Hiring A Virtual Assistant – Business Gladiators! Are You Ready?

15 June 2020 by Vicky

We discussed in previous blogs about the many varied benefits of hiring a virtual assistant, the main one being the vast amount of time you will recoup back that you can put to better use elsewhere. Not only will you be regaining those lost hours but hiring a virtual assistant could actually help to expand your business.

So how do you know you’re ready to look at outsourcing? It’s one thing admitting that you’re not a one person miracle machine but a different thing altogether to welcome someone into your business and is understandably the stumbling block for most companies before they do/don’t decide to outsource.

We’ve compiled our most commonly seen reasons for hiring a virtual assistant below so if you feel like these apply to you as you’re reading through then it may very well be time for you to take the next step.

You’re spending your evenings on crash courses.

Whilst we are strong advocates of advancing knowledge and learning new skills, there definitely needs to be balance with it. It’s great to learn a new skill but when that feels forced because of a business requirement then it can result in poor results from knowledge obtained hastily.

If you’re someone who flits from having to learn rudimentary accounting on Monday, diary management on Wednesday right through to social media marketing skills by Friday then it is definitely time to think about outsourcing. By hiring a virtual assistant you can delegate those tasks to someone with that existing knowledge and can focus your own attentions on the things you do best!

Your deadlines are being pushed back more than current cinema releases.

Regardless of what area your business operates in, one of the most crucial promises you make with your customers is the promise of delivery. Be that of a custom made t shirt, a marketing plan or a full blown site review – it all counts towards building up trust with your customers and a good reliable reputation. Of course life throws us all curve balls occasionally but constantly missing or moving deadlines can really add to stress levels and impact on every project you’re working on.

Virtual Assistants can not only take care of the smaller tasks which can get in the way of your project but, in some cases, can even help to project manage to ensure that those deadlines stay firmly fixed and that you deliver on time.

You’re saying no more than you’re saying yes.

Whilst not every job is the right job to accept and sometimes we actively choose to decline a piece of work, no business wants to be forced into saying no. At this point you’ve worked hard to get to where you are and the likely result of increased workload is the reward that no one wants to refuse.

A virtual assistant is not only perfect for those who may need extra help but not enough to warrant a full time employee but can also ensure that you have the right staffing levels in place so that you can be confident that you can accept the bounty of orders/jobs that will find their way to you – without having to turn paying clients away.

You’ve forgotten what downtime is?

Whilst businesses require hard work and commitment, we’re pretty sure that no-one’s dream vision of running a business willingly included continual early mornings, no breaks, late finishes and weekends. If you constantly feel rushed, stressed and tired then the quality and standard of work that you produce will suffer and in turn so will your business reputation amongst customers.

Letting your virtual assistant take care of the small day to day tasks will free up large swathes of time so that you can truly focus and dedicate the right amount of attention to the tasks you excel at. In conjunction with this, feeling positive and refreshed at work can only lead to great things and steady progress.

You’re hungry to keep your business growing.

What better feeling is there than when you realise that the hard work has paid off and that your business is taking off and whilst it’s tempting to decide to reward yourself with a period of rest, this isn’t always the best course of action.

The best thing to do at this point is to review your business, work out where you can streamline and where you need to focus your efforts to grow even bigger. Both parts of this, the streamlining and the focus will require a potential change in how and who does the small jobs to ensure that the right time and focus can be put into business growth.

Does this sound like your business? If so then Pink Spaghetti have teams around the UK who can provide your business with the support you need to succeed.

Pink Spaghetti has an enviable reputation for success and are the only PA services company in the UK to feature in the Elite Franchise Top 100. If you want to discuss how Pink Spaghetti can assist you with any aspect of your business then you can visit here to find your local team today.

Life After Lockdown – How To Bulletproof Your Business

24 April 2020 by Vicky

Business owners across the UK are already beginning to feel the strain that Coronavirus and the associated lockdown is causing and this is leading to feelings of anxiety and business insecurity. There are, however, actions that businesses can put into place during the lockdown period that will not only help them to simply survive Coronavirus but also to thrive in the yet unclear economic environment.

