Category: Virtual support

Hotel digital marketing covers everything from your website to social media – any kind of marketing you do online, essentially! One of the most important areas of digital marketing for hotels and holiday rentals is review management.

In this blog, our digital marketing expert Mel explains why reviews matter and explains ideas for getting guests to leave reviews. She’ll also share tips for how to manage reviews once you’ve received them.

Why do hotel and holiday rental reviews matter?

 

Mel: Arguably, reviews matter more in the hospitality industry than anywhere else. This is because people usually go on holiday to somewhere new – that’s part of what makes it a holiday! What this means is that your guests have to rely heavily on reviews to help them make the decision about whether or not to stay at your hotel.

If the potential guest finds it’s a toss up between two hotels, they’re going to choose the one with the most positive reviews.

Remember, every interaction is an opportunity to show your personality. Reviews will give potential guests an idea of what to expect…and so will the way you reply.

How can I encourage guests to leave reviews?

Mel: Ask them! Most people love to be asked – they feel great having their opinion valued. Asking also shows that you’re confident in your services – let your confidence shine out!

A good time to ask is when guests check out. The sooner they leave the review, the more honest and specific it is likely to be. You could have a QR code on the front desk for guests scan – that way, they can leave their review while waiting for their taxi.

How do I manage reviews of my hotel or holiday rental?

Mel: Naturally, we all want a lovely collection of five star reviews! However, we also need to be realistic. Not all reviews are going to be positive – some might be mixed and others downright bad.

Working in digital marketing, I’ve noticed that every single review is an opportunity to show how good you are at what you do. Even a bad review gives you the chance to reply and show how good your customer service and problem-solving skills really are.

  1. How to deal with positive reviews

These are the easier ones to deal with! Even though they usually require less attention, it’s still a good idea to take time to reply and thank the reviewer for their praise. This shows your upbeat side, and also demonstrates that you love interacting with people – two characteristics to make a future guest feel welcome.

  • How to deal with negative reviews

Mixed or negative reviews always take more time to deal with. Summon your inner strength and try not to take them personally. Instead, try to see them as opportunities to show how well you deal with problems.

The most important things to do are reply politely and appropriately as soon as you can, and try and get the conversation away from the review site so you don’t end up having an awkward discussion in public. If you can, use the phone or email to discuss the problem instead. Try and remain professional and don’t get into an argument.

If you learn anything valuable from the negative review, let the reviewer know that you appreciate their feedback and will be making changes. Take the opportunity to show the original reviewer and any future guests that you listen, you care and you solve problems effectively. You might well be able to turn a negative situation into a positive one!

Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to have negative reviews taken down. Most review sites, including the biggest ones like Google and Facebook, will only take down a review that is unreasonable. Resist the urge to turn off the “leave a review” option if you get a bad review. Instead, continue asking people to leave reviews and let the good ones dilute the effect of a few bad ones.

Outsource your hotel digital marketing and review management

Another review management solution is to outsource it. Let a digital marketing expert like Mel deal with the reviews from her own home while you concentrate on delivering a fantastic experience to the guests who are with you right now.

A huge advantage of having a remote worker manage the reviews is that they look at them as an outsider. It’s easy to take reviews personally, and fixate on one bad one even if you’ve also had twenty good ones! But a remote marketing expert can help you regain your sense of proportion, as well replying to the straightforward reviews and prompting you to address the more complex ones.

Why not explore our social channels to find out more about what Get Ahead has to offer? And to find out more about outsourcing your hotel digital marketing, talk to your local regional director today.

PS – we’ve put together our top resources for hotel owners in one ebook – download it here!

Virtual PA services have revolutionised business support. One of our most popular services, we believe using a remote PA is a cost-effective, efficient solution. However, we also know that it can be hard to break away from the traditional idea of an employed PA. That’s why we’ve put together our top reasons why working with a virtual PA is as good – or better – than the traditional model. Read on to find out more.

1. A close working relationship

Recent tech advances have changed the way we communicate with colleagues. In addition, working from home some or all of the time has become the norm, meaning we’re often in a different location from our team members. What we learn from this is that it’s completely possible to have a great working relationship with someone even when your desks aren’t side by side.

