Defining your business’s vision, mission, and core values is key to long-term success. Learn how to craft these guiding principles to inspire teams, shape strategy, and build a strong company culture.
Articles
Your ultimate guide to streamline your business and boost your productivity.
Bit By Bit: The Value of Fine Tuning Your Processes
Small changes can lead to big results! Discover how fine-tuning processes, leveraging feedback, and embracing continuous improvement drive business growth.
Developing a Delegation Mindset for Business Growth
Delegating tasks is essential for scaling your business and fostering a strong, independent team. Learn how to develop a delegation mindset, build trust, and empower your remote team to unlock exponential growth.
Leading Remote Teams: Key Learning Outcomes and Techniques
Master the art of leading remote teams with proven strategies that enhance leadership skills, foster a strong company culture, and empower your team for sustainable success.
Streamline Your Sales Coaching Workflows: A Lesson in Efficiency
Sales coaches often juggle multiple tasks, but without streamlined workflows, they risk wasting valuable time. Follow Sarah’s journey as she transforms her coaching business by automating tasks, delegating non-essential work, and improving communication. Discover how you can apply these lessons to boost efficiency and focus on what matters most – coaching your team to success.
A Virtual COO: The Key to Unlocking Your Business Potential
A Virtual COO offers small business owners a game-changing solution to streamline operations, boost productivity, and drive growth—all without the cost of a full-time hire. Learn how virtual leadership can unlock your business potential and provide the strategic guidance needed for success.
Supercharge Your Business Growth Without The Burnout
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the demands of your business? Learn how to supercharge your growth without the burnout! Streamline your processes, delegate tasks, and embrace work-life balance so you can stay passionate, focused, and energised while scaling your business. Discover the 5 D’s to avoid exhaustion and keep moving forward!
6 Telltale Signs Your Service Business Desperately Needs an Overhaul
Today is all about sharing the 6 key signs it’s time to revamp your business model and operations to reignite growth and reclaim your freedom.
Productivity vs. Efficiency – Improving Output & Optimising Processes
In today's fast-paced business world, the concepts of productivity and efficiency are more crucial than ever. This comprehensive post delves into the intricate relationship between these two pivotal elements of business success. While productivity is about maximising...
The Butterfly Effect in Business: How Small Changes Lead to Major Impacts
In the ever-evolving landscape of the business world, the concept of the "butterfly effect" has emerged as a pivotal principle. Stemming from chaos theory, this idea posits that small initial conditions can have significantly large and far-reaching consequences. For...
Project Management Workflow: A Step-By-Step Guide to Improving Efficiency
Have you ever felt like you're juggling too many balls, only to drop them all because you're unsure which one to catch first? That's the day-to-day of a bustling project manager come business owner who hasn't yet mastered the art of workflow. If that sounds like you,...
When & Why You Should Hire a Virtual Assistant for Your Shopify Store
The Shopify Virtual Assistant: A Secret Weapon for E-commerce Success There's no denying that running an online store can feel like a juggling act. As an ecommerce business owner, you're constantly wearing multiple hats - the innovator, the marketer, the data analyst,...
Navigating the Digital Landscape: Tools & Software for Keeping Your VA Productive
I’m delighted to share with you a world of ingenious virtual assistant tools and software that will keep your Virtual Assistant (VA) productive and efficient. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or just dipping your toes into the waters of virtual team management, this...
Why You Should Hire a Virtual Assistant for Your Social Media Management
Harnessing the Power of Social Media – An Introduction Our increasingly digital world has birthed an exciting playground for businesses - the realm of social media. But as enchanting as it is, managing a business’s online presence can be akin to taming a wild...
When & Why You Need to Hire an Amazon Virtual Assistant
Do you sometimes feel like you're battling chaos in your business? Are those sleepless nights wearing you down? If so, don't worry, you're not alone. For passionate entrepreneurs like us, the thrill of creation often goes hand in hand with the stress of managing...
