Business Archives - Page 2 of 5

Why an online presence is important to your Small Business

21st January 2017

by RedRiteUK with No Comment Articles Blogs

An online presence is brilliant for any business, but why?

Every small business owner is advised to get an online presence – website, social media platform, Google My Business and a blog – but it is not always explained why. Other than it is great for your business, why else would an online presence help you?

Let’s look at some statistics (as of 2016) and reasons why.

Out of the 7.395 billion people 3.419 billion are online
2.307 billion of them have an active social media account

Think of the amount of people you could be getting your business in front of. Even as a local business these statistics but you in front of more people than a newspaper ad or leaflet through the post box. Unlike traditional marketing methods having an online presence costs you nothing but time. Just an hour a day to interact with followers and schedule new content is cheaper than printing leaflets to reach the same amount of people.

41 percent of Americans and 40 per cent of UK citizens say it is important that a business they interact with has an online presence
Of UK citizens that have a social media account 34 per cent and 28 per cent of Americans say they prefer to interact with a business who an online presence than visit a physical location.

Why? Because lives are getting busier, people are spending more time rushing from one place to another they don’t have time to pop in to a physical shop as much. Not only that but when they discover a problem and require a need they want answers straight away, rather than putting it on a back burner and forgetting about it till later. People want answers NOW and being online gives you a far better chance to be in front of those customers when they need you.

Facebook & Twitter Stats

Every month 2.5 billion comments are made on Facebook business pages

42 per cent of Twitter users learn more about products and service online, while 49 per cent of users a month follow a brand or company on Twitter (Twitter has 310 billion active users)

Staggering numbers of users who are interacting with businesses online. These users are always looking for new and better companies to make purchases from, for both services and products. Taking advantage of having an online presence will put you in front of these users and using eye catching, relevant content will show them why they should use your business instead of others.

Pinterest & Instagram Stats

In November 2015, a user survey discovered that 60 per cent of users say they have found new brands through Instagram.

75 per cent of saved pins on Pinterest come from businesses. People referred from Pinterest are 10 per cent more likely to make a purchase and an ASTOUNDING 90 per cent of users use Pinterest to plan or make a purchase

Those figures alone have me looking in to using Pinterest for my own business. I use Pinterest to look for ideas for my kids birthday parties, and decorating the home. It is therefore understandable why having your business links on there will garner you more interest. I have seen many businesses comment in groups on Facebook about using Pinterest and getting the graphics correct but by the looks of it, the efforts are worth it.

LinkedIn Stats

More than half of LinkedIn users are more likely to buy from a business after interacting with them on LinkedIn

LinkedIn drives more than half of all social traffic to B2B blogs and sites

LinkedIn is primarily for business to business (B2B) interactions and hiring opportunities. These statistics do back up the primary purpose, and create a whole world for B2B businesses to grow their business, market their services and provide a platform to show off their expertise.

Blogging Stats

Time Management, Virtual Assistant, RedRite, Leeds

Time – The one thing your business needs!

21st November 2016

by RedRiteUK with One Comment Articles Blogs

The top tip you can learn for your business comes from a single drop of water!

Have you ever been caving? I have and get totally transfixed every time too think that something as gentle as water can create such large caverns under the ground. Our tour guide when we went to Ingleborough Cave, Skipton explained to us (me and my eldest daughter) how it can take thousands of years for the water to slowly but persistently work its way through the cracks in the rock levels before the pressure causes the layers to break up enough to create the caverns people explore through today. It also takes thousands of years for the drops of water and calcium to create the stalactites and stalagmites formations that add to the views inside these caverns. The beauty left behind can be breath taking and humbling at the same time, to see something so basic yet beautifully made by nature. We were lucky enough to be in a cave with so much documented history and could see exactly how the cave had changed in just 100 years, which was not much even though water still flows through and occasionally floods.

You are probably wondering why I am talking about caving and what it has to do with business but you will see. When the guide explained the time it takes for a small drop of water to wiggle its way down in order for more water to follow and great this amazing caverns it got me thinking. Many people are trying to make millions in weeks and expect it all to just happen instantly when they click the start button, however it is not true.

Just like that little drop of water it takes time for small actions in your business to build in to bigger and better things. Those minutes you sit putting together posts for social media and blogs, those graphics you created and stressed over just to advertise a new product, even all those emails you sent time after time with no replies. They are those drops of water slowly edging their way in to the cracks of the business world. Right now they seem small and insignificant to your business, mostly when they seem to bring very little return for the time and effort put in. Nevertheless, each tiny step you take in your business is pushing your business one small drop at a time to the biggest cavern of success you could ever imagine.

‘Many businesses are known to fail within the first 3 years’ and not always because they are not a viable business but because the owners suffer burnout over the small steps. So do not let those small steps burn out your passion for your business. Do not give up those little steps, take even more of them and celebrate each time you come across a large crack in the ‘limestone’ that is the fight to success. Celebrating each small step makes the step even more significant and therefore can increase your motivation to continue taking those small steps.

Things will take time but they will happen.

Virtual Assistant, People Buy People, RedRite, Leeds

People buy People – Be Nice!

1st November 2016

by RedRiteUK with No Comment Articles Blogs

Majority of sales talks you will go to will teach you that ‘people buy people’ and therefore you must work on your interactions with people and the way you represent yourself.

But it is not just how you present yourself just to potential customer but also how you interact with other business owners, competitor or not.

I recently commented on a public post requesting rough idea of prices for a website. For me web design is a secondary income and therefore I do not charge the full amount many other web designs do charge, and I do not include the additional services such as a custom-made theme, logo design or any other such additional services. I literally help business owners create a basic website presence for search engines at a price that many start-ups can afford. This however resulted in not just myself but other low priced offers being ‘told off’. There was another designer who felt we were insulting her, upsetting the designing community and making it hard for her to create a living. I politely retracted my offer and apologised to her, stressing that I offered my price for personal reasons and not to insult her or others.

At this point many people would have left it be or even just accepted my apology… not this lady. She continued to go on about how rubbish work is from those that offer low fees, how she would end up having to fix the mess made by subpar work and how even though it was not my intention it is what I was doing anyway. I was supported by others in that the prices we charge is our own personal choice and not to insult others, yet it did not satisfy this individual. For me as the consumer it would personally put me off to see someone, who is part of a supportive network of people, insulting other business owners and even after being apologised to continue ‘telling them off’ for their choice in pricing.

I would love to hear your opinions; would it leave a bad taste in your mouth if you saw someone insulting other business owners just because they have a different pricing structure to them?

I fully understand that for a working relationship to work you need to feel you can trust each other, that you get along and your personalities don’t ‘rub each other the wrong way’. This is why if, after an initial conversation, I feel I cannot comfortably and successfully assist someone I will suggest someone else I feel they will work with better. Some business owners, especially those starting out, cannot afford expensive outlay and will want a cheaper option. Others will have money to spare and happy to invest in more expensive services. For this purpose, there is a spread in cost for services it all depends on a business owner’s personal choice on what they charge, and to be insulting them over their choice is not good practise.

So remember it is not just your consumer audience that you need to sell yourself to but to other businesses too. If a business owner sees you being polite, helpful and just generally nice to other people, even if they haven’t experienced your services they are more likely to suggest you as a possible referral for a project then they are if you are sat insulting other business owners, and putting them down, no matter how great your services are.

I love referring business to other people and always keeping an eye out for new businesses to refer, either to my clients or to individuals in the groups I am a part of. So, I take note of interactions not just with possible consumers but with other business owners as well, something I am sure a lot of others do too.

Something I was taught as a kid was – If you have nothing nice to say don’t say anything – and to this day I do believe it. If you don’t like someone else has undercut your prices don’t insult them publicly, private message the original poster and expand on your price, make a personal connection with them and win business that way.

People buy People, so be a person someone wants to work with and can trust.

Interact with me on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn and let me know how you feel about people buy people.

