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December 28, 2020

How to Get a Work-From-Home Job You Absolutely Love in Four Easy Steps

As we say goodbye to 2020 and hello to a new year full of opportunities, one of your goals may be to transition to a job that lets you work from home or offers more flexibility for you to work on your terms. If so, you are in the right place to find the resources you need to make this the year you transition to working from home or to life as a mompreneur. Let’s make a plan!

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Think About What You Want

As you think about working from home and your career goals for 2021, consider:

  • What type of work do I want to do? Am I looking to build on my existing skills and experiences or go in a new direction? Do I prefer being part of a virtual team or working solo? Is it time to start my own business? 
  • How do I want my workday to look? Do I want to be on the phone for a good portion of the day, or do I prefer solo work? Do I have concrete blocks of hours to do focused work, or do I need something that I can work on in short bursts of time? Can I work full time, or is part-time a better fit?
  • How does my budget look? Do I have a runway to start something new? Can I work on a project-by-project basis?  Do I need a job that offers a steady paycheck? How will my expenses change when I work from home? 

 

The questions above can be tough to answer. These resources can help:

  • Check out the Top 10 Work From Homes Jobs for Moms. This list can open you up to new possibilities you may not have considered in the past but could be an excellent fit for your skills, interests, and abilities. 
  • Read success stories of others who successfully made the transition to working from home.
  • Review these tips for finding at-home work without a lot of experience, if you’re new to the workforce, or returning after a long absence.

 

Consider Additional Training

As you narrow down the type of job that interests you, take a look at the training and credentials needed to get a job in this field. Online training is available for many at-home jobs. Several free training classes are available in the resources section on HireMyMom. You can find training on starting a virtual assistant business, work as a bookkeeper, a social media manager, a content creator, and more. 

 

Start Your Own Virtual Assistant Business                                                                                                                                                

If you’re ready to start your own business this year, consider becoming a virtual assistant (VA). As a VA, you take care of many tasks, including email response, appointment setting, travel planning, and calendar management. You can work as a general VA, who does a wide variety of tasks or become one with a specialty in a particular industry or need. 

VA work is catching on quickly. It’s a great business model because it solves a problem so many people have — squeezing more tasks into a day. It’s also an excellent lifestyle for moms who want to control their own time, skip the commute, and put family first while still keeping professional ambitions alive. 

At HireMyMom, we’ve partnered with four different training programs to help our members learn more about this business opportunity and acquire the skills needed to launch a VA business.

 

Find Job Opportunities

With a clear vision about your plans, it’s time to start looking for your work-from-home job. Having a plan to find job opportunities will make you more successful. Start by taking the Online Job Seeker 101 class available through HireMyMom.com for proven strategies to help you find and land jobs. Then, set aside an hour each day to find jobs that interest you, tailor your resume and cover letter, and apply. To find jobs:

  • Sign up as a Mom Professional on HireMyMom so you will have exclusive access to legit, work-from-home opportunities.
  • Research the types of employers that may need your skillset or offer the jobs you hope to land. 
  • Talk to friends, neighbors, and family members who may have leads.

 

Get Started!

Once you land your work-from-home job, it’s time to manage the logistics of working from home. 

  • Designate a quiet place to work and set it up with the tools you’ll need to work efficiently.
  • Identify your optimal work hours.
  • Talk with your spouse and kids (depending on their age), and ask for their support as you begin your new work journey.
  • Make a plan for your kids so you can find the time you need to work.
  • Consider ways to overcome the hurdles that are likely to pop up, such as internet outages, school holidays, and the general distractions that can come up when working at home.
  • Look at new options for managing day-to-day chores and household responsibilities that free up more work time for you.
  • Review my favorite productivity tips for moms who work at home.

 

 

Enjoy Your Success!                                                                                                                                                               

You’ve worked hard to get to this point, and I know that you will be successful in your pursuit of a job that lets you stay professionally engaged while working at home. I can’t wait to hear your success stories—best wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2021.

 

 

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December 14, 2020

Working Remotely Doesn’t Have to Be Lonely

Working from home has many advantages. It has given businesses the opportunity to remain operational throughout these tough times and its kept employees working. 

It’s important to build and maintain relationships while working remotely and avoid isolation that can occur, especially for extroverted individuals who are experiencing a remote work environment for the first time.

