Win clients, Thrive in today’s environment and Protect Lives with this simple checklist.
Whether your business is working remotely or demands a physical workplace, you can promote health & safety today by daily COVID-19 Screenings. (Click here to Download Now)
Don’t do this alone
Schedule a free Thrive Strategy Consultation with MyOutDesk!
Be Vigilant. Promote Productivity. Bring peace of Mind.
Don’t ignore today’s concerns. As an employer and entrepreneur, you can relax anxieties in the workplace by implementing daily screenings. This temporary, everyday routine assures that you are serious in protecting the health and safety of all employees as well as protecting productive business functions. You must ensure that your employees feel safe in these times for your business to thrive.
Many of our clients have scheduled a Thrive Strategy consultation in recent weeks. If you want to keep your business thriving today, download our complimentaryEntrepreneur’s Thrive Guidenow!
The first, local government-mandated guidelines for employers to fight COVID-19 with daily screenings was implemented in Fresno County, California, an important agricultural hub in the state. The county requires employers to perform daily employee screenings to ensure community safety against COVID-19. Do your part and enact this measure in your community right now, even before any city or county orders. Trust us, these efforts won’t go unrecognized.
Thrive with MyOutDesk.
Schedule a free Thrive Strategy Consultation!
Download Screening Checklist Templates
Download checklist templates. These checklists not only screen employees for symptoms but also offer an everyday reminder to practice safe physical distancing and practice good handwashing protocol. The worst-case scenario by ignoring this method is unknowingly spreading the virus in your workplace and losing your workforce in this important time to remain productive.
Find out how the CARES Act can help your business and how you can get your hands on part of the $2 trillion stimuli. Due to popular demand, MyOutDesk will host another live webinar TODAY—helping you further understand the implications of the CARES Act and how you can take advantage of it.
Strategize, Make Money, Save Money, & Thrive Today
Access more business guides & Schedule a free consultation today!
MyOutDesk wants to support your business as you go through this change in today’s market. We serve you by adding value through resources, helping you support your customers, and providing remote solutions that allow your business to thrive and survive!
Virtual Assistant costs can be covered by EIDL! The cost of full-time MyOutDesk Virtual Assistants for your business can be included as a covered expense and does not need to be repaid as part of the $10,000 advance.
Webinar Pt. 2 with Tim Mahoney, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
Note that we at MyOutDesk are not providing tax, legal, or financial advice. We strive to support the success of all SMBs and want to pass along useful and practical information that can help your business draw out effective solutions. Please consult a qualified tax advisor, attorney, and investment professional for guidance.
Schedule a free Thrive Strategy Consultation today!
The world is transitioning to remote work at an all-time record.
Hosts of the Morning Blend show in Las Vegas and Tuscon featured MyOutDesk for an EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with CEO Daniel Ramsey to help businesses, managers, employees, entrepreneurs to manage this time where everybody is going remote.
Learn how to stay ahead of your competition & actually gain market share.
Schedule a free, personal Go Remote Strategy Session – and you’ll also receive our complete collection of business survival guides!
How to best transition to a remote workforce and find talent using the CEO mindset
Tune in to understand how MyOutDesk has helped businesses scale and grow with Virtual Professionals primarily in sales, marketing, and operations for over 13 years and 5,000 clients.
MyOutDesk brings & fosters:
Talented workers from around the world who help U.S. & Canadian businesses in the US attain real leverage.
The proven benefits of remote work: improved productivity & employee happiness
Tips and advice on promoting an effective workplace.
Thriving and staying productive with the CEO Mindset. It’s our civic duty to stay productive at this time to add value to people and businesses.
Virtual staffing done right—the “easy button” for talent. You tell us what you need, and we go out into the world and find folks that meet exactly those requirements. We then come back and let you interview them. Top talent for 60% less cost than a traditional administrative assistant.
Daniel also shares his new book, “Scaling Your Business with MOD Virtual Professionals: How to Drive Revenue, Save Time, and Create Your Dream Company.”
We are giving away this book for free and also a timely resource amid today’s health crisis, called the“Go Remote Fast Guide.”
MyOutDesk proudly provides free business growth business 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.
Go Remote with MyOutDesk Today
Access more business guides & Schedule a free consultation today!
There are a MILLION ways that a Virtual Assistant can help DURING a recession.
Tackle the Recession
MyOutDesk virtual assistant services provide you with the flexibility, scalability, and cost-savings to adapt quickly to today’s changing business & market conditions. Here is a list of all that a virtual assistant can do to uplift your business during a recession.
Keep Calm & Thrive On Today
Schedule your free Thrive strategy call today & access more free guides.
Keep calm and thrive on. Realize that a market downturn is an amazing opportunity for you to gain market share as competing businesses are reducing their staffing & capacity. Don’t freak out and cut your entire operational force ad hoc. Now is the time to double down on the projects and ideas that will drive future growth and scale.
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.”
Your Next 90 Days of Planning. One of the keys to thriving during a recession is to focus your time on finding out opportunities to thrive and survive during this uncertain time. Spend the next 90 days of quiet time for deeper planning and preparing.
The recession will eventually pass, and so when we come out of this thing, you will be the winner. Here’s a guide for thinking through all the things that you can do right now. Think through all the things missing or need updating in your business.
Do you have a leads reporting system? A client reporting system? Now is the time to develop your operations.
We completely understand how to harness your business potential in a recession like no other. MyOutDesk has over 400 positive reviews & over 5,000 clients over the last 13 years.
Thrive in Today’s Changing Market
Schedule your free Thrive strategy call today & access more free guides.
A Million Ways a Virtual Assistant Can Help DURING a Recession
General Administration Having virtual professionals tackle operations and administrative outcomes for you can go far beyond what a traditional assistant does, like answering phones and keeping your calendar. There are many more ways a virtual professional can help you administratively. Here are some concrete examples of my favorite things administrative virtual professionals do for our clients.
Virtual receptionist
Client care & relationship building
Screen calls & emails Loan processing
Administrative support
Accounting & bookkeeping
Lead management
Lead reporting
Recruitment
Agile project management
Performance reporting
Customer support
Marketing There are many things a virtual marketing virtual assistant can do for you to supercharge your company’s scalability. Focus your talented marketing professionals on the above sales tools and also on ideal client targets. If you know who buys from you and why your marketing virtual professional can really help drive your message out to the marketplace.
Online marketing, listings & social media
Virtual showings & open houses
Webinars & speaking events
Marketing automation
Brand work
Design coordination
Collateral development
Repurposing content
Audio, video & multimedia
PR & paid advertising
Prospecting Assistant A sales prospecting assistant can take over your prospecting and expand your lead generation efforts. Our inside sales virtual assistants will help you generate more leads, qualify them and allow you to focus on selling and generating commissions. In addition to warm & cold calling, our virtual assistants can assist you with lead screening & pre-qualification, lead nurturing, prospect & client follow-up calls & more!
Telemarketing & inside sales
Smart plans
Appointments
Warm & cold calling
Prospect & client follow-up
Lead nurturing
Recruiting assistant
MLS
Loan Processor MyOutDesk loan processor virtual assistants can to manage all the paperwork and deadlines involved in your mortgage & lending transactions – including every step of the process, from contract to close, and everything in between!
Gather documentation
Cloud e-agreements management
Lender follow-ups
Documentation review
Internal reporting
Manage mortgage or lending pipeline
Communications liaison
Transaction Coordinator A Transaction Coordinator Virtual Assistant manages all the paperwork and deadlines involved in a contract transaction. They’re trained in every step of the selling process and tasked with monitoring progress from the time the seller accepts an offer through the steps involved in the close of escrow.
Become more effective by using a virtual professional transaction coordinator to handle the repetitive tasks involved with closing a transaction – such as gathering documentation & signatures, calling clients, completing paperwork, following up on contract terms & requirements, and ultimately creating a broker file for the completed transaction.
Manage signatures & documentation
Manage paperwork processing & deadlines
Coordinate inspections
Respond to contract terms
Compliance coordination
Communications liaison
Service & Support MyOutDesk virtual assistants provide the leverage you need to meet your customer service & support demand at a fraction of the cost of hiring full-time staff. Customer service outsourcing lets you work smarter, not harder, and helps you invest your time in dollar-productive activities that matter.