Facebook Etiquette, RedRite, Leeds, Virtual Assistant

Top tips of Facebook Etiquette of Business

27th October 2016

by RedRiteUK with No Comment Articles Blogs

Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms with 1.71 billion active users as of the second quarter of 2016. That is 1.71 billion people who have logged in within the past 30 days and who could potentially see your business. But how do you use Facebook correctly for business and avoid Facebook jail?

Let’s first look at how to get your business on Facebook. The best, and safest way, to place your business on Facebook is either through a Page or a Group.

Pages

Facebook dislikes people using their personal profiles to advertise business, so creating a Page linked to your personal profile is specifically created for that reason. On a Page you can choose a category as well as up to 3 sub-categories in which to advertise your Page, the sub categories are determined by the main category so make sure you choose the most relevant to your business. If you add your business address you can also place a map in the sidebar so that others can locate you as well as if there is any parking available on site, perfect for location based businesses. Other details such as opening hours, price range and contact details are also added so consumers know all they need to about you.

A Page can then be used just like a personal profile, the difference being the Page is public and used for business posts rather than what you had for dinner. The occasional personal post can allow consumers to see the person they are buying, just make sure you use details you are willing to go public.

Groups

If you want to limit what the audience sees or maybe want to create a small community around your business, then Groups could be for you. Groups can be publicly available to all, closed – public can only see members or secret – were public cannot see anything but the Group name and type. Members can be free to add other members, however if you want to limit your audience you can control who is actually allowed to join once members refer a friend. Choosing the relevant type of group – such as Club, Support, Study group, Team or travel to name just a few – can help identify to potential audiences what your Group is about. There is also a Buy and Sell type which adds the option to list things for sale within the Group, many local communities start up Groups like this for locals to sell second hand items. If you wish for only certain posts to be allowed, or limit the days in which certain posts can be posted, such as Promo Thursdays, then you can adjust settings to require post approval required.

I have found some of the best groups are those that offer support and networking, with numerous members posting issues they are having with their business and other members offering their support and advice.

What are some etiquette points for interacting on Facebook for business

People buy from people and if they see you being rude, offensive, even just plain ignorant to those posting on your wall or commenting in your Group then it can put them off actually purchasing from you. Although many users are not on Facebook to buy, through the correct and polite methods you can slowly build up a relationship with your audience. This relationship can encourage people to return to your business for their purchasing needs, either a product or a service you may offer.

The biggest NO NO of all time is spamming. Posting adverts for your business within groups is perfectly fine (as long as it doesn’t break the Group rules) as long as it is done tastefully. Respect that there is not just you in the Group and spread your posts out over a period of time. Some groups, such as my networking group, only allow business advertising posts once every 48 hours. While others only allow promotional posts on specific days and posts such as a Promo Thursday post. Abiding by these rules put you in people’s good graces, ignoring the rules and you will find yourself blocked from the Group as well as seen in bad light by others within the Group. Be polite, friendly, chatty and respectful of other group members or those on your Page.

The same goes for replying to comments and messages, sometimes even just a simple thank you can make the difference for your business. Facebook places a little icon on your Page for those that are fast to respond to messages including the length of time it can take you to reply to messages. Ignoring messages altogether can have you coming across rude and consumers will go look elsewhere for their purchasing needs.

Keep your content fresh, if you use a Page for your business it is necessary to post regularly to a degree. If you post once every few weeks, make sure the content is valuable! Consumers like to see what a business is up to and the more you post, the more you will be seen in their newsfeed. If you do not post, you do not get seen.

Sticking to these basic rules of Facebook for business and you will avoid ending up in Facebook Jail and can successfully grow your business.

Business Networking, Leeds, RedRite, Virtual Assistant

Business Networking and the Benefits

10th October 2016

by RedRiteUK with No Comment Articles Blogs

I previously wrote about the benefits of networking using the social platform, Twitter. However, this time I want to expand on that and discuss the benefit of networking as a whole.

What is networking?

Wikipedia classes business networking as – “Networking is a socioeconomic business activity by which business people and entrepreneurs meet to form business relationships and to recognize, create, or act upon business opportunities, share information and seek potential partners for ventures.”

