I like the ONLINE Black Friday. If you are like I am, you spend a lot of your business dollars on online tools and services. So we might as well get the best deals possible, right? I’ve spent the last several weeks compiling a list of the best Black Friday deals for online entrepreneurs. I’ll be updating this list all the way through Cyber Monday (December 2).
The Kajabi Live conference in LA last week was inspiring, as we learned from some of the smartest entrepreneurs in the online business world. Obviously, for Kajabi enthusiasts, it was especially exciting because we learned about a ton of new features coming to the platform, but the biggest takeaways would benefit any entrepreneur, regardless of the platform you use.
Colin and Samir, of colinandsamir.com are podcasters and YouTubers that break down the latest in the Creator Economy from a creator's perspective.
…and I love that they shared this image above. I found it so inspiring because the lesson here is that if you keep at it, if you keep experimenting and tweaking and researching, results WILL come.
Here are some of the things they learned from their own trial and error that they stressed we should consider:
#1 If they don’t click, they don’t watch.
This rule emphasizes the importance of titles and thumbnails that attract viewers. When scrolling through YouTube, viewers are presented with many video options, so it's critical for creators to create titles and thumbnails that accurately represent their content and are enticing enough for viewers to click on.
To optimize titles and thumbnails, creators should consider:
Familiarity: Videos should fit in with other videos in the same niche, using similar visual elements and keywords.
Unexpectedness: Videos should also stand out from the crowd by incorporating unique elements or perspectives.
Information gaps: Titles and thumbnails should create curiosity by hinting at information that viewers will learn by watching the video.
Creators can brainstorm title and thumbnail ideas by studying successful videos in their niche and identifying gaps or opportunities to differentiate their content. They can also use title frameworks to help them generate ideas.
#2 Respect your viewers’ time.
This rule emphasizes the importance of delivering on the promise made in the title and thumbnail, and keeping viewers engaged throughout the video.
Creators can respect viewers' time by:
Delivering on their promise: The beginning of the video should immediately address the topic or question presented in the title and thumbnail.
Using a strong hook: The first few seconds of the video should be captivating and encourage viewers to keep watching.
A good hook meets the expectations set by the title and thumbnail, introduces a new problem or question, and tells viewers what they'll gain by watching the video.
Maintaining engagement throughout the video: Creators should use storytelling techniques, such as Jenga storytelling, to keep viewers invested in the content.
Jenga storytelling involves gradually increasing tension throughout the video, similar to how pulling blocks from a Jenga tower makes it increasingly unstable.
#3 It’s important to ask in your video “do you want more stuff like this”
This rule emphasizes the importance of creating content that encourages viewers to watch more videos from the same creator.
Creators can encourage viewers to watch more of their videos by:
Creating videos that build on each other: Videos should answer questions or explore topics raised in previous videos, creating a sense of continuity.
Using end screen pitches: At the end of each video, creators can suggest other videos that viewers might enjoy.
Developing formats: Using recurring formats, such as starting each video with the same phrase or challenge, can create familiarity and encourage viewers to return for more.
Using their face in their videos: This helps viewers connect with the creator and makes their content more recognizable.
This rule also applies to driving audiences to off-platform content, such as email lists or paid courses.
When promoting off-platform content, creators should ensure that it aligns with the free content they offer on YouTube and provides additional value to their audience.
Prioritize titles and thumbnails before making videos to better align with audience interest and optimize clicks.
Understanding YouTube's algorithm is key; knowing how videos surface in search, browse, suggested, and short feeds enhances visibility, as Colin and Samir’s viewership shows with 84% from browse and suggested feeds.
The hook (first 7-30 seconds) is vital for grabbing attention and should introduce a problem, question, or open loop that aligns with the title and thumbnail.
Encourage more views by answering questions or building on previous topics; use end screens and consistent formats to foster loyalty.
Come up with 5 ideas a day!
They shared these simple formulas for ideation:
Drive off-platform traffic carefully by offering free value first, making the transition to paid offers smooth, and preserving viewer trust. For example, their call to action on their videos isn’t “buy this product”, but rather, they take them to another free offer, like a free masterclass. From there, they can get an email address and begin the sales process.
