Category Archives: Business

Work-Week Nutrition: Stay Properly Fueled Amongst the Chaos

Many Americans these days seem to be logging longer and longer hours, as well as longer and longer commutes. Spending anywhere from eight to twelve hours away from home, can make workday nutrition an afterthought. It doesn’t have to be!  With a little prior planning, a healthy diet plan can fit into every busy lifestyle.

Prep – The most critical element to weekday nutrition is planning ahead.

  • Spend a couple hours, just once a week to plan a weekly menu and take a trip to the store.
  • Look for sales and specials on versatile foods that can be utilized in multiple components of the weekly menu. Ex: A $1 bag of whole carrots can make a delicious Carrot Curry soup, add crunch to a Thai Stir-fry, and be cut into hunger-satisfying snacks for break time. Buying on sale and in season each week, can help keep things nutritious while breaking up the monotony of a packed lunch.
  • When you get your groceries home, prep ‘em! Pre-wash and cut vegetables and fruits, and place into individual serving containers for on-the-go ease.

Breakfast – Whether you eat first thing in the morning, just after a morning workout, or while checking email at the office, make sure you don’t wait until lunch to feed that grumbly tummy. Eating breakfast wakes up your metabolism, helping your body use food as fuel, instead of precious brain power.

  • Oatmeal is a great morning go-to during the workweek. An entire batch can be made on Sunday night, minimizing the need for cooking in the morning. Just pop a serving in the microwave, top with almonds, fruit, and your choice of milk for an easy, nourishing breakfast.
  • A good ratio of complex carbs and protein help you function at capacity, as well as stave off hunger pangs before lunch. Good options are, two hard-boiled eggs with a piece of fruit, a Greek yogurt with low-sugar granola or cereal, or even the PB&J standby (on 100% whole wheat bread, of course)!

Lunch – Again, a good mix of carbs and protein is the way to go. Portion sizes are also key. Too little at lunch can leave you feeling drained and lead to afternoon sugar-snack attacks. Too much can set you straight into food coma, inducing grogginess.

  • Layered salads are all the rage! Start with a tall container or jar. Place heaviest, sauciest, and most acidic toppings in the bottom. Placing greens on top keeps them crisp. Whip up a batch of a simple vinaigrette and go!  Great salad proteins include chicken breast, tuna fish, shrimp, hard-boiled eggs, chickpeas, kidney beans, grilled tofu, nuts and seeds.
  • Leftovers! Once or twice a week, take the time to make yourself and your family a healthy and nutritious dinner. Make at least one extra serving and immediately pack into a single serving container for the next day’s lunch. Excess portions can be frozen into single servings, for those “Omigod I slept through my alarm” mornings.
  • Who doesn’t love a bowl of warm soup on a cold Winter workday? On a lazy weekend day at home, simmer a pot of your favorite soup, chili, or stew and portion out into lunch servings for the week, or to freeze for future use. A hearty bowl of soup and whole wheat pita can make the perfect, healthy and nutritious lunch to keep you going until the end of the day.

Snacks – Need a little something in between meals? Don’t run to the office vending machine. Munch on something healthy to keep you functioning at your prime!

  • Greek yogurt has become increasingly popular in the U.S. And for good reason! It is highly packed with protein and comes in a rainbow of flavors for every palate.  At 100-200 calories per serving, it makes the perfect indulgent snack
  • Try keeping shelf-stable snacks in your desk or car. Almonds and whole wheat crackers can satisfy that afternoon crunch-crave while filling you up on “real” food, rather than sodium filled junk.
  • Instead of heading out for your afternoon java with all the fat-filled fixings, take a break from your desk and make yourself a hot cup of green tea. It is a good source of cancer-fighting antioxidants, can help to speed metabolism, and with roughly half the caffeine of coffee, won’t keep you awake when your day is finally done.

It can be tough to make workweek nutrition a priority. By incorporating a few of these tips into your workweek routine, you can enjoy our mornings with less stress, save more of the hard-earned cash, and watch your health improve!

11 Awesome Appointment Scheduling Tools For Any Online Business That Are Free

There are few tasks in the professional life that are as tedious as scheduling appointments. Finding a time that works for everyone can be a losing battle of long email strings and accidental double-bookings. Then in the worse case scenario, you do have a double booking or you misread or interpreted an email, then you really look like a doofus.  Then you have to do the “walk of shame” where you have to contact one person to try and reschedule, which can often times make you appear to not have your sh!t together to existing and potential new clients or customer. This can also be quite rhetorical and annoying too.  Scheduling appointments with your clients or customers is unfortunately one those unexpected headaches that you may run into on your entrepreneurial journey.