Many think of business network marketing as Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) companies, such as Juice plus, Forever Living and Arbonne, however network marketing works for everyone. It is the process in which you use networking situations to market your business and can be beneficial particularly to business to business (B2B) companies who are looking for other business owners to market to.

What is the benefit of networking for a business?

Being a business owner can sometimes be a lonely experience. Yes, you have staff and yes you family but to the staff you are the boss and not all family are interested in talking about business. So who do you turn to when you want to chat about business without being formal? That is where the benefit of networking comes in to play, whether it is face to face networking or even just a member of a Facebook/LinkedIn group. Having access to people in similar position as you to talk to when needed eases the responsibilities of being a business owner as well as open avenues of business you might not have considered.

Through networking you can create a close knit network of individuals that you can go to for advice, do skill swaps with in order to complete projects on a budget or to attend conferences with. The connections made through networking can also provide collaboration possibilities. Regularly meeting and communicating with other owners about your business it can effortlessly spread the word about what you have to offer, without the expense of a marketing campaign or keeping track of what posts went in to which Facebook group. In this way it is one of the cheapest ways of building your audience, keeping people aware of your business and, when giving advice, it is also a way to show your expertise in your industry.

Top Tip: Always carry business cards with you to networking meets, every person you come in contact with is a potential new customer and providing them with a business card means they can find you again after the meeting.

My experience with Networking.

I personally am a member of several groups and run two of my own face to face networking groups. Through these groups I have met so many new people and even obtained several new clients, clients I would not have met any other way. A plus to these groups is when I want to vent about a situation, or dying for advice I can turn to them, provide a little detail and receive feedback that clears up the situation for me.

These networking groups and those on Facebook also offer me an audience to provide market research and it’s a guarantee they are the correct market to help me. I have offered to complete market research for other individuals as well as provide advice in regards to what actions a person should take, particularly in a situation they may not have experienced before. Answering questions put to the groups has helped my show that I do know what I am talking about, I can do what I advertise and in turn has built my client list. I have created a level of authority in my industry by a simple comment on a post.

Is Networking suitable for my business?

Yes! Networking is perfect for any business, whether you sell a physical product or provide virtual services. Finding a group of individuals that can offer you support and open more avenues for sales is one of the easiest and most effective techniques to running a business.

How do I find a local face to face group?

Local business networking groups are everywhere, some of the best ways to find a local group is to post in local Facebook groups or search on local ad pages such as Craigslist or Gumtree. Websites such as Meetups.com or Eventbrite.co.uk are specific sites created to advertise networking events, simply enter in your postcode and choose a search area. If you know another local business owner why not attend together if you are nervous about attending.

If you are local to North Leeds and want to know more about networking groups pop us an email across and I can share my local groups. I also have a list of some networking groups in the West Yorkshire area, just send me a message and I will share a copy.

Time block, time management, Leeds, RedRite, Virtual Assistant

Time block your way to a work/life balance

5th October 2016

by RedRiteUK with No Comment Articles Blogs

Time block can be an effective business practice that helps obtain that work/life balance we are all searching for.

Recently on my Facebook page I talked about the benefits of time blocking. This is the system of setting up a calendar where certain periods of time are ‘blocked’ so that for those particular periods you are doing nothing but what you have scheduled in. This allows you to organise your time better, schedule in some ‘me time’ and provide a clearer picture of available time in which you can take on new clients or spend more time on producing products. The spare hours could also be used to catch up work that is due or start something new.

Why time block?

The thought that provoked this post was that over the weekend I set up 1 hour blocks to complete some studying, watch a seminar, get social media planning done and get housework done as my to do list was overflowing. By 9am Monday morning I was caught up on everything and feeling positive about starting the week. By continuing this throughout the week I have got ahead with studying and my seminars, caught up on all the housework and still had time for myself to enjoy a good book without letting my clients down. Usually weekends involved a little work and lots of sofa surfing but this particular weekend I found myself energized and full of motivation to get things done, which in turn helped me focus better and stick to the time block schedule.

