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FROM Donna’s Business Services, LLC – Your Favorite Virtual Assistant Company!

As we end 2020 with much “trauma” and an unprecendented World-wide Pandemic that we are still going through, we all need help right now, and Donna’s is doing our part by helping busy Entrepreneurs and individuals
with Virtual Assistance, Web/Graphic design and Typing!

Here are some tips for Goal Setting as Entrepreneurs for 2021: (Taken from online article – Central Turf & Irrigation Supply)
1.  Profit Growth with Productivity
It’s crucial to remember and set your sight on where you want your bottom line to be. When all is said and done, profit is the number one goal for all businesses. It’s important to consider setting profit margin goals on how much you aim to earn for the following year, and keep track of your costs, progress, and scheduling. However, if you haven’t done so this year, an effective way to increase your profit for the 2021 season must be by prioritizing your productivity.
Increasing Productivity –  You can increase your productivity and concentrate on your running your “Business” by outsourcing your Administrative tasks and other areas of your Business, such as Marketing, Accounting, etc., I have learned by being a Business Owner for over 20 + years, YOU ARE AS GOOD AS YOUR TEAM!  IF YOU ARE BLESSED TO HAVE A TEAM ALREADY, YOU MUST MAKE SURE THEY ASSIST YOU IN A PRODUCTIVE WAY!  You don’t want to “micro-manage the Team, but you must make sure they are an Asset and Not a liability to your Company! 
2. Operations:  Team & Customer Communication
Communication is key for success in any business. Looking back at this year, did your business have any miscommunication that may have resulted in a project taking up more time than it should have? Or any mistake in general for the operations of your business. We all know that time is money, and miscommunication can result in idle times for your team at the home office. In order for your business to reach success in the 2021 season, communication between everyone is essential in order to meet that goal.

How can you improve communication for your business? If you haven’t done so already, consider the following tips:

• Meetings before and after a project to ensure all team members understand what their roles are and to discuss what went well/what can improve
• Discuss start times, schedules, locations and the order of tasks to help develop a more efficient system
• Quick check-ins can allow you to assess the productivity of your team on a regular basis, and provide instructions on how to best proceed
• Consider communicating through mobile devices or business apps in order for your team to connect with each other with ease

These approaches will help ensure your team is operating efficiently, and increase productivity. It will help you save time and resources while providing great quality service. Staying more in tune with the details of your projects allows for opportunity to adjust and modify a situation that may arise.Customer communication is also important as it is a direct reflection of your business. Getting the job done efficiently is important but it’s not the only goal. Making sure you have provided great customer service is also key to maintaining long-term relationships with clients. Ensure that you stay connected with your customers throughout the project but also follow-up afterwards to make sure that no issues have come up post installation. This is vital. A simple 5% increase in customer retention can increase profitability by 75% because return customers will purchase more over time. Great communication can also result in positive reviews or referrals from your clients, and this will allow your business to grow with more leads and project opportunities.

3. Sales

Looking back at this year, did you notice any trends? Did you have customers that could have used an additional service or product? For example, during regular lawn maintenance did you notice several of your customer could benefit from mosquito and tick control? Or when you replaced a few broken heads, did you notice customers with outdated controllers? Now is the time to rectify these issues and set 2021 goals. Think about expanding your services you currently do not provide such as adding mosquito/tick control to your program offerings, or look to target existing customers with a program for upgrading current systems or adding services you already provide.

When considering which services to expand on or add, it solely depends on your local area. You want to focus primarily on the services you’ve noticed your customers need and frequently request or services your competitors do not offer. When looking to target existing customers for system upgrades, evaluate what opportunities are available. Does it make sense to focus on adding rain sensors? Upgrading to them to WiFi? Expanding lighting beyond just walkways? Take a look at what will give you the biggest bang for your efforts.

These initiatives will not only help you grow your sales but will also enable you to expand your business with new customers who may be in need of these new services or upgrades.

Some of our Awesome/Premiere Clients!