For real…scheduling an appointment with clients shouldn’t be that hard, right?
ppointment Scheduling ToolsYou schedule alot of your life as it is, we do it when you go to the doctor, dentist, hair dresser, massage therapists and maybe even your fitness trainer, so why should it be so hard for a online business owner?  There are a ton of great tools out there, some cost an arm and a leg, others are inexpensive and others are free. Fortunately, I have done the research for you and have 11 awesome appointment scheduling tools you can implement into your business that are free and also have upgrades available should you need to grow with it. Each of the 11 that are listed below has some pros and cons— and while some work with a range of calendar applications, others are narrowly focused to just one or two, it really just depends on what works best for you.   One thing they have in common though is  they’re a lot easier than playing email tag.

VCITA
vcita
Vcita.com allows you to engage new and returning clients on your website, email and social. Empower clients to interact with your business anytime on any device. Deliver amazing service with a personalized client portal. Manage customers and respond to client requests – at your office or on-the-go. Simplify teamwork with shared client records, unified calendar and easy lead transfer. Automate client communication, notifications & reminders. Allow clients to set and reschedule appointments anytime, from any device. Offers an online list of services, fees and scheduling options. Reduces no-shows by automating confirmations & reminders. Stays in-sync with your phone and existing calendar – Outlook, Google, iCal and more.

Set More
set more

SetMore.com is an easy to use web based app that lets you manage your appointments. It lets your customers book appointments with you even when you are unavailable. You will get more appointments booked than before. You will get, responsive & clean appointment booking pages, Facebook fanpage booking button, Google Calendar sync, booking button for business website, SMS/Email appointment confirmations & reminders, employee scheduling and a lot more.

Acuity Scheduling
acuity

AcuityScheduling.com is like a personal-assistant for your schedule–only better. With Acuity Scheduling, booking appointments with your clients & customers doesn’t have to be a never-ending time suck anymore. (Hallelujah!) Let your clients view your real-time availability, select the date and time that works best for them, pay in advance via Stripe, Paypal or Authorize.net, and even cancel or reschedule all on their own–without you having to drive yourself crazy.

Reservio
reservioReservio.com allows you to save your time and start managing your bookings in online booking software. It helps you improve your services, promote your business better and grow it faster. Organize your schedule with simple on-line calendar and stay up-to-date anywhere you go. Get repetitive tasks made automatically, accept bookings 24/7, reduce your “no-shows” with email & SMS reminders.

Simply Book

simplybook

SimplyBook.me offers an extensive online booking system with reminders for medical services, beauty salons, event planners etc. We offer free version for companies with less than 120 bookings a month. Our solution offers companies the possibility to send promotions at predefined times. Companies can also choose from different design templates, customized languages, choose from extensive add-ins options to enhance the system all in order to provide their clients with outstanding service.

Clickbook

click book

Clickbook.net is an online scheduling software that allows service providers to schedule clients in the spots that the vendors themselves prefer. As most people now manage their business and make bookings on the go, the free online scheduling software is available via a mobile app. As with most mobile apps, the layout of the scheduling program is more basic. However, it still enables customers to sign in and book appointments, while service providers can access most of their dashboard to manage their account. The appointment schedule software can be synchronized with any device that supports iCal calendar subscription which includes Windows, Macintosh, Linux and most iPhones and iPods for complete flexibility and freedom.

10 to 8
10to8

10to8.com is a FREE online appointment scheduling & online booking solution, trusted by 11,000+ independent practitioners, tutors, coaches & small businesses. Send SMS & email reminders to cut no-shows, track client notes and attendance history, let clients book your free slots, take payments and manage complex availability with calendar sync. Secure data storage with bank-rate encryption. Setup in less than 2min, and say farewell to admin woes.

Calendly
calendly

Calendly.com allows you to say goodbye to email tag for scheduling appointments, interviews, calls, demos and much more. Checks your Google or Office 365 calendar for conflicts, so you’re never double-booked. Adds new events to your calendar automatically. Phone, tablet or desktop—you and your invitees can use Calendly anywhere, from any device. Automatically email custom confirmations and reminders to invitees. Set buffer times between meetings, prevent last minute meetings, create secret event types and much more. Set your capacity and let multiple invitees schedule the same slot. Useful for tours, webinars, classes, workshops, etc. Invitees can add their meetings to their favorite calendar platform in one click. No registration or signup required to schedule.

Doodle

doodle

Doodle.com offers a wide selection of online solutions that radically simplify the process of scheduling appointments, ranging from the group event “poll” that doesn’t require registration to the professional appearance with own branding. Once registered, connect your calendar and keep track of all your polls. By using your mobile device, you can respond to a meeting poll, initiate a poll, and see all of your polls at a glance. In addition to the mobile Web app, Doodle also offers a native app for iPads and iPhones.

When is Good

whenisgood

WhenIsGood.net is an easy way to find out when everyone is free for your next meeting or event. Click the grid for all the times that are good for you – you get a link to email to your invitees. They see your proposed times and click on when they are free. You visit your results page and see when everyone can do. No sign-up form. No password to choose. No fuss at all.

Assistant.To

assistant

Assistant.to continually monitors your availability and will work with your recipient to find a commonly available time. Uses the same secure servers & hosting as Dropbox, SAP, etc. with 99% uptime & SSL data encryption. Remembers your most common meeting locations and availability, so you can schedule a meeting in seconds. Book meetings with one email. No back & forth. No double bookings. And it’s free!