Here’s a simplified map of their overall process:
Natalie Ellis, of Boss Babe shared with us her journey with her phenomenally successful membership.
Focus on recurring revenue. She emphasizes the importance of recurring revenue, particularly for business owners who have previously struggled with cash flow from physical products. Recurring revenue allows for greater predictability and financial stability.
Create a membership with a curriculum and a pathway that doesn't end. Unlike digital courses with a defined start and finish, successful memberships provide a continuous learning experience. She suggests developing a curriculum that members can revisit and refine their understanding of over time.
Foster a strong community. While curriculum attracts members, community keeps them engaged. She stresses the importance of incentivizing member interaction and creating a space where they can connect and build relationships.
Utilize webinar funnels. Despite claims that webinar funnels are outdated, she attributes a significant portion of her success to this strategy. She encourages entrepreneurs to stick with marketing methods they can master and produce consistent results.
Define a specific target audience. Initially hesitant to narrow her focus, she discovered that clearly identifying her ideal member led to greater success. By tailoring her membership to a specific niche, she was able to attract a more engaged and committed audience.
Prioritize retention. She stresses the importance of focusing on customer retention alongside marketing efforts. By continually engaging with members and addressing their needs, entrepreneurs can reduce churn and build a more sustainable business.
Understand the exit point. By analyzing member behavior and identifying common points where they disengage, entrepreneurs can proactively intervene and provide support to encourage continued participation.
Offer a low price point if you can generate traffic. She highlights that a low price point can be successful if paired with effective traffic generation strategies. This approach requires mastering organic traffic building, paid advertising, or affiliate marketing.
Grandfather existing members in when raising prices. She advocates for taking care of loyal customers by grandfathering them in at their original price point when implementing price increases. This demonstrates appreciation and fosters long-term customer relationships.
Avoid creating a complex value ladder. She cautions against building overly complex value ladders with numerous product tiers. This approach can lead to burnout and distract from delivering excellence in core offerings.
Don't underestimate the perceived value of monthly subscriptions. She notes that even with a low monthly price, customers perceive the overall value of a membership based on its long-term cost, not just the monthly fee.
Consider scaling ads if the monthly cost allows. She acknowledges that memberships with low monthly fees can make it challenging to scale advertising campaigns effectively.
Prioritize simplicity over complexity. She advocates for streamlining business operations and focusing on delivering exceptional value within a simplified framework. She highlights the importance of choosing simple solutions and avoiding unnecessary product diversification.
Boost customer lifetime value (LTV). By focusing on LTV, entrepreneurs can reduce their reliance on constant customer acquisition. Strategies for boosting LTV include raising prices, improving retention, selling additional products, and incentivizing annual memberships.
Make the offer a no-brainer. She suggests incorporating "done-for-you" elements into membership offerings to make them irresistible. By providing high-value resources and templates, entrepreneurs can significantly enhance their membership's appeal.
Strive for excellence. She emphasizes that while the market may be saturated, there's always room for excellence. Entrepreneurs should focus on delivering exceptional quality and value to stand out from the competition.
Natalie's journey underscores the importance of prioritizing customer value, fostering community, and continuously iterating on membership offerings to achieve long-term success. By implementing these lessons, entrepreneurs can build thriving and sustainable membership businesses.
It was so motivating to see how shifted her membership business from 20% annual members to 80% by changing her offering from a problem solver to a "no-brainer." She did this by incorporating done-for-you elements and opening up the entire Boss Babe playbook to annual members.
Here's a breakdown of her process:
She realized her previous bonuses for annual members weren't enticing enough. They were "extra," didn't differentiate the annual product from the monthly product, and didn't solve a specific problem for her ideal client.
She decided to make the annual product a done-for-you template vault with over 55 templates and a form for members to request new templates. This gave members her "keys to the business," including details like the number of social media posts and emails her company sends.
She completely revamped the core product with a new curriculum on building a freedom-based business. It also includes weekly calls, community features, and monthly content and challenges.
This strategy was highly successful. Instead of generating $2,750 every 10 members, Boss Babe now generates $8,170, a significant increase. She notes that the price increase from $29 to $97 per month didn't seem to deter people because the value of the offering was so high.
