Small Business

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April 17, 2023

The Power of Video Marketing for Your Business

Video marketing has become an increasingly popular tool for businesses looking to increase their brand awareness and reach a larger audience. Whether you’re a small business just getting started or an established business looking to grow, videos can be a great way to effectively market your business and build a strong brand. Learn more about the different types of videos you can create, the best platforms to share your videos, and tips for creating effective videos that will engage your audience and build your brand.

The Benefits of Video Marketing

Reach a Wider Audience: Video marketing gives businesses the opportunity to reach an even wider audience, including potential customers who may not have otherwise heard of your business. With videos, you can quickly get your message out to a large number of people and create lasting connections with them.
Showcase Your Products or Services: Videos can be used to demonstrate how your products work, explain their features and benefits, and even provide virtual tours of your facilities.
Establish a Personal Connection: Videos allow businesses to create a personal connection with their customers and potential customers. By telling stories and sharing personal experiences, videos help to build trust and relationships with viewers, increasing customer loyalty and engagement.
Increase SEO Rankings: Video content can also help improve your SEO rankings, as search engines like Google tend to favor websites that include video content. This can help to increase the visibility of your website, driving more traffic and leads to your business.
Enhance Social Media Presence: Videos are a great way to engage with your followers on social media, providing interesting content that can spark conversation and get people talking about your business. Additionally, videos can be easily shared across multiple platforms, allowing you to reach a wider audience and increase brand awareness.

How to Get Started with Video Marketing

Create an Online Presence: You should have a website, social media accounts, and email newsletters.
Choose a Video Platform: Popular platforms include YouTube, Vimeo, and Wistia. Each of these platforms offers different features and benefits, so research them to find the one that’s right for your business.
Set Your Goals: Once you’ve chosen a platform, set specific goals for your video marketing campaign. What do you want to achieve? Do you want to increase brand awareness or generate more leads?
Choose Your Topics: Try to pick topics that are related to your business and that will appeal to your target audience. Think about what questions they may have and create videos that provide helpful answers.
Plan Your Content: Determine the length of each video and what type of content it will include. Will it be an interview? A demonstration? A tutorial?
Promote Your Videos: Post them on your website, social media accounts, and other platforms where they can be seen by your target audience. You can also create email campaigns and send out notifications when new videos are released.

Tips for Creating Effective Videos

Keep It Short: Attention spans are short and people don’t want to watch long videos. Aim for 1-2 minutes in length if possible.
Tell A Story: People respond to stories because they can relate to them, so make sure your video has an interesting plot and characters.
Show, Don’t Tell: Videos are a great way to show off your product or service, so use visuals to demonstrate what you’re talking about.
Include A Call To Action: Always include a call to action in your video so that viewers know what you want them to do next.
Use Appropriate Music: Music is an important part of any video, so make sure you use music that fits the tone and style of your video.

Measuring the Success of Your Video Marketing Campaign

Analyze Your Viewership: Look at how many views your videos are getting, how long people are watching them, and where they are coming from.
Track Conversions: If you have a website or a landing page associated with your videos, you can use tools such as Google Analytics to see how many people have clicked on your video and then converted into a lead or sale.
Monitor Social Engagement: Look at likes, comments, shares, and other forms of engagement to get an idea of how popular your videos are with your target audience.
Ask For Feedback: Ask questions in the comments section or in your social media posts to get an idea of what people think about your videos and if they would like to see more.

We hope these tips are helpful for your business! What other tips have you found helpful? Let us know so we can share them!

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March 27, 2023

Overcoming the Fear of Hiring as a Small Business Owner

As a small business owner, the decision to hire new employees is an important one. It can also be intimidating and filled with anxiety. The thought of taking on the responsibility of providing wages and other expenses associated with hiring can be overwhelming. However, it’s important to remember that hiring is essential for the growth of your business. Let’s look at ways to overcome the fear of hiring as a small business owner and how to make the process easier:

Define Your Ideal Employee

It is important to take the time to carefully define your ideal employee or contractor before you begin the hiring process. This means taking the time to think about what qualities and skills you are looking for and which of these would be most beneficial to your business. Make sure to consider qualities like team-orientation, communication skills, work ethic, dependability, problem-solving abilities, and any other unique traits or qualifications that are relevant to your particular business needs. You should also think about the type of personality that will fit best with the company culture you are hoping to foster. By taking the time to define your ideal employee upfront, you will be better able to identify qualified candidates who possess the qualities and skills that you desire.

Create a Plan

The key to success is to create a plan ahead of time so you know what to expect. Start by making a list of all the tasks required to hire a new employee. This should include outlining what tasks this job will entail, what specific skills and experience you are looking for in your new hire, taking this information to draft the job post, then deciding what questions to ask in an interview to help you find the best candidate. Once your job posting is live, make sure you’re organized with the applications you receive. Consider creating a spreadsheet that outlines each candidate’s qualifications and notes from the interviews. This will help you easily compare each applicant and make your final decision. Additionally, establish a timeline for when you plan to make an offer and inform candidates. Outlining your expectations ahead of time will help ensure everyone is on the same page and save you time in the future. Finally, if this is your first time hiring, you may want to consult an experienced advisor who can answer any questions and provide advice on the best practices for hiring.

Hire for Potential, Not Just Experience

You want to make sure you hire the right person for the job, but you may be afraid to take a chance on someone without a lot of experience. However, this shouldn’t stop you from considering potential over experience. When it comes to hiring for potential, start by looking for someone who is highly motivated and eager to learn. Ask yourself questions like, “Does this candidate demonstrate a genuine interest in the position?” and “Do they have any related skills or knowledge that could benefit the job?” This will help you identify people who might have the aptitude for the role, even if they don’t have all the necessary experience.

