5 ways I use Evernote in my business

by Anne Clark | Mar 9, 2021 | Business

Evernote is known as the modern day workspace, and it is definitely a program I use daily within my business and highly recommend it my clients.

How Evernote has helped me in my business.

Accessibility and Control

I operate form a desktop, laptop, ipad and iphone. Evernote allows my notes to sync across all devices, so I always have all my data available to me at all times. It allows my clients and I to share specific projects with teams, and always have the information at our finger tips.

If you’re a business and have multiple team members working on a project. Under an Evernote Business account, you can control who is accessing what information, and if anyone was to leave the team, the information collated by that person remains with your business (not them). Which is always a great reassurance for businesses who could be at risk of losing their valuable research information and time.

Taking notes whenever and wherever

I attended an event recently and wanted to captures note and pictures from the event. I had left my writing pad and pen behind and then remembered I had Evernote on my phone. So, rather than having pieces of paper, and then photos on my camera. I was able to use Evernote on my iphone and capture everything, and house it all in the one location (no more searching for where I had put them). Time saver and definitely efficient.

Sharing Research

Working with clients and conducting research on their behalf, we are able to collaborate together compiling all our researching the one spot. This allows all those involved in the project to know what information has been collated to date and what is still outstanding. Reducing double on work and opening the communication doors.

With Evernote all the file note written can be created into a table of content for easy access. You can create project specific tags. And keep them all in the one folder.

Business Evernote also allows you to add and remove people from various projects.

Writing notes/drafting reports & blogs

Our ideas often come to us at the worst time, and prior to Evernote I was forever forgetting those brilliant ideas. (Drove me crazy!) Now, I’m able to voice record my notes, type my notes, add articles/research, photos, whatever I find to my ideas folder in Evernote.

I can then go back to my ideas folder later and then convert my notes into a project folder and get things happening.

Presentations

Need to quickly show a client or colleagues an update on a project. Rather than spending hours creating a Powerpoint presentation, you can actually use Evernote to create the presentation super fast. This is a fantastic function, than save you time, doubling up on work or replication what you've already create, and you can present it from your computer, phone or iPad...wherever you have Evernote installed.

Evernote Consultant

My love for using Evernote, make me take it a step further and undertake training so I can help others utilise the benefits like I am. If you’re interested in learning more or signing up to Evernote. Please let me know.

No more waiting download you copy of Evernote today.

How to archive your mailchimp contacts

by Anne Clark | Mar 1, 2021 | Business, How To, Mailchimp

Struggling to keep your Mailchimp costs down. In Mailchimp you are paying for your contacts, not subscribers. An important action to regularly undertake is archive contacts that are not subscribers, as you can't email them, so save your money and simply archive. Do not delete them (that is another post for another day!)

Here are simple instructions to archive contacts in your Mailchimp.

Click on your Audience Icon
Click on All Contacts, or on the right-hand side button 'View All Contacts'
In sub-menu, click on New Segment
Click on Email Marketing Status is the status drop-down menu to show options
Select Unsubscribed, Non-Subscribed and Cleaned
In the next window view, in the first column click the arrow and select all
A new menu will show up on top, click on the Actions drop down arrow
Select Archive

Please note that you can always unarchive people later if needed.

If you need help managing your Mailchimp account, then please contact me today to chat about your needs.

10 steps to ensure you correctly take risks in your business

by Anne Clark | Jan 21, 2021 | Business

One of the biggest blocks business owners face is not willing to try something new or take a risk. Some of the best risks do pay off. Taking a risk is about doing something in your business that truly resonates with you and that you are confidently willing to try to see how your audience feels. It doesn’t mean doing things that you don’t wholeheartedly feel is right.

Tony Robbins says

“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”

For business owners, sometimes taking risks can just feel overwhelming and another added pressure they don’t want to deal with. But risk isn’t a big ugly scary thing, risks can be small steps towards an end goal. Taking risk is about trying something new to see how it’s accepted or not accepted by your target market.

Stepping outside your comfort zone and trying a new thing in business can actually be an exhilarating journey and one that has you asking why on earth you never tried it earlier.

In taking risks it’s about ensuring it’s done in a practical and safe guarded manner.

Being patient

For heaven sakes, taking a risk isn’t about taking your clothes off right this minute and running the streets naked. It’s about patiently waiting for the right time for YOU and when it feels right take the leap.

Be aware that any setbacks or blocks are not ones you’ve created because you’re scared of failure. Remember it’s better to have tried than live with the regret you never tried.

Having risk assessment plans

What if? It’s a bit like planning for an event, whilst it might be a glorious sunny day, you still make sure you have a contingency plan for ‘in case it rains’. Back up plans are smart and strategic. They help eliminent any panic and reduce your stresses because you know you have it covered….just in case.

