Category: Business

Give Yourself a Raise by Becoming a Specialized Virtual Assistant

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Give Yourself a Raise by Becoming a Specialized Virtual Assistant

If you look at the world of work, you soon realize that people who specialize make more money than those who don’t. This works in all aspects of our society. If you’re a primary care doctor, you make a lot less money on average than if you specialized in something such as oncology, or even podiatry. This is also very true for virtual assistants.

Marketing yourself as a VA who specializes in a specific skill is always going to help you make more money in less time than if you generalize. What’s more, you only need to specialize in what is popular right now to make bank. If you stay ahead of trends, you will be able to design your services based on those trends.

Some ideas that are popular right now

• WordPress VA – You can set up WordPress for your clients and help them add blog posts and other content to their website regularly. You don’t have to build the entire site, but instead, the web designer creates it, and you just update it with the content provided by your clients. You’ll make sure it looks pretty, all the links work, and that the SEO is working.

• Aweber VA – It doesn’t have to be Aweber. Of course, it can be any email marketing auto-responder platform. If you know how to use it very well and can help customers get more out of their use of it, then that’s what you should market to them. Most people don’t know how to use any software fully, but if you do, you can really knock it out of the park by helping your clients get the most out of it.

• Instagram VA – Many popular Instagram stars get busy after they become popular. It makes it hard for them to have time to publish their images, edit them, and promote their work. You can help them with that and help them build an audience from the ground up too. If you know how to do that, market your services to the people you most want to work with.

• YouTube VA – Many people want to start YouTube channels, or they already have them, you can work with newbies, or you can work with only platforms with 500K subscribers, it’s up to you regarding who you want to work with and the services you put together for them based on their needs as a YouTube Star.

• Facebook Marketing VA – Do you know something about how to run ads on Facebook to help your clients make more money and sales? If so, you can become a Facebook Marketing VA. Many people who help companies run ads charge a percentage of sales, a percentage of ad spend budget, or a flat rate for each campaign.

• Pinterest VA – Many businesses like to set up shoppable pins on Pinterest but don’t know how to do it or don’t have time. You do. You can help your clients set up the best pins and get more engagement on their pins.

• Kindle Publishing VA – Being a self-published author isn’t as hard today as it used to be, but if you know something about publishing on Amazon Kindle, you can help guide your customers through the process. You don’t have to be an editor or anything, you just need to know people that can help your clients, and you’re golden.

• Marketing Funnel VA – Everyone who has a business needs an online marketing funnel today. It’s a high-level skill set that any business owner needs. All you need to do is set up a package for creating a marketing funnel for your customers, and you can make six figures plus.

• Project Manager VA – Every business owner who manages contractors and employees needs help doing it. No CEO does everything alone. They always have a smart and organized assistant that does all that for them. That can be you. If you’re good at setting up processes and steps to achieve goals using project management software and working with individuals, you can do this.

As you think about the platforms and systems that are popular right now, and what you’re good at doing, and who you want to do it for, you should be able to narrow down some very specific services for your customers based on the platform and your skill set. Remember to create an entire package instead of just charging hourly for the services. Packages ensure that you have time for more than one customer and that you produce consistent results.

 

Freelancing as a Social Media Manager

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Freelancing as a Social Media Manager

A very lucrative position as a freelancer, if you have the knowledge and skills, is to become a social media manager. A social media manager will manage a client’s social media for their business. They help plan, organize, and implement social media marketing plans that the customer has set up, or that they have set up for the client. An effective social media manager can make six figures plus today as a freelancer.

What It Takes

A social media manager plans, strategizes, and sets goals for developing brand awareness and online reputation for businesses and individuals. The social media manager may manage content marketing and promotions, search engine optimization, cultivate leads, manage reputations, and even deal with some aspects of sales from a social media standpoint.

• Be Self Motivated – Until you have clients, no one is going to be worried about what you’re doing all day long. You need to have time set aside for creating your packages and marketing them to your customers. Set up your goals and schedule to reflect the life you want to live.

• Focus on the Benefits – When you are marketing your services to your customers, always put benefits before features. If you bring up a feature, always focus it down to the benefits it provides the customer as a reason for it being there.

• Develop Systems and Processes – Even though you’re by yourself doesn’t mean you should use systems and processes that are old. Invest in modern software, tools, and resources so that you can automate some of the work while ensuring you are focused on deliverables.

