Automation Tools You Can Use To Get Stuff Done In Your Business!

We all know that technology is taking over our lives. From artificial intelligence tools like Chat GPT to the latest apps out there. As a busy business owner it can get overwhelming to keep up with what is happening and how it can help you to bring calm to your chaotic business life. I want to quickly share a few tools in specific categories that can help you manage your business and make life easier.

Task Management Tools

• Examples: Trello, Asana

• Benefits: Streamlining project management and team collaboration.

Content Creation Tools

• Examples: CopyAI, Content at Scale

• Benefits: Automating content generation and enhancing creativity.

Social Media Automation Tools

• Examples: Hootsuite, Buffer

• Benefits: Scheduling posts and analyzing social media performance.

Email Marketing Automation

• Examples: Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign

• Benefits: Managing campaigns and segmenting audiences automatically.

Life can get hectic as a business owner. Time is money. It is crucial that you have the right automation tools at your disposal to optimize your time. I hope that you will check out the tools I have shared with you to make your life easier.

Keep IT Sunny~

Grow Your Business Forward By Focusing On Your Zone of Genius

Photo by Akil Mazumder: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-a-green-plant-1072824/

When I go to the store I usually have a grocery list and then I put the amounts of each item I want on the list and total it up so that I can have a general idea of how much I will need to spend to get those items. In contrast, if I am out running errands and I just pop into the nearest Walmart Neighborhood Market to grab a few items almost always 3 things happen: 

I always forget something when I get home and notice it’s missing

I always spend more than what I wanted

I always buy stuff I don’t need because I am hungry when I go to the store, which is a big no-no.

🙂

In the same way we as service-based business owners tend to do more of the latter than the first scenario. We tend to try to do everything in our business from marketing to sales to customer service to bookkeeping and handling our tax filing using TurboTax (I see you out there:) We typically do not outsource these very important components of our business to someone else that, let's be honest, can most likely do it better than us because they are focused on doing only that thing. I see this a lot when it comes to bookkeeping management and I get it. When you are first starting it could make a lot of sense to try handling the bookkeeping because you are trying to save money and for a while, it might be working 

BUT

As your business grows, it is time to tap into a seasoned professional to help take you to the next level. This is where partnering up with a professional bookkeeping firm can be a game changer. In my series this month called What Can A Bookkeeper Do For Me, I will lay out what are the different types of bookkeepers, how you need to prepare before you start looking for help and what are some types of things a bookkeeping firm can help you accomplish. 

I am passionate about the bookkeeping/accounting profession and hope you will gain knowledge and insight to help you select the right partner for your business. 

Keep IT Sunny

March RoundUp~

March is pretty much in the history books.

The weather was definitely wacky across the country but I hope that didn’t get in the way of you working toward your business goals this month. This month I shared free tools that you can use to grow your business. In my post titled, “Don’t Go It Solo,” I discussed how mastermind groups can help you grow your business at a rapid speed. The best part is most are reasonably priced or free. I would pay to be in one if you want to maximize your time and ramp up the speed to grow your business. Check out the post here.

The next thing I shared was Growing Your Business With A Mentor. I am a huge fan of SCORE, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping small business owners & entrepreneurs. They offer a free coaching program that will help you to get the help you need to start, grow & scale your business. Check out the post here. 

The last tip I shared was the program offered by US Bank called Goals Coaching. The program is free and connects you with a coach who will help you with business or personal goals. You determine the length of time you want to meet up to 1 hour. This program is a game changer and the coaches are not able to pitch or sell you any services. You can check out the post here. 

The month of March was filled with basketball madness & wacky weather. I hope that did not get in the way of you being able to make progress toward your business goals with the tools shared in the post above. 

Keep up the good work & Keep IT Sunny~

Grow Your Business Up With A Mentor!

March is known for springtime, St. Patty’s day, and March madness. Now it can be known as the month to get mad about not growing your business using a free resource called SCORE. SCORE is the best thing I have found to grow my business using their mentorship program. In a nutshell, you contact SCORE and complete some information online or over the phone and instantly you are paired with a volunteer executive who has been there and done that. 

GENIUS!

I will keep this post short & sweet. Check out SCORE here and take advantage of their mentorship program and other resources they offer small business owners for free. 

Keep IT Sunny!

Welcome To The Month Of March!

Photo by Bich Tran: https://www.pexels.com/photo/hello-march-printed-paper-on-white-surface-910193/

This month kicks off the beginning of spring which I am sure many of us are ready to experience. It has been unseasonably cold in the Las Vegas area and snowing in parts of California where historically it has not experienced large amounts of snow. This month is also a great time to do some spring cleaning in our business and find resources to help grow our businesses.