The Definitive Virtual Assistant Onboarding Checklist
Getting Started: Unpacking the Virtual Assistant Onboarding Process The world of work is shifting beneath our feet. The rise of the remote virtual assistant has become a game-changer in today's business landscape. These individuals offer a diverse range of services,...
When & Why You Should Hire a Virtual Assistant for an eCommerce Store
Navigating the E-Commerce Voyage with a Trusty Ally Running an e-commerce business is quite like helming a ship through a sea of opportunities. The e-commerce industry, a vast ocean of potential customers, offers unlimited potential for growth. But, amid this...
Skills To Look For When Hiring a VA
Welcome to the World of Virtual Assistance If you're a small business owner, entrepreneur, or even a busy individual looking to delegate tasks and free up your valuable time, you're in the right place. You've likely heard about this buzzing trend - Virtual Assistants...
How to Motivate & Drive Innovation in your Remote Team: A Comprehensive Guide
Welcome to the Age of Remote Ingenuity! As the digital world keeps evolving, having a fantastic product or service isn't enough for businesses to stand out. Adaptability, resilience, and innovation are crucial, even more so when dealing with remote teams. To flourish...
How to Use a Real Estate Virtual Assistant to Grow Your Business
Embrace the New Dawn in Real Estate Operations: Exploring the Virtual Edge of Real Estate with Virtual Assistants As the world shifts and moulds, traditional roles within businesses have been forced to adapt. One industry witnessing this evolution at a remarkable pace...
Do I Need a Virtual Assistant? A Comprehensive Guide to Boosting Productivity
In today's fast-paced world, business leaders and professionals are constantly searching for ways to optimise their operations and increase productivity. The question, "Do I need a virtual assistant?” is increasingly relevant as individuals and organisations alike...
Unravelling the Power of a Podcast Virtual Assistant
The podcast world has seen a meteoric rise, becoming a go-to medium for knowledge exchange, storytelling, and entertainment. Yet, juggling all the balls involved in managing a successful podcast can be a tad overwhelming, especially when you're trying to grow your...
Best Practices for Zoom Teaching, Training, and Interviews
Zoom has become a crucial tool in today's world of remote learning and virtual teaching, offering its user-friendly video conferencing capabilities that have revolutionized how teachers connect with students. With its simple yet powerful features, Zoom continues to...
The Advantages of Having an SOP to Optimise Your VA’s Performance
Are you looking to maximise the productivity and efficiency of your virtual assistant? Establishing standard operating procedures (SOPs) is a great way to do just that. SOPs create an organised and efficient workflow between both of you, making work more productive...
Pro’s & Cons of Hiring a Virtual Assistant
Are you considering hiring a virtual assistant for tasks such as social media management, data entry, digital marketing, customer service or real estate? If so, it's important to weigh the pros and cons of having a virtual assistant on your team. On one hand, virtual...
Interesting Facts about Virtual Assistants
There are a lot of interesting facts about virtual assistants that you may not know. For instance, did you know that many VAs have college degrees and years of experience in various industries? Or that they can provide a wide range of services to help your business...
Hiring Remote Employees: How To Avoid Your Next VA Hiring Failure
Offshore outsourcing has boomed in the past couple of years. It’s little wonder that this staffing solution has become so popular. With traditional workplaces facing increasing volatility, business owners are looking for ways to smooth the stormy seas of trading in a...
How Hiring An A-Team Will Help You Reduce Your Risk Of Failure
We’ve all seen the numbers around failure of new businesses. Stats from the US suggest that 20% of businesses fail in the first year and another 30% fail in the second year. By the fifth year, 50% of businesses are no longer operating. Starting, building and...
What is Business Process Mapping?
Business process mapping is a funny business. It's the process of mapping out the processes that are set up within your business. This helps you to see where your processes are, how they fit together, and where there are gaps or bottlenecks. Behind every successful...
