Sometimes, we have a job on our to-do list that we don’t like doing, or don’t have time to do. Some of those jobs are commonly outsourced – for example, many of us use an accountant and/or an app like Xero to keep on top of our invoicing. But what about cold calling? Or email management? Or social media?

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Top tips from our newest regional director, Joanne McGowan

Joanne McGowan has been part of our network for a number of years, and when we learned she was looking for a franchise opportunity, it sounded like the perfect match. She took over the running of the Guildford and East Surrey office at the start of June.

Joanne has lots of ideas for keeping businesses running smoothly, so she was the perfect person to interview for our holiday blog! Here are some of her insightful tips:

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The Get Ahead team has been growing steadily over the ten years we’ve been running. Now, in addition to our virtual assistants, we also have an ever-growing team of regional directors. The regional directors are all experienced people managers who have come away from the conventional workplace to run their own teams of VAs and manage client accounts. Valuing all the members of the Get Ahead family is an important part of our business – we’ve thrived and grown in the last decade because we’ve invested in our team.

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While many B2B businesses go quiet over summer, many B2C businesses become very busy. If you work in hospitality, tourism, retail, travel or any other business that historically has its busiest period in July and August, it’s important that all your back-office support works perfectly – it’ll underpin your core business and help you get the most out of the season.

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We’ve had beautiful weather here in Surrey recently, reminding us that summer offers lots of different opportunities to market our businesses. In the warm weather, we all go outside more and a spirit of optimism shines through our social media posts. B2C businesses are often busy in the summer, while B2B businesses provide great support to each other during the traditionally quiet months of July and August. With the right marketing methods, there is potential to expand these areas of our businesses.  

Brilliantly, this summer mood and seasonal opportunity can be turned into some fresh new marketing material. Read on for some ideas!

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Top tips from our newest regional director, Joanne McGowan

Joanne McGowan has been part of our network for a number of years, and when we learned she was looking for a franchise opportunity, it sounded like the perfect match. She took over the running of the Guildford and East Surrey office at the start of June.

Joanne has lots of ideas for keeping businesses running smoothly, so she was the perfect person to interview for our holiday blog! Here are some of her insightful tips:

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Many of us have worked through previous summers in air-conditioned offices. But with the pandemic turning us into homeworkers, more of us will be battling to stay cool at home while still working effectively and achieving the right results.

In this blog, we share our 5 tips for working effectively from home in hot weather.

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There were mixed feelings among the Get Ahead team last week as schools reopened. While many of us were glad to be able to work without interruptions again, getting back to normal after lockdown is still an upheaval for us all. Fortunately, by being mindful of the change and embracing the new opportunities it brings, owners of “non-essential” businesses can get ready for reopening in April or May and have the successful summer they’ve been hoping for.

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2021 could well be an interesting year. As well as Brexit and its as-yet-undiscovered implications, many business owners have learned a lot from the coronavirus pandemic, like the importance of being flexible and embracing change. Others may have started up on their own after being furloughed and this will be their first January as business owners. However you’re approaching 2021, it’s important to set up your business goals and working ethos right at the beginning of the year, to keep you on track and resilient.

Here are four points that are on our January checklist – we hope they’re on yours too!

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How will you be celebrating Christmas with your team this year? If you usually organise a party or a meal for your employees, you might be wondering how to mark the end of the year in a pandemic-friendly way – and you may be lamenting the loss of the traditional Christmas party this year. 

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