Key #4 – Plan It Out

The New Year has started; have you set your goals for the year? If you are like most people, your goals have been identified. Have you gone beyond thinking and identifying them? Do you have a plan? Or are you simply ?going for it?? Are you committed to the cause? How badly do you want to achieve your goal? What is your passion factor?

One of my favorite quotes is something Bear Bryant said ?It’s not the will to win, but the will to prepare to win that makes the difference.? While we all know you must first start by determining what your goals are, you need to do more than simply identify your goals. Whether it is a personal or business goal, sometimes what we seem to think is doable for the year becomes overwhelming when its time to actually get started. What would be the best way to break it down so that you can actualize your goal? You need to determine your plan of action that will get you there. Chunk it out. You can break it down by both actions and by time frames so that it has a level of measurability. Dream big. Don?t be afraid to reach for the moon, the stars and a few planets too. By breaking down your goals into quarterly, monthly and weekly time frames, you?ll be able to have greater focus on what needs to be done now without feeling overwhelmed by the big picture.

Try going about your goals like a NASCAR? pit crew. They look at the end of the race first (your goal for the end of the year) and work the plan backwards. They plan where each pit stop must be (each goal marker in your case) and where each tire change (more goal markers) must be in order to win the race. So they start with the end in mind. If your goal is to make a million dollars this year, you need to be at $250,000 by the end of March, $500,000 by the end of June, and $750,000 by the end of September in order to win the year at $1,000,000. So think like a NASCAR? pit crew and look at the end first and work backwards.

Think ahead. Don?t be afraid to seek help! If you are stuck knowing how to start or where to go next, get help. Ask your friends and colleagues. I have found that people are surprisingly happy and eager to share what they know. You can start by researching the internet. You can also talk to people you know. Look for networking groups/sites on the internet and find the discussion boards and start asking your questions. There is an incredible wealth of information right at your fingertips. Once you get started, stick to it and don?t sell yourself short! You are only limited by your imagination.

Track your progress. Ignorance is not bliss. You can?t get yourself back on track if you don?t know whether or not you?ve fallen off. What if you don?t have all the hours in the day to do take care of the tasks needed? Are you going to accept that as an excuse or are you going to do something about it? You know what I?m going to say next, right? Of course, if you don?t already have one, HIRE A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT! If you already have a virtual assistant, are you maximizing her time and resources? If so, GREAT. If not, why not? Are you aware of all of her skills? Have you asked her how much time she has to offer you? Talk to her. Virtual assistants care deeply about the growth of your business. Your success is their success. Find out how your virtual assistant can help you meet your goals by talking to her. Share with her your plans and visions. Tap into her resources and if you need more assistance, don?t be shy about getting a 2nd virtual assistant!

To your success!

Ruthie Palmatier

Team Double-Click?We don’t just tell you where you can find a virtual assistant. We assess your needs and match you with one of our highly-skilled and Team Double-Click? trained virtual assistants. Then we monitor and nurture that relationship so you get the most out of hiring virtually. Think of us as your virtual Human Resources department!. To find out More about our virtual assistants and service click on following banner:

Key #3: Training

Are you struggling with the thought of how to train your virtual assistant? Is that preventing you from getting started? I hear that a lot. Maybe you are concerned with the amount of time it might take to train her. I hear that too. The first thing to remember is that if don?t train your virtual assistant to take over those tasks, you?re still stuck doing them yourself. Are you ready to move forward and get back to doing what you do best? If so, then let the virtual assistant do what she does best. She?s the skilled administrative assistant. She LOVES doing that kind of work.

Now, there are a couple of ways to go about training your assistant. While your assistant is already a trained administrative professional, you will still need to train her to your specific ways of doing things. Yes, it may take you some time to go through each of the steps, but once you do and she?s off and running you can move on to those things that you have been wanting to get to. If the training is complex or lengthy, consider recording the training call. That way she can go back over her notes and make sure she didn?t miss anything.

Did I say notes? YES! Have your assistant take notes of your training calls, each and every time. At the end of the training, have her type up those notes and email them to you. Go over those notes yourself to make sure she got all the steps and that you didn?t miss anything. This is a good way to also ensure that she understood you correctly. Then have her save that document into a new folder called ?Training Manual?. Each time you go over something new, have her document the training and then again, email you those training notes. These notes are now building a training manual for you and your business.

As a business owner, having a training manual, or a procedures manual is really critical. What if your VA gets sick and you need to bring someone else to fill in? What if down the road you decide you want to add to your staff, virtual or otherwise? Having document training materials will truly make your life easier. So, please take the time to train your assistant properly. It is an investment that will pay off with high returns!

Team Double-Click?The original and still the best:? Team Double-Click?s thorough virtual assistant screening process, outstanding customer service, and innovative approach to virtual staffing has earned the company mentions and features in such esteemed media as Entrepreneur Magazine, Staff Digest, CNN Money, NBC News, and even Woman?s Day magazine.? Team Double-Click? is truly setting the standard for the virtual assistant industry.. To find out More about our virtual assistants and service click on following banner: