Efficient Business Solutions

Have you set your goals for 2021? Have you written down your vision? It’s not too lateyou still have 2 full weeks to make this happen! Do you need help? Here is this month’s article to help you get this done right, no matter what the year throws in your path, you will be successful if you implement these 3 things you need to do to start your year powerfully. Set SMART goals and create your vision for the year.... Hold yourself accountable. Be flexible and give yourself permission to both fail and succeed. Read more here. https://efficientbusinesssolutions.ca//3-things-you-need-t See more

I recently saw this quote in a magazine and I took a picture of it and it’s now my wallpaper on my phone. It resonated with me for so many reasons and I wanted to share it with you and get your perspective and whether it resonates with you? Please share in the comments below.

Mine is Mastery! Mastery is comprehensive knowledge or skill in a subject or accomplishment OR control or superiority over someone or something. Next month, I will be celebrating my 6th anniversary and over the holidays I took time for me and reflected about what impact I wanted to have on this year. I have so many things I want to do this year like write a book, develop a VA Mentorship program, help small business owners understand the importance of investing in a Virtual ...Assistant and so much more. The way I will be able to accomplish these things will be by utilizing my team to the fullest and managing my time effectively. Please share with me what your word is for 2021 and why you chose that word? See more

Welcome Back! I hope you had a great holidayI know I certainly did! I hope you are ready to make this year a great one. I want you to think back to this time last year. Now think about who you were then, think about your beliefs, your approach to things, how you reacted and think about your goals and vision you had set for last year. Now I want you to reflect, are you the same person? Are your beliefs exactly the same? Do you approach situations the same way? Do you reac...t the same way to those situations? Do you have the same goals and vision this year as you did last year? I know I certainly am not the same person. With all that had happened in the world in 2020; pandemic, political issues; racism and civil justice; I have changed. You see, I have a greater sense of compassion, at the same time, I will not give my time to those that will take advantage of it. I have learned that my needs and the needs of my family is at the forefront and I will do what is in our best interest. I have also learned that being the owner of a virtual business can and will survive a pandemic. 2021 will not be very different from 2020 on the surface. We are still in a pandemic, we still have political issues and we still have racism and civil unrest. I have changed and that is all I can control. See more

We are now in the last half of the 4th quarter for 2020. I know you are starting to think about Christmas and taking time off, BUT, we still have 6 weeks to go until the end of 2020. With all that this year has brought, I am cheering you on to end this year strong and proud with all that you have accomplished. You are almost there, keep going!

2020 has been a crazy year. I have been a witness to many people's sadness and hard times and I have done whatever I can do to be there for them during this time. I myself have had moments of "what in the..." and that is to be expected with all that went on in the world. Although we are moving into 2021 during a lockdown, I have faith that we will start to see a bit more normalcy this time next year. I wish you all the best for 2021! Happy New Year!!

If you're struggling to stay motivated right now, here is your reminder that you've got this Don't give up! What are your goals for next week?

Recently, I had posted about a client who’s Facebook account got hacked into. As much as we tried, we were unable to get her personal page back, so she had to set up a new personal account. As you know, your business page is attached to your personal page, so one would think that all was lost, but the fabulous news is, it wasn’t! Due to the fact that I was previously set up as an Admin and continuing to post for her, we were able to add her new personal account as an Admin too which allowed her to regain complete access to her business page. If you do not have someone doing your Social Media posts for you, please consider, at the very least, to have someone as an Admin, even if it’s a family member or close friend that you trust. It’s an added level of protection for you if your Facebook account is hacked.

