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The 7 Steps to Building a Vision for Your Business

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Welcome back! Last week I talked about a little thing called hopium. If you need a quick refresher; hopium is a slang term for “irrational or unwarranted optimism”. Kind of like buying a few shares of stock and expecting to be a millionaire by the end of the year. Last week we went over what hopium is and how not to get addicted to it but in broad strokes. This week we’re going more in-depth, with more specifics and quotable advice direct from our CEO Daniel Ramsey. He himself fell victim to hopium, years ago when he was growing MyOutDesk and dabbling in other ventures too. But he learned how to direct his focus to what matters, and create a realistic, sustainable vision for the future of his brand. So without further ado, here are the 7 steps every entrepreneur needs to avoid hopium and build an executable strategy plan.

7 Steps To Anti-Hopium

1. Love your existing business, clients, model, who & how you serve.

You need to first analyze how you currently make money, and also why you do. It’s not enough to just assume that you’re successful because you have a good product and you sold it well. To grow that success you need to understand why it worked for you when it didn’t work for others. Plenty of people has had great ideas and great products yet still faded into obscurity. Something about your business model is working, and you need to understand exactly why. Then you can truly appreciate and love that win, which so many others never had.

2. Talk to your customers.

Ask your clients why they use you, but come from a place of gratitude and understanding. What benefits do your customers receive by working with you, and why do they refer their friends & family? What value do you and your business bring to the world? Understand who your clients are and why your product has served them so well. What is it about you specifically that has endeared them? Then, be proud of that. Don’t take it for granted. Loving what you do, and then knowing why others love what you do, is imperative to giving the people what they need next.

3. Look at your model (gross margins, expenses, team members, marketing dollars, sales process)

Get a clear understanding & document it all.  So, how are you doing today?  Your team and your business; how is it all performing right now? Most people never print out their P&Ls! You’ve got to really look at your company margin, and understand the cost to acquire a new client. BTW, this is the hardest part of being an entrepreneur – really understanding your business model. It doesn’t happen overnight, and it often doesn’t happen naturally either. You’ve got to sit down and dig in, devote some time to crunching the numbers yourself. Having it all laid out in front of you, every turn, stop, and speedbump, will help you more than you realize. You can’t know where you’re going without a map.

4. Ask yourself: what would be amazing?

Without constraints, without money issues, people issues, process, and system issues; the question is if I could BUILD anything that would supercharge my existing business, what would that be? Who would need to be on my team? What do I need to start doing? Here’s the answer…. MORE! Dream big, dream without constraints – then narrow down to 1 or 2 initiatives that will deliver. One of Daniel’s favorite questions is, “if I waived a magic wand and you had to double your business how would you do that?” You should be able to answer that without coming up with some whole other endeavor unrelated to your business.

HINT: When you are under 1 million in revenue – #4 is typically more Sales & Marketing, at 1-10 million in revenue it’s about Systems & Processes and the right accountability, at above 10M – Team (the people) & Vision is the accelerator. 

5. Don’t forget to model the big boys!

You are not alone; there are a ton of creators, brokers, managers, and tech founders out there. Find 2-3 examples of someone who is already successful and copy them!  Study their path to success and learn from it. BUT only pick a competitor that is right ahead of you, someone just out of reach. DON’T look at the way Mark Zuckerburg is doing it if you’re a tech founder. How a trillion-dollar company does it is very different than how you’ll get to the next step in your development. Think of it like racing in NASCAR; if you’re just staring at the guy in 1st place from back in 5th place, you’re gonna crash into 3 other cars trying to catch up. Take it one car at a time.

6. Ask for help!

Cliche quote coming right up: Rome wasn’t built in a day! In fact, Rome wasn’t built in one lifetime, and it was never built by only the emperor. He had help and you should too.  A coach, mentor, therapist, attorney, investment advisor, peer group, etc. There are so many resources out there to take advantage of, and absolutely no one worth your time will look down on you for reaching out. Truly successful, real leaders often love to pass down their wisdom. And a good community loves to support and see each other win.

7. Build a plan.

I mean a real one, a plan that is likely to be successful. Baby steps at first, methodically – and then execute! Scaling a business isn’t magic,  it isn’t surprising, and it’s never an accident. Growth comes from a carefully thought out plan, and the discipline to stick to it(even when you may not have immediate results). Executing with grit even when there are roadblocks or failures or setbacks(there will be). And know that everything takes longer than you expect, but the results are always worth it.  

Conclusion

Once you’ve accomplished these steps, to the best of your ability, then you can call yourself a true CEO. A proper leader who provides an income for a whole team of people, and sells a product or service that truly helps their customers. No shortcuts, no tricks, no fluff, and no BS. Then comes the best part of all; when you walk in the front door to your family, you can hold your head up with pride because you had the courage and knowledge to grow & scale your business. The right way, the sustainable way. 

And now for the shameless plug; MyOutDesk! If you follow those 7 steps above, per our CEO’s advice, you should find yourself in the perfect position to grow. The next step(the bonus 8th step) would be to reach out to us about getting some virtual assistant help. We specialize in matching an eager, qualified professional from our pool to the needs of any business experiencing growth. Tasks that typically pain any successful business, like administrative assistance, customer service, marketing, sales, billing, etc. We have loyal professionals with the experience, education, and talent to do it all. So use the link below to request a consultation with one of our experts. We’d love to hear about your business and see if it’s a good fit. 