In this article, we highlight some of the best ways to stay connected.

Effective Communication

The key to running any successful business is through effective communication. Depending on where you are in the world, some forms of communication will work better than others (especially where there are time zone differences).

Speaking on the phone works if you’re in transit and can’t get in front of your computer but for the most part, using methods of communication that allow for screen sharing are more effective. Video conference software can satisfy this form of communication. The most commonly used video conference software include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. 

The more video conference calls you can have in a week the better because it can prevent any miscommunication with your team, delays in productivity, and it also provides you with socialization. For ongoing communication throughout the day, chatroom software can be very useful.  You can use chatroom software to streamline workflow, share files, manage projects, and reach both clients and team members easily.

An application called “Slack” is one of the most popular choices for this purpose but there are some alternatives that have been receiving some great reviews too such as Fleep, Flock and Chanty. 

 

Communication Software For Your Phone

These days it seems there’s just no escaping your phone. Most people have their phones with them at all times throughout the day so they can be more available to their clients and/or coworkers. 

There are some really great apps that can help you communicate better and keep your personal and business communications apart. 

A lot of businesses use an app called Whatsapp because of its versatility. It offers texting, video chat, document, and image sharing, and can be accessed from almost anywhere in the world with no long-distance fees. 

 

Creating a Work-Life Balance

Sometimes you can lose track of the day and with added household responsibilities on top, it can feel like mission impossible to find that balance between work and play.  (We have a great resource library to help you find balance here.)

There are many ways you can incorporate socialization into your workday whether you’re grabbing breakfast with a friend, going for a walk with a neighbor, or having coffee with your co-worker, it’s important to make time to step outside your remote workplace bubble.

You can use your break time to check in with friends and family via social media channels like Facebook and you can also join an online community group which can be a great form of support while helping you form new relationships at the same time. 

 

Other ways to connect

HireMyMom has a great online community with the goal to encourage, inspire, support, and grow each other. For more information, you can visit our community page here.

 

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December 9, 2020

Success Story: Lisa Trinidad

Tell us about you and your experience finding work on HireMyMom.

I heard about Hire My Mom through a FB group. I started working as a Virtual Assistant and was having a difficult time finding clients. I went ahead and signed up for HMM and I would review their postings every day. I was so surprised with the amount of legitimate postings on their site each day.  Within a month of actively searching, I was hired for two amazing companies. I made sure to apply for jobs, that I felt like our values aligned; I wanted to make sure I could be with them long term. I was very strategic on which places to apply. If I weren’t, I’m pretty sure I’d land a job even sooner.

I love HMM because, the entrepreneurs and candidates looking to hire, understand that we are Moms, so they are really flexible. They also value us, because we are just as hardworking.

 

What are your top tips for landing a job or jobs on HireMyMom.com?

My tips for landing a job(s) at HMM is to put a task on your google calendar for a certain time in the day and use that time to search and apply for jobs.

Make sure you have your a cover letter and resume ready to go.

Make sure you read the job description carefully as it gives clues about the type of company you will be working for and how you see yourself fit in doing that work.

Make sure you also use the message box to add a little flair to who you are and why you’d love to work with this business.

If you sent an email to apply, please follow up within 3 – 5 days.

Keep checking week after week, because there are so many jobs posted daily, and I’m sure you will find the perfect fit in due time. If you make it your task to log in everyday for a month, I’m sure you will find a good fit. Don’t give up!

 

What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your work from home journey? 

I wish, someone would’ve told me about HireMyMom sooner!

 

What do you see as your greatest success in life? 

My greatest success in life, is being a Mom. Also being able to have it all, flexibility, time to raise my girls and be able to provide for my family. Not giving up in this journey to live the life I always wanted.

 

What is something about you that many people don’t know? 

Many people don’t know that I used to work for Telemundo/NBC! I also had a career of over ten years working in Higher Education, before I left to become a freelancer. 

 

Want to be one of our Featured Success Stories? Click here for our form!