Your reminder for today. Read that again One more time.... You are capable of doing amazing things! See more

I have said it once and I will say it again, this year is not what I had on my Vision Board. However, 2020 has been a fabulous year filled with abundance. Do you feel the same? When I set my goals for 2020, there were two VERY important ones that I chose to focus on, the first was financial responsibility and the other was to be comfortable with being uncomfortable...I don’t believe any of us could be any more uncomfortable this year. Many businesses, whether small, mediu...m or large, were forced to shift and pivot the way they did business very quickly to survive the lockdown and some continue to stay virtual for various reasons. Being a Virtual Assistant for the past 6 years, I’ve learned how to work virtually, so not much has changed. My husband’s company is working virtually until the end of this year at the earliest and because of this and so many more factors, I was also able to accomplish my ‘financial responsibility’ goal ensuring debts that have been hanging over our heads have been able to be cleared. Here we are the last week of October and my business is continuing to grow, what more can a business owner ask for? Abundance is a state of mind, if you believe you lack, you will and if you believe you are abundant, you are. Plan for abundance in 2021 and contact Melissa at Efficient Business Solutions for more information on how we can help! #VAlife #VAforhire #virtualassistant #outsourcing

When work doesn’t seem to slow down and you have so much going on, it’s important to prioritize your daily tasks. 1. Start by making a list of everything that needs to be done. 2. Categorize the tasks by importance / priority.... 3. Once you’ve identified them, start tackling each one by one. When in doubt, get to the tasks that need to be completed right away. See more

We have all said it, I’m so busy. However we rarely say, I’ve been so productive. In my opinion, the word busy has a negative meaning and because of this it gives us a mindset that is not about abundance and openness. Being productive allows us to feel a sense of accomplishment. The problem is WE, as business owners, often spend TOO much time doing things that don’t directly grow our business. ... So, how do you become productive? Delegation, of course! To quote Richard Branson from an article he wrote called, Why delegation is crucial for success. "Most entrepreneurs are driven personalities, but you can’t overcome challenges and bring new ideas to the market through the sheer force of personality alone," the Virgin Founder writes in a recent blog post. "You need to learn to delegate so that you can focus on the big picture." For more information about delegating to become more productive, contact Melissa at [email protected] to set up a Discovery Call. #virtualassistant #virtualassistantservices #oshawa #toronto #durham #ajax #businessoperations #businesssupport #businesssolutions #businesssupport #productivity

A process is sequence of events that enables people in a business to do what they do and systems are what’s used to execute the process. We use various systems every single day, email systems, invoicing systems, project management systems, timekeeping systems, CRM systems, email marketing systemsin business our business is run using systems to help execute our processes. Systems are not a one-size fits all as there are simple and complex systems, so you want to ensu...re you are choosing the right system for you and where you are in your business and where you want to go in your future. To find out which system you should be using, ask yourself these questions. 1. Find out what your competitors are using. Many systems are developed for a specific industry, so find out if there is something out there that will help you in your business by reaching out to your competitors or perhaps an organization for your industry. 2. Do your own research. Chances are you will find an article comparing specific systems, which you can read through and find out what the pros and cons are for each and probably the cost for each. 3. Try it out! Many systems have free trials or demos that you can participate in which will give you a much better understanding of what the system can do and whether it’s the right fit for you and your business. There is no point on paying for a system if it’s not going to work for you. You also want to ensure that you are not being short sighted and paying for multiple systems when you only have to pay for one more robust system to get everything you need. #efficientbusinesssolutions #crm #emailmarketing #businesssolutions #businesssupport #virtualassistants #virtualassistantservices #administrativeassistant #bizowner #projectmanagement

Let’s have some fun today because today is National Jersey Friday! Although this day has more to do with celebrating Football as we are now in football season, I am Canadian and hockey is a sport I understand. You will notice that I’m wearing a Boston Bruins sweater instead of a Toronto Maple Leafs or any other Canadian Team. I am a proud Canadian and IF the Toronto Maple Leafs ever won the Stanley Cup, I personally would be over the moon and join the celebration, but I s...tarted to cheer for the Bruins when my husband and I started dating. Both my husband’s family and my family are both true blue Toronto fans, so it definitely makes it a fun hockey season. What is your favourite sports team? Post a picture in the comments of you with your favourite team’s jersey on and let’s celebrate team work at its finest! #JerseyFriday #NationalJerseyDay See more