Loved that she shared this checklist from when she first launched her membership site:
Here is how Danielle Walker's online membership influenced the success of her cookbook Make It Easy:
She attributes much of the success of her sixth cookbook, Make It Easy, to her Kajabi customers and audience. The book became a New York Times bestseller and reached number one on Amazon, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly lists.
She believes that staying in touch with her customers through her meal plan membership was a large factor in the book's success. She designed the meal plan membership as a quarterly course without auto-renewal, allowing participants to opt in as they wished.
She used the meal plan membership to gather feedback from her audience, checking in weekly to inquire about their preferences and any difficulties they encountered. She even adjusted the weekly meal plans based on this feedback, originally providing five dinners per week but reducing it to four after learning that members found it more manageable.
The membership utilized Kajabi Circles as a platform for direct customer interaction and community building. This private, secure space allowed her to solicit feedback and foster connections among her audience. She found that this direct engagement was more valuable than relying on social media platforms, which she felt had become increasingly noisy and less effective for community building.
Her experience with the meal plan membership directly influenced the layout and content of Make It Easy. Each chapter mirrors a meal plan, featuring four meals with a comprehensive grocery list at the beginning. This format was directly inspired by feedback from her audience, who preferred a centralized "command center" for meal planning.
She used the membership to build anticipation for Make It Easy, keeping her customers informed about the book's development and incorporating their feedback. This created a sense of shared ownership and excitement, which translated into strong pre-order sales.
She emphasized the importance of pre-orders for achieving bestseller status, noting that her established customer base from the membership was crucial in driving early sales. She also provided pre-order incentives, such as signed copies and exclusive webinars, to further engage her audience and reward their early support.
In essence, Danielle’s online membership served as a testing ground and a collaborative space where she could connect with her audience, understand their needs, and refine her content. This direct engagement and feedback loop allowed her to tailor Make It Easy to her audience's specific preferences and pain points, ultimately contributing to the book's remarkable success
Extra bonus, we all got free copies of her cookbook!
This is the third time I’ve seen Brendon Burchard speak, and the level of fired-up he instills in me is hard to put into words. Was also nice to have a front row seat to really soak it all in.
Main takeaways:
1. Prioritize Mission and Expression Over Dollars:
The key to longevity in the online business world is to focus on your mission and the joy of creative expression rather than chasing money.
When you're passionate about your work and driven by a sense of purpose, you avoid burnout and stay engaged for the long haul.
Building a landing page, crafting an email sequence – these are all art forms, and approaching them with that mindset can make all the difference.
2. Embrace Excellence and Charge More, Then Simplify:
He advocates for charging more, especially in the early stages of your business, as it allows you to provide more personalized services and motivates you to deliver exceptional value.
As you grow and incorporate scalable products, you can adjust pricing accordingly, potentially offering more affordable options to reach a wider audience.
The key is to simplify your offerings, focusing on a core set of products or services rather than spreading yourself thin across too many.
3. Launch Consistently and Leverage Evergreen Funnels:
Don't let fear or perfectionism hold you back – ship your product or service quickly and iterate based on customer feedback.
Set up evergreen funnels that consistently drive traffic to your opt-in page, leading to a value sequence and your offer.
This simple framework can generate significant revenue if executed effectively and consistently.
4. Optimize Your Kajabi Pages for Maximum Conversion:
Utilize the "hello bar" at the top of your landing pages to display compelling copy that encourages visitors to take action.
Incorporate countdown timers to create a sense of urgency and drive conversions.
For high-ticket offers, implement a "stop page" between your sales page and checkout to reinforce the value proposition and highlight key benefits.
5. Cultivate Authentic Connection and Human Interaction:
In the age of AI, human connection is more valuable than ever. Don't be afraid to engage directly with your customers, offer personalized support, and build a sense of community.
This approach not only strengthens customer relationships but also keeps you grounded and re-energized.
6. Master the Four Key Skills:
To excel in the online business world, focus on mastering these four skills: copywriting, coaching, speaking, and launching.
By developing these abilities, you gain the tools to effectively communicate your message, engage your audience, and drive sales.