My focus this month is taking a look at amazing resources that are available right under our noses that are either free or very inexpensive. I am excited to share these tools with you and help you to go further in your business.

Keep IT Sunny!

Can I Get A Quote For That?

Photo by Karolina Grabowska: https://www.pexels.com/photo/smartphone-with-calculator-app-showing-total-amount-4386293/

How many times have you heard that question and panic starts to set in because you don’t have a system in place for a simple quote? 

Do you use the back-of-the-envelope system? This is where you frantically start jogging down some figures off the top of your head and use that to give your client or customer a quote. Let me share with you 3 tools that can help you to deliver a professional estimate to your clients or customers that will leave you feeling relaxed and won’t break the bank. 

QBO

If you are already using QuickBooks Online to manage your monthly bookkeeping then you can use the estimating tool embedded in the software. It is available on all subscription levels. Here is a link to a short video to show you how to do estimates in the software. 

Quotient

This great tool allows you to create professional quotes and see when your client or customer has viewed them in real time. It can also be used with Quickbooks Online Advanced subscription level. Check out Quotient here to see what others think about it and all the features it offers. 

Quoter

They are an easy-to-use quoting software that offers automation workflows according to their website. They also integrate with Quickbooks Online and offer other options within their software. Check them out here.

So the next time you are asked for a quote there will be no need to break out into a cold sweat. Check out the tools above to see which one will work best for you and provide your clients or customers with an outstanding quote experience. What system do you currently use for delivering quotes to clients or customers? Share in the comments below

Keep IT Sunny~

3 Tech Tips To Help You Stay Organized

We all love technology right? That is for the most part until it stops working on us. Today we are going to look at how technology can help us to stay organized and get more done. 

Tip One

Use the text feature on your phone to schedule text messages to yourself so you don’t forget an important meeting or birthdate. 

Tip Two

Use an online calendar system & link it to your phone to stay on top of meetings and household appointments. I like using Google Calendar for this

Tip 3

Use apps to help you with almost everything. Do you want to stay connected to that business contact you made at a conference? Well there is an app for that called Cloze. This app is a relationship management tool that will keep you connected to your contacts across all social platforms along with having their contact information handy. 

Technology is great! It makes our lives easier and fun. Check out the tips above to help you to stay organized. 

Keep IT Sunny!

Apps That Can Help You Stay Organized In Your Business

Have you missed a meeting because the date was not on your calendar? Are you constantly feeling overwhelmed because your digital files are in disarray? Are you paying late fees to vendors because you don’t have a system set up to ensure timely payments are made? Do you get paid on time by your customers? Is this costing you time & money? The answer is probably yes.

“According to Entrepreneur.com, “Express Employment Professionals, a staffing agency, surveyed 18,000 business leaders to learn that company-wide disorganization cost 57 percent of respondents six working hours per week.

Disorganized employees can cost their company more than one-fifth their actual salary: $11,000 per year out of their $50,000 annual earnings. Elsewhere, a report by SaaS company MediaValet says employees spend eight percent of their workdays searching for files, and end up wasting time recreating between five and 15 percent of their company’s digital assets after giving up the hunt.”

Those are serious consequences.

The Solution

We have all heard there is an app for that and that is very true. Here are 4 apps that will help you to stay organized in your business.

HubSpot - This is a great tool to check out for customer relationship management. They also have great marketing automation tools too.

Flow - Flow is a project management tool and list creation app. It also intnegrates with Slack.

Google Calendar - This is by far the best calendar app out there if you are on the Google universe. It is free and is accessible on multiple devices. To check out other options look at this list created by Zapier.com.

QuickBooks Online - This is a no brainer in my option. QuickBooks Online is tailor made for small businesses and will help you to stay on top of money that is owed to you and money you owe others. The software can do a lot of other things but a word of caution is that it is easy to use and easy to get things screwed up so seeking out a professional to help you is priceless.

Digital Files - There are a host of document storage solutions out there like DropBox to Google Drive. The key to making the storage solution work is to delete unused files, organize the files the same way your paper filing system is and create shortcuts on your computer for frequently used files. Check out this article for more tips.

I hope you found this post helpful. What apps do you use to stay organized in your business? Share in the comments below~

Keep IT Sunny!

Photo by Kindel Media from Pexels

Tools That Will Make Running Your Business More Efficient

Photo by Ann Nekr from Pexels

How do you feel about the idea of getting your business operations organized? Do you feel enthusiastic or overwhelmed? I find the task of getting organized and staying organized is a delicate dance that I do within my business and life every day. I found a quote that is helping me to see how getting organized within my business can have a direct impact.