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

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Robert Massie Portrait recruiting virtual assistants

Robert W. Massie Testimonial: 150% More Recruiting At Half The Cost!

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Brightstar is a rapidly growing in-home healthcare organization striving to help Americans with quality, affordable assistance – but when it comes to recruiting the best of the best for their organization, who helps them? MyOutDesk! Just listen to what Brightstar Fairfax Owner & President Robert Massie has to say:

“Mark, our virtual assistant, is basically our recruiting department – and he’s been able to drive us from two hires a week to just over four hires a week in the last 12 months. He’s a very skilled individual who understands the health care market, very technically savvy, and he’s been very effective.”

A few years back, Massie left a successful Fortune 500 executive career to launch a Brightstar Franchise with his wife – and in the process, learned how painfully competitive the market is for qualified healthcare staff. He turned to MyOutDesk to help his recruiting, and in less than a year we gave him 150% higher results, for less than half the cost of in-house staffing! If you want to do the same, schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session now!

recruiting

 

So what’s the secret sauce that makes his MyOutDesk VA work? We found him a qualified, healthcare experienced recruiting assistant to handle all of his recruiting and turned it into a full-time role that let his HR staff focus on more important tasks in their daily routines. The results were impressive:

“I would’t have expected it was going to be quite this successful. You know, I thought that if I can get 70% of what I would have gotten otherwise maybe that’s good – but I’m getting 150% of what I used to get and it’s less than half the cost of a really good recruiter. It’s turned out to be very, very good – the outcomes can’t be argued with!”

Robert’s experience is similar to many MyOutDesk clients who rely on our trained recruiting assistants to find, follow up with, prequalify help onboard the best & brightest talent for America’s up & coming organizations. We have experience in several industries and across dozens of national market areas, and know-how to help your organization grow rapidly by outsourcing the phone work & scheduling to a trained virtual assistant.

Brightstar Fairfax is assisted by Mark – a hard-working VA with past experience as a trained nurse. We placed Mark with Robert’s team, and over the course of a year, he took them from 2 hires to over 4 per week: and helped them beat the competition to the highest quality trained labor for their organization!

If you’re trying to grow your organization, a recruiting assistant is an amazing resource to put your team growth into high gear, and is available for less than 60% of what you’d pay for in-house staff! Schedule a Double Your Business Strategy Session now and add a virtual assistant to your team today!

 

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

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a virtual assistant working in his notebook

Harvest Growth: You + the Right People = Profits

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In this Harvest Growth Podcast interview, Daniel Ramsey, the Founder, and CEO of MyOutDesk, asks the powerful question, “if you were forced to double your business, what tasks would you remove from yourself so you could focus 100% of your efforts on growth?”

The Harvest Growth Podcast

Grow Your Business Virtually

Link to Podcast

 

MyOutDesk has employed 1,200 virtual employees and helped over 7500 clients off-load tasks from themselves so they could grow their own businesses. 

Whether or not you are considering hiring virtual employees, during COVID even “regular” employees are now working virtually, and Daniel shares some great advice to make this new virtual workplace perform more effectively.

Jon LaClare at the Harvest Growth Podcast features MyOutDesk CEO, Daniel Ramsey.  The show covers:

  • How to increase productivity for your entire workforce, even when they are not working in your office on a daily basis
  • How to profitably hire the right people to offload time from your calendar so you can focus on growth, both business and personal
  • Understanding how to best utilize virtual assistants

Learn more about MyOutDesk, and text MOD to 31996 to get a free download of our Grow Virtual Guide!

If you have a product you are looking to launch or grow and you would like some help from a partner that has helped successfully launch hundreds of products that now total over $2 Billion in revenues, visit HarvestGrowth.com and set up a free consultation with a Product Launch Expert. 

 

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

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Every Leader Needs Help: The Case for Virtual Assistants

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No matter where you are in life & how successful you’ve been, all leaders know you can’t do everything on your own.

Even Iron Man needed the Avengers.

 

Effective Leadership: To make the best use of time & maximize productivity, leaders know how to effectively delegate & benefit from the assistance of others. Even leaders need help!

Let’s face it in today’s digital world, every successful business has its online presence. Whether we like it or not, it’s simply not feasible to operate without technological savviness. When daily busywork can bog you down, leverage the right kind of support that helps you thrive.

[Grab a FREE Strategy Call Here]

 

Every leader needs an assistant

Now, you can have a full-time Virtual Executive Assistant with a career background from your preferred industry and skillset!

A Virtual Personal & Executive Assistant can handle most, if not all of your paperwork, transactions, concierge-related tasks, and even reception calls! Whether it’s working on documentation, managing emails, transaction coordination, and the list goes on. A Virtual Personal Assistant can save you valuable time while handling these essential tasks that you do not need to be doing yourself.

 

You can sleep well at night knowing that your work transactions & tasks are handled on time -AND- you have plenty of quality personal & family time.

 

TENURED. COLLEGE-EDUCATED. CAREER VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS

WITH INDUSTRY EXPERTISE IN:

Property management, PR/Publicity, Real Estate, IT & Technology, HR, Insurance, Marketing, Finance, Retail, Inside/Outside Sales, and much more.

You can acquire top talent for your daily needs even while cutting your costs, saving you up to 70% of the cost of a traditional employee. Professional virtual assistants can grow your everyday capacity. Schedule an interview.

MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs

 

OUTSOURCE YOUR PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL WORKLOAD WITH PERSONAL ASSISTANT SOLUTIONS

The math is simple with an enormous ROI. A full-time Virtual Personal Assistant will lower your costs, reduce overhead, save time, and leverage professional talent for your career, business, and personal goals.

It’s no wonder entrepreneurs & career-focused professionals trust us most — with 15 years of experience serving over 7500 clients. We’ve saved our clients $55 million in the span of a single year, as the highest-rated virtual assistant company with more than 800 verified 5-star business reviews.

 

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

 

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5 Brilliant Business Ideas for 2022 – Must Read

The world is not ending, it’s just going through a strange time. If you’re feeling anxious about uncertainties in the 2022 economy, it’s time to consider innovative strategies to diversify your revenue & give your business much-needed stability. Finding creative ways to think outside of the box and out-innovate your competitors is a surefire way to thrive, no matter what the economic situation may be. All it takes is a little innovation and maybe a few of these ideas to get you started.

Execute all your business ideas without a hitch with a MyOutDesk Virtual Assistant! Book your Double My Business Strategy Session today to find out how!

[Grab a FREE Strategy Call Here]

Market Research

If you have a knack for gathering data and resources to get them, you may want to offer market research for businesses within your industry. Many business owners and entrepreneurs do not have the time or resources to research independently, so this may be a service you can offer. Through research and feasibility studies, you can examine different aspects of the data you find and help a business with its specific issues. For example, you can explore marketing, technology uses, research and development, and even automation.

Analytics

If you have experience and knowledge about the metrics of running a business, you should consider providing analytical services to business owners. Sometimes, businesses need a little help figuring out things like budget allocation, risk, reward, etc. Analytics provide these data points, but entrepreneurs often don’t understand how to get them or use them. You could help other small businesses raise their venture capital and grow their business.

Online Classes

If you have a specific topic that you feel you are an expert in or have developed a solid method to help people in your industry, why not build an online course? You can share your wisdom, help people out and earn some coin in the process. Online courses are top-rated and are often taken by those who wish to build their knowledge or look for ways to improve their business.

Referrals

This may be the best time to bank on referrals from past clients or customers. Build a referral program that will benefit both you and your referrers.  Be it loyalty reward points for discounts or cold hard cash, working out a solid referral program could bring you tons of new business. According to statistics, word of mouth is the primary factor behind 20-50% of purchasing decisions. Business to business companies with referrals have a 70% higher conversion rate, and they report a 69% faster close time on sales. CUSTOMERS WHO ARE REFERRED TO YOUR BRAND ARE UP TO 5X MORE LIKELY TO USE YOUR REFERRAL PROGRAM THAN CUSTOMERS WHO WEREN’T. Keep that in mind when you build your referral program and come up with something sure to keep those referrals pouring in.

Coaching/Mentoring/Consulting

If you have had great success in starting, running, and growing a business or business, you should definitely consider becoming a business coach or consultant or even starting a mentorship program. Many start-ups and budding entrepreneurs could benefit from your wisdom and advice.

These are just a few ideas you could use to branch out and expand your business this year. But, if you need a strong team to support you, schedule a Double Your Business Strategy Session today to find out how  MyOutDesk Virtual Assistant can do just that and more!

 

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

 

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Business people walking to the right

Business Trends in 2022 – 4 Tips For Growing Companies

Can you believe it’s December already? It feels like we spent 2020 anxious for 2021, and now it’s about to be 2022! Time flies when the world is constantly changing around us. But what are you and your business doing to evolve, and keep up with these changes? It’s adapt or die, nowadays. That’s why we put together this list of four points to focus on as we enter a new year, sure to help any established or growing companies. From climate change to the economy, from technology to public relations. There is a lot going on in the world, and it’s all happening at once and back to back. If you aren’t prepared, if you aren’t paying attention, you’re going to get left in the dust. And last I checked, dust doesn’t pay the bills. So read on for valuable insight on keeping your business sustainable and future-proof.

[Grab a FREE Strategy Call Here]

1. Go Green, Get Green

Every business must seek out ways of reducing its environmental impact. You may not think your company or your industry is a noteworthy culprit in this regard, but you’d be surprised. It could be the vehicles you use to transport something, a particular material used to manufacture a part of your product, or even the paper needed to file your invoices. Any way that you can eliminate or even reduce the environmental cost of doing business should be explored and implemented where viable. The age of conscious consumption is upon us. Go green now, get more green later.

2. Humans VS Machines

It doesn’t have to be a battle between the two, this isn’t a sci-fi movie. But it’s not news that society as a whole has grown to rely on technology quite a bit. Nowadays consumer experiences have become increasingly automated thanks to advancements in tech and AI. A future-proof business will find success in a happy marriage between the human experience and the artificial one. Be that automated customer support or no-contact deliveries, there is surely room somewhere in your business model to plug in(no pun intended) helpful tech. You should be able to clearly define which roles can be automated, and which need that human touch. Don’t be afraid to embrace new technology that makes you more productive or makes the lives of your customers easier. 