7. Embrace the "Done by One" Philosophy:
Maximize your productivity by prioritizing the most important tasks and aiming to complete them by 1:00 PM each day.
This approach allows for a more focused and efficient workflow, freeing up time for other activities.
8. Maintain Your Edge Through Personal Development:
Continuously invest in your personal growth to stay ahead of the curve, maintain a positive mindset, and cultivate the energy and resilience required for long-term success.
By consistently challenging yourself and embracing self-improvement, you ensure you're bringing your best self to your business each day.
9. Remember That You're Selling Belief, a Better Way, and Belonging:
Effective marketing goes beyond simply solving problems. It's about inspiring belief, offering a compelling path forward, and fostering a sense of belonging within your community.
By weaving these elements into your messaging, you create a deeper connection with your audience and elevate your brand beyond mere transactional exchanges.
By implementing these principles and utilizing Kajabi's powerful features, you can build a thriving online business that aligns with your mission, fuels your creativity, and achieves significant financial success.
In addition to all of the amazing speakers, (and I’ve only included a few in this blog post) it was exciting to hear from the Kajabi team all about the great new features that have been added to the platform, and all of the features that will be added in the next few weeks:
Already live:
Kajabi Newsletter: Stay engaged with your audience in a fresh, streamlined way, right from within Kajabi.
Digital Downloads: Selling eBooks, guides, and resources just got easier – you can now offer digital downloads directly.
Adobe Express Integration: Create beautiful, on-brand assets seamlessly with Adobe Express right inside Kajabi.
Email A/B Testing: Get even more strategic with A/B testing for emails, fine-tuning what resonates best with your audience.
In-Line Editing: Edit with ease; make changes directly on the page as you work for a more dynamic, intuitive experience.
Here’s what’s on the horizon:
A/B Testing for Landing Pages: Soon, you’ll be able to optimize landing pages just like your emails.
SMS Messaging: Connect with your audience in real-time with new SMS messaging capabilities.
Add to Cart: A long-awaited feature, making purchases smoother with an added cart functionality.
New Kajabi Communities UI: A fresh look and feel for community spaces to foster more engagement.
Redesigned Analytics: Deeper insights with a revamped analytics dashboard to help you track growth and performance.
Gift Offers: A new way to delight your audience with special gift offers – perfect for customer appreciation!
⭐ Two 45-minute calls with Team Jen to help set up your Kajabi based on your unique goals and needs. By the end, you’ll be ready to go and primed for your first sales!
⭐ Our custom sales page template—the very same one that generated over $500k in our own business.
⭐ Access to our members-only Kajabi Kamp, where we have a library full of training to help you make the most of every feature Kajabi offers.
⭐ Extended 30 day free trial of your membership-when you use my partner link, you have a longer free trial.
I like the ONLINE Black Friday. If you are like I am, you spend a lot of your business dollars on online tools and services. So we might as well get the best deals possible, right? I’ve spent the last several weeks compiling a list of the best Black Friday deals for online entrepreneurs. I’ll be updating this list all the way through Cyber Monday (November 27).
This is going to not only rock your world as an entrepreneur and content creator, but it’s going to change things for the whole world, in general.
Am I being dramatic? A little.
But this is worth paying attention to immediately.
It’s called Chat GPT and if you haven’t heard about it, hang on to your pigtails.
Chat GPT, or Generative Pretrained Transformer, is a type of artificial intelligence language model that can generate human-like text. It works by using machine learning algorithms to process and analyze large amounts of text data, which it uses to generate new text that is similar to the input data. This allows GPT to generate responses to prompts or questions that sound natural and human-like.
I’ve been playing with it for the last two days and I. Am. Obsessed.
And I’m not here to say whether or not this beast of a robot is good or bad. The point is, it’s here, and we have to deal with it.
As content creators, things are about to change…BIG TIME.
And to be honest, I have just scratched the surface of use case scenarios for this, but here are some of the things you can do…
You can ask for suggestions for content to create:
What about asking it to create a poem for you?
How often am I looking for poetry as content? NEVER. But this is a great way to demonstrate what a big deal this is…that a machine can do that!