We ALL have a process for everything we do in our businesswe just don’t realize it. Think about how you answer emails, or send out your invoices or set up a Social Media post, there is a process to everything. It’s important as business owners, whether you are a Start-up, solopreneur or have a team, to have all of your processes written down. When you don’t have things written down and you have everything in your head, it’s a challenge to bring on help, either outsourced o...r employees, simply because you have to spend so much more time explaining EVERYTHING to them to catch them up. This in turn interrupts your productivity. Here are a few key points to make it easy for you to get things written down. 1. Do what you do naturally. I have had business owners approach me asking me to help them build a process and I ask them to tell me what they do naturally and once they are done, I say, that’s your process. Adjusting your process for efficiency is absolutely fabulous, but overall, it’s the natural progression and routine that you do that is YOUR process. 2. Turn on your phone recording app and talk through your process. Many of my clients get hung up on the written part of writing down a process. I explain to them to record themselves talking through the process and save those recordings for later. 3. Get someone to write them down. Since you have recorded everything with your phone, hire someone, like a Virtual Assistant, to transcribe those recordings. This will provide you with your first draft of your processes written down. I mentioned first draft simply because this is the beginning. It’s important to write them down and as you start to grow and build a team these processes can be adjusted and built into a full Policy and Procedure Manual, which every company should have. #virtualassistant #virtualassistantservices #oshawa #toronto #businesssupport

Recently, I had a client who’s Facebook account got hacked. As I am an Admin on my client’s business page, I was able to continue to post. I was also able to monitor the messages that came through that business page and there was one instance where the hacker tried to get a client of my client’s to pay again saying that the payment was not received. I was able to step in and warn the client to not pay as the account was hacked. I am personally lucky to have an IT professi...onal, who I call my husband, simply because he has taught me the importance of password security and how to avoid being hacked. In my client’s situation, the biggest obstacle has been to get in touch with Facebook to gain access as there is no direct contact, so everything is happening through email, so here are a few things you need to know. 1. Choose a long and strong password and if you are concerned you will forget, then choose a password keeper like LastPass. 2. Choose the two step authenticator for ALL online programs as this will send you a code to your cell phone as a text which has a time limit. 3. If you believe you are hacked on Facebook and cannot access Facebook on your PC, you may be able to access it on your phone to gain access to the code generator in your settings to reset your password, this likely will only work if the app on your phone is signed in and is done right at the first sign of being hacked. It will feel like it would be easier to start over, but it’s not. Your followers are important and starting over does not ensure that you will gain all of them back, so stay calm and do whatever you can to gain access. Reach out to your network and ask for help if you are not confident in your technology abilities. Here is a blog that I wrote 3 Easy Steps to Protect Your Information. https://efficientbusinesssolutions.ca//3-easy-steps-to-pro See more

Thanksgiving is not the same this year, just as many other holidays and special occasions have not been the same this year. I am still thankful for what this year has given to me personally as I have grown and learned a lot about myself. I appreciate the time I spend with my immediate family and have learned that I value the time I get to myself because it’s far and few between. I appreciate the time I get with other family members because they are the reason why I stay home and follow the safety protocols. I appreciate the time I have with our close friends because they are the ones who truly know who we are. I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity to learn these things about myself and unfortunately it took a pandemic for me to appreciate what I have. Happy Thanksgiving!

3 Effective Ways to Get the Most Productivity Out of Your Day Now that my kids have returned to school, I have been able to focus on those tasks that I have continued to push aside. I am going to share my 3 Effective Ways to Get the Most Productivity Out of Your Day. 1. Make To Do lists. Whether you create your lists electronically, manually or using an online task management system, you need to list everything you need to accomplish. I use a traditional Hilroy n...otebook and under each client’s name I list all the items I have to do that week. I also jot down all the items I have to complete for my business, such as content creation for social media. The point is, you will NEVER have to worry about what do I have to do, because you will have it all written downit’s also extremely thrilling to cross off an item and see your accomplishments during that week. 2. Follow your schedule. I use my calendar for everything, client meetings, personal appointments for me and my family and blocks of client work time. Depending on how you work, you can setup your schedule into blocks of time designated to what you need to work on each day. Whatever you decide, you need to follow your schedule to ensure you manage your time effectively. 3. Do one thing to completion. Take it from me, I have multiple clients and each day brings something new. Whether there’s an emergency or you’re working on something for a project, do yourself a favour and finish the task you have in front of you until it’s complete. Interruptions kill your productivity and increase your chances of making an error. These are just some of the ways, if you are able to hire someone to take on some of the To Do’s on your list and intercept those interruptions, you will be able to get everything done in your business each day and still have time for yourself and your family. See more

