Archives for March 2016
Why Early Bed Times Improve Productivity
We know that one of the biggest struggles entrepreneurs face on a daily basis is having enough time in the day to get all their work done. However, there eventually comes a point where you have to be able to say âenough is enough,â stop thinking about work and get to sleep.
For some, the prospect of an early bed time might seem impossible or even irresponsible. However, there are numerous benefits for productivity that come from taking an early bed time. These include:
⢠Better information retention. The amount and qualify of sleep you get plays a big role in your ability to learn and retain new information. If you are sleep deprived, you will have a lack of focus, attention and functional memory, which means you might need to repeat reading or tasks a few times to really âget it.â This is a big waste of time.
⢠Better mood. Lack of sleep has a correlation with greater irritability and a stronger chance of mood swings. In the long run, getting too little
Strategic planning seWhile building our business, we used many tools available from the software industry. Tools such as SalesForce, ACT!, Jeffrey Gitomerâs Ace of Sales, Excel spreadsheets and enough other items I could name â that right now are making me ill thinking about. We are business minds first. We found Infusionsoft as our solution to our problem. We have become Infusionsoft experts, by building our business with this amazing tool, our certifications only reinforce it. Infusionsoft is a type of sales and marketing software that helps owners of small businesses to track their leads and stay organized. We work with you to help you develop the best plan with your business and help you get set up with these services, optimize them to fit your needs and give you any other assistance you need to get started. You can either have us help you implement your Infusionsoft strategy or let us take the keys and do it for you.ssions are always an exciting time for our team. They offer a chance to completely absorb every facet of your business and identify, in great detail, strategies we can take to help you meet your goals. To learn more about these sessions or to schedule one for your business, contact us today.
sleep could lead to depression and anxiety.
⢠Less chance of costly mistakes. The lack of concentration you experience while operating on too little sleep makes it more likely you will make mistakes, some of which could be costly or, depending on the type of work you do, dangerous.
⢠Better judgment. Sleep deprivation leads to impaired judgment. One study from a scientific journal revealed that people who were sleep deprived struggled when it came to resolving moral dilemmas in their work, and that they had a much slower response time when making these decisions.
⢠Better health. A lack of sleep is linked to numerous health problems, including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and strokes. People who do not get as much sleep also have a shorter life expectancy as those who regularly get the recommended amount.
⢠Better stress management. People who are exhausted and stressed are significantly more likely to have a breakdown than those who manage to get enough sleep.
Itâs simply a good business decision â get enough sleep! You only have one body, so treat it right. Your health and sanity should always be your top priority.
by Christine Kelly
CEO and Queen Bee | Viral Solutions LLC
Copyright 2015 Viral Solutions LLC
Prior to joining Viral Solutions, Christine held executive leadership roles at some of the largest small business consulting firms in the USA. Her experience includes leading direct reports of over 130 remote sales agents who generated $38mm in annual revenue. She obtained her Marketing degree from British Columbia Institute of Technology. Bring her C-Suite experience to your small business. Although our company is virtual, and we can work with you wherever you are located, she is located in Denver, Colorado and owns a second home in Vancouver, BC Canada.
Viral Solutions LLC is a Digital Marketer Certified Partner and an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant.
We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves – so business can be fun again.
Tips to Successfully Managing a Virtual Team
Tip 1: Communication
In the office, fellow employees are usually gathered in a central location where it is easy to communicate, especially in small companies. In close-knit groups ideas flow smoothly. Virtual teams are quite different. Because of the distance between team members (often different time zones) keeping in touch can be a challenge. Team managers should take advantage of internet chat tools such as Skype and Google Hangout to hold virtual meetings with team members. Do talk about business at hand but also take time for small talk. Ask about your employeeâs day or weekend plans. It is good practice to leave the chat open all day, so everyone feels connected. There are also programs available online that allow you to share whatâs on your computer screen with other team members, making it easy to bounce ideas off of one another. A few of these tools are team viewer.com and join.me.