Understandably, thinking about your business’s recovery may be far from the forefront of your mind. But it is important to remember that the UK will recover, life will resume with the energy and vitality that we are accustomed to and ‘business as normal’ will also resume. Some business owners may choose to simply wait this out and when normal business resumes they will go back to doing what they used to do but we’d like to think that with a little careful planning and forethought many businesses can make steps that will greatly boost their future business.

Here are a few ideas on how to help your business recover from Coronavirus.

Consider how your customers are affected.

Regardless of what sector you operate in, it is inevitable that your customers too are experiencing issues related to Coronavirus. This could be in the form of financial loss, restricted workforce, supply chain disruptions or just a slowdown in business. Regardless of what side effect they are experiencing it is important that you think about how this might be challenging their business and how you can help. By taking the time to stop and assess your customers’ needs it will allow you to tailor your sales approach and create dedicated marketing which is specifically designed to cater to them.

Another important thing to remember is to be kind. Your customers are as essential to your business as oxygen is to the planet, one cannot exist without the other. Whilst the lockdown is frustrating and tensions can run high, your customers will remember how they were treated. Negative experiences will leave a bitter taste for a long time following recovery; however positive experiences can only guarantee that they seek your business out again.

Look at how you can adapt your business.

Whilst the current climate is far from ideal it can be a fantastic opportunity to re-evaluate your current business provision and look at ways it can be amended. There are many businesses already doing this in varied ways – fitness instructors are taking to online platforms to offer virtual training, restaurants are offering take out services and online resource services are making themselves more accessible. Take the time to reach out to people via social media platforms, really promote the services that you CAN offer during lockdown and sing about the functions that your business is still able to perform.

Regardless of the lockdown, people across the UK still want to use services and make purchases so it is an important time to look at how you can improve your online marketing efforts and generate new online custom. Don’t look at lockdown as downtime but as a time to become proactive and productive. Business is still happening and will still happen, but more of it may need to be online.

Make an action plan and review your goals.

Coronavirus is instigating massive change across the business world and this is expected to continue right the way through to recovery. Whether you are a retailer, restaurant, freelancer or a service based business, when the UK recovery begins and lockdown ends there will be an emerging demand for your products or services. How are you going to prepare your business, rebuild and begin to grow again?

Prior to the lockdown, did you have any business plans/goals? If you did then it’s time to reassess, if not then it is a good time to put something together. You’re going to want to look at short, medium and long term goals for your business with a view to keeping it flexible to keep up with the ever changing situation. Here are some short, medium and long term goals that may be worth considering including within your plan.

Short term

Consider how to maintain contact with your existing customers, is it effective? Are your existing customers aware of what level the business is operating at and have you provided them with enough information to continue using your services?
If you can’t provide your usual offering, have you offered replacement services/alternatives?
Are your services/products in demand, if so then can you do anything to improve delivery timescales or offer priority for vulnerable persons?
If you have no ability to provide services/products are you keeping customers informed about how to cancel/keep/move pre-planned appointments?

Medium term

Think about recovery, how are you going to put your business in a good position post Coronavirus?
Create a marketing plan – where and how will you advertise your business in order to retain custom and gain new customers?
Assess your business strengths and weaknesses – what were you doing right and what could you do better?
Are there any opportunities that have arisen from Coronavirus that you can take advantage of in the long term?
Will you continue to provide your products/services in a different way? Has this been beneficial? What impact does this have on your staff/cash flow and customers?
Get to know your customers – who are they, what information do you have that you could use to drive business?
Look at your competitors – who is doing well and what are they offering that you could also look to do?

Long term

How will you plan for growth? Do you have a set target post lockdown?
Look at your brand. Are there changes that you could make to your website, promotional materials or content that will propel your business in the long term?
How will you continue to maintain positive contact with your customers and provide them real and lasting value in the future?