Also look for candidates who have transferable skills. Are there any abilities they developed in a previous role that could be applied to your position? A great example of this is a mom who has to stay highly organized managing her family which translates into a very diligent personal assistant that can keep your calendar on track. Finally, remember that even if someone doesn’t have all the required experience, they can still be successful in a position if they are willing to put in the effort. Investing in a strong training program and providing adequate resources will help bring inexperienced employees up to speed more quickly. Ultimately, don’t be afraid to consider hiring for potential instead of experience when it comes to filling positions in your small business. There are plenty of motivated and talented individuals out there who just need a chance to prove themselves. By taking the time to invest in them, you could find yourself with a loyal and hardworking team member.

Take the Time to Train Your New Employees

While it may be tempting to simply have a new employee start working without any training, it’s important to invest the time and effort in training your new team members. Training doesn’t have to take long or be complicated. A comprehensive orientation process can cover all of the basics and ensure that everyone is on the same page. You can also break down your training into smaller pieces and offer ongoing education on specific topics.

When creating a training program, be sure to focus on the basics and make sure all of your employees understand the core processes of your business. You should also ensure that new employees learn how to use the technology they need to do their job. Having an in-depth understanding of your products and services is also essential, so make sure to include this as part of the training program. Finally, remember that while new employees will likely need additional guidance as they get up to speed, giving them a strong foundation at the outset can pay dividends down the line. It can also be helpful to get feedback from current employees on what they wish they had known when they first started so you can incorporate this into your new employee training program.

Set Clear Expectations from the Start

As a small business owner, you need to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Before hiring someone, you should let them know what is expected of them in terms of work hours, job duties, and any other relevant information — you should also communicate this to the rest of your team. They can help you through the hiring process, which can act as a support group for overcoming anxiety in this area. It is okay to share with your current team your fears about onboarding a new member. Getting their perspective in this area can be extremely helpful!

Make sure your new employee knows exactly what is expected of them, so that there are no surprises or misunderstandings. Let them know that you are available to answer any questions they may have, and that you are there to help them succeed. Ask them what their goals are and how they plan to achieve them. By having these conversations, you can ensure that everyone is working together towards common goals. Finally, make sure to document your expectations in writing. Having everything in writing can help keep everyone accountable and make sure that everyone is on the same page. It can also serve as a reference point if there is ever any confusion about expectations or roles.

We understand that even with these tips the hiring process can be intimidating. We have resources available that can help! Our Small Business Concierge Service can help you with the entire hiring process from helping you create a solid job post, receiving and reviewing incoming applications and resumes, conducting interviews, presenting you with the top 2-3 candidates and even helping with the onboarding process if desired.

Or if you are interested in learning more about the hiring process on your own, we have a self-paced course called “Hiring Made Easy” that can teach you valuable tools to use such as what to know before you hire, what questions to ask during an interview and what the going rate of pay is for common roles. At HireMyMom, we are here to help you every step of the way. Contact us today if we can be of any assistance.

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February 28, 2022

Is Your Team Member Struggling? Here’s How You Can Help

As a leader, you know your team. You see them succeed and help to celebrate triumphs. But, sometimes, you can see that a team member is struggling. Not just a bad day or an off week, but an evident struggle. You may notice missed deadlines or a decline in work quality. Sometimes you may see tardiness or a reduction in overall attentiveness. As a leader, this can make you feel frustrated and helpless. And it can also harm your business.

When everyone sits together in an office, it’s often easier to know what’s happening with team members, making it easier to offer support. But, when your team is virtual, it can be challenging to know what’s up beyond feeling that the person is struggling.

Sometimes, employees face personal issues ranging from health concerns to family issues. In some cases, childcare issues or fraying personal relationships make it difficult for employees to concentrate. And, sometimes, your team member may be thinking of moving on to another job.

As a leader of a virtual team, there are tips and tricks you can use to help offer support to employees who are struggling, so you can steer your team members back to the right path, or in some circumstances, help her find the right off-ramp.

Here are our best tips to help support an employee who appears to be struggling.

Listen

The first step is to talk with the employee. Don’t assume you know the nature of the issue.

Set up a time to talk. Make sure the time you set aside is free of other distractions and is not bound tightly by meetings or other obligations at the start or end.

Begin your talk with a friendly chat. After a few minutes of pleasantries, ask how she is and how things are going. Don’t say that you are worried about her or that you sense a struggle. Just tee up the conversation with a casual chat and some general questions. Then, listen in a non-judgemental way.

You may be surprised by what you learn. The employee may provide important clues about the struggle you sense. For example, the employee may share that her kids have been home from school due to quarantine or that she’s had to take on care of an older relative. You may also hear that she’s struggling to learn a new skill that she needs for the job or that she’s wrestling with a work capacity issue.

Whatever you hear, avoid offering solutions right out of the gate. Instead, reflect on what you’ve heard and show empathy.

If you don’t hear anything that could cause the struggle, it’s OK to say something like, ‘You don’t seem like yourself lately, and I’ve been a little worried about you, so I wanted to have this check-in.’ This could open up a new line of conversation.

Some people are super private and will choose not to share concerns openly. That’s ok, too. But still, listen for clues as you can.

Consider options

Once you know more about the issue, consider if it’s something you can help resolve or if there are ways to alleviate the issue leading to the struggle.

If you learn that the struggle is rooted in family care or other time-based issues, consider:

Offering time off or a short leave of absence.
Looking at ways to make the work day more flexible.
Asking if scaling hours up or down could help.
Looking into online or phone-based mental health resources that could help.

If the issue appears to be skills-based, consider:

Spending extra time with the employee to offer hands-on support.
Providing a training program.
Getting a coach to help.
Assigning a more seasoned employee as a mentor.

In some cases, the issue could be thornier. For example, the employee may be thinking of changing careers or looking for a different type of job. In this case, consider if you want to retain the employees and what it might take to do so. Sharpen the pencil and see if you can offer more compensation or other benefits to keep the employee.

You may consider if another role on your team might be a better fit for the employee and explore if a role change could solve the problem.

