Receptionist service. Take a look now to see how it could benefit you and your business!

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

What is your time worth?

2006-07-20T11:11:00.000Z

All businesses are set up to make money - it is a fact of life! But how much money are you wasting in your business by doing routine administrative tasks yourself? I imagine your hourly rate will be a lot more than that charged by a Virtual Assistant.

By outsourcing your tasks to CKPA and your own Virtual Assistant, you will be able to:

Make more money by gaining new customers and developing your business
Save money as a Virtual Assistant is more cost effective against full time office employee
Prvide a professional image to your customers and be able to compete with the big companies

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Happy Birthday - to CKPA

2006-07-14T09:52:00.000Z

Well on Wednesday, I celebrated my first year birthday of operating CKPA full time. I established the company in May 2005 whilst working full time but I was unfortunate enough to be working for a company and boss who weren't very nice. However, I will always be grateful to them! Why, because they gave me the motivation to do what I am doing and see first hand how NOT to run a company!

Well, 12th July 2005 was the day I said enough was enough and left. I then began the journey of running CKPA full time trying to gain clients.

12 months on and I have some great clients, started writing (this Blog and some articles to be published soon), expanded my service offering (Virtual Receptionist), am happy and about to become a Mum for the first time in November.

So Happy Birthday to CKPA and well done to me for running a successful business that makes me happy.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

10 common mistakes start up businesses make

2006-07-13T12:44:00.000Z

By Robert Warlow - Small Business Success

Unfortunately very few start up businesses make it beyond their 3rd year. Failure is usually down to a number of clearly identifiable mistakes, which if small business owners are aware of, can increase their chances of survival.

Here are the top 10 common mistakes which small businesses tend to make.

Lack of Market Research
When a budding entrepreneur comes up with an idea for a new business he assumes that because he would buy such a product or service then everyone else will. This may be the case for day to day necessities but for other items this is usually not so.

It’s important that when you start up you carefully research the market to check that:

There is demand at a level which would lead to a sustainable business
People are prepared to pay the price required for you to make a decent profit

Undertaking market research may appear time consuming but the effort will pay off.

Poor Record Keeping
Some business people are not born administrators; they feel more comfortable getting out there and ‘doing the business’. Paperwork is too easy to ignore but can never be put off indefinitely.
Sales, purchases and other expenditure must be carefully documented, so you know whether you are making a profit or not. Invoices must be issued on time and chased up promptly if there is a delay in payment. It’s all very well having the sales but poor record keeping can hold you back.

Having your paperwork in order will also save you time when it comes to your accountant doing your year end books!

Insufficient Capital
When starting off it’s easy to decide what capital is required for fixtures and fittings, machinery and stock. What many new business owners forget about is the cash needed to fund day to day requirements, i.e. cash to pay expenses before your customers pay you. This is known as your working capital requirement.

Small businesses can fail because they have insufficient cash to start off to meet these immediate expenses. If you wish to survive, make sure you set aside enough cash to meet all your needs for the first few months.

Ineffective Marketing Or None At All
You cannot afford to treat the cost of marketing as an unnecessary expense. A business with no marketing is like waving in the dark – you know you are doing it but no one else does!

There are many ways to promote your business on a small budget; it’s just a case of being inventive and creative. What ever you do, don’t assume that people will quickly know you are in business – they won’t, unless you tell them.

Ignoring Changes In The Market Place
As a small business owner it’s very easy to get immersed in your business and not see what is happening around you in the market place. Always keep your eyes and ears open to what the competition is doing and what your customers want. Don’t get left behind.

Owner’s Attitude
Attitude is everything in business. Don’t forget that the real boss in your business is the customer. Running a business may make you feel important but don’t let this develop into an ‘I am better than you’ attitude. Do this and you will quickly chase your customers away.

Spending On The Wrong Things
Being in business can be exciting, especially as the cash starts to roll in! However, don’t be tempted to spend it on a new car, a house or just a good time. If you are to own a successful business, then you have to keep some cash back to fund future growth. A business cannot grow without cash, so commit to spending business money on the business.

Dependent On A Small Number Of Customers
Don’t fall into the trap of setting up a business just because one person says they will buy from you every week or month. Setting up and running a business, which is dependent on one customer, is not a recipe for success. What happens if, one month after you have spent all your cash to set up your business, that customer says he has changed his mind and has decided to buy elsewhere? Unless you can find other customers very quickly you are faced with closure.

Before embarking on a new venture make sure you have a sufficient number of customers such that if a few go elsewhere you can still continue trading.

Growing Too Quickly
Surprisingly, growing too quickly can be a problem. You have to be disciplined enough to only take on work you can handle. If you are tempted to accept too much you could end up disappointing not only the new client but also your existing ones.

Also, don’t underestimate the impact rapid growth can have on your administrative burden. As I mentioned earlier, getting behind on the paperwork can have an equally damaging effect on your business.

Trying To Do Everything
Finally, the problem most small business owners have is the fact that everything falls on their plate. Inevitably this is how it’s likely to be in the beginning, when the limited budget means that staff are a luxury, but as the business grows be aware that you cannot continue to do all tasks. There will come a point when you become inefficient and not have enough time to complete everything in sufficient detail. Taking on an extra pair of hands will increase your costs but you will be surprised at how much time will be saved, allowing you to do what you do best – getting the business in.