In summary, whilst we understand that these times are indeed testing and uncertain we can be confident in one thing, which is that this WILL end. Regrettably, the truth is that some businesses might not successfully endure this period but we would urge all business owners to take a look at what they can do now to avoid this and better position their business in a post lock down economy.

If you want to discuss how Pink Spaghetti can assist you with any aspect of your business then you can visit here to find your local team today.

Becoming a Virtual Assistant – The Journey to Professional Freedom!

17 April 2020 by Vicky

For many businesses it may feel as though the work load continues to increase whilst the hours in the day decreases, which is probably why large numbers of businesses now utilise the services of a virtual assistant and with the global number of people using virtual assistants set to reach a 1.8 billion by 2021 there’s never been a more perfect time to get on board.
In this blog we’ll look at what a virtual assistant does, what skills they require and how to go about breaking into what is definitely one of the most flexible and rewarding business sectors out there.

What is a virtual assistant?
If there was an official title for those of us that consider ourselves Jacks/Jills of all trades then virtual assistant may just be it. Typical tasks requested from businesses come in the form of social media and email management through to book keeping or particular project management but the nature of work will always be dependent on the types of business that you are assisting.
There’s no confined limit to what tasks can be covered by a virtual assistant, if the skills are in your wheelhouse and the task can be completed from your home office then it’s a viable offering for your customers.

What skills should a virtual assistant possess?
Because of the broad nature that virtual assistant work offers, the services you can provide are only ever limited by the skills you have. The larger your sample set of skills, the more support options you can offer. If you’re considering becoming a virtual assistant then a great place to start is to list the skills that you have and then work out what you can offer and who would benefit from this. Not only will this allow you to see your true potential but it can also be a valuable tool in identifying those first few customers.
Here’s a sample list of the type of services a virtual assistant can offer:
– Editorial/proofreading support
– Website maintenance/design
– E-commerce management
– Content creation, i.e.: for social media and blog posts
– Project management
– Billing/invoicing
– Research
– Email, calendar and logistics management
– Transcribing/translating

How much does a virtual assistant earn?
Naturally the more demanding and skill intense the work then the higher the price, typically a virtual assistant would look to charge around £25 per hour but this will vary depending on the type of work you are completing.
The important thing to remember however is that you are working for yourself so it’s crucial to work on fostering consistent business relationships and agreements with clients that will help to provide a steady income. Though it is always tempting to reduce prices to boost clients each job you will complete will also need to be billed and administrated by yourself so try to avoid eating into your costs by underselling your time!
Ultimately as with any business, it can take time for regular customers and business relationships to build so it’s a good idea to have a financial buffer in place as you start out. This may be funds you’ve saved as a business reserve pot or it may mean overlapping current employment with the start-up of your service. Either way it will ensure that you are able to look after your financial security whilst your business establishes itself.

What else do I need to consider before becoming a virtual assistant?
Office set up – Are you equipped to begin your work, whilst you may be working from home there are still multiple things to have in place before you can start. You are going to require somewhere to work from that is designated for your business, a good internet connection (remember a lot of your work will be utilising this daily) and a computer that is kitted out with the relevant software to provide the services you want (design software, accounting packages, office packages all have associated license fees that it is worth knowing before you get started). Along with this you will need to ensure that you have suitable storage methods and business processes in place to ensure you are compliant with GDPR and HMRC guidelines.
Marketing – A virtual assistant with no clients is never the ideal outcome, so how are you going to attract them? Websites, social media, business profiles are all vital parts of your business and invaluable tools for helping you to gain new clients. As a virtual assistant your presence is virtual too and therefor it needs to be reflective of you and the services you provide. There are many free options for websites and online presence building but you may wish to consider the costs of alternative marketing streams too such as Google Adwords, Facebook advertising or similar. It’s a good idea to do your research on the current provision of virtual assistant services in your area so that you can identify any gaps that you could fill. Not only that but it will also give you a good network of likeminded businesses that you may be able to share and trade clients with along with ideas around business practise and support.