In some cases, your conversation may make it clear that it may be better for you and the employee to part ways. The prospect of losing a valued employee can prompt feelings of sadness or anxiety about finding a replacement, But, don’t take this development personally.

People leave jobs for as many different reasons as there are jobs. As an employer, some of the transitions are expected and outside of your control. For example, an employee who finishes a degree may decide to move on to a job in her field of study. Sometimes people have new family obligations–or family commitments change–and they choose to scale back or increase work obligations. Likewise, sometimes interests just change or curiosity drives people to try new things.

In these cases, there’s not much you can do as an employer. But, there are things you can do to smooth the transition by helping the employee find a mutually agreeable off-ramp, thank the employee for her service and end the relationship positively. Doing so means you are poised to continue a good relationship with that person. In some cases, the employee may return to you later or suggest a friend as a resource.

Circle back

Once you’ve had a chance to think about options and how to support the employee, set up some time to talk again. In some cases, you may want to send an email in advance that says you’ve been thinking about ways to support her based on your last conversation and that you’d like a chance to discuss. You can even preview some of your ideas in the note.

When the call starts, begin with a check-in to see how things are going. Then, offer that you have been thinking about the situation and outline the support you have in mind.

Give the employee a chance to consider them and offer a follow-up call to discuss more fully, if needed.

Step Back

As an employer, you can’t solve everyone’s problems. But, it is in your best interest to help make sure that each employee can offer her best each day by removing obstacles that can make it difficult.

Tell us about a time you helped an employee through a difficult time or what recommendations you have.

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February 14, 2022

How to Make Your Freelance Business Soar

Here are our Top Secret Tools

Congratulations on your decision to launch a freelance business. Whether you are launching a social media business, starting a bookkeeping business or starting a virtual assistant business, you are about to take one of the most rewarding journeys of your professional life. The HireMyMom team is excited to help you take the first steps.

If you are like most freelancers, you have questions as you get started. Likely, you have lots of questions–because that sense of curiosity (combined with a healthy dose of courage!) led you to this point. You are eager to see your business succeed–and so are we!

We suspect a lot of your questions center around logistics–questions like:

What tools and apps are most helpful for me and my business?
How to find good people when I need to outsource parts of my business?
How do I grow personally and professionally through this process?

We are here to help! This blog answers many of those questions for you. Let’s get started.

Use the Right Tools

Today, many people rely on online tools and apps to help with their work, but choosing the right tools for your business can be challenging. We get that!

The HireMyMom team has gathered our collective experience to compile a list of the best online tools we’ve found to help you run your business smoothly. We’ve put them all into one document where you can quickly learn more–and it’s available for free right now.

Our Online Tools & Apps Every Entrepreneur Needs download is chock full of tips that make it easier for you to select the right tools for your business. It covers:

Organizational tools that let you share your personal and work to-do lists and a tool that reduces email spam with just a few clicks. (We know, it sounds too good to be true!)
Collaboration and online storage programs that can help make your business sing and ensure that your whole team is singing the same song.
Options for email marketing–including ways to find leads, manage lists, and send messages out to customers and prospects.
Social media resources that give you more control over your posts.
Resources for creating great graphics to help craft an image for your business.
Apps to manage phone calls and scheduling like the pro you are.
Payments and accounting tools that help make payments and bookkeeping a snap.
Online resources to help you up your blog game, describe your business with greater precision and increase your SEO scores.

This guide is free and easy to use. It shares our best tips to save you the hassle of trying different things. Download it today and let us know which tool saved you the most time.

Find the right people and clients

It may seem far-fetched to think about hiring people when you first start, and many freelancers are solo operators. However, you may find that you need to bring in targeted expertise early–possibly much earlier than you expect. If you need to find administrative support, writing help, or social media expertise, look to HireMyMom for great people who share your passion and commitment to working moms. When you are ready to make your first hire, use this free downloadable Top 10 Interview Questions To Ask to help guide you.

HireMyMom is also a great place to find small businesses looking for the types of services you offer. Many small business owners depend on the HireMyMom site to find freelance talent. When you are ready for new clients, check posts frequently to grow your business. You can also find links for training opportunities to help you build your business and expand your client base.

Visit our website each week and check out our blog for the latest thoughts on workplace issues and working motherhood. Also, follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram for all the latest news.

Cultivate Resources

As a new freelancer and business owner, support can help you navigate the early days of your business. One great way to do this is to connect with the U.S. Small Business Association. The federal government operates the SBA. The service and information are free and top-notch. Its excellent website features information to help you plan, grow and manage a small business. Visit the local assistance tab to find out more about resources in your area. There’s even a special section for women-owned businesses and an opportunity to get free business counseling from a partner organization.

Also, check your local Chamber of Commerce as another good source of information and contacts. Often, the chamber keeps a list of retirees or seasoned executives who are willing to mentor new freelancers and business owners.

Consider Coaching

When you launch a business, hang out your own shingle as a freelancer, or transition to working at home, it’s easy to second guess yourself. Confidence is essential as a business owner and freelancer. Rather than waste time fretting, take action by finding a coach or a group of like-minded people to help you move through this phase confidently.

An experienced, independent, outside voice can help provide feedback on what’s not working and give you the clarity you need on the best way to use your time and energy.

A coach can help you define what success means for you, guide you as you start or grow a remote career or business, and help you work through any fears that hold you back.

HireMyMom’s Coaching & Masterminds program can help bring out the best in your business and in your life. We currently offer two options:

Elevate You: CULTIVATE: Mastermind & Coaching for Women can help you gain the clarity and focus you need to pursue your dreams while connecting you with a community of like-minded moms. You’ll find the path for meaningful growth and success through the program based on what matters to you. You’ll create deep and authentic relationships with women on the same path and benefit from coaching from our founder and HireMyMom CEO, Lesley Pyle.

Best of luck with your new business–we are cheering for you!