3. Shifting Talent Pools

There is a lot going on in the workforce right now. Like increasing acceptance of remote work, and a younger generation of workers not willing to settle. The “anti-work” movement may be something you’ve heard of, but don’t fall for the drama. Most of these people do want to work, they just want better jobs. This younger workforce wants better pay, more respect, trust, and flexibility. The gig economy is also influencing how new professionals look at work. It’s predicted that the 9-5 will become uncommon someday, in favor of contract-style work instead. Can your business support that kind of flexibility? Are you doing everything you can to reduce turnover and increase loyalty? Do your employees feel aligned with your company’s vision? Do they respect their leaders? These are hard questions you need to be able to answer correctly.

4. Authenticity Pays Off

Depending on your company/product, adding a bit of humanity to your PR couldn’t hurt. Consumers these days are seeking more meaningful and honest connections with the brands they choose to do business with. They’ve become less influenced by the efforts to seem relatable that end up being transparent to the true goal; profits. Just as they’ve become less tolerant of the cold, corporate work culture at the office. People want authenticity now. They want companies to display more human traits in their advertising, social media efforts, and public statements. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable, and own up to your mistakes while making efforts to correct them. But also don’t be afraid to be strong, and stand up for what you believe in. If you support something your customers support, they’ll support you too.

 

virtual assistant in front of computer working

Evolve or Die

Of course, there are a lot more factors to consider when evaluating how to make your business future-proof, but these four should be enough to get you started. The world is moving fast, changing in many different ways. And change isn’t always linear! Sometime’s change can mean taking a whole different route, it can even mean taking a step back sometimes. The bottom line is, if you’re a business looking to stick around and grow, you need to be adaptable to these movements. You need to do the homework, weigh your options, and pay attention to what’s going on even outside of your own industry. For example, a simple thing like implementing some form of tech automation in your product could have a cascading effect on your business. Maybe that thing eliminates the need to outsource a specific role, freeing up more budget to support the employees you really need and retain them. All while improving the customer experience and increasing profits. Imagine that? It may not be that simple for everyone, but regardless of simplicity, it will be worth it. Evolution is rarely painless, but what doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger.

How Virtual Assistants Fit

And I’d be remiss without mentioning again how valuable virtual assistants can be, with virtually all of these points. You can literally plug a virtual assistant into any of those topics and there’d be a clear way they can contribute to your business. They are experienced, trained, cost-effective, and reliable. Not to mention overseas, meaning they can work just about any hours you prefer. Even at night when you’re asleep! How about waking up to a job well done already? If you want to discuss how a virtual assistant can help your company be ready for 2022, click the link below to request a FREE one-on-one consultation. 

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

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a team of virtual assistants working remotely

9 Awesome Real Estate Apps

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There are so many Real Estate apps out there and some of them can be expensive. How do you know which ones are essential? How do you choose those that will be helpful for your business and your remote team? We’ve put together this list of free and affordable Real Estate apps to help in your research. Let’s dive in!

two people utilizing a tablet in real estate shopping

Trello

Trello is one of the most popular projects management tools for real estate for many reasons. It has a free version which would be adequate for most teams but for bigger teams, it has upgraded tools that can scale with any size. Philadelphia Realtor, Jennifer Geddes, uses Trello to streamline her transactions. You customize your Trello board to fit your business processes and gives everyone on your team the ability to see where the project is at and what needs to be done next. She talks about it here:

Trello

HubSpot CRM and Sales Tool

With over 30,000 customers in 91 countries, HubSpot is one of the most widely used free CRMs real estate apps and sales tools on the planet. The best part? It’s FREE. HubSpot is a CRM that also offers marketing and sales tools. Furthermore, with the free version of HubSpot’s software, it offers contact management, deal and task pipelines, email scheduling, email templates, and more. Hubspot reported a 100% traffic increase in the first three months for Rever.VN.

HubSpot CRM and Sales Tool

Clozio

Custom checklists that keep you (and your team) on track. Elegant calendars to keep your clients informed and engaged. All in one central place. A starter account is free! Realtors usually go for Clozio to stay organized. Additionally, it allows you to keep clients on the same page for all the dates and to-dos that come along with a typical real estate transaction.

Clozio

Broker Assist

Broker Assist is the on-demand agent-to-agent referral network real estate app and collaborative marketplace for real estate professionals. BrokerAssist connects agents and brokers in real-time on their outbound referrals and notifies them of inbound referral opportunities in their area. As well, BrokerAssist offers a marketplace solution for agents and brokers to collaborate on fractional assistance for deal-specific tasks (showings, open houses, inspections, etc). Broker assist is Free to sign up, free to request & assist, free referral networking.

Broker Assist

Spacio

Spacio helps you maximize open house lead generation opportunities and increase ROI by automating lead capture for 100% follow-up. Make the best first impression at your open house by inviting visitors to check-in by filling out Spacio’s professional and elegant digital sign-in form. Accurately collect visitor information and automatically send follow-up emails after your open house ends. No more unreadable handwriting no more lost leads. Spacio offers a 30-day free trial and offers affordable packages for as low as $25 a month depending on your needs.

free business growth guides

Spacio

Propertybase

Propertybase is a powerful website builder website / CRM combo for advanced lead generation and nurture. Its well-equipped CRM does pretty much everything a Realtor could need from managing projects, opportunities, and contacts. It makes lead and pipeline management easy with a customizable lead scoring platform. You can request a demo and decide how you want to proceed after that.

