Do you work in an organisation where multiple people are responsible for updating website content?

When was the last time your website underwent a full content audit?

Creating and maintaining a website maintenance schedule is one of the most effective ways to keep your website accurate, relevant, and performing well in search results. Yet it’s a task that is often overlooked, especially in organisations with multiple stakeholders.

Why a Website Maintenance Schedule Is Important

Several years ago, I worked on a website enhancement project that involved coordinating with multiple departments and key stakeholders who each owned different sections of the organisation’s internal website (intranet). It was the first time a formal website audit had been conducted.

The process required allocating content owners, reviewing current information an identifying information that was missing, and documenting feature enhancements stakeholders wanted to see, such as an advanced search tool. This project highlighted the importance of having a clear, documented website maintenance process in place.

Without a maintenance schedule, websites quickly become outdated, inconsistent, and harder to manage, which can negatively impact user experience and SEO.

What to Include in a Website Maintenance Schedule

A website maintenance schedule doesn’t need to be complicated, but it should be structured and consistently followed. Key elements to include are:

Content name and location

Record the name of each webpage, document, or asset that needs reviewing. Include the URL or breadcrumb trail so reviewers can easily locate the content.

Review frequency

Define how often each piece of content should be reviewed, such as monthly, quarterly, or annually. Record the review date and schedule the next review to ensure content updates don’t fall behind.

Content ownership and accountability

Identify the department or subject matter expert responsible for each item of content. This may include website copy, images, videos, maps, data, or PDF documents.

The content owner is accountable for ensuring accuracy and relevance. If they are not responsible for making website updates directly, include a due date for when updated content must be provided to the content author or website administrator.

For larger organisations, some content may have multiple owners. In these cases, allow sufficient time for collaborative review and sign-off.

Approval and governance process

Including an approval step helps ensure content meets internal standards, compliance requirements, and brand guidelines. This can be as simple as a name and date confirming the review has been completed.

Issues and improvement notes

On a separate page, include space for notes where content owners can document broken links, outdated information, missing content, accessibility issues, or content that appears in the wrong section of the website. Tracking issues in one place makes prioritisation easier.

Additional Website Maintenance Tips

As part of your ongoing website strategy, it’s also helpful to:

• Keep a register of feature requests and content updates suggested by staff or customers

• Regularly review downloadable files such as PDFs, forms, and guides, as these are often overlooked

• Monitor technical maintenance tasks such as plugin updates, security patches, backups, and form testing

• Check accessibility, usability, analytics and mobile performance as part of each review cycle

When working with multiple stakeholders, especially on websites supported by divisional funding, analytics reporting can be invaluable. Sharing data on page views, downloads, and user behaviour helps decision-makers determine whether content should be updated, consolidated, or removed altogether.

Conducting an online survey with internal stakeholders is also helpful in pinpointing what is working or not working with the website, and what enhancements may be required for future roll-outs.

Website Maintenance and SEO

Regular website audits and content reviews play a critical role in SEO. Search engines prioritise websites that are current, accurate, and well maintained. Outdated content, broken links, and duplicated information can all negatively affect search visibility.

A structured website maintenance schedule helps ensure your site continues to support your business goals while remaining search-engine friendly.

Conclusion

Implementing a website maintenance schedule creates clarity, accountability, and consistency across your website. It supports better user experience, stronger SEO performance, and more effective collaboration between stakeholders.

Whether you manage a small business website or a large organisational platform, regular website audits and scheduled content reviews are essential for keeping your website relevant, trustworthy, and performing at its best.

Do you need help with reviewing your website content or setting up a website maintenance schedule? Talk to JAM about conducting a website audit.

So you’ve decided to set up a WordPress website. Now it’s time to choose a hosting provider to keep your site running fast, smooth and secure.

Choosing the right host may seem overwhelming, but understanding the basics can save you time, money, and frustration.

In this post, I share details on how to choose the right hosting provider based on your needs!

Who to Choose?

You may have heard of hosting companies such as VentraIP, Panthur, GoDaddy, SiteGround, WP Engine and Crazy Domains, to name a few.

Finding a reliable host provider is key to ensuring your website and customers are both looked after, and with the right plan it makes it easy for you to manage your website, and grow your business.

Key Features To Look For

COST VS RELIABILITY

Are you choosing based on price alone, or would you prefer a reputable provider with better speed, 24/7 support and security?

SERVER LOCATION

Are their servers based in Australia or overseas? Local servers can offer faster loading times for Australian visitors.

HOSTING TYPE

What kind of hosting do they offer—is it shared hosting, managed WordPress hosting, VPS or dedicated servers?

• Shared hosting – budget-friendly, good for new sites

• Managed WordPress hosting – automatic updates, security, faster

• VPS hosting – more power for growing businesses

• Dedicated hosting – only for large/high-traffic sites

Some plans include features specifically optimised for WordPress and for eCommerce stores using WooCommerce.

DOMAIN NAME & BUSINESS EMAIL

Do they offer packages that bundle hosting, email and domain names?

SECURITY FEATURES

Is an SSL certificate included? What about backups, malware scanning or firewall protection?

PERFORMANCE

Check whether the host uses modern technology such as SSD storage, built-in caching, or a CDN for faster load times.

UPTIME GUARANTEE

Most good providers offer 99.9% uptime or higher. This ensures your site stays online consistently.

Other Features to Consider:

• Performance – SSD storage, caching, and CDNs improve speed.

• SSL Certificate – SSL is a security protocol that encrypts data between a web browser and web server. This is essential for security, especially if you own an eCommerce store or intend to collect financial or private information from customers and SEO.

• Security – Daily backups, malware scanning, firewalls, and brute-force protection.

• Staging site – A staging site is a duplicate of your website and is used for development and testing purposes. It allows the developer to test plugins, check how your website will look and perform, and helps catch any errors before your website is published.

• 24/7 tech support – do they offer 24/7 customer service, whether it’s by Online Chat, Help directory, Tickets, or Phone and Email, having technical support is essential if you are doing it on your own and have issues with your website.

• Scalability – Can you upgrade your plan as your business grows?

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Choosing the cheapest plan without checking the inclusions

• Ignoring storage or bandwidth limits (some plans may charge to upgrade storage)

• Assuming all plans include email or SSL

• Not verifying if plans include backup or tech support

• Choosing overseas servers for an Australia focussed audience

Comparing Popular Australian Web Host Providers

• VentraIP – Australian-based, good performance and support.

• Panthur – Budget-friendly, local support, simple plans.

• GoDaddy – International provider, large network of support centres.

• Crazy Domains – Affordable plans, overseas Customer Service, some features may require upgrades.

• SiteGround or Cloudways – Great for managed WordPress hosting, with strong performance.

Always check what features are included in the plan and read customer reviews to gauge reliability and support quality.

Before signing up…

Take your time comparing the different hosting providers and reviewing the inclusions and technical specifications to ensure the plan will support your website’s needs before signing up for a plan.

Remember, reliability, speed, security, and support are just as important as price.

Finally, read through the host’s customer reviews to get a feel for their support quality. If there are consistent negative experiences, you may want to look elsewhere.

Some hosting companies have customer service teams based overseas, which can be a challenge with time zones, or if you prefer to speak with someone familiar with the local market.

The right hosting setup will make managing your website easier, allowing you to focus on growing your business.

If you are feeling stuck in setting up your website, give us a call on 0452 393094 or email us about tech support. Or if you require help with website creation, be sure to book a free 15-minute discovery call with us.

Being a solo business owner can be tiring, especially when you are wearing various hats and doing all the things.

There is the promotion, onboarding of new clients, learning new systems, invoicing, attending meetings, networking, completing tasks and so on.

If you are juggling family commitments, looking after sick kids, driving kids to extracurricular activities, entertaining kids over the school holidays, attending appointments or taking care of ageing parents, as well as being committed to helping your clients, you may feel overwhelmed, stressed or worried that something is going to drop.

If you are not careful, you will find yourself on the road to burnout.

Does this sound like you?

• You find it hard to concentrate on your business

• Simple tasks might take longer to complete

• Your attention to detail may not be where it’s usually at, and you find yourself making errors

• You have lost your joy for your business, and wonder why you feel unmotivated and can’t get anything done.

These are telltale signs of burnout and exhaustion. Working yourself to the point where you're exhausted at the end of the day isn't productive and can lead to health problems over time if you keep burning the candle at both ends.

Here’s the truth: you don’t have to do everything yourself.

How outsourcing can be beneficial to you

By outsourcing the tasks that overwhelm you, you can focus on what you do best and love most.

You will be able to manage your responsibilities more effectively and free up time in your diary, allowing you time to explore new ideas, spend quality moments with your loved ones, or simply enjoy a well-earned break.

Some other benefits include:

• Reduce stress and feelings of overwhelm from juggling multiple tasks

• Ease your frustration by letting someone else deal with tasks you don't enjoy

• Improve your efficiency and productivity by outsourcing repetitive and mundane tasks

• Most tasks nowadays can be done remotely, so you don't need to provide office space, equipment or resources

• More time to grow your profile and focus on your business,

How outsourcing tasks outside your zone of genius helps you save time & money

Maybe you know outsourcing would help, but letting go of control is hard.

By outsourcing tasks that are outside your genius zone, you can free up time for yourself and be more productive.

For example, let’s say you had to build your own WordPress website, which involved working out the web content, finding suitable images, uploading items to your store, creating blog posts, and then ensuring your website is designed for mobile responsiveness and optimised for SEO you do all the necessary bits to get it seen on search engines and published! All while you are servicing clients or promoting your business.

Imagine the hours it would have taken you to build a website, and what it means in terms of earnings and potential clients.

When you are working on tasks outside your genius zone, you are not only spending more time trying to get the task done, but you are also stopping yourself from earning, which is costing you money.

If you hired a specialist, you would be able to focus on your business while they build your website far more quickly than you could get it done, saving you money. See the difference?

What is stopping you from outsourcing?

Do any of these statements ring true for you?

• “No one can do it as well as I can”

• “I’m worried that the contractor isn’t as experienced in a skill as they say they are”

• “I don’t have time to train someone”

• “Hiring a contractor is expensive”

• “I didn’t realise that this type of task can be done virtually”

Like any small business owner, you may have a certain way of completing a task, or you fear that the contractor who takes over is less experienced or doesn’t have the skills to complete the task, making more work for you!

These are reasonable worries and can be best answered by having a discovery call with the contractor. Discuss your worries and ask about their experience. If there’s a task you need assistance with, check if it’s something they can assist you with. Most digital marketing and business tasks can be easily done online.

If you want someone to follow a process or procedure that you have in place, it’s best to provide them with as much information, including any written procedures or processes that you have, as possible, so there is less time spent on training them.

If the person you hire specialises in a specific skillset or niche (e.g. Canva, Social Media Support or WordPress), they may have a more efficient way of completing a task than you do. Unless it’s an industry-specific program that’s not widely available, or a service they don’t provide, most contractors will be happy to upskill in a new program without charging you for their ‘learning’ time.

If you are unsure of whether they are suitable to do a job, check out their website or socials for testimonials or Google reviews to check what other clients have thought of them. Take a look at their portfolio to see if they show examples of their work. Also, ask questions to check their knowledge and experience.

A niche contractor may charge a premium for the service they offer; however, if they are experienced, skilled, reliable and professional in getting the job done, not only will they help you save time, you will find yourself an invaluable virtual member for your team!

Want to know more about how outsourcing can help you?

What’s your Business Balance Style?

Are you the Solo Juggler, the Creative Dreamer, the Balanced Builder or the Strategic CEO? Take our free quiz to discover your unique business balance style and find personalised tips on how to make more time for the things you actually love doing!

Recently, Meta suspended my Facebook Business page. The message I received on my business page, was that I was impersonating a brand which was against the Community Standards…I am the voice of my brand so now wonder if my account was hacked. I had not been given the option of appealing the decision and it’s been impossible to contact Meta for support.

The content I share on Facebook is also shared to my other platforms including Instagram which I would normally schedule via Meta Business Suite, which I can no longer use to schedule, edit or duplicate posts for Instagram which is infuriating, to say the least.

While Facebook isn’t the only social media platform that I use, I find Facebook is the platform I receive the most engagement from, so I haven’t given up on gaining access to my page, as it would be a shame to lose 7 years’ worth of content, my reviews, followers etc.

Relying on one basket alone, you risk losing everything

This whole experience has made me think that you shouldn’t keep all your ‘social media eggs’ in one basket!

If you don’t have a website or Google Business Profile and use a social media platform solely for promoting your business, you are at risk of losing access to your content and the ability to publish content. While the content is yours, if it’s on someone else’s platform, and if they were to shut it down tomorrow, you would lose everything!

You would then see the following knock-on effect:

1. People who follow you won't be able to view your content

2. Potential customers won’t be able to message you or see your page

3. You won't be able to create paid advertising campaigns

4. You will have to rethink your whole social media strategy, spending time and possibly money.

Protecting your content by setting up backups and alternative platforms

To avoid any of this from happening it’s worth thinking of some backups you can put in place, starting with:

• Keep a copy of all your social media content that you are planning to schedule in Excel, Google Sheets or a Word document, so you have a copy that's easy for you to access.

• Research social media scheduling programs and set one up as a backup. Scheduling programs such as Planable offer a free basic plan to get you started.

• Build a website for your business, this way you own the website and the content. Even if you think your business 'doesn't need a website'. A website need not be expensive, you can start by setting up a 1-page website on Canva. There are other free options available if you don't have the budget for a sparkly new website.

• Grow your email marketing database and send regular newsletters. Start by collecting email addresses from clients, associates or people you've met at networking events. Then keep them up-to-date with the goings on of your business, and share your business tips, blog posts, advice and other information they may find useful.

• Look at alternative ways of advertising your business. This could be advertising on free online directories (ie. Yellow Pages), Google Business Profile, joining industry-specific networks or a local business chamber of commerce, networking groups etc.

• Back up content - whether content is published on your website or social media profiles, make sure you keep a backup of any recent content, storing it to the cloud or an external harddrive.

It’s important to remember that while social media platforms are valuable tools for promoting your business and engaging with your audience, they are ultimately owned and controlled by third parties. By diversifying your online presence and safeguarding your content, you can reduce the risk of disruptions to your business operations.

Whether it's backing up your content, building a website, or establishing alternative ways to connect with your audience, these proactive steps can help ensure that your hard work and digital presence remain secure.

Don’t wait until a crisis hits—start building a more resilient online strategy today!

Do you need help with your digital marketing? Get in touch today for a free 15-minute discovery call.

A couple of years ago I wrote a blog article on what it’s like Working with a Web Developer and explained the website lifecycle, and what is involved the different stages of building a website from concept through to completion.

In this blog article, I thought I would explain some frequently used terms you might hear when talking to a web developer, share my thoughts on scope creep and how to avoid it, plus things you should know before hiring a web developer.

Frequently Used Technical Terms

When dealing with a web developer you may hear them say terms such as Host, SEO, Meta data, CSS or Plugin etc. If you’re not a techy person, it may take you a while to understand what these terms mean.

Here is a list of some frequently used terms:

Accessibility – An accessible website can be used by everyone, including people with disabilities. This means designing in a way that helps those using screen readers and other assistive technologies.

Backend - Refers to the back part of a website or application (Squarespace, WordPress etc) that handles everything behind the scenes, i.e. servers, databases, SEO, plugins, backups etc.

Backup – A copy of your website's files and data that is saved separately from the original. This is done to protect against data loss, so if something goes wrong (like a server crash or accidental deletion), you can restore your site from the backup.

Builders – A page builder is designed for users who want to build their website by dragging and dropping content on to a webpage. Examples of some builders include: Elementor Pro, Divi, WPBakery, and Beaver Builder which are drag and drop visual page builders that can be installed onto a WordPress website. Webpage creation is usually done on the front end of their website (everything a user sees), so they can visually see what it will look like.

Cache - All web browsers store a copy of the web data locally. If you’ve made substantial updates to your website, i.e. uploading large images, it’s a good idea to clear your website’s cache memory, and browser cache so it shows the most up-to-date content.

Child Theme – Is a separate theme that can inherit the looks of a Parent Theme or be created by a developer to modify or add to the design and features without changing the original Parent Theme.

CPanel - A control panel is provided by web hosting services to let you manage your website, emails, and databases through an easy-to-use interface.

CSS - CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets, which is web code used to format HTML web pages. Some web developers may customise a website by creating custom stylesheets.

Front end – The front end is what a user sees or interacts with when they visit a website. Here they can click links, buttons, complete a form, browse through a website, click navigation menus, conduct a search etc.

Functionality – On your website you may want to add certain functionality through plugins or by purchasing a premium theme i.e. display a pop-up, display social media buttons, play an embedded video, image slider etc.

Host - A web host is a service (ie. GoDaddy, Crazy Domains, Panthur etc) that stores your website’s files and makes them accessible on the internet. It's like renting space on the internet for your website.

Javascript - Is a programming language used to make websites interactive. It allows you to create features like animations, forms that update in real-time, and more.

Keywords - Words or phrases that people type into search engines. Websites use these keywords to help them show up in search results when someone is looking for something related.

Metadata - On a website, metadata might include details about a webpage, like its title and page description, which can help search engines understand and rank the page.

Mobile Responsive - A design approach that ensures a website looks and works well on various devices, like smartphones, tablets, and desktops.

Navigation Menus – Navigation menus control the page navigation usually located at the top of a website. Some websites may contain dual-navigation, meaning, they may have a main navigation at the top, and a second navigation at the bottom. Responsive websites, usually have a ‘Hamburger style menu’, which consists of a 3 lined icon set on the top-right or top-left corner of a website.

Page Speed - How quickly a webpage loads and becomes usable. Faster-loading pages provide a better user experience and can also help with search engine rankings.

PHP - PHP Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) is a widely-used, open-source scripting language where PHP scripts are executed on the server. PHP can be used to generate dynamic page content, collect form data, modify data in your database, send and receive cookies just to name a few.

Popup - A small window that appears suddenly on top of the main content of a website. It can be used for various purposes, like displaying collecting email addresses.

Platform – WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace, Showit, Wix, Weebly are examples of different website platforms that you can use to build yourself a website.

SEO – SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of improving a website to make it more visible and rank higher in search engine results, like Google. This involves optimising content, keywords, and other elements.

SSL Certificate - A Secure Sockets Layer certificate is a security technology that encrypts the data sent between a user's browser and the website, helping keep information like passwords and credit card numbers safe.

Templates – Templates are used with platforms such as Squarespace, Wix, Showit and Weebly. Most templates will be customisable, and can be responsive so content can be displayed on different types of devices. Similarly to a theme, you can purchase premium templates.

Themes – Themes are used with platforms such as WordPress and Shopify. You can find free and premium (paid) themes, which have been designed with certain features and functionality in mind. For example, if you want an eCommerce store on Shopify, you may purchase a theme that is specific to the type of product that you wish to sell, e.g. Women’s Fashion.

Plugins - These are like add-ons or extensions you can install on to your website, that add features or functions. For example, if you need to add a business directory to a WordPress website, you might find a suitable free plugin that provides a basic business directory, and a Premium version which has additional features such as customisation, location setting, individual customer logins etc.

How to Avoid Scope Creep

What is scope creep?

Scope creep happens when a project starts to include more features, changes, or tasks than what was described in the initial brief. I find it’s when a client doesn't fully understand what they want, they will often make numerous revisions or want to add extra functionality and content at a later date in the project which exceeds the quoted amount.

For example, if you initially planned a website with just a homepage and a contact page, but then start adding extra pages, complex features, and design changes that weren’t in the original quote, that’s scope creep. It can lead to delays, increased costs, and can make the project harder to manage depending on the requirements.

I find it imperative to have clear communication and regular updates with a client throughout all stages of a project. During the planning meeting, I will walk the client through the details of the brief to make sure all requirements are met. This includes covering off functionality, the look & feel of the site, working out what content they need to supply to me, and then going over the timeframe and the deliverables.

By including your client in the whole process, and having them provide content at the beginning, will hopefully avoid scope creep and any delays.

Know what you want before hiring a web developer

Before you engage a web developer, you should spend time working out what sort of features and functions you would like on your website. You need to know what it is that you like. You may have seen a competitor’s website that you like the design of, or a feature that you would like on your website. As well as what you want so you can provide a detailed brief to your web developer.

If you don’t know the name of a plugin or a feature, that’s fine, but it’s ideal if you have done a little research and can provide a screenshot or document some of the different features you would like included on your website. This will save time in the long run, and help the developer understand what you want.

Things for you to think about:

• Do you require any special plugins or features? Features might include: A contact form, newsletter popup, online directory, photo gallery, online store, blog, etc.

• What type of website do you require? – Is it an eCommerce, Portfolio, or Service-based website?

• What is the lifespan of the website? – Will the website be a temporary site for a special event, product launch, or a side-hustle where you have limited funds and want the cheapest option.

• What sort of budget do you have? What you need to know is that a custom-built eCommerce website on Shopify or WordPress may cost more than a website built on Squarespace or Wix.

• Do you need specific CSS code, templates, plugins or accessibility requirements?

• If it’s a website redesign, will you be reusing existing content or replacing it with new content.

Remember, any time worked on a website equals time that is charged. So by knowing what you want at the beginning will help you keep to the deadlines and avoid scope creep!

Read more about JAM’s Website Creation or Website & Blog Management services. If you have any questions relating to your website contact Julie either by phone 0452 393094 or email.

If you’re a micro-small business owner, you may not have a budget to employ a team member who can help with admin and marketing tasks involved in running your business.

If you are already time-poor or feeling overwhelmed you may find yourself struggling to get things done and need to work on your business in the evenings or weekends.

Add on the pressure of juggling family and social commitments and not having time for yourself, you may find yourself becoming disinterested in your business, or worse burnt out.

It’s important to make the best use of the time in your work day and to look for ways of saving time which in the end will help you stay productive.

Whether that’s setting up systems, using time management apps or outsourcing tasks to a Virtual Assistant, all of these steps can help manage your time better.

Here are 8 tips to help you save time in your business

Don’t work when you are tired – This might seem like a no-brainer, but how many of us wake up tired and yet still log on to the computer in the hope of getting through the to-do list?

If you wake up feeling tired, you will find that you won’t be as productive as someone who has had a good night’s sleep.

It’s better to attend to your to-do list when you are feeling refreshed and can focus your attention on what you need to do. If you are tired, you may find yourself procrastinating more, or unable to focus on a task properly causing you to waste precious time.

Avoid distractions – Distractions can come in the form of social media notifications, messages, emails, small children as well as looking at your phone too much.

Some things you can try to avoid distractions include: diverting your phone to voicemail or aeroplane mode, leave responding to friend’s text messages and notifications when you are having a break.

While you may need to check socials for work, social media can become a ‘rabbit hole’ and you can easily get caught into watching a bunch of reels before realising you’ve wasted an hour or so of your time. So, avoid scrolling through your social media feed until you have finished all the important tasks off your to-do list.

If you are working from home with small children around, make use of the time they are quiet to get through tasks that require your undivided attention and focus.

Outsource tasks to a VA –If you are the type of business owner who likes to be hands-on in all aspects of the business you need to consider whether it’s making the best use of your time, especially if you are undertaking tasks that sit outside your genius zone.

While it’s important for you to be across all areas of your business by investing in expertise upfront, you reduce the need for micromanagement and ensure tasks are completed accurately and efficiently.

Time blocking – Time blocking can be a productive way of working on blocks of tasks. It will help stop procrastination and force you to focus on one set task rather than going from one task to another and making errors.

By identifying when you are most productive, it might be early morning before everyone gets out of bed, mid-morning, or in the evenings you can divide your day into various tasks (e.g Discovery calls, Bookkeeping, Social Media, Blog Writing, responding to emails/calls etc)

Think of time blocking as your accountability partner who forces you to work on a particular task. 😉

Time management tools – We all have heard the saying “time equals money”, so finding ways to be more efficient will help you save time. Whether you use a diary, planner, to-do list, post-it notes, or management app such as Asana. There are many tools that can help you manage your day-to-day tasks.

Online project management tools such as Asana are useful if you want to digitise planning. You can add tasks for a project then assign tasks to staff or other collaborators, set timeframes, as well as share emails, documents, images or links to content stored on Dropbox or Google Drive.

Some tools can even be integrated with Outlook and other apps you may use in your business, making it even more efficient.

Automations – Using automations is another time-saver especially when sending quotes, and invoices, scheduling appointments, responding to messages, scheduling social media or sending out your newsletter.

Some platforms allow you to set up automations. For example, with Meta Business Suite you can set automations for your Facebook Business Page including FAQs, Services, Business Hours etc. This allows you to continue conversations when you’re away from the office, and to streamline your workflows, which gives you more time to focus on your business.

Standard Operating Procedures & Training Videos - Developing a set of standard operating procedures for regular tasks allows any VA you hire to hit the ground running. If procedures are written clearly and indicate the steps that need to be taken in carrying out a particular task.

You may also want to think of creating short videos demonstrating how to complete a task. Especially if it’s using a platform that has been customised for your business, and not something a lot of people will be familiar with. Videos and SOPs can save you time in training a VA.

You could also record videos for staff to watch as part of their onboarding process. The videos might be about the business and its culture, details of any HR policies that may concern them, or other relevant information regarding their role.

Templates – Creating templates in your branding gives your marketing material a cohesive, professional look that over time will become recognisable by potential customers or clients.

Having master templates for your PowerPoint presentation, proposal, rates card, social media, case studies, reports, etc. allows you to quickly & easily create those pieces of content without having to create it from scratch.

You can create templates within programs such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Xero, and Canva.

Within the Canva Pro subscription, you can set up templates and a Brand Kit.

The Brand Kit can include all your assets, such as your signature font, colour palette, logos, icons, design elements, photos, and brand voice, and can be applied to all of your templates.

You can access your Brand Kit from one place within the Editor.

Need help with your Digital Marketing Support drop us an email or book a free 15-minute discovery call to see how JAM can support you.

Utilising AI platforms for generating content in your business is a great productivity hack. AI platforms such as Canva's Magic Write and ChatGPT are becoming extremely popular for small business owners who are short on time and need to generate content fast.

Since first publishing this blog in May 2023, Canva has made some enhancements to Magic Write.

You now have access to personalised tone adjustments. This means you can maintain your authentic voice while ensuring your message resonates with your audience. So whether it’s adding your Brand’s tone of voice, customising a personal voice or using Magic Write’s default voice, you get to choose.

Magic Write also offers real-time collaboration features, making it easier for to work with team members or clients. You can invite others to review and edit your documents, all in one seamless platform.

Plus, with advanced grammar and style suggestions, you can polish your writing to perfection without losing your unique flair.

What is Magic Write?

Magic Write is Canva’s AI text generator. Powered by OpenAI, the AI tool can help give your writing a kick-start!

In seconds it can help you write a first draft, generate lists, tips, outlines and more based on the text prompt you enter. It can even write you a poem or a song!

Magic Write is across the Virtual Suite in Canva.

This technology is available across all Canva plans, the only difference is users who have a free plan can perform up to 50 queries in total. Canva Pro, Teams and Non-for-profit have up to 500 queries per month. Magic Write is not available to Students in Canva for Education accounts.

How you can be more productive with AI tools?

Believe it or not, AI tools such as Magic Write can make you more productive!

To give you an example, in under 10 minutes I was able to come up with 14 different content ideas that can be used in social media posts, blog posts, email newsletters, downloadables etc.

To get started, I added several prompts on different topics, and AI did the rest! The AI has given me a head start on what to write about in my digital marketing and has saved me time.

10 minutes for 14 pieces of content is gold! 👌

If you have ever felt lost for words when thinking of a blog post topic or stuck on social media content ideas you will love using Canva's Magic Write! It's like having a virtual office buddy join you over coffee and help brainstorm ideas for your business! 🧠😁

Below are 3 examples of how you can use Magic Write.

1. Creating content

Let's say you need to create 6 motivational posts on gratitude for a client's social media feed.

By entering the prompt 'Share 6 quotes on Gratitude', in seconds Magic Write generates 6 quotes for you to use in your social media posts.

2. Help you come up with content ideas suited to your niche audience

You can also use Magic Write to help generate content ideas for your social media that’s targeted to your niche. By simply writing a detailed prompt of 'what you do' and 'how you help your business owners', along with 'the type of tasks you do'.

You can then ask Magic Write to help you come up with content prompts for your social media posts. Then watch as Magic Write generates ideas for your content calendar. 😊

Take a look at this example for a Wedding Stylist.

Magic Write has come up with a bunch of tips that can be easily developed into a blog post or separate social media posts!

Remember with these sort of prompts, the more specific you are with writing your prompt the better the result you will receive.

3. Can give you a head start on a blog post

If you write a regular blog post and are unsure where to get started. By typing in the prompt ‘Share a draft of a blog post on budgeting for a small business’, watch Magic Write draft up a blog post. The draft can then be expanded on and rewritten in your tone of voice.

Where to find Magic Write

Magic Write is available across the whole Canva platform or from the Canva Assistant button on the bottom right-hand corner of a page.

It supports up to 20 languages. You can see the supported languagues listed here.

How to use Magic Write

To get started try out Magic Write in a new Canva Docs. Open a document, then click on the + plus symbol and select the pencil icon 'Magic Write'. Enter a few words or a question and watch Magic Write generate an original copy from scratch.

Remember the more specific your request, the better the results will be!

3 tips to remember when using Magic Write

1. Tone of voice - Not all auto-generated content will contain your tone of voice, so make sure you tweak whatever content has been written for you.

2. Avoid copying and pasting - Don’t ever copy & paste the generated content word for word. Remember to put your own spin on what has been generated, edit the content so it's in your tone of voice (as mentioned above) and make the content work for you and your target audience!

3. Check it’s not published elsewhere - While AI technology is relatively new, plagiarism is not! The last thing you want to see is someone else having used the same generated content on their website or blog. It pays to run the copy through a free plagiarism website, before hitting publish on your post.

If you are after premium content, want to create professional-looking designs quickly and easily, and have access to a mobile responsive graphic design platform at an affordable price I’d recommend you give Canva Pro a try!

As someone who works from home, I try to make the most of this quiet time, by prioritising tasks that require concentration to be completed during school hours so I can get through the task quickly while there are minimal interruptions.

I also use several apps that help me save time, and prioritise my workload.

Here are the apps I currently use for my business

Toggl Track - is a time-tracking app that can be used via its website or as a Chrome Extension on your computer. I find it useful in keeping track of the different projects I am working on for clients. It lets me tag the task with the client's name, add a description of the task and include if it’s a project I'm working on.

I can also view how many hours I have worked on a particular task which is useful when invoicing. Toggl allows you to customise reports by either Team, Client, Project, Tag or Description, which can be downloaded as a PDF or CSV file. Further reporting and customisations can be made on the paid plan.

Slack - is an online messenger app, similar to Facebook messenger, which is accessible via an app or the Slack website. Slack allows you to talk to others in real-time, share information such as images, files, or links to web pages.

It's great if you are working simultaneously on a task with another team member, or you need to ask a question or chase up a task. Slack can also be used for voice & video calls. What I like is that I can usually talk to my client immediately (if they have slack notifications turned on) and I don't have to wait on a return email.

Asana - is a project management app that allows you to create, share and track tasks, set deadlines, and delegate work to staff members. Within Asana you can share information such as images, files, or links to content on websites.

It’s a good tool for keeping track of projects or monthly tasks. What I like is that I can tick off the tasks as I go, set deadlines as well as add comments on a task when I need the client to respond.

Zoom - is a video conferencing app that allows for one-on-one or group online meetings. This is great for anyone who works virtually and doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar office for the client to attend. I often use Zoom when I need to talk with a client regarding tasks I’m working on. I also have a Zoom session as part of my discovery call when onboarding new clients. This allows the client to ‘meet’ me, and discuss what tasks they'd like me to work on. Zoom can also record meetings, and schedule meetings in advance which comes in handy.

Dropbox - is a file hosting service that lets you store files on the cloud. By syncing files to the cloud, you save space on your hard drive and stop clogging up someone's inbox. With Dropbox, you can easily share access to your files with others and set it to synchronize your files to be backed up to the cloud. The free Dropbox (Basic) includes 2 GB of space.

For new website projects, I may create a folder in Dropbox which I’ll share with my client so they can save their images, files and other content that I need to access for creating their website.

It is a more convenient way to have content saved in one place and allows clients to update files to the folder whenever they need to.

Google Drive - is another file storage system that you can access with a Google Account. Within Google Drive you can create and share folders, create new Google Docs, Sheets, Forms, Slides etc, as well as access synced files from your computer from your Google Drive account. This is particularly handy if you don’t have your laptop, and need to access a file on your phone.

Each Google Account comes with 15 GB of storage, that is shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos.

Overall, these apps streamline workflows, enhance communication, and improve productivity, making it easier to manage client work efficiently.

Note, this post is in no way sponsored or paid for by any of the apps or platforms that I have mentioned here.

What are some of the apps you like using?

If you’re thinking of upgrading from the free version of Canva to Canva Pro, it’s probably because you want to access its premium content, brand kit, Team features, or the full suite of AI tools in Canva Magic Studio.

In this article, I share how Canva Pro can help small business owners become more productive, save time and money!

Save yourself time & money

As we all know TIME = MONEY, especially in today’s economic climate, where many business owners are feeling the pinch, and doing more of the backend business work themselves to save money.

So what if I told you that you could save yourself time by taking out a Canva Pro subscription?

With unlimited access to premium content, a bunch of powerful design tools mixed with some AI-powered magic, you can find yourself designing sleek, modern designs in no time as well as saving yourself time & money.

Let’s take a look at some of Canva Pro’s features and how they can work for you:

• Pre-designed templates – Canva Pro has over 100 million pre-designed templates for you to choose from. If you need to quickly pull together a Price Guide and don’t have the time to do something from scratch, you search for ‘Price Guide’ in Canva’s template library and in seconds a bunch of different price lists and guides will display.

• Brand Kit – Get quick access to your logo and brand elements by setting up your brand kit. Within the brand kit you can store your logo, colours, design elements, photographs, font types, brand voice, etc. Your brand kit can be accessed from any design, making it quick and easy to customise the design you are working on.

• Preset Styles – Unsure of the font or colour combination you should use in your design? Try out Canva’s preset styles accessible from the Template menu. Here you can select your brand style from the Brand Kit, choose one of the preset styles available, or choose a style from an uploaded photo.

• Save Templates – If you create a design that you want to use more than once, save it as a template. This is useful for social media content, flyers, or brochures you know you will want to use again. Save the design as a template, which will stop you from having to reinvent the wheel and save you time.

• Premium elements – Under the Elements tab you can find animated elements, stickers, arrows, frames, deep-etched images, social media icons, plus other design elements that will be certain to give your designs the wow factor!

• Canva Magic Studio - get full access to Canva’s powerful suite of AI tools. Canva Magic Suite contains over 20 AI tools for you to get creative with:
  
  For instance, you can:

  • get assistance with drafting content in your own brand voice with Magic Write,

  • resize social media designs in a flash with Magic Switch,

  • touch up, swap or remove elements from images using tools such as Magic Eraser, Magic Edit and Magic Grab.
    

• Canva App Marketplace – The Canva App Marketplace has over 200 apps developed by third-party developers and allow you to do things like add animations, remove backgrounds, generate portraits using AI, transform photos into stunning anime art, create dynamic QR codes, share your Canva designs directly to Publer, create charts, even create the perfect song using AI.

  With so many apps to choose from, you are sure to find something that will help you create the perfect design.
  

• Background remover tool - Canva Pro’s background remover tool can quickly remove backgrounds from photos and video.

• Photo, Video & Audio content library – If you need to create a reel with music or want to add a video to a presentation, check out the premium content found within the Photos, Audio, and Video tabs.

• Schedule Social Media - Imagine designing and scheduling social media posts all from the comfort of Canva Pro. Schedule up to 8 platforms directly using Canva Pro and save yourself time in downloading your images, then uploading them into another 3rd party scheduler.

• Use Presentations to create a branded presentation using Canva’s magic effects, animations and transitions. Presentations can also include video and be exported as a PowerPoint presentation.

• Work out your ideas with Whiteboards. Whether it’s working with your team to brainstorm ideas, to record a flowchart, discuss business processes, or to help a client with a marketing strategy. Whiteboards can be scribbled on, add virtual sticky notes too, and shared with other collaborators.

• Canva Docs - Create a beautiful document with Canva Docs. Whether it’s putting together a proposal, annual report, CV or project scope. If you aren’t good at designing, try out a pre-made template, then use Magic Write to help you write your first draft! Add photos, charts, video or other design elements to give it a professional look! 👌
  
  Content create in Canva Docs can also be converted into a Presentation within seconds, saving you time in copy & pasting into a presentation template

Make the most out of the features available in your subscription, will not only save yourself time but will start seeing the money you save $164.99 you paid for your Canva Pro subscription!

Save with Canva Pro

If you have created a design in the free version of Canva, you may have seen a crown symbol with the words PRO displayed above certain photos, videos or elements.

This symbol identifies premium content that is available either upon purchase or within Canva Pro.

When you are downloading a design that uses a premium image, you will be told that ‘Your design contains premium content’ and will be asked if you would like to try Canva Pro for free.

Here are some examples of how much you can save by having a Canva Pro subscription.

Example 1 - flyer

• Use of a pre-designed template

• x4 premium icons

• 1 x premium photo

Savings of $6.00

Example 2 – Instagram Reel with video & music

• Premium video

• Premium audio clip

Savings of $8.00

Example 3 – Seamless Instagram carousel

• Premium clipart

• Social Media icons

Savings of $8.00

With a Canva Pro subscription, you also get up to 1TB of cloud storage and 24/7 customer support.

If there two or more people in your business want to upgrade, try out Canva for Teams. Canva for Teams provides access to premium features, and teams will love the content management, collaboration, and approvals features.

Need help with your Canva Designs? Take a look at my Canva Design Support & Packages or if you require some one-on-one training book a session today!

In a recent discussion within a Web Designers Facebook group, a business owner faced the daunting task of adding hundreds of products to her client's ecommerce store. Seeking advice, the mutual response was to enlist the help of a Virtual Assistant (VA).

Without a doubt hiring a VA for time-consuming tasks like data entry can be a game-changer, especially when dealing with a substantial volume of products. However, a concerning trend persists among some business owners who lean towards the allure of low-cost VAs as an alternative to hiring experienced professionals.

While the temptation to opt for a cheap VA may seem like a cost-effective solution, it's crucial to consider whether the long-term benefits outweigh the initial savings.

Here's why investing in a VA with skills and experience can significantly impact your business positively.

1. Efficient Execution of Tasks

Selecting a VA solely based on low rates might save you money initially, but it often comes at the expense of efficiency. Inexperienced VAs may lack the necessary expertise to swiftly handle complex tasks, leading to additional time spent clarifying instructions and providing training. This negates the purpose of outsourcing to save time and may result in prolonged project timelines.

2. Value Addition to Your Business

Working with an experienced VA can add substantial value to your business. Unlike their budget counterparts, experienced VAs often bring a wealth of knowledge and skills acquired through years of dedicated work. Whether it's marketing, design, or any other niche area, these professionals can contribute valuable insights and ideas, elevating the quality of the work delivered.