 

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December 7, 2020

It’s Time to Celebrate! How to Make the Holidays Special From Your Home Office

Whether you’re new to working from home or a veteran, the holidays can pose special considerations.  With work obligations and the focus on making the holidays magical for your family, how can you find the time and space to make the holidays fun and meaningful for you? And, what’s the best way to get into the holiday spirit without some of the office-based traditions that can make this season feel special? As a work-from-home veteran, here are my top tips for celebrating the holidays from your home office without missing a beat.

 

Create New Traditions     

 The first year I worked at home during the holidays, I missed the office holiday lunch and gift exchange. By the next year, I knew the key was to find a way to replace those traditions with new ones that made sense from my home office. Think about the office parties and activities that you cherished and how you might replace them this holiday season. For example:

  • Gather a few like-minded work-from-home moms and organize a holiday lunch at a local restaurant.
  • Organize a virtual gift swap or Secret Santa exchange with co-workers or remote team members.
  • Host an online cookie recipe swap or a Zoom cookie decorating party.
  • Invite your virtual co-workers to a Zoom-based holiday party — maybe even wearing your best ugly Christmas sweaters! Encourage everyone to enjoy hors d’oeuvres, snacks or toast with some bubbly for more festivity.
  • Choose a holiday-themed book and organize a Zoom call to discuss it or gather with your children and have someone read a children’s Christmas story.
  • Ask your virtual co-workers to join forces with you to adopt a needy child or family to shower with holiday gifts.
  • Launch a holiday scavenger hunt where co-workers or friends search for holiday-related items around their neighborhoods and share pictures. This tends to work best if you designate a specific time frame to conduct the search and host a Zoom party to share the images. Appoint one or two people to serve as judges. Provide virtual prizes ready at the end.

 

Bring the Holidays Into Your Office                           

One of the things you may miss by working from home is seeing holiday decorations around your office. Well who says you can’t decorate your home office with some fun decor, Christmas smells and music and maybe even a small tree? And wouldn’t it be fun to see how your remote teammates decorate and celebrate holidays? Here’s are some fun ideas to consider:

  • Decorate your home office space so that you can enjoy the visuals of the holidays. Even just a few lights or some greenery can change your desk enough to give you a merry holiday feeling.
  • Find a holiday-scented candle and burn it in your workspace.
  • Get a small Christmas tree for your desk or office.
  • Play carols in the background as you work.
  • Wear your holiday sweaters and clothes for Zoom calls.
  • Ask your co-workers to share pictures of their holiday decorations in a private online community or take turns on zoom to show your holiday decor and Christmas tree.

 

Schedule Time for Holiday Rituals

When you work at home, it’s easy to let work bleed into your personal time. For much of the year, that might be OK, but it’s essential to carve out time specifically to participate in holiday-related traditions at the end of the year. Planning is the solution to this dilemma.

Find a quiet moment well before the rush of holiday activities and think about the things you want to do this holiday season. Your regular roster of holiday parties and travel will likely be smaller than usual this year due to COVID. Think about how you want to spend that extra time. Make a few notes about holiday must do’s, things you’d like to squeeze in, and new ideas you want to add. Here are some items you might jot down:

  • Baking
  • Wrapping presents 
  • Completing your holiday cards
  • Watching special holiday movies
  • Making crafts with your kids

Next, grab your calendar and schedule a specific time to do the things that make the holidays feel special. When you set aside time, be generous in your time estimate. If you expect to need 90 minutes for baking, plan two or three hours, so you don’t feel rushed. When the time you designated for holiday activities rolls around, honor it. You’ll be glad you spent the time marking the holidays.

 

Make it a Merry Christmas! 

The extra time that comes from working at home is a gift that makes it easier to balance professional pursuits and family life. But, it can feel lonely during the holidays. Taking a few steps in advance can help you fill your holidays with cheer and make them memorable and meaningful.

Tell me what you do to make the holidays special from your home office.

 

 

 

 

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November 16, 2020

Business Promotions Made Easy with These 4 Simple Steps

Social media is an inescapable force. It appears on your phone, it can drive a news cycle, and it is the basis for many conversations between friends and neighbors. Love it or hate it, social media is an efficient, low-cost way to reach a broad audience to promote your business and grow your brand. More and more, small businesses are using social media to interact with customers and potential customers. (Check out our prior posts on creating a stand-out social media presence.) One of the key ways social media can grow your business is through promotions. Here’s a step-by-step guide for finding and running the right social media promotion for your business. 