Take a look at each of the mistakes and make sure that you don’t fall into these traps.

© Robert Warlow - Small Business Success
http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz/

Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to the Small Business Success, a free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles.

For more information visit http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

To find out how partnering with CKPA could help free up your time to make more money and save you money, contact us now.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

People remember!

2006-07-06T10:23:00.000Z

I recently wrote about someone I had the misfortune speaking to regarding my services and I declined to work with them - read the details here.

I wrote about this experience because I knew that I would meet this person at a networking group I belong to in the near future. Well, you'll never guess who was there on Tuesday but this particular person. I was contemplating what to do (as I am a member of the Leadership Team) when another member asked to speak with me. It turns out that the person I didn't want to deal with had actually 'ripped off' a number of other people and the member was warning me against him as a potential member and someone I might do business with.

People remember when you aren't professional and rip people off. By now, the majority of our 23 members will be warned off this particular person and won't do business with him. I totally agree with the saying "what goes around, comes around" and this person is now just reaping the benefits of his labour!

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Are your clients happy?

2006-06-29T12:33:00.000Z

I run a Virtual Assistant business providing professional secretarial and administrative support to small businesses and individuals. Therefore, I am selling a service as opposed to a product. So how do I know that my clients are happy with the service that I provide - by asking them!

How on earth can you improve on processes, systems and even the service itself if you don't have honest feedback. I have produced a Client Satisfaction Survey which I send out and ask for honest answers. I then take on board all the positive and negative comments to improve my business for everyone to benefit.

I have even thrown in a couple of market research questions to ensure that I can reach my target market - killing 2 birds with 1 stone comes to mind.

Are you asking your customers about your product or service? Now might be the time to do somthing about it before it is too late!

To see how CKPA can help you in this process, contact us now.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Eight guaranteed ice breakers

2006-06-22T09:24:00.000Z

By Jackie Barrie of Comms Plus

We believe that a fun introduction that makes people laugh is the best way to get any event off to a good start. This article shares some of our favourite ideas, all tried and tested and known to work!

Pass the parcel
Good fun for any number. Needs some preparation though, and music! You can probably take your own CD player and CDs, but better check this is OK with the venue and remember to take an extension lead, just in case. The game works just like the kids’ version but you put a question to be answered in each layer of the parcel to be unwrapped. They can be business questions e.g. ‘Describe your ideal client?’ or social e.g. ‘What was your best ever holiday?’ You can also put little prizes in, sweets etc, perhaps with a bigger prize in the middle e.g. the entrance fee refunded.

Networking bingo
This works best for groups of 20 or more. In advance, prepare a ‘bingo sheet’. Down the left hand column, list various characteristics of the people you expect to attend, e.g. ‘solicitor’ or ‘has blue eyes’. Leave a corresponding space down the right hand column. You can choose whatever categories you wish, as serious or silly as appropriate. Copy / print enough so there is a bingo sheet for everybody (plus a few over just in case). You may need to provide pens as well. On the day allow 10 minutes (yes, just 10 minutes!) for people to collect as many signatures as they can on their bingo sheet. One person can only sign once on any page, and you cannot sign your own. The first person to collect 20 different signatures wins the prize (if it’s a paid event, I give away a bottle of champagne / wine, if it’s a free event, I give away the chance to present your business for 1 minute to the audience so they all know who you are and what you do). If you run out of time, the person with the most signatures wins (count down from 20, 19, 18 etc.). Optional extras, you can insist that they exchange business cards along with signatures. You can go through the list afterwards with a show of hands so everyone can see who in the whole audience qualifies for each category. The benefits, it’s a great ice breaker, people can get really competitive and start climbing over chairs to collect signatures! It’s not ‘proper networking’ but you do learn a little something about other people and find random connections to follow up later. It’s fun!

Pennies in a basket
This ice-breaker works for any number of attendees. Give everyone 10 x 1p coins, and put an empty basket (or other receptacle) in the centre of the table. Go round the table with everyone in turn saying something they have never done. If other people have done that thing, they put a penny in the basket. Keep going round until whoever runs out of pennies first is the winner, for being the most adventurous person in the room! Get all the other pennies back and you won’t even be out of pocket!

Warm fuzzies
A good way of breaking a big group into smaller ones. Get some fluffy balls from a craft shop, about 20 for £1. Everyone takes a ball when they arrive, creating a nice sense of anticipation. On the organiser’s instruction, they have to find the other people with the same size and colour balls. They then present to their small groups for one minute each (as BRE /BNI) on who they are, what they do, why they are good at it, and what they are looking for. You need a whistle or gong to make a loud noise every 60 seconds to keep it moving along.

Key words
You can also achieve random small groups by putting an index card on each person’s chair with a key word written on it. The key words are in groups e.g. of 5 things to do with hamburgers, 5 superheroes, 5 soap stars or whatever. It’s interesting to see who chooses to sit where! On your command, people have to find the others in their group (although I’ve had people trying to match Julia Roberts with whipped cream before!) and present to each other as for ‘warm fuzzies’ above.