Manage trouble tickets
Manage escalation calls
Run reports
Manage calendars
Update CRM
Customer training & education
Issue resolution
… and the list goes on! With a business strategy in place that leverages virtual talent, there are a million ways that virtual professionals at MyOutDesk will transform your business during a recession.
Thrive Session for Entrepreneurs
Schedule your free Thrive strategy call today & access more free guides.
The Future is a Remote Workforce
In today’s high-tech economy, a remote workforce helps to maximize profits, grow clientele, improve business capacity, and often outperform competing companies that have fewer remote workers.
50% of the US workforce will be remote by 2020.
73% of teams will have remote staff in the 10 years.
MyOutDesk has served over 5,000 SMBs in health care, real estate, finance, and more. We have taken the lessons learned from over a decade of experience with virtual assistant services to help our clients eliminate the pitfalls of outsourcing. This hands-on experience has helped us to develop a better system of checks and balances to ensure we are delivering the highest quality of service possible.
Increase your touchpoints to the most influential clients
Double down on branding and marketing — differentiate yourself
Focus on adding value to your suppliers and vendors
Double down on your prospecting and outreach programs
Keep key talent and stay connected to your people
Manage cash and cut out but (but don’t cut muscle)
Set up clients & employees to be fully remote
Envisioning of a New Reality for Your Business
Simply put, MyOutDesk equips entrepreneurs 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.
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 find top talent and lower your operational costs.
MyOutDesk proudly provides free business growth business 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.
Keep Calm & Thrive On
Schedule your free Thrive strategy call today & access more free guides.
Entrepreneur’s Thrive Guide in Today’s Changing Market
Yes, YOU can access government cash relief, survive, and come out ahead in this crisis!
Our exclusive Entrepreneur’s Thrive Guide in Today’s Changing Market gives you an exact, step-by-step plan for action to help your business survive in these uncertain times.
Get cash relief + the knowledge, support, and staffing you need to thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Entrepreneur’s Thrive Guide
For business owners who want to stay productive the right way, this FREE guide includes these important topics to get started.
The CEO Mindset – It’s Your Civic Duty
Stack Cash & Find Economic Relief
– Navigating the CARES Act – CARES Act Disaster Loans, Loan Forgiveness, & Paycheck Protection Program – Resources: Where & How to Apply
Die Slowly, or Reinvent the Value You Provide
– Sales is like the air we breathe for a business
– What leaders need to say: Clients, Employees, Vendors
– Free offer for #1 Best Selling Book: Scaling Your Business
Be Exceptional – all while reducing operational costs
– Go Remote with MyOutDesk
– Update Your Roadmap
– A Million Ways: Everything a Virtual Assistant can do to help you.
The Entrepreneur’s Thrive Guide gives you an exact, step-by-step plan for action to help your business survive in these uncertain times—it comes with a free Thrive Strategy Session with our specialists!
The Entrepreneur’s Thrive Guide
Keep Calm & Thrive On Today
Schedule your free Thrive strategy call today & access more free guides.
Businesses, ACT FAST, and get your hands on this aid now.
THIS IS BIG. The federal government just passed the $2 trillion CARES Act providing emergency assistance to affected businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak. Here’s how to get your part of the $2.2 trillion as a business owner, as an entrepreneur, and as a leader.
Our CEO Daniel Ramsey said last week, it’s our civic duty to stay productive. We want you to have ALL of this information now to be prepared. If you might have missed the first webinar—no worries. We’ve bundled all the available resources for you, and also there will be another webinar!
Navigating the CARES Act
Upcoming Live Webinar, Part 2
Links to Resources
Strategize, Thrive, & Survive
What the US CARES Act can do for your business
Navigating the CARES Act & Getting started. If you need:
Capital to cover the cost of retaining employees, then the Paycheck Protection Programmight be right for you.
A quick infusion of a smaller amount of cash to cover you right now, you might want to look into an Emergency Economic Injury Grant.
Relief for keeping up with payments on your current or potential SBA loan, the Small Business Debt Relief Program could help.
What’s the catch? NONE. This is 100% forgiveness for 2 months of eligible expenses. FREE MONEY.
How to Apply for Aid: You can apply at any bank offering loans under 7(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)).
Upcoming Webinar – Part 2 – TODAY!
Live TAX IMPLICATION Webinar (Pt. 2) for Entrepreneurs: Due to popular demand, MyOutDesk will host another live webinar TODAY to help you understand the implications of the CARES Act and how you can take advantage of it.
Part 2 with Tim Mahoney, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP TODAY, Tuesday, March 31, 2020
3:00 PM, Pacific Time
Jake Randall is CEO of Taxbot and the host of “The Profit Junkie.” Taxbot helps self-employed people keep more of their hard-earned money by helping them keep more of it out of the IRS’ greedy hands.
MyOutDesk can support your business as you go through this change in today’s market. We serve you by providing valuable business resources, helping you support your customers, and providing remote solutions that allow your business to thrive and survive!
For business owners who want to make the switch to remote work the right way and stay productive, our FREE Go Remote Quick Guide includesthree easy stepsto get started.
We at MyOutDesk pray that your team, families, and communities remain safe and healthy during this time of heightened concern.
Note that we at MyOutDesk are not providing tax, legal, or financial advice. We strive to support the success of all SMBs and want to pass along useful and practical information that can help your business draw out effective solutions. Please consult a qualified tax advisor, attorney, and investment professional for guidance.
TAKE ACTION NOW. Watch this webinar with coach Bob Corcoran & learn how to survive the crisis! Don’t be chicken little. Don’t bury your head in the sand. This very moment is a make-or-break time for your business, and in this webinar, you’ll learn the exact steps to survive in these uncertain times.
With nearly 250,000 COVID-19 cases worldwide, combined with school & business closures across the country, The Coronavirus is going to hit the US economy harder than the 2008 financial crisis, and if you don’t have an action plan in place, there’s a very real risk that you’ll go out of business. Get the knowledge, support & staffing you need to go fully remote: schedule your Free Personal Consultation now!
Our special guest Bob Corcoran will be joining us to give you an exact, step-by-step plan for action to help your business survive in these uncertain times. By implementing the strategies we’ll show you on the call, you’ll stay ahead of your competition and actually gain market share. Yes! You can come out ahead in this crisis.
Our guest, Bob Corcoran, has worked with hundreds of top agents worldwide in developing and implementing customized, money-saving business systems. Corcoran’s implementation has empowered agents to run efficient offices while harnessing the latest technology to increase their business.
Corcoran is a nationally recognized speaker on such topics as “Taking Your Business to the Next Level,” “Teaching the Real Estate Broker the Art of Coaching,” “Managing & Converting Your Leads,” “Keeping an Eye on Your Bottom Line” and “Building and Running a Real Estate Team.” Get the knowledge, support & staffing you need to go fully remote: schedule your Free Personal Consultation now!
Michael Krein, president of the National REO Brokers Association, joins us to offer timely advice on the COVID-19 crisis, along with valuable tips on how you can take action to save your real estate business & grab market share in your local market area.
“This crisis will pass,” Krein says, “but we’re going into a recession and the market will be down for a while, so agents need to focus on thinking about where their future deals will come from,” along with building the relationships & lead-generation channels to make them happen. Agents also need to learn how to effectively go remote in their businesses. To get personal, 1-on-1 support & training on how to take your business remote & leverage the power of virtual assistant services, schedule your Thrive with MyOutDesk Strategy Session now!
In addition to being NRBA president, Michael Krein is currently the CEO of RIO Software Solutions, the parent company and provider of the RIO Genesis software platform. It was Dr.Krein’s, 27 years of experience in the real estate and default servicing industry that led to the creation of the RIO Genesis system, whereby his ideas and management systems were incorporated and designed into a user-friendly software system for both general and default real estate companies and their affiliate partners.
Michael Krein is formerly the Owner of Sellstate NRES a/k/a Nevada Real Estate Services. Over the past twenty-five years, he has personally listed and/or sold over 25,000 single-family homes — many of which were properties owned by various financial institutions from around the country. Michael is married with seven children and makes his home in Henderson, Nevada.
The NRBA is a multifaceted national organization comprised of a cohesive group of experienced, connected brokers, appraisers, and attorneys who specialize in all phases of default management and servicing of distressed real estate. Are you ready to go remote? Let MyOutDesk help you create a fully remote business strategy for success, and learn how virtual assistants can play a helping you survive the crisis and grow your business in 2020! Schedule your Thrive Strategy Session now!
