It turns out that it’s not just startups that don’t want traditional employees. Large corporations, small businesses and agencies are increasingly looking to entrepreneurs for support and the trend shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
Entrepreneurs are the way of the future!
One of the most persistent barriers that we run into with small business owners as their businesses grow, is their fear of losing control over what they have created. As much as they realize that they do need help if they want to continue to expand, they also have a mindset that insists that they control every aspect of what is going on within their business. What it comes down to, is that they are afraid to delegate.
How can we help them delegate effectively?
Education
Many business owners don’t know how to delegate and this is what really scares them. They think if they give up certain tasks, they won’t get credit for the actual growth of their business. Our first step is showing them how a virtual team works; that processes and steps are put in place and check points are observed. We show them how delegating will alleviate their stress and that they themselves may actually learn something new about easier ways to manage the tasks that they have been having problems with.
Financial Gain
While financing the outsourcing of some tasks to virtual workers can sound expensive, you will be paying only for work that is completed by them and you get to pick and choose what that work is. Begin by making a list of the tasks that you find are always put off and left until last. These are the jobs you don’t like to do and/or don’t excel at and these are the items that you are better off having someone else do. It does pay in the end, since more of your work will be completed accurately. It will save you time and money.
Time Management
Delegating involves deciding which tasks you would like to have someone else perform and if you have let things get to the point where you don’t have the time to take care of them, you may feel that you don’t have the time to discuss the important points with someone who doesn’t know your business as well as you do. Though it will take a bit of extra time at the onset, delegating work to a team will pay off after the initial effort as their processes have proven to automate tasks and make them more time efficient.
Lack of Management Skills
Another reason most business owners can’t/won’t delegate is they don’t have the knowledge and the ability to manage a team of others working under their direction. With a professional virtual team, you won’t have to manage anyone. They already have project managers in place and once their systems are in place, the members of the team collaborate in order to bring you the best results possible as quickly as you need them.
Learn to Have Confidence in Others
If you have been working on your business by yourself for many years, trusting others and having confidence in their work may be an issue. Our virtual team is prepared to handle a long list of tasks and the potential for your business to flourish will outweigh any concerns you have. Experienced with many types of businesses, we have someone who can handle anything you need done and if we don’t, we will find the best person for you!
The benefits of delegating far outweigh continuing on your own and having your business grind to a standstill. Delegation is learning to get things done through other people and trusting them to put your best interests first. It’s about teamwork and working well with others to provide the best results.
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2013
If you aren’t entirely sure what an elevator pitch is, than this blog post is definitely for you. If you’re looking for a way to make your elevator pitch stand out amongst the crowd, then you’re going to enjoy this post even more.
If you didn’t already know, an elevator pitch is an introductory business technique used to quickly pitch your business idea, services, or company explanation in the average amount of time it would take one to travel a couple of floors in an elevator. That being said, an elevator pitch can range anywhere from 30 seconds, to two minutes in length. The most important characteristics of a good elevator pitch are to be concise and direct.
The problem with a regular elevator pitch is that they generally tend to involve the same adjectives and adverbs to describe your services that many other people use as well. Adaptable, hardworking, versatile, consistent, motivated, and dedicated are all becoming tired and overused. So instead of walking the well-beaten path of adjectives and adverbs, it’s time to take your elevator pitch to another level.
By that I mean by using nouns. Yes, nouns, the good ole person, place or thing that we use in almost every sentence. The interesting thing about nouns is that there are literally thousands that can be used as an analogy to connect your future clients to your business.
Here’s an example. Instead of describing yourself or your business as hardworking and dedicated, explain that your business in similar to that of an ant colony. Common knowledge of ants and their colonies is that they are driven, diligent, persevering and filled with consistent workers. It also showcases your company and services as a well-oiled machine, since colony ants tend to follow a carefully organized system. By using a noun to describe your company instead of an adjective, you’re producing a three-dimensional connection between how your company works and what your future clients are looking for.