 

Determine the Goals for your Promotion

In addition to generating buzz about your business, promotions are great tools to achieve specific objectives. So, as you consider a promotion, think about your purpose. Because there’s a vast universe of promotions, there’s not a one-size-fits-all prescription for promotional goals. Some potential options include:

  • Gaining followers
  • Growing engagement
  • Finding referrals
  • Promoting loyalty
  • Sales of a particular item or over a specific time frame

Once you know your goal, it’s easier to choose the right promotion and create an offer meaningful to your followers.

 

Craft Your Offer

Crafting the offer’s specifics is often the most fun (and challenging) aspect of the process. In general, the offering should be unique to your business and feel special for your followers. Consider your overall value proposition and how your offering could drive engagement. Make sure the promotion offers something that your followers will find desirable.

Specific promotional options are endless. Here are some ideas to help get you started:

  • Contests, including scavenger hunts, talent or art competitions, kid writing or coloring contests, product raffles, or prize drawings, often generate a lot of participation.
  • Free items, like a gift with purchase or a small free item during certain hours/days, can drive business during slower times.
  • Discounts and coupons available to anyone who shares your promotion or earned with specific interactions, such as tagging friends or starting to follow your social media accounts, are popular options.
  • Swag giveaways of premium items, such as mugs, hats, pens, and branded water bottles, can really bring out your fans. Many business owners like to give away promotional items because it results in free advertising as customers use them.
  • Exclusive access opportunities are a great option to drive traffic to shops, restaurants, and events. Social media followers can gain exclusive access to your business/product based on the steps you outline in your promotion or by using your website or other online processes to make a reservation.

As you consider your offer, keep the potential prize proportional to the entrant’s investment to participate. For example, don’t give away a high-value item to everyone who shares your link. Likewise, if you ask your followers to make a significant investment in your promotion, such as creating a meme that shows why they love your product, the pay-off should be more exclusive. If you conduct a contest, you may need a panel of judges (such as employees or other superfans) to pick a winner for your prize. Discounts in exchange for link sharing are generally a good trade-off in this area. 

You also want to make sure that the graphics that you have for this campaign shows your business logo, too. This helps familiarize your audience with your logo and improve your brand awareness. Designing a professional logo is easy with the use of logo makers such as BrandCrowd or working with graphic designers.

Next, develop a timeline for your promotion. Include plenty of time to do any pre-work and build in some time for follow up and assessment.

 

Draft a Communication Plan

With your offer and timeline in hand, it’s time to consider your communication plan. Communication is the key to a successful promotion. Look at any existing communication plans you maintain and see if opportunities exist to take an upcoming communication or advertisement and add information about your promotion. Depending on your goals, consider a mix of social media and traditional vehicles for reaching your audience.  

Then, prepare your posts and other media well in advance of your start date. Be sure to:

  • Clearly outline how the promotion works, including any exclusions or deadlines.
  • Include plans to publicly share the name of your promotion winners, if appropriate. 
  • Thank everyone who participates. 
  • Share your appreciation for the enthusiasm your followers show around the promotion.

When the launch day arrives, deploy your communication materials and monitor the feedback you are getting on your posts. Posting comments and making updates based on questions or comments that appear will let your audience know that you are engaged in the promotion. To help keep your promotion top-of-mind, regularly share information about it with your followers.

 

Assess Your Results

When the promotion ends, take a look at how it went. Consider:

  • Did you meet your goals?
  • Did managing the promotion take the time you expected? Less time? More time? (If the answer is more time, you might want to hire a Virtual Assistant to help in the future.)
  • What feedback did you hear from those who participated? How about those that mentioned the promotion to you but didn’t participate?
  • What did you learn in the process?

Answers to these questions will help you craft even more successful promotions in the future.

 

What’s Working for You?

Promotions are a fun way to drive business. We’d love to hear about your experiences–the good, the bad, and the ugly. Drop me a line and let me know what promotions you’ve tried.

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November 9, 2020

Moms (& Dads), This is How to Work Smarter (Not Harder) in the Kitchen

Are you running through groceries at an astonishing rate and finding dirty dishes in your sink every time you turn around? Like many people, I’m surprised by how many meals and snacks are pumping through my kitchen with so many of us home due to COVID 19. Here are our best tips for taming the associated workload.