We at MyOutDesk strive to support the success of all SMBs and want to pass along useful and practical resources that can help your business draw out effective solutions.
On Wednesday, March 18, 2020, the IRS released Notice 2020-17, issuing a 90-day extension for tax payments.
Tax Payment Relief
The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service are providing special payment relief to individuals and businesses in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
For individuals, except C Corporations: Income tax payment deadlines for individual returns, with a due date of April 15, 2020, are being automatically extended until July 15, 2020, for up to $1 million of their 2019 tax due. This payment relief applies to all individual returns, including self-employed individuals, and all entities other than C-Corporations, such as trusts or estates. IRS will automatically provide this relief to taxpayers. Taxpayers do not need to file any additional forms or call the IRS to qualify for this relief.
For C Corporations: income tax payment deadlines are being automatically extended until July 15, 2020, for up to $10 million of their 2019 tax due.
Penalties and interest will begin to accrue on any remaining unpaid balances as of July 16, 2020. If you file your tax return or request an extension of time to file by April 15, 2020, you will automatically avoid interest and penalties on the taxes paid by July 15.
Organize a Restructure into Remote Work for Your Business Today!
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website recommends businesses actively encourage employees to stay home and/or to practice good hand hygiene and coughing/sneezing etiquette in the workplace.
MyOutDesk has thousands of clients & virtual assistants across the world working in a virtual environment, giving us 13 years of experience in virtual & remote workplace environments – and we’re offering to walk you through EXACTLY how to take your business remote during the COVID-19 crisis.
We encourage your business to take advantage of and utilize the telework tools and systems that are in place with MyOutDesk Virtual Professionals should you need to expand remote work for your employees while ensuring low overhead costs. Schedule your Go Remote with MyOutDesk Strategy Session now and learn more!
We at MyOutDesk strive to support the success of all SMBs and want to pass along useful and practical resources that can help your business draw out effective solutions.
Over recent days, the US Small Business Administration announced a $50 billion allocation for Economic Injury Disaster Loans to businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Find Economic Relief
The SBA’s disaster loan assistance is provided to businesses who have suffered economic injury regardless of physical damage. The loans can be used to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred.
Check if your region or business qualifies for a loan on the SBA Disaster Declarations page, click here.
There four types of disaster loan assistance offered by the SBA:
Organize a Restructure into Remote Work for Your Business Today!
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website recommends businesses actively encourage employees to stay home and/or to practice good hand hygiene and coughing/sneezing etiquette in the workplace.
MyOutDesk has thousands of clients & virtual assistants across the world working in a virtual environment, giving us 13 years of experience in virtual & remote workplace environments – and we’re offering to walk you through EXACTLY how to take your business remote during the COVID-19 crisis.
We encourage your business to take advantage of and utilize the telework tools and systems that are in place with MyOutDesk Virtual Professionals should you need to expand remote work for your employees while ensuring low overhead costs. MyOutDesk is your partner in building a remote workplace: Schedule your Go Remote with MyOutDesk Strategy Session now and learn how!
Nobody knows remote work like MyOutDesk. Watch this exclusive webinar event to give you complete, step-by-step instructions to take your business remote!
Watch now & download our free how-to guide below!
This week, California implemented a “Shelter In Place” policy, locking down the Bay Area to everything but essential businesses. Washington State has done the same, closing restaurants, bars, gyms, and schools – with other states soon to follow. Make no mistake: for most businesses, this will be a forced transition to a virtual/remote work environment, so prepare now for a smooth, seamless transition! Also, to get the knowledge, support & staffing you need to go fully remote, schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session now!
MyOutDesk has thousands of clients & virtual assistants across the world working in a virtual environment, giving us 13 years of experience in virtual & remote workplace environments – and in this exclusive, upcoming live webinar, we’re going to be walking you through EXACTLY how to take your business remote during the COVID-19 crisis.
This must-watch webinar event is presented as a community service by MyOutDesk to help you prepare, transition, and keep your business going during our current economic uncertainty.
What You’ll Learn In This Webinar
How Remote Work Differs From In-Office Work
Fundamental Steps To Get Setup To Go Remote
How To Prepare Your Employees Mentally
How to Prospect & Hold Sales Calls Remotely
How to Avoid Client Cancelations (Key Objection Handlers)
Beginning & End Of Day Productivity Reports
Voip Vs. Traditional Phone Systems, What To Use & How To Setup
Remote Video-Conferencing Software: What To Use, When & How To Use It
Team Chat Software: How To Effectively Setup & Manage A Team Chat Environment
Personal Communications Solutions: Facetime, iMessage, Skype & Messenger
Remote Documents & Signatures: Docusign, FedEx & More
Remote Productivity: Time Blocking, Managing Family & Work Responsibilities)
Naming Conventions For Share Files & Folders
Productivity (Time Blocking, How To Manage Your Time)
File Sharing Solutions for Remote Teams
Important Checklists, Guides & To-Do Lists
Using ScheduleOnce For Meeting Management
How To Run A Virtual Meeting
Task Management Solutions To Stay Organized
In Chinese, the word “crisis” means danger + opportunity. In today’s market, agile businesses will adapt to new rules & challenges of the remote workplace & rise to the top of the market, while brick & mortar competitors continue to struggle & lose market share. Which of these would you prefer to be?
Virtually any professional services business can go remote: from real estate to telemedicine. The question is how to do it quickly & effectively. MyOutDesk is your partner in going remote – schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session now and let us help you!
The Coronavirus health epidemic has already cost the stock market billions, and it’s now impacting governments, retailers, and other businesses that are shutting down to help prevent the contagion. While some of these closures are mandatory, others are due to cost-concerns in a rapidly contracting economy – and driven in many cases by a quick-fix approach to cost-cutting. While this may seem like a logical decision, can you really shrink your way to growth?
General Motors is an example of what happens when you try this: in the early 20th century, GM sold 50% of all vehicles owned in America, but by 1988 that number had fallen to only 15%. What happened to them? The short answer is cost-cutting – and it’s not good. Engage a virtual assistant and get the leverage you to stay afloat by scheduling your Double My Business Strategy Session now!
In 1974, GM’s new CEO, Thomas Murphy questioned the company’s strategy in selling cars with different features and suggested that they sell basically the same kind of vehicle with different external accessories. He did this to reduce costs. Consumers didn’t like this, and GM’s market share began to slide – and it’s been falling ever since.
In a recent conversation we had with Mike Michalowicz, author of Profit First, he said: “Cut the fat and not the muscle.” In the case of General Motors, cost-cutting cut too much muscle, and in the end, it cost them a lot of business affecting thousands of people and their livelihoods.
The Fat In Your Business
Businesses generally have two types of costs that can be categorized as muscle and fat. The fat is where you find costs that do not produce any revenue for your business. They are costs you incur in your business that have no quantifiable benefits. The muscle, on the other hand, would be those costs that have a tangible benefit to your business. How do you know if a specific cost has a quantifiable benefit and is not fat, but actually muscle? It can be tricky because you can make excuses and justify the cost or the expense for something. For example, if you decide to rent extravagantly expensive and beautiful office space. You can justify in your head that you need this because when potential clients come into your office, they will see how awesome it is, and will, in turn, want to do business with you, when in fact it is simply a way to relieve and serve your ego since potential clients rarely come to your office anyway.
The Muscle In Your Business
Muscle is something that drives benefit to your business. So for example, if you have a staff of 15 people, and you are thinking, “I need to cut down my workforce because they are costing my business too much money.” Assess your workforce and think again. “Person A” takes care of all your Transaction Coordination so if you cut them, what would happen to that area of the business? “Person B” does all your prospecting, what would happen to your leads without them? Your team members are an example of the muscle in your business. These are the costs that provide support or take action on tasks that drive revenue for your business. When you cut a cost that compromises your ability to serve your clientele and bring you business, then you are cutting the muscle.
Survival Requires Both Cutting Fat & Building Muscle!