3. Clear Communication and Reduced Oversight

Experienced VAs understand the complexities of the task, requiring minimal supervision and clarification. On the contrary, cheap VAs may lack the proficiency to comprehend tasks fully, leading to increased time spent on emails, training videos, or Zoom calls. By investing in expertise upfront, you reduce the need for micromanagement and ensure tasks are completed accurately and efficiently.

4. Cost versus Quality

While low-rate VAs may appear more cost-effective with rates ranging from AUD5.00 to AUD24.00* per hour, an experienced VA typically charge a minimum of AUD40.00+.

The difference in rates reflects the varying levels of service, skills, and experience offered by VAs.

In Australia, most VAs are seasoned business owners specialising in specific skillsets, who may be backed by a team.

^{*Based on the median hourly rate charged by offshore counterparts based in the Philippines and India.
+Average minimum rate of an Australian virtual assistant}

Before making a decision, it's essential to thoroughly research and assess potential VAs.

Consider the long-term benefits of working with an experienced professional who can not only complete tasks efficiently but also contribute to the growth and success of your business.

While cost-saving is important, investing in expertise is a strategic move that pays off in the form of quality work, enhanced productivity, and overall business success.

Are you looking for virtual support?

Start outsourcing those time-consuming tasks to JAM today. Not only will you free your business from a sticky situation, but it will also alleviate the stress and overwhelm of managing everything solo.

Get started with JAM in 3 easy steps:

1. Check out JAM’s services and packages to see how I can best support you!

2. Book a 15-minute discovery call or reach out to Julie by email

3. Request a quote or book in your service by completing the contact form

Running a small business can be overwhelming therefore it’s important that we find ways to keep ourselves calm, relaxed and stress-free so we can get through the workday without falling apart!

As a busy Mum of two and a small business owner, I find it important for my mental health to take regular breaks from my business. This helps me manage my stress, lets me relax and clears my head.

This year I added self-care to my work routine. After experiencing burn out and being unwell for part of last year, I didn't want to end up that way again. So I made the choice of putting self care at the top of my priority list.

While it may not be suitable for everyone to work part-time or change their operating hours or days, you need to find moments when you can step away from your business and spend quality time by yourself, with your loved ones or friends. Having a break will not only refresh you, but you’ll find yourself having more energy to get on with your work.

Here are my tips to help you find those moments in staying calm while running a business.

Setting boundaries

If you’re a sole business owner, it sometimes can be difficult to switch off your mind, that’s why I try whenever possible to limit the work I do on my business on the weekends.

The weekends are my downtime, it’s when I can do something just for me like a hobby I enjoy. It’s also for spending time unwinding with my family, catching up on housework or seeing friends and family.

What I also find important is to stick to my working hours and days of business. Unless there’s an important job I need to complete, I try to clock off by 5 pm at the latest. This lets me assist with cooking dinner, help my daughter’s with their homework or just catch up on what’s been happening with my husband and children.

Being flexible with your working days or hours

At beginning of this year, I made a decision to change the days I operate my business to 4 days a week. I chose Wednesdays as my ‘day off’ which sounds luxurious I know! While it may be a day-off for my business, Wednesdays usually involves chores, errands and other tasks that need to be done for family members or around the household.

Working for myself means I have the flexibility in choosing the days and hours I work and to make sure I take breaks when it's needed.

It’s having a day when I can take a longer lunch or visit my Mum and not worrying about a deadline or a work call I need to make.

TIP: Set up an Out of Office or Autoresponder in Outlook and Messenger with details of your operating hours and other useful information so your business can continue to tick along while you are away from the office.

Take a digital detox

When I’m on holidays, I find a digital detox from social media and business emails is crucial. Having a detox allows me to spend time being in the moment with my family making memories. The months go by fast enough as it is, so enjoying special moments together is non-negotiable!

If you are worried about being out of contact from your clients, set up an out of office message for your emails and a voicemail message on your phone.

Let your clients know in advance that you will be unavailable for the determined amount of time you are away or on a detox.

If you have someone who can be a backup while you are away, let your clients know that they will be handling urgent matters only and everything else will be responded to when you are back in the office.

Practice relaxation techniques

One way to instil calmness and to relieve stress is to practice deep breathing as noted by the Harvard Medical School. Focusing on your breath will help you clear your mind and distract you from whatever you have been worrying about. Once you have gotten yourself into a routine of focusing on your breath, you’ll feel more relaxed.

While you are breathing you might like to visualise a quiet scene or repeat a calming mantra (i.e. “I have control over how I feel, and I choose to feel at peace”) Here are some mantras that are to give an instant stress-relief!

Some other relaxation techniques which can help with relieving stress include; yoga, tai chi, qi gong, and mindfulness meditation.

Make time to be grateful

When I have experienced moments of stress and overwhelm, I have used gratitude to help me regain my focus. By focusing on people, places or things you are grateful for in your life can help you see what's important.

When I am feeling stressed, I can sometimes forget all the good things I have done! There can be times when you can focus too much on the negative, so I find redirecting my thoughts back to what I am feeling grateful for reminds me that not everything that happens is bad.

If you like to write, you can record your thoughts in a Gratitude journal, share your thoughts on a blog or write it down on a piece of paper.

Be in nature

Getting out into the fresh air always makes my family feel better, especially when there is a tired parent or child who has been cooped up in the house.

Taking a bushwalk in the mountains is a sure-fire way to boost our spirits, and helps us relax.

If bushwalking isn’t your thing, it could be spending time in the garden, taking the dog for a walk or enjoying a day at the beach.

Even a 15-minute break sitting outside sipping my cup of tea while listening to the birds can give me an instant pick-me-up!

Hobbies and Activities

Enjoying time spent on a hobby or activity not only gives you a much-needed break from your business, but lets you focus your mind on something enjoyable which makes you happier and more relaxed.

You might like to paint, spend time in the garden, bike ride, or play the piano any type of hobby that brings you joy, is a step to relieving any tension you may be feeling.

What do you do to unwind and relax from work?

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]]>How to stay calm while running a small businessBenefits of OutsourcingVirtual AssistanceJulie McKoneWed, 13 Sep 2023 03:19:00 +0000https://www.jambusinesssupportservices.com.au/blog/2019/12/17/how-australian-vas-compare59bcff193e00be51c2c65b0f:59ee8b08f9a61e4bf5c58d82:5df881aa10f0f54598c00176   

For over 20 years the Virtual Assistant industry has been operating in Australia. During this time the industry has become a competitive field with an increasing number of offshore virtual assistants becoming a popular option to Australian companies for their low rates.

In this article I share the difference between choosing an Australian VA to an Offshore VA, the type of services an Australian VA may provide and how an Australian VA works and charges.

What is a VA?

Never heard of the term VA or virtual assistant? Don’t let the term confuse you. A virtual assistant or VA is another term for a contractor or freelancer. While we work within the Virtual Assistant Industry or run a virtual assistant business, not all of us call ourselves a VA!

Most VAs tend to use different titles and will select one that best describes what they do, their business name, or they may decide to use something fun, like a Virtual Sidekick! 😄

Some titles that you may have heard of include:

• Digital Content Creator & Manager

• Online Business Support Manager

• Virtual Contractor

• Online Business Manager

• Virtual Business Assistant

• Virtual Marketing Assistant

• Online Business Contractor

• Freelancer or Contractor…

Just to name a few…while VAs might have a different name from each other, they all do the same type of work which is to provide virtual support.

The difference between an Australian VA and Offshore VA

In Australia, most VAs will have likely come from a highly skilled Corporate or Government background with extensive experience in a particular skillset or niche area.

They are business professionals, trading as sole traders or a company, who own a registered small business which they operate from either a home office or co-working space.

As a business owner, they are responsible for paying their own salary, superannuation, sick & annual leave, insurance, supplies, etc.

Australian VAs may provide a service to a client for a fixed price, hourly rate, pre-paid package or retainer contract. VAs work for a client and are not to be mistaken as an employee of the client.

Many offshore VAs work for outsourcing companies where they may provide general VA support for a low hourly rate, or can be found on freelancing websites such as Upwork or Fiverr, where clients post jobs and receive numerous applications from suitable freelancers.

Type of services offered by an Australian VA

Australian VAs may offer several services, or support clients who belong to a niche market i.e. Allied Health Support. There’s also VAs that offer a specific niche service, for example, website design.

You may even find virtual assistants who are all-rounders, providing varied services and packages, i.e. Graphic Design, Website Design, and Social Media Support (like me!). Whatever the service that is offered, you can be rest assured that the VA is well experienced in that skillset.

How an Australian VA charges

A highly-skilled Australian VA may charge a minimum of $40ph. These rates will vary depending on the service, skills and experience a VA has to offer.

As a small business owner, I know how important it is to find someone who can provide high-level support that's affordable and efficient. Like any tradesperson you would hire, you pay a VA for their expertise, advice, time and labour.

Australian VAs may not charge as low a rate as our offshore counterparts, however in Australia, we have a higher cost of living, so need to take into account business expenses such as internet usage, insurance, consumables, electricity, business subscriptions, co-working space charges, mobile phone usage, etc.

Depending on the type of services your VA offers, you may be charged an hourly fee, a set fee for a project, offered a retainer contract or customised package.

While the offshore VAs may appear cheaper, you need to consider potential issues such as response times due to different time zones, cultural differences, communication challenges, and potential production delays if outsourced to a company in another country.

You also need to ensure that an offshore VA is abiding by Australia's business laws, that they hold the appropriate insurances, training, and understand Australia's tax regulations and privacy laws.

Before you work with a VA, Australian or Offshore, make sure you consider your options including your budget, length of contract and what type of support you require.

Be prepared with a set of questions so you can find the best possible solution!

What you should know about hiring JAM as a VA:

• I work for a client for a fee and am not an employee of the client

• I understand the importance of delivering professional work that is on time and within budget

• I believe that mutual respect and good communication is key to a good working relationship with my clients. While I will keep you up-to-date on how a task is progressing, and discuss any feedback with you so the job is done correctly and can be delivered within your required timeframe and budget. I expect clients to provide timely responses to emails and feedback if we’re working on a project together especially when content needs to be finalised by a certain deadline.

• I possess Professional Indemnity and Public Liability insurance for the services I provide, and follow the Australian business rules, privacy laws & tax regulations.

• I bring an extensive skillset and knowledge in areas such as website content, design & development. While I will have knowledge of many things, I will not say that I can do a job if I can't. If I can’t complete a job for you, I will let you know rather than waste your time & money. I will be only too happy to refer you to one of the virtual assistant networks that I belong to. I am a member of Virtually Yours, VA Directory, and the Digital Mums Directory, who have a wide network of experienced, professional VAs who are only too happy to help.

• Lastly, you are not just supporting another small business, but you’re also supporting my family, which I appreciate!

If you would like to know more about Virtual Assistants please read our FAQs. For further details about my services contact me on 0452 393094 or by email, or book a 15-minute discovery call.

Is your website slow?

Is it taking forever to load photos or videos?

Is your online store’s homepage loading within 2-4 seconds?

Have you noticed a high bounce rate in your analytics?

A slow website can be the death of an online store, if a shopper can’t easily view products or finds the website sluggish. They may leave without making a purchase, or even tell others not to worry about visiting your store if they’ve had a bad experience.

For service-based business that have a slow website, you may find potential clients are leaving your website as quickly as they arrive, because of the length of time it’s taken the homepage and other content to display.

By improving the speed of your website, not only will it provide a better user experience, search engines like Google will also take a site’s speed into account when ranking search results.

Here are my top 10 tips on ways to increase your website speed.

• Plugin & theme updates – If your website uses plugins make sure that all of the plugins are up to date, the same with your site’s theme and WordPress. The technical team at WordPress constantly roll out improvements to its core platform, including bug fixes, and enhancements. If your site is running on an old version of WordPress you may experience compatibility issues with plugins or find it operating at a slower speed.

If you have any old, inactive plugins, it’s best to delete these from your site, these can also be a factor with the site’s speed not to mention a security risk. Deleting plugins will remove them from the database along with any code that was added to your site or server.

It's good practice to regularly review and manage your plugins to keep your website running smoothly and securely and to clear the cache so all recent changes go into effect on your website.

Some performance monitoring plugins can help identify which plugins, active or inactive, may be affecting your site's speed. This can help you make informed decisions about which plugins to keep, optimise, or remove.

• Clear the cache – You may have heard of the term ‘cache’, or a web developer say, ‘try clearing the cache of your browser or website’. For websites, caching is used to store static copies of your website's pages, images, and assets on the server or user's device. Over time, cached content can become outdated. It’s important to clear the cache after making substantial edits and content changes to your website. This ensures that visitors receive the latest, up-to-date content when they access your website, and faster loading times for your website.

While clearing the cache can improve website speed and ensure that visitors see the most recent content, it may temporarily increase server load as it regenerates cached content. Therefore, it's important to not overload your server with cache regeneration requests.

For websites that run on WordPress there are various free & paid cache plugins available that make it easy to clear your site's cache, or you may have to access server-side caching via the C-Panel of your hosting provider’s website.

• Clearing your browser’s cache - If you don’t see the latest updates straight away, make sure you clear your browser’s cache. Sometimes it can take a while for new content to be displayed, by clearing the browser cache you are forcing it to fetch the newest content from the website.
  
  

• Remove unwanted code – Unnecessary code, such as unused CSS, JavaScript, or HTML, increases the page size, leading to longer load times, especially for users with slower internet connections or on mobile devices. Identify and remove any unwanted code using website performance analysis tools or browser developer tools. If playing around with code isn’t your thing and you are worried about breaking your site, it might be best to get a website developer to do it for you.
  
  

• Minify and compress code - Remove unnecessary white spaces, line breaks, and comments from your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files. Compressing these files will reduce their size.
  
  

• Reduce the number of external requests - Each HTTP request made for resources like CSS, JavaScript, and fonts adds to the page load time. Minimise external requests by combining CSS and JavaScript files and using CSS sprites for icons.
  
  

• Compress and resize images - If you’ve published a large portfolio or photo gallery make sure all of your photos are resized and compressed for faster loading. Larger high-res images can slow down your website. So, try and stick to image sizes and formats recommended for your platform and use an image compression website (e.g. Bulk Resize Photos, TinyPNG, TinyJPG etc) or a plugin (i.e., Smush) to reduce the image size without compromising quality.
  
  

• Remove unused or unnecessary images – Delete any old and unused images or files (PDFs) from your website’s media library, this will reduce the overall file size of your web page, resulting in faster page load times and free up server resources.
  
  

• Enable Lazy loading – By turning on lazy loading, images and videos will delay loading fully until a user scrolls down the page, reducing initial page load times.
  
  

• Monitor your website's speed – Check your site’s speed using tools like Chrome’s Lighthouse, Google PageSpeed Insights or Pingdom. These tools will provide you with insights and suggestions for further optimisations. Continuously optimising and maintaining your website's speed is essential to keep your users engaged and satisfied while also improving your search engine rankings.

If you’ve tried all the above and still finding your website annoyingly slow, another thing to consider is the type of plan you are on with your hosting provider. Some providers will offer Linux Web Hosting (Shared), WordPress Hosting and/or Dedicated Server Hosting. Shared hosting plans may save money but can result in slower loading times during traffic spikes. Talk to your provider about your website requirements and work out a solution that will better suit your website’s needs.

If you are looking for someone who can assist you in keeping your site up-to-date and maintained, give me a call on 0452 393094 or email me about my web maintenance support packages - packages can be designed for month-to-month support, or can be customised to suit your needs.

If you have been happily using the free version of Canva for a while and wondering if you should sign up to Canva Pro, in this post I thought I’d give a comparison of what you can find within Canva Pro compared to Canva Free, discuss the benefits of using Canva Pro and update you on some of Canva’s latest features.

Canva is more than a graphic design app

The Canva team is continually improving its platform to be a one-stop-design-shop for anyone who wants to create engaging designs. With its mission to “Empower the World to Design” and watching how new technologies are changing the way people communicate, Canva has evolved from the free graphic design app that emerged in 2012 to a multimedia platform allowing users to create videos, give presentations, build websites, schedule social media, collaborate with colleagues using whiteboards and share templates and designs.

It still offers a free account so anyone can start creating fun designs, it also has an affordable pricing structure to suit individuals, small businesses, and freelancers.

The free version may suit you if you use it occasionally to create the family’s Christmas card or a birthday invitation, but if you want unlimited access to premium content and the ability to create graphics, presentations, videos, and socials quickly and with ease, you may wish to compare Canva Pro’s features and benefits to using the free version.

What are the benefits of using Canva Pro compared to the free version?

While Canva’s free account gives you tons of templates, designs, graphics, and photos to choose from. With Canva Pro, you no longer need to worry about purchasing photos or illustrations from stock libraries or using other graphic design tools with features like its background remover, magic resize tool, and other AI-powered design tools.

With the ability to establish a brand kit with your brand’s colours, fonts, logos, tone of voice, etc, and save branded templates for others to use…. there are even more reasons to switch.

Canva Free vs Canva Pro

Canva Free

A$0.00 p/m for one or more people

• Drag-and-drop editor for easy customisations

• 1 Mil+ free professionally-designed templates

• 1000+ design types (social media posts, presentations, letters, and more)

• 3 Mil+ free stock photos and graphics

• AI-powered writing and design tools^ (Magic Write, Magic Design, Magic Edit and more)

• Invite others to design and work with

• Wide range of printable products to design and get delivered to your door

• 5GB of cloud storage

^Usage limits and available AI-powered design tools vary between plans

Canva Pro

A$19.99 p/m for one person

• Unlimited access to premium templates

• 100 M+ photos, videos, audio and graphics

• Add up to 100 Brand Kits to manage your brand’s identity by adding logos, colours, fonts and tone of voice. (Brand templates and controls available with Canva for Teams)

• Quickly resize designs or translate designs with Magic Switch

• Remove image and video backgrounds using Canva’s one-click Background Remover

• Automatically match your video footage to your soundtrack with Beat Sync

• Kickstart your creativity with 20+ AI-powered writing & design tools within Magic Studio^ (Magic Eraser, Magic Edit, Magic Grab, Magic Write, plus more)

• Access to +60 third-party apps within Canva’s App marketplace*

• Plan and schedule social media content to 8 platforms

• Cloud Storage (1TB)

• 24/7 customer support

^Usage limits and available AI-powered design tools vary between plans
*Some apps require sign-up, credits or payment.

Compare the features of both plans here.

How Canva Pro can help your business

Switching to Canva Pro means you’ll have access to more tools, features, photos and templates at your fingertips. You also save time and money, as you won’t need to export your design to another graphic design app, source and purchase photos from stock libraries or pay for social media platforms subscriptions.

For instance, you could use the drag-and-drop editor to design an ad, then share it with someone to view, comment, or edit the design, then schedule it directly to your preferred social media platform or send it to print.

The tools and features within Canva Pro are there to help you:

• Build your brand

• Engage with your audience

• Improve collaboration

• Manage your assets

• Increase design productivity

What’s new in Canva in 2022

In September 2022, Canva unveiled a bunch of new features and products at its Canva Create “The Future is Visual” global event which I had the pleasure to attend as a Canva Champion.

The new features include:

Canva Visual Worksuite

The new Visual Worksuite provides users with all their digital communication needs, whether it's brainstorming ideas with your team on Canva's new infinite Whiteboards, developing compelling presentations, customising videos, editing and posting social media posts or developing and publishing a new website - all without leaving Canva.

You can find the visual worksuite tabs at the very top of your screen after logging into your Canva account.

These coloured icons link you to the various time-saving tools and gives you access to:

• Docs (coming soon)

• Whiteboards

• Presentations

• Social Media

• Videos

• Print Products

• Websites

A few tools that I think are worth mentioning include:

Websites

The old Canva Sites has been given a facelift! Canva Websites is making it easy for users to design a mobile responsible website for just about anything! There are website templates for business, events, portfolio, education and retail and service type websites, or you can select a one-page bio website. Canva includes self-hosting and you can choose a custom domain name.