• Rely on Your Schedule Not Willpower – The schedule is everything when you are a freelancer. Set aside enough time to get the work done, but don’t try to fill 40 hours a week with work. Instead, set your prices correctly so that you can focus on the schedule and get what you need to get finished done promptly.

A social media manager will often be responsible for brand development, customer identification, designing tasks based on clear objectives, visual design and web development, content strategy, promotional strategy, and more. However, don’t worry, you can narrow down the services you provide to be very specific, but this is a broad overview of the many ways a social media manager can serve their customers.

How to Get Started

To get started as a social media manager, one way to do this is to set up a package of services that you’ll deliver to the customer. For example, you might decide to focus on helping customers turn all their website content to promotions on social media platforms. Or you may decide to deal only with one type of social media - such as Instagram.

• Design a Package – You can help your customers become popular on Instagram or Pinterest through a program you design and implement for them, for example. You can design exactly what you do for them with particular terms such as create 30 Shoppable posts each month for Instagram or Pinterest from their website content to help them promote it.

• Focus on Deliverables – The best way to do this is to figure out what you want to do, what the deliverables will consist of, how long it takes you to put it together, what you need from them to do it in a timely way, and then to guide your customers so that it all works smoothly.

• Set Up Your Website – Set up a website to sell your services. Ensure that you have the website, social media platforms, and an email marketing software in place. You really shouldn’t skimp on any of this because this is what’s going to ensure you are in business long term. If you can demonstrate your skills, they’re going to be more likely to hire you. As a social media manager, you need to be very present on social media, demonstrating your skills.

Finally, you’ll want to avoid the pitfalls of working for yourself as a social media manager. For any freelance business, whether it’s social media manager or something else, the thing you have to guard against is setting your prices too low based on the time and experience it takes for you to be able to do what you do. Never put your fee below whatever you’ve determined is a living wage for yourself.

Don’t compete with people who set their prices too low; compete based on your experience and the results you provide your clients. Don’t try to work with people who aren’t the target audience you’ve determined is the best for you. This is your life and your business, so you get to choose who you work with and the prices that they pay. If you stick to that, you’ll avoid most of the pitfalls that occur when working as a freelancer.

5 Life Goals Every Person Should Have In 2020

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5 Life Goals Everyone Should Have In 2020

When we hear about goals, they often sound like something that changes year to year and frequently has to do with money or weight loss. But here are 5 goals that every person should strive toward every day regardless of the year. 

 

#1. True Happiness

Happiness is not really a destination as much as it is a state of mind. A billionaire could be miserable about what they don’t have, while a homeless dude could be happy to score a hot shower and a cooked meal at the local shelter. 

 

Happiness is all about perspective. While goals relating to tangible things like money can prove unsatisfying quests, the search for genuine happiness is one that will help you gain a more fulfilled and serene life.

 

#2. Integrity 

From business to interpersonal relationships, when you live life with honesty and commitment to ethical values, you’ll find that a rewarding sense of wholeness awaits you. Integrity is a goal that will help you feel like you’re making the world a better place with your presence. 

 

#3 Fulfillment

You can plug away at a nine-to-five job until you retire, but chances are that’s not going to make you live life to the fullest. You’ll be one of those faceless people in the crowd who live for the weekend—then trudge back to work. 

 

Instead, reflect on who you are, your strengths, your desires, and act accordingly. Whether it’s learning to find meaning at work, a career path that challenges you, or engaging with some satisfying hobbies, fulfillment in life is a great goal.

 

#4 Connection

Human beings are social creatures, so forging good relationships is the key to thriving and feeling happy. Family, professional, and personal relationships are all crucial components to providing a sense of connectedness with the rest of humanity—so make good friendships and foster existing links with family. 

 

At the same time, relationships do need boundaries, so learning how to create healthy interactions is also crucial for developing your sense of identity. 

 

#5 Self Worth

Nobody can be successful in life if they’re down in the dumps, so fostering a sense of self-worth is an esteemed goal that every person should pursue. There are many simple ways to do this—for example, treating yourself with dignity and respect by wearing clean clothes and practicing good hygiene. 

 

Education is also a key component to developing a sense of worth because with that knowledge comes better opportunities for a sense of security. 

