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
Showing posts with label General. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General. Show all posts
08 June 2007
07 June 2007
My favourite productivity tip
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
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
03 May 2007
How to make working from home enjoyable and productive
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
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
26 April 2007
Happy Administrative Professionals Week
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
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
29 March 2007
Want to gain more time?
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
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
08 March 2007
Happy International Women's Day
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
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
27 February 2007
Request for help please
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
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
08 February 2007
Be consistent
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
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
15 January 2007
New Year means new opportunities
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
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
04 January 2007
Happy New Year
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
"May we all have a successful year in all that we want"
Happy 2007 everyone!
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
09 November 2006
What is your Indian name - part 2
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
"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
02 November 2006
What is your Indian name - part 1
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
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
19 October 2006
10 ways to reduce the stress of Christmas
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.
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
13 October 2006
How to build a customer focused business
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
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
09 October 2006
What impression do you give out?
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
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
28 September 2006
Perception IS reality
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
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
14 September 2006
Be an optimistic entrepreneur
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
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
07 September 2006
How to keep your customers for life!
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:
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?
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
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?
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
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
04 September 2006
Small business challenges
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
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
03 August 2006
Impressions count
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:
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
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
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
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