🖐 Happy Wednesday!

Issue #48 is 662 words and a 3.0-minute read.

1 big topic: Forget All You Know About Virtual Assistants

Today’s VA is a Chief Operating Officer who can run your business better than you with their skills in scheduling, invoicing, emails, and client support.

• Why it matters: Your business only grows when you work at the top of your license and move all other work to your virtual COO.

  
  

Between the lines: The most common two reasons you don’t bring a VA into your business are money and control.

It’s not easy to spend money on someone new or let them talk to your clients.

I empathize.

My first VA hire gave me the shakes when I thought about the money I would spend and the control I would lose.

Here’s what helped me adopt the VA model to double my sales and new clients.

• Flip your mind on money and think of your VA as a high-return investment
  

• Empower your VA to run one part of your business and then give them the rest when you feel it’s time

What’s next: Bring your VA on-board using a simple breakeven analysis and two test clients.

• The breakeven analysis is how many products or projects you can sell each month to equal the money you invest in your VA
  

• The 2 test clients are the ones you trust to work with and embrace your VA as they get up to speed and start to run your business

Once your VA is in hyperdrive, you’ll wonder why you waited to make the move.

Studies show that by the time you’re ready (which is now), it’s already six months too late.

Remember:

🙏 Prospects and clients want you to hire a VA, and they’ll give you big kudos when you make the move, I promise.

This week’s business story:

Your Technology Needs an Escape Ladder

CrowdStrike lit a match last Thursday with it’s pesky Windows update, and by Friday, global systems were ablaze.

Why it matters: Technology crashes, and you can lose clients if you lack a plan.

If you don’t have an IT person on your team, build a technology escape ladder.

Zoom Out: A technology escape ladder helps you and your VA protect your systems before the storm arrives.

Zoom In: Your ladder needs 3 strong rungs:

• A regular schedule 🗓 to remove all temporary files, save data to your back-up drives and update software
  

• An action plan 📝 to notify clients and keep your processes afloat
  

• A flow chart 📈 to show which technology supports each part of your business so that you can test and use back-up options

Examples:

If LinkedIn or Instagram close your account, how will you post on social media?

If Canva crashes, how will you build graphic design materials?

If your PC or Mac melts, how will you reach clients?

The bottom line: Your business will have a CrowdStrike moment.

Rest easy with a technology escape ladder that’s strong enough to support your business and long enough to reach safer ground.

1 fun idea: Give Yourself a Business Mulligan

You’re going to make 101 mistakes when you run a business, and it’s vital that you give yourself second chances.

Why it matters: Mulligans restore your faith and tell your ego that it’s okay if you have a rough day.

It’s easy to subscribe to new technology or take a class and then find out you won’t get good results. Aarrggh!

If you let missteps zap your energy and bring you down, you’ll wonder if the solopreneur race is worth running.

I assure you, it is when you put mulligans into action.

The bottom line: Learn to be okay with your errors, forgive your team when they make one, and make second chances part of your culture.

Stay curious and keep opening doors.

-Erik