Is it Time for You to Start Outsourcing?

Are you feeling overwhelmed with the work you need to do?  Are you pulled in too many different directions? To be a successful business owner you have to know when to delegate, whether you are a small company or a large business. Delegating consists of giving some of your responsibilities to someone you can trust to do the work, whether it is someone on your staff or outsourcing to a virtual assistant. By definition outsource simple means to send out work to an outside provider or manufacturer in order to cut costs.  And isn’t that one of the most important things to remember about business?  Cut cost and make money.

Try keeping a daily log for several days and write down everything you do.  Now look over that list and see what is on there that someone else could do for you. Look at everything you are doing and see what can be outsourced so you can get back to finding new clients. The options for outsourcing are unlimited with today’s technology.

A few things to consider when deciding what work can be outsourced is:

  • The job takes up too much of your time and energy.
  • It’s less expensive to have someone else to it.
  • The skill required to do the job is specialized.
  • You don’t enjoy this task.
  • The task has been on your To Do list for too long.

Outsourcing is a practical option for many tasks including:

  • Payroll
  • Accounting
  • Employee training
  • General administration
  • Computer Services
  • Social Media Management
  • Any special project
  • Manuscript typing

 

Virtual assistants and other out-of-office professionals own their own equipment with the latest software, they pay their own taxes and benefits, and they are experts in their field. In fact, many have specialized niches. VAs don’t require morale building or training, and they aren’t going to bring their personal problems into your work space.


Outsourcing can be one of the most effective tools in business when done correctly. Not all virtual assistants offer all services.  The key is to decide what you want to outsource and find the right person to partner with.  Most virtual assistants will do a first time consult for no charge and help you to decide for sure what work you can outsource.

Another thing to remember when outsourcing is to clearly articulate your expectations.  Do not just assume because something is obvious to you that it is obvious to your contractor. If you aren’t clearly expressing your needs, then how is the contractor going to give you results that you expect?  Communication is key.

Outsourcing allows you to extend your resources into other areas of your business that need your attention. Virtual assistants offer even more advantages: they are loyal to their client companies and will support your goals – they can help you run your business more efficiently, help you generate ideas, and allow you more time to make your business more profitable.

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5 Easy Ways To Get Your Creative Juices Going

Writing an article doesn’t just mean putting down thoughts into words then typing and writing it. You have to capture the interest of your readers and get them to keep on reading. To send your message across you have to get the attention of the reader and have a firm grasp of their interest and pique their curiosity.
The main ingredient in baking up an article is a large dose of creativity. While creativity may come natural to many people, some just gets into a block or something to that effect that can drive someone crazy. Many writers have literally torn their hair out when they get writers block and just can’t seem to get their creative juices flowing.
Putting words into images in the readers mind is an art. A clear and crisp depiction requires a certain flair that only creativity can provide. Similes and metaphors help a lot, but the way an article gets entwined word for word, sentence by sentence then paragraph by paragraph into a whole article develops the essence of the article.
So just what do you have to do when nothing comes to mind? There is no surefire ways to get the perfect ideas but there are easy ways to get your creative juices flowing. No one can guarantee you of having the perfect mindset but many methods may aid you in achieving that state of mind. Here are five easy ways for that.
1) Keep a diary or a journal with you always. Ideas can be triggered by anything you may hear, see, or smell. Your senses are your radar in finding great ideas. Write all of them into a journal and keep it with you for future reference. You may also write down anything that you have read or heard, someone’s ideas could be used to develop your own ideas and this is not stealing. Remember that ideas and creativity can come from anywhere; it’s the development of the idea that makes it unique.
2) Relax and take time to sort things out. A jumbled mind cannot create any space for new ideas. Everyone must have a clear mind if one wishes to have their creativity in full speed. Get rid of all obstacles that can be a hindrance to your creativity. If you are bothered by something, you cannot force your mind to stay focused.
Try to relax every time that you can and think about your experiences and interactions with others. Your experiences are what shape your mindset and your opinions which could be reflected on your writings. Try to discover yourself, find out what triggers your emotions. Discover what inspires you and what ticks you off. You can use these emotions to help you in expressing yourself and your ideas, with this you can grow creatively.
3) Create a working place that can inspire your creativeness. Your working place can be quite a hindrance if it doesn’t make you feel happy or relaxed. Creativity comes from being in a good state of mind and a messed up workplace that causes distraction won’t be conducive in firing up your creative flow.
Surround your working place with objects that makes you happy and relaxed. You may put up pictures, or scents, objects that inspire, or anything that can get your creativeness cranking. A clean and well organized workplace also rids of distractions and unwanted hindrances. With a good working place, you can work in peace and never notice the time pass by.
4) Set the mood. Setting the mood requires you to just go with the moment or to induce your self to feeling what makes your mind works best. Finding out what makes you tick could help you find ways to get your creative juices flowing. Set the pace and tempo for your mood and everything else will follow.
There are many ways to set the mood. Some writers have been known to use alcohol, a little sip of wine to stir up the imagination. Some would like some mood music while others let the lighting of the environment create the mood.
5) Go on a getaway and just do something unlike crazy. Letting yourself go and have fun produces adrenaline that can make your imagination go wild. Take an adventure or a solemn hike. Whatever it is that is unusual from your daily routine can take the rut out of your schedule. In no time at all, your creativeness will make use of that experience and get your imagination to go on overdrive.
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Short and Sweet

What a virtual assistant does and why we’re a smart choice is often a pain to explain to people unfamiliar with the concept.  Good news!

Joann Yates at the Sun Microsystems’ blog, “News, Advice, Case Studies for Startups” wrote a tidy, succinct, and user friendly article you can point people toward called, Virtual Assistants Save Entrepreneurs Time and Money.” The information is good and it might even help you think up a simpler way to explain the benefits of hiring a VA to prospective clients.

About the Author: Dy Larson is the writer-editor behind the pen at Ink Think.

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Hello, Have You Heard of Scott?

If you are a web savvy business owner and don’t know who Scott Ginsberg is then you may not be as savvy as you think. Scott Ginsberg, aka The Nametag Guy, is well known for, well, for being The Nametag Guy.

His blog is always full of interesting advice for business owners and people who dream of starting their own business.  Tuesday he posted a thought-provoking aritcle called Don’t Start a Business Until You Read These Nine Facts. It’s a little esoteric at times and a bit in your face at times–that means he uses the occasional bad word :-) — and not for everyone, but the underlying points he’s making are solid.

About the Author: Dy Larson is the writer-editor behind the pen at Ink Think.

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Wanna Help?

We are looking for some members who are willing to blog from time to time about interesting articles, news, etc. pertaining to the VA industry. Must be a TexVAL member and you can add on a 2 sentence blurb about yourself at the end. Interested?

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