Presentations

If you give presentations you may wish to try out Canva’s Presentation features.

With Presentations you can get creative by engaging with your audience with its magical animations and effects - so let’s say you want to include a drumroll or confetti to make an announcement or shhh people to be quiet! You can also use real-time collaboration and pre-record your presentations. Presentations can be downloaded as a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation too!

Canva Docs

Canva Docs is a document creator. There’s no need to work on a document in a separate application and import designs from Canva. Users can create visual and engaging documents all from within Canva.

In docs, you can include video, graphics, charts, images, and graphs. As well as convert a document to a Canva presentation in just one click!

Other features that you can find in Canva include:

Text to Image

This AI app allows the user to create an image by describing what you want (the more describing words you enter the better the result). The app then generates a photo, drawing, 3D, painting, pattern or concept art depending on what you select in seconds. It’s a fun app to try out!

You can find this app under the three dots and ‘More’ menu in the toolbar.

Video Background Remover

You can now customise your videos to make them stand-out with the new one-click video background remover. Within seconds the remover will omit the background of your video leaving you with a deep-etched look. You can then superimpose your video over a different background and give it a fun effect.

Note this feature is only available in Canva Pro, Teams, Education and Non-profit accounts.

Free accounts for eligible Education Institutions, Teachers and Non-Profit organisations

Canva also offers free accounts for eligible teachers, students and education institutions all over the world with it’s ‘Canva for Education’ account. Canva for Education comes with thousands of templates for any grade and premium features similar to those found in Canva Pro.

If you work for a non-profit organisation, you may also be eligible to access ‘Canva for Non-profits’ which is jam-packed with many of its premium features for free.

Note: Eligibility guidelines and conditions for these two accounts apply.

March 2023 updates

Since I first published this post in November 2022, Canva has launched a bunch new features at Canva Create 2023 and rolled out even more updates. You can now find these features in Canva:

🌟 Magic Design - need help with a design, no problem! Simply upload an image and Magic Design will curate some unique templates just for you!

🌟 Magic Edit - lets you swap or remove something in an image

🌟 Translate - connect with people anywhere in the world by translating the text in your designs.

🌟 Beat Sync - Automatically sync audio and videos with Beat Sync.

🌟 Draw - you can now add freehand drawing, underlines and annotations to your design using Draw and Shape Assist - Canva's AI drawing assistant!

🌟 Magic Eraser - is great for removing any unwanted objects from an image

🌟 Create Animation - animate objects to your own path and watch them move.

🌟 Magic Presentations - If you get stuck on what template to use, Presentations now incorporate Magic Design.

🌟 Layouts and Styles - if you need help with styling your design, add some content to access various layouts and styles such as fonts and colours

🌟 Brand Hub - If you want to get your marketing material on point creating a brand hub will make everything look cohesive and keep it all in one place so all of your team members can access it easily and update it when needed.

🌟 Magic Write - Canva's AI text generator Magic Write can now be found within Canva Assistant and can be used across the whole platform.

🌟 More magic in Magic Write and Text to Image

If you are after premium content, want to create professional-looking designs quickly and easily, and access to a mobile responsive graphic design platform at an affordable price and not already subscribed to Canva Pro I’d recommend you give the 30-day free trial a try!

Note: JAM is a Canva Affiliate Partner and may receive a small payment if you click on the affiliate link in this post.

Pricing and plans information was last updated 23/2/24.

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]]>Why should you switch to Canva Pro?My businessRunning a businessJulie McKoneMon, 19 Jun 2023 02:26:00 +0000https://www.jambusinesssupportservices.com.au/blog/2020/3/27/knowing-your-purpose59bcff193e00be51c2c65b0f:59ee8b08f9a61e4bf5c58d82:5e7d43bf5ae8b938956314af

Running a business has different meanings for everyone.

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to run a business from home and be my own boss. It was one of those things that I thought would be ideal when I had school aged children.

Like most parents, I wanted a job that provided flexibility so I could be there for my kids and to also help contribute financially to the household expenses.

While building a successful business was something I wanted to achieve, it wasn't my sole reason.

“My why”

I started my business to show my daughters that they can do whatever they dreamt of as long as they worked hard and didn’t let self-doubt or fear stop them from trying.

I remember the days when my then 8-year-old would ask me excitedly "Are you doing stuff for your business Mum?", or "Are those for your business?" and would sit next to me whenever I was updating my website or designing something in Canva.

At 8 and 5 my girls would get so excited watching me work on marketing ideas that they would go and draw a picture that related to my business name or they discovered a joke about jam and ask me to share it on my Facebook page.

I wanted to inspire my girls and have them think "If Mum can do it, I can do it". Even now as they are older, I encourage them both to never give up on their dreams. This is ‘my why’ and purpose for running my business.

When in doubt, remember your why

Over time I’ve found by knowing my why helps me when I am doubting myself or my abilities, or if I’m feeling like a fraud (hello imposter syndrome!) and wonder what the heck I’m doing running a business. All I need to remember is why I am doing what I am doing.

When I think about what would happen if I threw the towel in and went back to working a 45-hour a week job. My why helps me put everything into perspective.

While it doesn’t help me overcome the stress, hard work and admin stuff that you need to complete as a business owner. It’s the satisfaction of running my own business, receiving recognition from an awards nomination or positive feedback from a client on a job well done that gives me the motivation to continue.

My ride so far…

Running a business is a bit like a roller coaster ride. There are ups and downs, some weeks I might be in a mad rush of busyness and then there are moments when work comes to a grinding halt. There’ll be thrills when a big job has worked out well or I’ve signed on a new client. And then there’s weeks when I have to work hard at staying motivated and look for different ways of signing up new clients and getting my name out there while staying true to my values.

When you are putting your thoughts and creative ideas out in the universe it’s easy to feel as though you’re not good enough and let self-doubt creep in. Especially when there are other businesses who do the same thing as you do. It could be that they have more staff, a bigger budget, a similar look & feel to your business, while it could be easy to give it all up. The thing I remember is my why, and my purpose.

While my journey may not be a big scary rollercoaster ride, it’s what I make of it and I have to remember to be true to myself and my values, and I will attract the right people.

This August I will be celebrating my sixth year in business. It has taken quite a few years for me to build an identity and reputation for JAM. I’ve been fortunate to work with some great clients and form good friendships amongst the VA networks and communities I belong to. I’m continually learning and growing as a business owner, and always looking at new ways in helping my clients.

What’s your why or purpose?

If you haven’t already done it, take a few moments and write down your why.

Your why could be:

• you want to work the hours or days that you suit you

• you want to be your own boss

• you want flexibility and a better work/life balance

• you want more time to be there for your kids or elderly parent

• you want to be able to work part-time or evenings

• you want to make a financial contribution to the family budget

• you want to work as a freelancer or contractor

Knowing your purpose or ‘your why’ will help you make clearer decisions in your business and give you the little push that you need in continuing to put yourself out there.

It can also help you make more informed decisions, set goals, and prioritise your tasks more effectively.

Lastly having a strong sense of purpose can help you attract and retain customers, as people tend to be drawn to businesses that align with their values.

If you liked this article please share or let me know in the comments section.

Is time on your side?

Do you make the most out of your time during a work day? If you work from home you will know how hard it is to walk past a pile of dishes or laundry that needs washing, or bunch of toys scattered over the floor. It can be challenging when you still have little ones needing your attention while you are trying to get work done. 

Here are some tips that can help you be more productive throughout your day. 

• Make technology your friend - by using online time management apps such as Toggl Track or the calendar app on your phone, you can keep track of appointments, tasks that require completion, time spent on a job, or add reminders to work on different tasks (ie. social media posts or marketing).
  
  

• Juggling deadlines & kids - I know it can be hard having kids home during the school holidays while you are trying to work, especially when you need a good hour or two to finish a proposal or put together a report. When my girls were young and I wanted to keep them occupied during this time, I would pop on a movie they loved, and make them some popcorn.
  
  

• Stop checking your email every 10 minutes - If you are the type of person who checks your email every 10 minutes try limiting it to a minimum of 3 or 4 times a day, unless your waiting on an urgent email. You could coincide checking your email taking a lunch or coffee break.

  
  

• Find the mute button - Turn your phone on silent or vibrate if working on an important and time sensitive job. If someone needs to speak to you urgently, they will leave a voicemail or message you.
  
  

• Resist responding - If you hear you phone dinging with emails, texts or social media posts from your friends - resist the urge of responding straight away, wait until you're having lunch or break from the computer.
  
  

• Turn off Facebook notifications - I find there's nothing worse than being reminded of the fun my friend is having on their awesome trip around Australia while trying to get work done. Disable your Facebook notifications so you stop seeing and hearing notifications from your friends on your phone. Limit time on social media to when you knock off work so you can keep getting through your to-do list!
  
  

• Delegate tasks that cause you angst & pain - These sort of tasks are seriously not worth getting stressed about! If you don't enjoy the task delegate it to a professional such as a virtual assistant who will take less time in getting the job completed then you will, in the long run it will save you time & money!
  
  
  Start by writing down all your regular business tasks and deciding which ones you enjoy and what tasks make you feel overwhelmed just thinking about them! Then get in touch with JAM!
  
  

• Take a break from sitting - If you find yourself spending large chunks of time sitting at your computer, remember to take frequent breaks. Taking a brisk walk is a sure way of clearing your head. The change of scenery, fresh air and sunshine will make you feel relaxed and you will be better focused when you return to your desk.
  
  
  It's a known fact that sitting at your desk for long periods of time can cause eye-strain, RSI, neck, back and shoulder pain, along with other computer-related injuries so make sure you check that your computer screen is setup ergonomically. If the monitor is too low it will cause you to crane your neck forward, or too high you will tilt your head backwards causing neck and shoulder pain.
  
  

• Be healthy - It’s important to keep yourself hydrated and fueled up with healthy snacks to stop yourself from feeling hungry and your mind wandering. By keeping a bottle of water and a few snacks on your desk you will limit trips to the kitchen and use your time more productively. Also remember to be kind to yourself and take some self-care when and if you need it.
  
  
  If you are finding yourself struggling, depressed or feeling anxious don’t be afraid to reach out to a friend, or get in touch with a crisis support association. There are organisations that help you feel less alone, and can provide you with support and tips such as Lifeline, Beyond Blue and Headspace.

For more productivity tips make sure you sign-up to JAM’s newsletter.

Note, this post is in no way sponsored by any of the apps or platforms mentioned here.

If you would like JAM to assist with any of your overwhelming tasks, get in contact with Julie today by calling 0452 393094, email, or completing our contact form.

If you are on social media, you may have noticed how platforms keep moving their guideposts.

• They will make changes to their algorithms

• They will make it harder for businesses to get reach with organic posts

• They will roll-out new features or make features that were popular no longer available (remember IGTV?)

It’s important to keep up-to-date with changes these platforms make, so you are aware of what they do, and how it will affect your business.

Staying current

Nowadays when I check my IG feed, I’ve noticed nearly every second post is a video or a reel.

Personalised, short-form videos have become very popular for platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, so much so that Meta (owners of Facebook & Instagram) have made changes to Facebook by adding Reels, and rolling out changes to Instagram.

Earlier in the year, Instagram announced that they will be shifting towards video in an effort to stay current with how people are interacting on social media. While they still support users who share photos. Preference will be given to video.

Changing it up - where to start

If you are a service provider like myself, and predominantly share images and photos, or don’t like to share videos of yourself talking, or not interested in creating reels or live videos, what does this mean for your socials and where do you start?

Who is your target audience?

My advice would be to review who your target audience is. By knowing your target audience and their demographic profile (i.e age, gender, income, country, education and occupation) along with working out what platform they are on can help you create customised content.

Look at the age groups to see which platform they may be on. You can find various social media demographic reports like this one, that give you a breakdown of the different demographics for each social media platform for the year.

You don't have to be on every single social media platform

Just because you know someone who shares to TikTok does that mean you have to.

It’s better to use 1 or 2 platforms really well, then have 5 or 6 social media accounts where you are sharing the same thing over and over again, and not getting any engagement or click-throughs.

Look at your analytics

Work out which platforms you receive the highest engagement with and stick with it. If you get more comments and shares on Facebook and LinkedIn over Instagram, then maybe they are the platforms for you.

Check your analytics or insights to see what posts are working well. Look at the time of the day your audience are online, and test out different times and days per week when scheduling your posts.

Remember the 80/20 rule

When sharing content remember the 80/20 rule, this is where 80% of your content should be something that is inspirational, engaging, educational, helpful, useful, interesting or value add, and the other, the 20% is for promoting your brand, services or products and includes any promotions you might be running or salesy-type posts.

While you don't want to appear “too salesy” you still need followers to know that you are there to help them when they need it.

You want your brand to be recognised, as well as yourself known as the subject matter expert in your field.

Schedule content ahead of time

When it comes to planning your social media posts. Are you someone who plans a month of content in advance, or do you share a post each day, often when something inspires you?

When time permits, I like to batch my content, as I find sharing posts on a daily basis can be exhausting, especially if I am sharing different content to different platforms and also have client social media work that requires my attention.

I also like to leave a few days ‘free’ of posts, especially if I’m attending an event or celebrating an achievement which I’d like to share about on the day.

Set aside a few hours in your calendar to work out your content calendar for the next month. Record videos, source images, create content, write captions and schedule your posts.

By working out what you want your socials to look like ahead of time, not only do you free up time in your calendar, you feel less stressed! 😁

How to get savvy with your socials

If you are wondering “How can I create posts that are seen (and heard) by my followers without it getting lost in the feed” I hear you!

With video becoming increasingly popular on social media it may be hard to think of what do with your posts, so below I’ve come up with 6 content ideas to help you get savvy with your socials.

So here goes:

• Share something you have learnt, it could be a time-saving tip with an app. Try recording a screen capture video using a tool such as Vimeo.

• Be brave and conduct a Facebook Live! I say this, but yet I hate talking on video. 😄 If you are not brave enough to share a live video, pre-record a video of yourself then schedule it to your socials.

• Share an interactive post accompanied with music - it could be how you started your business, what challenges you are facing as a business owner, what makes you get up in the morning, what your future goals are - the sky is the limit!

• Share a behind-the-scenes reel or story - it could be of your desk or workplace, even do it if its a mess!

• Ask a question to your followers and record the answer in a video or do it live!

• Share an animated story for a blog, poll, download or resource with a link.

I’d love to know if you’ve found this article useful!

If you need help with content creation or scheduling get in touch with me today or to read more about my Social Media Support services and packages.

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]]>Keeping up with social mediaTime managementWeb content managementProductivityPhotographyKnowledgeJulie McKoneWed, 17 Aug 2022 06:33:00 +0000https://www.jambusinesssupportservices.com.au/blog/2018/9/3/tips-to-help-put-the-spring-back-into-your-business59bcff193e00be51c2c65b0f:59ee8b08f9a61e4bf5c58d82:5b8cb4f8aa4a99a4983284db  

I love Spring, it is my favourite season. I love the warmer weather, and those lazy afternoons that stay lighter a little longer.

If you are the type of person who likes to do a little cleaning around the home each spring, now is the perfect time to perform some spring-cleaning in your business too!

By getting on top of tasks that you have been putting off you can help yourself stay organised, which leads to increased productivity and better time management!

Here are 7 spring-cleaning tips to get you started!

1. Backup up photos

I don't know about you, but my phone always informs me when I am running low on storage space which is a good reminder for me to sort through all the photos I have stored on my phone. I can either back them up to my computer hard-drive or sync them to Google Photos. If your photos haven’t been backed up to the cloud, you can sign up for a free account with Google Photos and get up to 15KB of free storage.

If dealing with the cloud is out of your depth, you can always purchase a large-capacity USB flash drive or external hard drive for storing photos and files. Once saved delete any large, unneeded photos and free-up space in your phone's storage.

2. Emails

I receive hundreds of spam emails each week, as well as multiple marketing newsletters from companies I might have purchased something from months or years ago but never unsubscribed from their mailing list. Make time to go through your emails and sort out the spam, delete emails you don't want, unsubscribe from marketing newsletters you no longer want to receive and file away emails you want to keep!

3. Backup files

When was the last time you backed up your business files on your computer? Do you have a copy of all your personal, financial and business files in case your computer dies? If you haven't already, make sure you sign-up for a free cloud storage account and spend time copying your business files to the cloud. This makes it a safe option if your computer dies or worse gets attacked by a virus...it also makes it easy for you to access your files if you are away from the office!

4. Scan receipts

If you have a bunch of business receipts lying around, find time to scan or take photographs of your receipts with your phone. Receipts can fade over time making them hard to read. So make sure you save them as a PDF or JPEG file, so you have a digital copy for tax time!

If you use accounting software such as Xero, don’t forget to upload copies of your receipts to either Xero or HubDoc so you can reconcile your balance.

5. Stocktake

If you own a product-based business don’t forget to pencil in a day to carryout a stocktake. Remember to cross-check how many items you have left in your eCommerce inventory, what’s out of stock and reorder popular or new items before the silly season begins. If you are releasing new products, make sure you take some photos that can be used on your online store, Etsy or social media channel.

6. Backup your website

When was the last time you backed up your website? Outdated content and files can easily be missed if you don't have some sort of checklist or maintenance schedule in place!

Performing frequent website backups is a necessity for a business! Be sure to save a copy of your website, this will save you from rebuilding it from scratch if your website gets attacked by a virus or you experience issues with the web host.

By setting up a web maintenance schedule you can keep track of when you last backed up your site. Other information you might want to include is the frequency for reviewing and updating content, details of the content (web content versus PDF, video etc) content owner (sometimes there are different stakeholders who need to review and update content).

Be sure to keep a record of when any major additions and amendments have been made to your website too!

7. Get your tax sorted

If you haven’t already submitted your tax return for the last financial year, now is the time to get all your financial statements and receipts together for your accountant or tax specialist to complete your tax return.

For details about my packages and services, get in contact with me on 0452 393094, email or book for a free consultation.

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]]>7 spring-cleaning tips for your businessSelf-careJulie McKoneFri, 17 Jun 2022 06:20:00 +0000https://www.jambusinesssupportservices.com.au/blog/2019/11/7/how-a-digital-detox-can-give-you-a-better-connection59bcff193e00be51c2c65b0f:59ee8b08f9a61e4bf5c58d82:5dc38bfd6b63dd51c91b195b  

Running a business can be exhausting, especially when you are doing everything on your own.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I find myself spending evenings on social media answering messages or responding to a comment on a Facebook post on my phone.

There there’s time spent on marketing my business, sharing advice and tips, chatting to other business owners, commenting and responding to posts within the different networking groups I belong to, rather than spending time talking with my husband or watching a show together.

As a small business owner it’s important to take care of your mental health, and to know when to switch off from work and social media!

When I feel like I need a detox from social media, I usually give myself a break over a weekend or I take advantage of school holidays and have a break from the socials then. If I don't take a break, I find myself becoming tired and rundown.

As a family we love to spend time camping off-grid. We’ll find a tranquil spot within a National Park, where there’s usually no power or phone coverage. Talk about bliss! These type of holidays makes me relax!

I usually find myself reading a couple of books and spending quality time with my family exploring the area, playing games, or just relaxing by the campfire.

I find having time away from the computer and not staring at my mobile phone important not just for my mental health but also for my family.

When I have a digital detox it allows me to unwind, be more present with my family, as I’m not checking posts or responding to emails and we connect more as a family. Plus when I return to the office I felt rested and energized!