Tip 2: Manage Productivity
Virtual team members are often in different time zones and arenât always online at the same time. It ‘s hard to track progress of your employees when
We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves â so business can be fun again.
you canât see what they are up to. Try to hold meetings at a time that works for everyone so you can come together as one. Keep on eye on your team members individual work output. Know what it takes to complete the tasks assigned so you can track their productivity. When assigning tasks, it is important to give precise instructions and to let your employee know what the end product should look like. Do not look over their shoulder every two seconds but make sure the needs of the task are clear. Fixing major mistakes due to miscommunication will be far more complicated than setting clear steps for each task.
Tip 3: Build Team Camaraderie
Having a core mission or vision for your business is important. A mission statement is like a rallying cry that team members can all get behind. Having a shared vision builds team camaraderie. You need to communicate this vision to your staff, so they have a direction to focus. The better focused they are, the more productive the team will be.
Keep your team updated on the progress of the business. Let them know that the hard work that they are putting in is contributing to the companyâs success. Do this via video chat to enhance the team feeling and the team can roll into their next task with excitement to do even better.
Copyright 2016 Viral Solutions LLC
by Rob Carpen
Rob is a content writer and editor, specializing in a variety of fields. He helps B2B and B2C clients with blogs, social media, press releases and web content that create more value for their marketing campaigns. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He played Club Rugby at IUP for four years. He loves Rugby and recently attended the Rugby World Cup in Newcastle, England – New Zealand All Blacks v. Tonga Match. Rob is passionate about craft beer. He is transitioning his eight years of home brewing to earn his professional brewer certificate.
We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves – so business can be fun again.
Viral Solutions LLC is a Digital Marketer Certified Partner, an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant, a Google Partner – Certified in AdWords and a Mobit Certified Partner.
Landing Page Tips to Help Increase Conversions
Your landing page is the first thing a visitor sees. What sort of first impression are you making? This can be measured through your siteâs conversion and bounce rates, and if you arenât pleased with those numbers, weâve collected some tips to give them a boost.
Improve your social proof
Whatâs a social proof? Excellent question. Essentially, social proof is what makes us likely to adapt to a trend we see. Itâs what makes us more likely to visit a restaurant with great reviews or go see an Academy Award-nominated film. Weâre willing to convert when we trust a source. Trust-building can be leveraged when you publish first-hand testimonials from real people, instead of you tooting your own horn. Let others toot it for you – conversions occur by looking at other brands and people your customer trusts, and then following that behavior.
Comfort the customer
Users want to know they are investing themselves in something of quality. Theyâre nervous about getting ripped off. This makes it imperative for you to establish yourself as a credible source. Be as transparent as possible on your landing page. Let your consumer know you arenât trying to take advantage of them by referencing other established brands that back your business. Borrowing credibility is okay!
Is the appearance of your landing page clean and professional? Does it speak to the quality of your product or service? The appearance of your site has a near-immediate effect on your consumer, so make it appealing. Use counters to your benefit — social media counters are great if theyâre reflecting an active, engaged audience, but if they show low numbers, it may cause your user to wonder why no one else has liked or shared your content, undercutting your credibility. This could lead to high-bounce, low-conversion rates.
Choose testimonials carefully
Personal testimonies are some of your most useful tools in increasing landing page conversions. Make sure the testimonies you use include names, credible photos (not ones that look like generic, stock photos) and are from real people. Use testimonials that talk up the features and services you offer, while speaking of specific benefits instead of just spouting non-descript praises (âTheyâre great!â âLove it!â). Remember that you are trying to establish trust. Make choices for your landing page that are likely to eliminate customer anxiety and get you the most conversions.
by Christine Kelly
CEO and Queen Bee | Viral Solutions LLC
Copyright 2015 Viral Solutions LLC
Prior to joining Viral Solutions, Christine held executive leadership roles at some of the largest small business consulting firms in the USA. Her experience includes leading direct reports of over 130 remote sales agents who generated $38mm in annual revenue. She obtained her Marketing degree from British Columbia Institute of Technology. Bring her C-Suite experience to your small business. Although our company is virtual, and we can work with you wherever you are located, she is located in Denver, Colorado and owns a second home in Vancouver, BC Canada.
Viral Solutions LLC is a Digital Marketer Certified Partner and an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant.
We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves – so business can be fun again.