Get Ahead helps the working relationship get off to a good start too. Our regional directors (your first point of contact) will spend time getting to know you and how you work. With this information, they’ll choose someone to support you who has the right personality match and who’ll thrive in the environment you’ve created. This will help your new working relationship develop all the closeness of the traditional version.

2. Advances in communication technology

Your virtual PA can work with you as smoothly as if you worked in the same office, thanks to platforms like Zoom, WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams. Faster internet speeds make real-time interactions easier too.

3. Changes in the PA role

The role of the PA continues to evolve. Advances in tech clearly help this evolution (see above) but there are social factors at work too. With many businesses having a flatter hierarchy than they used to, PAs are less of an extension of the boss, and more of a responsible team member. This means that the modern PA role is easier to do remotely than its former incarnation. It’s time to let go of the old-fashioned image and see the situation as it is in the 2020s.

4. UK-based support

If you choose virtual PA services from Get Ahead, your new assistant will be based in the UK. This means you’ll be in the same time zone, making it easier to coordinate tasks, diaries and meetings. Most of our virtual experts have English as a first language, so you won’t encounter the language barrier you might if you used an offshore solution.  

5. A cost-effective solution

The bottom line is nearly always costs. When you use virtual PA services, you only pay for work completed. This means that if your business only needs support for a few hours each week, that’s all you have to pay for. There are also no recruitment costs, pension contributions, sick pay or holiday pay – you don’t even have to provide coffee!

Virtual PA services from Get Ahead

If you think your business could benefit from virtual PA services, we’d love to hear from you. Your local regional director will take time to find out how you work, so they can match you with the best business support expert for your needs. And if you’d like to see how this works in practice, read our case study here.

We are delighted to open a new regional office in West London. Louisa Summerfield will be running the West London region, helping businesses from Windsor to Wimbledon to get ahead.

After graduating with a degree in Law, Louisa worked as a corporate solicitor. She soon discovered a passion for business and went on to launch a global fashion brand, specialising in fashion for women in wheelchairs. In 2012, Louisa discovered Get Ahead online and began working part-time with the flexible outsourcing agency, alongside building her fashion business.

In 2017, natural entrepreneur Louisa spotted an opportunity to bring several domestic services, including dog walking and cleaning, into one customer-friendly online solution. Working with a technical team, she developed a unique app that used GPS to match local people with a range of home services, including cleaning, dog walking, handymen, and dinner party assistance. Chores and Paws became a massive success in London, connecting local service providers with local clients.

After six years of developing the business, Louisa felt ready for the next challenge. She completed the sale of her award-winning company and decided it was time for something new.

“Having started several businesses from scratch, I know how exciting and rewarding it can be, but also how tough it can be. This time, I wanted to find a role that offered all the support of working for a business but the freedom to do things my own way.  Becoming a regional partner with Get Ahead was the obvious choice. I know Rebecca and the business incredibly well. I have seen first-hand how well she supports her Regional Directors, who are spread across England. Rebecca genuinely cares about her team and wants them to succeed.”

Over the next few months, Louisa looks forward to utilising her extensive local business network to raise awareness of our services. “Having been a small business owner, I completely relate to the frustrations and challenges of running your own company,” Louisa added. “I can instantly see what support business owners need and pinpoint the help that will make the biggest difference, whether that’s social media support, business development, accounting or other services. I love seeing businesses succeed and helping them on their journey.”

Our founder Rebecca Newenham is delighted Louisa has decided to become a regional partner and open the West London office. “Louisa has a proven track record of growing successful businesses,” Rebecca said. “Coupled with her deep understanding of our business and the value of outsourcing, I know she will flourish as a Regional Director. I look forward to supporting her over the coming months as she welcomes new clients on board. With offices in Berkshire, Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole, East Midlands, Essex, Harrogate, Leeds, North Hampshire, Oxford, Southampton, Suffolk, Surrey, Winchester and York, we are well-placed to support growing businesses.”