“For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned.” – Anonymous

I can relate to that because it is so true. Ask yourself how much time did you spend today looking for an important email in your inbox or an electronic document on your computer? I am sure it was at least 5 minutes. Now add up all the 5-minute experiences like this for a week or a month and you will begin to see how much time can be wasted and money lost by not being organized. Here are a few tools that can help you get more organized and spend your time on money-making activities.

Receptionist & CRM - It is important to have a tool in place to take care of potential and current customers that will leave them with a professional feeling but won’t break the bank. I recently wrote a post about the CRM tool Zoho and the phone tools Grasshopper and Google voice. Check it out here.

Project Management - There are so many reasons why using a good project management tool is an important piece of running your business. Simply put it saves you time and that will save you money. Check out this post I wrote describing what to look for and a few tools that might be useful for you to check out.

Professional Employer Organization - Well this isn’t really a tool but more of a resource that will help you to manage your team (if you are in a growth stage) in a cost-effective way. According to Investopedia, a PEO is an external company that handles your business’s administrative, financial, and human resources (HR) needs.” Check out their list of the top 7 best PEO Services for 2021 to start your research.

Not having a systemized way to run your business can create a lot of headaches. I hope that you will check out some of the tools above to move you toward success on your workflow journey.

Keep IT Sunny!

How To Find A Business Mentor

Do you find yourself in a business rut at different times during your business journey?

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to bounce ideas off someone you could trust that has already gone down a similar path?

If the answer is yes then you might want to check out Scores mentor program. According to their website, “ SCORE’s mission is to foster vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education. With the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, SCORE has helped more than 11 million entrepreneurs since 1964.” They have been around for a long time and have helped many entrepreneurs. Check out their site and give their mentor program a try. What do you have to lose?

Keep IT Sunny!

Month of June Roundup!

Small business owners were hit hard by the Covid-19 virus crisis. Unfortunately, many businesses had to close their doors because they could not survive the closure of their business over the past 2 months. As bleak as this sounds I saw this season in our business journey as a time to fine-tune different areas within our business. This month we took a look at how using a bookkeeping system can help you to pull reports so that you know how much you are making in your business. Additionally, we also took a look at tools you can use to automate things in your business. Today, I want to take a look at how you can get paid faster by your customers by getting paid online. Here are 3 tools you can use to get paid faster:

Quickbooks Payments - According to their site, Quickbooks payments allow you to accept debit, credit, and ACH bank transfers from your client. This is an excellent tool and has many features like recurring charging for customers that are billed the same thing each month. The pricing ranges from 1% per transaction for ACH bank transfers to 2.9 % + 25 cents per transaction for online invoicing. This pricing is for existing QuickBooks Online Customers. For new customers, you will need to set up a QuickBooks online account and then sign up for the payment feature. They do have an option to use the payment feature as a stand-alone product with Go Payment or their desktop offering. But if you want to use the online feature then you will need to have a QuickBooks Online subscription.

Freshbooks - Freshbooks is a cloud accounting software that has an invoicing and billing feature that can help you get paid faster online. You can use it with Stripe as the backend merchant servicer that pushes your customer deposits into your bank account. It has the option to accept credit, debit, and ACH payment methods and it also has a recurring billing feature. The pricing to use Freshbooks ranges from $15 to $50 for their most popular plans. Currently, they are offering a six month discount on all their plans and if you just want to try them out you can do that for 30 days and get your money back if you don’t like the service. Stripe charges 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction.

PayPal - PayPal is a well-known site that many of us use for personal money sending transactions. The online invoicing feature for businesses makes it easier to get paid online from your customers. You can send your customer an invoice and they can pay via credit card or their PayPal bank balance. There is also a feature for recurring billing to your customer. There isn’t a monthly fee to use the service and the rates are 2.90% + 30 cents per transaction and you only pay the fee when you get paid by your customer.

There you have it! 3 tools you can use to get paid faster online and a quick recap of the month of June’s Blog posts. And as always…..Keep IT Sunny!

Welcome To The Month Of May!

Welcome to the month of May!

I can’t believe how fast this whole year is going by. I am sure that the strange array of events is helping us to lose track of days. May is full of fun events most importantly celebrating Mother’s Day. It is also a good time to stop and take stock of where you are in your business. This month I want to take a deeper look at tech tools to help run your business better and online marketing resources that can be used to reach your customers. I hope you are taking advantage of all the government-related business financing resources available to keep your business running smoothly.

