Leaders, business owners, directors, entrepreneurs, whatever you call them, make decisions everyday – decisions that will be significant to the success of the company. It requires years of training and experience, years of ups and downs and years of trials and tests. These are the people who refuse to give up, persevere and kept on moving forward when all else fail.
These are the kind of people who identify the problem, focusing on the solutions instead of the situation. Once you have identified the problem, this will determine your steps as to where to start. Think through the key details about the problem, and collect any significant information.
Often, the act of gathering information is the first step towards resolving the issue. Sometimes, it’s worth talking to your next in line because most of the time the underlying cause of a problem is not conspicuous.
Once you have identified the problem, then you can generate possible solutions. Try to think on multiple solutions, and treat each worthy of consideration. Brainstorming is most of the time worth trying by gaining fresh viewpoints. Get the facts and figures, think on the pros and cons of each idea and compare.
At this stage, you have already spent a fair amount of time on the problem at hand, and of course, you want to see it taken care of. Make the decision, but before you go any further, it’s important to look critically at the problem and review your decision.
The devastating effect of the pandemic is worldwide and has affected all of us in one way or another. It has left a distressful impact in almost all areas of our lives, in not just the way we live but also in our health, livelihood, business and economy. The coronavirus disease, also known as COVID-19, started in late 2019 and was first detected at a local wet market in Wuhan, China. It has now spread around the globe and remains until today. It feels like it will never end soon.
Whilst some businesses have shut down because they were unable to sustain the financial needs of their businesses, others are reducing costs by laying off their staff. So, how can one keep going and cope, especially during this awful time? Should you just close your business and give up? Or hold on until the pandemic ends? Here are some tips that will help your business thrive in the midst of the pandemic without sacrificing the quality of work needed to keep going:
1. Be ready to adapt.
It was Darwin who said that ‘It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but rather the one most adaptable.’ Many businesses have shut down because they didn’t adapt well to the pandemic. They thought that the pandemic was just a flu that would eventually go away, but they were wrong. It’s been years since the pandemic started. Remember, adaptation or being flexible is the very first step to move your business forward and stay productive.
The first thing you need to do is to enumerate what the needs of your business are or what types of improvements your business requires. You may start with the principle of asking questions and/or suggestions from your team. Brainstorming or asking the right questions, especially from your team, is not an act of weakness, but rather a step up and a skill to becoming a great leader.
2. Invest in the work-from-home setup.
Investing in the work-from-home setup is one of the best solutions to cut costs, particularly if your business is about customer services, bookkeeping, accounting and other non-face-to-face office-related tasks. It will help you save in shouldering the cost of office lease, electricity bills and other infrastructure costs needed from an office environment.
3. Find a smaller office space or consider shared office space.
IRe-evaluate if you need a smaller office, and go search for one. Finding a smaller office is indeed necessary, especially in this time of pandemic; it will help you cut a lot of expenses. The average office cubicle size is 5.5 square metres per person, and the current rate per square metre is $940.00 per annum. Let’s say you have 12 persons in your office, including you. The cost will be $62,040.00 per year or $5,170.00 per month, excluding electricity bills, water bills, costs for additional spaces, such as pantry and rest rooms, and other expenses. If you have a smaller team in your business, you can set up a small office or a shared office space somewhere in the city or at a convenient location close to home so that your leasing cost will decrease drastically.
4. Shift to online! Increase your online presence.
Most people are using the internet. Online presence, such as via classified ads, SEO and websites, is one of the best keys to marketing your business, whether it is about providing food or services. It is a great marketing tool, particularly during this time of pandemic. You can endorse your company without breaking a sweat, and it is very cost-effective.
5. Hire a virtual assistant.
Every business, no matter how big or small, requires a person or a team that will take care of the time-consuming admin tasks (e.g. marketing for social media presence, accounts to manage the money that comes in and out of the business and customer service to handle client retention and satisfaction).
Hiring a virtual assistant is one of the best solutions for cost-effectiveness, not just during the pandemic but especially after, to ensure continued and sustainable business growth. You can work less, earn more and grow your business faster in the most cost-effective manner, ensuring the success of your business in the many years to come.
Conclusion:
If business is a gamble, then stop taking risks and make calculated decisions for sustainability and growth. Be patient and courageous, and master resilient skills to survive. The best solution we can do is to learn from our mistakes; don’t give up, continuously market your business, and do your best to always adapt to the changing situations continuously.