Gather your intel

Don’t just do something without at least doing your research on potential risks, what your audience possible reactions may be and how you can counter-measure them. Gathering intel can be in the form of surveys with your target market, or market research to see what the latest trends are.

Identify your variables against your controls

As with many projects there are some risks that are 100% controllable and others that are variable and non-controllable. Doing a risk assessment plan should enable you to clearly identify possible solutions for all.

Be ready and willing to step outside the norm

Take a deep breathe and be okay with doing something outside of the norm. We are always looking for the next best thing and you might just have it. So no more thinking inside the box. Go on, you CAN do it.

Financial backing or fallback

Perhaps your idea is needing financial support, think about how you can fund it if you personally can’t pay for it all yourself. Perhaps a loan, if you believe in your project, and are will to back yourself with a loan then why not talk to your banks. If they believe it’s a good risk, and they’ll do their own risk assessment, then provide the financial support. However, be aware of what you’re up for if it goes south!

Doing it alone versus bringing in a partner or investors

Sometime business owners can feel it’s just too overwhelming to do it alone, so consider others who might benefit in the project (how are not a competitor to you business) to join the venture. Psst….don’t forget to make sure an agreement is signed and all is protected, so don’t share anything with anyone without having legal protection for you and your idea.

Safeguards

Of course, depending on your idea do you need to speak to your insurance provider for extra coverage for this project. As it might not fall within the scope of your current insurance. Insurance adds the extra security that you are covered for the worst possible scenario. It adds great peace of mind.

Taking your time

Don’t rush things because everyone else says it needs to be there yesterday. When you feel you have everything covered and are ready to go, then go for it. You are the one it will fall back on, not those telling you what to do.

Assess

Every step of the way you should be assessing and re-assessing how the projects is progressing to ensure you are clearly identify any ‘changes’ that might have occurred or any unexpected obstacles.

AND, make sure you enjoy the ride. This is your adventure and one risk you might come to love and encourage you to take further for the love of your people!

Risk assessments do not just apply to one area in business, it applies to ALL areas. Consider adding this to your ‘To Do’ list as a priority and conduct a full risk assessment of your business. You might learn some amazing things about you and your business that you hadn’t realised.

You can find out lots of information on these websites.

www.riskmanagement.com.au/

www.standards.org.au/

www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/

https://www.saiglobal.com

What does a virtual assistant do?

by Anne Clark | Oct 5, 2020 | Business, Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant is a business owner that works remotely providing services from administration through to desktop publishing and website development, to other business owners. Virtual assistants work from their homes, providing support to businesses across the world. Virtual assistants are paid generally for the time spent working for businesses, at an hourly rate or project rate.

As many business owners start to grow their business, they can find themselves at a turning point where their focus truly needs to be on the business growth and development, not being weighed down with various administration tasks or business functions that could easily be outsourced and managed by external parties, giving them back their valuable time.

A virtual assistant is a great stepping-stone for the business owner who isn’t quite ready to hire a full time or part time employee, or have the needed finances to cover overheads such as computers, wages, insurance, and so forth.

In Australia, Virtual Assistant rates range on average from $30 to $70, depending on their skill and industry knowledge and experience. In my role as a virtual assistant, I work with multiple businesses providing a range of services from administration, email/diary management, social media and online business strategies, blogging, newsletter, desktop publishing and website updates.

Virtual assistants can be hired hourly for a one off project, or for a set number of hours per week or month. When it comes to hiring, don’t allow yourself to be blocked by the price of a virtual assistant, as it is important that your business needs are being met. It is important to know, that whilst a virtual assistant might cost $50 an hour, that task that takes you 2 hours is mostly likely going to take a virtual assistant 1 hour or less.

Virtual assistants work remotely, and use programs such as Skype, Dropbox, project management software, to enable them to work for businesses across the globe.

Business owners can source overseas virtual assistants, which can have many pros and cons. If your business need a 24 hour service, having a virtual assistant both locally and overseas can enable you to provide a 24 hour service. There are many programs that can be used to streamline processes between your virtual team and ensure smooth running of your business.

When you feel you are ready to bring a virtual assistant into your team, but may be unsure where to start and how to hire one.

I recommend reading the following articles:

How to start working with a virtual assistant

How can a Virtual Assistant help you in your business?

Then seek referrals from colleagues and friends, on virtual assistants they recommend. Another method is to review testimonials on virtual assistant websites to see what previous clients have to say. Be sure to talk to several virtual assistant businesses, to ensure you feel comfortable with their ability to meet your business needs and understanding. Also, see if they offer a trial period so you can be sure it's going to be a perfect match!

If you have any additional questions on what a virtual assistant does, please feel to connect with me.