Do you ever find yourself waking up one morning with more energy and determination than other mornings? Then you need to sit down to time block your day and get the ball rolling! This focus plan can help keep the ball moving through the following days and with a schedule in place showing your down time you can give yourself something to look forward to. Book in a massage, or organise a get together with your mates at the pub, knowing that nothing will intrude on that time as its been scheduled in just for you. If you have clients getting in touch you know exactly what time you have available to offer them without taking on too much leading to stress and loss of passion for your business.

What if something unexpected happens?

Sometimes unexpected events happen that can throw off your time blocks – i.e a child is off sick when you are scheduled to attend meetings or a system malfunction. A positive is you can re-arrange your time blocks or use your spare time blocks to catch up without affecting the rest of your week.

How do you get started?

Simple… Write down all the tasks you do on a daily/weekly/monthly basis both for business and personal – make sure to go through your emails for this as well, sometimes it can help you remember tasks forgotten. Then using a spreadsheet note them all down with approximate time length for each task. Once you know this you can determine when you are most productive (find out why this is important in my other blog post , and work out the most effective time for certain blocks. If you have clients who require work done on a certain day/time, then you can use this information to schedule a block of time that works well for this deadline. You can fiddle with the timeline until you find a perfect balance of work and life.

Add a little colour, highlight high priority sections then print and stick it above your workspace, the fridge or somewhere you can see it daily. Now you have a plan and it’s in writing, in a place you will see therefore there is no reason to forget it. Family members can also see it so they know what you are doing and when, which can make planning family time a little easier too.

Still too much to do and not enough time?

Then maybe it is time to consider outsourcing those tasks that are taking up too much time. Those tasks that you dread having to do, and start slimming down your time blocks till your time equals your to do list.

Record Keeping, Business, RedRite, Leeds, Virtual Assistant

Record keeping – why it is important

22nd September 2016

by RedRiteUK with No Comment Articles Blogs

Record keeping is a vital task for any business but why?

For the past two years I have been dealing with a utility company whose administrative and financial record keeping leaves major room for improvement. It all started with a request to update serial numbers, a simple process of updating a database through a step by step process. It should have taken no more than 6 months, however it took nearly 18 months of monthly phone calls and complaints before I called in a governing body to handle it for me.

On several occasions I provide the same details over and over again including the address I reside at, opening usage readings and the current readings. The first attempt they blamed new software being the cause for delay. Second attempt they claimed the previous attempt had actually been done on my previous address and therefore needed to be reversed and done again. Third attempt they had reversed the last attempted and then successfully changed the serial number to have a member of staff then put a request through to cancel it on my behalf (trust me I never asked for it to be cancelled).

It took months of the governing body being involved before someone was able to successfully change the serial number and provide an accurate bill. At this point I had had enough and switched provider thinking that a final bill would be issued and my problems would end. Boy was I wrong! I was sent several final bills each with different financial figures, different dates and even debt collectors claiming I owed nearly £500 for one month’s usage! So once again requested the support of the governing body. Today I received notification that my problems are at an end, a correct statement was provided and analysed to calculate a final accurate bill which I have now paid and wished them good bye.

It had me thinking about the lack of organisation and the issues they must have between departments. I am always advising people to record everything, no matter how little, so if something was to happen they had information to help them. In this case I had made note of every phone call I had made, all the details I had provided and due to this was able to show a very clear picture of my utility usage, while the figures provided by the supplier seemed to change with each invoice, as well as the requests I had put to them. When requesting what the previous notes stated on my account some where missing and at times not even my phone calls where recorded which is a big no-no for businesses.

It is essential to keep clear concise notes on all your accounts – both clients and suppliers. After every phone call send an email covering the points made in the call to the caller and even keep a record in a CRM system or a database of some kind. An accurate billing system which tracks every income, every expense, even refunds means you are never financially caught out. It can also provide you a clearer view on where your business stands. Use an app or diary to record when you need to make a call, or as a reminder that something needs doing – even keeping notes on social media posts you want to send.