When you can find the time, switch off your phone for an hour, or try a digital detox from social media for a whole weekend and enjoy time in nature. I find bushwalking in the mountains helps clear my mind and gives me the energy I need to tackle whatever tasks I have on my to-do list when I return to the office.

If you can't take a break, it might be that you implement changes to your daily routine such as:

- go outside at lunchtime and soak up some sunshine, the sun will give you an energy boost and some Vitamin D

- take up a new hobby it could be something you enjoy like reading, photography or gardening,

- turn your phone on silent for an hour a day so you can take a break from interruptions

- work limited hours, especially on weekends

- outsource tasks that cause you frustration or overwhelm e.g. admin, bookkeeping, social media etc.

Do you ever take a digital detox? How do you unwind from work?

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]]>Self care: Taking a digital detoxProductivitySelf-careTime managementJulie McKoneWed, 06 Apr 2022 05:45:00 +0000https://www.jambusinesssupportservices.com.au/blog/2020/4/2/helpful-tips-for-working-from-home59bcff193e00be51c2c65b0f:59ee8b08f9a61e4bf5c58d82:5e853fca1a308c6c331a1402  

Are you finding working from home has become a distraction, or you’re not feeling as productive as you usually are in the office?

In this post I share some useful tips to becoming more productive and getting you through the work week.

Collaborating with colleagues

On the internet, you can find several apps that allow you to collaborate with colleagues remotely. For example, Slack is an online messenger app and allows you to talk to others in real-time, share information such as images, files, or links to web pages. It's good if you are working simultaneously on a task with another team member, and need to ask a question or chase up a task. Slack can also be used for voice & video calls.

Checking your email

Don't fall into the trap of continually checking your email. Alternatively set time in your schedule each day to read and respond to emails unless you are waiting on an urgent request. By reducing the number of times you check your inbox you will get through your tasks more efficiently.

Limit time on social media

We all know that social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok are time zappers! Unless you are conducting business or chatting with other business owners through various Facebook groups, you may want to limit your screen-time so you are not distracted by funny videos in your news feed. 😉

Take a digital detox

We've all heard the saying, 'You can't pour from an empty cup', meaning to be able to look after others you must first look after yourself. This might start with making small changes to your daily routine. If you usually check Facebook when you first get up in the morning, maybe leave it to after you’ve had breakfast and done some exercise.

Taking a break from digital devices and social media can be beneficial to your mental health and help you destress. When you can find the time, switch off your phone for an hour, or try a digital detox from social media for a whole weekend and enjoy time in the garden, take an afternoon nap, play board games with the kids or read a book.

Stay connected

The one thing the pandemic has shown us is that staying and feeling connected, even if that’s virtually, is a good thing and helps our mental health*. With the availability of online video conferencing apps such as Skype, Zoom, FaceTime, and Microsoft Teams you can find a free plan that allows you to connect with colleagues for team meetings, catch up with family & friends over a virtual cuppa as well as keep in contact with clients via online meetings.

If video conferencing isn’t your thing, send an email or pick up the phone and check-in with your colleagues and clients.

Turn your phone ringer on to airplane mode, or silent/vibrate mode

If you are working on an important or time-sensitive task turn your phone on silent, vibrate or airplane mode. If someone needs to speak to you urgently, they will leave a voicemail message or send an email. Disruptions caused by text messages and non-urgent phone calls will take you away from what you are working on.

Track your time

When you are working at home you need to know that you are using your time in the best possible way. By tracking your time each day you can understand how much time you have been spending on a task, maybe a task is taking longer than it should due to distractions at home. There are several time tracker apps available on the internet that help you keep track of your hours.

Get up and take a break

Sitting at a desk for long periods of time can cause eye-strain, RSI, neck, back or shoulder pain, and can lead to heart disease, obesity, poor mental health, and some cancers. Make sure for every hour you are sitting at your keyboard, that you get up and move around for at least 5 to 10 minutes+

Also check that your desk, monitor and computer are set up ergonomically.

*If you are experiencing anxiety or depression give a call to one of the mental health support lines such as Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, or Life Line Australia on 13 11 14.

+For more information on workplace health visit Health Direct.

If you’re looking to hire a web developer to build a website for your business it can be an exciting time. While you may be brimming with ideas of what you would like the site to look like, and eager to get your business and its services published on the web. You may wonder what is involved in building a website.

When I quote clients on a new website build, I provide them with a timeframe detailing the different stages of the website build so they can understand the process and time involved in getting their site completed.

In this post, I have shared what it’s like working with a web developer and the type of tasks that are involved in a website's development lifecycle.

There are 6 stages of a website development lifecycle.

Understanding the six stages of a website development lifecycle

1. Planning – This stage starts with a client calling me or sending me an enquiry along the lines of "Hey, I am interested in a website. Are you able to help me?"

After a quick discovery call to discuss their needs and the client filling out a web brief, I submit a quote along with a timeframe of how long I estimate the build to take. Once the client has approved the quote, we then get started!

First, we begin with a client planning meeting where we discuss sites they like the look of, the intention of the website, discuss the most suitable platform, theme/template, plugins etc, arrange domain name, host/plans, along with a timeline for when I require all the content - web copy, images, logo, branding guidelines etc.

2. Research & Analysis – In this stage, I may research other websites the client likes the look of to see what theme, plugin or apps and features they’ve used, especially if it’s an eCommerce store and the client has suggested a similar look for their site. I then work out if there’s anything like a paid theme or plugin that I need to have this design, and arrange for it to be purchased.

I also create a wireframe to show the client, with suggestions for the navigation architecture and layout of the site. Once approved, I will then provide a static mockup of what the new site will look like including some placeholder text and images.

During this stage, it’s important to think of web accessibility – some platforms like Squarespace have developed templates that have been created to web accessibility guidelines. If you are using WordPress you can find several accessibility plugins and tools that you can use which give instructions on how to fix your website so it is compliant.

Double-checking that all images include alt-text captions so they are readable by screen readers, ensuring web content is easy to read by using web-friendly fonts, an accessible colour contrast ratio, text has a good flow and pages are structured in order of heading styles (H1, H2, H3 etc) are just some things you should consider.

Due to all the work that’s involved in building an accessible website, I will need to know in the Planning stage if this is something you require so I can allocate enough time in the timeline.

The Research & Analysis stage requires approval by the client before heading into the Design & Development stage.

3. Design & Development – Development is where all the pages and menus are created, the supplied content and images are added, the store is setup, products are uploaded, the blog section created, a contact form, newsletter opt-in, terms & conditions, privacy policy are all added etc. This stage may include the development of web copy by JAM or any site customisation if requested by the client.

Depending on the chosen platform, the pages may need to be tweaked for them to display accurately on mobile (especially if the platform doesn’t have a mobile responsive theme or template)

4. Testing – Before we launch the site testing is undertaken by both myself and the client. This involves checking buttons, menus and links are working, content is correct, and there are no spelling or grammar errors, SEO fields and ALT-tags are complete. The site is checked on various browsers and devices to make sure there aren’t any loading or display issues.

5. Deployment/Launch – This is the exciting part! Once all the testing is complete, and you are happy with everything, it’s time to click on the ‘publish’ button and make the site go live! Any last minute testing may be carried out, plus there’s submitting the sitemap to Google Search Console, linking your site to your Google Business Profile (if required), adding in the Google Analytics tracking code (if required), checking all email settings, newsletter subscriptions and booking calendars are working properly etc.

Once it’s published, you can start promoting the launch of your site!

6. Maintenance – Remember it’s important to keep your website regularly maintained once it’s published (you might want to read this post). Website content especially content like calendars or blogs that contain dates and statistics can become outdated very quickly.

Google loves fresh content, so if you have a blog or store on your website, it’s a good idea to update the content regularly and resubmit your website to Google for indexing, so its bots scan all the new content that’s been added to the site. Don’t forget to regularly update your homepage too!

A note about timeframes

Depending on the type of website you have requested it might take a developer anywhere between a few weeks to a few months for the build of your website to be completed.

Depending on how quickly feedback is given by the client, if something is holding up the project (i.e. unable to contact the client, trouble gaining access to content, delays from other providers, too many revisions or an unspecified technical issue) a pushed out timeframe can occur.

To avoid hold-ups or delays it’s best to have all of your content ready before signing on with your web developer.

If you have hired the services of another contractor (e.g. SEO expert, photographer or copywriter), it’s good to have the web developer working together with the other contractors, not only will this avoid the project being held up but they can also be available to answer any questions that the other person might have regarding the website.

Read more about JAM’s Website Creation & Management service or if you have any questions relating to a website build be sure to contact Julie either by phone 0452 393094 or email.

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]]>Working with a Web DeveloperSelf-careTime managementJulie McKoneMon, 22 Nov 2021 04:28:00 +0000https://www.jambusinesssupportservices.com.au/blog/2019/12/6/tips-for-a-stress-free-christmas59bcff193e00be51c2c65b0f:59ee8b08f9a61e4bf5c58d82:5de9abd4669e4706e05b0488  

Christmas is fast upon us and can be a stressful time of year for some people. You may have relatives visiting on Christmas day, a bunch of gifts to pick out, a house to clean and food to buy.

If you've been at work all day you may not have had time to purchase Christmas presents.

Here are some tips I’ve put together on how you can have a stress-free Christmas at home, work and with kids.

Keep calm Christmas is coming 🎄

• Avoid the crowds 😷 This year why don’t you do your Christmas shopping online. Choose to have your items delivered to your home, or select ‘click & collect’ and pick items up from your local store.

• Support local - Instead of purchasing gifts from department stores this Christmas, you might want to check out what the local stores and Pop-Up Christmas markets have to offer. Whether it’s purchasing local produce, a gift voucher or a locally handmade gift, it’s a great way of supporting local small businesses this time of year.

• Buy an experience - If you have a family member who is hard to buy for, maybe look at buying them an experience they will love. It could be a cooking class, a massage, a joy flight, or dinner at their favourite restaurant.

• Share the load - Organising Christmas lunch can be a little stressful not to mention expensive if you have a large number of family members to cook for. Ask everyone who is coming to bring a plate of food or help out in the kitchen and make it less work for you,

• Organise a Kris Kringle - If you are on a tight budget and have a large number of family members to buy for, try organising a Kris Kringle. A Kris Kringle can be as easy as listing all the gift recipients on a piece of paper, then having someone randomly pick out the names and choose who is buying for who. On the piece of paper don’t forget to include a present idea and limit on how much to spend.

• Start purchasing food items early - During the weeks leading up to Christmas, buy some extra food items in your weekly grocery shop for Christmas day. This will avoid you feeling stressed when it’s time to do the Christmas grocery shopping!

• Click & Collect is my best friend! When I have a busy work schedule the last thing I want to do is spend an hour grocery shopping. By planning our meals and ordering my grocery shopping online I only spend about 10 minutes collecting my grocery shopping, which is a time-saver!

How to de-stress at work 👏

• Let the clients know if you are closing over Christmas - If you are shutting down the office for the Christmas/New Year period. Don’t forget to email clients and/or suppliers advising them of what days your office will be closed and when you will be reopened for business. Remember to leave a message on your website and social media platforms of your Christmas hours or dates of closure too.

• Set up an autoresponder - If you are planning some time away from the office, remember to set up an Out of Office message on your email or voicemail message on your phone so if anyone contacts you, they will know when you are expected back in the office.

• Include a Christmas banner or signature to your emails - If you work with various clients, you might want to add an email signature or banner to your email template, which provides details of when you are on leave or hours you may be available,

• Schedule in advance - Try scheduling your social media posts a month in advance, or from the time you are closed until the end of your first week back, that way you can have time to settle back in the office before having to worry about what social media posts to schedule.

• Prepare content in advance - Write a couple of blog posts or fresh new website content for the new year ahead. If you already have it drafted, then all you have to worry about is proofreading, formatting and publishing it to your website!

• Enjoy a work/life balance - If you are a small business owner who can’t afford many days off over the Christmas period. Try working flexible hours or shorter days, so you can still attend Christmas parties or attend catchups with your family & friends.

Christmas is a wonderful time with kids ✨

Being with small children at Christmas makes for wonderful lasting memories, which you will want to treasure for years to come, however it can be difficult to concentrate on your work with excited kids at home.

• If you have to work over Christmas - Try allocating time off over a couple of days or evenings where you can enjoy festive activities with the family such as visiting Christmas lights or attending Christmas carols.

• Plan meetings at kid-friendly times - Schedule any Zoom meetings or phone calls to a time your kids may be sleeping, enjoying some quiet time or hanging out at a friends place.

• Start and finish work a little earlier - this way you can enjoy the long summer days with the family, whether it's going for a walk by the river, a swim at the local pool or taking the family Christmas shopping. Kids will love spending that time with you!

• Have Christmas at home - If you are able to opt for having Christmas at home, it will save you travelling on the road with everyone else on Christmas day, avoid road works, road rage and upset children who want to be home playing with their toys.

• Enjoy a digital detox - while you may be tempted to check your socials and wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Spending quality time and being in the moment with family & relatives makes for better memories! If you can, turn your mobile phone on silent or aircraft mode on Christmas morning and enjoy that time without being distracted.

• Take time out - School holidays can be a stressful time for working parents, especially if you don’t have someone to help look after the kids and you need to arrange vacation care because of work commitments. Remember to allocate some time to yourself and get some rest over the Christmas period. Even if it’s getting up a little earlier in the morning for a walk or meditation, taking time out for yourself will leave you feeling refreshed and allow you to enjoy the festive season and be ready for what the new year brings. 😃

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]]>Tips for a Stress-Free ChristmasKnowledgeToolsHow tosJulie McKoneThu, 09 Sep 2021 05:36:05 +0000https://www.jambusinesssupportservices.com.au/blog/2021/9/8/set-up-shared-folder-dropbox59bcff193e00be51c2c65b0f:59ee8b08f9a61e4bf5c58d82:613859ee3aa44c7cd549ce71  

If you work with freelancers or a virtual assistant you may have to share files with them, that’s where a cloud storage system such as Dropbox can be a real lifesaver.

With Dropbox, you can easily share access to your files with others and set it to synchronize your computer’s files to be backed up to the cloud. The free Dropbox (Basic) includes 2 GB of space.

It is a much easier and convenient way to have the content saved in one place and allows clients to update files to the folder whenever they need to.

In this post thought I’d share some quick and easy steps in setting up a shared folder in Dropbox and uploading a file.

What is Dropbox

Dropbox is a file hosting service that lets you store files on to the cloud. By syncing files to the cloud, you save space on your hard-drive and avoid clogging up someone's inbox. Its ideal for storing your business documents, images and other important documentation.

I use it when sharing documents with clients, especially if I'm collaborating on a project and need to share an Excel spreadsheet or Word document for them to review.

Dropbox can also be used for backing up files from a WordPress website. Plugins such as UpDraftPlus, allow you to select where you can save backups including storing in your Dropbox account.

Setting up a shared folder

Step 1: Go to the Dropbox homepage and click 'All Files'

Step 2: Under 'All Files' you need to click on 'New shared folder' from the menu on the right

Step 3: A pop up will appear asking you if you want to create a new folder or if you want to share an existing folder. Select "I'd like to create and share a new folder", then click "next". Dropbox will then ask you to name the folder and include a name or an email address of who you'd like to share the folder with and allows for you to include a short message. Click "Share" and the person will be notified of the shared folder and include a link for them to access it.

Once you have set up your shared folder, you can start adding files to the folder so the person you’ve shared the folder with can access them.

Uploading a file to a shared folder

Step 1: Under 'Files' you need to click on 'Upload files' from the menu on the right

Step 2: From your computer, you can then select the file you want to upload to your folder, e.g. logo.

Step 3: Once it's uploaded, you will then be able to see who has access to the image.

A copy of the full video transcript can be viewed here.

Follow my YouTube channel or blog to find more helpful business tips.

Note, this post is in no way sponsored or paid for by Dropbox.

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]]>How to set up a shared folder in DropboxOnline graphic designVirtual AssistanceToolsJulie McKoneFri, 30 Jul 2021 01:15:50 +0000https://www.jambusinesssupportservices.com.au/blog/2021/7/30/get-creating-with-canva-pro59bcff193e00be51c2c65b0f:59ee8b08f9a61e4bf5c58d82:61034bf84006d64c0ef8938d  

As a Digital Content Creator, I spend about 80% of my time designing. Whether it’s creating branded social media templates and posts, sourcing photos for social media and blog posts, designing website banners, social media headers, marketing material, business cards, or something else that my clients require.

My go-to design tool is Canva Pro!

I love Canva Pro, previously known as Canva Work, an Australian online graphic design platform. It’s simple, easy-to-use format lets anyone create eye-catching designs. Its plans are affordable for sole traders and small businesses, with the option of paying a monthly or annually subscription. If you get stuck and need help you’ll find tutorials, online courses, and an informative help section. Note: Canva Pro is free for all registered non-profits.

Here’s just some of the features you can find in Canva Pro

Canva Pro is jam-packed with cool features and tools to help you get your work done quickly and efficiently.

Here are seven features that you can find within Canva Pro.

Photos

Select from over 75 million stunning images, videos and graphics from the expansive media library, all for free.

Template Library

You can select from thousands of professionally designed templates that can be edited to create the look you are after.

Branding Kit

Create a branding kit so you can easily apply your branding to your designs, within Canva Pro you can upload fonts, add your logo, and set your brands colour palette.

Content Planner

Canva Pro has it’s very own content planner so once you’ve finished designing your posts you can schedule them directly to either your Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr or Slack feed.

Note, to share posts to Instagram you must have a Instagram business account that is linked to a Facebook page as required by Instagram’s API. For Facebook, posts can only be scheduled to a Facebook business page or Facebook group.

Resize Tool

This one of my favourite features! Resize your designs to a different template size or custom size in an instant. If you have a design created for Instagram and want to create the exact look for Facebook, this can be done so easily with the use of the resize tool, and avoids you spending time recreating the design from scratch.

Background Remover

Remove backgrounds from your photos with just one click. If you want a background removed from a photo to give it a deep-etched look, Canva Pro removes the background automatically without you having to use a clipping path tool. If you remove too much you can also restore it back to how it looked.

Save your Design as a Template

If you are sharing your designs with other team members or a virtual assistant, with Canva Pro you can save a design as a template then share a link to your team to access. This is useful if you work with a virtual assistant who is creating social media posts for your business.

These are just a few of the features you can find in Canva. While Canva Pro may not suit everyone or have the exact tools you would find in other leading graphic platforms, it is packed with a lot of great features and is continually rolling out new features and enhancements, so it makes it easy for someone like my daughter, who is a novice, to use!

Canva is an Australian success story and is now available in over 190 countries offering Canva, Canva Pro, Canva for Enterprise and Canva for Education. Give it a try for free for 30 days!

Note: JAM is a Canva Affiliate Partner and may receive a small payment if you click on the affiliate link in this post.

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]]>Get creating with Canva ProWeb content managementWebsite creationJulie McKoneTue, 23 Mar 2021 22:28:41 +0000https://www.jambusinesssupportservices.com.au/blog/2021/3/22/do-your-homework-website-platform59bcff193e00be51c2c65b0f:59ee8b08f9a61e4bf5c58d82:60583c688d9fe90a81a8b7ad   

Have you heard of the platforms?

• Squarespace,

• Wix,

• WordPress,

• Weebly,

• Shopify,

• GoDaddy,

• Webflow,

• BigCommerce,

• Magento,

You may have heard of one or more of these platforms when speaking to a web developer and felt a little overwhelmed with information overload!

It can be hard to make a decision when there is so much information available on each of them.

Just remember there'll be pros & cons for each and every platform you look at.

There will be people who love only WordPress, and those who love template-driven platforms such as Squarespace or Wix. Everyone will have an opinion of what works best for them, but you need to think about what will work best for YOU!