Propertybase

Amitree Folio

Folio attaches to your Gmail account and automatically organizes transactions, documents, and deal timelines. This gives you the ability to share with your clients. You can also sync calendars, set reminders, and even loop in service providers to make sure everyone is on the same page. It automatically detects a real estate professional’s transactions and organizes them in real-time into Smart Folders. Sign-up is free.

Amitree Folio

Zillow Premier Agent app

Zillow Premier Agent offers a surprisingly robust free CRM real estate app that lets you import leads from Boomtown! or Realtor.com through Gmail. You can set up tasks, reminders, texts, and emails like any good CRM. Additionally, it also gives you a granular look at what your leads are searching for on Zillow in detail if you sign up for their My Agent program that makes you the only buyer’s agent your leads see on Zillow.

Zillow Premier Agent app

ProAgent Solutions

Pro Agent Solutions is a real estate app that works with you to help automatically reach out to realtors who have shown your listings. Additionally, it can get relevant timely feedback from them that you can read and pass on to your clients. You can also have Pro Agent Solutions send it along for you. If you use Supra or another electronic lockbox service, you can link your account, further automating the feedback solicitation process. Lastly, with a 30-day free trial, this is a tool that everyone should check out and see if it is worth the cost, which ranges from $3 to $50 monthly a month (paid annually).

ProAgent Solutions

CONCLUSION

Working from home can make you feel isolated or like you can’t get everything that you needed to be done. Luckily, with the help of these apps and all the amazing online tools that are available. Thankfully, you are now given the ability to stay on top of all the things you need to do remotely, on your smartphone.  In conclusion, now all you have to do is choose whether to completely handle these apps yourself or delegate them to your team, or a combination of both.

a smiling mod virtual assistant working

Now you have the technology, what about people to manage them?

MyOutDesk Virtual Assistants

MyOutDesk is the leading provider of virtual assistants in real estate, generating massive GCI while cutting costs. We have white-glove service and an astringently vetted talent pool. Our virtual assistants can manage your real estate apps, keep you up to date, and research upcoming technology that can give you a competitive edge in the market.

It costs up to 70% less than a traditional employee, yes you heard that right. Realtors can access IPC and GPDR compliant productivity tracking software through the MyOutDesk Client Portal with MyTimeIn timesheets. MyOutDesk Virtual Assistants have professional experience in sales, marketing, transaction coordination, operations, general administrative management, and more.

 

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

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a struggling business owner

Keeping Your Business Going In Uncertain Times

No matter how much you plan ahead, there are certain things that no amount of preparation can account for. Being flexible and quick on your feet can make all the difference between your business failing and thriving in times of crisis.

Have the best team in place no matter the situation with MyOutDesk Virtual Assistants! Schedule your GoRemote with MyOutDesk Virtual Assistants Strategy Session today to find out how.

Be a Chameleon

Find creative ways to adapt to the current situation. Brainstorm with your team and talk about alternative ways you can run the business while you are at home. If you run a B2C model and rely on face-to-face, in-store interaction with clients, think of ways to provide the same service in a different way. For example, many restaurants continue to operate by adding a delivery service, giving discounts and coupons, subscriptions, etc. to keep up with the competition. This is a more obvious example of course, but take a look at your business model and find ways you can work around your current situation.

 

Keep The Current Situation Top Of Mind

In your marketing, be aware of how you can keep your message relevant to the current situation. Increased and flexible marketing is crucial right now because many people will wonder whether certain businesses are still operational. Make sure your target audience knows you’re open and still going strong.

 

Plan Ahead

It’s important to consider not only how to survive as a business, but also to have a strategy in place for what’s going to happen afterward. Don’t assume that once the crisis has passed, things will just go back to the way they’d been before the outbreak. One key consideration is that being confined to their homes will likely lead to many customers switching to online or otherwise remote solutions, and it shouldn’t be assumed that post-crisis, they will go back to the solutions they’d used prior to the outbreak.

 

Have a Plan A to Z

Make sure that you explore different scenarios and challenges and solutions and steps you will deploy for each one. While you may not be able to predict anything, it’s nice to have contingencies in place so that you can adapt to any situation, odds are that if something comes up that you may not have an exact plan for, having several different challenges plus solutions will help you.

 

Embrace New Technology

Since remote work is now the norm, this is the perfect time to find and try out new innovations in software, apps etc. That may benefit your business’ new set-up. Do your research and try different ones. Consider using online platforms for your planning and communication. Use Google Docs or dropbox for collaborative documents and files that everyone can edit and comment on, Monday or similar software for business planning that keeps everyone on the same page, and the likes of Slack or Stormboard for brainstorming and file-sharing.

We are all in limbo as things unfold in the world, but your business does not have to be. If you would like to discuss further remote staffing options, make sure to schedule a GoRemote with MyOutDesk Virtual Assistants Strategy Session so we can discuss options and how we can help.

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happy grasshopper header

How To Recruit and Retain – with Dan Stewart at Happy Grasshopper

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The foundation of any professional empire is recruitment and retention. Because people are the material that makes up your business, and that material needs to be strong and long-lasting. In this webinar recording, you’ll be encouraged to reflect on this topic, and how it pertains to your specific company needs. Nowadays remote work is the new normal, and believe it or not, it actually has gotten easier to implement remote services to help you recruit the right people. All the while saving you up to 70% of the cost of a traditional employee!

[Considering a Virtual Assistant?]