IMG Consulting (Grant Development Company)

(Michelle Walker-Davis) President/CEO

IMG Consulting is your one-stop shop for Grant Writing, and Business Development. They do it all! From getting you a piece of the 2021 $850 Billion Grants out there to Business Plan development, EIN creation and more! Visit www.imgconsulting.info today and schedule a consultation!

Register for this “must attend” webinar at the link below:

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing your password for the webinar. (Mention Donna’s Business Services, LLC and you will receive a discount on IMG Consulting services!

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Z2n4yXEMQeii-3-vJqlmdQ

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Career Coach Firm

www.GrowWithSnow.com

215-617-443

Career Coach, Expertise: Ambassador Endorsements & MOTIVATIONAL

Leadership Development Solutions

Michelle Snow, better known as “Career Coach on Duty”. Michelle is the Executive Consultant and CEO of the Michelle Snow Company, LLC. She originally piloted the company in the year 2010. At the time, the primary concept was slated for young adult mentoring in Professional & Leadership Development. After launching, the unthinkable ignited. Suddenly, Michelle found herself fighting for her life as she was incapacitated with the shocking diagnosis of Sarcoidosis. Her walking and standing ability was minimal. Public speaking was only a distant memory. The disease caused unbearable pain. Doctors told her that she would “be fine” in 15 or 20 years; by then the disease could reverse. Michelle spent much time in prayer. She held on to optimism and hope…in six months, Michelle Recovered! Today, Michelle and her company continue to stretch its borders. She specializes in Speaker Services & Leadership Development for educational institutions, corporations, businesses and community (see Page 2 for References). Michelle is an Award-Winning Coach recognized by FORBES, City Council, The Philadelphia Department of Commerce. She’s endorsed by Philadelphia Tribune, SCOOP News, The Neighborhood Leader, Black Professionals News and more.
Michelle’s passion is best expressed in her personal mantra, “Grow Together”. She’s the Career Coach on Duty!

Ms. Margo Robinson

CEO/Founder, 16th Transformation Development, LLC.

Philadelphia’s Premiere Real Estate Development Company

Contact Margo – 215-292-6107

robinfin87@gmail.com

Ms. Laura Roane – “The Insurance Ladie”

and Wealth Artisan Society (Financial Planning Company)

Contact Laura – 888-802-0603, info@wealthartisans.com, www.wealthartisans.com/special

Laura C Roane believes in making all of our “bottom lines” perform to the best of their ability! She has been in the Finance and Insurance Planning arena for the past 23 years. She specializes in teaching how to achieve a healthy and vibrant financial life as well as leaving legacy’s for generations to come. Laura believes that there are ways to build money for the future using your current budget by finding the ways to free up money you are already using!

As an Insurance and Benefits Expert, she also guides and directs companies to the best coverage for their organizations. Laura advises families and individuals on the best way to protect their assets so as to be able to leave a legacy to their children and grandchildren.

Thank you for reading about these 3 Amazing Entrepreneurs! They are here to serve YOU also, just like WE are!

GOD BLESS!

Donna, Your Gal Friday!

3 STEPS BUSINESS OWNERS NEED TO TAKE WHEN MANAGING REMOTE EMPLOYEES

Does the thought of managing a remote team make you nervous? Well, it really shouldn’t! There are so many benefits remote employees can offer your business that it just doesn’t make sense not to take advantage of this convenient work arrangement. Plus, those employees are bound to be happier with added flexibility. So, what are you waiting for? Start using the helpful tips and tricks to build your remote team and drive your business forward.

ASSEMBLE A TEAM OF REMOTE STAFF ALL-STARS

Taking your business to the next level means having the right team of employees to tackle tasks and projects. Fortunately, gathering that team has never been easier, especially when you can use an online freelance jobs site to hire remote staff who can provide the help you need. Simply submit a descriptive job posting to start seeing bids and applications come in. You can use that posting to find graphic designers, virtual assistants, web designers, and just about any other consultant or freelancer you need to complete your small business projects. If you like what those freelancers have to offer and find yourself in need of their services on a regular basis, you can ask about transitioning to full time, but know that some temp or freelance remote workers may not be interested. So, you may also need to go through a more formal recruiting process, like researching and matching salaries or overhauling your employee benefits program, in order to attract the full time remote workers you need.