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February 7, 2022

Learn How Innovation Can Help You Expand Customer Relationships, Make More Money and Grow Your Business Fast

One common goal we hear from small business owners is a desire to expand their businesses. That’s not surprising–It’s fun to try new things and grow in different ways. As your business expands, your skillset grows, and you may add new members to your team, expanding your network and boosting your profits. What’s more, we’ve found that it gets easier to clearly see what’s next on the horizon for our business with every move.

But, sometimes, expanding the customer base for your existing products is a struggle. You’ve tried different marketing approaches and tapping new pools of potential customers, but it seems like a nut that just won’t crack.

In that situation, we find one of the most reliable ways to expand is by adding products or services that complement your existing offering. Adding services and products can round out your offering, help you stand out from the competition, find new customers and grow revenue.

Think of a restaurant adding a new menu option to appeal to a broader audience–that’s a product addition. If the same restaurant starts offering catering, that’s a complimentary service. These additions fall into the same realm as the restaurant’s original service. But, the changes will help attract new customers and provide additional services to existing customers–both of which can drive growth and increase sales.

While a restaurant is an easy way to visualize the concept, the idea works across all businesses. Consider a Virtual Assistant who primarily responds to email inquiries and manages calendars for small business owners. The VA may notice one of the people she supports is doing a lot of travel. With that knowledge and her existing relationship, she may decide to add travel planning services to complement her other work and pitch the service to the client she knows has upcoming travel.

Here’s another example. At HireMyMom, we added concierge services to help our customers who need staff right away and don’t have time to go through a traditional hiring phase, which can take attention away from their core business.

We’re looking at other ways to grow, too. For example, we are working on expanding our overall Human Resources services. New services could include helping with onboarding, creating policies and procedures for employees, and developing standard operating procedures for small businesses.

Other options include offering custom-written targeted emails to increase the exposure of specific jobs or lending the expertise of a Human Resources specialist to help employers enhance job postings to attract the right candidate.

Find the right products and services

No matter the business you are in, there’s likely a way to expand by offering additional products and services. The key is to determine what products and services your customers may want and which you can provide. Here are some ways to do some market research:

Listen carefully to the questions your customers ask. If your customers routinely ask if you provide a particular service or know who does, that’s a clue that demand exists, and it’s likely something your current customers might eagerly add to their orders with you.
See what the competition is offering. Take a look around at your key competitors and see what types of additional products and services they offer. There’s a good chance those same options may appeal to your customers.
Ask your customers what else they need or want. Inquire about how they use your main product or service and what could improve the experience.

Build the right team

Once you’ve decided on a new product or service to add, it’s time to make sure you can reasonably provide it. In some cases, you may need to add staff members to offer the option. In other cases, your existing staff may be able to absorb the work. Also, you may need to purchase new supplies or find space to store materials or do work.

Doing a little upfront planning can make the transition easier. The first few times you provide the product or service might feel a little rough. But, it’s all part of the product development lifecycle.

Check out our free Online Tools and App Every Entrepreneur Needs to find resources to help you expertly navigate this phase of your business.

Need inspiration? Join Mastermind

If you feel stuck or aren’t sure what types of services and product extensions might make sense for your business, an outside perspective can help you look at your business with fresh eyes.

HireMyMom’s new Small Business Mastermind could be just the catalyst you need to identify the types of add-on products and services that can take your business to the next level.

Through the program, you’ll find the path for meaningful growth and success based on what matters to you. You’ll create deep and authentic relationships with business owners on the a similar path.

The group will meet bi-monthly to discuss business growth, discuss ways to expand, and explore marketing ideas. The peer group dynamic will help fill you with fresh ideas and unique perspectives to develop new viewpoints and see your business with fresh eyes.

The group will explore ways to improve business systems, build better processes and automate your work.

A private group app puts all the tools and resources at your fingertips. Group sessions will provide an opportunity to share thoughts, get support, and find encouragement.

What’s more, the group sessions will help you stay accountable to your goals and will offer you a chance to network with other like-minded moms who you might not have otherwise met.

Happy growing!

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January 10, 2022

Our Top Tips to Make This Year the Best Ever for Your Business

The start of a new year reminds us of the possibilities ahead. And, at this moment, there are so many possibilities for small business owners. The economy is growing and changing quickly. People worldwide are rethinking how work fits into their life. Virtual work continues to grow, changing the complexion of teams and the way businesses find staff and customers.

The Hire My Mom team is excited about the year ahead–and based on our conversations with the entrepreneurs we work with, we know you are, too. We’ve all learned a lot about flexibility and resiliency in the last two years. We’ve learned a lot about ourselves, our goals, and our businesses.

As we embark upon the first few weeks of 2022, we know that many of you are doing some future planning. To help, we’ve gathered our top tips for business planning and dropped additional resources into each suggestion to help you refine your business plans and tackle your goals this year.

Let’s dig in!

Take inventory

January is a great time to look back at last year and complete an honest assessment of what went well and where you might want to change tracks. It’s tough to do this in the heat of each project, but the start of the new year and the planning that goes with it is the perfect time to reflect.

One way to do this is to perform a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This type of analysis is quick and gives you a good sense of where you are right now, where you are heading and insights about how to make the most of every opportunity before you. You can complete a basic one at your kitchen table by hand, dash one out on your computer, or take advantage of our free template.

Set goals

Frequent readers of the blog know we often suggest goal setting as a first step–and with good reason, the process works! After the craziness of the last two years and the unknowns about the future, you might be tempted to set only one goal–going with the flow. We get it! It’s tough to make solid plans these days.

However, in our experience, setting a few practical and achievable goals and sharing them broadly with your team is a key component for success. Goals create the yardstick that guides you and your team along the way when the unexpected happens. Setting SMART goals–those that are specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and timely, can help to shape your day-to-day actions and guide your longer-term thinking. Check out our tips for setting SMART goals with remote teams.