Snowballs
Each person writes their name and two unusual facts about themselves on a piece of paper. Then screw all the pieces of paper into ‘snowballs’ and throw them to each other. General mayhem ensues! After a few moments, you stop the throwing, and everyone has to find the person who wrote the page they are holding. They then have to find out one other unusual fact about that person. Finally, they introduce the other person (and their facts) to the rest of the group.

Categories
Each person in turn asks a defining question e.g. if you were an animal what would you be and why? It goes round the table and everyone has to answer what they would be as an animal, then in turn they choose their own category for themselves and the others to answer. You can set the tone yourself, e.g. If I were an animal I’d have to be a sheep because my boyfriend is Welsh (ahem).

Truth or lies
Go round the table and each person says 3 things about themselves, 2 must be true and the other a lie, the rest have to guess the lie. For instance, I didn’t get where I am today without being: a) a bar-maid b) a secretary c) a tea-lady!

Jackie Barrie founded Comms Plus in 2001. It’s a writing and design business that specialises in making complex information appear simple. You can find out more at www.comms-plus.co.uk

I thought this article could be of use to anyone new to facilitating meetings / workshops and wanted a few ideas.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

7 tips for a successful small business

2006-06-15T13:27:00.000Z

By Robert Warlow - Small Business Success

Getting a small business off the ground is challenging to say the least. Here are some tips which will prepare the ground for running a successful small business.

Have Goals
This is where it all starts – the foundation for success. Know exactly where you are heading. What will the business ‘look’ like in the future? How will you know when your business is a success? When you wake up in the morning, do you know what actions you have to take to get you on the road to success?

Take Action
The difference between success and failure is down to the actions you take. The failures in life are the people who know what they have to do but never do it. The successful small business owners are people who take action on their ideas, ones who never say, “I wish I had done …”!

Seek Feedback
There is a saying that feedback is the breakfast of champions. During the early days of your business you must continually seek feedback about all aspects of your business. What works? What doesn’t work? What needs changing slightly? Speak to customers, suppliers, your bank manager, your accountant - anyone who can provide you with a fresh perspective.

Find Out What You Don’t Know
You can’t expect to know everything about running a business. Undertake your own skills analysis and find out your areas for development. Once you know your knowledge gaps seek out courses, books and advice, which will get you on track.

Be Focused
Let no one distract you from achievement of your goals. At the start of every day get yourself into the frame of mind that you will only do tasks which will get you closer to your goal – nothing else matters.

Take Risks!
You will never achieve anything if you’re not prepared to jump off the cliff a few times! We’re not talking about risks which will put the business in jeopardy; just risks which are planned and thought out, yet at the same time test the edge!

Think Positive
Yes, the oldest cliché in the book, but totally true. See the positive in everything. If something has not gone right train yourself to ask “What good has come out of this?” Understand that in every problem there is potential for good.

© Robert Warlow - Small Business Success
http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to the Small Business Success, a free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles.

For more information visit http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

To see how partnering with CKPA and your own Virtual Assistant can benefit your business, please have a look at our website.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Be professional in all that you do!

2006-06-09T12:49:00.000Z

I belong to an industry forum where wonderful people share their advice and experiences freely.
However, a new visitor to the forum posted a 'wanted ad' and gave the rate of pay offered. One of the responses she had was from a forum member telling her she was 'nuts' and would never get someone to work for that rate. The tone was rather unprofessional and, in my opinion, uncalled for. The original poster responded that you always need to be professional in all your business dealings - whether that be your forum posts or in person as what goes around, comes around!

I totally agree with this and had the 'pleasure' of dealing with an unprofessional business person over the telephone. A prospect for my Virtual Receptionist service left a message for me late in the afternoon (after 4.00 pm). I was out of the office and couldn't call him back until first thing the next morning. He wasn't happy that I didn't call him back within minutes and wanted me to beg for his business - I politely said thank you for your time and goodbye. I REFUSE to work with people like that who try to dictate to me how I run my business and I will always say thank you but no thanks each and every time.

The reason I am writing this story? There is every liklihood that I will meet this person at a networking group I attend. Do you think I will pass business to him? I don't think so!

I truly believe in the saying "treat people how you would like to be treated" and I endeavor to do that in everything I do. Do you?

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

4 great business card ideas

2006-05-25T11:39:00.000Z

By Robert Warlow - Small Business Success

How often have you opened your office drawer to find a pen only to have to search your way through a pile of business cards collected over the past few months? Your immediate response is to throw them away and that’s the problem with business cards - they are usually unmemorable.

Here are some ideas on how you can make your business card a bit more useful.

Handy Websites
On the reverse of your card, why not list some web sites which your clients may find of use. They don’t have to be related to your line of business, for example you could print details on a site providing a list of jokes (useful for speech writing!).

Do You Remember?
Going to a networking event is the equivalent to a business card swapping club! Once your card goes into someone’s drawer they are unlikely to remember where you met. So on the back of the card, print “Do you remember we met at ………. and discussed …………” This should be a good memory jogger!

