Category: Virtual support

Did you know that the first Friday in April is National Walk to Work Day? This is a day which encourages anybody who can to leave their car at home, skip the bus and go to work on foot instead. The day is designed to raise awareness about the often sedentary nature of modern working life, and encourage everybody to adopt a healthy new habit.

Walking by itself is hugely beneficial, but there are also things you can do to be productive while you’re pounding the pavement. So if you’re thinking of trying it out, here are some of our tips for making the most of your walk to work.

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Mother’s Day is just around the corner (Sunday 31st March), and to celebrate we thought we’d ask some of our VAs what it’s like to be a mum and run a business.

At Get Ahead VA, we offer our virtual assistants a flexible approach to working, so that they are able to provide a professional service to our clients, whilst also fitting their work around other commitments, such as family. As a result, many of our VAs are also parents, and they’re brimming with good advice about managing life and business side by side!

If you’re a parent who’s interested in starting a business, here’s are some tips from our VAs to get you started.

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The end of the financial year is just around the corner, and with it come some changes that the government is making to VAT returns for businesses – an initiative called ‘Making Tax Digital’.

If you’re not sure whether or how the changes will affect your business, don’t worry. Here’s what you need to know to prepare for this new way of managing your business’ taxes.

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Get Ahead VA offers a wide range of business and marketing services. In our Service Spotlight, we take a closer look at one of these and show you how our virtual assistants can help you and your business. This month, with the end of the financial year coming up (5th April), we’re looking at accounting.

Why do you need accounting help?

For many business owners, the worst part of running a business is managing the accounts. In a survey of 508 small business owners conducted by TD Bank, nearly half of the respondents named bookkeeping as their least favourite part of running a business.*

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Get Ahead VA offers a wide range of business and marketing services. In our Service Spotlight, we take a closer look at one of these and show you how our virtual assistants can help you and your business. This month, we’re looking at telephone answering.

Why do you need telephone answering?

Phone calls can be one of the biggest distractions in the workplace. We all know the feeling of being fully immersed in a project or piece of work, only for a phone call to break our flow and add extra tasks to our to-do list. Business calls can also happen at the most inconvenient times – when you’re travelling, in a meeting, or even (horror of horrors) when you’re at home with your feet up!

If you find yourself bombarded with calls, or you just want a break from the phone while you finish an important piece of work, then a telephone answering service could be just what you need.

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As the date of Brexit approaches (29th March), and with no clear deal yet on the table, it’s no wonder that there’s a strong feeling of uncertainty in the country. But although it’s impossible to predict the long-term impact of Britain leaving the EU, digital marketers Catalyst have outlined some basic steps all SMEs can take to get through this difficult period.

One solution to your Brexit woes could be to make use of virtual assistants. In uncertain times, the businesses that adapt are most likely to survive, and using VAs could be just the kind of agile, innovative approach your business needs to deal with the turbulence ahead. Here are five reasons why a virtual assistant could help you to get through Brexit.

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Get Ahead VA offers a wide range of business and marketing services. In our Service Spotlight, we take a closer look at one of these and show you how our virtual assistants can help you and your business. This month, with the aim of getting organised for the new year, we’re looking at administration.

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If you’re a small business owner, you know how difficult it can be to turn off, even over the Christmas holidays. And in that awkward period between Christmas and New Year, it can be all too easy to find yourself working again, without having taken a proper break.

But this is an important time of year for entrepreneurs to rest and recover, so if you’re finding it difficult to take time off before the new year, read on for our top R&R tips for business owners.

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Black Friday – a day on which retailers offer huge discounts to their customers – has been around for decades. It originated in America in the 1920s, and by the 1980s it had become one of the most important shopping days of the year. In 2010 the phenomenon crossed the pond, and in the last few years it has well and truly made its mark in the UK. In 2017, we spent £1.4 billion* in online Black Friday sales alone.

This year, Black Friday will happen on Friday 23rd November, and it is expected to be as significant as ever. But is this an event for big retailers only, or can everybody get involved? Read on to find out whether running a Black Friday promotion is right for your small business.

Should I take part?

There are plenty of good reasons to take part in this seasonal shopping bonanza. On Black Friday, shoppers will be ready to spend and actively looking for deals, so you might find it easier than ever to draw in new customers. It’s also a great excuse to clear out surplus stock, and it means you can boost your sales before the busy Christmas period.

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Get Ahead VA offers a wide range of business and marketing services. In our Service Spotlight, we take a closer look at one of these, and show you how our virtual assistants can help you and your business. This month we’re looking at email marketing.

What is email marketing?

Email marketing is the use of emails to promote products and services to, or to build a relationship with, current or potential customers. Email marketing has lots of advantages over traditional direct-mail marketing: it’s cheaper, you can reach a wider audience, and you can more easily track data to help you refine you marketing efforts. Email marketing is one of the most powerful online marketing techniques out there – according to some research, every £1 spent on email marketing can provide an average return of £38.

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