Brush up your leadership skills

Leading a team is hard work. No matter how long you’ve been doing it or how many people you lead, the work takes a toll.

But, like any muscle, your leadership skills get stronger with knowledge and practice. As we head into the new year, check out this blog about traits all great leaders share. It’s a quick read, but it offers concrete ideas about improving your leadership skills.

Get support

Consider adding your own development to the list as you think about your business goals. As a leader, it’s easy to lose focus on growing your own skills. And, leadership can be lonely. A Mastermind group can help you get the support and guidance that can take your skills and your business to the next level and open up new possibilities for you.

In 2022, Hire My Mom is offering a Mastermind group for small business owners. The group will meet virtually twice a month. One meeting each month will focus on growth in a specific topic from a coach or professional in the area. The other meeting will function as a think tank to collaborate, brainstorm, discuss and offer suggestions, ideas, and problem-solving to one another.

Learn more here. Then, you can mark one of your goals complete. (We love that feeling!)

Find a coach

As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to let your business goals take center stage over your personal goals. When that happens, many people, especially moms, feel guilty. But, one thing we have learned over the years is that finding meaningful success without sacrificing family time is a team sport and like all teams, a coach is a critical part of the team.

We all need support in business and life. It’s easy to feel stuck or overwhelmed–especially as you raise a family, navigate career space and build a business. An experienced, independent, outside voice can help provide feedback on what’s working and what’s not working and give you the clarity you need on the best way to use your time and energy.

Coaching can work with a Mastermind group or without. You can find a coach to help you focus on your business or to help you grow your leadership and other soft skills. Hear directly from two coaches with different focuses, learn more about how they help their clients get results.

Lighten your load

As you started your business, you likely did much of your work yourself. You managed your calendar, pitched products, booked travel, invoiced clients, monitored social media, and built and managed your team. But, as your business grows, it becomes more challenging to shoulder all that work alone.

What’s worse, doing all the things can prevent you from investing the time and brain power needed to grow your business in meaningful ways. Enter the Virtual Assistant.

Virtual assistants (VA) can save the day–and your sanity. Knowing how to find and use VAs can change your life as an entrepreneur and help you take your business to the next level. As you plan for the new year, consider if it’s time for you to find a virtual assistant.

Build a system

After conducting a SWOT analysis, many entrepreneurs find that efficiency is one of the areas of potential improvement for their business. An easy way to improve efficiency is to create a system for portions of your work.

A system is a set of processes, tools, people, and strategies that work together to solve a problem or achieve a goal. Creating a system for portions of your work can help you achieve a level of automation that lets you work more effectively on the things that matter, add predictability to your business, gain some time back, and make your life easier. Here’s how to get started.

Show your team some love

In the hustle of daily life, it’s easy to take your team for granted. After you read this blog, spend a few minutes dashing off notes to your team members telling them how much you appreciate them and why.

Then, consider making recognition a practice this year. If the idea of creating a more formal recognition process daunts you, check out this blog for ideas about how to recognize your team members, why it matters, and to learn ways to make the process feel more natural.

Also, consider conducting performance reviews for your team. Performance reviews are an essential tool and can lead to rich conversations and serve as a catalyst for growth for you and your team.

Think about your team needs

If you’re like many employers right now, your team is likely on your mind. The members of your team are critical to your success. In the midst of the great resignation, you may be worried about finding your next team member and thinking about how to prevent your best employees from walking out the door.

In the next few weeks, set aside some time to think about your staffing needs in the new year. Perhaps there are opportunities to let current team members grow in new ways. Maybe, you need to add roles or reorganize the way you work.

Investing some thinking here early in the year can help give you a leg up if you need to grow or change your staff. If you think hiring may be a part of your future, check out these tips to make your job stand out in a crowded field.

Cheers to a great 2022!

Drop us a line and share how you plan for the new year!

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January 3, 2022

Three Easy Things to Stop Doing and Three Smart Things to Start Doing Right Now

Our team at HireMyMom works with amazing small business owners every day, and we see all the love, sweat and tears that go into running and building a small business. We know that it’s a labor of love.

Every business is different, and every leader has her own style. But, we also see a few consistent practices across all our partners. A few guiding principles apply universally, whether you run a small Virtual Assistant business, a thriving online store, or a quickly growing accounting firm.

Here are three do’s and closely related don’ts we’ve observed over time.

Do Remember Why You Got Started

No matter how successful a small business is, there will be tough days, rough weeks, and even difficult years. Likewise, there will be beautiful moments, incredible months, great projects, and unbelievable years. No matter the season of your business, it’s important to remember why you went into business. The memory of your initial inspiration and drive can help sustain you as your business ebbs and flows and your life changes over time.

Don’t Lose Sight of Why You Keep Going

Your reasons for getting started may be different than the reasons that keep you going. Maybe a desire for more time with family prompted you to launch your business. Or, perhaps you felt constrained by the more traditional career routes. As time goes on, your reasons will likely change. Maybe that initial desire to spend more time with family becomes a plan to pass on a legacy, and a passion for a different type of career becomes an effort to open new career avenues to other people.

No matter the reason, when the going gets tough, remember why you signed up for this line of work and why it matters to you now. This will help ground you as you work through the day-to-day noise.

Don’t Go it Alone

Running a small business can be lonely. You make many decisions and often do the job of several people–especially when you are getting started.

But, no entrepreneur is an island. Finding the support of other people can make the journey easier and more enjoyable. It takes some effort to locate the people who can support you on your path, but we promise it’s worth it.

Do Cultivate Resources and a Network

Here are some ways to get started:

Connect with the U.S. Small Business Association. The SBA is operated by the federal government. The service and information are free and top-notch. Its excellent website features information to help you plan, grow and manage a small business. Visit the local assistance tab to find out more about resources in your area.

There’s a special section for women-owned businesses and an opportunity to get free business counseling from a partner organization.

