Virtual Assistant Blog

UPDATED: Top 10 Tech Tools Every Small Business Owner Should Have

2/24/2020

By The Freedom Makers Team

As a small business owner, having affordable and easy-to-use tools is critical to running your business successfully. So many are on the market these days with more coming online all the time. As of February 2020, these are our personal favorites that we use internally at Freedom Makers.

Our 3 criteria for making the list:

-Must have a free version. Small business owners don’t have time to waste with setting up a program just for a free two-week trial. All of these software have a free version you can use until the time is right to upgrade.
-Must be subscription based. Cash is king for small businesses. While a monthly payment is more expensive, it’s nice to have the flexibility if necessary. Furthermore, with new software coming available all the time and with the constant adapting and changing small businesses go through, it’s imperative to have the flexibility subscriptions provide.
-Must be easy to use and quick to set up. Most small businesses have limited resources (time, money, and energy.) Anything that makes it easier for small business owners--like quick setup--is a win in our books.

Check out our winners below. Those listed below with a * in front are new ones that we have added for 2020.

Stay in the Fight: Starting and Keeping Your New Business From Home

2/10/2020

By Laura Renner

We all know starting a business is hard. But what about it is hard?

To start:

There are lots of competing priorities with limited resources.
Others may not understand your vision.
In order to succeed, you must face your weaknesses one way or another. Do not like doing sales? Get comfortable with it quickly or figure out a way around it.
You have to do everything. Nothing exists yet so you have to build it and take care of it. It is as if you start putting together a puzzle. Until you get the frame put together and some groupings of pieces, your progress is slow. Once you start to see the image more clearly, you figure out where each piece goes more easily and thus you move much faster. Imagine how much harder that puzzle would be without a picture on the box to guide you--some business ideas are akin to that.

Dealing with the Dreaded INBOX

2/3/2020

By Laura Renner

Our day can be consumed by email. If you have your notifications on, you are often interrupted by a new, incoming message. If you are like me, you have the notifications turned off which leads you to be afraid of the state of your inbox. It builds and builds in your head to where you just dread it more and more.

Client Case Study: The Military Spouse J.D. Network

1/27/2020

By Jenny Boyles

*Freedom Maker Client Case Studies are a new addition to the Freedom Makers blog. It is our goal to introduce you to some of our amazing clients and Freedom Makers to learn how they collaborate for success.

The Military Spouse J.D. Network (MSJDN) has been a Freedom Maker client for several years, utilizing two Freedom Makers to fulfill their mission. MSJDN is a bar association for military spouses in the legal profession. Founded in 2011, it supports over 1,200 military spouse attorneys by advocating for licensing accommodations for military spouse attorneys; educating the public about the challenges faced by career-minded military spouses and their families; encouraging the hiring of military spouses; and providing a network connecting military spouse attorneys with each other and their supporters.

MSJDN fulfills its mission through dedicated volunteers. Because it is run by a Board of volunteers, the administrative burden can be overwhelming. According to Libby Jamison, former MSJDN President, “When it became clear that the administrative tasks were becoming overwhelming, we sought out options for help, which is when we contacted Freedom Makers to find out more about virtual assistants.”

Lighten Your Load By Organizing It

1/21/2020

By Laura Renner and Jenny Boyles

Managing your workload sets you up for a better balance of energy. As a small business owner, your work bleeds into your life. Using organizational tools that work for you ensures you will keep your sanity. Here are some of our favorite suggestions to help you lighten your load and organize it!

Keep it Personal & Organized: Creating a Great Virtual Work Space

1/13/2020

By Jenny Boyles

One of the best ways to stay motivated at work if you work virtually is to maintain a peaceful, inviting work space. If you have an office and you are afraid to walk into it because there are piles of paperwork everywhere and you cannot see your desktop, that is not good! But even if your space is not a mess or disorganized, there are things you can do to make your remote work space a little more enticing and personalized.

The Art & Value of Time Blocking

1/6/2020

By Laura Renner

Part of the appeal for owning your own business is that you can set your own schedule, choose what you want to work on, and structure you day how you like.

Ideally.

However, sometimes it seems the tail wags the dog. Your day goes from one email to the next as you put one fire to the next. It is a constant battle between working on your business versus in your business (think sales versus delivering for existing clients). You wonder where the day went and what you accomplished, if anything.

There are many ways to take control of your schedule from limiting the number of clients you take on to building systems for efficient workflows to delegating more to your team. But I would like to talk about time blocking.

2019: The Freedom Maker Highlight Reel

12/23/2019

By Laura Renner

It is always important to take time to reflect and celebrate your team’s accomplishments. The end of the year is as good a time as any to do this. When you take time to think through what you have gone through, you can appreciate how far you have come. This appreciation gives you a boost to face your next challenges.

I am constantly amazed at what we come up with for improving at Freedom Makers. Every once in awhile, I will find myself thinking, “we are doing pretty well, not much needed for improvement.” The next thing I know, we are embarking on a major project or initiative!

Are You the Root of Your Business' Revolving Door?

12/16/2019

By Laura Renner

We know the number one reason people leave their jobs is due to their manager. In a small business, that is most likely you.

Team members come and go. Sometimes it has nothing to do with you. They need to move home or want to switch industries, etc. Other times your personalities did not click and that is okay too.

But if you find yourself going through a string of people, all with vague reasons for leaving, perhaps you should ask yourself if it is you. I do not think many people would tell you directly to your face that they are leaving because of you. So what can you do? Below are a few tips.

Go Beyond Your Comfort Zone: How to Make Inclusion Mean More than Just Checking a Box

12/9/2019

By Laura Renner

Diversity and inclusion are hot trends these days and they are certainly important. At the same time, when we hear diversity and inclusion, it is usually race or gender that comes to mind. Having a diverse--defined in numerous ways--team improves performance. While focusing on gender and race is important, there are more ways to be inclusive in your business. Preparing yourself to be open to anyone can really open up your hiring opportunities.

<<Previous

UPDATED: Top 10 Tech Tools Every Small Business Owner Should Have

Stay in the Fight: Starting and Keeping Your New Business From Home

Dealing with the Dreaded INBOX

Client Case Study: The Military Spouse J.D. Network

Lighten Your Load By Organizing It

Keep it Personal & Organized: Creating a Great Virtual Work Space

The Art & Value of Time Blocking

2019: The Freedom Maker Highlight Reel

Are You the Root of Your Business' Revolving Door?

Go Beyond Your Comfort Zone: How to Make Inclusion Mean More than Just Checking a Box

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