All of this can seem like additional stress and work but in the long term can save you such a headache. If I hadn’t kept record of communication between myself and the utility company, they could easily have fobbed me off. It also helps when dealing with my clients as sometimes they may mention something offhanded which I can use that to improve the services I offer to them; find them a connection they might not realise they needed or even get an idea as to the type of person they are to create a much more personal service.

I have several apps and software systems – particularly cloud based systems – that I suggest to my clients, if you are interested I will be more than happy to share. Send me a quick email with your business, the type of information you wish to record and I will have a nosey through my index.

I would love to hear if anyone else has had an experience such as mine, an experience that has had you questioning the administrative practises of a business. It doesn’t have to be a big business or a corporation we all know. So get sharing!

Posting Content Top Tips, RedRite, Leeds, Virtual Assistant

Posting content right in order to attract your target audience is vital, follow these basic tips to get started.

The way people interact with marketing is changing, attention spans are getting shorter and more consumers are using dual screens – a mobile and a laptop – at the same time in order to multitask. So being seen by your target market is getting harder and harder. Getting the content right and when to post it out is vital. I recently listened to a video by Gary Vaynerchuk called Stop Storytelling Like it’s 2007.

Gary discusses how the content itself needs to be modified to each platform used. One story, one visual is not enough to advertise on all platforms the content needs to be adaptable. Examples are such as those who visit Pinterest – this is usually for aspirational and inspirational content rather than a business advertising their services. LinkedIn is a professional network, where content needs to be kept in a professional tone and appeal to those primarily looking for business to business content.

On top of this it is necessary to understand where exactly your audience is looking, understand who they are, what platforms they interact on more and even at what times. Knowing the answers to these questions can help you adapt your content to been seen better by the right people. There is no point posting hand knitted accessories on LinkedIn when your customers are going to be found on Pinterest or Etsy. The same can be said about timing your posts correctly, business individuals who work a 9 to 5 job won’t be online at 10m in the morning and parents are less likely to be online between 6-8pm when its kids bed times.

Finding the answers to the above questions can be a case of trial and error, sometimes what seems to work may suddenly stop working and the strategy needs to be re-evaluated. This can be true for all platforms and businesses, especially around school holidays and special events throughout the year such as Christmas and Easter where people’s habits change. There is no set perfect time and dates or even the perfect type of content in which to use, it all depends on the individuals you are appealing to. Many suggested timetables can be found online but there is no guarantee they will work, it purely is all about trial and error. Keep your brand the same but adapt your posts till you can obtain your optimum interaction level with your audience.

Another thing is to consider the correct use of hashtags in your content, I have written an article on the use of hashtags and this can be found HERE.

If you want some help understanding the analytics and insights of your posts get in touch and I will happily help.

Email Marketing, Leeds, RedRite, Virtual Assistant

Email Marketing – Top tips to be successful

10th July 2016

by RedRiteUK with No Comment Articles Blogs

Email marketing can be an attention grabbing marketing tool – but only when done right!

There are so many different avenues in which to engage with your consumers and potential consumers, with the changing times however things such as newspaper ads and billboards are not as effective as receiving an email directly in to their inbox, setting of a notification alert on their mobile phone.

First step is to collect your email lists. Be careful though, many countries have laws on how you obtain your email lists, so only add those that have given you permission to add them – some email marketing companies actually ban you from emailing if these rules are broken. Current or past customer who have provided their details previously are ok to add. A sign up form on your social media profile and website can help you gather new subscribers and detailed information from them such as their business name or their gender (for gender related products). Once you have your lists in place you can start creating your email templates.

Something eye catching yet readable on desktop screens, mobiles and tablet will get more opens than those that are only readable on desktops. Basic, clean layouts make it easier for the content to be read, and keeping the content to a minimum is something to consider. You can link to an article or your website for them to read further. Many people do not spend too long reading emails unless work related and necessary, therefore the point of the content needs to be direct and contain a strong call to action. The use of bold writing and design to highlight important information or links. Short paragraphs no more than 3-4 sentences and focused on one idea while persuasive and using the right tone of voice for your customers.