Your local Chamber of Commerce is likely another good source of information and contacts. Often, the chamber keeps a list of retirees or seasoned executives who are willing to mentor business owners. Getting this level of support can help you clarify your thinking about your business and gain new perspectives.

Go to conferences and events to help you make industry contacts and to meet people involved in the same business. A deep bench of industry contacts will make it easier for you to know what’s happening in the field, provide an expanded group of people to reach out to with questions, and help you meet like-minded entrepreneurs.
Join a group like HireMyMom’s Mastermind for Small Business Owners or get a coach. We are excited to offer both coaching and a Mastermind group for small business owners. HireMyMom’s SBO Mastermind program can help bring out the best in your business and your life. You may benefit from one or both of these programs in your business journey.
Coaching: An experienced, independent, outside voice can help provide feedback on what’s not working and give you the clarity you need on the best way to use your time and energy. A coach like our own Founder and CEO, Lesley Pyle, can help you define what success means for you and guide you as you grow your business.

Research shows that working with a coach is the most effective and efficient way to experience the breakthrough you need to grow personally and professionally. You can benefit from Lesley’s 25 years as an entrepreneur and her insights into balancing work and family from a wife and mother who’s been down the road you are traveling.

Coming soon! Small Business Owners Mastermind, which is designed to support entrepreneurs as they grow their business. The group will start in 2022, but you can sign up for the waitlist now. When you join this group, you’ll have access to a peer group that knows what you are going through because they face similar challenges.

Through weekly meetings, you’ll develop authentic relationships with like-minded entrepreneurs who will become friends as you support each other and grow together.

Don’t Try to Do it All Yourself

As you launch your business, it’s tempting to want to do everything yourself. And it makes sense on one level–you are passionate about your business. You care deeply about its success, and you know you’ll work hard at any and all tasks. What’s more, it’s challenging to spend money on staff when your work is in the start-up phase.

But, even the most talented entrepreneur needs help and support with some tasks. (Think social media management, operations, routine administrative work.)

It makes sense for you to focus on the things you do best and the things that will make your business succeed, especially as you grow. You don’t need to focus on mastering every task. As the executive and founder, your focus belongs to the core business and making it succeed.

Do Hire The Right People

When you run a small business, your team is your ride or die. Whether you are a team of two or a team of 20, the people you hire are key to helping your team grow. One of the best ways to find the right people is to look for moms who want to work flexible jobs from home.

There’s an army of highly-skilled professional women out there looking for flexible jobs that help them support their families while working from home. When you tap into that network, you get access to a vast swath of top-notch talent that can help your business soar.

To find mom professionals interested in remote job opportunities, partner with a niche job site like HireMyMom to access a dedicated pool of professionals looking for remote work. Because HireMyMom charges job seekers a fee to access job listings, all our job seekers are serious about finding work. And, the volume of resumes that flow in is more manageable than the numbers that arrive when jobs are advertised on free job sites.

Employers love us because they know they can find high-quality, highly motivated candidates who want to work from home by partnering with HireMyMom.

Share Your Do’s and Don’ts

Does this list sound right to you? Tell us what you’d add!

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October 18, 2021

Turn Your Idea Into a Supercharged Business With These Four Easy Steps

While making dinner or driving carpool, many thoughts likely go through your head. If one (or more) of them includes a new business idea, congratulations-you have the heart and mind of an entrepreneur (and a momtrepreneur)!

The business you are considering can be anything–it doesn’t have to be a wholly unique new product. Perhaps, you’d like to put your top-notch project management or administrative skills to use by launching a virtual assistant business.

Or, maybe you know you’d like to work for yourself and are thinking of launching a business that fills a need in your community–like a dog walker or child care provider.

Whatever your interest, the next step is taking the idea and making it happen. So, how do you take the kernel of an idea or a desire to hang out your own shingle and turn it into a full-fledged business?

While the prospect may seem overwhelming, a few initial steps can quickly put you on the road to success. The HireMyMom team talks with successful entrepreneurs looking for help every day. Here, we distill what we hear from them into four easy-to-follow initial steps to get you started with whatever business you are considering.

Talk About It

It’s exciting to consider launching a new business, and it’s fun to talk about your vision. So, the first step is easy–talk with trusted friends, family members and other advisors about your idea. Share the big picture you have in your head and get their reaction to it. Encourage them to ask questions and poke holes so you can refine your plan and create a clear vision of what you want to do.

We encourage you to seek out the enthusiastic and skeptical for this step. In this phase, it’s crucial to have a wide variety of input, and each perspective will help you get a better sense of how you can massage your idea for the best chance at success.

That said, establish a timeline for this phase–probably two to three weeks. That gives you time to have many conversations and chew over different ideas but still lets you move forward with the plan in a timely manner.

Conduct Research

Next, embark on a research project. The goal is threefold:

Find out what other businesses are operating in your space–this is called market research.
Determine where your business fits in–this is called competitive analysis.
Learn about any permit or licensing requirements to open and operate your business. Knowing about any required permits or licenses can help you avoid potentially costly situations down the road.

The information taken together can help you refine your business plan and position you for success.

Start with market research. Aim to learn more about other, similar businesses. Ask potential customers what they are looking for and what they value in the service. Find how much they charge and what their customers think of the service. Ask potential customers what service is missing from the current mix. Find out more about the demand for your product or service.

The U.S. Small Business Administration offers a helpful guide for conducting market research before launching a business.

Next, perform a competitive analysis to determine how your business will fill a niche. For example, you may decide to offer a twist on a product or service to make your business stand out and solve a problem you saw in the marketplace. For example, if you were thinking about a child care business, you might learn that parents are looking for evening care during your research. As a result, you may decide to offer child care after traditional business hours to cater to families who need help in the evenings or on weekends.

Or, you might learn that the only infant night nurse within 50 miles is cutting back her workload and the need for that service exceeds what the market offers. You might then steer your business toward short-term overnight care so new moms can get some sleep. You could offer to do laundry while on duty as a way to make your business stand out.