What is a Virtual Assistant and What Do They Do?
So what is a virtual assistant? This is a question that many people may be asking, especially those who have never heard of this term before. Quite simply, the definition of a virtual assistant (or VA) is a professional who provides administrative, technical or...
The Ultimate Guide to Hiring Your First Virtual Assistant
There comes a time in every business owner's life when they must ask themselves whether or not they should hire a Virtual Assistant. It's a tough decision to make, but ultimately it comes down to two things: time and money. If you're struggling to find the time to do...
The Pros and Cons of Outsourcing vs Delegating
What is the difference between outsourcing and delegating? They are both approaches you can take to redistributing your workload. This is key to building a business that can operate smoothly without you – giving you more opportunity to grow and scale sustainably....
Lessons Learned From Hiring Remote Staff
Hiring remote workers to give you the business support you need is an increasingly popular growth strategy. I'm a massive fan of hiring remote staff because I've seen from firsthand experience that when you get help you can create lasting sustainable growth. When I...
How Do You Know When It’s Time For a VA?
Hiring a virtual assistant is becoming increasingly popular as we move away from the pandemic into new ways of working remotely. But how do you know when you need to hire a virtual assistant in your business? So many business owners find themselves working night and...
About to Implement New Software Within Your Organization? Follow These Critical Tips for Success
As Robin Powered points out, rolling out new software can be a difficult undertaking for an organization. Whether you own (or work) for a company of five or 5,000, adopting new technology always comes with a few bumps. But, in many instances, implementing new software...
Chain Of Command In Small Business
Having grown up in the military, with my dad working his way up through the ranks of the Australian Army throughout my childhood, I am very familiar with the concept of the Chain of Command. Have you ever heard the saying “up the chain”? Well, that saying comes from...
Six Stages Of System Success
A strong set of business systems are often overlooked, yet they are essential for growing and scaling your business.
How Often Should You Do Your Business Process Maintenance?
So that’s how you’re going to make sure your systems are clean and clear, and your processes are updated and maintained. Business process management is the lifeblood of your business. Get it right and the sky’s the limit!
Who Should Be Managing Your Business Processes?
Managing business processes is integral, but it does not need to be difficult. By allocating a little time and responsibility, it will help grow and sustain your business better than ever!
3 Ways To Delegate Process Management
While your team is going about managing their own routine processes, keeping all of their task instructions up to date, you can be the one giving them feedback and supporting them.
How Your Team Can Help With Process Management
You should absolutely value your people, but you should set up an effective system for them to be involved in. New people should be able to slip right in. It should be there to support you and your people, so you can all grow the business together.
Tell Tale Signs Your Processes Don’t Work
Managing remote staff is definitely easier when you have solid processes in place. Stay alert to any problems, and keep up strong communication around any issues that arise.
A Countdown To Help Your Remote Workers Thrive
So there you go! Five ways to make managing your remote staff a little easier. No one doubts how difficult managing remote staff can be. With this easy countdown you can ease a few of those challenges and concentrate on growing your business!
4 Ways To Keep An Eye On Your Remote Workers
Managing remote staff is challenging, that’s the truth. But understanding their motivations and being able to stay informed on their performance will help you stay on top of it all. That’s how you bring out the best in your remote workers.
3 Ways To Reward Outstanding Remote Workers
Rewarding staff is just good business. You want your staff to be keen as mustard, and offering motivating rewards is one of the best ways to do this. They’re going to feel like it really is rewarding to do great work for you and your business. Especially when you’re working to keep a remote team cohesive and on track.
How To Systemise Non-standard Work
Documenting your expectations can help with managing your business systems, and literally make the difference between success and failure.
4 Business Promises You Must Keep
Don’t forget to train everyone in using your task management software and get them in the habit of using it. Otherwise you won’t get the full benefits of all your work
5 Functions You Can’t Do Without When Managing Projects
I hope this has been really valuable for you. Remote work management is a fabulous way to keep things going no matter the challenges, and choosing the right tool to aid this will be key in your future success!