Survival in today’s shifting market is about more than simply cutting costs: you need to retain your competitive advantage & hold steady and carefully your business assess costs and expected benefits. During an economic contraction, hiring a Virtual Assistant is a highly valuable way to keep your labor supply intact, while ensuring you have the freedom & flexibility to focus your own efforts on the on revenue productive aspects of your business. In other words, cutting the fat goes beyond simply financial savings: it also means cutting the waste from your schedule and leveraging your skillset on the highest dollar-productive activities you’re able to.
A shifting market can mean the end of a business if you stick to the old traditional ways of thinking. Shift your perspective and the way you think as well. By doing this, you set yourself up not just to survive but to thrive amidst the shift and everything it may bring.
Let MyOutDesk bring you more muscle! Leverage a MyOutDesk Virtual assistant, schedule a Double My Business Strategy Session today, and having a discussion about how to make your business stronger in the midst of this market shift.
With the coronavirus now a full-blown pandemic, many businesses and even major companies have turned to remote work in order to keep everyone safe and healthy. While the nature of their business might allow this to be a viable option, how about those whose businesses do not? One, in particular, is Real Estate. While much of the transaction coordination and other tasks can be done virtually, there are key steps in the process that may prove difficult not to do in person such as showings, open houses, etc. The good news is that there are ways to get this done remotely and doing so is not so completely foreign.
Selling and closing remotely is not a newfangled idea by any means. Many home sellers and buyers have successfully finished transactions remotely for many reasons. Closing could be from your home in another state, a hotel lobby if you’re traveling, a coffee shop, really anywhere…
In guidelines issued by the National Association of Realtors, agents have been encouraged to propose alternative marketing opportunities for their sellers’ consideration such as video tours and other methods to virtual tour a property. This isn’t really new is it? All your properties for sale are already online anyway, so now all you have to do is find a way to make your marketing and advertising more interesting and most importantly, more detailed.
There are many new methods, programs, and other tools that have come into the market recently and now might be the perfect time to test them out. Instead of your traditional virtual tour or photo gallery, you might consider looking into 3D walkthroughs or even hosting live video streams instead of an open house where you go through a home for sale, sending invitations out online before you do it. You can have your virtual assistant or someone on your team moderate the live video where you can address specific questions and accommodate requests to see specific areas or features of the home. The best part is that you can have the video up for people to watch later and you can continue to engage with any additional questions or comments that come in even after the live stream.
Closing remotely can be really easy if you plan ahead and make sure that you accommodate for the time it may take for any documents that need to be mailed over and the like and that all parties that need to be informed are aware that you are using this route.
Angie Spangler, a Realtor from Fort Collins CO, recommends the following steps:
-Find out from the title company if they have an office in proximity to the buyers/sellers. If they don’t, the closing paperwork must be taken to a notary to sign. The buyer/seller will want to review the closing paperwork prior to signing with a notary. It is a good idea to schedule a time to review the documents with the Realtor to answer any questions prior to signing.
– The buyer/seller needs to confirm with the title company how they will deliver the closing documents. Will they send them to the buyer’s home or office via FedEx? Email everything? Emailing the documents can be an easy and quick process, but this also takes a lot of printing. After the buyer has signed the documents they cannot be scanned and emailed back because the title company must have a “wet signature”, meaning the original signature with a pen rather than one that is copied or scanned.
– Make sure to clarify deadlines of when the title company needs the documents returned to them, what time the local FedEx overnight drop-off times are and if the buyer/seller is in a remote location (Alaska) accounts for possible delays in shipping.
– It’s a good rule of thumb to sign the closing documents and overnight them back to the title company 1 business day early to allow for any delays. For example, once the date of closing is confirmed with the title company and they need the documents by (Monday) May 23rd, notarize and overnight the documents back on the (Thursday) May 19th so they arrive at the title company on (Friday) May 20th.
– In the process of coordinating the mail out, the wire transfer to the title company must also be scheduled! Each title company is different and they will provide instructions on how to wire funds. Following these instructions is very important to ensure a safe and successful transfer.
Requirements are different state by state. Always confirm with the title company or attorney in regards to specific requirements when closing remotely. Some states allow closings via facsimiles while others do not. To avoid confusion, mistakes, and any problems the buyer/seller must do their research; know what it is expected of them and all parties involved from the very beginning.
If you MUST physically show a home or take a buyer to visit a property NAR reminds you to be mindful of the following precautions set by the CDC:
The CDC urges individuals to take these measures to protect themselves and others:
Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Practice social distancing by staying out of crowded places, avoiding group gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet) from others when possible.
Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick.
Stay home if you have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, or any other cold or flu-like symptom.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or cough or sneeze into your sleeve.
Additionally, to help prevent the continued spread of coronavirus, on March 15, 2020, the CDC recommended that for the next 8 weeks, all in-person events consisting of 50 or more people, such as conferences and assemblies, be canceled, postponed, or modified to virtual events On March 16, 2020, President Trump announced new guidelines, advising that individuals avoid groups of more than 10 people for the next 15 days. Avoiding these in-person gatherings is an effective measure that will reduce your risk of contracting or spreading coronavirus.
When an infectious disease, such as coronavirus, is associated with a specific population or nationality, fear and anxiety may lead to social stigma and potential discrimination. REALTORS® must be mindful of their obligations under the Fair Housing Act, and be sure not to discriminate against any particular segment of the population. While the coronavirus outbreak began in Wuhan, China, that does not provide a basis for treating Chinese persons or persons of Asian descent differently.
Lastly, suddenly taking all your responsibilities online can be a challenge. This may be the perfect time for you to hire a Virtual Assistant to help you manage all your responsibilities. The best part is, they already work remotely and can help ease you into the new norm we all have to adapt to. Make sure to book a GoRemote with MyOutDesk Virtual Assistants Strategy Session with us today. Stay safe and healthy!
Lock-downs, social distancing, and community quarantines are in full force all over the world, and for those whose who are able to accommodate it, working from home is the new norm for many businesses as well. Switching from a normal office setup to a remote setting can be a huge adjustment and those of us who have been doing this for years would like to share some tips and insights on what you can do to ensure that you and your business continue to thrive despite this major shift. Make sure to read all the way to the end, we’ll be sharing some other articles we’ve posted in the past that might be helpful as well!
Navigate the ins and outs of running your team remotely with a MyOutDesk Virtual Assistant. Book a consultation with us today to find out how.
Your Home Office
Setting up a home office can be a great way to ensure that you continue to remain focused on your daily grind. If you don’t have one already, make sure you have enough space and all the materials and supplies you need. Anything from stacks of notepads and sticky notes, a corkboard, and even a snack drawer think of everything you usually need at your office desk and make sure you have them handy. You might need to invest in some hardware or technology that could be very helpful to you as well. Like a good pair of noise-canceling headphones or headset, a webcam, etc.
If space is an issue for you, putting up a divider of some sort can be a great option. If you have children, roommates, or other people who are staying home just like you, have a conversation about what you need and perhaps agree on “quiet time” or “do not disturb” hours so you can all focus on what you need to get done.
The important thing is to focus on the positives of working from home, like your fully equipped kitchen and the fact that you can wear your PJ’s to work, oh and did we mention the short and hassle-free commute from your bed to your desk?
Your Team
Leading a remote team will have its unique challenges but if you are able to set it up well then you can expect smooth sailing. By setting specific parameters that you not have had to do in your office, you can all go on as you usually do. Assess the roles in your team and how working remotely might change the dynamics of that role and find solutions to how those differences can be addressed in your new setting. As time goes on, make sure you are all clarifying and re-clarifying goals and roles so that nothing slips through the cracks.
A disruptive event like coronavirus will generate new and competing tasks across the business. As a result, leaders need to continually clarify goals at the team and individual levels to stay focused on key priorities. A great way to keep track of this is by using a project management tool like Monday or Slack. Make sure all members of your team are\updating their boards consistently and in real-time so that nobody gets lost and everyone knows each other’s progress.
Keep your team’s unity strong by creating ways to interact online. Schedule regular meetings via applications like Zoom or GoToMeeting. Many programs offer free subscriptions and many are offering free services for companies and businesses in light of the coronavirus. Make sure you also set time to have interactions that are not work-related so that you and your team have a chance to check in on each other’s personal lives.
The Harvard Business Review suggests the following:
Take a virtual tour. At the start of a project, encourage each person to take a few minutes to show the team his or her home workspace and share some personal context. What are the possible distractions — like barking dogs, noisy passing trucks, or kids coming home from school? The aim is to help colleagues develop an understanding of each person’s work context so they can be more sensitive to each other’s constraints.