Virtual PA services have both similarities and differences from the traditional PA model. Unfortunately, some business owners are reluctant to sign up for support from virtual PA services because they don’t know what they can reasonably ask their virtual PA to do. This means they’re missing out on some great support.

If you’re wavering about taking up virtual PA services, you’re not alone. To help you, we asked one of our virtual PA’s Juliet to talk us through the top tasks her clients ask her to do. We’ll also take a look at more unusual tasks and how to go about finding the right support to deliver them. Read on to find out more.

Top tasks for virtual PA services

Email

Juliet: Email monitoring is one of the biggest areas of my role. With hundreds of emails arriving every day, it can be difficult for business owners to pick out the most important ones. That’s why I manage client’s inboxes, monitoring the emails to make sure that the right people see the most important messages and action them.

I keep my own records as well. If I notice an important email has not been actioned, I follow up with the recipient so it doesn’t go unanswered.

Initially, I send holding emails in reply so the sender knows their email has been seen. As time goes on and I get to know client’s businesses and how they work, I can reply to some emails myself, taking the pressure off the core team.

Outsourcing email monitoring means the clients can focus on their core business, confident that there is a VA looking out for the most important messages and taking the pressure off.

Accounts

Juliet: Having worked with a number of clients, I’ve got to know different types of accounting software! This helps me slot into a new business easily, and makes me more confident about taking on a new accounting platform. I enter the right data into the platform and chase and reconcile invoices.

Many business owners cite finance as their weakest area – if you hate it, you’re not alone! Fortunately, outsourcing means invoices can be reconciled more quickly and business owners don’t have to worry about it.

Reporting

Juliet: Many of my bigger clients have boards of trustees who have oversight of the business figures. Part of my role is to assemble quarterly reports, pulling together information from other sources so the trustees have an accurate picture of the business.

Preparing for board meetings can take up a lot of precious time. Fortunately, outsourcing the quarterly reports gives you that time back.

Events

Juliet: I often organise events, training and conferences for my clients. I’ve built up my own directory of venues and other services to help the practical side of business events run smoothly.

I love being able to share my established contacts with my new clients. Because I have worked with many different businesses over the years, I’ve developed a network of events contacts which I use to support my current clients.

What about other business support?

Get Ahead has a wide range of virtual experts. Even if you have tasks that fall outside virtual PA services, we have the expertise to deliver them. For example, we might match you with Juliet (or someone with similar skills) to put together a conference or stay on top of the emails. And if you have other jobs, like developing a new website or marketing a new product, other members of our extensive team can help. Even if you have more unusual requirements, like collating notes from a workshop, we hope you’ll come to us – we can always find the right support for your needs.

Virtual PA services from Get Ahead

Our team provide back-office support so that business owners can focus on their core offering. And without having to spend their evenings catching up on paperwork, business owners regain the free time and flexibility that they were looking for in the first place!

Want to find out more about virtual PA services? We’ve put together some of our resources to help you – have a read!

One generalist or a team of specialists? – Get Ahead VA

Don’t know whether to outsource? – Get Ahead VA

A hand-picked team for your business support – Get Ahead VA

Hut22 – a flexible solution for a changing workload – Get Ahead VA

If you’re full of plans but think you might struggle to execute your business idea, don’t worry – Get Ahead are here to help!

Christmas is a great time to reflect on the year just gone, and identify profitable areas for the year ahead. If you spent Christmas dinner bending your family’s ears about your new business plan, your new year’s resolution is probably to put it into practice.

In this blog, we look at why it’s great to have new ideas and how to get the right support to put them into practice.

New business ideas are great!

The Get Ahead team are always meeting entrepreneurs and start-ups. We’ve heard some fantastic ideas and we love the enthusiasm of entrepreneurs when they describe their plans.

Without new ideas, the world would grind to a halt. From the wheel to the internet, new ideas have continued to drive civilisation forward, creating new opportunities and new approaches to business and everyday life.

That’s why you should never stop having ideas. Even if you know your limitations, or you know what barriers stand between you and how to execute your business idea, don’t worry. There are loads of resources out there to help you fill in the gaps and realise your dream.  

