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Quick quiz |
Each month I'll give you a new question. Just reply to this email for the answer. William Shatner was born on March 22 of which year?
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A Fresh Approach to Finding New Clients and New Business |
Finding clients is often described as both an art form and a science, and this rings true now more than ever, thanks to the uncertainty of our current market. Regardless of the unprecedented times, it's still possible to shake things up when it comes to generating new business. Start by diving in with ideas first. It may feel contradictory to give ideas away for free. But offering them up is a great way to set yourself apart from the competition and introduce yourself to a company or client you want to work with. For example, if someone posts on LinkedIn looking for a graphic designer to redesign their webpage, take the initiative and review their website, come up with a brief idea, and offer it up in an email. Instead of just pitching your services, you're starting a valuable conversation. When you approach someone with valid and creative ideas,
it shows them exactly what you can do for them. On that note, don't underestimate the power of LinkedIn. It's a powerful prospecting tool that allows you to mine company pages, start conversations, find job postings, and discover hidden opportunities: for instance, a director welcoming new hires is a signal that their company is expanding and there may be opportunities to outsource work. It pays to be bold and follow up, regardless! Social media platforms have made it easier than ever to make digital connections with clients, but it's still incredibly important to meet face-to-face. In a socially distanced world, the next best thing is the humble video chat. Putting a face to a name makes you tangible in a way that electronic communication simply can't. People buy into people, after all. |
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How to Win Big in Today's Economy |
The altered economic landscape presents innovative and nimble businesses with opportunities to thrive.
Find out how by requesting my free report "How to Win Big in Today's Economy." Just reply to this email and I'll send it right out to you.
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What You Need to Know When Hiring a Virtual Assistant |
With spring abuzz with newness and spring cleaning, consider hiring a virtual assistant to help "clean up" your business. Here are tips for finding the right one. Compile your needs. Write a list of your most repetitive day-to-day tasks, from follow-ups to filing to record keeping. Evaluate tasks where you are not "an expert" (for example, social media or content creation) to consider outsourcing. Build a candidate profile. From this list, determine what qualities, specific skill sets, industry knowledge, and availability are critical to the role. Are you looking for someone to help clear basic tasks off your plate or for someone who has the promise of future growth in a more complex role? Include specifics and levels of expertise in your job posting. Budgeting. The more expertise and experience that is required, the
more a VA will cost per hour. Prepare for this in your budgeting based on time to complete each task. Onboarding. They might be an independent contractor, but aligning a VA with your overall business goals is beneficial for all. Consider taking them through a shortened onboarding process and ingraining them in your corporate culture. Communication is critical. Since VAs aren't there in person, having project management and communication tools is critical to a successful relationship. Set up daily check-ins and priority lists to keep your tasks on target. Test their competence. Create a short test that helps to measure the skills relevant to your job posting. This will help to give you a better idea about the VA's writing ability, attention to detail, and competence with selected platforms. Test drive. Give a VA a trial period before committing to a long-term relationship. Also, start slow with smaller
projects before expanding into more complex ones. |
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Worth Reading |
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Reaching Inbox Zero By Alyse Kalish The Muse |
A cluttered inbox can create stress. Dedicating time for a digital deep clean will help to put you (and your inbox) closer to a state of pure Zen. From identifying the issues that got your inbox pouring over in the first place, ways to lessen the inbound load, and creating some strategies to organize attention to incoming messages in the future, here are some tips to get you to "inbox zero." |
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The Designer-Approved List of Free and Cheap Stock Photo Sites By Mariah Althoff mariahalthoff.com |
Is the price of quality stock photos getting you down? Including relevant, engaging images in your content boosts views by an astonishing 94%. Helping others build successful careers in graphic design, here's one professional graphic designer's top five go-to sites for those with tight marketing budgets. Click to find the perfect free photo to up your marketing game. |
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Spruce up Your Business (and Keep it Safe) with Digital Spring Cleaning |