Recruit and Retain

 

R&R has a different meaning from 9 to 5, and it isn’t rest and relaxation; it’s recruit and retain. We talk about exactly how to best do that, here in this webinar series with Dan Stewart, president of Happy Grasshopper.

[Virtual Success Webinar Series] This mastermind webinar shows you how to:

  • Leverage recruitment strategies. What you need to know to attract instead of recruit. Attract competitive talent without seemingly “recruiting.”
  • Nurture & break the cycle. Break the churn-and-burn cycle & nurture productivity with your current team.
  • Scale business & improve processes. Understand the entrepreneur’s scale strategy. Build an engine to efficiently process recruits & new hires.
  • Use VIRTUAL best practices. Metrics, tools, and filters. How to recruit remotely.

 

Key Takeaways
  • Identify, Attract, Retain. If you’re more certain of what you want, you WILL get it!
  • Know the Power of Questions. Slow down and think about the right questions to ask. What’s the purpose of your prosperity? What’s your overall GIANT GOAL?
    QUESTIONS lead to… CONVERSATIONS … which lead to RELATIONSHIPS … then to OPPORTUNITIES … and lastly to SALES. (Read more)
  • Recruitment is a process of EXIT and ARRIVAL EXIT. Receives a signal that they’ve outgrown their former life ARRIVAL – In a new, fantastic adventure, opportunity, career, or way of thinking. Ask yourself, “Are you going to be the HERO of the story, or the GUIDE, the MENTOR?” — YOU ARE THE GUIDE!
  • 2 Recruiting Styles. 1) OBI-WANs recruit and depart. They show up, and then they’re gone! 2) LUKEs stay on a mission with the recruit, someone they go to battle with. They stay on the mission together.

 

Dan Stewart is a veteran of multiple startups with over 10 years of experience in helping businesses save more money, while also making more money.

Book a tour with Dan Stewart’s Happy Grasshopper:
https://happygrasshopper.com/tour/

 

[Considering a Virtual Assistant?]

 

How virtual staffing solve recruitment challenges

 

Now that we’ve established the importance of recruiting and how to keep good talent around, let’s talk about the best way to achieve all of that. In a world quickly becoming increasingly remote, it pays to lean into that trend. This is why it’s become highly recommended to look into virtual staffing solutions, like MyOutDesk.  Let’s take a look at an easy-to-digest list of exactly why a virtual professional can be right for just about anyone…

Recruitment Duties Solved by Virtual Assistants

Industries: Professional Services, Healthcare, Retail, Mortgage & Lending, Real Estate, Residential Services, Cannabis, HRO & PEO, Insurance, Finance, Creative Agency, IT, Web, Technology, and more!

  • Prospecting
  • Outbound Prospecting recruitment calls and follow-up
  • Cold calling
  • Pre-screening
  • Recruitment cycle coordination
  • Calendaring and appointments

Example Real Estate Recruitment Duties Solved By Virtual Assistants

  • Calling realtors/agents & set up appointments with brokers
  • Check-in with monthly RE exam passers
  • From the initial interview to an office visit

Example Healthcare Recruitment Duties Solved By Virtual Assistants

  • Healthcare-educated staffing solutions
  • On-boarding paperwork
  • Director of Traffic
  • Virtual reception

 

Business leaders, take your time back & let virtual assistants grow your company talent!

 

[Considering a Virtual Assistant?]

Company growth potential with virtual recruitment assistants

Successful individuals and businesses often do not have the time it takes to hire and train a talented individual properly. You should be leveraging this job to experts who have already mastered recruiting and training. Imagine only having to sit back and observe as your expert recruiter leads a deep dive into three impressive candidates’ personalities, operating styles, successes, failures, learning experiences, and more… Then having the confidence that they’ll pick the one who’s the exact right fit for your business needs. 

The math is simple with an enormous ROI. A full-time Recruiting Virtual Assistant will lower your costs, reduce overhead, save time, and leverage professional talent for your company.

 

 

MyOutDesk’s Commitment to You 

We’re in the business of helping you find the best solutions for ‘hybrid’ virtual & physical offices. If you need help or want to explore some ideas, you can schedule a free Grow Virtual Strategy Call with us today. 

 

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on the employment cost
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

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Boomtown and virtual assistants

How BoomTown CRM works — With Grier Allen, Co-Founder & CEO of BoomTown

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BoomTown Real Estate CRM is the all-in-one platform that gives small to midsize businesses the edge they need to increase their sales, grow more efficiently, and thrive in a competitive marketplace.

But before we get into what BoomTown CRM does for real estate agents, let’s take a step back and ask: What do you need from your CRM?

Aside from simple contact management tools like address books and calendars, you should also have reporting capability so you can keep tabs on your sales pipeline and profitability. You want a system that will analyze your data for you so it’s as easy as possible for you to make informed decisions about how best to grow your business.

 

How BoomTown CRM works

BoomTown is also perfect for new agents because it features a one-time, easy-to-read training module that will allow you to start making money almost immediately. Above all, there’s a reliable customer support team to help answer your questions and solve your problems.

So what benefits does BoomTown have to offer small businesses like your real estate office or individual agents?

Let’s take a look.

 

 

BoomTown CRM Features

The BoomTown Real Estate CRM includes a full suite of features, including IDX site integration, seller lead suite, automatic CRM-to-Lead conversion, IDX feed, social integration, lead routing & follow-up emails, customizable landing pages for hot leads, and more. BoomTown also automates your pipeline management by presenting you with immediate access to hot leads.

  • IDX Website – Multi-Site
  • Multiple Website Themes
  • Site Customization
  • Landing Pages
  • NOW Mobile App Hot Sheet Customizable Smart-Drip Plans
  • Bulk Actions
  • Listing Promotion
  • Dynamic Retargeting
  • Success Assurance (Opt.) Zapier, GCal, Addt’l Integrations
  • Lead Routing
  • Seller Lead Suite Pipeline Management
  • Tagging & Segmenting
  • Best-Fit Leads
  • Reporting Dashboard
  • Sharing Library
  • Lead Matching
  • Networked Sites

 

BoomTown Real Estate CRM is a sure bet for building and tracking your clientele. The software allows agents to schedule meetings and sync with third-party apps, and track leads in a simple pipeline management system. When it comes to building your clientele, you can quickly and easily search through your database of contacts using filters like geography, contact information, notes, etc. You can then sort them into custom lists based on their interest category.

[Considering a Virtual Assistant?]

 

 

BoomTown CRM Review

BoomTown Real Estate CRM is a great solution for real estate agents and brokers to streamline their business processes while maximizing their productivity.

Since 2006, BoomTown has been bringing together world-class lead generation, CRM software, real estate websites, and mobile app technology – but creating this industry-changing platform wasn’t an easy task, and it faced daunting initial competition.

Join BoomTown Co-Founder & CEO Grier Allen as he shares his experience as the Co-Founder & CEO of BoomTown, where he has worked relentlessly to build & optimize a seamless lead generation & conversion platform used by top agents & brokers to grow their real estate business in today’s online real estate economy.

 

 

BoomTown isn’t “just another” agent website company – it’s a major industry leader in real estate technology. It was recognized on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing companies in 2011, 2012, and 2013, and its software used by 25% of the Real Trends top 500 teams and current partners include BombBomb, Mojo Dialer, RPR, and Bandwidth.

In 2018, Grier was named to The Swanepoel Power 200 list for the second time, ranking #132, and #16 in the Technology Executives category – highlighting his presence as a key driver and influencer making the big changes in the real estate industry.

In this exclusive interview, you’ll find out what drives him, and where his vision for real estate technology will take us in the future.

[Up to 70% off: Virtual Assistants]

 

What a productive real estate team in 2021 looks like

 

Don’t box yourself! Outsourcing opens up your world to the talent that’s more affordable and probably more fit with your needed skill sets, saving you tens of thousands from additional office space, and other significant expenses related to in-house hires.

 

“Outsourcing makes the hustle better — because you’re not burdened with many/growing expenses that you’ll need to figure out how to cover and hit profit”

 

 

 

 

Focus on your growth & scale your operations

ENVISIONING OF A NEW REALITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Simply put, MyOutDesk equips entrepreneurs & business owners with tools, strategies, and virtual employees – and when combined, businesses have a competitive edge and find growth while efficient systems and processes are put in place.

MyOutDesk proudly provides additional free business growth guides, books, and strategy calls.

See what we are about, and schedule a free consultation with us. We’ll take the time to learn more about your business and offer solutions to foster top talent and lower operational costs for your company.

 

Claim a free business strategy consult
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

 

 

Did You Know?  MyOutDesk’s origin story is set during the last global financial crisis of 2008. Yes, that’s right — our business started by scaling businesses with virtual assistants during a recession! Our first client in 2008 went from five to seventeen VPs with a completely revamped organizational model in short order, and he told MyOutDesk, “Our virtual professionals have shaved $250,000 off our monthly overhead.”

 

 

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a virtual assistant headshot with a teamwork background

Blended Business Model: Remote Work with Traditional Employees & Virtual Assistants

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We all know that businesses are thriving online in today’s information age. So why aren’t businesses proportionally blending their physical and remote practices?

Working from home is actually more productive than working from the office. According to studies from Stanford, it turns out work-from-home employees work a true full-shift (or more) versus being late to the office or leaving early multiple times a week and found it less distracting and easier to concentrate at home.

The fact that the Internet and other modernizations have globalized our economy gives you a chance to scale your business faster and further than ever before, using a blended business model, as many big companies do.

What exactly is a Blended Business Model?

A blended business model is an engineered organizational chart where part of an organization works in-house and another part works virtually.

Symptoms when without a Blended Business Model:

  • Company revenue productivity is suffering because most of your time as the CEO is spent on non-revenue efforts.
  • Your growth curve is flat because you’re stuck with administrative work.
  • You know you need support but do not want to go through the tedious process of hiring, only to have your hires leave after a period of time, thus putting you in a vicious cycle.
  • Your workload is starting to get overwhelming and the quality of your life is suffering.

Hiring Virtual Assistants solves a lot of problems and actually brings many benefits. For example, a full-time Virtual Assistant will cost you 25%-30% of the cost of an in-house employee. A Virtual Assistant will have their own equipment and software, and will not take up any precious office space, so overhead costs are cut down as well. Organizations like MyOutDesk cover HR concerns, benefits, and even things like paid time off; while all you do is pay your monthly subscription.

Still curious about MyOutDesk Virtual Assistants? Schedule your Go Remote Business Strategy Session now to learn more!