 

Create and Post a Weekly Menu

If I could only do one thing to ease the cooking and kitchen clean up workload each week, it’s this: Create a weekly menu that covers all meals and snacks and hang it on the refrigerator. Direct your children to the menu when hunger strikes. (Make sure that some of the snacks can easily be grabbed and opened by young kids. For really young kids, include pictures of items they can select and make them easy to reach.) Having a posted menu reduces the discussion around what’s available to eat, eliminating a distraction for you as you work. Frankly, this one action will buy you untold peace of mind and help you reclaim time every day.

If creating a menu sounds like one more task to add to your already full to-do list, help is available through online meal planning services. Several options are available, and they all let you select a week (or more) of meals quickly and easily. They cover breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so it truly eliminates the scramble that accompanies menu planning and food preparation. You can choose meals based on your health goals, family preferences, and budget. Good options include eMeals, SideChef, Plan to Eat, and Recipe Keeper (my favorite). Once you choose your meals, you can automatically create a shopping list for the meals specified. A few additional tips:

  • Cross things off the menu as people eat them–you may find that the dinner you planned for Wednesday night gets moved to Monday, no problem–swaps are easy as long as you keep track.
  • Leave a blank space on the menu where family members can jot down meal and snack requests to incorporate into your planning.

 

Make it a Family Affair

There are many good reasons to share meal planning and clean up across your family and involve the kids. For starters, it gives you a break during a season that includes a lot of cooking. What’s more, your kids can develop valuable life skills in running a home, managing a budget, and healthy living. There are many ways to delegate responsibilities between family members. For example:

  • Put an older child in charge of generating a weekly menu using the menu planning app you prefer. Set a budget and provide goals to consider while planning. (Bonus if the kid is old enough to go to the store and get the groceries.)
  • Assign a day of responsibility for planning, sourcing, and preparing all food for one day each week to older kids. (For example, Connor owns Monday meals, Lindsay owns Tuesday, etc.)
  • Share duties by meal, with one person responsible for breakfast, lunch, or dinner all week. 
  • Ask younger kids to set the table, clear the dishes, or help prepare salads. 

Finally, create a task-specific cleanup calendar, so everyone shares in the clean-up load. Kitchen clean up goes a lot faster if everyone participates. Assign clean up duties to each family member on a rotating basis and agree on the standard of clean that counts as done. There’s nothing worse than having to call back a reluctant cleaning crew who forgot to wipe down the counters.

 

Master Lunch

Let’s talk about lunch. It’s smack in the middle of the day, and people eat on a rotating schedule with different meetings and classes ending at varying times. Let’s face it, stopping to prepare a meal in the middle of the day is disruptive when you are trying to work. A little planning can go a long way toward making lunch easier for you and more convenient for everyone. Try this:

  • Use school lunch services, if possible. Even if school is not in session, lunch is still available through many school districts. If your school district is offering lunch to-go, consider taking advantage of the service. Check with your school for details. 
  • Think leftovers. When you create your menu each week, plan for leftovers that family members can quickly reheat and eat for lunch. You can even have the cleanup crew package leftovers into single-serving lunch options that can efficiently serve each person when his/her lunch hour rolls around.
  • Go big. Prepare large pots of soups or chili and leave them simmering on the stovetop so people can self-serve when they are ready to eat. 

 

Inject Fun!

Last but not least, try to add some fun to mealtimes. When you cook all the time, it’s easy to fall into a rut making the same things over and over. But, thinking of themes can help bring the fun back to mealtime. Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • A week of Tex-Mex cuisine.
  • Italian dinners, including an old school pasta night and lighter options inspired by Italy’s different regions.
  • A retro week focused on popular menu items from decades past, such as meatloaf or Salisbury steak to celebrate the 1950s. Check out old recipe books to find some gems that your family will love.
  • Ask each family member to pick a number, turn to that page in a seldom-used cookbook, and ask the number chooser to prepare the item that appears there.

 

Please Share!

I’d love to hear what’s working for you and how you are managing mealtime. Send me a note with your best meal-time tips.

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November 5, 2020

Success Story: Amy Davis

Tell us about you and your experience finding work on HireMyMom.