How about this??? You can pick the VOICE you want things written in!
And although I’ve read that the folks at ChatGPT have set it up to be a tool for good (and not evil), there are clearly work-arounds……
#ChatGPT You would do it to save a baby right? pic.twitter.com/W8Tr9358A4
— ChatGpt_AI (@AI_ChatGpt) December 11, 2022
You can ask it to create actual blog posts for you:
In this example, I asked the bot: “What are some of the benefits of hiring an assistant in the Philippines?”, since this is something I talk about often.
Here’s the response from the bot, I’ve edited nothing:
There are several benefits to hiring an assistant in the Philippines, including:
1. Access to a large pool of highly skilled and educated workers: The Philippines has a large and growing population of highly skilled and educated workers, many of whom are fluent in English and have experience working in a variety of industries.
2. Cost savings: Labor costs in the Philippines are generally lower than in many other countries, which can help companies save money on salaries and other employee-related expenses.
3. Time zone advantages: The Philippines is located in the same time zone as many Asian countries, which can make it easier for companies to coordinate with their Philippine-based employees and handle time-sensitive tasks.
4. Cultural compatibility: The Philippines has a strong cultural connection with many Western countries, which can make it easier for Philippine-based employees to understand and work with clients and colleagues from these countries.
5. Government incentives: The Philippine government offers a range of incentives and support programs for companies that hire local workers, which can help companies save money and access other benefits.
Overall, hiring an assistant in the Philippines can provide companies with access to a highly skilled and cost-effective workforce, as well as other benefits that can help them grow and succeed.
Is that a great blog post? Not really, but what a head start it gives me!
Yes, this does seems like the ultimate tool for students to cheat on their homework, but then I saw this, so maybe it won’t be that bad:
Wasn't aware of this, but sounds like Scott Aaronson at OpenAI is working on cryptographically watermarking GPT outputs. Means it should be easy enough (in principle) for e.g. teachers to check if students used GPT to do their homework, StackOverflow to check for GPT use, etc. pic.twitter.com/ah9hAjUKvl
— Nabeel (@nabeelqu) December 7, 2022
Need to whip up a quick lease agreement?
Chat GPT writing a lease agreement >>> pic.twitter.com/d8CpjkPlFt
— Design Chief Priest (@dnaijatechguy) December 10, 2022
Now, let’s talk about the bot itself.
Because this is an open platform, you could hire a programmer to create this for your business specifically. Imagine loading up your bot with everything there is to know about your business, and never having to answer another customer service question again. This makes ManyChat and the like look like an old Beta Max.
In fact, if you want to know how you would post a job posting for a freelancer to build this kind of bot, ask the bot!
The best way to understand this *thing* is to try it out for yourself. Go to https://chat.openai.com/ and have fun!
(Because the world is going nuts over this right now, you may not be able to access it during peak hours…but keep trying!)
Again, I’m not saying this thing is good or bad. It’s here. We have to deal with it.
As always, would love to hear your thoughts on this. Comment below and let me know what you think about ChatGPT!
I like the ONLINE Black Friday. If you are like I am, you spend a lot of your business dollars on online tools and services. So we might as well get the best deals possible, right? I’ve spent the last several weeks compiling a list of the best Black Friday deals for online entrepreneurs. I’ll be updating this list all the way through Cyber Monday (November 28).
I like the ONLINE Black Friday. If you are like I am, you spend a lot of your business dollars on online tools and services. So we might as well get the best deals possible, right? I’ve spent the last several weeks compiling a list of the best Black Friday deals for online entrepreneurs. I’ll be updating this list all the way through Cyber Monday (November 29).
A virtual assistant is a person who works remotely in your business. This means that they could be on another floor in your office building, down the street, or across the globe.
I know virtual assistants who charge $100 per hour, and virtual assistants who charge $4 an hour.
Typically, as you might expect, the more specialized a person’s skills, the more you will pay. Also, if you are hiring in the western part of the world, where the cost of living is high, you can expect to pay more. If you hire from somewhere like the Philippines, South America, or India, you can expect to pay less.
There are lots of misconceptions about these rate differences.
Misconception #1:
Paying someone less than $10 per hour is unethical.