Need a Little Extra Support?

The back-and-forth headache of scheduling will never disappear completely, but these tools will help you decide on a meeting time and iron out the details in a much more efficient fashion. Give these apps a try, and opt out of email tag once and for all.

If you know you want to take advantage of the many benefits of online scheduling (or any other form of scheduling) but don’t want to spend the time navigating the scheduling tools, remember that Alpine Small Business Solutions is here for you! We can create and schedule meetings or appointments for you to meet your organization’s scheduling needs. And if there is any other aspect of social media management or business building that you want assistance with, we’d love to help. Just shoot us an email or call us up.

6 Dos and Don’ts of Facebook Boosted Posts

Boosting Facebook posts can be an effective social media marketing strategy. Without knowledge on how it works or the benefits it offers, however, marketers may be unnecessarily wary of taking advantage of the great tool. Boosting posts is not a tactic to be used all the time, but is one that should be used intentionally to support your organization’s social media marketing efforts.

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What are boosted posts?

When marketers create a Facebook post, it enters the views news feeds and is seen by a fraction of the audience. This number varies based on a number of factors decided by the Facebook algorithm that attempts to measure the relevance of posts to audiences to avoid flooding their feeds with poorly written posts or ones that aren’t relevant to the viewers. Boosting a post ensures the post is found more frequently in the News Feed, which means more people will see your post (and hopefully in return your organization will receive more social media marketing benefits from the post). Below are some simple dos and don’ts of Facebook posting.

boosted3The Dos

  1. DO boost posts that help your audience. The point of boosting posts is to get more eyes on your post. Getting more people to see how your organization provides value for them is a great way to gain new customers or reinforce the relationship with existing ones. Besides, viewers can tell pretty quickly a promotional post advertising a product or service from one that’s helpful content for them. Why pay money for an advertisement-type post that viewers are just going to glance over and ignore?
  2. DO boost posts that offer a call to action. Posts that encourage visitors to check out your website, join an email list, download a free ebook, etc. (while still offering valuable content to the audience of course) are great ones to promote. Ideally, a boosted post will not only get more individuals seeing the value you offer them, but will direct them to an action that builds your business.
  3. DO know exactly what you want to gain from the boosted post. Strategy is key to social media marketing, and it’s no different with boosted posts. If you do not know what you are trying to achieve, you will not be able to measure whether it was successful and it will be more difficult to pin point what made it perform well or poorly. Clearly articulate what you hope to get out of the boosted post (x number of people read about our new website launch, reach new audience members with our content post, etc.) before you boost it.


The Don’ts

  1. DON’T be overly hesitant to spend money. It can be hard to press that button to spend money on a post. Besides, if you did your job right and created a great post it should perform as effectively right? Wrong! The Facebook algorithm results in organic reach having unpredictable and less effective reach. It’s part of Facebook’s business plan to gain money from marketers. Unfortunately, spending money to boost important posts is just part of the game. You don’t have to play the game with every post, but you should when it is relevant.
  2. DON’T boost the post and never look at it. After you boost a post, make sure you monitor its success to gauge whether the return on investment was worth it. If it was, figure out what made the post so successful. If it wasn’t, figure out how to avoid that mistake for the future. Analytics are a big part of being successful at digital marketing. You have to adjust your plan when it isn’t working, and you have to know what worked. Make sure you are watching.
  3. DON’T slide into a boosting rut. It’s important to always be tweaking social media efforts to figure out the most effective tactics and get the highest return on investment. If you boost an evergreen post that performs well, fantastic! But don’t hesitate to boost a timely post, a video post, and the like. Know that it’s important to test out different types of posts. Some might not work well for your organization or audience, and that’s okay. Trial and error is a key part of social media success.

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If you’re convinced you want to take advantage of the benefits of boosting Facebook posts, but are still hesitant on the best way to do so, do not fear. Alpine Small Business Solutions is here for you! We understand the ins and outs of boosting Facebook posts to meet businesses needs and would love to help you use this tool to help your organization. Simply email us or give us a ring for help on this, or any aspect of business building.

9 Ways to Increase Efficiency at Work

We are always trying to fit more in to every day. We are overscheduled, overworked, and busy being busy. This working style adds to our stress and anxiety of life every day. If this is not managed, it can get out of control and start to have the opposite effect-you will get less done. It is time to maximize your efforts and declutter the rest. These nine tips can make every day a little easier, and honestly more fun.

  1. Take Breaks!

If you are sitting at your desk for eight hours straight, you are exhausting your mind, eyes, and body. You must take some time to look away. Walk down the hall. Give your body and mind some time to refresh. When you are just pushing through something to get it done, you usually aren’t at your best. That five-minute break can usually be enough to refresh you to think more clearly. Break up the work; break up your sitting time. Trust me on this one…it will make a difference in how you feel.