The first day I joined, I found two jobs that I was really excited about and applied. Then, there was about a 4 days or so that nothing new, that I was interested in, was popping up and I became discouraged. Just as I became discouraged, several jobs I was excited about appeared! I had three interviews in one week! One week later, I had my second interview with the company I most aligned with of the initial three. I received an offer and accepted in less than one month of membership! This was also the first time the company that hired me had posted a job on this website.

What are your top tips for landing a job or jobs on HireMyMom.com?

I think, checking daily is the key to finding the jobs that most align with what you are seeking.

What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your work from home journey?

I have worked from home before, but I had one company give me a test. I liked that as a person that hasn’t been in a business setting in 10 year, so I don’t have the technology background companies currently look for, a test was a good way to show that I can figure things out quickly. I told the company I ultimately was hired by about the test, they thought that was a good idea and I was able to show my ability to be resourceful and got the job!

What do you see as your greatest success in life?

My ability to be flexible and shift in life when I need to with ease.

Want to be featured as one of our Success Stories? Click here for details! 

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November 2, 2020

What is the Best Human Resources Solution for Your Small Business

Having a thriving business can be extremely rewarding especially when a company’s growth results in expanding to onboard extra help.

If a company owner has a managerial background, they will have some knowledge and/or experience when it comes to onboarding, training, and evaluating employees and their work. 

For the entrepreneur who is used to working for themselves and themselves alone, it’s a different story. 

This is where having human resource personnel can be beneficial. The biggest question when it comes to a company’s HR is whether to outsource or insource.

 

Outsourcing vs Insourcing HR

An internal human resource department would be a good decision if a company is mid to large size in scale. Typically this applies to companies with more than a handful of employees.

For small businesses, however, it wouldn’t make sense to hire a full HR department within the organization if they are only dealing with just a few key staff. In this case, it’s much easier and faster to outsource instead. 

 

Why is HR important for small businesses

Having some form of HR in place is necessary for the function of any business that employs others. 

But human resource tasks are redundant, time-consuming, and don’t contribute to the bottom line of a company’s profits. 

Left up to the owner or core staff members to take care of could lead to a negative impact on a business’s productivity and cost the company a lot of money in the long run.

The realized benefit of having an outsourced human resource system in place is immediate. 

The newfound time allows small business owners to focus on the tasks that bring them the most ROI and significantly improve the function of the company’s operations overall.

 

The Top 3 Benefits of HR Outsourcing

  1. Time-Saving 
  2. Cost-Effective
  3. Less Staff Turnover

 

A good HR company will set up a consultation with their client to learn about their needs and help determine the role they are looking to fill for their expansion. They will usually handle all aspects of the job posting itself and screen applicants as the resumes come in.

When it comes to interviewing candidates, the HR company can help write the interview questions, schedule, and conduct them. 

They will select only the most qualified to move forward for the final interview with the company owner. They will even send out courtesy emails to applicants who were not selected for the job.

An outside human resource organization can save small businesses time, money, and result in less staff turnover due to the thorough pre-screening and onboarding process that takes place.

If you’re a small business owner looking to expand your organization and think that outsourcing your human resources would be a good fit for you, Hire My Mom does offer an excellent Concierge Package for consideration. You can learn more about this service here.

 

 

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October 26, 2020

How to Select the Best Virtual Assistant Training Program for You

If you’re ready to work from home, start your own business, or launch a side hustle, consider becoming a virtual assistant (VA). As a VA, you take care of many tasks, including email response, appointment setting, travel planning, and calendar management. You can work as a general VA, who does a wide variety of tasks or become one with a specialty in a particular industry or need. 

VA work is catching on quickly. This summer, Kevin O’Leary from the hit NBC show Shark Tank said that if he had to start a side hustle right now, he’d launch a VA business. He explains that it’s a great business model because it solves a problem so many people have–squeezing more tasks into a day. It’s also an excellent lifestyle for moms who want to control their own time, skip the commute, and put family first while still keeping professional ambitions alive. 

Like many things in life, the first step is the most difficult. Luckily, training can help. The right training at the right time can make all the difference to your journey, so selecting the right system can help you get started in the right direction. At HireMyMom.com, we’ve rounded up the best training options to help you get started. You can find an overview of the options and a framework for picking the right program below.