In some cases, you may find that the area you are considering is currently underserved, and standard product offerings plus availability are enough to get your business off the ground quickly.

For example, in your research, you may find that a shortage of qualified administrative assistants has local accounting firms struggling to return calls and schedule meetings. In that case, you might tailor your virtual assistant business, so you cater to industries with high demand.

Or, maybe you are considering a pet-based service, and you learn that there aren’t enough dog walkers in your neighborhood now that people are heading back to work. You’ve found a gap that you can easily step into to meet the need.

Market research and competitive analysis are both necessary because they position you for success by uncovering your competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Write a Plan

Next, craft a business plan and put it in writing. Your business plan doesn’t need to be MBA thesis-worthy. You can use an online template from sites like hubspot or the balance small business.

If that’s not your style, you can write the plan out on a piece of notebook paper or pull up a document on your laptop. The U.S. Small Business Administration offers helpful tips for writing a business plan.

Generally, your business plan can be as comprehensive as you desire. But, at a minimum, it should reflect the basics elements of your idea.

Start by documenting your vision, hashing out your overall mission and the details of the product or service you plan to provide. Peer into the future and include an aspirational statement to help you guide you along the way.

Suppose you are launching a virtual assistant business. In that case, your vision may look like this: Start a virtual assistant business that focuses on calendar management, customer callbacks and spreadsheet support for small business owners in the real estate industry. Over five years, grow business sufficiently to add three part-time employees providing similar services.

From there, your business plan should answer these questions:

What is the name of the business?
Who does this business serve?
How will I find customers?
How will they know about my service?
What’s the competition?
What’s my competitive advantage?
What obstacles might I face?
How much does this product/service cost the customer?
How will I staff this business to meet the demand?
Do I need money to launch this? How much? How will I get it?
What are my promotional plans?

Then, set a few short and long-term objectives to help you move along. Many people find that creating specific action plans with deadlines helps them set and achieve goals. Make sure your goals are SMART, that is, specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and timely.

Make It Official!

Armed with your great idea, backed by research and fueled by the concepts documented in your business plan, it’s time to get moving.

Complete any legal and tax forms required to launch your business. You can find guidelines for selecting a business structure and instructions for getting federal and state tax ID numbers from the Small Business Association. The NOLO website offers low-cost legal forms.

Line up support to help ensure your success. While the specific support you need will vary by business type, some likely sources of support include:

A banker who can help you set up a small business account and offer basic bookkeeping guidance.
A mentor who has small business experience and can guide you as you launch, run and grow your business. Check out the Small Business Development Center for information about programs sponsored by the federal Small Business Association. They offer specific counseling for women-owned businesses.
A community of like-minded business people to share in the joys and struggles.

Call Us

The HireMyMom team can’t wait to hear about your success! When you are ready to find a work-from-home mom to supplement your staff, or you have an opportunity to give a budding, at-home professional some work, visit HireMyMom.com to find the resource you need.

Written by Lesley Pyle

August 23, 2021

Five Strategies to Prevent Your Best Employees from Walking Out the Door

A stellar team can help move your business in the right direction. As a small business owner, you know that finding and keeping the right staff is critical for daily and long-term success.

But, how do you hold on to your people when America is amid a “great resignation” that affects small and large businesses?

As the pandemic wanes and people start to evaluate their lives and careers against a new backdrop, you want to ensure that your employees decide to stay with you. Understanding why people leave jobs and knowing a few key retention strategies can help keep your best employees on board, even when the job market is sizzling hot.

Understand Why People Leave Jobs

In these cases, there’s not much you can do as an employer. Generally, the best option is to thank the employee for her service and end the relationship positively. Doing so means you are poised to continue a good relationship with that person. In some cases, the employee may return to you later or suggest an equally great friend as a resource.

However, some resignations are closely linked to employer actions and policies. Many times, employers are blind to the things that frustrate employees. For example, a lack of day-to-day flexibility or a strict vacation policy might send some employees packing. Employees who feel under-appreciated or sense conflict in the ranks also may leave.

The key is to know which issues are within your sphere of influence and which are not. If the problem is one you can control, proactive planning can prevent resignations and keep your all-star staff on board.

Communicate Clearly with Your Team Members

Like so many aspects of life, communication is the key to a productive working relationship. To know what matters to your employees, keep the lines of communication open. It may feel awkward, but a simple call every few weeks to ask your team members what’s working and what’s not working can go a long way toward enhanced communication.

When you call, express that you are open to feedback and changes based on what you hear. Take input from employees in stride. When an employee is brave enough to share her thoughts and frustrations with you, respect the courage it took to speak up. If the feedback hurts or is contrary to what you expected, take a deep breath and vow to consider it.

When team members share frustrations, ask them to suggest ways to address concerns they have. An employee with a concern often has a solution in mind, which relieves you from solving the problem. If you hear the same feedback from several employees, encourage them to form a committee to address the issue and bring potential solutions to you.

In some cases, employees just want to be heard and know that you care. Making the call and asking the questions is an excellent step in that direction.

Share Feedback

One way to show your team love is to provide feedback on the regular. No need to wait for a performance review to talk about skill development. When employees see that you have taken the time to notice their work, provide feedback, and suggest new ways to grow, they know you care and feel valued.

When you see an employee struggling, encouraging feedback can make a huge difference. Likewise, when you see an employee thriving, mention that to her. Finally, if you sense an employee is bored or restless, finding a growth opportunity can help provide a challenge that keeps her engaged and highlights possibilities for future opportunities.

Recognize, Recognize, Recognize

In the workplace, recognition can fuel your team through challenging projects and encourage them to keep up the excellent work. It also serves as a reminder that you see each employee and appreciate the work they are doing.