Barriers to putting your business idea into practice

You probably already know that nothing worth having comes easy. There might well be barriers between you and a successful business idea. For example, you might have had a cool idea but you’ve never run a business before. Or you might be so fizzing with enthusiasm that you’re struggling to focus on writing a business plan to secure the right start-up funding.

Alternatively, you might know your own field very well, but feel less confident about the other aspects of a delivering a project.

Some people are starters and some people are finishers. The starters are often bubbling with ideas, while the finishers are focused and methodical. The business world needs both types of people, and they have to be prepared to help each other.

How do you get over these barriers? Well, we’d suggest taking some time to be brutally honest with yourself. Accept that your business idea will need some hard work as well as enthusiasm. Identify what skills you already have available to you and be prepared to recruit or outsource the other areas.

Plug your skills gap and execute your business idea

If you’re a starter, you probably need some finishers around you to help you make your business ideas reality. Your best mate might be really supportive, but if they’re too similar to you, they might not help you move your project forward. Sometimes it’s better to choose people who are focused on the bottom line, who are not emotionally involved with the plan and simply want it to work for the sake of business success.

Practical support for start-ups

If you need practical support for your start-up, Get Ahead can help. Our team are all experts in their fields, including finance, marketing, admin, and social media. We can put sustainable systems in place, like setting up customer relationship management software and creating spreadsheets for you to populate.

We insist that every team member has at least three years’ experience in their field before they join Get Ahead. Many have more than three years! This means that if you get your business support from us, you’ll be working with someone who has not only built up experience in their particular skill, but also has wider business experience to share.

If you’re starting a business this January, Get Ahead could be the support you’re looking for. We strive to bring maturity, experience and perspective to every project, filling in the skills gaps and to help you execute your business idea.

To see how this works in practice, learn how we filled in the gaps for a team of cutting-edge software developers who needed help to market their latest product. Read our case study here.   

It’s nearly time to get your business ready for Christmas. From essential health and safety to sharing the festive spirit, there’s always a lot to do. So here’s a little pre-Christmas present from Get Ahead – our Christmas checklist for business owners. 

Health and safety

If you have a business premises like a shop, factory or office, it’s important that it remains safe and secure when you’re closed. Christmas falls on a Monday in 2023, so you might be closed for four days or more. 

Remember to turn off the regular lights and turn on the security lights. Set the heating so it kicks in if temperatures drop – you don’t want to come back to frozen or leaking pipes. 

Depending on your business and what you offer, you or a team member might be “on call” over the Christmas break. Make sure the right people know who this is. If necessary, include the on-call person’s phone number on your emergency plan, answerphone message or email auto-reply. 

Outsource your office cover 

Get Ahead has a range of office services to keep your business ticking along when you’re closed. We provide inbox monitoring so the important messages don’t get lost in the sea of junk mail. And our phone answering service means there’s always a professional response to any inquiries that come in over Christmas.  

Holiday and Christmas cover from Get Ahead can be set up in as little as one day – please get in touch if you’d benefit from our support! 

Add a Christmas message to your website

If you’re closing over Christmas, it’s a good idea to let your community know via a message on your website. This should help you take the break you deserve over Christmas, as well as being good customer service. 

Write a Christmas message to your clients and customers

Your business would be nothing without your customers and clients. Take some time this December to thank your business community for their support over the past year, and wish them a very merry Christmas!  

Set your email auto-response

If you’re lucky enough to not have to check emails over the Christmas break, remember to set up an auto-reply to let your clients, customers and business family know. Get Ahead are great advocates of taking time off, so if you’re able to take a Christmas break, make it a complete switch-off.

Word your out-of-office carefully. Don’t promise to reply if you don’t intend to. We’ve noticed that the number of Get Ahead clients taking a complete break over Christmas has increased every year. So please don’t feel guilty for taking time off – lots of others are too! 

If you do need to leave an emergency phone number (see above), be clear that it’s for emergencies only. 

Check the fridge before you lock up the office. 