We, at Virtual Office Angels, Australia’s best virtual assistance provider, have been providing accounting and bookkeeping virtual assistance services to Australian SMEs for over 10 years. We offer peace of mind to business owners to ensure that they can focus on growing their business faster and more efficiently. With Virtual Office Angels, you will have your own H.R. management team working and ensuring that support is there for you every business hour of the day.
For any other online virtual assistance services, we are here to help. Contact us now!
Every business, no matter how small, requires a staff that takes care of the money that comes in and out of the business. However, sustaining a full department can be expensive, especially for start-ups and small businesses, that many owners would resort to hiring an accounting and bookkeeping virtual assistant instead.
Managing accounting tasks can be time-consuming and requires precision and accuracy. Also, some business owners may lack the skills of allocating things in the right category or balancing figures. Fortunately, bookkeeping virtual assistants can help you with all that.
Benefits of a Bookkeeping Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant is a remote staff who provides online support for business owners. They could do different kinds of tasks a business requires, from administrative tasks, marketing and web design to accounting and bookkeeping assistance, to name a few.
With the technological advancement nowadays, bringing reliable internet to more homes, business owners realise that it is unnecessary to bring an employee into the office to make sure the work gets done. They also recognise that it is possible to delegate work successfully even from afar and grow their business faster.
As for bookkeeping virtual assistants, here are the reasons why you should hire one:
Saves You Money: Bookkeeping Virtual Assistants Reduce Your Operational Costs Because virtual assistants only get paid for the amount of time they work, you don’t have to pay for a monthly salary. You simply can choose the number of hours you prefer and/or required for your business and can start straight away. At Virtual Office Angels, we do have a flexible plan to suit any kind of business. It is also unnecessary for you to provide a computer, pay the internet or electricity bill or lease an office space for the virtual assistant because they have existing equipment and environment that work for them.
Saves You Time: Bookkeeping Virtual Assistants Can Categorise Your Business’s Everyday Expenses
Tracking daily expenses is essential in every business because it dictates the direction of your business. It allows you to see the big picture, and you will figure out if you can break even in the current month, earn a profit or suffer a loss. But this takes time from the owner’s point of view.
Tracking business expenses includes digitising receipts, categorising expenses in one place and reviewing expenses regularly. By delegating all these tasks to virtual bookkeeper assistants who are experts in this field, they can do the itemising of daily expenses that the business incurs and categorise them into a comprehensible system that the business owner can easily monitor. They know what to check for and which ones require your attention. Given their skills and expertise, they can do all these tasks efficiently, enabling you to save considerable time.
Provides Big (Business) Picture: Bookkeeping Virtual Assistants Can Track and Monitor Details (i.e. Loan Dues)
Overlooking expenses, whether it’s by the company or by the customers, can be an expensive exercise for business owners. Either way will incur interest – an expense a business does not need. By having a bookkeeper virtual assistant who is trained in generating invoices, sending them to customers and following up on dues, you don’t have to worry about missing a single payment anymore. The virtual assistant can alert you right away if there are upcoming bills and take care of them. The same thing goes when a customer is approaching a payment deadline, in which the virtual assistant can send a gentle reminder. By delegating all these time-consuming and exhaustive tasks, you can then focus on the big picture of running a business.
Gives You Clarity: Bookkeeping Virtual Assistants Can Manage Your Payroll Payroll management includes handling employees’ salaries, bonuses and deductions. Although there is software that automatically does the work, someone still needs to monitor if the correct information has been input to avoid sending the incorrect salary amount to your staff.
With a bookkeeper virtual assistant, you don’t have to worry about payroll management anymore. This task can be covered in his or her job description easily. This simple exercise of delegating this meticulous work can provide you more clarity on what direction you want your business to go.
Makes Your Life Easy: Bookkeeping Virtual Assistants Can Also Take Care of Your Financial Statements These necessary reports are supporting documents for filing taxes, which can be a nightmare because it takes days to ensure the accuracy of the figures. You also don’t want to be late in filing taxes.
A bookkeeping virtual assistant can efficiently generate the profit and loss or your business’s balance sheet. Because there is already a system in place as they maintain your financial records, virtual assistants know where to look and what to watch out for, which makes your life a breeze in managing the entire business.
Qualities You Should Look for in Bookkeeping Virtual Assistants
All the above-mentioned benefits can save you so much time, energy and money. But what should you look for in a virtual bookkeeping assistant? Check out the following qualities:
· Trustworthy
Trust is number one when dealing with people online, which requires close attention, especially when you talk about the money matters of your business. Business owners will have to disclose sensitive information, including passwords, access to bank accounts and credit card details, to virtual assistants. Hence, you will need someone you can trust. You will need someone who can take responsibility when things go wrong.