  1. Focus Time.

We are all guilty of it. We all have tried to “multitask.” It doesn’t work. You cannot do your best on more than one task at a time. Limit your distractions for periods of “focus time.” Set a timer for 50 minutes, close all the distractions (other open programs, emails, phone etc.), and just work on that one thing for the 50 minutes. Then take a 10-minute break. You can check in on your distractions, walk away, or get a drink, but take that break. Those uninterrupted focus periods allow you to put all your efforts in to one spot. You will get more done just working on that one thing. You can then come back to that task for the next focused period or move on, whatever the case will be, but give you undivided attention to a task for a set period.

  1. Done Is Better Than Perfect.

We sometimes all get hung up on the details that don’t really matter. You have to find that line where is this really going to improve the final product, or are you spending more time on something that isn’t important at this phase. Let go of the image of perfect. You can always tweak and improve, so make sure you are not crossing a line of perfection that isn’t being efficient.

  1. Schedule Your Phone and Email Time.

Calls and emails are the biggest distraction for many people. You can spend a lot of time just putting out the fires that come in on email and take that unexpected call. It also means that you didn’t get your tasks for the day completed with focused, uninterrupted time. Find the time best for you and schedule in your day an hour here and there to just return emails and calls. You can use a focus period just to respond to email.

  1. Value Each Minute.

You used your focused time, and you rocked it. You spent 37 minutes that you had booked 50 minutes for. Great! That doesn’t mean that you get to waste those 13 minutes. Quit thinking that everything has to be done on the hour, half hour, or 15-minute increment. I know you have other things on your to-do list. Continue on with something else productive.

  1. Increase Your Weak Point.

We all have a time of the day that is the slump. Some people are early morning people, some of late night people, some are guaranteed to be napping after lunch. Know where your weak point is and plan for it. If you are an afternoon slump person, know it and own it! Prepare for it by having that cup of coffee, or schedule your passion project during that time. If you aren’t prepping and working on something you don’t want to do at that time, you will not work efficiently.

  1. No!

This one sounds easy. Say no to things that you shouldn’t be doing, but that isn’t always the case when you work on client work. If it is part of your job, you can’t just say I won’t do it. But do you have a team mate who is better suited? Can you trade a task? For those things that you can say no to, remember it is ok to say no. Don’t accept work you can’t deliver on. Don’t set yourself up to not be able to keep your word. This goes hand-in-hand with setting expectations.

  1. Set Deadlines.

They say however long you give yourself to do something is how long it will take. Put a little pressure on yourself to get things done. You might surprise yourself what watching the clock will do for you. Set a deadline for yourself to wrap up a project and hold yourself to it.

*Bonus Tip* Track your time. We talked about times and setting focus periods, but doing some basic analytics around where you spend your time can be very eye opening. Find where you are losing time and work on it!

9. I know this doesn’t sound like it is increasing your efficiency if you aren’t working, but truly it is. If you aren’t avoiding burnout and exhaustion, you are not functioning at your best. Make sure you take the time off and walk away to be with your friend and family. Engage in the hobby that you love. Take care of yourself. Remind yourself of the things you love so when you are at work, you can have the desire to go do these things. The more efficient you are at work, the more you can enjoy your off time. For more ideas contact me today!

9 Brain Foods That Will Improve Your Productivity at Work

Did you know that the foods you eat could have a significant impact on your brain and motivation? Eating the right foods throughout the day can increase brainpower, motivation and overall productivity by 20%. I know it may not seem like much, but it is a significant increase! If you’ve noticed you’ve been a little more sluggish at work lately, consider adding these superfoods to your daily diet. I’ve also included a couple simple recipes that combines these super foods together!

  1. Eggs

Eggs are one of the best nutritional foods you can eat. Eggs are high in choline, which is a nutrient that studies have shown to improve memory. Eggs sell a variety of vitamins but most notably B5 and B12. These vitamins release energy from food and assist with brain nervous system function. Eggs also have vitamin A which plays a critical role in maintaining healthy vision, neurological function, healthy skin, and more.

As if eggs couldn’t seem more nutritionally rich, they are an excellent source of protein that can help sustain energy levels and stave off hunger throughout the day.

  1. Greek Yogurt

All yogurts are excellent sources of calcium, potassium, protein, zinc, and vitamins B6 and B12. However Greek yogurt contains probiotic cultures and is lower in lactose and has twice the protein content of regular yogurts. Additionally, in a small study, researchers at UCLA found that eating probiotic yogurt twice a day can reduce activity in the part of your brain that registers pain and emotion. Scientists have also begun to draw links between consuming probiotics and thinking fewer sad thoughts

  1. Salmon

Fatty fishes are excellent for promoting productivity! Salmon, however, is the best of them all. Salmon has high omega-3 fatty acids content, which is useful for improving memory and mental performance. These fatty acids can help depression and fatigue, which can both inhibit productivity immensely. Fish has also been proven to improve concentration and your overall mood. Other fatty fish include trout, mackerel, herring, sardines, pilchards, and kipper. Although eating freshly prepared fish is the best method, a fish oil supplement can be taken to achieve a similar result.