A revamped elevator pitch is just one of the techniques that can help advance your business to the next level and help you gain clients. Other techniques to grow your business and clarify your focus for the future can be learned through programs like our Future Vision Map, and other personal coaching sessions with member ofs our virtual team.
If you’re interested in discovering more strategies and techniques to differentiate yourself from the crowd and clarify your future vision, schedule a Discovery Call now.
© Zoe Begopoulos, DemGen Inc. 2013
Positive thinking – we hear about it so much, but do we truly grasp the benefits? Have you consciously looked at days when you have been upbeat and positive, and compared them to days when you had some negativity in your thoughts and actions? I have …. And I am grateful for the exercise!
When I have had a rough day, I sometimes lash out about the dishes not being done or the piles of laundry. Of course this is happening because of what happened for me that day – it is not a direct relation to what anyone on my team or in my house did … I needed to vent! Nowadays, I make a concentrated effort to think first about my reaction and where it is truly coming from.
On a day of positive thinking, I celebrate everything including the dirty dishes because they meant we had a great home cooked meal or the hundreds of emails to be addressed because someone thought of me and reached out!
I have started a note beside my desk that I update often with new messages, it is focusing on how I choose to experience my day and came from a wonderful blog post by Pat Lynch…
This part really resonated with me “Imagine spending a day seeking out inspirational acts, feeling grateful for what you have, feeling energized by your work, or expressing your appreciation to others! Simply looking for these things ensures that you will find them”
So in honour of Positive Thinking Day (Sept 13th) I would like to share this infographic to help you experience a positive attitude every day!
© Pam Christie, DemGen Inc. 2013
Running a business can be stressful. Here are some helpful reminders on how to minimize stress and maximize success.
1. Avoid stressful scenarios.
Knowing your limit of responsibility is key when saying no to someone. If you’re already over burdened with tasks, taking on more than you can handle will increase your stress level infinitely. Limit your time spent around people you know cause you to feel stressed, and diminish exposure to places you feel most stressed. People won’t call you a hermit during a busy work period if you remain in your office to complete your tasks.
2. Alter stressful things.
By altering the way you react to commonly stressful scenarios or people, you’ll be able to handle them better. This can be done by prioritizing your time (time management skills are key!) and being proactive about people or things that cause you stress. This means plan ahead if you know you’ll be dealing with a stressful person or place in the future, so they won’t get the better of you.
3. Adapt to the stress.
Everyone learns that life is not perfect. This includes business and families, so why stress over these things when you know they will always have a few kinks? Instead, be reasonable about the stressful situations you’re dealing with and battle them one at a time.
4. Accept your stress.
Stress, as annoying as it is, is totally normal. Being stressed also causes you to find and use resources you haven’t before, and find characteristics (like leadership and perseverance) that you may not have even known you had. Always monitor how anxious or stressed you feel. Once it begins to be too much, start looking back at steps 1, 2, and 3 on how to deal with it!
5. Bonus! Additional assistance for stress (hey, that’s two!)
If you’re feeling like your stress is a literal mountain of rock crushing you, do not crumble! There will always be assistance there to help you. One of the best options is hiring a specialized virtual team, trained to assist in whatever area you need the most stress relief. A little help can mean a world of difference.
© Zoe Begopolous, DemGen Inc. 2013
These days, the majority of business owners are hiring a virtual team…
Here are the Top 10 reasons many business owners are choosing to hire virtual support.
1. Focus
It’s essential to focus on the BIG picture if you want to achieve your business goals.
You started your business because you are an expert in your field. That’s what deserves your full focus, not all of the ‘other stuff’.
2. Strategy
The ability to access top-level, strategic minds compliments your business.
Discussing your ideas with business strategists allow you to prioritize your activities in order to achieve the greatest results.
3. Systems
Every business performs better once there is a system in place.
By documenting and automating key processes and activities, your virtual team will ensure that delegated tasks are completed flawlessly.