Print Your Picture
Our minds are more efficient at remembering pictures than words. Why not print your picture on your card? When the recipient looks at your card sometime later, he is much more likely to remember who you are and what you do.

What’s The Date?
People are always scratching around to find out what the date is. Print a calendar on the reverse of your card. This gives an excuse for someone to keep your card permanently in his pocket.

Take a fresh look at your business card and see what you can do to make it more memorable.

© Robert Warlow - Small Business Success
www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to the Small Business Success, a free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles.

For more information visit http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

It's official - VA's have their own day

2006-05-18T14:50:00.000Z

The Virtual Assistant (VA) industry started in USA around 1996 and has become a popular alternative to working in the corporate environment. VA's are huge in USA and are becoming more popular but it is a different story here in the UK as not a lot of people know what a VA is.

I was really excited to hear that our colleagues across the pond had established our very own International Virtual Assistants Day taking place tomorrow (19th May) in recognition to VA's across the globe.

What a great way to promote our industry to clients and I hope that us UK VA's can start to get the recognition we deserve from our continued efforts in educating the public.

So if you are a VA, have you took advantage of this? I must admit that I haven't but will definately include it in my marketing plan for next year.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Proud of myself

2006-04-27T14:42:00.000Z

This post is more of a personal note this week.

I am a member of a BNI Chapter and am now on the Leadership Team as the Membership Co-ordinator until October. Part of my role is to chair the weekly meeting in the absence of the Chapter Director.

Well on Tuesday, I chaired my first meeting with the help of some other members and I was really pleased and proud of myself as it went really well. A visitor who has applied to join us even came up to me to ask if I was nervous as I came across all confident even though I was a bag of nerves inside.

My message this week is that things aren't always as you see them. I thought my voice was shaking and it was there for everyone to see that I was nervous - but to everyone else, I was confident and professional which is all that matters.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Why you should continually update your website

2006-04-13T12:50:00.000Z

As someone who runs a business via the internet, I am always looking at other peoples websites to conduct business as that is what is comfortable for me.

However, the amount of times I look at a website to find it hasn't been updated for 2 years, the following thoughts go through my head:

They are not in business any more
They do not want my business
They can't be bothered so why should I buy from them?
They don't know they should be updating their website

If you have a website, you need to ask yourself 'what makes visitors keep coming back to my website?' People will only come back if there is new content which means you need to have in place an Online Marketing Plan to ensure that you review and update your website regularly.

Take the time now to look at your website through the eyes of a visitor and evaluate the good and bad parts so that you have somewhere to start.

If you need some help updating your wesbite or conducting a makeover, contact us to see how CKPA can help.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Another year has gone

2006-04-06T10:16:00.000Z

The majority of businesses have their financial year running from April to March and I am no exception.

Another year has passed in our businesses and this gives us the opportunity to:

Reflect on how business has been over the last 12 months
Produce budgets and marketing plans for the new year
Plan for the future growth of the business
Relax and take time out for yourself

Have you looked at your business and planned for the new financial year? If not, you need to do it quickly to make sure your business is running to its potential.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

How can a Virtual Assistant help me?

2006-03-16T12:25:00.000Z

I attend a weekly BNI meeting and have got to know the chapter members with a couple of them signed up for my services. However, it is always difficult to get across exactly how a Virtual Assistant can help.

During a conversation with 2 members (with one of them being my client), I was explaining that it was difficult to explain exactly how I can help but gave them some examples. My client then said in wonder "can you really do that?". I then proceeded to tell them that it was really important to have one to one meetings with members to tell them what I do and educate them in order to pass quality referrals.

So what do we do? We help people make more money by freeing up their time working as a Virtual Assistant. We do this by providing professional secretarial and administrative solutions to a range of clients. Some non recognised areas we can help include:

Management of newsletters - this could be writing your newsletter to distributing it
Internet marketing - SEO, passive income, affiliate programme monitoring, Blogs
Accounts support - creating and sending out invoices, accounts organisation, payment facilities
Marketing support - mail shots, follow up calls, advertising co-ordination
Time management - create systems and processes to organise people and businesses

As you can see, most people would not be able to associate some of these tasks with your Virtual Assistant. That is why we like to talk to potential clients and ask them to draw up a list of tasks that they don't like / have time to complete etc. We then look at the list and give an honest answer of if we can help.

Remember, if you don't ask, you'll never know.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Volunteering as a marketing tool?

2006-03-09T10:51:00.000Z

Now I am not a marketing expert but I have read plenty of books on the subject and am in the process of producing my marketng and PR strategy as I want to raise my profile significantly over the coming months.

However, money is always an issue for small businesses and I am already spending a large chunk on a fabulous looking professional leaflet (as opposed to one you can tell has been done on computer at home) so budget for other things is pretty tight. But I am also conscious that I need to spend money to make money (very wisely of course).

I am part of a BNI chapter and have been asked to become a part of their leadership team as the Membership Co-ordinator. I didn't hesitate accepting as it would raise my awareness and profile with other chapters in my area and also increase my confidence. I am really looking forward to the role as I can use all my skills as a Virtual Assistant to do the job.