  1. Raw Almonds

Raw almonds are among the healthiest of tree nuts. Almonds rank highest in protein, fiber, calcium, vitamin E, riboflavin and niacin content. The fiber, protein and fat content of almonds means it only takes a handful to keep you feeling full and satisfied to hold you over until lunch time! Why raw almonds? Both raw and roasted almonds pack a high dose of nutrients and minerals. However, raw almonds have more naturally occurring beneficial fats—which are lost in the roasting process.

  1. Avocado

Avocados are a natural stimulant for promoting blood flow. Consistent blood flow through your heart and brain fires up your brain cells. This is another healthy, fiber packed fat that improves your overall focus. The best part? There’s so many delicious ways to prepare an avocado but their buttery flavor is amazing on their own!

  1. Blueberries

Antioxidant-rich foods are exceptional for increasing memory. Not only will blueberries help your brain function in the workplace today, it will help to prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s in the future. The antioxidants in blueberries stimulate the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain – and keeps the mind fresh. Generally, the darker the berry is, the higher antioxidant property it contains, which means more productivity-boosting ingredients.

  1. Matcha Green Tea

Green tea is a natural energy enhancer and it comes without the negative side effects of other energy sources, such as the caffeine crash you get from coffee or energy drinks. However, the best (and more delicious) way to consume green tea is Matcha. Matcha is unique because it’s the entire leaf ground into a fine powder then made into a creamy tea, whereas other teas the leaves are steeped in hot water. By consuming the leaf as a whole, it provides fiber and polyphenols, a family of powerful antioxidants. It’s also a lot tastier—green tea ice cream is made from Matcha and if you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend it.

  1. Bananas

Glucose turns into energy, and bananas are some of the best resources for that energy-inducing ingredient. A single banana holds the daily amount of glucose your body needs, and it’s a much healthier way to get it than excessive carbs and cane sugars. Bananas are also filling, which means that you’ll be able to focus better between meals if you snack on this rather than something else. Bananas are also a great source of potassium which helps blood pressure, anxiety and stress and helps to enhance muscle strength, metabolism, water balance, electrolytic functions, and nervous system.

  1. Water

Finally, water. Now I know this isn’t a food, but it is important to mention that the amount of water intake significantly influences your health and productivity. Our body is made up of over 70% water and throughout the day, the water in our body slowly depletes. If you don’t drink enough water to replenish the lost liquid, your brain and other functions suffer the consequences. By devoting the energy to ensure you are drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day will give your brain the fuel it needs to be more focused and think more clearly.

Give these foods a go and see if you have noticed an improvement in your productivity. I certainly have! Below are links to a couple of my favorite recipes that combine several of these foods and are super easy to make!

Greek yogurt with honey, almonds, blueberries, and granola (I prefer sliced or slivered almonds)

Avocado toast with sunny side up egg

 

7 Benefits of LinkedIn Blog Publishing & Why Every Online Business Owner Should be Using it

Sure, you understand the importance of content marketing to build your business, but if you’re not publishing on LinkedIn you’re missing out on major benefits. It’s not just another content publishing tool. It’s one of the best content publishing tools, offering many rich rewards to marketers who are smart enough to take advantage of it. Here are several reasons you need to begin publishing on LinkedIn today:

  1. Easy to reach a tailored audience. Everyone on LinkedIn is either a current professional or aspiring professional seeking out career and industry related content. What other content publishing site offers that degree of audience specialization? You’ll be able to publish content to an audience ready to consume it, giving you a high ROI for the time spent crafting LinkedIn posts.
  2. Reap content marketing rewards of a business blog in a fraction of the time linkedin eventcommitment. While it’s usually recommended businesses maintain a blog, it’s not always feasible for every company. In those situations, publishing to LinkedIn is a great alternative. Employees can publish from their LinkedIn pages and then share to the company page to gain benefits of content marketing with less of a time commitment than maintaining a company blog.
  3. Establish your influence in your industry. Consistently publishing quality posts will showcase your knowledge in your industry. Posts will link back to your profile and recent posts will be shown on your profile, which will help connect your professional insights to your LinkedIn profile. It’s a simple way to show, not tell, your expertise.
  4. Humanize your company. Recruit various employees, from the company CEO to entry level staff, to craft blog posts to then share from your company’s page. The different writing styles will not only provide variety, but the different voices will humanize your organization and cause the posts to look less self-serving.
  5. Access to a litmus test for your company blog. Granted, your LinkedIn audience is likely different than your company blog audience. But if a post really resonates with LinkedIn followers, it’s a good indicator the information and/or topic will resonate with followers of your company’s blog.
  6. Gives you something to offer in LinkedIn Groups. Members of LinkedIn Groups are expected to provide value to the group, which can be achieved through offering quality LinkedIn posts. Sharing of great content is an effective way to strengthen your connection with group members.
  7. Move potential audiences to view posts. Some consumers of content hesitate to LinkedInview a blog post given the high volume of spam posts and not secure websites on the Internet. Posts published on LinkedIn are published on LinkedIn-meaning there is no risk for readers they will end up on a spam site or gain a virus from an insecure website. And since everything people publish is linked back to their account, there’s a lower amount of poor quality work. Consumers can be more likely to view a post on LinkedIn given the spam-free and higher quality nature of its posts.