As someone who has used several of these platforms and content management systems (CMS), and approximately 20 years experience in web content management & development, all I can tell you is this.

Make sure you do your homework!

Start by asking yourself these questions:

1) What sort of features do you want on your website (e.g. shop, blog, portfolio, resume-style or a single landing page)

2) Do you want a fully customised website including CSS or Javascript elements, or are you happy with a simple template-driven website?

3) What sort of budget are you willing to spend - upfront & ongoing?

4) Do you have the skills to build the site yourself or need the help of a developer?

5) Do you have the time to regularly update and maintain your website?

6) Do you want someone to look after your website maintenance or learn how to do it yourself?

It's important that you answer these questions before jumping into a contract or purchasing a platform plan. You don't want to purchase the wrong plan then decide its the wrong website platform for you and regret it later on. 😣

What else do you need to consider when looking for a website platform?

You also need to think about:

• What is your need - is it a short-term fix (e.g. you’ve decide to sell a ‘trending’ product), or whether you want something that will grow with you and your business over time?

• Will there be additional costs to pay? If it’s an eCommerce site have you thought of transaction fees, additional functionality you wish to unlock/purchase, upgrading plans, any credit card fees, or purchasing themes or plugins that display product and customer reviews.

• Does the platform support customisation? Let’s say you choose a Personal plan on the Squarespace platform but like the look of someone else’s Squarespace site that has an accordion drop-down feature. Unfortunately, you can’t embed code within a Personal plan and will be limited to the type of customisations you can do to your website. It’s a good idea to check the features out when reviewing plans.

What else should you take into consideration?

I’ve put together an example of someone who is looking for a new website, let's take a look:

Jo^ is an artist and has been creating beautiful artwork which she sells at her local craft market. Recently she has gone into transforming her artwork into home products which she wants to now sell online.

Which website platform do you think she would choose?

- WordPress with WooCommerce,

- Shopify,

- Wix, or

- Squarespace?

While there are so many different platforms that she could choose from, by her knowing which one is going to provide her with the best value for money, has the features and functions (including plugins & apps) that she needs to sell her products online, along with ease of use is essential!

Jo has started as a hobby business, so may not have the money upfront to spend on a big eCommerce platform such as Shopify (starts from $37AUD p/m).

She might decide on a basic eCommerce or business plan with an all-in-one platform such as Wix ($23AUD p/m), or Squarespace ($25AUD p/m annually) or decide on WordPress with a free WooCommerce plugin and WP hosting (approx $8AUD p/m*)

While cost may be an important factor for Jo, Jo has a full-time office job and a young family, so it's imperative for her to think of her abilities and the time she has available.

If you are a busy professional, is working on your website making the best use of your time? As we all know time equals money, if you're not tech-savvy, the time you spend on your website may lose you money!

Do you know the difference from the frontend to the backend or need someone who can take on all your requirements, go away, build you a mobile responsive site and have it launch ready?

It may be more economical for you to delegate the work to a website developer who can create and maintain your website for you.

I can help you decide on the best platform that will suit your needs, from helping you scope out what you need, research competitors websites, recommend suitable features and plugins to building you a modern responsive and SEO optimised website.

I am a Squarespace Circle Member and can create a modern, mobile responsive and SEO optimised website to suit your needs. Book a 30-minute consultation today to find out more about my Circle Member discount and website package rates.

Please note, the prices were current at the time of writing this post.

^Not her real name!

*Based on WordPress hosting with VentraIP and doesn't include cost for domain name, Divi web builder, email hosting or a SSL certificate to keep your site secure.

I recently worked on a client's WordPress website that had a bunch of outdated plugins, and was running an old version of WordPress which was having issues displaying the Divi classic editor used to update content on their website. As it had been a few years since any web maintenance work had been done, the site required several updates to get it functioning properly.

You pay a lot of money to have a website. First with the cost of the build, then ongoing costs such as hosting and domain fees, paid themes and paid plugins (if required). If you need custom CSS code added to you site or want a feature that's not available in a plugin, then you may need to hire a web developer.

The web gurus at WordPress are constantly working on their platform in perfecting it, and making improvements, bug fixes or adding new features. These updates or upgrades are rolled out at various times of the year. If you have an old version of WordPress (e.g. 5.2.9*) and don't keep it maintained you may experience problems! Not only do you want to update to the latest version, but you also want your site to be performing without any issues.

The risks of not maintaining your website

It's quite important that every few months or so you spend time on maintaining your website, especially with platforms like WordPress, and Shopify, that require plugins/apps and theme updates. You want to be certain that everything is compatible and operating properly, and there aren't any issues with your website.

Otherwise, you could experience your website having unwanted downtime that results in the loss of regular web traffic or online customers. You could also spend thousands of dollars on hiring the services of a web developer to repair your website, or worse, rebuild your website from scratch!

All of this can be avoided by performing regular website maintenance and backups.

If you keep postponing your website updates, you may find that a year has gone by, and when you eventually update to a new version, the WordPress site you knew has changed or can't be changed! This could be due to new features or improvements that have been rolled out, plugins or a theme that isn't working, or worse you find that your site has been hacked and you have lost content.

Keep a backup

It's wise to perform a regular backup of your website before performing any major updates, this will ensure that you have a copy of your current website in case something happens, e.g. your website host shuts up shop and you lose your website, or the website gets corrupted and it can't be fixed. Backups should be part of your website maintenance check and done on a regular occurrence.

For a WordPress website, a backup is as easy as installing a plugin. There are some free and paid plugins offering plans that include linking your backup up to a cloud account e.g. OneDrive or GoogleDrive. Most backup plugins have a restore or recovery option that lets you restore/recover backed-up content to your WP website. It's best to research available backup plugins and review the pros and cons and decide which one is going to suit you.

Start a maintenance schedule and make people accountable

If you have a large company you may have different sections that own different parts of the website. This is where a maintenance schedule comes in handy, and can keep a record of all the data, content, and files you have listed on your website. It also includes the name & division of the owner, as well as any stakeholder that is responsible for supplying content and keeping it up-to-date. It's also necessary to include dates and a frequency of how often these reviews should be conducted. This should including checking for broken links, reviewing files, and any static webpage content to see if it’s still current.

Hiring JAM to maintain your website

Did you know as part of my WordPress Management Support service I can check your plugins, the theme and version of WordPress you have installed, and perform a backup of the site.

With over 20 years web content management and development experience, I have expertise in various web content management systems (CMS) and platforms, e.g. WordPress, Squarespace, Weebly, Blogger, and Shopify. Many years ago when I worked in the Government and Corporate world, I worked on custom websites and old content management systems such as TeamSite, Macromedia DreamWeaver, Lotus Notes and Microsoft FrontPage! Web platforms have changed a lot over the years!

If you are looking for someone who can assist you in keeping your site up-to-date and maintained, give me a call on 0452 393094 or email me about my website maintenance support packages - these can be designed for month-to-month support or tailored to suit your needs.

* At the time of writing this article, the latest version of WordPress was 5.6.2

Have you heard of Google My Business?

Maybe you've seen a business appear at the top of a Google search with their telephone number, and a map showing where they are located, and wondered “How on earth did they do that?” It’s all done via a free service called Google My Business.

How does Google My Business help your business?

Google My Business is an online tool that is available to anyone with a Google account. Think of it as an online directory where you can promote offers, share blog posts, display photos, promote online products, list events, display customer reviews, as well as update customers on any changes due to COVID-19. The best thing about it, is that it’s free!

Features you can find within your profile

Some of the features you can find within a business profile include:

• a description of your business (max 750 characters)

• categories*

• your service area (which displays on the Google map)

• you can indicate whether you are a bricks & mortar business or home-based business

• list your services

• add products, updates, events

• display contact & address details

• update your business hours

• post a Covid-19 update on what’s happening with your business

• upload your logo, and or photos

• as well as create Google Ads

You can also display Google reviews you have received from customers and link to your website.

Insights of your listing along with statistics such as how many customers are directly clicking through to your website are also available.

*up to 10 categories that best match your business (some categories may be unavailable)

Get verified by Google

Once we have created your profile, Google will ask you to verify your profile. This is a security measure Google has put in place to ensure information is accurate and the owners are who they say they are!

To arrange verification, a postcard with a unique verification code will be mailed to your listed address on your profile (allow for a few weeks for it to arrive).

Once you receive the postcard from Google, we will work with you in adding the code to your profile. Once the code has been added you should start to see your details appear on the Google search & Google map (it may take a couple of days for it to be picked up by Google).

Need help with your Google My Business profile?

I've come across so many business owners who don't have a Google My Business profile, either because they don't know about it, or haven't had time to set it up and manage it.

Google My Business is a great and ineffective marketing tool, and is something I highly recommend to my clients.

If you need someone to set up your profile or manage updates to your profile each month talk to me today about my packages on 0452 393094 or email me.

Updated: 22/2/2021

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]]>What is Google My Business?Web content managementSecurityJulie McKoneTue, 02 Feb 2021 22:23:00 +0000https://www.jambusinesssupportservices.com.au/blog/2021/2/2/how-secure-is-your-online-presence59bcff193e00be51c2c65b0f:59ee8b08f9a61e4bf5c58d82:6018ec58bc39781152615d70  

With so much of our personal and business information available online, it is crucial that we take safety measures to keep the content we share on our social media profiles and website - safe and secure.

On average there are approximately 164 cybercrimes reported by Australians every day according to the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC). Within these reports, some of the most common types of cybercrime activity involved has been phishing scams, where scammers either obtained a benefit from pretending to be someone they are not (e.g. ‘send me’ money scam) or have gained access to a victim’s password, personal or financial informationn through a malicious link.

I was hacked!

A couple of years ago one of my personal Instagram accounts got hacked. It was an uneasy feeling to have my account which I shared photos of my art and designs, taken over by someone else. I couldn't reset my username or password, as the person who hacked my account had changed the password too.

Instagram made it almost impossible for anyone to notify them of a profile being hacked. At the time, there was no help request form or secret question to verify that I was the owner of the account. And the Help Centre I kept getting sent to, was not helpful at all.

After sending several messages to Instagram and Facebook (who owns Instagram) advising them of the hack. I posted a message of the hack with a screenshot of my account on my other Instagram profile and tagged Instagram! I'm not sure if this helped with them responding to me, or whether one of the various messages I sent got through to them! Thankfully Instagram was able to recover my account and I was able to regain access to my account.

While it was not my business account (thankfully) and only a personal account, it's still a scary thought of how easy it is for someone to gain access to your social media account.

I have since changed my profile to a private account and added two-factor verification as a safety measure and keeping my fingers crossed it doesn't happen again! I've also done this for my business accounts to ensure my information is kept safe.

For my Instagram and Facebook profiles, I use Two-Factor Authentication.

What is Two-Factor Authentication?

Two-Factor Authentication is like another layer of security that (hopefully) makes it harder for anyone to try and hack into your account, which activates after you have logged into your account. Once it’s turned on, it asks for a 6 digit code when you (or anyone else) tries to sign in to your account from other devices.

Note: If your social media account is always opened, for instance, if you use the Instagram app on your phone, you may not see two-factor authentication appear until you have logged out and logged back into your account.

Setting up Two-Factor authentication on your social media accounts

How to activate the Two-Factor Authentication setting on Instagram

Within Instagram, go to:

Settings > Security > Two-Factor Authentication > you can then select:

• Authentication App {Recommended} (you can download a free app from Google Play or Apple Store)

• Text Message (used for IG to send a code to your mobile number)

• or select "Account Recovery" and Recovery Codes (where you receive several codes that you can store on your computer for when your phone isn't available)
  

How to activate the Two-Factor Authentication setting on Facebook

To set up Two-Factor Authentication on Facebook go to:

Settings > Security and Privacy > Settings > Security and Login > Use two-factor authentication (turn to On)

Facebook also gives you a selection of Backup Methods such as:

• Authentication App (another app can be used as a backup)

• Recovery Codes (similar to Instagram)

• Text Message - SMS (this might best when you have a different mobile number to the one used to create your account)

Other security measures Facebook provides includes:

• Alerts of unrecognized logins

• Lists devices that have authorised logins

• Can send a unique one-time password for apps that don't support two-factor authentication (e.g. Spotify),

• Allows you to choose 3 to 5 friends to contact if you get locked out,

• Setup Safe Browsing where Facebook sends you a warning display if you attempt to navigate to a potentially dangerous or deceptive website.

• Allows you to see recent emails from Facebook, this includes emails about security.
  

Adding two-factor verification to your Squarespace website

If you have a website on the Squarespace platform, you can set up Two-Factor verification on there too!

Once you have logged into your account, go to Account Settings > Account & Security > Two-Factor Authentication.

You can also setup Account Recovery, where you can add a mobile number to log you into your account, in case you forget your password.

10 other ways you can you protect your online presence

• Log out of your social media accounts especially if you are on a shared computer,

• Use a password app such as Lastpass to keep all of your username and passwords safe & secure.

• Backup website content regularly

• Avoid using unsecured wi-fi in public which could be unsafe and lead to someone hacking your account

• Regularly change your passwords

• Use passwords with a mixture of characters - e.g. 1 number, 1 symbol, uppercase & lowercase

• Don't share your username and passwords with people you don't know. This might sound obvious, but I've seen people share screenshots of their website then add their username & password in forums asking for help! To me, that sounds like you are inviting someone to hack your personal or business details!

• Be aware of any criminal cyber activity - If you suspect something is fake, for example, you may have received an email from Facebook asking you to verify your account by clicking on a link. Don't go clicking on any links until you've sussed it out and know it is genuine!
  
  Check where the email has come from, usually, the 'From' field is a dead giveaway that its a scammer, or Google the content of the email. I have received fake Facebook emails, which may have looked legit and as if they've come from Facebook but were in fact scams!!

If you are in need of someone to assist you with updates to your website or social media profiles call me on 0452 393094 or email me today.

If you are looking at building your own website, you’ll notice several website platforms in the marketplace.

Many of the platforms have easy to use web builders that don’t require the user to have web design skills. The builders have easy drag & drop functionality for the individual or business who wants to DIY and avoid hiring a web developer.

For a small business owner it can be quite daunting choosing a platform, and figuring out whether it has everything you need for your website.

So here are a few steps I have put together to make the task of choosing a platform a little less stressful for you!

First step - what do you want your website to do?

Before choosing a platform, take some time to think about what you want from your website and write it down!

• Is the website to sell products and services?

• Is the website to inform, entertain, educate or advise its readers?

• Do you want your website to contain a blog?

• Will you need an online portfolio to showcase your work?

• Will you need an online store?

• Will you be providing a client portal (private login) on your site?

• Will you need a sign-up form for a newsletter or online course?

• Will you need a contact or booking form?

• Will you need to display a calendar of events (e.g. workshops, classes, exhibits)?

• Is there any particular 3rd party app that you would like to integrate into your website (ie. MailChimp newsletter)

• Do you need a website that will grow with your business?

• Will you be building the website yourself or hiring a developer?

• Will you be maintaining your website or outsourcing the work to someone like a web developer or VA?

Second step - research

Most small business owners require a simple website that provides a web presence. They want it to promote their business, and have a way to communicate with their customers and receive enquiries.

They may also want to link up to their social media platforms, write a regular blog post, advise customers of new products and services, team members, or offer promotions.

An online store is not only useful for selling products, but items such as: services, templates, or attendance to a workshop or course.

It’s a good idea to do some research and look at the different types of websites that are out on the internet. Check out what your competitors are doing. This will help you identify the type of features you might like to include on your website.

Third step - compare website builders

Below is a list of some of the popular website builders and content management systems (CMS) that are on the market. Please note this list isn’t comprehensive in anyway, I am sure there is a lot more platforms available than what I have listed, but this gives you an idea on the some the popular platforms that are being used*.

• WordPress.com or WordPress.org

• Squarespace

• Weebly

• Wix

• Shopify - eCommerce platform

• BigCommerce - eCommerce platform

• Magento - eCommerce platform

• Jimdo

• GoDaddy free online web builder

• Google web designer
  
  

You will find that some platforms have a free plan or offer a 14-day trial, where you can test the functionality of the platform before signing up to a monthly or yearly plan.

I have written my thoughts on three of the platforms that I use, please note I am in no way promoting or advising of the best platform. I am only sharing details of platforms I know of, that I use or have found useful!

WordPress

WordPress is the biggest and most used CMS around! Seriously I’m not kidding…it has a whopping 455 million websites are using WordPress. WordPress is also available in over 100 languages and has over 50,000 free plugins that you can download…this is just from WordPress.org! There are thousands of other plugins and themes available from 3rd party developers.(1).

With WordPress you can choose between WordPress.com and WordPress.org - .com takes care of all the hosting for you, where .org relies on you to install the site on a web server & have it hosted externally.

Like I said WordPress has thousands of themes and plugins on offer (free & for purchase), and has a huge community of developers and WP users, which is very handy if you ever get stuck with creating your site.

WP has several drag & drop plugins, for example, Elegant Themes Divi Builder, that is compatible with some of the WP templates. If you are familiar with creating websites, Divi Builder is fairly easy to get the hang of, however much like WordPress you need to spend time getting familiar with it.

WordPress is no doubt a web developers favourite CMS, as it gives the ability to customise a website unlike some of the other platforms which are limited to the templates that are available.

Pros

• WordPress has thousands of free plugins and developers who specialise in WordPress, so you are bound to find CSS code or a plugin for what you need!

• WordPress is the most powerful and used CMS available, and will probably stay that way for some time, so no need to worry about the software becoming unavailable or WordPress shutting down.

• The website you build on WordPress is yours to keep! With the help of a plugin you can keep a backup of your site unlike other platforms that don’t provide that feature.

Cons

• WordPress is a powerful content management system and requires a little website development & design knowledge for you to understand how it works properly and to its full capabilities. While you can use a drag & drop theme, you may need a little help in getting your site setup or customised the way you want it to look with help from a web developer.

• If you are not planning on maintaining your WordPress website, you will need to outsource to someone who has expertise in updating plugins, performing backups, changing themes and code, as well as performing regular website maintenance.

• WordPress requires external web hosting, so you need to look for a reputable company that provides secure, reliable and fast hosting speeds so your site works at its best.

Squarespace

I currently use Squarespace for my business and for building Client websites. It is an affordable, all-inclusive platform and offers web & domain hosting, so you don’t need to look for someone to host your site.

Squarespace has a drag & drop builder that is easy to use with it’s selection of sleek web responsive templates. If there’s a template you don’t like, you can switch between templates (before publishing your website) so you can test out a different look on your site.

Squarespace takes care of everything from websites, domains, hosting, 24/7 support, analytics, and marketing support. The platform has SEO capabilities and allows for the addition of newsletters, calendars, blogs, portfolios, or an online store. Depending on the plan you purchase you can also add external code for customising your site.

Squarespace has several integrations built-in to the platform making it easy to link up to 3rd party accounts such as MailChimp or Zapier.

Pros

• With its simple and easy to use drag & drop builder you don’t need any web design or code skills to create a beautiful website.

• Squarespace comes with a free SSL certificate to help keep your website safe and secure.

• Squarespace being an all-in-one platform means you don’t need to find a website host provider.

• Squarespace is perfect for small business owners who don’t have a large budget and has a large selection of templates to suit your business, whether it’s selling an item or service-based.

• Squarespace’s responsive design template means website content and images automatically fit to whatever device and screen width is used to access the website (e.g. laptop, desktop, mobile and tablet).

• Certain plans allow you to embed code so you can customise your site further.

• Squarespace has a large online library full of videos and tips on how to use its templates, features, blocks and update areas such as SEO and best practice guidelines.

• Squarespace has it owns in-built analytics which provides you with information on who is looking at your content, what they are looking at, what country they are from etc.