Keep IT Sunny!

March Monthly Recap

The month of March marks the beginning of spring. It also moves us closer to the end of the first quarter of the year. It is a great time to assess how you are doing in your business so far. This month we took a look at how to choose the best project management tool to use in your business and 3 practical steps to apply in your business to help you reach goals successfully.

This month has been an unprecedented challenging time of transition and change for all of us. It can be easy to get lost in all the noise that surrounds us and lose focus on what is going on in our businesses. I would challenge you to use this time to do business planning, learn new skills and get organized within your business rather than live in a stressed-out state. If you're looking for a resource to get capital check out BlueVine.com,” a fintech company providing flexible working capital financing to small and medium-sized businesses.”

Be proactive and get ready for the next phase in your business journey.

Keep IT Sunny!

Spring Is Here!

I love Spring!

It’s a great time to start fresh and to have new beginnings.

It’s also a great time to do some spring cleaning. Do you need to clear some clutter out of your business? Do you have a to-do list for your to-do list and feel like you can’t get things done within your business. Well now is a good time to take stock on areas you want to change in your business and get moving. Do you need a little push? Try working with a coach that can help you push the restart button in your business. Check out Dan Miller’s resources on finding a coach and happy Spring cleaning.

Are you going to do some spring cleaning in your business? Tell me one small step you are going to take towards getting things done in your business.

Keep It Sunny!

Countdown To The New Year! Let's Get Ready For 2019

I am so excited for 2019 and all the great things that are ahead.

I don’t know about you but 2018 was filled with many twists and turns. It was a good year but there are always areas for improvement. Especially when it comes to being a business owner. I was listening to a podcast by Christy Wright from The Business Boutique and she talked about creating a list of what went well, what went wrong, what was missing and what left you confused about your business. I thought this was a great idea and I plan on taking some quiet time to complete this exercise. If you want to learn more about it and other tools that will help you get ready for the new year check out her podcast episode #63 here.

I hope 2018 was a good year for you. As you relax during the holiday season take a moment to celebrate your wins for this year and get ready to kick butt in 2019.

Keep It Sunny!

How To Share A Password With LastPass

If you are like me I have a ton of passwords and I was either writing them down in a notebook or I typed everything in a Google Doc and saved it. The problem with both of those systems is that they were inefficient and not very secure.

Then I started working with clients and knew I needed a secure online tool that I could use to access their sites to work on their projects. I did a lot of research and the password management system LastPass seem to check off all the boxes. It's a one-stop shop for sharing your password information with your business collaborators as well as using it for personal password management.

Check out the video I made below to learn more about how it all works. Are you having trouble remembering all the many passwords it takes to run your business and your life? I can definitely relate. I hope this video provides a solution to bring a little serenity back to this area of your life.

Keep It Sunny!

Why Did You Start Your Business?

Hello everyone. I hope the month of March was productive and profitable for you. If it was then that is awesome and of course, you should do more of the same for the month of April. If you didn't reach your goals for March then maybe it's time to;

STOP

REFLECT

AND ASK YOURSELF THE QUESTION BELOW

Why Did I Decide To Go Into Business For Myself?

The answer to that question is different for everyone. But it is the foundational fuel that will push you to be a better entrepreneur.

It will give you purpose, energy, and motivation to redirect your efforts toward making your business a success.

This month we discussed how to solve some the biggest problems with running your holistic practice successfully. We took a look at how you can have more peace in your business and using online tools in your business to make it run better. Finally, we took a look at a few ideas on how to be more productive and make more money in your business.

The bottom-line is it is YOUR business. Your heart and soul should be in it 100%. If you feel you are off track then take a little time now before the next month starts to reflect and redirect your efforts.

I will leave you with some words of encouragement that I shared at the beginning of the month.

You can do this. Your destiny is to use your gifts to help people to change their lives for the better! Now get moving!

Keep It Sunny!

Do You Need Someone To Answer Your Phones?

Growing your business is a full-time job.

There are clients that need your attention and new ideas to bring to life.

If you are a solopreneur there is only so much you can do by yourself. If you are missing important phone calls because you are too busy to respond to customers in a timely manner then check out a previous article I wrote about virtual receptionist solutions. Yes, it is another expense BUT you must ask yourself how much is your time worth? The opportunity cost you are losing by trying to wear one more hat in your business could be costing you more than you realize. 

Check out these resources and breathe a sigh of relief.

Keep it Sunny!