It got me thinking though about other free profile awareness and advertising and I am researching other opportunities to volunteer as it holds a host of benefits to me personally and professionally. These include:

Giving back to the community
Providing my expertise and skills to organisations in need
Increasing my contacts network
Raising my profile and that of my business
Learning new skills and gaining more experience

I am also beginning to talk to my network to research opportunities available for board members as this is another good avenue to take. If you know of any vacancies, please email me.

If you haven't considered volunteering before, now might be the time to do it. Speak to your contacts to find some worthy causes. You never know what might come of it for you and your business.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Presentation Tips

2006-03-02T16:19:00.000Z

I thought I would share this article with you to give you a chance to incorporate the tips into any presentations that you do to make sure that you keep the attention of the audience.

The seven lethal mistakes that suck the life out of any presentation
By professional speaker Paul McGee

I’m staggered that after giving a presentation, some delegates remark “Yours was the only talk I didn’t fall asleep in”! What is it about some presenters that makes the audience wish they’d watch the grass grow rather than listen for a minute longer? Here are seven beliefs that lead to woeful presentations:

Believing that just because you have a lot of knowledge about a subject that automatically makes you a great speaker (does knowing the words to a song make you a great singer?)
Believing that the more facts and information you throw at a person, the more they are likely to retain it
Believing that people prefer reading powerpoint slides as opposed to listening to another human being
Believing stories are for children and that adults want just the facts
Believing that speaking off the cuff is an adequate substitute for planning and preparation
Believing that the ‘way’ you deliver your presentation is of little or no importance compared to ‘what’ you say
Believing that all presentations must follow a standard format, where the audience listens passively and are only expected to contribute during question time

If you want to be a powerful presenter, it might be time to start changing your beliefs. For further information visit www.PaulMcGee.com

Some simple comments but I think if we look at these whilst working on an important presentation, we can't go wrong.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

PLEASE back up your PC

2006-02-22T16:55:00.000Z

Within the last couple of weeks, I have had two colleagues contact me asking for an email to be sent to them again as their PC's had crashed and they had lost all their work because they hadn't backed up recently. Can you imagine the disruption that this will have caused to their business? How long would it take them to get back up and running?

At the moment, I have a recurring appointment scheduled in my Outlook tasks every Friday afternoon to do a full back up of all my work for that week onto an external data storage device. If anything should happen to my PC, it won't take long to restore all of my work.

You don't need to spend a fortune on your back up device, have a look at EBay for some bargains.

Also remember that you can back up your Outlook! Follow these simple instructions to make sure you don't lose any important emails or contacts.

Select File - Import and Export
Select Export to a file
Select Personal Folder File (.pst)
Select items you want to export (e.g. inbox) and tick the include subfolders box
Select Browse to find location of your back up device. TIP: Choose a file name giving reference to date of back up for ease if having to do a restore (e.g. Inbox 22.02.06)
Select Finish

By backing up regularly, you will minimise disruption to yourself, your business and most importantly, your clients.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Power of dreams - Part 2

2006-02-09T11:20:00.000Z

Last week, I told you about my own 'power of dreams'. This week, I thought I would share another example of how following your dream can change your life.

By Preethi Nair

After three years of working as a Management Consultant, I decided that there was more to life so I told my boss I was resigning. “Leaving? To write a book?” she asked incredulously. She paused to give me a moment to retract what I had just said. I don’t really remember much else about that day, except that it was raining and I was crying all the way home and that people on the tube were trying hard not to stare at me. The hardest step for me I think was resigning and I had this blissfully naïve notion that the rest would follow effortlessly.

Enthusiastically buying all the Jiffy bags and affixing the pre paid stamps, I sent off my manuscript to various publishing houses thinking that soon I too would be holding a glass of red wine in one hand and signing copies of my bestseller with the other. It was not to be so. The first Jiffy-bagged copy came back with a “thank you but definitely no thank you” letter. It was swiftly followed by another and another, some Jiffy bags didn’t manage to find their way home and made their way to corrugated heaven with no acknowledgement.

Trying to put into words what I did next is not easy, as it seems the work of a mad woman so I will explain my reason for doing what I did first. Three years had gone into my manuscript; written from snatched moments on tube journeys, lunchtimes, weekends. Overcoming writer’s block, developing a passion for cleaning, only I knew how much of my heart and soul had poured into my book. To accept rejection from some people who hadn’t even bothered to read it or those who couldn’t manage to put the correct title on the rejection letter didn’t feel right. I think I felt so indignant to be just a part of someone else’s system and so completely at their whim that I decided to go it alone, I dislike the word but it is to self publish. I was in the process of buying a flat and instead of exchanging contracts I put the whole of the deposit into publishing my first book Gypsy Masala; a story of dreams.

Very early on, I realized that publicity was important but I didn’t have enough money to hire a publicist. So, I set up a PR company “The Creative House” and found a good feisty character to promote my novel. I created and developed a competent woman by the name of Pru Menon who did her job brilliantly. Pru secured many interviews and Preethi was busy doing them. Changing voices, making weird sounds in the background so people would think they were being connected through the offices of the multinational that was my back bedroom, we heard all sorts of comments about the book. My Pru character handled it all incredibly well. A few commented on the similarity of our voices “that’s what happens when you work so closely with someone.” She/I joked. Having not developed a severe personality disorder, I thought surely the rest would be plain sailing; not so.

