Posts Tagged ‘Business Plan’

International virtual staffing agency, Team Double-ClickSM frequently replies to beleaguered prospective clients who ask, Do I Need a Virtual Assistant? Gayle and Jim Buske, founders, CEO and CFO, respectively, offer a remarkably straightforward means to answer this critical question.

Team Double-Clicks recent unveiling of the companys easy-to-navigate website offers a self-administered quiz entitled, Fast Quiz: Do I need a virtual assistant? Within five minutes, future clients can determine whether internet-based professionals, who provide virtual administrative, marketing and sales support, can indeed contribute to an entrepreneurs emerging or existing business plan.

Answering a series of nine thought-provoking questions; one for example, How often do you work additional hours in the evenings or on weekends just to stay on top of administrative tasks? business owners select one multiple choice answer; each assigned an individual point value. Upon completion of all nine questions the allotted points are tallied to determine if a virtual assistant can or cannot be a useful team member to assist in the growth of a future clients particular business. If determined that a virtual assistant is needed, the quiz further clarifies a recommended number of hours an assistant can be contracted to relieve a business owner of any routine responsibilities, project work andor on-going; albeit important, time-consuming tasks.

Another challenging quiz question presented on the website is, Do your phones go unanswered because you are often out of the office or busy on another line? This particular question frequently leaves the small business owner wondering how much revenue is truly lost when potentially important telephone calls remain unanswered.

Additionally, Team Double-Clicks all-inclusive website offers a myriad of other customized virtual office assistant solutions for the entrepreneur. Targeting small business owners, real estate brokers, investors, and agents, visitors to the site can view a task list that a contracted virtual assistant can accomplish in their specified industry.

In a 2006 interview with Kendra Todd, winner of NBCs The Apprentice Season 3, hosted by Gayle Buske, Todd was asked to explain how she eventually determined that Team Double-ClickSM virtual assistants would add value to her rising real estate empire. Todd explained that as her business grew, a business partner eventually approached her and said, Kendra, you cant do it all, and you need a virtual assistant. Todd added, I have a very large database with lots of people a couple thousand people in my database. It is important for any successful business owner to keep in touch with their clients, and email and ezines are a wonderful way to do that. Todd continued, Its hard to pick up a phone and call several thousand people and say, Hello, how are you doing? but there are some wonderful virtual ways in which to have an intimate relationship with your customers, and so that was one of the reasons why I really needed to get a virtual assistant.

Todd has built her real estate team based on the premise that she, just want[s] the best people at what they do, regardless of where they are [virtually]. Business owners and entrepreneurs can now determine within a few minutes if a virtual assistant can be a viable addition to a clients organization and, if so, through the use of Team Double-Clicks virtual staffing solutions website customized tools are available to effortlessly assemble a dynamic virtual team.

On a scale of one to ten, having a good business strategy rates about a fifteen!

No matter what kind of business you have — whether you sell products or a service, as the saying goes, “if you fail to plan, then you’re really planning to fail.”

Creating a strategy can mean the difference between you working 60 to 80 hours a week all year long — and then breaking even, or worse, losing money.

On the other hand, many successful entrepreneurs who have a strategy work fewer hours and make piles of money — and they usually attribute their success to having a strategic plan and following it.

So what is strategic business management? Very simply, it’s the process of defining the goals and objectives for your business, creating an action plan so you can reach them and then following the plan.

How do you create a strategic plan for you business?

1. First, know what your vision for your company is. If there were no barriers, nothing stopping you from taking your company as far as you could — what would that look like?

2. Next, what are your company’s core operating values? What are its guiding principles? In other words, why are you in business and how do you do business?

3. Now create a 3 to 5 year plan. Your long-term plan is based on the broad objectives that will help you get from where you are now, to where you want to be.

4. Develop a plan for this year. These are the specific objectives you plan to accomplish this year that will lead you closer to your long-term goals. Remember to be “SMART” when setting your annual goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-oriented). Include a list of the barriers that are stopping you from getting where you want to go. Figure out what resources you’ve already got, and what resources you need to get you past those barriers. And then create an action plan that clearly lays out how you will achieve your goals. Involve key employees with this part of the planning process.

5. Create a set of milestones or benchmarks. This is very important, so that you can measure your progress.

6. Share the plan with your employees, and anyone else who will be involved in the process. Your annual strategy is the roadmap that will make sure everyone ends up at the same destination — but to be effective, everyone needs the same map!

7. Put the plan into action. Now that you have the roadmap, it’s time to begin the journey.

8. Check your progress. Just like any trip, you need to check the map every now and then; to be sure you’re still on the right road. If something isn’t working, the sooner you figure it out and make the necessary adjustments, the sooner you’ll be back on track.

9. Follow the same cycle next year. (Dream, Plan, Act, Check).

Creating a business strategy and following it will ensure that you enjoy the journey as much as getting to your final destination.