The Gift of Time

4/6/2020

By Laura Renner and Jenny Boyles

There is no denying that COVID-19 has swept this planet and changed our everyday lives in drastic ways. It has reminded us how small we are in the scheme of the larger picture. There is little doubt that even when it settles down and we can venture out in our streets and parks, business as usual will be different. One thing that is clear is we will be ready to move. Businesses will be ready to recover and move forward. People will get at it again most likely eventually in the same way they did prior to this pandemic.

If there is anything positive COVID has given it is the gift of time. For small business owners, time is precious and fleeting. A work week can slip by and things do not get done because you are immersed in the hustle. Well, we have all been given the gift of time, so let’s take advantage of it. And here are some suggestions on how.

Tools to Stay Connected as a Remote Team

3/30/2020

By Laura Renner and Jenny Boyles

Life and work as we know it has been completely up-ended and suddenly changed. While we shift to and get acquainted with our new normal, you may be scrambling to find the best-fit tools for you and your now remote team. Below are some we recommend at Freedom Makers.

Want a Strong Remote Team? Here are Our Top 3 Tips

3/23/2020

By Jenny Boyles

At this point in the world, every business is becoming acquainted with remote work whether they have dabbled into it before or are embarking on it for the first time. The COVID-19 pandemic, in a short amount of time, has changed what “business as usual” means and how it is carried out. Our business was built on the premise of remote work and has been since day one. Our founder, Laura Renner, created Freedom Makers to marry the need for part time administrative assistance for small businesses and the need for meaningful, flexible work for military spouses. Since 2015, we have matched small businesses and entrepreneurs with skilled, experienced virtual assistants to carry out work for their business.

Dealing with all different types of small businesses and their needs over the years has afforded us the opportunity to learn, explore and utilize many online, virtual business resources. To better help our clients, our core team has had to create a strong remote team. In order to have a strong, remote team, a business must have systems in place, strong communication, and online tools that promote efficiency and success.

Tips for Why It's Important to Know Who's Who In Your Business

3/16/2020

By Jenny Boyles & Laura Renner

From the Business Owner's Perspective (Laura)

I once knew a small business owner who worked very closely with one employee. While I do not know why the employee left (aside from knowing it was amicable) or if that led to the owner shuttering the business, I do know the owner shut down the business shortly after that key employee left.

That memory has remained with me to this day. I have made sure not to place so much responsibility on one employee.

At the same time as a small business owner, it is important to plan for growth. I often say to the team, “we need to build this so that it works when there are two of you, or three, or ten. I may not know what it will look like but we need to at least expect that it will happen.”

When I first started Freedom Makers, I went through a coaching program for female veteran entrepreneurs. The coach explained how to plan your organizational chart. A key factor, she said, was to not place names in the boxes, only positions. Even if the positions were currently filled by someone, just include the positions.

How to Make the Dog Wag the Tail in Small Business

3/9/2020

By Laura Renner

Operations vs Strategy: the dog wagging the tail or the tail wagging the dog

It is the age-old question many business owners face: how do you balance working ON the business versus IN the business?

What does that even mean?

IN the business means handling the day to day operations and fires. It is the WHAT.
ON the business means the structure, systems, and strategies. It is the HOW.

For example, determining how you onboard new clients is working on the business. Actually onboarding a new client is working in the business.

Sometimes you have to stop onboarding new clients in order to fix how you onboard them. This is basically strategy versus operations.

Who has time for that? If you do not do it though, you will have even less time to do it later when you are neck deep in it. When you get that busy, then the “tail wags the dog.”

Tips for Taking the Panic out of Tax Season

3/2/2020

By Laura Renner

Tax time happens once a year and because of that, it is easy to be caught off guard. Every year you say, “I will be better organized for next year.” And then, wham!, it has already been another year.

Here are tips for how to get out of this cycle. If you have not yet started getting everything ready for your CPA this year, you can lay the groundwork for next year now.

If you have already sent everything off to your CPA, take a minute to get organized now, while it is still fresh on your mind.

Below are some ways to get your sh!t together, so you are prepared for the next tax season:

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.”

<<Previous

The Gift of Time

Tools to Stay Connected as a Remote Team

Want a Strong Remote Team? Here are Our Top 3 Tips

Tips for Why It's Important to Know Who's Who In Your Business

How to Make the Dog Wag the Tail in Small Business

Tips for Taking the Panic out of Tax Season

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

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