by virtualworks | Oct 9, 2023 | Business, business growth, Leadership, Mastery, Productivity, Uncategorized
Many business owners start off with a great idea that will change the world and, through time and effort, they will evolve personally and professionally to be the best in their field. Though you might not think of it these terms, what they are actually doing, actually reaching for, is “mastery”.
You know this, because you work day and night, you have put in the hours of work, training, research, and sweat. I don’t have to tell you that becoming the master of business requires hard work. Malcom Gladwell would tell you that it takes 10,000 hours of “deliberate practice” to master a skill.
Imagine watching the best Formula One driver, or the most incredible ballerina. They make their chosen trade look so easy, and accessible. It is only when you attempt to duplicate the complex beauty of the Dance of Sugar Plum Fairy (reported to be one of the most difficult roles to dance), or harness the 1000 horsepower around a turn pulling 3 G’s in a Formula-1 car, you realize that just because something looks easy doesn’t mean it is.
And that may be true for something like ballet or the violin where the skill is quantifiable. Becoming a master in your field of business however, is much more than “time in” on any endeavour.
As I look around there are any number of businesses supplying goods and services to their customers in thousands of industries. What separates the successful from those who have become a master at their industry is a gritty combination of discipline, hard work, humility and generosity. Most of us would agree with the first three, but generosity?
There’s an old adage, “if you want to learn something well, teach it to someone else”. In order to teach well, it requires that you face your presuppositions about things, unearth those ideas that you didn’t even realize you believe. Being the master of any subject (even one that you invented) requires you to be able to objectively look at whatever you’re doing and seeing ways it can be improved. To teach someone else what you know requires a certain generosity. After so many years of defending your own turf, that can be difficult, but that generosity has the reward of unearthing flaws in your system in order to improve them, and you cannot master what you think is perfect.
by virtualworks | May 22, 2023 | Business, business growth, Leadership, Mastery, Productivity, Time Management, Uncategorized, working from home, working remotely
Outsourcing of services is becoming more and more mainstream and with the abundance of former corporate workers who have vast knowledge and experience and now run their own businesses, you will likely be able to find someone to help you for a reasonable amount of money. Just as business owners can operate from just about anywhere, resources can provide services from anywhere. But whatever your needs are, always remember: “buyer beware”!!
Here’s a few things to consider when outsourcing:
- The lowest priced outsourced solution may not be the best; good people cost money and beware that even these days, you still get what you pay for.
- If you’re just starting out, outsource from the very beginning with a Virtual Assistant and a bookkeeper and grow your team from there. As your business grows, you can take on a web designer, a ghost writer, a graphic designer, an executive assistant, a project manager, etc.
- Don’t outsource a task just because you don’t want to do it. There will be tasks that only you can do because they’re important to operations and strategic plan.
- Always strike a fair deal with your resources and treat them with respect. You’re relying on them to handle important tasks for you and your business so don’t take advantage of them.
- Bartering. This is a great way to get things done for no cost in exchange for services. Make sure that you and the resource are clear about the terms and that the services you each provide are both what you want. Beware that this mode of payment isn’t for everyone.
On the personal side of your life, you might think about outsourcing to further free up your time:
- A personal assistant to help keep you and your family organized;
- Housekeeper/house cleaning service;
- Property maintenance;
- Grocery service, errand service
When I first started my remote support agency, I thought I would lay-off my housekeeper, thinking that since I would be working from home, I could manage the house myself. A very wise business coach I met during my early networking days advised me against it. The reason? “You’re going to be at work during the day.” She was correct, of course, and my housekeeper is still with me to this day. What are your priorities? What would make your life easier and be less stressful for you? Give it some thought!
by virtualworks | Oct 23, 2022 | Business, business growth, Leadership, Marketing, Mastery, office management, Productivity, Remote Office Management, Time Management, Virtual Assistant, working from home, working remotely
Have you ever come out of a meeting, or the end of day and caught yourself in a mirror and realized that you have a piece of schmutz in your teeth, or your cow-lick is asserting its personality again? We have all had that moment when we think “WHY DIDN’T SOMEONE TELL ME?”
As small business owners we can spend so much time in the tasks that we forget what our goals are. If only gauging how well we are running our business is as simple as looking in the mirror! When it comes to taking your business to the next level, a level of self-awareness is required to assess the needs of your business and how your management style can be maximized for growth.
Take a look at your business and your strengths and values (and be honest about it!). Determine what makes sense for you to do and what is reasonable for someone else to take care of.
To identify exactly what you need, do the following for one work-week:
- As you go through each workday, write down the daily tasks that you dislike doing (or, put another way, make a list of the things you do last because you keep putting them off)
- Write down all the projects you’ve “had on the back burner”; those projects and tasks that never seem to get done week after week, month after month.