 

Pick the Right Training

The four options we have partnered with include:

  • The Free Mama Movement
  • The Virtual Savvy 
  • My VA School
  • Virtual Biz Partner Academy

All of these programs are excellent. You can’t go wrong. Each provides:

  • Entry-level classes that cover the basics to help you get started.
  • More extensive classes to help you scale your work as you are ready. 

What to Consider as You Choose Training

Selecting the best training option will depend on many individual factors. Each training program and system offers a unique style, and a quick visit to each website will quickly introduce you to the feel of the product, so you can find the one that best meshes with your personality. Other differences include the timing, the extras, and the cost. An overview of each option appears below so you can contrast the possibilities and determine what’s right for you.  As you review the round-up, consider your:

  • Goals
  • Availability
  • Budget
  • Preferred learning style

VA Training Options

The Free Mama Movement

Developed by Lauren Golden, she hosts many of the programs available and shares her story.

Program options: This training program offers three options:

  1. Free modules, which include a three-part introduction to working as a VA.
  2. A 12-week virtual class that you can start anytime. Includes a wide variety of bonus materials. 
  3. Independent and add on classes, such as the Quick Start Program or the 90 Day Accelerator. 

How it works: The virtual class is comprised of a program delivered in 12-minute video increments, five-days a week for 12 weeks. You can purchase a fast pass if you want immediate access to all content. 

Price: Anywhere from less than $10 to about $1,997, based on the components you select. Payment plans are available.

Extras: Conferences and events, networking opportunities, podcasts, and a YouTube video series are all available. You can purchase a subscription to a coaching circle for additional support. A Facebook Community is available. You can sign up for access to “swag drops” and participate in the Matchmaker Directory Profile Service.

 

The Virtual Savvy 

Developed by Abbey Ashley, she shares her story about how she got started in this YouTube interview and serves as the host of many programs.

Program options: This training program offers three options:

  1. A free overview, which covers some basics along with free booklets and other materials.
  2. Lifetime access to a self-paced training program, available beginning Jan. 22, 2021. (A waitlist is available.)
  3. Supplemental classes, including a subscription to skills training options.

How it works: The self-paced class offers a step-by-step guide for setting up the business.

Price: Anywhere from about $100 to about $1,000, based on the components you select. Payment plans are available. 

Extras: You can view a blog with resources to get started and free checklists and resources.  A Facebook Community is available. Also, bonus materials are available at sign up. You can choose to be included in their VA database, access exclusive job opportunities, or view YourTube training sessions. Squarespace website training is available.

 

My VA School

Developed by April Herndon, she hosts many of the programs available and shares her story with us in this YouTube Interview.

Program options: This training program offers two options:

  1. A 13-week virtual class, guided by April. (Use coupon code hiremymom20 for 20% off all courses! — Spring enrollment opens Feb. 1, 2021.)
  2. Live and on-demand classes focused on skills training, including an e-mail-based VA training class. (Coupon code hiremymom20 for 20% off all courses)

How it works: The virtual class includes weekly Q&A calls and a private Facebook community to connect with April and other classmates. In addition, you’ll be paired with a buddy to help support you. A pre-course enables you to lay the foundation for taking the class. When the course concludes, you’ll have the option to be added to her Virtual Assistant Database to help pair you up with clients looking for a trained VA. 

Price: Anywhere from less than $25 to about $2,500, based on the components you select. Payment plans are available.

Extras: A Facebook Community is available. April shares a blog, and you can purchase a private coaching call with April for specific questions, support, and brainstorming. 

 

Virtual Biz Partner Academy

Developed by Sara Lingenfelter, she shares her story and her process with us in this YouTube interview.

Program options: This training program offers two options:

  1. Virtual Assistant Training, including bi-weekly classes over six months.
  2. The 31-Day VA Program, which is a self-paced option to help you get going quickly. 

How it works: The virtual class uses a video format to share information. When you sign up, you also get access to a private Facebook community, materials, templates, and daily mini-projects with feedback from an instructor. Q&A calls are available, along with access to guest experts and a monthly “work with me” day that features Sara. When the course concludes, you will join her directory of assistants.

