Facebook Etiquette, RedRite, Leeds, Virtual Assistant

Top tips of Facebook Etiquette of Business

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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

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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

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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.

Research, importance of research, RedRite, Virtual Assistant, Leeds

Research – How important is it?

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Research seems to have filled every spare moment this April, but how important is it?

What a busy start to the month I have had so far, with Easter holidays, birthdays and plenty of interest from people I feel like the year may have finally truly begun for RedRite and hope the shower of interest this April will help my business bloom like the flowers of May.

One of the biggest services I have had an interest in this month is research. I have had clients who are looking to expand their connections and need help researching suitable individuals and businesses to contact. Clients who are interested in a particular app but want the full story and alternatives before making the final decision, and clients who need a little help coming up with blog content. All different types of research but each just as important as each other to the recipients.

According to Wikipedia “Research comprises creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of humans, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications. It is used to establish or confirm facts, reaffirm the results of previous work, solve new or existing problems…”

Research can come in a variety of forms, even watching the evening news can alert you to so much information that you can put to use, or converse with others about and expand your knowledge more. With so many access points to use when researching the amount of content out there is phenomenal, and finding what is relevant to you and what is not can be a tricky task. In my recent University studies I have been looking at information management and it is intriguing how the theories taught in the book can give insight to the way we research.

Every action of research starts with the need to obtain knowledge and to find it first a person needs to investigate the data available to them. For example you want to obtain knowledge regarding new technologies for your business. You can do a Google search for new technologies and those results are your data. This data then becomes what is known as capta (the process of Capturing Data) when you go ahead and click on several of the search results to investigate further. The data provided on each of those web pages are turned in to information because you are taking on board the data in front of you, making an opinion regarding it and placing in to context – the use the technology may have for your business. Once the information is applied in theory to its possible impact on your business you then hold the knowledge of new technologies for your business.

Research can be a time consuming aspect of everyday life in a business and sometimes not everyone has the additional time it takes to find the information they need to make an informed decision. Many apps and businesses obtain business purely because they are suggested to them or they happen to catch a fancy looking advert, when in reality there could be something far more suited to their needs out there. Unfortunately freedom of time makes the decision for a business owner in these situations rather than financial aspects or easier usability aspects and in the long term may end up costing the business more time and money.

Save a few quid by hiring someone to do the research for you. All it will take is to read over a well-structured document listing pros and cons of each app, the ease in which each app would fit with your company and any other information you require. We at RedRite would be more than happy to help.

Government budget 2016, RedRite, Leeds

Government released Budget 2016. How does it affect you?

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Last week saw the new Budget announced by the government and with it comes a lot of changes that could seriously benefit people with in business.

No matter what industry you are, employees or just you, the changes could mean a big difference with such things as tax changes, threshold increases and even the end of Class 2 National Insurance contributions. We have looked through the Budget and picked a few of, what we feel are, the most imperative changes to small businesses.

Lower Taxes for working people

  • The Government have chosen to increase the current personal allowance to £12,500 and the higher rate threshold to £50,000 by the end of this parliament. Starting with increasing the personal allowance in 2017-2018 to £11,500, higher rate to £43,000 by April this year and then £45,000 by 2017-18.
  • This means that the average employee on National Minimum Wage working 30 hours a week will not have to pay income tax in 2017-18 and there will be 585,000 fewer higher rate tax payers since the start of this parliament.

Soft drinks levy to benefit schools PE curriculum

  • An unusual one in relation to business but the government plan to introduce a levy on soft drink producers and importers, the funds raised will then be distributed in to the school system by providing up to £320 million per year from 2017 to help schools support healthier and more active lifestyles. Up to £285 million a year provided to 25% of secondary schools to increase the school day in order to include a wider range of activities including more sport. Finally £10 million per year to expand breakfast clubs in up to 1,600 schools starting September 2017 to ensure pupils are receiving a nutritious breakfast. If you happen to run sports programmes or wrap around care for schools this may be of interest to you, offering you an added avenue in which to market your services.

Apprenticeships

  • The government announced in the Autumn Budget 2015 an introduction of an apprenticeship levy. This has once again been mentioned in the Budget 2016, with employers receiving a 10% top up of their monthly levy contributions in England which will be available for them to spend on apprenticeships training through their digital account. Further details on the operating model will be realised in April with details on the funding rates published in June.

Employment Reforms

  • The government are seeking advice from an external independent stakeholder group and will offer new peer and specialist support for those suffering from mental health conditions and young disabled people to help them get in to work. A White Paper will be issued later this year with more details on the roles to be played by Health, care and welfare sectors in this reform.
  • Although there has been increase in women returning to work after having children there is still 90% of women who haven’t due to caring for family or children and 1 million who want to work but cannot due to these situations. The government intend to launch a consultation in May 2016 on how to implement its commitment to extend Shared Parental Leave and Pay to working grandparents, with hopes to streamline the system and simplify the eligibility requirements, with intentions of using digital technology.
  • From Early 2017, the government will introduce Tax-Free Childcare to help working parents with the cost of childcare. Allowing more parents the ability to go back to work when they are ready and increase the number of hours they can possibly work. It will be rolled out with younger children enrolled in to the scheme first with all eligible parents brought in by the end of 2017. This will sit alongside the existing scheme Employer-Supported Childcare until it closes in April 2018 to support the transition between the schemes. It will also sit alongside the doubling the childcare entitlement from 15 – 30 hours for working families with 3 and 4 year olds from September 2017.

High wage Society

  • The mandatory National Living Wage will come in to effect 1 April 2016 at £7.20 for workers aged 25 and above. There are hopes that the National Living Wage of 60% of median earnings will reach around £9 in 2020.
  • The National Minimum Wage for 21 to 24 year olds will be £6.95 from October 2016. Other rates will increase accordingly

Goverment Budget

Tax System changes

  • The government are hoping for lower taxes for everyone by aligning tax treatments and imbalances.
  • Up until now employer-provided benefits are taxed more favourably than cash salaries and the self-employed pay lower taxes. The measures in Budget 2016 will aim to treat different forms of income in a similar way to fund a fairer more sustainable tax system for everyone.
  • The Government is considering limiting the range of benefits that attract income tax and NICs advantages when provided as part of a salary sacrificing scheme. However pension saving, childcare and healthcare benefits will continue to benefit from relief when provided through salary sacrifice arrangements.

These are just some of the changes proposed for working people. Come back next week when we have a look at the changes the government hope to implement to support businesses, enterprises and the self-employed.

For more help understanding what these budget changes could mean for you and your business, or want tips on how to take advantage of them please get in touch with us by clicking here.