- Write down all the things you spend too much time doing (why are you really in the office all the time?).
- Write down all the things you wish you had more time to do.
- Write down all the tasks you must do as a business owner.
Ask people you know to work through this with you as they may provide a different perspective. There might be metaphorical spinach in your teeth that they are begging for the chance to tell you about!
Don’t think about how much it will cost or how long to get these resources in place. Just think about you for now and ask yourself what you need to do in order to move your business forward.
Need help? Click here to get my free e-book to help you gain clarity.
by virtualworks | Sep 25, 2022 | Business, business growth, Leadership, Marketing, Mastery, Outsourcing, Productivity, remote meetings, Remote Office Management, Team Work, Time Management, Travelling, working remotely
Remote support was pretty much non-existent 25 years ago. Facebook didn’t exist 20 years ago. Times, they are a’changing…
Remote work has grown in popularity over the last 5-10 years and more so with the pandemic we’ve been dealing with the past 2+ years, it’s become a necessity. The Internet and evolving technology drive the ability for remote support workers to be just that: “remote”. That can mean being remote locally or remote internationally; it can mean telecommuting for employees or freelancing as a contractor from anywhere on the planet for clients anywhere on the planet. The world has become larger and smaller at the same time: larger because remote working can easily tap into new markets around the world and increase competition (which can be a good thing); smaller because it takes less time and cost to do so.
It wasn’t too long ago that the average person didn’t know too much about video meetings or needed an international calling plan. Today, companies are expanding their enterprises globally without ever leaving their hometown; hiring remote employees who are local to new markets gives enterprise an edge. While this can be a very cost-effective way to conduct business, it takes more than just hiring people to work for you; it takes a thorough review of all factors that come into play for all stakeholders. It’s important to know the legal and accounting aspects of these relationships as well as being mindful of language barriers of both employees and clients.
Even in spite of the pandemic, the world is open for new opportunities. With ever-evolving technology and lower costs to connect, open your mind to the endless possibilities that are happening around the world and around the clock.
by virtualworks | Aug 1, 2022 | Business, business growth, daily lfe, holiday, Leadership, Mastery, Productivity, Time Management
In a previous blog post, we discussed un-plugging from the virtual world including from media, and from work, as I do in the summer to take some much-needed time off at a cottage in the remote Quebec countryside for a week of peace and quiet. Upon my return, everything is still functioning, even though I’ve taken a full week to un-plug.
This year though, COVID came for me just prior to leaving so I didn’t do much more than sleep. Usually, though, I spend the entire week reading, knitting and writing. I love to kayak on the lake in the mornings when the water is still. It’s very peaceful and lets me just think about things without all that daily noise in my head. Some might say that I’m downright lazy during my week off. Is that okay? Yes, it certainly is because I deserve it. Do I miss technology when I’m at the lake? No, because I don’t need it there.
For those that are making the attempt to relax and take a break from work and media, but don’t want to travel, a ‘staycation’ may be an option. Whether by themselves or with family in the house there are a variety of ways to relax such as spa-at home days, reading, creative projects, music, further learning or games. No matter what the relaxing activity there are plenty of ideas out there to get the staycation started!
While the suggestions below may require some online research to get started, once the information is found, there is a choice to shut off this technology or enjoy it depending on the person. Maybe they are a true “no tech staycationer” or maybe they “un-plug” while playing online games, watching movies, listening to music and so on.
In the spirit of getting the staycation underway, here are a few resources if you are not sure what to do:
Want to relax in your personal spa? The PennyHoarder has some fantastic ideas for creating materials for a spa at home and as a bonus creating some of these can be considered a little project!
Do you have a creative side and would love to work on something, but are not sure what? DIY Projects has a few ideas to check out. Maybe you just want to enjoy art or music from home, but don’t have access to great works of art or music. Check The Guardian’s list of virtual museums and art galleries, Billboard’s and Glamour’s lists of virtual concerts and performances. Even orchestras have live performances online as listed on classicalfm.
Do you just want to learn something to keep your brain moving or perhaps you miss the library completely? There are a number of open university courses out there to get you thinking and OpenLibrary is an excellent online library if you are just looking for something to read.
Or maybe you want to get up and get moving, take a look at Runtastics 28-day at home workout.
It doesn’t matter how you “un-plug”. What matters is that you bring yourself to a place of relaxation and contentment, while staying safe.
Many business owners start off with a great idea that will change the world and, through time and effort, they will evolve personally and professionally to be the best in their field. Though you might not think of it these terms, what they are actually doing, actually reaching for, is “mastery”.
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