Whip out the digital broom and dustpans. A cyberattack can paralyze businesses overnight and create a long road to recovery. In fact, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) estimates cybercrime costs small businesses an average of $80,000 each year. Here's an overview of basic steps to protect yourself and your customers' data. Polish the passwords. Using the same password for multiple accounts or creating one that's easily guessed is like Christmas for hackers. Share some internal guidelines about how to create secure passwords. Providing access to password management software can also encourage employees to follow this guidance. Disinfect devices. Keep employees up to date on the latest phishing and malware trends to keep them from clicking on that "convincing link." Remember: malware can be lurking on any device that can connect to the
Internet. Scrub the digital archives. Regulatory compliance mandates that we take proper steps to protect personal information for both customers and employees. Customer relationship management (CRM) systems, server archives, and all electronic communications are a hotbed of juicy logs that hackers would love to get their hands on. If you're having difficulty confirming that you are in compliance, consider hiring a third-party provider that specializes in securing your data. Rinse the routers. Ideally, purchase new routers that come preinstalled with the latest protections against recent cyberattacks. At a minimum, keep your router's firmware (the basic coded instructions that serve as the foundation to make your device work) up to date. Lastly, never use the default login information that comes on the router: be sure to change and customize your password. |
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Share This Newsletter |
If you find this newsletter helpful or interesting, share it with those you care about.
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Links You Can Use - New Hires |
Finding the right job candidate comes with extra challenges in this new business environment. These resources will help you hire with confidence. |
How to Write a Job Description (Plus 7 Job Description Templates) |
Learn how to write a clear and robust requisition that will produce quality candidates.
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15 Surefire Ways to Find Employees You'll Love |
Think outside of the box to reach the best applicants. Here's how to help the perfect person find you.
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Small Business Hiring Guide: Surviving COVID-19 |
Whether on the hunt for new talent or in the process of rehiring, check out these tips on navigating new expectations, health, and safety.
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Best Free Job Posting Sites |
Compare the pros and cons of 2021's best free job posting sites.
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When Is It Time to Consider a Brand Refresh? |
Reinvigorating your brand doesn't have to mean starting from scratch. A brand refresh capitalizes on your existing brand equity and thoughtfully applies a fresh coat of paint to bring it back to life. Here are some indicators that it's time to breathe new energy into a lethargic brand image. It's old. Was your logo designed 20 years ago? Have your business goals or company culture changed over the years? Are your messaging and overall positioning still in alignment with who you are now? Run a checkup to see if you've outgrown your old image. It isn't grabbing attention. If your customer satisfaction levels have stayed consistently positive, yet you still see a decrease in sales, this can be the first sign that your brand's relevancy and potentiality have gone dormant. It looks like everyone else.
Distinguishing yourself from the competition is paramount to building brand awareness than lends itself to customer loyalty. Don't blend in. Stand out! It isn't consistent. Campaign slogans that have accumulated over the years can make your brand's positioning a bit hazy. Consistency is key to being an easily recognizable, memorable, and trusted brand. Rein in all of your outward- and inward-facing content (collateral, sales presentations, customer service scripts, website content, and more) and realign to a consistent voice and outward-facing image. It doesn't meet your goals for growth. Refreshing a brand image to be more inclusive of new audiences is critical to successfully tap into new markets. For example, if you are expanding to include a younger target audience, you'll want to shift your brand voice to be more "hip" with modern vernacular and update imagery to feature younger people and their interests
alongside your other demographics. Remember: before investing in any changes to your brand, it's important to make sure that you have a good (and profitable) reason for doing so. Be sure to have a well-planned strategy both in creating the refresh and as you roll it out to both internal users and external audiences. |
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This newsletter and any information contained herein are intended for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, financial or medical advice. The publisher takes great efforts to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this newsletter. However, we will not be responsible at any time for any errors or omissions or any damages, howsoever caused, that result from its use. Seek competent professional advice and/or legal counsel with respect to any matter discussed or published in this newsletter. |
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