5 Simple Steps For Remote Project Management
Getting your remote communications right for collaborations is vital. The resulting productivity and unity will lead you to achieve amazing outcomes!
How To Find The Best Task Management Tool For You
Just remember, take your time, take a breath, and do a little bit of research. That extra work you put in now will save you so much in the long run!
Must Have Features Of Your Task Management Software
Don’t forget to train everyone in using your task management software and get them in the habit of using it. Otherwise you won’t get the full benefits of all your work.
Making Your Business Sellable
Business manuals are an important way for you to simplify and accelerate workflow. Managing business processes becomes smoother. When a potential buyer sees what has been put into place, they will be able to say “Yes, wow, your business really stands out!” “This is impressive.” “This business is built on systems that are proven to create profit.”
Helping Your Team Use Your Tech
All of these sorts of resources are created to allow you to manage business technology effectively. This leaves you able to grow your business and scale exponentially, because that really is what your business was meant to do.
How To Centralise Your Business Operations Manuals
I hope that’s been helpful. It is literally how we do it here. We work with our clients to develop documentation, which empowers them to delegate effectively and scale exponentially.
How To Test Your Business Processes
So go ahead and write up your steps, and keep testing them! This is the most important step for this part of your business, and will allow your team to keep growing your business.
Why Process Management Is A Team Effort
Leading a remote team can be tough stuff. If you’ve been saying “It’s getting more and more difficult to manage my remote team” because the business is growing so quickly, this one is for you. Leadership itself is challenging and often takes you to painful places of...
Steps To Systemise Complicated Workflows
What you really need is to set up task management software. It will keep everything on track, so you can grow your business without being tied to all of the work. Also without having your team completely frazzled and stressed!
Managing The Experts Doing Techy Work You Don’t Understand
What you can do, and what you should control, is how you manage the processes and outcomes they are involved in. Because you care more about your business than anyone else possibly could.
How To Systemise Creative Work
Systems for creatives allows your business to grow whilst making sure the work being produced remains beautifully unique and wonderfully creative. Established processes allow your business to flow smoothly. So delegate everything you can and create processes that ensure a great outcome every single time for your client!
The Trick To Transcribing Your Business Instruction Videos
And we’re all about that here at Operation Verve. We want to help you build tools so you delegate successfully. So that you can grow your business exponentially.
Business Processes You’ve Probably Already Nailed
Now, I’m sure you’ve got all those things in place. But if you don’t, by all means get busy! Writing up the way you do business really is the cornerstone of creating an operation that can grow and scale. Especially if your workers are working remotely. These kinds of business processes are integral to growth, so go ahead and set them up.
How To Keep Your Staff Working Remotely
Remote team management may seem a little tricky to begin with. Especially with a lot of business owners asking “How do I keep my remote staff working, especially when I’m not there to supervise?” Now this is a big one if you’ve sent your workers home during a...
How To Tell If Your Business Processes Work
I hope that’s been helpful and inspired you to think about what you can do to make sure that your business is ready to scale from a process management point of view.
How To Create Foolproof Training For Your Remote Team
I hoped that has helped you today. Training a remote team can be challenging for a number of reasons. Having the right tools for the job will make everything easier!
How To Keep Your Training Videos Up To Date
So there you go, that’s how to keep your library up to date. Maintaining training videos is key to keeping up the quality of work with your remote teams.
Top 10 Tips For Quality, Engaging Video Training
I hope you get really busy following those instructions. Get started building up resources to support your remote workers. Using videos for training instils information quickly and easily.
How Video Training Is The New Operations Manual
Humans are a diverse lot, and video can appeal to them all. So I hope you look at setting up a whole library of instruction videos to train your team. Give your team high quality, clear messages, while enjoying a high energy fast paced workplace, even when working remotely.