By law all marketing emails must contain in the footer a contact address for yourself, an unsubscribe or change of subscription settings or update their contact information.

Set out a regular schedule for the emails to go out, with flexibility for special events, commercial events and to adapt the schedule for the most popular opening times – this can be found using the statistics provided by your email marketing provider. Too many emails can annoy the receiver and end up with them unsubscribing, the wrong

So now you have an idea how to get started, why not give it a try! If you struggle or run out of time to dedicate to designing email templates and creating content to fill them then give RedRite a shout. We can assist you with getting your name out there and your customers engaged.

Contracts, RedRite, Leeds, Virtual Assistant

The importance of Contracts!

17th June 2016

by RedRiteUK with No Comment Articles Blogs

Contracts – what can seem a pain to put together can save you time and money in the future.

Recently RedRite have had a handful of our associates and colleagues ask about our stance on contracts and the importance they hold for small businesses, particularly ones who provide a service. We believe that no terms of service should start without a sign agreement and Terms & Conditions – Personally we require all clients to sign a ‘Sign Up’ sheet accompanied with the Terms and Conditions before we will do any work for them. This way we are protected in case they choose not to pay and the client is protected if we do not provide the work promised.

I cannot count the number of times someone has said to me ‘So-and-So client has not paid and now won’t return calls or emails. I am now out of x-amount of money’ when asked if they had a contract the typical answer is no! They fear that they have no standing in court because of this lack of a contract, however this is not necessarily true but matters are easier if there is a contract in place.

Why is a contract important?

Contracts provide a written document that outlines the full understanding of the business relationship and scope of the work so that no one can claim any misunderstandings later down the road. Contracts can minimise the risk involved in business and are legally enforceable. They should stipulate how and when you get paid, what needs to trigger that payment, and what recourses you have if the client stiffs you.

On our contract we do not stipulate exactly which service is being provided as we offer a variety of Virtual Assistant services and our clients’ needs are constantly changing, however this is a personal choice and your contracts can be written how you feel comfortable. We do provide all clients with an email that covers what services they are initially interested in as well as the cost for this in which they then must accept. If at any time they choose to change their services in any shape then we will again follow this up with an email requesting acceptance of the services. Their responding acceptance of the emails are then filed with the contracts for future reference in case a client ‘forgets’ what it is they agreed to.

What should a contract include?

A typical contract requires both party’s names, contact addresses and numbers – we include email addresses as well – and the starting date. An ending date is not necessarily needed unless there is a time frame on the period in which the services will be provided. If you wish to specify exactly which services the contract covers then they need to be clearly stated also. A copy of a legally correct Terms and Conditions must accompany it so the client is aware of exactly what they are agreeing to. You do not need a lawyer to write up Terms and Conditions, many versions are available online as long as they apply to your business and the different clauses do not contradict each other (this can make a contract invalid). If there is some terms you and the client agree on outside of your standard contract these need to be included as well and initialled by both parties.

If you are handling customer data there must be a Data Protection clause included (You can register with the Information Commissioners Office to provide additional confidence within your business – As long as you abide by the laws). We highly stress including a termination clause as well which will include any notice periods, termination fees and anything else that you would like to happen when a client or yourself choose to terminate the contract – this is something you do not realise is necessary until too late.

RedRite

Posts tagged: Business

Time – The one thing your business needs!

The top tip you can learn for your business comes from a single drop of water!

Time block your way to a work/life balance

Time block can be an effective business practice that helps obtain that work/life balance we are all searching for.

Why time block?

What if something unexpected happens?

How do you get started?

Still too much to do and not enough time?

Record keeping – why it is important

Record keeping is a vital task for any business but why?

Email Marketing – Top tips to be successful

Email marketing can be an attention grabbing marketing tool – but only when done right!

The importance of Contracts!

Contracts – what can seem a pain to put together can save you time and money in the future.

Why is a contract important?

What should a contract include?

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