Recognition can be as easy as a phone call or an email that says, “hey, I notice what a good job you are doing.” Another strategy is to thank people at the end of a workday or after a challenging meeting.

Recognition can also take additional forms. Having a wide range of recognition tools makes the practice easier for you. But, when you manage a team of remote workers, the traditional ways of thanking your team and showing appreciation may be more difficult. Team lunches, impromptu gatherings, or stops at the local cafe for a quick “well done” treat are tougher to pull off when your team is scattered all over the country.

Check out this blog for tips to make recognition a habit and to find no and low-cost ways to recognize your team.

Keep Pay and Benefits Current

At the end of the day, your employees are generally working to support families. So, keeping pay and benefits current is an essential factor in retaining staff. It’s easy to forget about pay adjustments when you are busy doing good work with a great team. But, if your employees have been receiving the same pay for a year or more, it’s time to do some research. Here’s how:

Ask around to find out what like-businesses are paying for similar jobs.
Inquire about benefit offerings, including vacation time and flexibility.
Compare the data you gathered to your pay structure.
Make adjustments as needed.
Communicate the changes–and the thinking behind them–to your team.

Be open about pay and benefits as you talk to your team members. Explain the research you did and the cost pressures you are facing in discussing pay. If you can’t increase pay or change benefits, be open with your team about that and explore whether other forms of compensation might be mutually acceptable.

Be Flexible and Offer Flexibility

As the pandemic winds down, people (especially moms!) may need new and different types of schedules. Be open to looking at and discussing new options. Offering a little additional flexibility in the short term could help you retain a valuable staff member for years to come.

How Do You Retain Staff?

I’d love to hear your tricks for keeping staff on board. Drop me a line and share your best tips.

Written by Lesley Pyle

July 26, 2021

5 Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs

Being an entrepreneur can be one of the most rewarding, yet challenging career paths one can take. There are many considerations that go into starting a business so it’s important to understand both the benefits and risks of this career path. It can be helpful to take into consideration the habits of the most successful entrepreneurs, especially for business owners that are just starting out.

They set “SMART” goals

While any type of goal setting is a great way to help one reach their ambitions faster, setting “SMART” goals, in particular, can be a helpful strategy for entrepreneurs. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely. When an entrepreneur makes a SMART goal, they are setting themselves up for success because they have a more clear path of how they will reach their overarching ambitions, whether that is personally or professionally.

For example, an entrepreneur may say they want to increase their revenue for a certain product by the end of the year rather than setting a goal to increase revenue overall. This depicts a SMART goal because they are focused on a specific area of the business, making this ambition more attainable. Furthermore, by making a timely goal, the business owner has a timeframe in mind and can make intentional steps to reach this deadline. SMART goals are proven to be more effective than simply setting a larger goal because it can sometimes be overwhelming to attain certain bigger-picture ambitions. This is why by having shorter-term, more attainable goals, it is easier to stay motivated as each smaller goal is achieved.

They continuously network

Entrepreneurs understand that making connections is fundamental in business. Networking can come in many forms and successful entrepreneurs oftentimes think outside the box when meeting new people. The COVID-19 pandemic not only shifted the way in which business owners had to operate on a day-to-day basis, but changed the way in which connections are made.

For instance, while some entrepreneurs may have been able to participate in trade shows or Chamber of Commerce events prior to the pandemic, in-person meetings came to a halt due to the need for increased safety measures. While traditional networking may have taken place in person, successful entrepreneurs learned to adapt and network digitally. Networking is critical in business as it allows entrepreneurs to stay on top of current trends and meet key players in the industry. Successful networking also can serve as a form of marketing or yield client referrals to create even more business opportunities.

They are always reading

It is commonly known that successful people are constantly reading. This is why many entrepreneurs prioritize and understand the importance of reading on a regular basis. Deciding which books to read can be overwhelming as there are a plethora of options available. Furthermore, reading can take up time and entrepreneurs are usually extremely busy, especially when just starting out. Taking time to read quality books that are industry specific can be a good starting point and can help narrow down choices. Making a habit to read books as an entrepreneur can improve brain function, enhance creativity and reduce stress.

They have a money management system in place

Being an entrepreneur comes with a significant amount of responsibilities, including having a financial plan in place for both professional and personal finances. Sometimes it can be tempting to combine personal and business finances however, some of the most successful ensure they have a money management system in place for tracking purposes. Making an effort to keep business finances separate from personal finances is a habit of successful entrepreneurs because this allows them to have a better understanding of their business expenditures and therefore, they can determine the best ways to spend money from their business.

Furthermore, successful entrepreneurs will oftentimes set up adequate safeguards to protect both their business and personal finances. Having financial peace of mind allows entrepreneurs to focus on growing their businesses and can provide much-needed protection in times of uncertainty. An important way to protect both the entrepreneur’s business and personal finances is to carry a sufficient amount of life insurance coverage. Having a life insurance policy is particularly important for entrepreneurs because they are responsible for many different aspects of their business as well as their personal finances. For example, if an entrepreneur has family members that rely on income from their business, it’s important to ensure that if anything unexpected were to happen, their family has financial safeguards set in place.

They make time for themselves

Successful entrepreneurs understand the importance of hard work but they also value taking time to regroup. It can be hard to take a pause as an entrepreneur, especially considering all of the hats they wear. However, prioritizing self-care and taking a pause can actually prove to create more growth in day-to-day business duties. A few ways some of the most successful entrepreneurs make time for themselves include:

Exercising
Making health a priority
Enjoying a hobby
Taking a vacation
Getting a good night’s rest

The most important person to keeping business operations running smoothly is the actual business owner. This is why successful entrepreneurs make it a habit to prioritize their overall wellness.

Being an entrepreneur comes with a unique set of responsibilities and challenges. However, owning and operating a business can be an extremely fulfilling and rewarding experience. Understanding the habits of some of the most successful entrepreneurs can set other entrepreneurs up for long-term stability and a successful business future.

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