Okay, so now you’re ready to take advantage of LinkedIn blog publishing. But how do you generate ideas? Try one of these strategies:

  1. Read posts from top influencers in your industry. As you read articles, ask questions such as, “What important pieces of information did they leave out?” or “What’s a unique perspective I can take on the same topic?” Translate the answers into posts of your own.
  2. Analyze your post metrics to see what topics most resonate with audience. Generate more posts on those topics. People love stats. Use this to your advantage.
  3. Do an old fashioned brainstorm. Start with a broad topic (such as social media) and spend five to ten minutes writing anything that comes to mind. Set the paper aside and look at it again later with fresh eyes. Pick the best ideas and turn them into posts.
  4. Repurpose old company content. Use what you’ve already created, such as website blog posts or newsletters, and tailor it to LinkedIn blog publishing.

Ready to take advantage of LinkedIn Blog Publishing, but don’t have the time or knowledge necessary to write posts consistently? Alpine Small Business Solutions is here for you! We’d love to help you with this, or any aspect of small business building. Just give us a call or shoot us an email today.

A Virtual Assistant Guide to Writing a Great Client Proposal

There is nothing more exciting than having that first phone call or email from a potential client. Someone out there has heard what you offer and they want to seek your expertise. Now you have to seal the deal and make them want to sign a contract for you. Every virtual assistant has a slightly different way of doing business. Personally, once I have a short introductory conversation with my new potential client, I tell them I will follow up with a proposal. If you remember to include all of these elements in your next proposal, you will rock their socks off!

Make sure you get all the pertinent information you need from the client to really know how you can best help them. Use the proposal to show your understanding of their needs. Below is a breakdown of what a proposal should include:

  1. Introduction

Every good virtual assistant should have a great proposal. This is your way of saying, “This is why I am amazing, and you should work with me.” Your first statement should be the hook; a statement introducing yourself and referring back to any previous conversations.

  1. Connect

Next you should connect with them by referencing something special about their company without making it too cheesy. Talk about something that excites you about what they offer and why you look forward to supporting their business.

  1. Body


Now let’s get down to the fundamentals of the proposal. This is where you will outline exactly what they are going to receive in a way that makes it irresistible to them. As a virtual assistant a lot of what you are doing for them is taking their stress away. You are clearing their plate and giving them the confidence to hand this off to you, which is going to be the best thing for their business. This is the perfect opportunity for you to truly show them what you have that will benefit them and why they should choose you. Most businesses will look at several other virtual assistants, so you will want to be professional and confidant in your proposal. Make this part easy on them. Tell them exactly what they are going to get and let them see the benefit of it and what they can expect from you.

Make sure you clearly state your goals and why someone would want to work with you. Don’t forget the details that they want to know. You will want to include your hours, payment rates, terms and termination, and confidentiality.

  1. Sell Yourself

sell-yourselfThis is a chance for you to describe what you and your business are about, stand for, offer, and can contribute. Make sure you weave in full information about your business so they get a great picture of you as well.

Some people like to include bits of their portfolio. If you feel this is something you would like to do, make sure you sell your strengths to the client around the particular job. Learning how to highlight your most attractive abilities for the specific needs of an individual client is an invaluable skill.

  1. Upsell Your Package

Personally, I always like to think to the future. I will add an “upsell” plan in the proposal, showing my client a complimentary service I provide that matches the one they have asked about. I give them the price and ideas of what it would look like, saying that it would be a great add-on down the road. Who knows, maybe they will want to add it from the start!

  1. Conclusion

Tie it all together. Create a sincere conclusion saying how excited you are that they have come to you and why you would be such a great fit. A good closing paragraph might look something like this: “I believe we are a good match and if you feel the same, let’s move on to the next steps.”

Obviously make sure this is the best representation of yourself. Use a visually appealing structured layout. First impression is everything: your proposal should be pleasing, crisp, and well-organized.

Make sure you send any relevant welcome information you have along with your proposal.

Most important, make sure you are being true to yourself and the type of business you want to create. What makes your proposal different from every other freelancer or virtual assistant? You need to make yours standout in a professional but charismatic way. Don’t take a client that is not a good match for you. And remember, you are the boss now.

If you’re ready to create a great proposal for new clients, but could use some guidance, we’re here for you! We can assist with any aspect of business building and strategy. Simply shoot us an email or give us a call today.