Price: The 31 Day VA Program costs $97, and the Virtual Assistant Training is $897. Payment plans are available.

Extras: A mentoring program is available. You can access Q &A calls, hear from guest experts, and attend a monthly “work with me” day that features Sara. Get three bonus pieces when you join, including group mentoring, a workbook, and a mini-course.

So there are four wonderful VA Training options. Now you just have to decide which one best suits your needs! Let us know what you decide! We’d love to hear from you!

 

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October 19, 2020

How to Help Your Small Business Thrive in Uncertain Times

With everything that’s gone down in 2020, it may be time to look at your business with fresh eyes to assess your current state and determine where you are headed. One way to do this is to perform a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for:

  • Strengths
  • Weaknesses
  • Opportunities
  • Threats

This analysis is quick and gives you a good sense of where you are at this point, where you are heading and how to make the most of every opportunity. Grab some paper and a pen (or sit down at your computer) and use this guide to get started. Here is a free worksheet to help you in this process.

 

Assess Your Strengths

Let’s start with the positive. Make a list of the strengths your business shows right now. They may be the same as pre-COVID-19, or they may be wildly different. Either way, be generous with your strengths. Include things like a great staff, dedicated customers, and your killer website or social media presence. The objective here is to get a good handle on all the things you have in your corner. Listing strengths helps affirm all the things that are going well. Put yourself in the shoes of a customer or staff member and consider your business from that perspective, as well. 

 

Consider Your Weaknesses

Next, make a list of the flaws you see in the business right now. Like the strengths, you may see faults that resemble what you saw before or a different set of disadvantages. It’s essential to create a complete and honest list but think big picture. Don’t include small issues that happen on a one-off basis, like a customer complaint or a minor hiccup. Don’t be overly critical. The goal here is to objectively consider areas of your business that could use some attention. A good list of weaknesses makes it easier to address any issues and solve for them going forward.

 

Identify Your Opportunities

Now, it’s time to look at your opportunities. The world has changed in the last six months, which likely means new opportunities have opened. The point of considering opportunities is to see new possibilities–both short and long-term options. You may see a long list of options right away. If you are struggling, that’s understandable. But, try to identify at least three opportunities on the horizon. Cast a wide net. Here are three ways to help frame your thinking:

  • Jot down the opportunities you have traditionally pursued if they are still viable. 
  • Consider what new avenues may be available for the future. You don’t need a plan to pursue the opportunity to list it–it’s ok just to see the prospect and note it. Planning to capitalize on the opportunity can come later.
  • Think of opportunities in many ways–perhaps you have a chance to hire a virtual staff member to bring in some expertise or reduce your workload or that of a team member.

Generating a list of possibilities will make you feel better about the future and start the wheels turning for new options in the future.

 

Outline Threats on the Horizon

Finally, write down the threats facing your business right now. I know–this can be scary. But, don’t be afraid to list the risks. Identifying them and committing them to paper won’t make them more likely to happen. Instead, looking at the list of risks can defang them a bit and make them feel more approachable. 

As you think about the threats, identify those you can control and those you can’t. For example, you can’t control what happens with the pandemic. But, you can make a staffing tweak that reduces the threat of staff turnover. List both in different categories to make them easier to assess.

 

Sample Worksheet

Here’s a worksheet to help you conduct your SWOT analysis. As you can see, it’s not fancy, but it serves as a good starting point for organizing your thoughts. You can also download one using the link above.

 

Products/Services            Staff               Marketing        General Environment
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats (Use an * to denote threats outside of your control)

 

Final Tips Before You Get Started

Here are my best tips for conducting a successful exercise:

  • Do your initial thinking, then set it aside for a week. I find creating this space helps make the reflection more in-depth and more insightful.
  • After a week passes, revisit your work and write down your initial edits. 
  • Do this again over a few days before you start making plans to address what you uncover. 

Once complete, file your completed analysis. Review it in six months to see how things have changed and how much progress you’ve made. 

 

This is the Perfect Time to Conduct a SWOT Analysis

With so many things going on, spending an hour conducting a SWOT analysis may seem like a low priority item. But, this is a great way to look at your business with fresh eyes and consider how the future may unfold. I always find this process valuable, and I look forward to hearing what you learn. Send us an email and share your experiences. 

 

 

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