Cons

• Squarespace currently doesn’t have a website backup function or service available within their plan. To ensure you don’t lose your content, you should keep a digital copy of all your content, images, blog posts, sitemap, etc

• Squarespace has plugins becoming widely available by 3rd party developers, however there is no plugin library available from Squarespace.

• At the moment you can’t easily convert a version 7.0 website to a version 7.1 website, this would involve a website rebuild and purchase of a new plan.

• Squarespace charges a transaction fee for sales on the Business plan.

Weebly

Weebly is a nice drag & drop web builder, and is very easy to use. Weebly has a free (very basic) plan to get you started, however this does not cover eCommerce sites, nor does it supply you with your domain name. This plan includes Weebly branding displayed on your website.

Weebly has various types of themes/templates to choose from (e.g. Online Store, Business, Portfolio, Personal, Event, Blog) and lets you select from a palette of colours for how you want your site to appear.

You can add features such as a blog, online store or portfolio to your website, as well as have access to an app centre where you can find 3rd party integrations for your website.

Pros

• Weebly has a simple and easy to use drag & drop builder so you don’t need any web design or code skills.

• Weebly has a great selection of fully mobile responsive templates to choose from.

• Weebly allows for customised code for anyone wanting to make adjustments to the template.

• It is a cost effective platform for small businesses, personal websites, or blogs with a free plan available.

Cons

• If you take up a free plan you only have the use of it’s Weebly domain (ie. www.mybusiness.weebly.com.)

• You can only have a custom domain if you purchased the domain through Weebly or are a paid plan user.

• You are stuck with Weebly branding on your website, unless you purchase a plan.

• If you are a blogger, the blog feature is limited and doesn’t allow for much customisation.

• Weebly charges a transaction fee for its eCommerce plans.
   

Fourth step - how will you maintain your site?

Whether you are wanting to be ‘hands-on’ with the ongoing maintenance of your website, or just publish a website and let it be, you should take a moment to think of how you will manage future updates.

You may want to be in charge of updating your website, however due to your workload it might not be possible, therefore outsourcing several tasks might be the best thing for you.

Examples of just some of those tasks include:

• reviewing, updating & creating webpage content,

• adding new special offers and call-to-actions,

• composing & publishing new blog posts.

• uploading new stock, SUK, prices, etc.

• creating website graphics,

• entering workshop information into the calendar of events,

• repairing broken links, updating SEO fields and any errors found on your website by Google Search Console,

• sharing blog posts to your social media profiles,

• performing regular backups & updates to plugins,

When reviewing a platform you need to take all of this into consideration, so you find one that is right for you! 

If you are thinking of outsourcing the website creation or content maintenance to someone like a VA, get in contact with JAM to find out about our Website Creation service.

Please note, I have not received any endorsements for this post, these are just platforms I like and have experience using.

*updated 17/11/2020

Today I thought I’d share my leap in registering my VA business and becoming a small business owner.

At the time, I remember feeling nervous, and a little anxious about starting a business. I had no idea where to start. I hadn't run my own business before or knew what I should do first. I wasn't feeling 100% confident as I hadn't worked for over 8 years due to raising my two girls.

What I did know was that I wanted to be available to my girls in the mornings and afternoons. I wanted to have flexibility so I could be there for then Miss 6 & Miss 9 and still be able to help out at school and attend school events.

I wanted to be my own boss, be responsible for the work I do, and not have someone delegate work to me that I didn't enjoy doing.

Here's what have I learnt thus far:

In the beginning, it's hard work!

19 months on, and I'm still getting my name out there and finding new clients. I have joined a couple of VA networks, numerous FB small business groups & VA groups where I network & connect with other small business owners and VAs.

This year I have joined some women in business networking groups, so its my plan to get out the door more (and of my comfort zone) and attend more networking events. It can be hard with kids needing to be dropped off at school and a husband who works in a demanding job where he needs to travel, so my time management skills will come in handy!

It takes time to become good at juggling!

I am hopeless at juggling, I don't know how people manage three balls in the air at the same time! It’s much like juggling working from home with kids being at home, during the holidays can be tricky! I often get ideas for my business when I should be spending time with my kids. Or my kids want me to take them somewhere or go on the computer when I need to do some work. It's a juggle and something I am still learning to get good at it. It does take time.

Take time out for yourself!

I find having my office at home can sometimes make it hard for my brain to turn off...especially when I am sitting on the lounge and scrolling through my Facebook feed....small businesses owners don't stop working at 5pm! They'll be working throughout the night, messaging or posting comments or asking for advice and recommendations.

Just because some business owners work weekends or late into the evening doesn't mean you have to! Make sure you take time out for yourself. Starting a business can be exhausting especially when you are doing it all on your own. Take some time to relax, switch off your phone and have a break from social media.

Having frequent breaks is essential not only for your health but you will also find yourself thinking more clearly by being fully rested. You’ll also be able to tackle tasks that have been bothering you with fresh eyes.

Don't let the negative nancies and naysayers stop you from giving it a go!

Some people will be jealous, and not be happy for you regardless of how much they say they are. Or they will say something negative and try to convince you about how hard it is to work from home or to run your own business or run a business from home with kids!

There will be people who don't support you, but don't let that stop you from working hard on making your business a success!

Don't let fear stop you, otherwise, you'll be forever wondering 'what if'.

You can do it even though the fear of failure may be trying to stop you!

You can achieve and learn new things if you put your mind to it.

In years to come, I didn't want to think, “Why didn't I give it a go?, Why was I so scared of having a crack at running my own business?” Go for it, and if you do fail, at least you gave it a shot! But if you succeed, now there’s something to be happy about!

You are good enough!

There was a moment when I doubted myself and thought "I don't know enough", "I haven't studied enough", "I don't have enough skills". I had to get out of that mindset and tell myself that I did know enough, that I was capable enough, and that I could upskill myself and better myself.

If I can inspire my girls that's a good thing. You just have to keep plugging away and think of the end goal.

Remember back to "your why".

• Why are you doing this?

• Why do you want to be your own boss?

• What do you want most out of being your own boss (e.g. flexible work\life balance)?

Not everyone will understand what you do, but that's okay!

People still don't quite understand what I do when I tell them I'm a virtual assistant.

People automatically think that it involves Administration or Bookkeeping, when in fact I don't actually offer Bookkeeping, and Administration.

As a Virtual Assistant, I work with clients who are feeling stressed & overwhelmed, time-poor, or who don't have the knowledge or skills to do a certain task.

In the end, as long as you are happy, and you have a good group of people cheering you on and supporting you, while understanding, that it takes a while for a business to get off the ground, that's all that counts!

Published 11/3/19 Updated 13/8/2020

If you have been considering the services of a Virtual Assistant (VA) here are some interesting facts you may not have known.

1. VAs are business professionals who have years of experience and training under their belt, offering a variety of specialised services or support in a niche area. The term ‘VA’ or ‘Virtual Assistant’ is just a different name for a contractor. Most VAs are small business owners registered as a sole trader and work from their home office. Hiring a VA is similar to hiring a tradesperson to do odd jobs around your home, and works for a client for a fee.
   
   

2. A VA charges for the time they have worked on your task and if they have travelled to and from your office. This means if the task you have outsourced requires a VA to research content, find a suitable app or platform, source images, conduct regular Zoom calls or email updates - this work will most likely be charged to you.
   
   Depending on the type of service your VA offers, you may be charged an hourly fee, a set fee for a project, offered a retainer contract or customised package.
   
   

3. A VA is not an employee of a client, meaning the VA is responsible for paying their own salary, superannuation, sick and annual leave, insurance, supplies, subscriptions, travel costs, etc.
   

4. You may find a VA who specialises in a niche (e.g. social media management) or offers a variety of services. There are also VAs who only work for certain industries (e.g. Tradesmen), corporate and/or non-profit organisations.
   
   

5. A VA may work with numerous clients at any one time and will schedule time in their calendar while prioritising their workload so they can carry out tasks for different clients.
   
   

6. Like the name says, a VA, works virtually, meaning they may work from their home office, a co-working space or shared office space. A VA doesn’t necessarily work from 9am-5pm, it could be evenings, early mornings or in between the kids going to school, but be rest assured your work will be carried out.
   
   
   By having good communication with your VA, they can keep you up-to-date with your job’s progress, so you don’t have to worry about whether your work is getting done.
   

If you would like to know more information about Virtual Assistants or how JAM can help your business contact me on 0452 393094 or by email, for a free 30-minute consultation.

Updated 4/8/20

How do you manage your workload for the day or week?

Do you like to write tasks down on a notepad, add reminders to a diary, stick post-it notes all over your desk or computer screen, or are you reliant on your phone giving you updates?

There are so many ways to manage your time, whether it’s apps on your smartphone, an online app or by using a planner and a notepad.

By using one that you’re comfortable with, you can keep yourself from forgetting anything important and make effective use of your time!

I stay organised and manage my time effectively by using a mixture of apps, notepads, a planner and calendar on my phone & laptop. Wow, you might think that’s a lot to keep up-to-date. Well it’s not really. They all have a purpose, and help me make the most out of time.

Confession time I’m a bit of a list person!

I have always liked to write lists, whether it’s for tasks I need to work on within my business, client work I have booked in, or new ideas I've brainstormed. For home, I use lists for the weekly grocery list, meal planning, items to take on holidays, along with any errands or appointments I have. 

For my business, I have notepads as well as my to-do list which allows me to prioritise the tasks I need to work on for the week, day and next day. 

By jotting down all of my tasks I know exactly what work I have on and I can prioritise urgent v.s. non-urgent tasks and block time out in my diary. If I don’t write down my tasks I feel disorganised and worry about what tasks I need to do.

At times I use a planner where I write in my appointments, school events, reminders, birthdays as well as jobs I have scheduled in, which I then transfer to my phone calendar with set reminders, which I find useful especially if I get a call when I’m away from the office and need to check my calendar.

For training workshops and online meetings, especially where I have received an email with an invitation to attend, I like using the Outlook calendar on my laptop. This allows me to accept meeting requests and is handy while I'm working, as it will pop-up with a reminder close to when the meeting is about to begin. I can also sync with my phone if I choose to.

Apps for managing your time

There are some great online apps available, such as Asana, which is a work management app that allows you to create, share and track tasks, set deadlines, and delegate work to staff members. Within Asana you can share information such as images, files, or links to content on websites. Its a great tool for keeping track of projects or monthly tasks. What I like is that I can tick off the tasks as I go as well as add comments on a task when I need a client or contractor to respond.

Another project management and collaboration tool is Trello - think of a large electronic whiteboard with a bunch of post-it notes stuck all of it, well Trello looks a little like that. Trello sets your projects into ‘boards’ were tasks can be easily dragged & dropped under the various project boards. You can see what projects are being worked on, who is working on the project, and where something is in the process.

Both apps can be integrated with Outlook. With Asana, you can create a task from your inbox by forwarding an email to a specific project ID address. Which is really useful if you’re receiving numerous emails from a client on a particular project and don’t want the emails to get lost in your inbox!

Trello lets you integrate your Trello Board calendars with Outlook’s calendar. So rather than switching between Outlook and Trello you can view your project deadlines within one calendar.

There are some VAs who prefer Asana to Trello or vice versa. I prefer the list structure of Asana, if you need a project management tool, I think the best thing is to create a free plan and try a few out to see what suits you best.

Are you a list person or do you use technology to manage your time?

Need help with time-consuming tasks get in touch with me today on 0452 393094 or by email.

What an upheaval this pandemic has been for everyone! Hopefully, our usual way of living and working will return to a new normal soon, but for those of you who are going through an unusually quiet period due to changes with your employment or business, now is the perfect time to get through those tedious and time-consuming tasks, that you don't normally find time to do.

Here is a list of 10 tasks that you can work on to keep yourself busy and mind occupied!

• Tax time is near - Its the perfect time to get on top of your accounts and update your excel spreadsheet or accounting software with receipts you have in your wallet, or floating around on your desk.

• Get on top of your electronic filing - If you have heaps of files sitting on your Desktop (like me) or haven't emptied your Downloads folder for a while, then its time to get sorted! Start by sorting images and files into clearly labelled folders on your computer, the cloud or an external harddrive so you can find things later.

• Record a video of how you do a particular task - sometimes watching someone perform a task on a video is easier for people to understand than reading a written document.

• Jot down any processes and procedures for future use - if you have complicated processes or procedures that you don’t often use, or if you need someone to help you in your business this its good to have these on file.

• Bulk create your social media - plan for the month ahead by creating & scheduling your social media content in bulk. This will be one less thing to worry about once your business gets busy again.

• Upskill yourself - whether it’s on a new time-saving app, listening to a podcast or taking up a free TAFE NSW course. Use this time to learn a new skill or software.

• Review your website - Its always important to do a regular check of your website content to make sure its correct, up-to-date and any written content includes business specific keywords so people can find your website on Google.

• Brainstorm ideas for your social media content or blog posts - keep a Word document of all the content ideas that you want to use in your social media posts or blog posts. You may get some inspiration and start drafting blog posts so when you become busier you have some blog posts in draft that are ready to be published.

• Write emails - Get in touch with your suppliers, clients, customers or employees letting them know what is happening with your business, discuss any changes you see happening due to the virus (ie. changed opening hours), and how they can stay in contact with you.

• Start planning - Think ahead of your next sale, offer or campaign so when things get back to normal you have something ready to run!

What else can you do during this time? I'd love to know your thoughts.

JAM is continuing to provide online business support to local and Australian-based clients. If you require assistance with a task, email or call me on 0452 393094.

When I started blogging 10 years ago, it wasn't about making money. I built my first blog to share my journey through motherhood, as well as ideas and parenting tips I learnt along the way. What I didn't realise at the time, is that it would become a place where I would connect with other parents who were looking for answers, or just wanting to connect with another parent.

Why I blog

I wasn't someone who started a blog in the idea that one day I would make a bucket load of money or to become a full-time blogger. It was a way for me to reflect, keep an online journal of the time I spent with my two girls and share my journey with other Mums. I also provided ideas on entertaining kids through craft & art activities I had done with my own girls, and shared photos of the places we explored as a family.

On my business website, I created a blog to share my knowledge and expertise, explain how my services can help clients and provide useful tips. 

A blog can help build a community

Through creating my blog, I built an online village of supporters who understood what I was going through and who were there for me virtually, during the times I felt overwhelmed and exhausted as a stay-at-home Mum.

Now that my personal blog has taken a backseat to my business, I spend my time blogging on my business website and connect with like-minded business owners.

If you are still wondering whether you should have a blog below are my five reasons why I think a blog is good for business.

Connect with others

Blogging is a great way to connect with customers and update them on what's been happening in your business. You could use it to promote new products, interview new members who have joined your team, publish testimonials from happy clients, promote events or promotional offers that are new.

Share your knowledge & expertise

What better way of demonstrating your expertise and knowledge in your subject-field by publishing a series of blog posts that help other businesses or customers. You might think this is giving away free advice, but actually, the more readers begin to recognise you as an expert in your field they will come back to your site or may contact you when they need advice.

Builds a following 

When someone enjoys reading your blog posts they are likely to subscribe to your blog posts or share your posts with friends on social media. The more popular your blog posts become, you may find more readers following your blog or social media profiles.

Increase search engine ranking

By introducing SEO friendly content to your blog posts, you can help raise the ranking of your website on search engines like Google. 

Google loves fresh content! So remember to write a regular blog post, and update blog posts with new information. All of this will help with your ranking too!

Other ways you can use your blog

Think of your blog as an online marketing tool, use it to offer potential customers free goodies such as a free consultation or download, or display case studies or lessons learnt.
 

If you require assistance with your blog, contact Julie on 0452 393094, by email or by completing the contact form for a free consultation.

Updated 30/4/20

As a working mum, I know how hard it can be to juggle family and business especially during school hours, but what happens when you are sick or if you can’t find someone to look after the kids so you can get your work done or meet an important deadline?

I have invited other business mums to be a guest on my blog and share what they have learned through running their business and juggling a family. If we can share our knowledge and help one another, it’s a good thing!

Our first guest is Vicky Spoleti from Windview Australia who is here to discuss her tips on Juggling Family & Business and how she makes it work.

Over to you Vicky!

Life can be difficult at its best so how do I juggle the pandemonium of looking after a family and business at the same time?

Planning

It is important to have a plan so that you know what you need to do for your home and business. Without forward planning. running a business and home will become chaotic. Here are some time-saving programs and apps that help me plan for at home and in the office.

• One Drive data storage program for all my files, this allows me to work anywhere. I can easily access my files.

• Google calendar keeps me organised. I can set it up to operate on all my devices. I can also email my family and send them reminders of appointments.

• Microsoft programs including Excel, Word, Outlook and Publisher are the main ones I use online.

• NoCRM is a Customer Relationship Management program. I can easily update my customer records, add new customers, attach quotes, invoices and add notes.

• Copy me That – Is a meal and recipe app. You can browse the internet, and save any recipe you want to use for later. You can also print recipes and meal plans.

• Skool Bag, this app is brilliant especially for those who have children at different schools. You can nominate the school your children go to, set reminders, and gain access to all the school’s correspondence.

Ask for Help/Delegate Tasks

Asking for help is something us mums either love or hate. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or delegate tasks to family or friends. My kids will help with the laundry, taking out the garbage. My husband will stop by the store to pick up things I am missing. Though they are small tasks they help me save time.

If your kids are old enough giving them small jobs will help as bigger jobs they often don’t want to do. There are also many great services such as cleaning companies, babysitters, and meal preparations companies that are valuable resources to help the working mum.

How to cope when sickness and emergencies happen

Do you have a plan for emergencies, sickness or misfortune?

Do you have family or friends you can call to help with work or home tasks should something go wrong?

Do you know your neighbours or surrounding businesses that you can call on to receive your orders if something happened?

When we moved into our business unit, we met the surrounding businesses. They have received deliveries for us when we were away, and loaned machinery to us when ours broke down. We also do the same for them. We also had meetings with our supplier’s sales representatives, knowing them personally is a great help as they can stop orders or deliveries at a minute’s notice and re-direct orders when needed.

Have all your family, friends, work contacts and contact details saved on your mobile phone for easy access when necessary.

Juggling family & business at the same time!

When my children were young, I was lucky enough to work from home, the pram and playpen were my go-to. I would wheel my children around the house in the pram or put them in the playpen in the office. I would work during their nap times too. As my children got older, I set up a small table with a toy phone, pens and paper, and stamps. I would tell them to sit there and do their work as they needed to help mummy. This helped as it distracted them and gave me time to get things done. When my children began school, I only worked school hours so I could help them with homework.

If you don’t have friends or family to babysit maybe look into long daycare centres. They are fantastic at looking after your children for extended hours. If that’s not possible, get your children to help after school. Our children would help in the office and in the factory when they didn’t have homework.

Making relationships and business work

My husband and I keep our family and business lives separate. We do not bring work home with us. Any grievances are left at the office. We only attend to urgent work matters at home. We do not let money rule our lives or if our business is struggling. We see what needs to be done to bring in money. Sadly in a majority of cases when a business goes wrong, the marriage suffers too. We are blessed to still be able to work together and live together happily.

If you are a small business owner, you may not have a Secretary or Assistant in your office to support you with admin or marketing.

Tasks like designing flyers, composing letters, formatting reports, updating websites, creating PowerPoint presentations or scheduling social media can add hours to your already busy schedule, and might mean you work late or go into the office on the weekend.

If you have a lot on your plate, you may feel overwhelmed, stressed or worried that you won't get all your important tasks completed.

That's where delegating tasks to someone like a VA can be of a benefit to you!

What is a VA?

Gone are the days when VAs were only hired to manage tasks such as maintaining a diary, organising travel, answering incoming telephone calls and drafting correspondence from the comfort of their home office.