· Tech-Savvy
Make sure to hire a bookkeeper who knows how to use essential accounting software. During an interview, ask if they are up to date with accounting advances or the system that you are already using for your company.
· Has Industry-Specific Experience
Bookkeeping rules are different in every industry and in every country. If you are going to hire a virtual bookkeeping assistant, ask if they are familiar with the accounting regulations in your country.
· Available to Work for You
Virtual assistants may choose to have multiple clients. Thus, depending on the number of tasks for your business, you may need to find a full-time bookkeeping virtual assistant. Do your schedules align? Will you be in the same time zone?
There are still concerns amongst business owners with hiring a bookkeeping virtual assistant. One is how to monitor their virtual assistants effectively and make sure that time is efficiently spent on the business. Besides, it isn’t easy to put into good faith most especially the financial matters of your business.
That’s where Virtual Office Angels, Australia’s best virtual assistant provider, comes in. With a tried-and-tested system, we can help ease the hiring process and make sure that each virtual assistant meets your expectation and delivers results. Depending on whatever your requirement is, we can hire that special accounting virtual assistant to match your particular needs.
We have been providing accounting and bookkeeping virtual assistant services to Australian SMEs for over 10 years. We offer peace of mind to business owners to ensure that they can focus on growing their business faster and more efficiently. With Virtual Office Angels, you will have your own H.R. Management Team working and ensuring that support is there for you every business hour of the day.
For any other online virtual assistant services, we are here to help. Contact us now!
Those who know how to adapt and innovate almost always come out on top of stiff competition. In a time when a fast-paced industry is being challenged by a crisis, knowing the available resources can open new opportunities.
Meet Challenges with the Best Suit.
Understanding the problems you may face along the way is one thing, knowing what you can do to solve them is another. It is common knowledge that anyone in the mortgage industry thrives in carrying out executions and processes the fastest way.
If you understand that time could make or break a deal, then you are already a step ahead of the game. But how could you save time without compromising the quality of work, and in extension, your business’s credibility?
The answer? Delegate tasks to the right people.
When we say right people, we mean actual live bodies doing the brunt work of sifting through documents, collecting information, and consolidating them. Following up to ensure that all necessary documents will be obtained accurately.
Imagine the time you could save scouring through pages of various documents for different clients. These are just some of the things that can be taken out of your hands and be done accurately and efficiently. More importantly, how you would want it done if you were doing it yourself.
Where to find them? Well, you came to the right place!
Virtual Office Angels Pty Ltd has been in the business of offering a wide range of services, virtually, for more than a decade now.
We believe that our excellent and top-of-the-class virtual assistants will not only make your business look good. They can also dress you up with the best suit when the going gets tough.
Best Suit and the Right Tools and Resources
But of course, when we make you, and your business look good, it should not stop there. You should also have the right tools and resources to make sure you are ready for whatever challenges you are going to face.
Our mortgage and loan processing virtual assistants and support have proven to be efficient in getting the job done – the proper process and procedures and within the margins. Our virtual assistants manage the entire process from application, general critical data collection and data entry to settlement, including data entry to CRM, loan structure preparation, client/borrower communication and update, serviceability calculator preparation, valuation ordering and follow-up, discharge form preparation, preparation of other documents and forms (e.g. FHOG), file lodgement, regular mortgage broker updates and regular borrower updates. They use the most up-to-date CRM in the market, such as Connective, Mercury, Podium, Salestrekker, Symmetry, Flex, AdviserLogic and COIN.
With their vast knowledge in handling various services and support, the possibilities are endless.
Sounds good? Wait up! We are just getting started
Virtual Office Angels Pty Ltd. does not just offer the basic things expected for virtual assistance. Why stop there if we have all the means to help you and your business thrive and open new possibilities?
We believe that collaborative work can spell the difference between success and failure. We also believe that success can only be realised when it is shared and more people – you (along with your business), your clients and the people who tirelessly work to get the job done – are benefiting from it. All these factors should be accounted for when creating opportunities.
Naturally, when all these factors are present, the possibilities could be endless. But how do you get there? How do you ensure that every bit of it will work the way you expect it to?
Reinforce the right people and tools with right management
As we believe in collaborative work, we make sure that there are people who will look after every task, working for you and your business. Our highly skilled team leaders and client manager will reliably ensure that time will be dedicated to delivering the output expected whilst also creating a thriving culture for your business.