MAKE SURE TEAM COMMUNICATIONS ARE EFFECTIVE

In order for any team to work well together, they have to be able to communicate. You can always improve communications by using visuals, keeping terminology simple and always expressing appreciation. Since remote workers can present unique challenges to your communications strategy, however, you will likely need to find equally unique solutions to resolve and prevent issues. For example, you can utilize automated transcription programs to record your speech as easy-to-read text, then you can distribute the file among your remote team members. While calls can be expedient and efficient when these services are used, research video conferences options to allow your team to meet “face-to-face” as well. If you’ll be holding video conferencing on your smartphone, it’s crucial to have a dependable wireless carrier to support your efforts. When choosing a provider, look for one with expanded coverage (e.g, Verizon covers 98% of the population in the U.S.), and a fast network.

CALM ANY ANXIETIES ABOUT USING REMOTE WORKERS

With quality employees and efficient communications, you should have a very good starting point for making your remote team work well for your company. Still, if you’v never managed a remote team of staffers and freelancers, it’s normal to have some residual apprehensions, but you have to remember that trust is crucial to helping your new remote staff thrive. As long as you put the time and effort into finding the right people and creating team strategies, you can put any trust issues to rest until you have a solid reason to question the effectiveness any remote work arrangements. Hopefully, that will never be the case, but even with strong staff members and clear communications, letting go of worries can almost feel like letting go of control for many business owners and managers. So, if your remote team’s productivity is a constant stressor, take some steps to give yourself some peace of mind, like project management tools and reasonable check-ins.

Remote teams can bring so many benefits to businesses, especially those with limited budgets. By hiring remote employees, you can avoid overhead costs associated with traditional employees and you can also reduce geographical restrictions on your search for the right talent. Knowing this, and having some helpful remote team management tips and tools, could just be the key to launching your small business to the next level of success!

Many thanks to Ms. Tina Martin for writing this post for me!

http://www.ideaspired.com

so many benefits – https://highfive.com/blog/remote-workforce-benefits

transitioning to full-time – https://smallbusiness.chron.com/procedure-converting-temporary-employee-permanent-14353.html

formal recruiting process – https://www.thebalancesmb.com/top-ways-to-attract-quality-employees-2948197

improve communications – https://smallbiztrends.com/2013/11/20-ways-to-communicate-effectively-in-the-workplace.html

video conferencing options – https://blog.webex.com/video-conferencing/best-video-conferencing-software-in-2019/

Verizon covers – https://www.verizonwireless.com/articles/why-choose-verizon-wireless/

trust is crucial – https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trust-and-virtual-teams_b_58da7e2be4b0e96354656eb5

take some steps – https://activecollab.com/blog/guest-post/make-sure-you-workers-are-working-full-time

Pexels

1. Slack – Project Management software – www.Slack.com – My team and I use this software to message each other about Client Projects, and you can even upload documents and send to each other.  My Clients can check on the status of their Projects and upload documents as well!  Slack is the best Project Management software I’ve used and it’s completely FREE!

2.  Hubspot CRM – www.hubspot.com – I love Hubspot because I use it to put my over 2,000 contacts into it.  It date stamps (with time too) each activity, note, or task and you can even email your Client from within the system.  They give you 15 mins/month to call your Client(s) from the system also.  Best part about it – IT’S FREE too!

3. Freshbooks – Accounting software – www.freshbooks.com – Even though I just switched from WaveApps to Freshbooks, I love the easy interface and the fact that it uses a Cash Flow system instead of an Accrual system.  And one of the best features is it integrates with about 1,500 applications, such as Paypal, Shopify, Square, Hubspot, Mailchimp, Basecamp, Asana, Trello, and Constant Contact, just to name a few big name applications.  It has a 30-day free trial, which I’m using and after that it’s $15/month for us to 5 Clients and $25/month for up to 50 Clients and more.