3 Tech Tools You Can Use To Create More Freedom In Your Business

I hope you had a great 4th of July with your friends & family.

It is not a day to be taken lightly as we should all be very grateful for the men & women who have sacrificed their lives to make sure we can enjoy our freedom as Americans.

One part of that freedom is the opportunity to create the dream lifestyle we want as entrepreneurs.

America is the land of opportunity and being an entrepreneur allows us to take part in our "piece of the American dream". 

My question to you is: Do you feel free in your business or are you living a recurring nightmare with a growing to-do list of stuff not getting done?

Take a look at the 3 Tech Tools below that you can use to create more freedom in your business:

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Contactually.com: This is a great CRM that helps you to manage all your client information in one place. Let's say you met a couple of great potential clients at a networking event and now you have a bag full of event promo pieces and those dreaded business cards. If you don't get those business cards out your goodie bag, follow up with the potential clients while everything is fresh then the trail goes cold and your time is wasted. Contactually allows you to dump all that information into their system in an organized way and manage that lead right onto a viable client and beyond to gain referrals. Check out the site here to see how it all works.

Communication

E-voice: What happens when a prospective client calls you? Do they call your cell phone, business line (if you have one) your business cell line? What if they just called one number and then the call was routed to you in the way you desire. That is the nexus of E-voice. E-voice provides you with a separate business number that rings to your cell, a professional greeting & call forwarding options so you look and sound professional. This will allow you to deliver that white glove experience to your customers. Check them outhere & use promo code "Fire" (thanks John Lee Dumas) and receive $5 off your subscription forever.

Healthy Eating Options

Sun Basket: Now I know your probably thinking how does this create more freedom in my business. Well if you are busy taking care of clients and running your business who is taking care of your belly? When do you have time to check out the latest healthy snacks or produce at the local farmers market? You probably don't have as much time as you would like, so let Sun Basket do all the heavy lifting for you. They deliver healthy organic ingredients weekly right to your doorstep. Check them out here and use promo code "Fire" to get a discount.

So there you have it. 3 tech tools that you can use to create more freedom in your business. Enjoy the journey as you carve out your piece of the American dream.

KEEP IT SUNNY!

Finding A Great Fit: Virtual Assistance in 2016

Photos Courtesy of Stuart Miles|FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Photo Courtesy of phasinphoto|Freedigitalphoto.net

We are already in the second week of the new year. Time flies very fast. Are you on track with your goals?

• New Business Cards Ordered: Check

• Networking Events to Attend for 2016: Check

• Help With Monthly Projects & Tasks: NOT CHECKED!

Why are you still struggling to do everything in your business as if it was the year 2000? The Virtual Assistant Industry is on the rise and partnering up with a VA is the 21st century way of getting things accomplished in your business. 

How Do I Find A Top-Notch VA Professional?

Be Professional, Kind & Make Sure It Is The Right Fit For Your Business

Be Professional & Kind- Do not write this in your Ad:  Hi, I am Joe Blow from XYZ company and I am paying $15 an hour to hire a VA to do a long list of stuff. Please don't reply if you expect a pay rate of $X amount of dollars or have any requirements to work with me.

WOW!

This will surely leave you without the excellent world class service you deserve.

The previous statements are geared towards an employee/employer type relationship. These do exist in the VA world, think Craigslist or Elance. Even if this is the type of relationship you desire this type of ad doesn't leave the reader excited to work with you. Additionally, many virtual assistants work for a firm and are independent contractors. So be careful how you craft your ad unless you are really seeking to hiring an individual as an employee to join your company.

Most often if you are seeking someone who will go beyond being a taskmaster and deliver feedback and brainstorming strategies on the strategic view of your company you will be dealing with a business owner. I am unsure how you would feel if a potential client approached you about gaining help from you for their business and they wrote the above statements. Bad Business Communication 101. 

So to answer the question of "How Do I Find A Top-Notch VA Professional"?

• Make a list of what type of non-revenue generating tasks/projects you do daily.

• Figure out if you are ready to partner up with a VA. If you aren't ready to let go and trust someone with your baby, then you are not ready to work with a VA Professional

• Determine what frequency you will need help. Most VA's charge a monthly retainer just like attorneys to do business with them.

• Figure out your budget before you seek out a VA

• Write an interesting RFP that showcases your personality and business in the best light.

• Check out the potential VA's FAQ list on their site to determine if they are a good fit for you.

Finding the right VA Professional fit for you and your business may take a bit of patience. The end result will be that you will gain your time back and have your very own business partner, cheerleader to help you conquer your strategic goals in 2016.

KEEP IT SUNNY!