Where does Pink Spaghetti fit into all of this?
By now you’ve probably got a good idea as to whether this sounds like the right career for you, albeit the route to getting there may sound daunting when looking at all the things to account for before beginning your journey.
At Pink Spaghetti we can help you during every step on your path to becoming a virtual assistant; we have nurtured over 40 virtual assistants from the beginning of their adventure to being fully fledged and successful virtual assistant franchises.
Over 70% of our franchisees are employers and are supported to grow their business through regular mentoring and ongoing training and development.
Pink Spaghetti is committed to providing you with all the help and support you’ll need to make your business a real success story.
To support you we offer full training, marketing help and continued support in every aspect of your business. With Pink Spaghetti, you might be on your own, but you’re never alone.
Pink Spaghetti has an enviable reputation for success and franchisee satisfaction and are the only PA services company in the UK to feature in the Elite Franchise Top 100. We’ve also held a 5* rating for franchisee satisfaction from WorkBuzz for the last 5 years!
If you’d like to know more about starting a virtual assistant franchise, please contact us on 0333 355 0986 or visit our franchising pages to request a copy of our Franchising Prospectus.

We also offer International Licenses to people wanting to start up as a Virtual Assistant outside of the UK. Click here to visit our license information page.

Gold Medal Paralympian Inspires Pink Spaghetti Franchisees at the Annual Conference

18 March 2020 by Vicky

Pink Spaghetti held its annual conference on 8th and 9th March at their head office in Northwich, Cheshire. The Head Office team were joined by nearly 50 franchisees from all across the UK for two days of learning, networking and celebrating each other’s success.

During the two days, the franchisees were joined by a number of guest speakers including Emma Wiggs MBE who is a Paralympic gold medal winner and seven-time World Champion paracanoeist in the women’s 200m KL2 class. Emma shared her inspirational story and the some of the secrets behind her winning mindset.

New Franchisee, Michelle said: “I thought the conference was brilliant and honestly cannot sing all your praises enough, the quality of training and support you all provide is fantastic. I got loads from the conference and I agree Emma is truly an inspiration. “

Vicky Matthews, Co-Founder of Pink Spaghetti reflected on the two days. “It is always fantastic to bring all our franchisees together and this year was particularly special as it coincided with International Women’s Day. Seeing so many amazing women in one room together was very special.”

Gold Medal Paralympian Inspires Pink Spaghetti Franchisees

PRESS ENQUIRIES:

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Work from home, but do it well

16 March 2020 by Vicky

Until recently just 2% of people worked from home. In recent days that has risen to 4% and is expected to rise sharply over coming days and weeks.
We at Pink Spaghetti are used to working from home. Our franchisees and staff, around 100 people in our business, all work from home. It is not for everyone, so what would we suggest for people about to start? Here are some of our tops tips for structuring your day.

Routine

It can be very easy to merge home and work life, but this could be a mistake. Get up at the same time, keep to your morning routine, and instead of leaving the house, you sit at your computer. Some people even find that being in work clothes instead of the often written about pyjamas can help the mind differentiate between home and work life.

Take breaks

You can use a timer such as a Pomorodo Timer, to ensure that every ½ hour or hour you take a break. Go into the garden, get some fresh air, make a cup of coffee, whatever you need.

Keep in contact

One of the great things about going into work are the people. Talking about what is going on, who saw what on television, etc is vitally important to us all and yet this is the first thing that goes with working from home. Set up a virtual team. This could be in the form of a private Facebook Group, or software such as Slack. Zoom can be used for visual meetings. You could start the day with a video meeting, and then continue with group messaging throughout the day.

Our teams are experts at working from home, and love to use technology in all sorts of ways. Do get in touch for a chat if you would like to work out what you could be doing differently.