False. If you hire someone in the Philippines, for example, understand that the cost of living there is much less than in the USA. The infographic below shows just how different the cost of living is:
For the small business person who can’t afford to pay $25+ per hour, especially at the start, this is a perfect solution.
But the key to success for the business owner and the VA, and what we teach in our program The Front Row CEO, is that it’s important to 1) guarantee hours/use a salary model 2) include bonuses or profit-sharing opportunities.
The salary model: After a trial period of a week to one month, paid hourly, it’s a good idea to start paying your virtual assistant on a “salary model”. (It’s not *really* a salary, as your VA in the Philippines is not recognized as an employee of your company. They are technically freelancers. But you basically pay them the same amount each week.) This will go a long way in instilling confidence and trust for both of you. For the VA, this security will almost guarantee that they will stay with you for years, rather than just weeks or months. The mindset here is that the CEO is more concerned with the work getting done, rather than policing the clock.
Bonuses and profit sharing: As your business grows, everyone grows. When you and your team have success from a product launch, for example, consider rewarding everyone with a cash bonus. Setting goals, with cash rewards, is also a wonderful way to keep morale high. For the VA, this creates a true sense of ownership in your business.
Misconception #2
“The pay is less, but the quality of work is not as good”
False! You can expect to find highly skilled, fluent-in-english, hard-working, dedicated, professional VA’s in the Philippines and all across the world. If you’ve ever hired a virtual assistant and ended up disappointed, there’s a good chance that 1) your hiring process was not set up to screen out those who were unqualified 2) your onboarding process didn’t include the components necessary to set him/her up for success or 3) when he/she started working for you, there were no systems and processes in place, or, those systems weren’t clear.
A common pricing model for the Philippines would be to start at $5 per hour for a trial week, or a trial month, paid hourly.
Once hired, if a full time position, the salary would be $200 per week, or $800 per month.
If part time, $100 per week, or $400 per month.
You can read more about why I recommend a salary model over hourly, here.
If you are hiring in the United States, you can find a general virtual assistant for $25-40 per hour. For 40 hours per week, you should expect to pay $1000 per week, or $4000 month.
The cost of living in the Philippines is much less than in the US. Small business owners can leverage the exchange rate to create a win-win for VA and CEO. If you offer a salary model, and supplement that with generous performance bonuses, holiday bonuses, and profit-sharing, it can be life-changing. The idea is to hire an assistant who will be with you for years, not weeks or months. This is someone who will grow with you, and together, you will grow your business. Over time, the idea is that your VA can be paid the equivalent of a VA anywhere in the world, because your business will have scaled to a level that makes it possible.
What is a virtual assistant?
A virtual assistant is a human being (I’m not referring to Siri, or Alexa, or an operating system akin to what you may have seen in the movie, “Her”). This is a person who works remotely in your business. They could be on another floor in your business, or on the other side of the world.
When I talk about virtual assistants, I’m referring to a generalist. This person will likely have expertise in one particular area, but their role in your business will be broad. When looking for a specialist assistant, I think more of “project manager”.
“Am I ready for a VA?”
More often than not, I am inclined to say “yes you are”.
How can that be? How can I be so sure that you are ready when I don’t know you or your business?
Because, when set up correctly, two heads are better than one. It’s that simple.
I don’t need to know your revenue in your business, because you can start with a virtual assistant, part time, for about $100 a week. (If you cannot spare $100 a week in your business, I would argue that you don’t have a business, you have a hobby.)
I don’t need to know what industry you are in, because whether you are B2B, B2C, brick and mortar, or a professor at an ivy league school, a virtual assistant is going to help you get where you need to go, FASTER.
But there are certain things to consider before you take the plunge:
The first and most important question to ask yourself is, “Am I ready to let go of some things?”.
I have a friend who runs an online business who told me that she left her corporate job because she was sick of managing people. She loves being alone in her business. She loves the feeling of freedom that comes with that. She knows her business would grow faster and that she would be more profitable if she hired someone, but to her, it’s not worth it. She’s happy with the slow but steady growth of her business. So obviously, it would not be a good idea for her to hire a VA.
You need to make sure that you WANT the help. That you WANT to share the highs and lows and twists and turns with someone else.
It may be that you’ve hired someone before, but it was more trouble than it was worth. Either they didn’t perform as well as you had hoped, or you spent so much time trying to keep them busy, you didn’t get anything done! You fell into the “might-as-well-do-it-myself” trap. And this is very common.
The good news is, once you make up your mind that you want to hire a VA, the pre-work you need to do ahead of time to set yourself up for success is not as overwhelming as you imagine.
You don’t have to have perfectly organized Drop Boxes, meticulous spreadsheets, a content calendar, or a color-coded Trello board.
But you do need to take these next steps:
1. Define : What is it you need help with most immediately? Social media posting? Email management? Research? If you don’t know what you need help with, you won’t be able to set success metrics for your new VA. Everyone needs to know what success looks like.
Completing the following sentence will help you to hone in on exactly your expectations are:
I need help with _________(social media management)_________ so that I can___________ (increase new leads by 20% each month)________.
Now that you know why you need a VA and what you want him/her to help you with, it’s helpful to put in place a few systems or processes so that once you hire your VA, they can work without you, or with minimal oversight. The more you can remove yourself from the process, the better.
Here’s an example of a simple social media management process.
Click here to access our Trello board and make a copy.
Click here access Social Media Management Document.
Here’s an example of a newsletter process/system.
Click here to access our Trello board and make a copy.
Click here to access our newsletter process document.
2. Guide: Often I hear from people who were disappointed with their VAs because they started the journey assuming that once they handed things off to the VA, they could peace out. Not only is this not true, you don’t want it to be true. Guidance is where the magic happens. No, you don’t want to be holding your VA’s hand all day long. Of course not. But with your feedback and guidance, your VA will become a better VA, you will become a better CEO, and your business will become exponentially more efficient and a place where you and your team will thrive for years to come.
How to give guidance and feedback without eating up all of your time?
3. Weekly team meetings: each week it’s a good idea to have a short meeting via Zoom or Skype to review what’s ahead. My team meets every Monday at 9am EST. Our agenda is always the same: 1) we review the calendar 2) I review our newsletter via screenshare 3) Each person shares anything they need feedback on, or any announcements that the team needs to be aware of. This meeting is usually between 15-30 minutes.
4. A daily shared Google Doc. This sounds so basic and that’s because it is. Don’t be fooled, though. It’s really powerful. I share a Google Doc with each of my VA’s. In other words, each VA shares a Google Doc with me that is just for the two of us.
There are 3 questions on the document:
What did you accomplish today?
Do you have any questions?
Do you have any suggestions?
We always stay inside the one document, and the VA updates it daily and submits it to me at the end of her shift. We are literally on the same page and I’m able to give feedback and guidance without interruption throughout the day. By asking “do you have suggestions”, I am able to tap into hidden talents! The feedback you will receive from this one question can transform your business.
Quarterly reviews. It’s very important to set time aside for your quarterly reviews. Everyone needs feedback to improve. Leave room in this meeting for your VA to give you feedback, too.
You are ready for a VA if you are ready to scale your business by handing over tasks that are keeping you from focusing on the work that only you can do. If you can slow down long enough to create some simple systems and processes before you hire, define what it is you need help with, and give structured guidance to your virtual assistant, you are ready to hire a VA. And remember, you don’t have to have it all figured out at the beginning. Your VA will ideally be with you for years and as time goes by, your business, and your relationship will change and grow and flourish. It’s a worthwhile journey!
This is the fourth year in a row that we are offering this epic roundup of the best tools, apps, and plugins for entrepreneurs.
Each Tuesday, in my free online classroom, The Front Row, members submit the tools and apps that help them run their businesses more efficiently.
We've taken those submissions and organized them by category and purpose. We've also made note of the tools we use and love.
Did we leave out one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments.
I like the ONLINE Black Friday. If you are like I am, you spend a lot of your business dollars on online tools and services. So we might as well get the best deals possible, right? I’ve spent the last several weeks compiling a list of the best Black Friday deals for online entrepreneurs. I’ll be updating this list all the way through Cyber Monday (November 30).