3 Mistakes Business Owners Make When Outsourcing If you’ve ever had a bad experience outsourcing to other companies that you have hired to do some design, marketing or project work, you know it can leave you feeling cheated, like you just threw your money away. That experience may have even tainted you for future possibilities. Here are the 3 most common mistakes business owners make when outsourcing. 1. Didn’t do homework. Anyone can start a business and say they... are an expert, but the proof is what you need. Before you decide to make a deposit, you need to ensure the company has testimonials, samples of work and have a clear process that they can express to you, if not, be wary of their abilities and the promises they make. 2. Lack of planning and direction. You may or may not know what you want and need, but if you are outsourcing work to another company, you need to know that they are capable. The best way around this is have a strategy session with the outsourcing company prior to starting any of the work. This will provide you both with a clear plan of each stage and what is required from you for the company to move forward. Everything should be outlined in great detail with delay potentials and restrictions so everyone is held accountable to their responsibilities. 3. Lack of effective communication. Most relationship, personal or business, break down due to lack of communication skills. We all have different communication styles and when you have two people with different communication styles, there tends to be issues. Save yourself the stress and take note of these mistakes. You want to ensure you do your due diligence and find the best company for you to outsource to. See more

Here we are, the last quarter of 2020. There has been so much that has happened this year and although it’s certainly not what we had planned, we only have 3 months left to go. Are you going to make them count? With the number of cases rising and the threat of another lockdown looming, we can only assume this situation is going to continue into the New Year. How will you pivot your business to survive? This month’s blog provides you 3 Ways to Pivot Your Business to Survive An...other Lockdown. Here are a few highlights 1. Move everything online. 2. Consider adding complimentary services to your business. 3. Start from scratchonline. Click here to read the full blog. Remember, if you need help, please know that Efficient Business Solutions is willing to help you. All you have to do is ask! https://efficientbusinesssolutions.ca//3-ways-to-pivot-you

Efficient Business Solutions wants to help you grow your business. Growth in your business is dependent on your vision and what you want to accomplish. Perhaps you want to make more money, great! But, how can you make more money when you are doing everything yourself? Growing your business will mean you have to let go of control and let someone else help you with thingseven doing this is growth! By letting go of the tasks that run your business, you are then able to focus on... those tasks that grow your business and make you more money. Business Development is one of those things that we all push off to the side, you may do bits and pieces at various times, but to be most effective you need to focus on business development each and every day with dedicated time for each piece. We help you achieve your business growth! Contact Melissa to learn more on how Efficient Business Solutions can help you grow your business! #virtualassistant #virtualassistantservices #businessoperations #growth

Efficient Business Solutions provides efficient solutions to run your business. If you are a solopreneur, you tend to have ideas or have encounter a problem and you need to talk it out with someone only to realize that you don’t have anyone who can help. Perhaps you need uninterrupted time for business development, but you have clients emailing, texting or calling you with questions. Maybe you have a few an ideas for a webinar, but you are not sure if a webinar is the right w...ay to go. Or maybe you have been trying to upload your blog to your website and it’s not working. Whatever problem you encounter, having us as part of your team, will allow you to let go of that problem. We have solutions to run your business! Contact Melissa to learn more about the solutions Efficient Business Solutions can provide you! #virtualassistant #va #virtualassistantservices #oshawa #toronto #durham #ajax #businessoperations #businessstrategy

Efficient Business Solutions supports you and your visionvirtually. It’s all about youyour vision, your goals, your business and your growth. We are here to support you. How many hats are you wearing? Do you have a role or multiple roles to be filled? What if I told you that you can hire us and get a Business Manager, Project Manager, Administrative Assistant, Marketing Team, Graphic Designer, Strategist, Coach, Business Partner and so much more. Will that give you the sup...port you need? We support you! Contact Melissa to learn more on how Efficient Business Solutions can support you! #Virtualassistants #Virtualassistantservices