The creative source that was responsible for putting this crazy venture into my head had other designs for me. The first print run (the whole of my savings) arrived with page 179 missing, the printer had made an error and it took weeks to sort out, press were waiting for review copies and things got so desperate that I had to give them copies with p179 glued in. When press articles finally appeared, there were no books in stores as I had overlooked the entire distribution network, I just assumed that copies would magically appear on the shelves. Rapidly, I had to learn the art of door to door selling and armed with a travel card, I pounded most of the bookstores in London and pleaded with store managers to stock the title. A few of them looked at me strangely and sent me packing promising that they would stock copies, only to put the sample copy that I had left safely under the counter. Others actually read it and placed orders. Then finally when it all came together, when interviews with the press coincided with bookstores supporting me, there was the oil protest. The creative saboteur had sent an oil protest complete with a lorry blockade so that the books could not move from the warehouse as orders came in. Momentum, so hard to capture had escaped me.

Exhausted, disheartened, jobless and completely blocked and in debt, I needed to take stock so I went away to reflect on the two years I had spent on the project. My greatest fear was rejection but I had put myself in a position where I was rejected time and time again. The extent of doing what I did was so I could be myself but the greatest irony was that being Pru had taken up most of my life. I did not regret a single moment because chasing the dream had made me stronger in ways I could never have imagined; I finally believed in myself in a way I never thought possible, I came back to London with clarity and confidence putting aside all that had gone before, I let everything go and I began writing again.

My second novel 100 Shades of White poured out of me in six weeks. I have always believed that when you decide whole heartedly to do something and follow it through by action, things happen, the creative source conspires to help you along the way and yes it lays down a few obstacles but this is merely to test resolve. A few weeks later, a literary agent by the name of Diana was sent my way (I assure you that she is real, not fictitious or any part of my alter ego). I won’t say that the story ends happily ever after because experience has taught me that this whole process is an adventure; it’s not necessarily about reaching the destination, it’s a cliché but it is about the journey and so it can’t always go smoothly but for the time being it ends happily. I won the Asian Woman of Achievement award for her endeavours and was also short listed as Publicist of the Year for the PPC awards. 100 Shades of White was sold as part of a three book deal to HarperCollins and the BBC have bought it for a 90 minute adaptation. Beyond Indigo, a fictionalized account of the whole adventure has just been released with a reissue of Gypsy Masala.

So I still maintain that dreams come true but only if you really want them to. Preethi also works as a freelance travel writer for the Sunday Times and is a contributor on Radio 5 Live's book panel. You can read more about the amazing Preethi at http://www.preethinair.com/

I thought this was quite an inspiring story and thought I would share it with you. Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Power of dreams - Part 1

2006-02-02T16:44:00.000Z

I was working as an Office Manager / PA on a full time basis and hated the company I worked for. I used to come home totally drained and weary from having to tolerate the behaviour of the directors of this particular company.

I dreamed of escaping but didn't want to jump out of the pan into the fire by going to another employer. The only option was to go self employed and start a business - but what on earth could I open a business in?

I then, by accident, heard about Virtual Assistants and thought that this could be the answer to my employment problem. I carried out some research and learned as much about the industry as I could so that I could make an informed decision. To see what a Virtual Assistant is, have a look at our website.

I decided to take the plunge, leave my employer and start my business in July 2005, and haven't looked back since. I am now my own boss running a successful company with a wide variety of clients on board. I am achieving a better work / life balance and am the happiest I have been for a long time as I love my work and my business.

My message, dreams can come true. If you have a good business idea, go for it (even if it is only part time). What have you got to lose and even more to gain.

Watch out for an inspiring story in part 2.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Focus on what YOU do best

2006-01-27T12:37:00.000Z

How many times do you complete tasks that you don't want or have experience to do? How many routine tasks do you do that you DON'T NEED to do? This is where outsourcing comes in handy!

Ask yourselves these questions:

Would you contemplate doing your annual tax return if you weren't a qualified accountant?
Self diagnose medical conditions if you weren't a doctor?

The answer is a big NO, but we do this all the time in our businesses. I am now working with marketing and PR companies to work out strategies for CKPA as I am not an expert and believe that you 'have to spend money to make money'. I am utilising their specialist skills so that I can concentrate on what I do in my business which is to provide secretarial and administrative support to clients as a Virtual Assistant.

The same concept applys to all types of business and a Virtual Assistant can help with the administrative side of things so that YOU TOO can do what you do best.

What can you outsource to a Virtual Assistant (VA)?

Diary management
Telephone answering
Desktop publishing
Website support
Accounts support
Word processing
Contacts maintenance
Virtual office

This is just a few examples of work you can give to your VA, but please have a look at our website to see exactly how we can help you.

Until next week,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Use your VA to Guarantee a Successful PR Campaign - Part 2

2006-01-23T16:13:00.000Z

As promised last week, here is the concluding part for this article. To view part 1 of the article, please click here.