Nowadays, VAs can be anyone who provides an online service.

For example, there are:-

• Bookkeepers,

• Office Managers,

• Administration Assistants,

• Paraplanners,

• Secretary/PAs,

• Social Media Managers,

• Bloggers,

• SEO experts,

• Graphic Designers,

• Transcriptionists,

• Copywriters,

• Website Managers, to name but a few!

Most virtual assistants are sole traders who run their own business. They are not an employee of the client, meaning they are responsible for paying their own salary, sick & annual leave, insurance, supplies, etc.

VAs work remotely either from a home office or co-working space, so they don't need to take up room in your office and you don’t have to supply equipment, so in the long run they save you money!

When I work with a client, I am there to deliver an outcome and take away any pressure or feelings of overwhelm by carrying out the frustrating or time-consuming tasks.

If you have tasks that frustrate you or you’re unsure how to get something created, that’s where I can step in.

How I communicate with my clients

By having regular communication, and a clear understanding of the client's needs and timeframes, I ensure that tasks are completed in an efficient manner.

I provide regular updates so the client understands where I’m up to on a project or if I am waiting on something from them. Whether it’s by phone, email or a Zoom meeting.

I believe it’s important to have a good relationship with your virtual assistant and provide them with all the information they need so they can get the job done for you correctly and efficiently.

Hours vs Outcomes

Most people have this idea that Australian VAs are expensive. VAs may charge by the hour, fixed fee or a set package, depending on the task you need completed. Like any tradesperson you hire around the home, a VA works for a client for a fee.

For example, if your task is estimated to take 5 hours you will be charged for that amount of time, but they may also charge you for other things like: regular phone calls (longer than 5 minutes), reading & responding to emails requests, research, sourcing photographs, or travelling to your office to work on-site etc. It’s best to check how a VA works before signing any service level agreement.

Here at JAM, I charge an hourly rate for one-off jobs (with a minimum of 1 hour), I also provide packages, and can quote a fixed fee for a project or design work (e.g. website creation).

Australian vs Overseas VAs

Over the years the VA industry has become a competitive field with an increasing number of offshore virtual assistants becoming a popular option to companies.

While the offshore VAs may appear cheaper, you need to consider potential issues such as delays with responding to urgent tasks due to different time zones, language barriers, or production costs if a task is outsourced to a company in another country. You also need to ensure that an offshore VA has the necessary qualifications (e.g. bookkeeping) and is abiding by Australia's business rules, privacy laws & regulations.

By hiring an Australian VA such as JAM, you can be assured that tasks will be completed to your timeframe & budget, that you receive regular updates, and we follow the Australian business rules, privacy laws & regulations.

If you are interested in finding out more about the services we offer or our rates please contact us.

Edit: 4/7/2019

Are you constantly searching the web for free stock photos that you can use in your social media, blog posts, articles or PowerPoint presentations? Well look no further, here I have listed 5 of my favourite go-to websites. I particularly like Unsplash and Canva, for their fresh, quality imagery. 

Unsplash - https://unsplash.com
^Canva - https://www.canva.com/photos
#Pexels - https://www.pexels.com/
#Pixabay - https://pixabay.com/
Burst - https://burst.shopify.com/

While most sites require you to pay a fee to use their images, have strict rules about the use of their images, or ask you to give credit* on your website, not all of them require it. But it's always a good idea to check the fine print first, to ensure the photos that you are using are allowed to be used on the media (e.g. print or web) you would like them to appear on.

*Sites like Unsplash, appreciate you crediting the photographer's work or promoting attention their way. (usually via their FB page). Please note, I have not received any endorsements for this post, these are just sites I love using and I wanted to share them with you!

Do you know of any other good photography sites?

^In May 2019 the Australian graphic design app, Canva, acquired both Pexels and Pixabay photo sites. Canva now stocks a huge photo library containing millions of high-quality and premium free images for people to use*! 📷 The unlimited free photos can be used in your social media posts, blog graphics, or on your website.

While the free Canva plan has access to millions of photos there is a small fee you have to pay to use some of them. However, if you are a Canva Pro user you gain exclusive access to a further 400,000 photos, illustrations and templates.

*Please carefully read Canva's license agreement for using photos. While most are free, some have usage and download rights due to the acquisition.

Comparing a Temp to a VA

If I was to compare an apple to an orange, I can see that both are fruit, both are sometimes sweet, tasty, and grow on trees however they are from different fruit families!

Much like that of a virtual assistant and a temp worker (temp) that is hired through a job recruitment agency.

While they are both types of contractors, they are both different.

Temp

Before I had my two girls, I was contracting for approximately 3 years as a temp. I just left a corporate job after 5 years and needed a change, so thought I'd take up some temping to see what was out there and worked for different companies in different roles.

Temping is a great way to test the waters with a company before joining them officially, and depending on the hours you work can be very rewarding! At the end of the day, you get to leave the work at the workplace.

At the time, I was employed by a job recruitment agency to work full-time within a company. A contract detailed the assigned tasks or project I was hired for, as well as the number of hours and my hourly rate (minus the recruitment agency fees charged to the company)

It was the agency that would pay me on receipt of a completed timesheet. As a temp I did not accrue sick or annual leave, but was paid superannuation.

A recruitment agency is likely to charge a company a fee for hiring a temp through their agency.

Virtual Assistant (VA)

As VA is a business owner and not an employee of a client.

Operating as a sole trader, I choose the type of clients, tasks, and hours I want to work and that fits with my work/life balance, and business needs.

I have to purchase my own equipment, pay for subscriptions, insurance, superannuation, annual & sick leave, consumables, marketing/advertising, website hosting, mobile phone bills, travel expenses, conference fees etc etc.

I work for a client for a fixed price, hourly rate or pre-paid package.

Some people can be surprised when they receive a quote or invoice, as they don’t understand how a VA charges for their time.

What you should know:

A VA charges for the hours worked and tasks that are essential to complete your job.

If your task is estimated to take 5 hours they will charge you for that amount of time, but they may also charge you for other things like: regular phone calls (longer than 5 minutes), reading & responding to emails requests, research, sourcing photographs, or travelling to your office to work on-site etc.

Urgent work - if a request is received out of business hours or needs to be completed in a short timeframe, a VA may charge an urgent fee or surcharge on the amount they originally quoted.

Understanding the difference between a VA and Temp will help you decide whether outsourcing is right for you.

If you would like to know more about our services, please don't hesitate to call Julie on 0452 393094 or email us at hello@jambusinesssupportservices.com.au

Can anyone tell me where November went? Seriously how quickly has this month gone?

As a small business owner it’s easy to feel like the year has whizzed by and that I haven't ticked everything off my to-do list.

Recognise the milestones

I have times when I feel tired & overwhelmed by the constant juggling of being a parent, working, keeping up-to-date with school activities, playdates, Christmas shopping (don't get me started!) and the never-ending housework that I don't recognise the milestones that I have accomplished.

Make time to celebrate your accomplishments,
no matter how big or small.

With the festive season upon us, now is a good time as any, to sit back, get a pen & paper and write down all the things you have achieved, and celebrate them!

Let me start...

If I have a think of what I have accomplished this year, its been pretty productive so I should be proud of my achievements.

• taken on new clients (it’s always a good thing!)

• shared my knowledge by posting business tips on my Facebook business page (20) & published 10 blog posts on my website,

• became a member of the VYVA network which has allowed to meet some lovely & helpful VAs online & in person,

• celebrated a year in business,

• attended various networking & training events,

• met up with other business owners & advisors who have provided advice & guidance on my business,

• thrown myself into a Small Business TAFE course (as if there's not enough to do!)

• continually upskilling myself by learning new apps/programs for my business which I can offer as a service to my clients,

• and the most important - becoming a role model to my two girls and showing them that you can run your own business while being a Mum.
  

Learn from what you have accomplished

Attending networking & training sessions was a big step for me this year, while it’s easy to stay behind a desk and talk to people over email, it’s not the same as meeting business owners face-to-face. Talking to people in person about my business and chat about how you may be able to help them.

Then start all over again

It's important to acknowledge the steps you have made in your business regardless of how big or small they are. Then you can start planning your goals for next year, and take the time to decide on what you want to achieve (big & small) and set some milestones. It might include hiring a virtual assistant to help you with your tasks? :)

An infographic is a graphic that displays important information in an interesting and visual way. 

They are a good way of highlighting important pieces of information and makes information such as data easier to read and more appealing to your audience.

They can be used to brighten up a PowerPoint presentation, or added to a brochure.

Infographics come in different formats from flow charts, maps, decorative text, visual diagrams, timelines, data comparisons to charts, graphs, lists with photos or illustrations, and can be used to display information such as: research statistics, charts, comparison data or a list of information, which can be used on your website, in a newsletter, annual report, brochure, even on your blog.

Let's take a look at a couple of examples I have created. 

The first was created for a social media stats post I shared on my Facebook page recently. If you didn't see it, you should follow my Facebook page where I share business tips and other interesting facts.

This example is on the Grampians....a great place to visit if you love camping and hiking!

What makes an infographic so popular: 

• complicated data becomes easier to read,

• by using different design elements (ie. graphics, graphs or charts, columns etc), it can make content more understandable,

• information becomes visually eye-catching and grabs the readers attention, 

• infographics allow readers to avoid scrolling through hundreds of words looking for the information they're after.

If you would like some assistance with designing eye-catching infographics for your marketing material, blog posts or website, get in touch with JAM today by emailing hello@jambusinesssupportservices.com.au or complete our contact form.

Sometimes it can take months to write, develop and launch a website. Some Business owners make the mistake of publishing a single landing page with “Website coming soon!” plastered across it, because they are eager for their company to have a web presence, but don't provide any useful information.

Over the past couple of weeks I have been sharing tips on my Facebook & Instagram accounts on creating a web presence for your business. 

If you missed my posts, you can find all the tips here!

TIP #1 - Utilising social media

While you are building your website it's a good idea to link your domain name to one of your businesses social media accounts. For example, a Facebook Business page.

By linking your domain name to the Facebook page (or other social media account) this avoids the “This site cannot be reached” message appearing when someone searches your domain name. It also provides a web presence for your business while your site is being built. As soon as your website is up and running, the domain name can be linked to your website.

TIP #2 - Registering a domain name

Have you bought a domain name for your website yet?

Don't leave it too long or you might miss out on the one you want!

Make sure you do your homework, and research names that are available, and decide what type of extension it will have - .com, .com.au, or .net.au. It's a good idea to keep a list of names you like, and check them off as you go, so you can remember what names are already taken.

When thinking of a domain name, remember short & simple works well. The name should describe your business and be memorable to your customers, so they can easily look you up on the web. You don't want to lose customers by registering a name that's hard to remember, or by sending them to an address that is similar to someone else...it could send them to a competitor!

TIP #3 - Providing a call to action

If you are at the build stage of your website, and want to publish a temporary landing page so your business has a web presence, remember to add a call to action!

A call to action could be - a file to download, asking potential customers to phone or email a contact person in your company, or an enquiry form that asks customers to complete and submit the form if they wish to know more information.

In this day and age, customers want to receive information instantly, so unless you provide a simple call to action on your page, they may look for the information elsewhere! You don’t want a simple mistake such as not supplying contact details lose you potential clients to another business!

TIP #4 - Making your website accessible & user-friendly

When developing your website, its important that your site is user-friendly, and accessible to all users. There are many ways to make your website accessible - from how it is written to structuring content, utilising bullet points & heading styles, adding alt labels to your images, using descriptive link names - to adding meta tags so search engines can find your web pages.

User-friendly is a term used to make your website easy to use. By having a simplistic layout, and clear, descriptive navigation menus (labels) not only will this assist users in finding the information they want quickly, but also easily.

By creating an accessible website, it makes your content available to a wider audience, and increases traffic to your site.

TIP #5 - Using keywords

To have your website rank highly on a search engine like Google, you should think of keywords that best describes your business, brand, product or service.

Have a think of terms users might be searching when looking for information about your business or the type of product you offer.

By populating your web pages with those keywords you will assist search engines in finding your content, and ranking it according to the keyword the user searched.

Using brand related keywords, may yield a higher ranking in search results than a generic keyword. Thereby delivering more traffic to your website, and building a better web presence for your business.

Is there any other tips you would add? Love to hear your thoughts!

If you would like JAM to help you setup a web presence for your business, get in contact with Julie today by calling 0452 393094, by email, or completing our contact form.

As we say goodbye to another year, and welcome a new one in its place, we often find ourselves compiling lists of goals to be achieved in the new year.

Maybe you like to make new year's resolutions that you try hard to follow through on (stop eating so much chocolate, haha!), or like me, choose a word to guide you through your new year.

But what about for your business?

As a new business owner, I have a list (okay maybe more than one!) of goals I wish to achieve for my business this year. With new goals comes an ever-growing to-do list and set of deadlines.

For example, here's just a few tasks on my list: 

• Write, publish & promote blog posts,

• Create graphics for social media posts,

• Schedule posts for Facebook and Instagram.

• Update content on my website,

What's your business goal for 2018?

Do you have a set of new year's resolutions or goals for the new year? It could be relating to the direction you want your business to take, a set of milestones you wish to achieve, or a new partnership you wish to form to potentially grow your business? 

Or, it might be something as simple as needing an extra set of hands to help you with your to-do list when you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or stuck in a jam!

Kick off the new year with a VA

Tasks such as social media management, blog management, website maintenance, and design can be time-consuming, not to mention frustrating if it's something doesn't work out the way you want it. 

By delegating time-consuming, and non-priority items to an experienced virtual assistant such as JAM you will be able to manage your responsibilities more effectively, in turn becoming more productive and gaining better results for your business. Not to mention, feel less stressed!

Here are some areas where we can help:

• Creation of invitations, flyers, advertisements, brochures, signs etc.

• Develop content for your website, blog, email newsletter or presentation,

• Schedule social media posts,

• Source, write, publish and promote blog posts,

• Typing of correspondence, training manuals, book chapters, mail merge letters etc.

• Format complex word documents, flyers, fact sheets, training manuals, business proposals, etc.

• Develop, maintain and publish content to your website,

• Design graphs, charts, infographics, blog graphics or illustrations,

• Develop and manage a blog for your business.

• Create PowerPoint presentations

Call us today, and start the new year off with a VA!

For more information regarding our services & rates, or to get in touch with us. Julie can be contacted on 0452 393094, email or by completing the contact form.

Photo credit: Sparkler - Cristian Escobar on Unsplash

It still surprises me to this day, how many people I talk to have never heard of the term Virtual Assistant (aka VA) or understand the type of work a VA does. 

[A virtual assistant (typically abbreviated to VA, also called a virtual office assistant) is generally self-employed and provides professional administrative, technical, or creative (social) assistance to clients remotely from a home office. ... Virtual Assistants usually work for other small businesses. reference: Virtual Assistants (Occupation) Wikipedia]

Did you know that Virtual Assistants have been operating in Australia for more than 20 years?

Originally, a company would hire a virtual assistant to perform secretarial tasks such as typing, diary & email management, organising travel, answering incoming telephone calls, cold calling, or drafting correspondence. A lot has changed in

Nowadays, you will find VAs offering a niche service (e. g. social media management) or a variety of services ranging from:

• bookkeeping,

• design,

• copywriting,

• web design,

• event coordination,

• resume writing,

• research,

• content creation,

• social media,

• blogging,

• general secretarial & administration

As a virtual assistant, we don’t require a desk or space in your office. We work remotely – so anywhere where there’s wi-fi, such as a café, the library, a co-working space, even my back deck in the sun.…as long as we can connect to the internet, we can return emails, update clients on their jobs, and work! 

So are you a…….

When someone asks me what I do, they'll answer 'Oh...so are you a web designer?' My answer will be 'No, I'm not a web designer. I'm a VA', then I get a vague smile, 'Oh okay, so what do you do?'

While I have extensive experience in web development & content management, my business does not only focus on web design. One of my services is Website Creation & Management, which offers website creation, and website content management support. This is just one of the services I offer as a VA.

Australian vs Offshore virtual assistants

In recent years, the VA industry has become a competitive field with an increasing number of offshore virtual agencies becoming more popular. While the offshore VAs may appear cheaper, you need to consider issues with different time zones, language barriers, production costs (if it is outsourced to a company in another country) and whether the VA is abiding by Australia's business rules, privacy laws & regulations.

By hiring JAM Business Support Services, you can be assured that all work will be completed on time, within budget, and follows Australian business rules, privacy laws & regulations. We pride ourselves on providing professional, reliable, affordable work with quick turnaround times.

Are you a small business and need help with promoting your business, products or services?

We can assist with:
• creating promotional material such as postcards, sales brochures & flyers,
• designing social media banners, headers or collages,
• producing newspaper or magazine advertisements,
• designing catalogues, fact sheets or training guides,
• creating banners & signage, thank you cards or gift vouchers, 
• developing a simple website or blog.

Find out more about our services & rates or further information about VAs see FAQ's

Here are 4 ways you can avoid publishing an “Under Construction” page:

1. Link your domain name to your business's social media account – if you recently purchased a domain name for your business, but haven’t finished building your website consider linking your domain to one of your social media accounts (e.g. Facebook Business page) This lets anyone who looks up your web address access information about your business, and avoids the “This site cannot be reached” page appearing.

2. Creating a simple web presence – Sometimes it can take months to write, develop and launch a website. Business owners can become so eager for their company to have a web presence, they publish a “Website is coming soon!” message on their homepage. Instead of creating a page with little information think of displaying information such as your phone number, business hours, address, email address, a web enquiry form and links to your social media accounts. This will allow potential clients to get in touch with you, and still give your business a web presence until the completed site is rolled out.
   

3. If you haven't written all the content for your website and have blank web pages published - Sometimes I notice websites that have published a webpage with only a heading and no content. If you haven’t finished writing your web copy I would recommend removing these pages. These types of pages look unprofessional, and as if there is a problem with information displaying on your site.
   
   An alternative is to add some wording along the lines of "If you would like further information about {TOPIC/SERVICES} please contact {NAME} on {PHONE NUMBER} or to receive a PDF please complete the enquiry form". You may not have all the information they require on the website, but at least you are giving them a point of contact.
   

4. Use social media to keep Clients in the loop – While your site is being developed, think of using your business’s social media accounts (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram) for keeping your customers and clients in the loop!
   
   Social media is such a popular marketing tool. It has multiple uses from promoting new blog posts, advertising promotions to showcasing new products -- by using social media to connect with your clients on the progress of your website you can keep them up-to-date, and avoid publishing a “Website coming soon” message on your site.

One thing to remember is that users like to receive information quickly, so by not having any information available, you could find them looking elsewhere. You don’t want a simple mistake such as not supplying contact details lose you potential clients to another business.

If you would like help with creating a web presence for your business get in touch with JAM today! Julie can be contacted on 0452 393094, email or by completing the contact form.

Today I thought I'd share with you some benefits of outsourcing to a virtual assistant such as JAM Business Support Services.

1. Cost saving – hiring JAM as your virtual assistant works out to be more cost-effective than hiring full-time staff or a recruiting a temp. With a virtual assistant, you don’t pay for recruitment agency fees, or staff benefit fees such as Superannuation, sick, personal, or annual leave.

2. Flexibility – you can hire a VA for as long, or as little as you need, and only pay for the agreed hours.

3. Frees up time – by delegating time-consuming tasks to JAM you have more time to connect with new clients, and create new business opportunities.

4. Office space – working with a remote business such as JAM means you don’t need to provide office space, equipment or resources.

5. Less HR paperwork – working with JAM means you don’t have to worry about payroll taxes, completing job appraisals, or lodging employee benefits such Superannuation – so less paperwork for you, hurray!

If you are stuck in a jam, and need a hand with your to-do list give Julie a call on 0452 393094 or get in touch via our contact form.