Leading Your Remote Team Starts With Leading Yourself
So yes, being a business leader can be tough. Running a remote team is not a task for the faint of heart, and keeping yourself on track with your own self care is an absolutely essential foundation. Just remember, leading effectively begins with leading yourself!
Routines That Work When You’re Working From Home
Managing your business from home can be challenging, but with a little bit of work to establish boundaries and routine, it can work for you and your team.
How To Bring Out The Best In Your Remote Workers
With so many businesses exploring the remote workspace, becoming an effective remote team leader is more important than ever.
Overcoming The Challenges Of Working Remotely
I hope that’s been really helpful. There are real benefits to working remotely. But there are definite challenges for you to overcome as well. With a little bit of work you will thrive in overcoming remote work challenges.
7 Reasons To Run Your Business Remotely
I hope that’s been helpful, and I hope you really embrace this whole remote work phenomenon, and make it really work for you in your business.
4 Ways To Keep Your Business Filing Organised Online
I urge you to prioritise the management of your online filing system. By taking the time to organise your online business files, it will create fabulous outcomes in your business. Not only financially, but socially and professionally for the people in your team.
6 Business Filing Steps For Your Team
So go ahead and give them the gift of an efficient, well organised system. You can really love coming to work when your files are clear and well organised, even more so if you’re doing it remotely.
Organise Your Business Files In 10 Easy Steps
Approach this job of organising your business files at a steady pace and follow the steps above and you’ll soon be wondering why it took you so long to get around to it. Better yet, you’ll have an engaged, activated team who are genuinely keen to do a good job for you.
Clearing 5 Blocks To Clean Business Files
So to cap it all off, get started and get help. Cleaning out business files isn’t like an endless series of dirt tracks and backroads. It’s just an on-ramp that leads to the open road, where you can drive your business your way.
How To Organise Old Business Documents
Now, go on and organise your old business documents and then you can get on with stuff you really want to do, knowing you;’ve got a great system behind you.
Who Can See Your Business Files Online?
Keeping track of who has access to what is a key part of managing tight systems when you’re sharing business files online. Your online file management is likely to be a key part of your business, and this will only become more true going into the future.
Insane Mistakes People Make With Online Business Security
I know some people think cloud storage isn’t secure, but there are many risky practices happening in everyday business. You might want to have a look at your own. Really look, and make sure you haven’t fallen into these traps. Awareness is the first step in creating a safer, more secure business environment.
Why Filing In Business Is More Important Than You Realise
Filing in business is rarely at the top of the list of priorities for business owners, but I think it should be! So today I want to explore why your business filing might be more important than you might think. Studies show that if you have a disorganised filing...
5 Steps For Cleaning Out Business Files
Cleaning out business files is not fun, but it is important if you want to keep up smooth, efficient flow in your daily work. In a recent study, 49% of workers said they had trouble locating documents on a regular basis. This obviously slows everything down, leading...
What Makes A Good Business Filing System?
With so many people working remotely now, a good filing system is now even more important to maintain confident productivity and enthusiastic engagement. I hope you can use these elements and see the difference it makes.
Why Business Filing Is So Hard
I hope that’s been really helpful, and I’m sure you can relate to some of those challenges. As with any part of your business establishing a good structure and some effective processes will pay off in the long term.
How NOT to organise your business files
Managing business files is rarely a laughing matter. But today, we take a light-hearted look at how NOT to organise your business files. If your business files are a mess, chances are your team and its key leaders are really struggling at work. In fact, 49% of workers...
4 Reasons To Organise Your Business Files
So they’re the reasons why I want you to prioritise cleaning out your online files. At the end of the day, you started your business to make a difference, whilst enjoying a lifestyle of freedom for yourself and your family. Organising your business files is a significant step to achieving all of that, and your whole team will benefit!