By Emily Gordon of Do Your Own PR (www.doyourownpr.com)

Placing Articles
Writing articles is a great way to promote your business and present yourself as an expert in your field at the same time. You can get your VA to place those for you on various free websites that publish articles. There are hundreds of these websites around and you could have your VA research the most prominent ones. We list top ten sites in our Promote Your Business by Writing and Selling articles ecourse. The more often your name, business and website are promoted (because of course you will have these listed at the end of every article), the more likely potential clients are to find out about you and to visit your site - leading to more potential sales.

Follow up Calls
Once all the press releases have been sent out you can get your VA to follow them all up with a telephone call about a week to ten days later. It is quite useful at this stage to have a personal contact (i.e. your VA) and she can ascertain the general level of interest in your product, business or service as well as make a note of when to re-call as and when necessary. Editors will often be interested in your business but not feel that they have the time at the moment to discuss things further. They can let your VA know the best time to call them back and she can keep an up to date record of who to chase and when, building up a rapport with various people and publications on your behalf. When they are finally ready to talk, she can set up the time for both of you.

Keeping You Informed
It is at this stage that your VA will really come into her own. You will have been carrying on running your business as usual and in the meantime your VA will have contacted everyone on the list that the two of you made at the beginning of the campaign. She can send you the outline database or chart and you can then get a good idea of how things are progressing.

It can take months for some publications to come around to even looking at your press release and having someone on top of who has read what and who hasn’t is invaluable.

Your VA can keep you up to date with who wants to know what, whether you need to write another article or call them yourself. Your VA can keep on top of all of these contacts by regularly ringing around and acting on the most recent advice such as ‘yes, I’m interested but won’t be able to do anything with it for at least two months’. In two months’ time you could have a regular feature in one of your most sought after publications.

Your VA can also keep abreast of developments in terms of how you are achieving your initial goals and targets. If you said that you would have contacted 100 publications by the end of the first month then she will be able to remind you of this goal and to ensure that it is completed.

If you said that you will have written another press release and 2 new articles then your VA can also act as your ‘conscience’ and ask you whether you have completed these tasks yet. Your VA can really help you to get on with what you said you were going to do in the first place.

Fielding Calls and Dealing with Responses
Let’s suppose that your PR campaign is wildly successful (and why wouldn’t it be?) and you are inundated with replies, questions and responses. You can’t handle the work load let alone the requests for interviews and appointments. Having your VA on board here can be hugely helpful in terms of fielding those inquiries that are really important and need tackling at once and those that can wait. Your VA can even be trained to help out with basic queries, and one of the benefits of building a long term relationship with your VA is that she will have an in depth and up to date knowledge of your business as well as an interest in seeing it succeed.

Sending out information
You can often find in business, especially where you are a sole trader or a small company that you are spending an awful lot of time in merely sending out information. Whether it be responding to initial enquiries, sending out promotional material or distributing your newsletter. Providing prompt responses and mail outs are vital to the success of any business but is one of the most time consuming tasks.

Running a PR campaign can involve loads of additional mail outs and having your VA on board to undertake this task can be absolutely essential. If as a result of a successful Press Release or article you are inundated with responses, it can prove invaluable to have your VA set up with an email address with your company name so that all enquiries are directed to her in the first instance. This will ensure that these are dealt with straight away and your VA can provide an initial personal response and enable her to sift out the more genuine enquiries while you spend your time dealing with those that are most promising in terms of leading to a new client relationship.

How to Get the Best Out of the Relationship with Your VA
Having a VA can be one of the most worthwhile investments that you make for your business. But it is surprising how many people actually under use their VA. If you think of your VA as a developmental tool for your business, a marketer, who can win more clients then you have made the first step towards a rewarding and beneficial relationship. Your VA could easily pay for herself many times over.

Copyright © Do Your Own PR 2004. All rights reserved.

I hope you find this article of interest and if you want to see how a VA can help your business, have a look at our website (http://www.ckpa.co.uk/).

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

What is a Lens?

2006-01-20T16:25:00.000Z

I have recently come across the concept of lens' provided by squidoo. The idea behind it is great as it is like a one stop shop for something that you are passionate about giving useful information and links. Some examples of a lens could include:

Your hobby
Your business / industry
Favourite celebrity
Favourite recipes

The list really is endless, you talk about what you are you want to and it is opportunity to educate people!

I have created a lens all about the VA industry. Check it out and let me know what you think, any suggested links or articles.

Until next week.

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Use your VA to Guarantee a Successful PR Campaign - Part 1

2006-01-19T16:25:00.000Z

By Emily Gordon of Do Your Own PR (www.doyourownpr.com)

Embarking on a PR campaign can be time consuming and nerve racking. So, delegating some or all of the tasks that you don’t like, don’t want to do or that you just haven’t got time to do really does make sense. Here we will show you how you can work closely with your Virtual Assistant to maximize your PR campaign’s success and create a long term partner to take some of the load off your shoulders and allow you to also get on with the business you started in the first place!

We’ll take you through ten ways to hand over PR activities to your VA, and ensure that both of you feel comfortable and excited about the whole thing!

How to hire the right VA in the first place?