The Dirty Truths Nobody Told You About Hosting a Virtual Summit

All this talk about hosting a virtual summit has you excited. What you don’t know are the dirty truths most people fail to mention. If you dive into a virtual summit without being prepared, you will end up in over your head. Virtual Summits take months of planning and organizing to successfully execute. I can’t stress enough that you won’t be able to complete a virtual summit by yourself. You will drive yourself crazy without some additional support!

Here are a few areas that we know from experience it is great to bring in another set of eyes on.

#1 Test Equipment in Advance

This seems like a no-brainer but as a small business owner, it’s easy to put the equipment aside, forget about it and worry about all the other things on your to-do list. Then when push comes to shove, you set up last minute only to find out– %$#@! Technical difficulties! Please get your video, microphone, and programs all set-up well in advance and practice using them with friends and coworkers! That way if you come across any issues you can call over your techie friends to help you set it up and you’ll know how everything works before the big day comes. It is best to make sure you are super confident in the technology. You don’t want technology to be a stressor when you are trying to rock it!

#2 Customer Support

Summits aren’t an evening task. They take time. You will be out of office for a good period of time so who is going to hold down the fort and answer to those emails while you’re away? What all the offers or details you are selling? The people trying to connect but are having trouble? Someone needs to be on call for customer support. Your people want answers! Have help with your customer service, and make sure that person is in the loop of the product/service so they can best help your audience. Your customer support team is the first touch to the business. Make it great! Be sure to plan for this well in advance so you can relax during your summit and not worry whether your business will still be there when you get back!

#3 Design/Marketing Campaign & Promotion

Let’s face it, you’re not a jack of all trades, and you are definitely not a designer! Designing and digital marketing are really in-depth processes, and when they are done right, it is very successful! Leave this to the pros to help promote your virtual summit. This will be the face of your summit and you want to look professional and have eye-catching branding and design.

#4 Website & eCommerce

You will be busy planning content for your upcoming interviews and you’re not about to dive into all that code jumble! It is important that your summit/membership website and ecommerce for both are all set up and running correctly well in advance. Find a developer who can support you and execute this correctly. The last thing you need is frustrated customers who can’t buy your All-Access Pass which means lost revenue for you!

#5 Schedule Planning and Organizer

Different States, Countries, and Time zones – Oh my! The number of guests you will be interviewing during your summit may be shocking. Four to Five speakers will not suffice. Expect to be interviewing around 25-30 people in your industry. Trying to schedule and plan interviews with this number of people from all around the world is no task for you! Let someone else take this lead and set up these meetings for you.

#6 The Aftermath

Congrats you successfully made it through your summit, which means you get to jump right back into your normal routine. WRONG! You still need to consider sending out thank you notes to all the speakers and make sure your all-access pass members have sufficient customer support. Did they get their log-in information? Can they log-in? Can they access the content? This is where a customer support specialist will aid you otherwise you will lose your mind trying to answer all the tickets. Not to mention the thank-you letters…that’s 30 letters you need to write! Maybe that is best handed off to an assistant who can help execute those letters.

Whew! Exhausted yet? This is what I am saying, you need to enlist help to make sure the overall summit is outstanding and you look amazing. Make sure you have the right team in place to manage that-you can always contact us at Alpine Small Business Solutions.

7 Essential Tools You Need to Launch a Virtual Summit

Now that you are convinced why a virtual summit is a great idea for your business, here is a rundown of the tools you will need. Running a virtual summit doesn’t need to be expensive, but keep in mind the outcome will be equal to what you put into it. You don’t need to buy a professional several-thousand-dollar video and microphone set-up, but you don’t want to buy a $20 one either. Let’s meet somewhere in the middle and here’s a few of our favorites:

#1 Webcam

Unlike podcasts, a virtual summit requires a webcam. High quality helps to engage and keep your viewers interested. While most laptops, desktops and phones do have a webcam built in, they are usually not the best quality. Some smart phones do have a great camera, but lack in microphone quality. Besides, it’s much easier to manage broadcasting when you have a set-up at your computer station. Trying to do it all mobile proves to be a challenge.

You do not want to purchase a webcam that is less than 1080P since most services like YouTube often compress your videos. You can combat this by starting out by recording at higher quality.

The Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 is a great middle-of-the-road USB option! It has a 73% 5-star rating on Amazon with a substantial amount of written customer reviews, which make this camera a very promising one. It offers widescreen video calling, automatic low-light correction, and works on all computers.

#2 Microphone

Webcams almost always come with a built-in microphone, but again the quality will never be as good than if you invest in a separate USB microphone. A microphone is just as important as your video; what good is a virtual summit if nobody can understand a word you are saying? You do not need to dive into professional recording equipment for this. Just look for a microphone that is recommended for podcasts and gaming with noise cancellation.

The CAD GXL2400 US Microphone is a great option that won’t break the bank. It promises to produce studio-quality output and a shock mount that will allow for it to sit at a comfortable height at your desk. It has 4/5-star review with great customer reviews and the best part is it’s only $30!

