• Blogging

    Virtual Assistant: Expectation vs Reality in a Pandemic

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    Joelle Clayton I VA where you vacation, on the beautiful island of Jamaica. I have been freelancing for the past 2 years, offering my services to friends and family unofficially.

    In March 2020 I decided I wanted to capitalize on the training and skills I’d developed working in various corporate companimes over the past 15 years. I saw the effects of the pandemic as an opportunity to capitalize on the major shift to digital commerce. In July I decided after much research and planning that I wanted to offer my services officially and become a virtual assistant. I started an Instagram business account with little expectations of landing a customer before the first three months.However in less than two weeks in August I got my first client, my 2nd client, my third client and today October 1st I’m starting with my 4th client.

    I’m not an expert in the virtual assistant field in fact, I have learnt so much since starting this journey in march and still have much more to learn, that I consider myself a newbie, an underdog. What I expected and the reality of working virtually, on a tropical island would be like are complete opposites. Proper time management and being organized are two key factors that make my day go by smoothly. 

    1. Where I opt to work from cannot be as “remote” as I’d like it to be. I definitely expected to be working from the beach or a more relaxed environment more often. However, I have to tether my phone’s data on the beach which is no fun. The kids are at home and make it impossible to function properly when I have virtual meetings. The best wifi connection I have are at home or my favorite co-working spot in Kingston Jamaica. My work location is still hindered by the availability  of certain amenities.

    2. I thought I would be able to work quietly from home with kids who are also at home 24/7s due to school closure because of the pandemic. Boy was I wrong, I have to plan content, research and do most of the work for the following day the night before. That way I have time to chase the two year old around the house in the day.

    3. I had wished for years I could work in bed, sill in pajamas and with my coffee. Imagine my disappointment when I found it was overrated, i was living my dream or so I thought. The reality is I am most productive and creative out of bed and out of the house. I am inspired by nature, I am excited to leave the house, to visit my co-working hub, to have lunch by the river and to take a walk along the Kingston harbour. Being home in bed is a nice idea but non-productive.

    The bottom line is that I love working with clients from different parts of the world, I love working remotely and I love the freedom of being a virtual assistant has. Are you working from home now? Tell me in the comments some of your biggest misconceptions about working remotely.

  • Marketing

    Why should you outsource to a virtual assistant during COVID-19?

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    What are the benefits of outsourcing during the pandemic? COVID-19 changed the way we do business, our business hours, the way we interact with our customers and the services we are able to provide in person has all been affected. This change has affected a lot of businesses both large and small, a lot of stores have been forced to close it’s doors indefinitely. 

    How can an entrepreneur/small business adapt to this change? How can you reach your customers who are quarantined at home? How can you reach your customers who are fearful of leaving their home? The customers who are working from home and would prefer not to go on the road because they don’t have to? We are being forced to operate digitally and this change does not necessarily have to be negative. There are many possibilities as we move our business online using the digital platforms available our potential customers are now global. 

    It’s easy to get left behind if you aren’t tech savvy, if you are operating a small business and don’t have an entire marketing team at your disposal, if you don’t keep up with the trends, if you are not sure how to push your brand online and if you are new to digital/social media marketing. That’s where outsourcing to a virtual assistant comes in handy. Hiring a tech savvy virtual assistant to help establish your online presence could save you time and money. That’s where Virtual Joe can help, here’s a list of a few things we can do to get your brand online:

    • Ensure your customers can find you online by setting up your Websites, social media platforms and digital ads will need to be established, updated and optimized to reach your customers and potential customers.
    • Engage your customers on social media to find out how their needs have changed.
    • Communicate efficiently with your customers about how you are adapting to keep them safe, change in business hours and changes in your operation. By sending e-mails and social media updates.
    • Set up your online shops and e-commerce on all relevant platforms.
    • Offer your services virtually. Virtual events/ meetings, coaching sessions, and online classes are a few suggestions.
    • Start promoting unique offerings, like DIY kits and care packages.
    • Offer delivery services.