If you’re closing for ten days over Christmas and New Year, please, please take the milk home when you lock up. Throw out anything that’s not going to survive the Christmas shut down and enjoy (literally) a fresh start to the New Year! 

Get your business ready for Christmas with support from Get Ahead

If you have outstanding work you need to finish before Christmas, Get Ahead are here to help. We can cover your back-office responsibilities so you can get on with your core business, tying up loose ends before you take a complete break. Explore our site to find out more, or contact your local regional director today. 

Many business owners experience barriers to delegation – potentially disastrous as your business cannot grow without it. Sometimes there is a deep-seated reason why you can’t ask for help; for others, it just hasn’t occurred to them! 

In this blog, we look at common reasons business owners struggle with delegating, and consider the ways you could overcome them.

Common barriers to delegation

1. Imposter syndrome

When we experience imposter syndrome, we believe that we’re an imposter in our sector. We feel like we shouldn’t be in the role of a business owner, or we don’t feel like we’re qualified to work in that industry. Imposter syndrome – unlike actual fraud – is when we have all the qualifications and experience to do our jobs, but we still feel like we shouldn’t be there.

Imposter syndrome is a barrier to delegation because if we don’t feel entitled to do our jobs, how on earth can we take the lead when we ask someone else to do it? And how can we give feedback with confidence? 

Sometimes, all we need to overcome imposter syndrome is a quick reality check. Look back at your qualifications, if you have them. And if you’re a graduate of the University of Life, spend time remembering how you learned all the skills that got you where you are today. 

If your imposter syndrome is more serious than that, it could be helpful to talk to a life- or business-coach. We have quite a few in our business family – talk to your local regional director if you would like an introduction. 

2. “It’s quicker to do it myself than show someone else.”

We’ve all said this at some point! But the truth is, showing someone else is a long-term investment in your business. Certainly, the first time you do it, briefing your staff member or outsourced support will take time. However, once that initial briefing is out of the way, your business now has two people who know how to do it, instead of just one. This means one less thing on your to-do list; it also gives the business flexibility as either one of you can take responsibility for it in future. 

Accepting that you will “lose” an hour while you brief someone else on how to do it is easier when you also see the long-term advantages you’ll gain in return. 

3. Micromanagement 

Micromanagement is often a symptom of a lack of trust. If you don’t trust your staff or external support team, ask yourself why not. If their work is rubbish, stop micromanaging and hire someone else! And if the problem is with you, take action. Remind yourself that your team doesn’t want to do a bad job – they’re on career paths too.  

Overcome barriers to delegation when you outsource to Get Ahead

If you’re struggling to ask for help, Get Ahead could be a good way to start. You’ll have a single point of contact in the form of your local regional director – they’ll be able to introduce you to the right expert who knows your industry and also has the right personality. 

Often, they’ll encourage you to start small, perhaps with some outsourced diary management. If that goes well, you have the option to increase the amount of support you receive. You’ll never be locked into a long contract, and there’s always the option to add or subtract services as your needs change. We hope it will all go well, but if anything doesn’t make the grade, you can discuss it with your regional director. This means you don’t have to give feedback directly to your virtual expert if you don’t feel comfortable.

If you’re ready for Get Ahead to support you, get in touch today – we’d love to hear from you! And if you’d like more information on how to outsource successfully, download our ebook here.

If you sell products on Amazon, you’re probably aware that it’s a great opportunity but one that’s hard to stay on top of. Continual changes and paid advertising are just some of the challenges AMZ retailers face on a regular basis, all of which can eat into your time and profits. 

Fortunately, help is at hand. At Get Ahead, we understand the opportunities offered by Amazon, but also the challenges. We’re committed to supporting businesses of all sizes, helping them secure an efficient, affordable solution for their needs. That includes helping you sell products on Amazon! 

In this blog, our virtual expert Leo shares some of his insights as we look at ways to support you with your Amazon shop. 

Why do retailers ask for support with Amazon selling?

Leo: Most retailers want to sell through Amazon because it’s the largest online marketplace. It’s a no brainer! Unfortunately, the size of Amazon also creates problems. Sellers have to compete to have their products seen by shoppers, which involves including the right keywords in the right places and other strategies. Without proper attention, pay per click (PPC) advertising might not give value for money. In addition, account management can be really complex, especially as Amazon continually changes its rules and expectations. 

For many of the sellers I meet, these problems translate into neglected Amazon accounts and listings. Some retailers know they should be on Amazon but haven’t even been able to get started. Usually, retailers know they need to take action but ultimately it’s too daunting. And because of the time involved, taking action with their Amazon account doesn’t seem worthwhile. Instead, retailers are getting on with selling through easier channels.

I completely understand why retailers do this. But I also know that, by neglecting their Amazon accounts, they’re missing out on considerable sales. 

Sell products on Amazon with support from Get Ahead

Leo: I’ve been helping retailers get the most out of their Amazon accounts for a number of years. And now, a collaborative team made up of myself, Get Ahead regional directors and our retailer clients, Get Ahead has put together a package to simplify the Amazon process in an affordable way. We’ve also come up with optional extras so you can get exactly the right support for your needs. 

Our basic package has the following features:
  • Daily account monitoring      
  • Bid adjustments   
  • Brand registry support  
  • Budget adjustments      
  • Unlimited campaign launches   
  • Unlimited keyword research   
  • Unlimited ASIN research 
  • Stock management – weekly     
  • Account health compliance and support 
  • Keyword tracking  
  • Competitor analysis     
  • Reports analysis and implementation   
  • Email communication (up to 24 hours response time)    
  • 1x Monthly Loom video update – For Ads and Account Management
  • Listing optimisation    
  • Graphic design – product images, A+ content 
Retail clients also have the option to add on:
  • Monthly in-house visit
  • 1x weekly Loom video update  
  • 1x bi-weekly Loom video update  
  • 1x weekly video/telephone call
  • 1x bi-weekly video/telephone call
  • 1x monthly video/telephone call
  • Brand storefront 
  • Close communication (WhatsApp, Skype, Slack, etc)
  • Other support as required

Like all Get Ahead services, you can turn support on and off as you need to. However, I would recommend committing to the basic package for at least three months to give it the chance to take effect. 

Get in touch to find out more

If you know you need support to sell products on Amazon, you’re not alone. Fortunately, we can help. Explore our site to find out more about how we work, or contact your local regional director today for an informal chat.  

Feeling overwhelmed is increasingly common. Modern life (and sometimes social media) can have us worrying that we’re expected to be dynamic business owners, committed parents, interesting members of society and willing volunteers all at the same time. But the truth is, there are only so many hours in the day. No one can do everything. 

The worst thing about feeling overwhelmed as a business owner is that we can’t see the wood for the trees. But that’s where Get Ahead comes in. Of course, we’re there for people who phone us up and ask us for straightforward social media management. But we also love it when business owners come to us to say they know they need help but they don’t know where to start. When this happens, our regional directors draw on their own knowledge and experience, as well as the expertise within our team, to help a business owner find a way through.

In this blog, we talk to Sarah Yandell, one of our regional directors, about how to manage feeling overwhelmed and how Get Ahead can help.

Why do business owners feel overwhelmed?

Sarah: Running a business is hard work! No matter how experienced you are, there will always be responsibilities you love and others you struggle with. 

Another problem with running a business is that you don’t get paid holiday, sick leave or compassionate leave – I’ve met people who are trying to keep going when it’s really time to take a break. These pressures can leave you feeling overwhelmed. 

If you’re really overwhelmed, you might not be thinking very rationally and it can be difficult to get your priorities in order. 

What to do if you’re feeling overwhelmed as a business owner

Sarah: Be strong and take a break. It can be really hard to do when you’ve got an ever-lengthening list of jobs, but remember that you’ll work more effectively if you recharge your batteries. Often, stepping away from work can give you the sense of proportion you need. It can help you see where the problem really lies; it can also help you work out “what will make the boat go faster.”

Talking to someone can also help. Depending on the structure of your business, you might be able to talk to colleagues. And if you work alone, talk to a friend – a different perspective can be very refreshing. Remember, talking about difficulties and asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. You might be surprised at where the help comes from too. 

Often, talking to someone can help you find your priorities. Once you’ve found them, don’t try to fix everything all at once. If you’re overwhelmed at work and you’ve got other commitments too, focus your efforts on the most important thing first. For example, you can’t move offices, employ new staff and experiment with a new social media channel when your invoicing system isn’t effective. Put everything else aside and get on top of the invoicing first!  

How does Get Ahead support business owners who feel overwhelmed?

Sarah: When a business owner client comes to me because they’re feeling overwhelmed, my first instinct is to help. I ran a variety of businesses before I joined Get Ahead and I know from experience that it’s not always easy. When I meet a client for the first time, I always start with an informal chat. This is because trust is so important if we’re going to get you through this crisis and running your business effectively – locking you straight into a contract is unlikely to help your stress levels. 

Once we feel we can work together, I listen to you describe your business, the challenges you’re facing and how you feel about them, and start to put together a proposal. Like you, I’m not an expert in every area of running a business, so I also ask Get Ahead’s team of virtual experts to help me identify the best solution for your needs. 

It’s worth noting that the proposal is very flexible. I often start by offering a basic service like diary management, and you can add to that over time if you want to. And if we start off providing a service that you later don’t feel you need, you can simply switch it off. I manage the relationship with the virtual experts, so you don’t have to worry about an awkward conversation if you feel it’s time to bring the support to an end. 

Resources to help you when you’re feeling overwhelmed as a business owner

Sarah is our regional director for Suffolk and Essex, but her supportive approach is what you can expect from any of our team. Get Ahead are here to support business owners in any way we can – here are our top resources to help you when you’re feeling overwhelmed:

Case study: personal branding coach in Yorkshire

Take our mini-quiz to help you decide what to outsource

Follow our tips to protect yourself from burnout

Our telephone answering service is UK-based support for your business. One of our most popular services, we provide call answering for a wide range of clients. Some only use us once a year to cover the telephone answering while they’re abroad. Others use Get Ahead for other services and bolt on telephone answering when they need it.

In this blog, we look at how an outsourced telephone answering service can help your business and how it works in practice.

How does a telephone answering service help your business?

The invention of smart phones means that fewer people need an answering service than in days gone by. But telephone answering is still an essential business tool, particularly if you’re a solopreneur or work alone. Yes, you can answer your phone while you’re on holiday, but what if you’re swimming in the sea, meditating on a retreat or screaming on a roller coaster with your amazing family?! A proper holiday is one where you don’t take work calls. You need to recharge your batteries and reconnect with both yourself and the people you care about. Ultimately, it helps your business too. When you go back to work refreshed, you’ll be able to give your business and customers the attention they deserve. This will often translate into business growth. Trust us, breaks are important!

So, what you do you do instead of answering a work call? You don’t want to just leave your customers a recorded message. Quite frankly, it’s not good customer service. It’s impersonal and one message might not fit all callers. If your customers need reassurance, there’s no one to give it. And if disaster strikes, you won’t hear about it until you get back.

But a UK-based telephone answering service offers a better solution. The call will be answered by a real person, working as an extension of your business. They can take messages and provide reassurance that you will deal with the query on your return. They can defuse difficult calls and – if necessary – contact you to report emergencies. How does a telephone answering service work? Our telephone answering service works like this. If you’re new to Get Ahead, contact your local regional director here to get started. And if you’re an existing Get Ahead client, just get in touch with whoever your usually deal with! The regional director will take details about the duration of your holiday, what you would like the call handler to say and any other action they need to take.

Then you simply divert your work phone number to our call centre (don’t worry – it’s very easy and you’ll receive full instructions!). Our call handlers will answer the phone with the name of your business and whatever professional greeting you like to use. They will take messages, and when you return to your desk, the messages will be there, waiting for you.

PS – going on holiday tomorrow? Don’t worry – we can get you set up with our phone answering team in as little as 24 hours!