#3 Video Recording Software

You need software that allows you to see, hear and interview your guest speakers. You have two ways you can approach a virtual seminar:

If you want to do live broadcasting, I recommend using YouTube.

If you want to record the interview so you can broadcast at a later time, we highly recommend Zoom. It’s a web-based webinar program that’s free for up to 2 attendees.

#4 Video Editing Software

It doesn’t matter what video editing software you use. It is up to you to use whatever tool you feel most comfortable working in. There are complex video editing software costs hundreds of dollars, but there are many free options as well. If you have a Mac computer your computer already comes with iMovie which is simple and easy to edit your videos. Another great option is Camtasia where you can create a screencast, add callouts, and more. You can even edit your videos inside of YouTube for free!

#5 Video Host

YouTube is the largest video hosting platform out there. It’s great if you want to broadcast live or later date. Vimeo is another good choice. Both work great and both can embed the video on your own website or create an easily shareable link.

#6 eCommerce & Membership Site

Shopify is hands-down the best ecommerce plugin for your website. Eventbrite is another option to sell tickets for your event if you don’t sell or plan to sell products from your website. Both are secure and easy to use.

You might have to get creative in how you sell your all-access pass because your customers will need a way to log-in to the membership site. An example could include adding these customers to a separate mailing list and giving them a log-in and password to the membership site. This same mailing list could be used to market a new product/service as mentioned in the last article.

Shopify is good if you want to do implement order add-ons or physical products supporting your virtual summit and brand like t-shirts, hats, pens, etc.

However, Eventbrite is free and extremely user friendly. You can link it to social media and has several different customization options such as making it a public or private, set a limited quantity of tickets available, reserved seating, free/paid/donation ticket, and more!

#7 Backdrop

This is optional, but you want to consider a backdrop for your recording area so you look professional. This could be something as simple as a plain sheet or blanket pinned up on your wall. If you opt-out of a backdrop be aware of potential distractions or items in the background of your video.

There you have it…all the basics without breaking the bank. If you need more help in setting all this up or tips from our pro, contact us at Alpine Small Business Solutions today!

5 Ways A Virtual Summit Can Increase Your Income in 90 Days or Less

Your small business has been going great: steady income, returning clients, your email list is now considerable, you have an interactive and large social media following. Great! However, in the last few months you noticed a decrease in growth. You’re not losing, but you’re not gaining either. Everything was growing rapidly. So, what gives?

It’s not uncommon for businesses to hit a plateau. The good news is, there’s a few things you can do to get out of this rut! One of the best ways I’ve found is to host a virtual summit. If you don’t know what a virtual summit is, it’s essentially an online conference. The host is the one who organizes and brings experts together for interviews. The catch, however, is that the summit is only broadcasted for a certain period for online attendees to watch and learn from.

Live streaming and limited-time broadcasting is a great tool to add to your marketing tool box. The limited aspect of these brings urgency amongst your potential attendees which make them more likely to act on it. Television has been using this tactic for ages! How often have you heard someone say, “I have to be home by 8pm to catch the season finale of -insert tv show here-!”

Here’s five ways you can use a virtual summit to increase your income in under 90 days!

#1 All-Access Pass

An all-access pass is to your virtual summit as Netflix is to tv shows. This is the most popular way you can increase your revenue via virtual summits. Some people will not able to attend your virtual summit during your limited broadcasting event due to a busy schedule, sickness, or anything else life throws their way. However, these customers still crave the information!

Free ticket holders can view the broadcast for a limited time, which in turn peaks interest in an all-access pass, which is a membership area containing all the video content, so that they do not miss a single interview! Another tip is to use price-increases for all-access passes. By increasing the price when your summit starts and when it ends, you can encourage more people to buy.

To further increase urgency and to encourage purchases, you can try offering a limited quantity of all-access passes.

#2 Order Add-Ons

An order add-on is an offer asking the customer if they would like to add an item to their cart prior to check-out. Another wonderful way to increase your income with virtual summits are add-ons. This can be a product you already have that is relevant to their interests, or a product exclusive to the virtual summit. You might want to consider offering a small discount for orders over a specified dollar amount to encourage order add-ons!

#3 Sponsorships

In essence, your virtual summit is an event. This is an amazing opportunity for companies to financially support you in exchange for publicity. There’s a few ways in which you can implement this, either by displaying their logo on your home page or making mention during your interviews.

 

#4 Physical Products

I can’t express enough how important branding is! Branding your virtual summit and producing and selling items like t-shirts, pens, hats, or other merchandise will help build brand awareness for both your business and virtual summit. Loyal customers will be happy to rock your swag which doubles as free advertisement!

#5 New Product/Service

After your summit is done broadcasting, you will have a shiny, new, email list of followers! They will be enthusiastic to learn more about your topic and seek more of the content you offer. This is absolutely a great opportunity to influence this email list and launch a new product or service for them. A great idea is to create your virtual summit around new products or services you wish to incorporate so that you continue to build interest and grow your audience!

Ready to try a summit? Give us a call and we will be happy to help.