5 items to include in your newsletter

by Anne Clark | Sep 24, 2020 | Business, Mailchimp

Do you find yourself struggling to think of content for your regular newsletter to your mailing list? Do you feel like you have writers block? Do you feel like you have nothing to say?

Let me make it easier for you.

Have you considered having a pre-set template? This is a great way to help you pre-plan your content and create your newsletter in a more timely manner. But what do incorporate?

Here are 5 items to include in your newsletters as regular content;

#1 Introduction

Always open with a brief hello and what you’re up to. Connecting with your audience is vital and sharing a little about you, makes them know you’re real and that you care about them as your audience.

Connection is the key.

TIP: Make sure you personalise the email to include their name. Small personal touches go a long way.

#2 Valuable information

Imagine getting an email that is giving you some awesome information relevant to you. Now imagine getting an email that’s all about them and salesy. That’s right ... a real turn off. Give a little to gain a little, or hopefully more.

#3 Your latest projects or blogs

Don’t always assume your audience is reading your blogs or social media post. Remember, they’ve invited you into their personal space by allow YOU to have their email address because they may not have time for social media or may not be online as often as assumed.

Depending on the length of your blog, you may want to put the whole things in your newsletter, or insert a portion of it and link the rest back to your website.

#4 Links to other services

We often assume that everyone remembers what we do. But be honest, do you remember what everyone does? Don't be afraid to have dedicate a section to your other services, this can be done in the form of images with the service title and of course ensure its linkable to your website where further details are.

If you have a special running, then you can dedicate this area to that. Just don’t make the whole newsletter about you, remember it’s a relationship with your target audience so a bit of give and take goes a long way.

#5 Bio

In the footer of your newsletter you can have your social media platform linked and why not add a photo of you and a short paragraph blurb about who and what you do (another refresher for your audience).

TIP: Use a professional headshot, it’s the best investment you’ll make.

#6 But I sell products not services

If you’re a retail product selling business, then you may have heard the term ‘picture tells a thousand words’. Use images of your products in your newsletter. You may have a product you’re wanting to move the last stock items off, so promote it in your newsletter, say something like ‘whilst stock lasts’ or ‘limited stock left, don't miss out’. Putting an ‘urgency’ with it, makes people take action faster.

Launching a new product, then share it. Maybe even offer an upsell product that would go well with the product.

TIP: Do not flood your newsletter with millions of images, it gets to overwhelming for your audience.

Feel like it’s all a bit hard and just want someone to create your branded newsletter for you. Guess what? I can, I am a Mailchimp expert and can create your branded newsletter templates, or automation series. Contact me today if you would like to know more.

10 Things You Should Have On Your Website

by Anne Clark | Aug 27, 2020 | Business, Website

Building a website is not a cheap investment, especially for start-up businesses. Therefore it is so important that you are doing it the right way the first time. It's also important to note, that not all website designers offer all the things you need. Some may simply 'design' the look of your website. For those who already have a website built, it's important to check you do have all your bases covered.

A general website has the main menu items such as

Home Page - it doesn't need to be long and overflowing with words, but it should immediately allow your visitor to know what it is you offer
About Page - it's not entirely about you, a strategic About page will be make reference about how you backstory is beneficial to the visitor
Products or Services Page - whatever you're offering
Testimonials Page - these little babies do help sell
Contact Page - have a page solely designated to the contact options available for visitors. Always keep in mind how your ideal client will want to contact you. (These can also be featured in the footer to top header of your home page too)

Now for some crucial elements you should be including:

Back Up System - I am always surprised how many website I come across and there is NO back-up system in place. What happens if you're website is hacked, you loose everything. I use BackUpBuddy to back up my websites, you can learn about them here.
Security System - Hackers and bots are constantly on the prowl for vulnerable websites they can hack or destroy. Having a good security system will block out hacking attempts and notify you of attempts. I use iThemes Security Pro.
SEO - Search Engine Optimisation can feel very overwhelming for some, but Yoast SEO is a great website plugin that is user friendly.
Terms and Conditions, Disclaimer and Privacy Policy - if you are an online business, which most are these day, these little gems are extremely important. Under NO circumstances should you ever copy these of another website. My go-to team is Legal123, who sell a Website Legal Package and lots more other key documents businesses should have.
Mobile Friendly Theme - in today's society everyone is using mobile and always browsing the net, so it is important that your website is mobile friendly. I build my website's using Elegant Themes - Divi. They allow you to make variations on pages suitable for desktop, iPad and mobile.

If you are looking to either build a new website, refresh or simply looking for regular maintenance, then please feel free to contact me at hello@annecclark.com and we can catch about your needs.

Please note this article does contain some affiliate links.