    The aim is to connect with our customers online, to create content that is relevant and meet the requirements of the new normal. Book your free consultation with me by sending us an email and let’s work together to take your brand to the next level.

    ✉️ info@virtualjoe876.com

  • Blogging

    Managing COVID-19 and Stress

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    Mental health

     

    Every year the World Health Organization celebrates October 10th as World Mental Health Day. This year the entire month of October will be recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month. With the effects of the pandemic, I think it’s an understatement to say 2020 has been an extremely stressful year for us all. Anxiety is all around, we are anxious about our health and the health of our loved ones, our jobs, our children and their future.


    For me, I was struggling with (postpartum) depression then lost my dad to COVID-19 in a manner I would not wish on my worst enemy. I never got to be with him in his last days, he was isolated in the hospital and I was “quarantined”. I was not satisfied with the care he got in the hospital and also felt like I failed to get him proper care. We couldn’t see him after he died and was unsure if we would even get to have a funeral services for him. In addition my children (boys; 7 years and 2 years) were also pulled from their routines. My 7 year old was so fearful of COVID-19 he felt like we would all die from it and my 2 year old going through the terrible twos. It seemed like I was thrown in a blackhole and things were only getting worse.


    Everything took a toll on me, I try to be intentional about my mental care and some days are better than others. Here are some things I do to amplify my self care:


    • I have changed the way I care about my physical health. I exercise daily, I boost my immune system with natural herbs/vitamins and I drink a lot more water.


    • I take care of my spiritual being as well, I have incorporated meditation and deep breathing exercises, and I give thanks daily for everything I have and everything I will receive in the future. Gratitude really is magical and I try to focus on the positives.


    • I try to spend as much time as I can with the boys in nature. On Sundays, I take them out of the house (we avoid crowds) we go to beaches and rivers and when they were closed we would just drive to an isolated area and get some fresh air and sunlight.


    I don’t have all the answers and like I said some days are better than others, but I am more intentional and aware about my self care, about my mental health and about my well-being. How have you been managing mentally? Are you asking for help? Are you the strong friend that no one checks on? It’s ok to ask for help, it doesn’t make you less strong. Share your thoughts in the comments below.

    Virtual Joe – @virtualjoe876
    🌐 https://virtualjoe876.com
    ✉️ info@virtualjoe876.com

  • Marketing

    Is E-Mail Marketing Right For Your Bussiness?

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    Joelle Clayton  What is email  marketing and can it boost your business?

    Did you know email marketing  is one of the most effective ways to communicate with your customers? Email marketing allows you to push sales and build relationships with customers and potential customers. Think how efficient and effective your sales campaign can be, if you are directly telling persons already interested in your brand. Emails can be automated and personalized for your customers and sent with one click.
     

     How does email marketing work?

    🌸Once you have selected your email marketing tool for example Mailchimp based on your marketing strategy the possibilities are endless. From automated to personalized messages with birthday greetings, to specific ad campaigns based on shopping trends. There are endless opportunities  to convert these leads to sales. Once you’ve established your marketing strategy and set up your mailchimp account, it is time to design a campaign  to drive potential customer to your website or online shops.

    🌸Using a design app, my all time favorite  is Canva for impressive marketing emails. Canva has a large selection of templates for newsletters and ad campaigns which will help make your email marketing strategy successful.
     

    🌸Once you’ve designed your campaign it’s time to send it to your list of customers. You’ll need to have a powerful personalized subject and also powerful call to action message for your email to be impactful.

    Yes! Email marketing  is right for your business. 

    Regardless of how small your business  is you can benefit from email marketing. Even if you are just starting with no mailing list, the email marketing tools are designed to help grow your mail list. Statistics show that for every $1 spent on an email marketing the ROI will be 40%. That’s higher than any other marketing tool. 

    I can make the process seemless you might be tech savvy however yocannot find the time to set up your campaigns. And if youre not tech savvy you know I’m your girl, I can get the job done. Outsourcing  will increase sales,, save you time and money. Contact me today and let’s get started.