4. Expertise
Virtual teams allow you to work with experts in every field.
Working with those who have complementary genius abilities – from logo design to social media management, and everything in between – allows you to put your best foot forward.
5. Team
Multiple minds are better than one.
‘Cabin fever’ for business is common in solo-preneurs and busy professionals. Knowing you have a trusted team to call and rely on provides you with peace of mind.
6. Money
Stop leaving money on the table.
A virtual team with up to 35 members will cost you less than the price of one full time employee and allow you to focus on your highest revenue generating activities.
7. Results
Reach goals faster with a team.
You can only do one thing at a time. With the support of a virtual team, you can cross many items off of your to do list and increase your results and revenues.
8. Time
Have more free time to live your life.
Many busy professionals sacrifice their personal lives. This doesn’t need to be the case. Delegating to a virtual team will free up your time.
9. Freedom
Break free from the shackles of your business.
The true sign of a successful business is one that can run without you. By learning as much as possible about your business, virtual teams give you your freedom back.
10. YOU
You and your business deserve it.
You don’t have to do it all yourself!
If you’re interested in learning more about what DemGen’s virtual team can do for you, schedule a Discovery Call today!
© Tamara Smith, DemGen Inc. 2013
Most of us keep a small part of ourselves back some of the time, whether it be energy or concentration, thinking too deeply about something or putting ourselves out there where others can see our real personalities. But when it comes to your business, what do you hold back that is keeping you from succeeding as much as you could and should?
Confidence
Do you have what it takes to go against the flow of other businesses? Does it bother you to be different or stand out in some way? If it does, you may not be confident that your business will succeed. Most very successful small businesses became that way when their owners stepped outside of the norm. They put into place business practises and came up with ideas that were different from their competitors.
Education
Does learning frighten you or do you not spend time upgrading your skills? Sticking to what you know can mean your business stagnates. Investing in education for yourself can help the growth of your business and it can also mean that you grow as a person. Decide what frightens you the most – learning new skills and having a business that grows beyond your control or feeling like you have failed because you wouldn’t try something new.
Hiring help
Know when you need help and know where to look for it. There are many small business owners who now work with virtual agents and teams. Business owners tend to look on hiring outside help as a loss of control but what it really means is sharing ideas and having someone else to do the work that you really don’t like or don’t excel at. It’s a win-win situation for both the business owner and the virtual team.
Hard work
After that first flush of success, when you see the possibilities for the future looming, do you pull back and instead of putting more effort into your business, do you coast along and do a little less work? This is a common factor in many small businesses, when the business owner decides that what’s good enough now will do for the future, instead of working a little harder and becoming even better at what they already know.
Your health
While this may not seem like a factor that’s important to business, taking care of yourself should be right up there at number one. You can’t give anything to anyone or to your business if you have nothing to give. Your first thought every morning should be what you can do for yourself today. Then think about your business.
The main thing is to realize these qualities in yourself, put a plan of action in place and move ahead step by step. While you may not overcome all of them, even learning a bit more about yourself and how you approach your business will open your eyes to what you need to do in order to succeed.
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc 2013
Growing a business is a lot like farming.
First you have to pick the right seeds and plant them at the right time. This is the phase where you develop your vision, value proposition, products, services and strategies. Then, when the climate is right, you plant your seeds.
The next phase requires a lot of nurturing and love. You nurture your business with care and shower it with activities that stimulate growth.
Perhaps most important during this phase is that you actually allow the seeds you’ve planted to root. If you are constantly digging up them up, nothing will grow.
Of course there are many factors beyond your control. Similar to the weather, there can be unexpected storms and conditions that can affect businesses.
The key to growing a successful business is having a clear vision for the future of your business and the strategies required to reach your goals before you start.
With proper planning, commitment and confidence, you will reap the rewards with a wonderful harvest.