Why Annual Reviews Are Not Enough
Having more regular reviews is beneficial for your business in so many ways. With so many key aspects of your business able to be improved upon, it makes sense to make team catch-ups part of your routine. So go ahead and set up more regular reviews, so that you can all enjoy the benefits.
Plugging Humans Into Your New Systems
When you help the humans in your business fit with the technology in your business, success is sure to follow.
Why Business Success Cannot Rely On Hard Work
I’m a big fan of hard work. I think it’s essential for businesses to work hard to move forward, yet if success in your business is reliant on hard work alone, you’ve got a real problem. Because you also need to work smart, with effective, rock-solid systems in place....
Five Things Humans Do Better Than Software
Any software though, is only as good as the user. There will always be a very important human focus that needs to be retained moving forward in business. In remote workspaces these aspects are even more important now than they have ever been before.
Your Vision Gets Bigger As Your Plan Gets Better
The realities of business life can often dampen your dreams. It’s not always easy to achieve business goals, and roadblocks will come up along the way which are quite challenging and difficult to get through. So by making a routine habit of revisiting your business vision and sticking to your goals, you will obtain more clarity. Which will of course lead to more success!
How To Activate Your Company Values In Remote Workspaces
A survey just this year, in 2020, showed that 83% of the 6000 business owners and IT leaders surveyed, acknowledge that technology has become an inextricable part of the human experience. We’re all here online and we’re all doing it together. There are greater...
Hiring a VA? 5 Things To Do First
With careful research, planning and preparation, you will be able to make this move with confidence and see your business explode to new levels of growth. Believe me, once you cross over that line, you never go back! It will be clear skies and smooth sailing with your new VA. You used to look into the mirror and groan, “This guy’s the limit” and now you can look into the wide blue yonder of opportunity and quietly whisper “The sky’s the limit”.
Locking Down Routines For Growth
Locking down routines for growth has been the one thing to balance my perspective amidst the uncertainty this surreal season in global history. It has allowed me to hear the quiet voice inside that tells me I am resilient enough to make it through. It has opened my eyes to the real beauty that exists in human connection and affection. It has allowed me to feel the calm that comes from confidence in who I am and what I can become through this.
5 Tips For Managing Your Managers
As a leader, your job is not about building followers, but building more leaders. Managing your managers is an absolutely crucial part of expanding your capacity for exponential growth. If you’re building a successful thriving business you need to build up leaders to help to support that expansion. Remember, in business your managers are a vital piece of your business success puzzle.
Too Busy To Delegate? 5 Benefits Of Delegation That Might Change Your Mind
I hope these five tips have been helpful, and I hope that they have made you realise that maybe you can get back on that delegation horse again. Start looking for ways to not only clear your desk, but to raise up leaders in your company, because doing this is how you will be able to be truly free and have a business that is scalable.
Things You Can’t Forget To Do For Your New Hire On Their First Day
It’s important for you to show up for your new hires on their first day. You want to make sure they are feeling valued and supported. If they are feeling any anxieties or pressure, they can still have confidence that their place within your company is important and certain. Getting those first days right will let you continue to grow and grow your business!
5 Inspiring Quotes To Get You Delegating
Managing your outlook is an essential part of leadership, making sure that you’re always feeding on quality knowledge and insights to fuel you through every step of the journey. It is a vital aspect to thriving in business, and becoming the business leader that your business needs you to become.
Getting Your New Staff Through Their Most Vulnerable Time Is This Simple
Hiring new staff can be challenging enough without the risk of the one you have chosen not turning up at all. Hopefully this will help remove the frustration of this happening…and boost your new employees morale in the process!
Top 10 Tasks Every Business Owner Should Delegate
When you are managing a business, delegating the repetitive lower-level tasks will be an important step towards growing your business further.
4 Ways To Succeed With Your New Hires
You can definitely afford an investment which makes your new hire into the right person. Treat onboarding holistically and don’t skimp any of the details. Make sure your systems reinforce your culture and your people will reinforce your systems.