At Virtual Office Angels, we believe that connecting with people is the best way to ensure that your business does not only thrive in the analytics and technicality of things. We believe that by creating a lasting impression on the people we work with, we also open possibilities that may not have been fully realised before having a virtual assistant, such as more time assessing how your business can evolve and stand the test of time.
We believe that for every minute we work with you, we help in driving you to success. Our main goal has always been to make things easier for you. We believe that we do it best when we help create a working environment that highlights trust, efficiency, quality service and, ultimately, respect for the business you work hard to establish.
Let us start talking about how we can build a plan around your goals and objectives. Start reaping the benefits you can get by working with us. Give us a call at 1300 737 883 to reach out and experience them for yourself.
They say that success is best experienced when shared. People say that collective work goes a long way in developing and creating a culture of excellence. Your failures are your stepping stones to greatness. All these things speak only of one thing – perseverance.
We understand that we all experience challenges, and these challenges may sometimes make or break us. Regardless of what you are going to face or currently facing, would it not motivate you to persevere when you have people working for you and WITH you? All sharing the same level of understanding and perseverance?
It is pivotal to find the right people to help you and your business reach potentials. The kind of people who will not only take care of your business and its needs. People who would also put your welfare on top of everything. People who know that taking care of you means taking care of what’s important to you and your business.
Virtual Office Angels Pty Ltd. is a beacon in the virtual service industry. Their vast experience for more than a decade has proven that the company and its people could stand the test of time.
At Virtual Office Angels, we assure you that the people you will work with are the right fit for you and your needs. Our virtual assistants are always the best in their areas of expertise. Experienced in your preferred accounting software (e.g. Xero, Saasu and MYOB), our highly skilled virtual accountants assist in invoicing and payroll, accounts receivable and payable, bank reconciliation and balance sheets, ensuring that you have an accurate reporting system in place.
have proven to be efficient in getting the job done – the proper process and procedures and within the margins. Our virtual assistants manage the entire process from application, general critical data collection and data entry to settlement, including data entry to CRM, loan structure preparation, client/borrower communication and update, serviceability calculator preparation, valuation ordering and follow-up, discharge form preparation, preparation of other documents and forms (e.g. FHOG), file lodgement, regular mortgage broker updates and regular borrower updates. They use the most up-to-date CRM in the market, such as Connective, Mercury, Podium, Salestrekker, Symmetry, Flex, AdviserLogic and COIN.
Finding You the Right Blend of People
Hiring someone to do tasks is easy. Finding the most suitable person for a job and matching him or her with your needs are not. That is why we put a premium on listening to you and your business challenges as a way of making sure that you are not only getting the best people to work for you. We ensure that you are also getting the best people who can drive your goals and objectives to fruition
Our people are prepped even before Day 1. So, even before starting the work for you, they are already great in their fields and expertise. We never train people to learn the ropes of how to do the tasks you expect them to do. They already know from the get-go at least the fundamentals. When they start working, you would not need to give further instructions or monitor how they are doing things. They not only know the how-tos, but they are also the best in them.
We only hire experts who can already get things going for you and your business. We pride ourselves on saying that what sets us apart from others is that we do not just give you people who can type and read. We make sure that you will only be working with the best in the field – the ones who are agile enough to adapt to the fast-changing times.
It is always a feat to find the missing pieces to create a wonderful picture. Finding the right people for you might be a challenge, but it is a challenge we are used to taking on.
Holding on to Impressive Work Ethics
Everyone born in, at least, the 70s can type and respond to queries or execute basic computer commands. Not everyone, however, can efficiently understand why they are doing what they are doing and why some actions are better than common ones. Evidence-based analysis and critical thinking skills are just some of the most vital factors in determining the quality of work. These are factors and traits that anyone may possess, but not all have the heart and respect for what they do.
We can proudly say that our virtual Assistants do not only possess these things; they also happen to have integrity and pride. They respect the value of your time. They understand that working with you should always create an impact on you and your business. They know that every task executed efficiently and correctly will immensely contribute to your success.
Here at Virtual Office Angels Pty Ltd., we will help you in your journey towards success. Let us drive towards leaving a lasting impression on your business, clients, and anyone important to you.
Let us start talking about how we can build a plan around your goals and objectives. Start reaping the benefits you can get by working with us. Give us a call at 1300 737 883 to reach out and experience them for yourself.