© Tamara Smith, DemGen Inc 2013
If you’re looking for an effective, efficient and new way to market your product, you don’t always have to look very far. A large part of branding and marketing revolves around the attraction theories of product packaging, and if you’re interested in gaining more clientele, this might be a tactic to look into for your business.
It isn’t uncommon for most people to choose their brands based on loyalty, in fact, it’s probably the most common way for brands to be chosen. Either you’ve heard great things about a product, you’ve been told by a trusted peer that they recommend it, or you’ve just seen it as the most widely used products are often how products go from the shelves to our homes. But how do you get people to deviate from the norm? How do you get them to go from relying on their emotions about a product, to trying something new? One of the best ways to accomplish this? Play the attraction game.
The attraction game in packaging is literally all about how the product looks. There are many ways to approach designing product packaging, which all include intense research. Colour schemes, fonts, logos, minimalist versus eccentric designs, size, and positioning are all factors that should be researched when you’re putting together you’re packaging. These factors can draw buyers away from well-established products by alerting their cosmetic preferences.
Product packaging is also pivotal in showcasing professionalism. You may have the best product on the market, but if it isn’t attractive or professional looking, clients and consumers will have a hard time trusting it. This will cause them to stick to the brands they already know.
Younger consumers respond positively to attractive packaging especially well. This is because they are sensitive to their personal cosmetic preferences. With the world constantly throwing hundreds of products at them, younger generations tend to take less time reading labels and have begun making product choices based on what leaves the best or biggest impression.
Packaging covers a wide range of areas, including labels, signs, and shipping containers. Take a step back and look at how you’re currently packaging your product or business. Successful packaging should combine an attractive appearance with proof of functionality to achieve the greatest success. If you’re just starting out, or are looking to expand your business, remember that your packaging is what people see first. The first impression is decided within 3 seconds of viewing your product, and attractive packaging can help keep the game of attraction playing in your favour.
© Zoe Begopoulos, DemGen Inc 2013
After reading The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, I spent some time thinking of how this not only pertained to life, but also to small business.
The premise of the book, based on Toltec wisdom, is that there are four main ideas that will give you inspiration and by following these, you should succeed in all areas of your life and reach your full potential.
The agreements are as follows:
Speak with integrity.
Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
Don’t take anything personally.
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
Don’t make assumptions.
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
Always do your best.
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.
The first agreement, speak with integrity, is one of the most important business lessons that some owners come to realize too late. In any business, your word represents you – not only your honesty, (or lack of), but the way you speak to your customers and those who work for you. When your business is run ethically, without putting down others – and this includes their products and/or services, your customers and other business owners will come to appreciate you more, both as someone to purchase from and also as someone to do business with.
“The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character, integrity, faith, love and loyalty.” Zig Ziglar
Don’t take anything personally. When in business and really, at any time, always remember that what people do or say really has nothing to do with you. It has to do with them. As for criticism of the way you do business, if it is helpful and offered with the right intent, you may want to think about it, but if it’s said to you in anger or envy, try to put it aside and ignore it. Don’t let someone else’s opinion override yours when it comes to your future success.
While others may make assumptions about how you are running your business, effective communication in all aspects of your work helps do your marketing for you. Social media is an excellent example of where asking questions and communicating clearly can benefit your business. It gives you the opportunity to learn more about your customers, get to know their likes and dislikes and discuss any problems that may arise.
Always do your best. How many times over the years have we been told that the outcome of something doesn’t matter, as long as we try and give it our best effort? We all know when we haven’t spent the time or put our best energy into a task, whether work related or otherwise. Doing our best gives us a sense of accomplishment and completion that a lazy effort doesn’t. Our best will always vary but it does help us to feel the rewards of a job well done, day by day.
Our expectations of ourselves and our business direction will also change but by paying attention to the four agreements listed in Don Miguel Ruiz’s book, we can keep ourselves on track. Choosing acceptance of our own decisions, rather than following others and always looking for their approval, can be a reward in itself.
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc 2013
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