Acknowledge non-traditional workspaces. Michael, a millennial working in New York City, lives in an apartment with multiple roommates and doesn’t have private office space for working at home. If some of his roommates are also working remotely, he is likely to face the challenge of people walking or talking in the background during video calls. Let Michael know you appreciate his challenge and are open to discussing alternatives like flexing work hours so that calls happen when it’s quieter for him.
Keep your assumptions or stereotypes in check. Sarah, an executive participating in a conference call, received a text message from a colleague: “Mute yourself. We can hear your baby crying.” She replied: “My baby is napping. That’s Matthew’s son you heard.” The ambiguity inherent in having team members working from home can lead to biased assumptions about focus and commitment to work.
Here are some articles we’ve published that might further help you out as you lead your virtual team:
HOW TO BUILD AMAZING WORK CULTURE FOR YOUR VIRTUAL TEAM!
While the coronavirus and other such calamities might lead to disruption and cause you to have to change things quite drastically, we now have technology and means to be able to adjust with the right strategies.
If you would like to find out more about MyOutDesk Virtual Assistants and how they can become key players in your team during this time, please schedule your consultation so we can help you out.
Now more than ever, how you market and do business online has become crucial as we all try to survive these uncertain times. While we look into new solutions, remote employees, and test out new strategies that may work with this new paradigm in running your business, we must not forget about traditional methods either. Email marketing can still be a powerful approach that you may want to put even more time into now that people have more time to actually sit down and read their emails.
Beat the virus and see your business thrive through it with a MyOutDesk Virtual Assistant to stay on top of all your campaigns and marketing! Schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session now to find out how.
Here are some email marketing statistics you should know:
81% of US online shoppers are more likely to make additional purchases, either online or in a store, as a result of emails based on previous shopping behaviors and preferences.
72% of consumers say that email is their favored conduit of communication with companies they do business with. 61% say they like to receive promotional emails weekly and 28% want them even more frequently.
According to The Relevancy Group’s findings, US marketing executives believe that email alone drives the same amount of revenue as their social media, website, and display ad efforts combined.
If that doesn’t convince you that email marketing is still important and relevant today, then we don’t know what will.
First and foremost look into an email marketing service provider. Find a system that you can personalize and automate seamlessly. Look into what they can do with your data and what kinds of streams you can create and make sure it fits within your business. We love Marketo, but there are many other great services you can find out there.
If you are starting your email list over again from scratch or want to build on it further, start with your Sphere of Influence. Your friends, family, former clients, colleagues, etc. reach out and let them know that you are about to launch a killer email campaign and that they should sign-up for your email list. Ask them to invite other people to sign up too. Use your website and social media platforms to spread the word as well! You can set up opt-in forms and even pop-ups on your website.
Next, you want to create a solid lead magnet. A lead magnet is a piece of digital content you create, such as an e-book or checklist that you position on your website to attract people into signing up to your email list. Make sure that you are providing value to your audience that is not only visually appealing but highly informative. Make it so amazing that you will have them wanting more from you.
Finally, you want to ensure that you are always producing good content as opposed to focusing on sales, sales, and nothing but sales. Give your current list a reason to keep opening and reading those emails and to invite other people to opt-in as well, virus or not.
This strategy requires a lot of time, after you build a strategy, executing it needs a lot of attention and careful curation. A MyOutDesk Virtual Assistant can help you ensure that your email marketing is always on point and that your opt-ins, leads, and other data you glean from those emails are always organized and are flowing to where they need to be. Make sure that you book that Double My Business Strategy Session!
This guide is made for teams who are looking to transform the way they work together and for the organizations who want their vision, mission, values, and goals fully enacted.
Here at MyOutDesk, we use a comprehensive approach so that our core values become rooted in the organization and the people that it impacts. Get the leverage you need by scheduling your Double My Business Strategy Session now!
Introducing the Organizational ChangeFramework for real people and teams working together on creating REAL, impactful work and growth.
The Organizational Change Model
The Organizational Change Model is a great framework to bring change into effect and to breathe life into any idea, any concept, any organizational culture change, and procedural change.
Here is the framework we use at MyOutDesk:
Let’s turn your list of ideas into existence. Pass them through this Organizational Change Model framework:
Name it
Brand it
Wear it
Teach it
Institutionalize it
Recognize it
The Organizational Change Modelis a helpful guide especially for businesses looking to scale at any stage of the 7-Figure Business Roadmap.
We’ll guide you through each stage and give our own examples of how we brought our philosophy of service into existence, called the MOD Movement.
A Guide: Our Approach for Each Step in the Organizational Change Model
Name it
In this first step, you will need to name what you’re trying to change in your organization.
Be specific with what you are articulating in your idea. Complete this quick exercise to find out what you’re naming, below.
Complete this phrase: I want to create a(n) product/service/idea characterized by _______.
Then, give the idea a name!
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Example: Here at MyOutDesk, we wanted to evolve our organizational culture by extending the movement of the company’s core values through charitable work. We named this the MOD Movement.
We are big believers in the core values of MyOutDesk — Family Table, Healthy Soil, and Servant Heart. Through the MOD Movement, employees are empowered to carry these values beyond the office, so that they can make the furthest impact possible.
Through the Organizational Change Model, MOD Movement has evolved into a nonprofit charity founded as a result of the kindness and generosity of wonderful clients and individuals working for MyOutDesk.
You can learn more and also join the MOD Movement, here.
Brand it
After you “name” your idea, the next step is to package it nicely. Brand it!
Place the brand everywhere and anywhere you possibly can. On t-shirts, on banners, in email signatures, and anyplace else. Brand presence tells your networks the organizational change is present and is prioritized.
You can also let the team or leaders decide on a creative phrase to express the idea. This new phrase will be your brand, and it will need to stick. The brand can include a phrase, a term, an image, a sentence, or a mantra – it needs a good ring to it.
With a brand, your idea is now a memorable and conversational concept.
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Example: MyOutDesk’s slogan is Find Talent, Match Talent, and Extend the Movement. We find the talent to match your company’s needs — so that all businesses we serve can also extend the movement!
As the MOD Movement brand focuses on #extendthemovement, we bring the brand to all our charity work. And, by taking plenty of photos, employees of the organization and our partners can see the value of the work and find inspiration to become involved.
Wear it
Next, all participants in the work should embody and characterize the idea or change.
You should figuratively and LITERALLY wear your brand. Update your website and social media. Make t-shirts and other swag to distribute. Plus, freebies turn any situation more exciting!
For it to succeed, the idea must be expressed regularly and outwardly. By wearing and personifying the concept, you are modeling the idea to reach as far as possible.
Legendary CEO of General Electric in the 1980s and 1990s, Jack Welch, is a famous advocate of repeating key messages. He once shared, “I realized the message was always new to someone. And so, you keep on repeating it.”
Your idea is now tangible and can be seen.
—
Example:
MyOutDesk employees and clients volunteer to identify, create, and lead service projects and charity work through the MOD Movement.
The MOD Movement has been doing charitable work since 2013. One project of the MOD Movement is an annual day of giving at the Boystown Orphanage. In the photo, below, a Boystown child is wearing an #extendthemovement backpack!
Teach it
Your idea begins to spread tremendously in this stage. You must teach it.
When you talk about the idea for enough time, and when you teach it intentionally and consistently, you will allow all questions answered and get everybody on the same page.
Realize that this is a slow process, but a generative one. In this time, you will learn to give concrete feedback, backed by your best intentions. This learning stage might present mixed emotions, and these experiences are always best supported when leaders are bringing positive praise and fostering two-way communication.
—
Example:
We showcase and teach about the MOD Movement through both internal and external communications channels and through social media.
Check out one of the videos produced during one of our visits to the Boystown Orphanage:
Institutionalize it
Ideas at this stage are ready to become incorporated into the rhythm of the organization. Like a regular heartbeat, the idea should be integrated into the daily business as an organizational habit.
By embedding the idea into the business, everyone understands what is expected to complete in all processes and is fully equipped to carry the tasks out.
—
Example:
We made our non-profit website, modmovement.org, for both MyOutDesk employees and clients to learn more and contribute to the MOD Movement. Internally, our employees are actively sharing their photos, stories, and inspiration involving their charity work.
We put systems in place to encourage donations and service. The MOD Movement is now also institutionalized as a California 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Recognize it
When you notice the change happening, it’s time to recognize it!
As you see new actions and behaviors from the change in effect, speak on it or write about it. Give voice to actions worth praising and give continual acknowledgment. Express your gratitude in both public and private settings. Recognition motivates individuals in your organization to self-initiate and acts upon the idea.
Recognition goes a long way. Improved morale and productivity work can shine throughout the organization, unified with a deeper sense of purpose. This is a symbolic way of saying you’re getting it right.
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Example: We give shoutouts and recognize our employees for their involvement with the MOD Movement. We also hand out awards and have an annual banquet to celebrate all the meaningful work produced.
We take pride in MyOutDesk Virtual Assistants — and so do the colleagues who share and praise MyOutDesk’s services within their professional networks such as real estate, healthcare, and more. Over 5,000 clients trust MyOutDesk as a strategic partner offering virtual assistant services. Check out our five-star reviews and connect with us today!
Summary
When you apply the Organizational Change Model, you are able to revisit any stage of the process and make adjustments as you adapt to a more perfect solution. When applied alongside the 7-Figure Business Roadmap, business leaders can learn to effectively scale, increase profits, and lead a talented workforce.
MyOutDesk proudly provides free business growth business guides, books, and strategy calls. See what we are about, andschedule 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.
True leadership is invaluable in a time of crisis – but being a leader doesn’t automatically mean you know always what to do. To help, we wanted to share with you some valuable words of wisdom from Verne Harnish – and as you read through these, keep in mind that the first point is the most important. Do the rest in whatever order makes sense.
Communicate Daily
Send out a DAILY communication – email, 2-minute video, voice message – to all of your employees. You must over-communicate during a time like this. And it can be brief – a few sentences or 90-seconds is all that’s needed. If you think you need to communicate more than this, you won’t do it, and that’s worse than doing nothing at all.
Your team wants to know that you’re at the helm of the ship (or flying the plane – pick your favorite analogy) – and that you’re working and acting. The key is to stick to the facts – no time for rants, theories, or using phrases like “I bet you’re feeling…” – this isn’t a time for guessing. Present what is happening, don’t sugarcoat, but balance one negative with several positives over the next several days and weeks.
And if you have a negative to share, mention it first in the communication – then note what is being done to address it. Doing this, according to Robert Cialdini, the godfather of influence, makes you more believable and trustworthy.
Communicate something NOW and send it out – don’t give it too much angst – just do it! Your team will be thankful.
Customer/Community Support
There is a tendency to turn inward when something like this happens – but consider “how might we support our customers and community.” Gather teams of employees to brainstorm, then act. The key is giving, giving, giving with no expectation of return. Your customers will remember this when all of this clears up – and it will clear up!
Research shows that one way to combat depression, sadness, etc. is to help someone else.
Clean Up and Catch Up
Organizations have been running hard for years during this decade+ of unprecedented global expansion. Use this slowdown to clean up and catch up. Download Paul Akers’ book Banish Sloppiness – https://paulakers.net/books/banish-sloppiness (it’s free), and then focus on the handful of processes that drive the customer and employee experience and improve them.
It’s time for spring cleaning all aspects of the business. A key focus is on how to make things easier – for customers and employees. When Gene Browne did this at his trash hauling business, The City Bin Co., with a theme of “Bin It,” he was able to strip out about 25% of needless activities and costs, making everyone’s jobs easier and saving money.
Cash, Cash, Cash
Related to “clean up” is a specific focus on the cash side of the business. Review all monthly recurring expenses (I found we were paying for two CRMs!) and eliminate redundancies. And involve your entire employee base in finding ways to save money. Again, when Gene Browne focused on cash for
one quarter, his team of 60 found €40,000/month savings, which netted the firm almost a half-million for the year.
In the US, pursue an SBA Loan. There is a simplified program where you can get a $350,000 10-year loan within four weeks and with the Feds dropping the rate to zero, these loans should be sub 6% with no pre-payment penalties. I’m pursuing one for Scaling Up as a precaution.
Calm and Considerate
At Tony Robbins’ “Date with Destiny” experience, I adopted a new mantra – to approach everything in a “Peaceful, Playful, Passionate” way. It’s been helpful, especially during this crisis. You set the tone for the entire organization.
To help stay calm, breathe! I remember my son Cameron (12 at the time) getting stuck inside the magician’s box while performing the famous Metamorphosis illusion. He told me later, having escaped in time, that he started to panic and then remembered to take a couple of deep breaths and a solution came to him. Years later, when he was quarterbacking his Catalan team to a city and then country championship, his team was down 28 – 7 at halftime. I remember watching him during the second half take several deep breaths as he was readying the team to execute a play.
Right now take a few deep breaths – and give thanks for being able to take those breaths. Namaste and good luck.
What’s your contingency plan for the coronavirus? If you have to close locations, have staff out sick, or you’re otherwise impacted by this, do you have a plan in place to deal with it & recover? The market will likely get worse before it gets better, so if you aren’t ready yet, now is the time to get prepared!
In this webinar with Nora O’Brien, the CEO of Connect Consulting Services, you’ll learn about how her organization takes a holistic approach to emergency management, business continuity, and disaster recovery. Watch this webinar now, and make MyOutDesk virtual assistants a key part of your strategy – schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session now!
As a preparedness & disaster recovery coach, Nora’s team supports their clients to prepare for, learn the skills to respond to, and recover from disaster through customized and effective emergency preparedness planning, training, and exercise services.
Creating a plan and having one in place is crucial to ensuring that you survive the challenging & turbulent market ahead. Be ready for unexpected challenges coming from unknown quarters as we deal with retail panics, stock market dips, staff illness, and other concerns.
Connect Consulting Services prepares organizations throughout the United States to be disaster resilient as they prepare, respond, and recover from an emergency. They are specialists in guiding our clients through an interactive planning process as they build EP program infrastructure, produce customized emergency operations and business continuity plans, and tailored training and exercise programs.
When it comes to the fear, uncertainty & doubt associated with the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, it’s important to remember that employers play arguably the most important role in preventing panic. We’ve all seen the growing number of headlines in the news about COVID-19 and the ensuing state of public hysteria. By educating & reassuring your team, you’re in a good role to help them make keep a level head & make good decisions – both for the business as well as in their personal lives.
If you’re scrambling to decide how to best ensure employees, this is the guide for you. We at MyOutDesk are offering you a free and easy communications guide to best discuss health risks and safety with your employees, and if you want to learn more about remote & virtual solutions, Schedule a Free Consultation Now.
Here’s what you need to communicate for reassuring your team and tackling the panic:
1. Striking a Balance on Communication
In the workplace, employers take up the role of protecting their employees, enacting response plans, and overall fostering a state of preparedness. Employees trust their place of employment for reliable information and guidance. Through all the panicked news headlines, you will present a voice of reason.
We’ve sifted through the facts for you. Here at MyOutDesk, we’ve distributed various guidance communications for our employees, including an FAQ Notice that your business can use as well.
3) Rely on Information from Official Health Authorities
Discuss with your employees on finding reliable information from local and national health authorities. As tempting as checking the news may be, media often times are sensationalizing the health crisis, fostering panic instead of promoting preparedness.
The CDC and your local health authorities will give the most accurate information about the immediate impacts and risks of the health crisis for your community.
Link to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
The following resources are centered around virtual assistant services, yet they are helpful resources for any business that are promptly transitioning to remote work and want to train any virtual employee.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website recommends businesses actively encourage employees to stay home and/or to practice good hand hygiene and coughing/sneezing etiquette in the workplace.
Luckily, our Virtual Professionals are most optimally positioned to work remotely from their homes. We encourage your business to take advantage of and utilize the telework tools and systems that are in place with your Virtual Professional(s) should you need to expand remote work for your employees.
We pray that your team, families, and communities remain safe and healthy during this time of heightened concern. If you want to learn more about remote & virtual solutions, Schedule a Free Consultation Now.
Welcome to Spring! Longer days & warmer weather mean it’s time to put your business in high gear—and to help usher in the new season we’ll be turning up the heat with our amazing Spring Jump Sale!
Just mention the magic phrase “Spring Jump Sale” when you schedule your free, personal consultation, and we’ll give you a $500 discount, applied to your second invoice – so schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session now!
Why now? Most business owners postpone hiring until sales pick up in early Spring. Guess what? That time is NOW, so if you’ve been waiting to expand your staff, this is the perfect opportunity to learn how MyOutDesk can save you 60% of what you’d spend on in-house staffing and make you a 4x return on every virtual assistant you hire.
This is the perfect time to staff up for the new year, and the perfect opportunity to do it. There are no gotchas, gimmicks, or games—this is our way of saying thank you for being a client, and when you bring on a VA we’ll apply $500 directly to your 2nd invoice.
What are you waiting for? This is the best time of the year to ramp up your staff, and our new $500 discount just makes it that much better! Click here to schedule a free personal consultation now! Schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session now!
The threat of the Coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic is steadily growing in the United States and as a result, many companies have turned to order their employees to work remotely. As this continues many companies face the challenge of reframing their business protocols and processes. The increasing uncertainty and anxiety about the personal dangers from the potential pandemic and its impact on the economy will make the challenge of adjusting to these work changes even greater.
For example, the social media platform Twitter has encouraged its employees to work from home to do their part in preventing the spread of the virus. Other companies such as the tech giant Google and investment bank JP Morgan are also amongst the companies currently exercising remote working protocols for safety. While only a third of people in the U.S. currently work remotely, this sudden shift may be a taste of what experts predict that in the year 2025, 70% of workers will be working remotely. If you want to learn more about remote & virtual solutions, Schedule a Free Consultation Now.
A global poll from 2018 by data and insights company Kantar found that of 33,000 people, 32% valued a job where they could work from home. Joe Hirsh, a leadership and communication expert, told CNBC that he believed the outbreak of the coronavirus has the potential to make working from home more common practice. He argued that if more companies follow in the footsteps of Twitter and Google, this could “shift workplace dynamics.” Jon Addison, vice president of talent solutions EMEA at LinkedIn, agreed that businesses would inevitably find it more challenging to continue with “business as usual” under the current circumstances if they lack the technology infrastructure to work remotely or flexible working policies. For some, he said, the coronavirus outbreak could act as a “wake-up call” to enact this change. He said that working from home could actually prove advantageous for certain tasks, such as those which require “deep focus or privacy due to the sensitive nature of what’s being worked on.”
As more and more companies are following suit in asking their employees to work from home, some may worry that they are not equipped to handle such a change despite the necessity. Fortunately, many systems and programs already exist and have been around, being utilized by those businesses and companies where remote, virtual and outsourced staff is not by any means new. Many platforms are offering free access in light of the Coronavirus outbreak while many others have free account options already available.
Cisco’s WebEx, for example, reported that traffic on its backbone connecting China-based Webex users has increased by 22 times since the outbreak began. At the same time, it’s seen four to five times as many users in Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with the average time spent on Webex video meetings doubling among users in those countries. Simultaneously, free signup rates in countries with infections have increased by 700% or more.
If you are setting up systems for your team and or business to prepare for the possibility of having to work remotely, here are some options you may want to look into:
Cisco WebEx
Long-time conferencing service WebEx’s default-free plan offers you conferencing for up to three users with HD video, screen sharing on desktop and mobile devices, and limited recording options. It supports up to 50 participants per meeting, with meeting times capped at 40 minutes and online storage limited to 1GB.
With its special, Webex is offering unlimited usage with no time restrictions, support for up to 100 participants, and toll-call dial-in in addition to existing VoIP capabilities. This offer is being made with a free 90-day license to businesses that are not already Webex customers.
Google Hangouts Meet
Google, with 8,000 employees in Ireland, has already put its remote working conferencing to the test when it asked for all staffers to work from home for fear of possible coronavirus infection. Google isn’t offering free conferencing services to new users, but it is rolling out free access to its advanced Hangouts Meet video-conferencing capabilities to all its G Suite and G Suite for Education customers. This includes larger meetings, for up to 250 participants per call live streaming for up to 100,000 viewers within a domain; and the ability to record meetings and save them to Google Drive.
These features are typically available in the Enterprise edition of G Suite and in G Suite Enterprise for Education, but they will be available at no additional cost to all customers until July 1, 2020.
LogMeIn GoToMeeting
LogMeIn is another experienced video conferencing company that usually comes with a 14-day free trial. Now, according to the company, starting immediately, it will provide critical front-line service providers—including eligible healthcare providers, educational institutions, municipalities, and non-profit organizations—and current LogMeIn customers with free, organization-wide use of many LogMeIn products for three months through the availability of Emergency Remote Work Kits. This includes its flagship program, GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams, which is more of an Office 365 feature than a separate service these days. In response to the virus threat, Microsoft is offering a new six-month Office 365 E1 trial offer that includes full meetings, collaboration, and workflow capabilities and will enable all global customers—e.g., hospitals, schools, and businesses—to start using Teams immediately. In addition, beginning March 10, Microsoft is rolling out updates to the free version of Teams that will lift restrictions on user limits and make it possible for users to schedule meetings for video calling and conferencing. The free version of Microsoft Teams was already impressive in its own right. It supports up to 300 members, with guest access, one-on-one, and group video and audio calls, shared files (2GB per user and 10GB per team), screen sharing, and document collaboration using online Office apps.
Zoom
Zoom is offering, for its Basic (free) users in China, unlimited meeting time for conferences with more than two participants. Like Microsoft Teams, its default-free offering is good enough for many small-to-medium businesses (SMB). Its free tier allows unlimited 1-to-1 meetings group sessions of up to 40 minutes and 100 participants.
Other major conferencing services, such as Slack and Zoho Meetings, haven’t announced any special deals although it is safe to assume that they and all other conferencing services will be offering new deals soon. The demand for remote-meeting software is spreading faster than the virus as worry infects the business world. You may also want to look into project management software such as Monday or Basecamp.
For those who are new to the world of virtual and remote work, these are just a few programs and tools you can utilize to make sure that everything is business as usual, despite the change in location. Next week we’ll share tips on how to manage your new work situation, in the meantime check out our other awesome articles about remote teams and remote work.
We hope everyone is safe and doing well. In times like these, the best thing to do is stay informed, keep calm and hope, and pray for the best. Learn more about MyOutDesk remote & virtual solutions: Schedule a Free Consultation Now.
With global warming awareness and green movements becoming more of an actual issue that many people are taking action on, residential green building movements are no longer for the hippie-dippy granola heads but a more mainstream demand. From coast to coast, many new developments are going green. While we love what green buildings are going to mean to the polar bears, real estate agents can get lost or confused in a sea of new amenities and features that buyers may be looking for. While the green movement may not be a “thing’ in your area just yet, it is important to keep yourself updated on these innovations so you can remain an expert or at the very least know when the inevitable millennial comes in and makes inquiries about it.
Stay on top of things, regardless of fads and trends that may come around, with a MyOutDesk Virtual Assistant. Schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session today to find out how!
Here are some things you may want to keep yourself informed about when it comes to green buildings:
App-based Energy-efficient Technologies
Our smartphones have taken over so many aspects of our lives, and with other gadgets and software like Alexa to augment that experience, it is only a matter of time before every single one of us use them to control our home thermostats or lighting as well, in fact, many homeowners are already beginning to do this already. According to developers, many of them have seen a rise in specifications for these kinds of features in new or re-furbished constructions. Voice activation allows for more intuitive integration and use.
Green or Living Roofs
A green roof or living roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems. Container gardens on roofs, where plants are maintained in pots, are not generally considered to be true green roofs, although this is debated. Rooftop ponds are another form of the green roof which are used to treat greywater. Vegetation, soil, drainage layer, root barrier, and irrigation system constitute green roof. Green roofs serve several purposes for a building, such as absorbing rainwater, providing insulation, creating a habitat for wildlife, increasing benevolence and decreasing the stress of the people around the roof by providing a more aesthetically pleasing landscape, and helping to lower urban air temperatures and mitigate the heat island effect.
IAQ Devices
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) devices, installed in home heating and air conditioning systems, not only provides a healthier indoor air environment by eliminating germs, dust particles, mold, odors, mildew, and bacteria that can cause illness, but are also eco-friendly since they reduce home emissions and improve the value of a house by reducing monthly energy electric/gas costs, in some cases, as much as 25 percent.
LEED Certification
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods that aims to help to building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. LEED certification is granted by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), which handles the third-party verification of a project’s compliance with the LEED requirements. The certification process for design teams is made up of two consecutive applications: one including design credits, and one including construction credits. All of the LEED credits in each rating system are assigned to either the design application or the construction application. The design credits include those that are the purview of the architect and the engineer and are documented in the official construction drawings. The construction credits include those that are predominantly under the purview of the contractor and are documented during the construction and commissioning of the building.
Energy Modeling
Energy modeling or energy system modeling is the process of building computer models of energy systems in order to analyze them. Such models often employ scenario analysis to investigate different assumptions about the technical and economic conditions at play. Outputs may include the system feasibility, greenhouse gas emissions, cumulative financial costs, natural resource use, and energy efficiency of the system under investigation. In a building, this system can be extremely important to its being and staying “green”. This impacts a building’s energy consumption because, already in the planning stage, smart decisions can be made in terms of lighting, airflow, and more.
Geothermal Heating and Cooling
What could be better than harnessing the power of the earth itself? Especially when it comes to powering an entire residential building? Geothermal energy is a great resource that has been used for heating and cooling for ages but is now slowly and steadily making its way to the US as green-conscious developers and consumers are consciously asking for such options. Boston MA, for example, has seen a rise in usage and planned implementations not just for residential buildings but commercial and other city structures as well. Tenants will save on energy costs and will benefit from an environmentally friendly system that heats and cools using the same mechanisms.
Have you seen other green building systems and technology that we didn’t mention? What are your thoughts on green buildings and their future implications? Stay on top of things, regardless of fads and trends that may come around, with a MyOutDesk Virtual Assistant. Schedule your Double My Business Strategy Session today to find out how!
There’s a lot of concern out there about the Coronavirus right now – and for good reason. The John’s Hopkins tracking map is lit up like a Christmas tree, with glowing red dots showing confirmed outbreaks all over the United States. It’s not good for business, and it’s hurting the stock market – but it’s important to remember that this time will pass, and until it does, your job as a business owner is to keep moving forward.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from COVID-19, it’s that there’s a powerful reason to go virtual in your business. At MyOutDesk, we’ve discussed many of the advantages of remotely for years now, and the increased safety of working from a home office without close physical proximity to others is one more reason to go virtual. Schedule a free personal consultation with us now and learn how you can take your business virtual today.
Facebook, Google, Apple, and Microsoft are among many of the nation’s big-tech companies that have embraced the virtual workplace for years – and right now, they’re asking their employees to work from home. For smaller businesses, this may not be such as easy task, but by putting the framework in place for a virtual workplace, you’re setting the stage for not only increased safety but also increased efficiency and lower business overhead.
Working remotely is easier for some jobs than for others: if you’re actively selling as a real estate agent, some amount of face-time and physical presence at listings & open-houses will be required. However, even for jobs like this, you can leverage tools like teleconferencing to reduce exposure & time in public – and since your clients will be just as nervous as you are, offering them a virtual solution could become a powerful selling point for your services.
Once you go virtual, the next question is your team: what are the tools they need to work remotely? We’ve written about VoIP telephony solutions in the past that let you virtualize your entire office, along with leadership strategies to keep your virtual team organized, productive, and inspired.
Maybe it’s also time to finally take the plunge and hire a virtual assistant. They work remotely all the time, and have the tools, training & experience in how to run an office virtually – and of course, there’s a cost-saving to consider compared to traditional staffing as well.
At MyOutDesk, we have over 13 years of remote & virtual workplace expertise. Make us your virtual solutions consultant of choice – schedule a free personal consultation with us now and we’ll help you structure a complete virtual & remote workplace solution for your team.
Hiring the perfect person to fill a position in your business can be a challenge. It does not begin and end with a simple job description. Once you’ve narrowed down what kind of expertise you need from an applicant, you also have to find someone who has the right attitude and the kind of personality that will fit in with your team and business culture. Now add another layer to that, a virtual hire. This complicates things even further. However, if you know the qualities to look for in a Virtual Assistant, you will have a relatively easier time finding the right one for you and your business.
Delegate the guesswork and time it takes to hire your ideal Virtual Assistant with MyOutDesk. Book a consultation today and find the perfect fit for your business.
While every applicant will be different, just as every applicant needs to have similar areas of expertise, there are also qualities you need to absolutely look for in a potential Virtual Assistant.
Communication – The ability to communicate goes well beyond one’s proficiency in speaking and writing a language. It is also the manner in which one speaks, are they polite, pleasant, too soft-spoken, etc. How do they respond to stressful situations? These are all important in considering an applicant. While only time will really tell, there are ways to test this during an interview or during initial conversations. This also includes how they comprehend and process information in order to be able to respond appropriately in any situation.
Time Conscious. – Working from home means that one must be able to work independently. This means that they must have the drive to be able to meet deadlines. This may seem like a no-brainer but it is a HUGE factor in what makes a good and bad Virtual Assistant. Time management and the ability to perform and deliver as needed is an important trait for any remote employee. Furthermore, they should be able to focus on the tasks at hand without getting distracted by their environment. Based on surveys, many remote workers say that they are able to be more productive at home because there are fewer distractions, but this must be a conscious effort.
Attention to Detail. – “The devil is in the details” as the old saying goes. Often times missing a detail or small errors can throw a whole process out of whack. This is why being detail-oriented is another important quality to look for in a Virtual Assistant. Ask them what their process is when performing a task. Do they make lists, do they ask for a checklist, etc.? People will make errors, which is inevitable, but look for those who are careful to ensure that there are few to none when they do their work.
Resourceful – While you want your Virtual Assistant to ask questions, you don’t want to constantly have to hold their hand and monitor everything they do as that defeats their purpose. You want someone who will be resourceful and take the initiative to gather what they need, on their own and only reach out when they have exhausted every avenue or need very specific details that can really only come from you.
Open – You want someone who is open to hearing areas for improvement and suggestions. It will take some time for you all to get used to working together and cohesion will only occur if all parties are flexible and open to taking assessments.
A Virtual Assistant can be a huge asset to your business, if you are willing to embrace the process and if you find the right person. You will only ever be limited by your own hesitation, but if you shift your perspectives you will find that the only real difference is that you can’t pop in their cubicle to say hello, rather, you can fire off a quick message or email. Finding someone can be tough, and time-consuming but well worth it in the end.
As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to peak this season, is your business equipped to respond to all urgent concerns? As a business owner, you have to think about the trigger points in your business so that you can make a quick and informed decision to adapt your systems and processes. Remote work is an effective preventative measure that will immediately decrease risks in community health and safety—as well as keeping businesses afloat.
Three Steps to Begin Remote Work Today
We are offering you a free guide to set up your employees for remote work. For business owners who want to make the switch the right way and stay productive, this guide includes three easy steps to get started.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends businesses actively encourage employees to stay home and, when at work, to practice good hand hygiene and coughing and sneezing etiquette. You also may consider doing the following for your employees:
Additional Employer Steps You Can Take:
Here are some crucial additional actions that you can take to increase the health and safety of your staff:
Suspend nonessential employee travel.
Minimize the number of employees working within arm’s length of one another, including minimizing or canceling large in-person meetings and conferences.
Urge employees to stay home when they are sick and maximize flexibility in sick leave benefits.
Not require a doctor’s note for employees that are sick as healthcare offices may be very busy and unable to provide that documentation right away.
Consider the use of telecommuting options for appropriate employees, refer to Fast Guide.
Consider staggering start and end times to reduce large numbers of people coming together at the same time.
In response to the health crisis, the uptick in remote work may be temporary, but the truth is that remote work is a stable trend. Businesses are moving away from traditional offices to a blended remote and physical organization.
Luckily, MyOutDesk Virtual Professionals are most optimally positioned to work remotely from their homes. We encourage businesses to take advantage of and utilize the telework tools and systems that are already in place with having MyOutDesk Virtual Professionals for expanding remote work for all employees.
Ready To Go Remote? We Can Help!
We have 12 years of expertise working with thousands of clients and remote employees in a virtual environment. Nobody knows remote work as we do, and we’re to answer your questions! Schedule a free consultation with us now.