Instant Rapport
This needs to be there. During the telephone interview do you get along? Does she give you the impression that she understands what your business is about and what she can do to help it grow? Does she make you feel at ease, and do you understand her and where she is coming from? Is she comfortable with taking on PR activities? If not try another VA.

Before You Begin
In general working over the telephone and internet you are relying on a ‘gut instinct’ but if you really feel that you want to meet your VA first, no matter how far away they live, most VAs will be totally agreeable to having at least one initial meeting face-to-face to get things up and running.

Try Her Out
Suggest a trial period before signing a contract and make sure that there is a get out clause which you can use if things don’t work out. Make sure you understand and agree with the terms and conditions in the VA’s promotional literature and check that the contract ensures confidentiality.

Day to Day
Give it a while; start off with a few small tasks and see how your VA handles them. Does she respond swiftly or do you have to remind her (you can’t take this chance if she may be contacted by journalists – they need immediate action)?

Respect Her
Make your VA a partner in your business and share your successes and failures. Use her skills and talents and treat her as a sounding board for ideas too. It will make a noticeable difference to your business; helping you develop your sales, gain more clients and generally raise your profile.

How To Get Started
Once you have decided to use your VA as one of the key tools in your PR campaign the two of you will need to start off with a thorough briefing / brainstorming session.

Goals
Let your VA know the required goals and outcomes of your campaign. One way to make sure is to undertake a brainstorming session, either in person or over the telephone. Together you could come up with potential contacts and ideas that you hadn’t yet considered.

Setting up a Media Database
Your VA can do the research for this by acquiring a list of publications and finding the contact details for your target hit list of editors and journalists. Once you have agreed on the type and scale of the campaign you can have your VA set up a media database. If you use a database such as ACT already then you could ask your VA to simply transfer these details here. However, you could easily make one up from scratch and it could even include all of your goals, aims, objectives and timescales so that your VA can keep you up to date and informed of how the campaign is progressing.

Editing and Proofreading
Use your VA as an additional pair of eyes to proofread and edit press related copy such as press releases and tip sheets, as well as ebooks, ecourses and your own web site copy. How many times have you read websites or articles only to find spelling mistakes and punctuation errors? Sometimes when you write an article you can become so bogged down with the detail and the message that you want to convey that you simply overlook the final touches. Allowing your VA to go over it with a fine toothcomb will ensure that any errors are corrected and that your business is able to continue to portray a professional image.

Cuttings
Rather than plod through all the publications, trade and professional magazines that you may or may not have been featured in after your campaign has started (journalists rarely let you know when something is coming out, you have to find that out for yourself), a VA can keep on top of all this and inform you when you are featured in the press. But a VA can also clip any press articles that may be relevant to your business, even interview with competitors, or ideas for future markets, so that you are provide with a steady stream of useful information.

Sending out Press Releases
Physically sending out press releases is time consuming and can be stressful. What better way to avoid the tension than to get your VA to handle it for you? Your VA is one step removed from your business and so can provide a professional and much less emotional outlook. It also gives your business a much more professional look and feel.

Copyright © Do Your Own PR 2004. All rights reserved.

Part 2 coming next week.

I hope you find this article of interest and if you want to see how a VA can help your business, have a look at our website (www.ckpa.co.uk).

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Are you struggling with paperwork?

2006-01-12T12:44:00.000Z

Running a small business can be a challenge and often paperwork becomes a chore. You are trying to build a business – who has time for paperwork?

You might not have space for a desk, can’t afford to employ a full time employee or just need holiday cover – that’s where a Virtual Assistant comes in. VA's work from their own office and provide all the support you need to clear the paperwork off your desk.

By outsourcing your administrative requirements, you can free up your valuable time to focus on what you do best!

Have a look at some of the services available to free up your time.

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Forward Planning

2006-01-06T12:03:00.000Z

As 2006 has now arrived, I have been busy doing some soul searching within the business and I am asking myself the following basic questions:

How has the business performed since formation in July 2005?
What has worked?
What hasn't worked?
What do I want to achieve during the next 6 - 12 months?
What do I need to do to make these happen?

By asking myself these questions, I am taking an honest and overall picture of where the business is now and where I want it to be in the near future. I can then draw up a realistic action plan to go about achieving all of my goals.

Why don't you take the opportunity to review your performance to see how you can improve on things for YOUR business.

Until next time,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Christmas Break

2005-12-29T13:01:00.000Z

Well Christmas is now officially over and on countdown to 2006. I am spending the 3 days in between to revamp our CKPA website for the New Year to take the business forward (so keep an eye out for the new look coming soon) and also working on business strategies.

I decided that I would use the quiet time to forward plan and identify exactly where I want the business to go by setting some specific targets - more of this to come!

So until 2006,

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions

Welcome to our Blog

2005-12-29T12:56:00.000Z

Welcome to the Blog of CKPA. Here we will keep you up to date on CKPA, VA industry and any information we think will be useful for you.

Written by me, Emma Walker (Managing Director of CKPA and Virtual Assistant), this is an insight into how I run my business and my personal and business views.

I will endeavor to post to this blog on a regular basis to keep it fresh and up to date. If you have an item that would be relevant, please contact me.

I look forward to sharing my experiences with you.

Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions