Simple Ways to Get More Involved at Your Online Work
After weeks and weeks, or even months or years, of looking for the perfect virtual job, you have finally found the one — amazing boss, fun team to work with, and stimulating tasks. When this happens to you, you have to do everything you can to keep the job and stay happy with it. A good way to do this is to be more involved with your online work.
For people in the virtual assistance industry, getting involved in the background stuff at work can be difficult. For one thing, you have to overcome the physical divide. Not seeing your boss and teammates on a regular basis makes it difficult to keep abreast of all the goings on. For another, working different hours as your client or your fellow VAs on the same team means that talking in real-time is a rarity.
To help you stay invested in your dream job, here are some simple ways to get more involved at work.
Reach out to your client or fellow VAs.
Don’t wait for your client or teammate to talk to you first. Instead, try initiating conversations more often. It doesn’t have to be all about work stuff either. You can ask them about their hobbies or areas of expertise or even about their personal lives. Be careful not to breach the line between friendliness and gossip though, and be mindful of their workload. You don’t want to disturb them when they are busy.
Be easy to reach.
Don’t be one of those VAs who are online during their designated work hours and pretty much invisible the rest of the time. Try to be responsive even when you’re not logging in work hours, even if you just keep the conversation short. And when you’re online, make sure you do respond to them. When your client or teammate barely gets responses from you, they will be less inclined to reach out next time.
Ask for help and offer help.
A great way to open up a conversation is to ask for help on a certain task. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you know that you will need it. Your client or teammate will surely appreciate your initiative, and you will be in a better position to impress everyone with your output. In return, you should also be willing to help them out on your areas of expertise. Let them know that you’re always happy to help them out so they shouldn’t hesitate to reach out.
Study a new skill that you can use for work.
A good way to be involved is to ask what areas at work need are still in need of an expert, and volunteer to study these areas yourself. Learning a new skill and trying to master a new task will help you stay engaged and involved at work. There are many clients who are happy to support any VA who volunteers to learn a skill to fill in a missing link in the workflow so they don’t need to hire a new VA and pay extra, and you will get paid to skill up! This is definitely a win-win situation.
Getting more involved at work is key to remaining engaged and inspired. By following the tips above, you’ll find yourself loving your work more and more. Got any of your own tips on getting more involved at work? Share them with your fellow VAs below!
Next: 5 Ways To Step Up Your Networking Skills
20Four7VA recognizes the challenge of effectively managing an online business – and we are very eager to help. Our company specializes in eCommerce VIRTUAL STAFFING SOLUTIONS, providing customizable and scalable solutions to small, medium, and large enterprise business owners so they can focus on growing their business.
Ready to have access to incredible people with incredible skills in the most cost-effective way? Contact us today!
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Turning Bad Work Habits Into Good Ones
Bad work habits don’t just make you less productive for the day; they can also majorly hamper your career progression in the long run. Don’t let these bad work habits take over your life; turn them into good habits as soon as possible instead.
Here are 3 common bad work habits plus tips on how you can turn things around.
Bad Habit # 1: Taking too many breaks.
Taking a break at work is not necessarily a bad thing. After all, you can’t be expected to sit in front of your computer for hours on end. At some point, you will need to grab a snack, stretch your muscles, or even take a nap to rest your eyes and reboot your brain. However, when you find a reason to leave your desk every 30 minutes, then you won’t really be able to get anything done — at least not with good results.
How to Turn Things Around: Schedule your breaks.
You know that taking breaks is good for you, now you just have to limit them in a way that keeps you productive. Try to schedule your breaks so you know that you’re not overdoing it. You can set an alarm every 3 hours to remind you when you can take your next break. Make sure to time your breaks too! A 10-minute break every 3 hours is fine, but if you take a 1-hour break every 3 hours, then you’re overdoing it again. As for your eyes, take a few seconds every 20 minutes to relax them. Close your eyes or stare at a point in a distance for a while to reduce the strain.
Bad Habit # 2: Checking your social media constantly.
Social media can be addicting. Even when nothing new or interesting happens, lots of people find themselves constantly checking and refreshing their social media profiles for updates from their friends. This is incredibly detrimental to your work because it takes away your focus and hampers your productivity.
How to Turn Things Around: Check the social pages of your client’s competitors to help you generate ideas for your work.
Sometimes, just being on social media websites is enough to satisfy your Facebook or Instagram cravings. So instead of going on your personal social pages, go on the pages of your clients’ competitors to scope out their strategies and gain insight. This will work especially well if you’re a social media, graphic design, or digital marketing VA. You can then report your findings to your client and present your own ideas on how to combat their competitors’ strategies.
Bad Habit # 3: Having a negative outlook all the time.
There’s a degree of uncertainty whenever you are presented with new tasks. Feeling apprehensive is completely normal. But if you’re actually avoiding taking on new tasks because you’re afraid that you can’t do it, then you’re limiting your potential.
How to Turn Things Around: Let your pessimism challenge you.
Take these new tasks as challenges or something to tick off a checklist. When you’re faced with a challenge, it’s okay to fail — it’s not a challenge if it doesn’t test you! But instead of thinking that you don’t want to do it because you might fail, think of it as part of the learning process and taking on the task means ticking an item off your to-do list. It’s okay if you can’t tick it off at once because you can always try again later.
It’s never too late to turn your bad work habit into a good one. Hopefully, the tips above can help make things a lot easier!
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5 Ways to Step Up Your Networking Skills
Think networking is just for entrepreneurs? Think again. In the virtual assistance industry where jobs come and go easily, it’s important to build a network of clients and fellow virtual assistants to get a semblance of job security.
But even though you understand that networking is important in your work as a virtual employee, it’s not that easy to translate this knowledge into actual networking skills. After all, networking can be a pretty daunting thing.
Don’t worry! We’ve got your back. To help you grow your professional circle, here are 5 ways to step up your networking skills.
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Do your research.
Before going to an event to network, try to do prior research on who will be in attendance. Knowing something important about the attendees will make it easier for you to approach them and start a conversation. It also pays to follow blogs or social media profiles of those in your industry so you can make a connection anytime you see them at an event or conference.
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Make sure your listening skills are on point.
Some people get too nervous when networking that they fail to actually listen to the person they are talking too. Because they’re thinking too much of what to say next, they barely absorb what the person is saying, so their responses become stilted or irrelevant. Don’t be like these people. It’s important to listen carefully to your conversation partner because they will know if your interest is genuine or if you’re just looking to add them to your list of contacts.
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Don’t be self-centered.
This one is related to the previous point. Aside from listening to them, make sure that you ask about them as well. Don’t just go on and on about yourself and turn it into a one-sided conversation. Asking intelligent questions about them and getting to know them really well will make you and your interaction so much more memorable. You don’t want to be that obnoxious person who just talked himself or herself up the whole time right?
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Take advantage of technology.
You don’t have to meet people in person in order to expand your network; there are so many effective and efficient ways to communicate these days that will allow you to do some networking without leaving the comforts of your home. Use your phone or email to get in touch with people and foster relationships with them. It’s pretty difficult to meet everyone in person, so take advantage of modern technology to network remotely as well.
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Make it a point to follow up.
Having one nice, long chat with someone does not a lasting professional relationship make, so make it a habit to follow up on the people you meet. You don’t have to have an agenda to follow up. Simply asking about how they’re doing can help you ensure that the bridges you’ve built actually stay strong.
Networking can be difficult, but the benefits you reap from expanding your professional network far outweigh the hardships. Who knows? Those contacts you gain might even turn into lifelong friends. Happy networking!
Next: 10 Ways To Get Through A Bad Day At Work
20Four7VA recognizes the challenge of effectively managing an online business – and we are very eager to help. Our company specializes in eCommerce VIRTUAL STAFFING SOLUTIONS, providing customizable and scalable solutions to small, medium, and large enterprise business owners so they can focus on growing their business.
Ready to have access to incredible people with incredible skills in the most cost-effective way? Contact us today!
READ MORE
Company Restructuring Announcement
To improve the experience of both our clients and VAs, 20Four7VA has established a centralized Operations Division.
Our centralized Operations Division will house our newly formed Customer Support Department which will be in charge of handling all immediate concerns and will act as the main point of contact for clients.
Benefits of a Centralized Operations Division and Customer Support Department
- Clearer lines of communication – No more contacting different staff members for specific concerns. Just reach out to the Customer Support Department and they’ll take care of everything else needed to resolve your concern.
- Faster response time – The Customer Support Department is available Monday-Friday from 8AM – 5PM EST. Rest assured that your message will be received immediately and the team will work fast to give you the assistance you need.
