What a morning. It’s been one of those that started well and then nearly kicked you in the teeth. Got an email from a prospective client. The email was sent at 3pm on Sunday.
We had our normal Monday morning meeting, finding out what we did last week. What plans and client requests we have to do this week.
I then called at 9.45 to talk to the prospective client. He had already hired someone. Gutted. We could have easily done this job. It looked fun, I’ve done the type of work before. Totally gutted.
Never mind, now looking for a cheap Graphic Designer to put the finishing touches to my book and it’s only 14.44.
It’s Monday morning so it’s the perfect time to set up goals and achievements that you need to achieve this week.
Spending time on your most important client, your business, will ensure it’s success. Make sure your goals are there to increase your businesses bottom line.
Suggested Goal
Set up a recording system for all your quotes. Make sure you record the losses as well. Knowing why you lost a quote could be more important than winning a quote. For example, you could have been to expensive or more importantly to cheap. Call your prospect and ask them why you didn’t get the contract. Be nice, you may have only lost this job but be in line for another task.
I am so pleased to announce that I have scheduled my training course to help all new VAs set up there business. The course starts on the 12 November 2011 in Faringdon at 9.30.
When planning your VA Business think very carefully about the type of work YOU want to do. This will dictate all your marketing and PR. There is no point in setting up your own business to do work you don’t enjoy.
Last month Acacia Accounting warned us that the Taxman was planning a campaign to encourage businesses to register for VAT. The Taxman is calling this campaign the ‘VAT Initiative’.
To launch the VAT initiative the Taxman is writing to about 40,000 businesses whose turnover has apparently already exceeded the compulsory VAT registration threshold. Those businesses will be invited to register for VAT and pay over all the VAT owed since the date they should have registered, plus a low penalty of only 10% of the VAT outstanding. Those businesses that first exceeded the VAT threshold within the last 12 months may get away with a nil penalty, but it will be up to the Taxman to decide what level of penalty applies.
The requirement to register for VAT is based on total turnover in a 12 month rolling period and needs to be reviewed each month to determine if the business needs to register immediately. The compulsory VAT registration thresholds of turnover in the past 12 months is…
From 1 April 2011: £73,000
1 April 2010 – 31 March 2011: £70,000
1 May 2009 – 31 March 2010: £68,000
1 April 2008 – 30 April 2009: £67,000
1 April 2007 – 31 March 2008: £64,000
1 April 2006 – 31 March 2007: £61,000
This may not be one of the greatest topics you have every read about, but its going to be interesting, fun and very important for your business. So bewared everyone Augusts new meaning is going to be about filing. Why you should do it, what systems to use and which filing system would be good for your businesses.
If you have any questions about filing let me know and I will answer each and everyone. Remember a good filing system will save you money, save you time and more importantly make you efficient. How good it that, so August is the month to get your office papers in order.
One more important point to remember, filing is not just about putting a piece of paper in a draw or a file, its also about filing documents on your computer. Saving space, making your computer run faster. See how exciting and fun filing can be.
I am very excited, I have now started on my second book. It was going to be aimed at business owners but I think the market is more towards the business owners partners or part time office help. The book is going to be about how to set up a small office and make it run efficiently, effectively and smoothly. Saving valuable time, money and helping to avoid the mistakes many people seem to make.
I started last week and decided that I would write 500 words on how to take a proper telephone message. Would you believe it, 1396 words later I finished the article. It’s amazing how much you really know about a topic when you sit down and start to write about it.
Cutting by 1396 words down to 46, here are the major points that you need to be aware of when taking a call:
After spending two days on the Social Media course I have now finished setting up my Fan page in Facebook. I am also linking in this blog in to Facebook. It’s amazing what you can do with all of the social media. Now I have to make sure that there is something interesting posted on my blog and can then get some followers.
I spent the morning at Newbury Wealth Club discussing Joint Ventures and Partnerships. Its all very interesting and I am now looking for some very interesting Joint Ventures to organise and some great people to meet.
After spending the weekend at a master class on how to create good content for my Social Media, I have now created my own TV Channel. I didn’t realise how easy it is. Like many tasks we all have to undertake, at the beginning they seem difficult but once broken down into tiny managed steps the task will be completed in no time at all.
Please take a look at my video and let me know what you think?
I have one of my biggest challenges tomorrow. Its not a business challenge, it’s more of a personal one. I admit it, like many small business owners I am a bit of a control monster, after all it was me that set up my company and no one can run it as well as I can, can they!?!
So what is my challenge. Well…… tomorrow we are moving offices. Not far, in effect we are moving from one room to another one that is two doors down (yes I can hear Dolly Parton now singing about a party two doors down).
The challenge is, I won’t be there. I have a BNI meeting at 6.30am then I am off to see a few clients. On Friday I am on a two day training course. I am out of the office, so I won’t see the results until Sunday. (I know, I shouldn’t go in the office on a Sunday, but it is my new office so I do need to see it).
I do trust my staff and my IT consultant and I know that they will do a very good job, but just the same I would like to be there.
I always tell my clients that they need to practice the art of delegation. I am a great believer in delegation and have over the last few years been able to put the delegation rules into practice but I think I may need to go back and read the rules.
Delegation Rules
Responsibility can be delegated
Define the task to be delegated
Employ good quality staff and select the right individual for the task at hand
Ensure your staff are trained in every aspect of the task at hand
Do not undertake tasks that are of low value to your time
Explain the reasons for the delegation and what the end result should achieve
Agree deadlines and responsibilities
Give your staff the support they need to undertake the task and communicate with them at all times
