Category: Top Tips

Get Ahead VA is very proud to have branches across the country, and we’re always on the lookout for ambitious, business-minded people who are interested in opening a new branch in their local area. Our Regional Directors are brimming with good advice about being your own boss. Today, Kristy and Suzanne, co-Directors of our Berkshire and North Hampshire office, are back to share more of their organisation tips for business owners.

We’ve already shared with you some of the ways we stay organised (see our previous blog post), but we have plenty more where they came from! So without further ado, here are three more things you can do to keep your business running smoothly.

(more…)

New Year’s resolutions are tricky things: we all know that most don’t last beyond January, and the enthusiasm we feel for them at the start of the year can quickly fade when the day-to-day realities of life set in. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t set them – especially if you’re a business owner.

All good businesses operate on clear goals. Unlike resolutions, we don’t limit ourselves to setting these goals just once a year, and if we fall behind with them we usually extend the deadline rather than abandoning them forever. This is a good approach to take to New Year’s resolutions too, so with that in mind, here are four resolutions to set for your business in 2020 that you can actually keep. They’re achievable, specific and you can keep working on them throughout the year!

(more…)

You might think that business coaching is the preserve of big companies – but did you know that it can be really useful for small businesses too? No matter the size of your business, you could benefit from the advice a professional coach can give, so this year why not invest in some business coaching and take your business to the next level?

To help you get started, here’s our guide to business coaching – what it is, why you need it and how you can find the right coach for you.

(more…)

If you’ve found yourself reflecting on your career over the Christmas break and thought about making a change, you’re not alone. ‘Find a new job’ is one the most popular New Year’s resolutions around, and January is an ideal time to do it, both because the job market kicks back into gear after the holiday lull, and because of the psychological push that comes from a new year and a fresh start.

But how exactly do you go about making a big career change? We’ve listed some of the most important steps you can take on your path to a new career, to get you off to a good start. Here are 4 ways you can kickstart your career in 2020!

(more…)

Have your business’ social media accounts got a bit neglected in the lead-up to Christmas? Don’t worry, there’s still time to get things back on track – and you certainly should, because social media has an important influence on sales, both online and in store, over the festive season.

According to research published by Curalate, shoppers in the UK are now 79% more likely to find products on social media compared to just two years ago.* The most influential platform is Instagram, and more than 33% of consumers will browse a company’s social media to research the brand and its products before they buy.

So if you want to give your business’ social media a final push before Christmas, here are our top tips to make it fun, festive and engaging for your followers!

(more…)

The end of the year is approaching, and we’ve already brought you our small business countdown to Christmas , but what should you do once the festive season is over and January begins to loom? The new year is a crucial time for any business, and especially so this year as we’re entering a new decade, so to help you get off to a flying start in 2020, here is our small business countdown to New Year!

(more…)

Christmas is just around the corner (less than a month to go!) and your business’s festive marketing should already be underway – but that doesn’t mean you can rest on your laurels. These final weeks before Christmas can make or break a small business’s seasonal profits so, with that in mind, here’s a handy countdown of what you should be doing in the last three weeks before the big day!

(more…)

Get Ahead VA is very proud to have branches across the country, and we’re always on the lookout for ambitious, business-minded people who are interested in opening a new branch in their local area. Our Regional Directors are brimming with good advice about being your own boss. Today, Fiona, Regional Director of our Leeds office, is here to share her advice about finding clients.

There are three main ways that I go about finding clients for my branch of Get Ahead VA: through networking, online platforms and via my existing connections. If you’re a business owner looking for new sources of work, here are my tips for finding clients in these three main areas.

(more…)

Get Ahead VA is very proud to have branches across the country, and we’re always on the lookout for ambitious, business-minded people who are interested in opening a new branch in their local area. Our Regional Directors are brimming with good advice about being your own boss. Today, Kristy and Suzanne, co-Directors of our Berkshire and North Hampshire office, are here to share their organisation tips for business owners.

When we opened the Berkshire and North Hampshire branch of Get Ahead VA, we wanted to start as we meant to go on – by being organised. As it turned out, we won a big project early on, which cut into our preparation time, and so we were very pleased that we already had useful systems in place.

Here are three of our top organisation tips for business owners. Whether your business is new or established, we hope you’ll find something valuable here!

(more…)

Has your business got stuck in a rut? Do you find yourself bored by things that used to excite you? Don’t worry – after the first exciting flush of starting a new business, it’s normal for things to start to feel stale, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up. This is the perfect time of year to put the fireworks back into your business so you can feel the passion again in 2020, and we have some tips to help you do just that!

(more…)