4. Toggl – Time Tracking software – www.toggl.com – Toggl has a website platform and is also an app.  I use it to track my Client’s time.  It’s very easy to use and counts down the time and you can assign a Project and Client name for each time! Love it!

5. Evernote – Note software – www.evernote.com – I love Evernote and keep my p/ws, pins and important Business information in Evernote.  I even keep my family’s personal information there.  It syncs to all my devices and it’s also an app.  I think it only syncs to 2 devices for free and after that there is a paid subscription.  You can share your  notes and it also has a Work Chat.

Well, these are some of the Productivity Tools I use everyday to help my Clients and my Small Business GROW!  I sincerely hope they have been helpful and you consider using any one of them or even ALL of them!?

If you need help with Virtual Assistance, Web/Graphic Design, Typing or light Bookkeeping, we’re always here to help YOU, the Small Business owner!

Your Gal Friday,

Donna

(Partially written by Business News Daily)

As a successful Virtual Assistant for the last 19 years and also as a Business Owner, I have learned that a good CRM is priceless in order to run and GROW your Business.

For those of you who don’t know what the heck a CRM (Customer Relations Management) software is, it’s software like an online rolodex to “manage” your Clients and sales pipeline.

Successful companies do more than just find new customers, they maximize every interaction, with the customers they already have, too. Doing that requires more than just keeping track of names and basic contact information, though. It means some record keeping effort on the part of your customer-facing employees, and it also requires a database-driven application that records everything your sales people need to know to keep customers happy and most importantly, keep them buying. That’s where a customer relationship management (CRM) app comes in.

Often small to midsize businesses (SMBs) try to mirror CRM functionality with just a large and ever-growing spreadsheet. However, not only is CRM software easier to use than a spreadsheet, it’s what you’d expect if your contact list decided to evolve a brain. It records your customers contact information and remembers the details of your relationship and every interaction – whether by phone or email, and nowadays across other channels such as social media or even your customer help desk. This information is a gold mine of opportunity, letting you identify prospects for up-sell or cross-sell, convert existing customers to new products or services, target new marketing, or even track invoices. Choosing the right CRM software for your business can dramatically improve your team’s collaboration and productivity, increase sales, and heighten customer satisfaction.

Look at this list of the top 5 CRMs to use in 2019 by comparison (by Business News Daily):

1. Zoho CRM

Best Overall – ZOHO CRM. Cost: Free up to 10 users; $12 per user per month. Easy to implement, intuitive to use and inexpensive to adopt. ZOHO CRM is our 2019 Best overall CRM.

2. Salesforce CRM – Best for Small Business

Starts at $25 per month per user

Our 2019 award for Best CRM Software for Small Business goes to Salesforce, because it’s an established full-featured CRM that can meet the needs of even the largest businesses.

3. Hubspot CRM – Best for Very Small Business

We recommend HubSpot as our 2019 pick for the best CRM software for very small businesses. For independent contractors and owners of tiny businesses, this software offers an easy entry into the world of CRM solutions. The free version of HubSpot is a must-try for very small businesses, because in some cases, it may offer enough functionality to improve processes and organization at zero cost.

4. Sugar CRM – Best for Developers

Cost:  Starts at $40 per user, per month

SugarCRM is our 2019 choice for the Best Startup CRM Software. What started as an open source project in 2004 has grown into a leading customer relationship management solution with a reputation for excellent customer service and easy implementation.

5. Less Annoying CRM – Best Low Cost

Cost:  $10 per user, per month

Less Annoying CRM is our 2019 best pick for most affordable CRM software. With just one subscription tier of $10 per user per month, this approachable CRM takes the complexity and expense out of adopting a customer relationship management solution. A newcomer to the CRM scene and the smallest company on our best picks list, this solution lacks the bells and whistles the competition has, but also simplifies the implementation process.

We hope this sheds some light on what a CRM is and does to help YOUR Business GROW! Drop us a line if it has helped YOU! We would LOVE to hear from YOU!

To YOUR Business Growth,

Cheers!

Your Gal Friday,

Donna