Our franchisees work across the UK – if you fancy a video call to see how they could help you, or would like a few ideas of how you could work effectively from home, get in touch.

Specialist tasks your business could benefit from outsourcing and why

27 December 2018 by Vicky

Outsourcing tasks that require specialist knowledge to a virtual personal assistant could help your business grow whilst also saving you time and money.

Whilst it is necessary for small business owners to wear many hats and have a full and varied skillset, there are certain tasks that require an expert to be completed most effectively.

We’ve identified three key areas that are frequently outsourced to expert virtual PAs because they require extensive knowledge of industries that are complex and constantly changing. Outsourcing these tasks to a virtual assistant can not only free up time, but also have financial benefits and aid business growth.

Read Full Article

Should you outsource Christmas?

3 December 2018 by Vicky

Do you remember a time when Christmas was fun? All you had to do was race downstairs and open your presents, and wait for delicious meals to appear on the table?

Christmas when you’re an adult can be a stressful time, not least because of the average of 302 miles driven over the festive period. A survey found that the biggest drain on time, and one of the leading causes of stress, is the amount of time spent dealing with general household administration and other day to day chores. At Christmas time this burden increases dramatically, with present-buying, festive food shopping and card delivering all needing to be done on top of normal day to day tasks. If you have children, you’ll also have to find time for school concert attendance, possibly nativity costume sourcing as well, plus you don’t want to miss out on all the festive activities on offer at this time of year.

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Here is why you should outsource to a virtual assistant…

16 October 2018 by Vicky

Do you deserve a bit more time and money? We believe you do.

We believe every small business owner needs and deserves a great Virtual Assistant. Why? Because a great VA will save you time and make you money. Bear with us on this one…

So let’s just say you have a task you have to do each month. It takes you 5 hours. Quite honestly you hate doing it, you don’t really have the skill set for it and you procrastinate over it each month.

It’s always sat on your to do list making you feel slightly uncomfortable, guilty and let’s face it a little bit resentful that it won’t just vanish from your list FOREVER.
You have one in mind, don’t you?

If you hand this task over to a VA with the right skill set it’s likely they can do this task in a fraction of the time… or they could even automate it for you.

The task can be outsourced to a virtual assistant in 3 hours each month, saving you 5 hours. Or it could be automated as a one-off project and now your task only takes 30 min each month!

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Business as Usual On the Beach

1 August 2017 by Vicky

Juggling a small business and the school holidays can be difficult for parent entrepreneurs, and hopefully you’ve planned some holiday time for yourself and your family. But do you check your emails on the beach? Are you tweeting as you sightsee? Do you fret about missed opportunities while you’re trying to relax?

Many people start their own business to improve their work-life balance, then find it impossible to switch off and enjoy the downtime. The good news is that you can outsource many tasks and automate others to keep things ticking over while you’re away.

Tasks to Automate

Social Media posts

Are you spending all day posting on different social media sites? It’s important to regularly connect with your customers, particularly on platforms such as Twitter where frequent posting is essential, but there are tools such as Buffer, Hootsuite and Tweetdeck which enable you to schedule posts in advance across multiple platforms.

Email responses

Why not set up an automatic follow up to enquiries? We find that Mailchimp can take the strain out of your email marketing, and your Pink Spaghetti PA can always help you by setting up a template.

Read Full Article

Pink Spaghetti held its annual conference on 8th and 9th March at their head office in Northwich, Cheshire. The Head Office team were joined by nearly 50 franchisees from all across the UK for two days of learning, networking and celebrating each other’s success.

PRESS ENQUIRIES:

Routine

Take breaks

Keep in contact

Outsourcing tasks that require specialist knowledge to a virtual personal assistant could help your business grow whilst also saving you time and money.

Do you remember a time when Christmas was fun? All you had to do was race downstairs and open your presents, and wait for delicious meals to appear on the table?

Outsourcing is for big business, right?

Tasks to Automate

Social Media posts

Email responses

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