- Fewer people between you and your VA – We value the privacy and security of your business. With a centralized Operations Division and a dedicated Customer Support Department, we’re reducing the number of people involved in your relationship with your VA.
- Better monitoring of your VA – With a single bridge between you and your VA, we’re better equipped to monitor the performance of your VA.
How We’re Doing This
- New Operations Director
Our new Operations Director, Jennifer Del Rosario is spearheading the newly formed Centralized Operations Division. She will be in charge of ensuring that all departments under her leadership (HR, Recruitment, IT, Customer Support, and Training) are functioning like a well-oiled machine. - New Customer Support Department
A new Customer Support Department, led by Leilani Evangelista, was created. This department will focus on VA quality, performance and attendance monitoring and ensure that all client concerns are addressed effectively and in a timely manner. POCs from the Training Department are now under the Customer Support Department. - Restructured Training Department
With POC duties out of the way, our Training and Development Department, headed by Felíx la Victoria, can now focus on virtual classroom training. This will ensure that all VAs are provided with top-notch training material needed to sharpen their skills and improve their service. - Consolidated IT Department
Our previously separate Operations IT and IT Development Departments are now working together to ensure that our website and service development efforts are aligned and with our users’ benefit in mind. - Client Services Realignment
The Client Services Division, headed by Czarina Espiritu, that previously handled many client concerns is now a stand-alone division focusing on sales and business development to ensure that we provide innovative programs and services that meet our clients’ needs. - Restructured Recruitment & HR Department
Catherine Castro will continue to lead the restructured Recruitment and HR Department. The restructuring helps us optimize the application and vetting process allowing us to widen our VA pool so that our clients will have more highly skilled candidates to choose from.
Important Information
Business Hours: 8AM – 5PM EST | Monday-Friday
Chat with us on Skype: info.20four7va.com
Email us: info@imit.20four7va.com
Call us: +1 (443) 856-4882 (USA) | +1 (877) 470-8047 (Toll Free – US & Canada Only)
Gmail and Chrome Extensions that You Should Install Now
It has been more than a decade since Google launched Gmail. Ever since, the free email service provider has been an integral part of business communications for many companies.
Nevertheless, Gmail offers more than just the ability to exchange emails with your business partners or virtual assistant. There are many more features that you could unlock with the use of certain tools and extensions. These can help you accomplish various tasks, from performing admin work to sending important messages to your customers.
If you’re using Chrome to access your Gmail account, you definitely want these extensions installed on your browser.
Shift
Having multiple Gmail accounts is not uncommon for entrepreneurs. However, managing many different email accounts can be challenging and confusing if you don’t have an efficient system for doing it. Of course, you can easily hire a remote office assistant to help you with email clutter, but there’s also a tool that you can use to make things easier for you and your virtual assistant.
Shift allows you to open several Gmail accounts in one desktop client, so you won’t have to switch between different tabs. You can also access other Google services through this platform.
Yanado
There are many reliable project management tools out there, but what makes Yanado worth your time is that it lets you manage tasks without leaving Gmail. It cuts down the time you spend on switching tabs and enhances your efficiency overall. The design is very intuitive as well, so you will surely find this tool heaven-sent.
SalesHandy
Equip your sales team with the right tool so that they can have a more efficient workflow. SalesHandy is a great sales engagement management tool that enables users to share screens, track emails and documents, and send personalized emails without switching from one application to another.
Gmelius
If you’re looking for a smart and secure way of tracking and automating your outbound communications, Gmelius is a great tool that you might want to consider. It has a very lightweight CRM that enables real-time collaboration and customization of your Gmail inbox to better suit your preferences, habits, and workflow. Some of the features included in Gmelius are email tracker, email notes, mail merge, follow-ups, scheduler, and more.
Salesflare
Salesflare is another dependable sales CRM, which small businesses and startups can use to improve leads generation and sales. You can easily integrate the app into Gmail and Outlook, and it will automatically keep of customers for you. Salesflare can also help improve your productivity enabling you to get things done on time. The app sends reminders of who you should contact, collects the information you need, and records all your customer interactions.
Streak
A powerful yet simple CRM, Streak allows your entire sales process to run inside your inbox. You can save your customers’ details without interrupting your workflow, and you can even track if an email has already been read.
These tools and extensions allow you to do more with your Gmail accounts. Take the time to try them out and see which ones work best for you.
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