 

Top 9 Benefits of Using & Keeping a Journal

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Journal with a pen and blog title

Quick Reference List of Benefits

  •  Benefit 1:  A Record of Your Life & Work Events 
  • Benefit 2: Stress Relief & a Cleansing Process
  • Benefit 3: A different Perspective on Challenges & RoadBlocks
  • Benefit 4: A Roadmap to Progress
  • Benefit 5: Ability to See Results and Progression
  • Benefit 6: The Ability to organize your thoughts and improve problem-solving
  • Benefit 7: Improved Memory
  • Benefit 8: Self Reflection
  • Benefit 9: Possible Improved Health  & Wellbeing

Journal with a pen and blog title

Top 9 Benefits of Keeping a Journal & Planner

But Not Everyone Is Doing It

Exactly, truth is some people find journaling appealing while others try to avoid anything that even sounds related to it like the plague.  If you are not currently among those of us keeping a journal or planner regularly, you might want to reconsider.  Did you know that there are numerous benefits to recording your thoughts, life, and dreams on a regular basis? Well yes, there are, and I will share with you my top 9 benefits of keeping a journal. 

 

A Record of Your Life & Work Events

Have you ever thought back on your high school or college days and thought, “What was his or her name?” Or have you ever wondered if a particular event happened in 2000 or 2005? A journal is a useful way to record significant events in your life.

Stress Relief & a Cleansing Process

When you get the tough stuff out on paper, you feel better.  To me, there is nothing more therapeutic than expressing your thoughts feeling and emotions. Instead of holding them in, you are able to release them and even process what occurred, etc. This can help you figure out different ways to manage difficult situations, and emotions. Journaling gives your emotional health a quick boost. 

Different Perspective on Challenges & RoadBlocks

Things look different in your head than they do on paper or on the computer screen. It’s a little less personal when you can see it. You might find that many of your challenges aren’t as challenging as you first thought.

A Roadmap to Progress

When you record your thoughts and your life, they’re right there in front of you. It’s easy to see how much your life is, or isn’t, progressing. Just looking back at your old entries can tell you a lot.

Ability to See Results and Progression

You will progress. When you record the most important happenings for the day, you’ll start to make new things happen. You’ll be embarrassed or annoyed with yourself if you keep recording the same old boring stuff each day. You’ll do new things in order to have something interesting to write about.

The ability to organize your thoughts and improve problem-solving

Journaling organizes your thoughts and improves your problem-solving abilities. You can clear some of the clutter out of your head when you journal and your subconscious can begin working on a solution to a challenge. I often consider my daily brain dump sessions in this as well. I love having the ability to get it all out and then see the ways that the ideas connect or show me other processes etc.

Improved Memory

If you reflect on your life at the end of the day and record it, you’ll be much more likely to remember it. It’s a great workout for your brain and an effective way to remember more of your life. It can be frustrating when you want to recall something that happened a few days ago, or even the day before and accessing it in your memory may not always be 100%. Journaling allows you to relive that day and your actions not only when you write it, but also when you go to recollect what happened as well. 

Self Reflection

You learn about yourself. When you keep a journal, you quickly see your behavioral patterns and tendencies. Not only is this an opportunity to check how you react to given situations, but it is also an opportunity to see areas that you may personally want to work on. 

Possible Improved Health  & Wellbeing

Journaling can lead to improved health. One study at the University of Auckland showed that writing in a journal can lead to faster wound healing and minimize the symptoms of several ailments, including asthma and irritable bowel syndrome.

Final Thoughts

Consider using a pen and paper instead of a computer for your journal. While using a computer can be more convenient, writing engages your mind at a higher level.

There are so many benefits to keeping a journal, not giving it a chance would be a shame. Try journaling for a full month and then make an evaluation. Decide for yourself if you want to continue. A journal is a great way to organize your thoughts and record your life.

More on the Benefits of Journaling

Need a Journal or Planner?

One of the most powerful tools in my personal and professional life has been using journals and planners.  Over the years I have used a plethora of journals and planners to keep my life organized and keep my ideas in order.

This has led to the creation of my journal and planner. Want in on the pre-order for the new & improved business and product/services journal? Use the linkhere to purchase the journal for the low introductory pre-order price of $19.00 (you will receive your pdf on Nov 29th) after you can still get the journal for $38.00 on Nov 29th the official release date.

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Latisha E. Sample

Your Business & Products Success Consultant