 

Free Thrive Guide + Strategy Consultation

 

The Stats: Blended Teams Outperform Competitors

Stanford Studies have shown that remote workers show increased productivity by 16%. Those who work from home seem to be more focused with fewer distractions. They also found that employees working in open offices took 62% more sick days than virtual employees.

Deloitte’s Millennial Survey 2017 found that remote work arrangements are “strongly linked to improved performance and employee retention.” Furthermore, 38% of respondents reported they were likely to leave their current employer within the next two years, with much citing work/life balance and flexibility as major contributing factors.

Large companies are benefitting from using a blended employment model. In fact, a new regulation stemming from the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act has given us a clearer picture of the extent to which some of the largest U.S. companies employ global talent.

You might be surprised at the high percentages of global talent that successful companies have reported so far:

  • Kellogg: 80%
  • General Electric: 66%
  • United Technologies: 68%
  • Whirlpool: 80%
  • Merck: 55%
  • Honeywell: 58%
  • Hanes: 80%
  • Mattel: 78%
  • Wal-Mart: 35%

If these major companies employ this strategy, there is no reason that you cannot for your own business as well.

 

MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & Go Remote Guide

 

Implications of Outsourcing: Virtual Assistants + Traditional Employees = Growth

Employing a Virtual Assistant means that the company is making an investment for the entire team and looking to achieve the next level of excellence and performance. A Virtual Assistant is a full-time addition to the organization, but they will work with you virtually. They can shoulder specific daily responsibilities, help maintain smooth operations, and allow the physical team more freedom to focus on their work.

Imagine not needing to take every distracting phone call anymore, until a relevant call is forwarded to you!

We’re helping to level the business playing field by helping small & medium-sized businesses offshore as the big companies have for years. It doesn’t mean that jobs are going away, but it does mean that more work is available and more income is generated because entrepreneurs finally have the affordable help they need to close more transactions & generate more commissions.

Don’t do this alone. Come out stronger with MyOutDesk.

Find the knowledge + positive support that you need NOW.
Claim a free business strategy consultation & Go Remote Guide

 

Virtual Assistants & Blended Teams

When we founded MyOutDesk 15

years ago, we realized that a virtual assistant living in the Philippines could do all of the clerical work online that an assistant could here in the USA for a fraction of the cost, and when we started helping small businesses to hire them we realized that it was a win-win proposition for everyone.

Virtual assistants have all the qualifications (and often more) than local labor but at 1/3 the cost — which means you can afford to hire better help for a lower price, and you can afford to employ MORE of that help to grow your business. They’re high-quality labor, with a great education and an outstanding work ethic, and available for wages that similarly qualified Americans typically won’t work for.

Blended teams are exciting because it finally means that entrepreneurs can employ a competitive advantage in their business formerly reserved only for top-tier manufacturing companies — like the folks who made your iPhone. Just like them, you’re able to delegate repetitive, non-dollar productive tasks to a virtual assistant, which in turn helps you focus your time & energy on what actually makes you money.

The fact that the Internet and other modernizations have globalized our economy gives you a chance to scale your business faster and further than ever before, using Virtual Assistant services. Demand for virtual talent is increasing because it works for most business owners. Simply put: it is good for business.

To learn more comprehensively about the blended business model (as well as other awesome strategy guides) schedule your Go Remote Business Strategy Session today and find our how a MyOutDesk Virtual Assistant can support you to boost your business.

 

Claim a free business strategy consultation & Go Remote Guide

 

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marvin mitchell portrait financial services virtual assistants

Marvin Mitchell: Making a 20x ROI with Virtual Assistants!

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Marvin is a top-ranked, nationally recognized financial advisor with a focus on helping people invest & save more wisely for their golden years. As the founder of Compass Retirement Solutions, his team leverages MyOutDesk virtual assistants for both administrative & inside sales roles, and on average, they’re making him over a 20x ROI – and sometimes even more.

“My virtual assistant made me $43,000 in commissions less than half an hour ago, so if you’re still on the fence about hiring one, my advice is: just do it. The ROI on our virtual assistants is amazing – it’s definitely going to finish the year over 20x…”

Marvin isn’t just leveraging his ISAs for prospecting: he’s also using them to prequalify prospects, which saves his team of advisors countless hours – and lets them focus on advising only qualified prospects who are ready to take advantage of his expertise. This is only one of the many strategies Marvin has used to grow his business into the #3 financial advising firm in the United States. Take Marvin’s advice: just do it! Schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session now!

Marvin grew up in a working-class family in St. Louis, with little money. The first in his family to earn a college degree, Marvin put his law school education on hold to help care for his grandmother after she was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. Marvin soon discovered that, although his grandmother had worked her whole life, she was still susceptible to financial turmoil as a result of poor financial advice and a stock market crash. Inspired to help other, hardworking retirees, Marvin became a broker for a large financial institution in 2005 before founding Compass Retirement Solutions.

“Once we get that lead, that’s where my MyOutDesk virtual assistants come in – they’re following up on those leads, getting them on our calendar and making our time more efficient. It saves us literally hundreds hours of time because we don’t have to skim through all of those individuals to find the most qualified people – and it’s changed our average case size from $325,000 to over $850,000!”

In 2016, he received the Salute to Business Excellence Award as voted by the St. Louis American Newspaper, and also that year, he was an honored recipient of the St. Louis County NAACP Distinguished Legacy Award. Schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session now, and drill down on doing your one thing to the absolute best of your abilities.

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