Could virtual services for coaches be the answer to your overwhelm? Will hiring a virtual assistant really help you grow your business?

If you aren't new to coaching, you've probably already heard of virtual assistants but are these and other virtual service providers the key to building the business of your dreams?

As you begin to grow your coaching business, it's common to hit that point where you have more on your plate than one person can handle. There's working with clients, managing the day-to-day, and handling future growth. It's easy, and natural, to start to feel overwhelmed. So you start looking into a virtual assistant. Maybe you do a search on the internet or even ask around on some of your social media groups.

But is that the best way to go about getting help? And what are the first things you should outsource?

Virtual services exist that make running a business much simpler. However, it's important to understand how to identify the services that would be better outsourced and those that would be better kept in-house. Here’re some tips that you can follow.

3 Tips for Knowing When to Outsource Virtual Services for Coaches Like You

1. You are spending too much time on tasks unrelated to the core services of your business.

This can often be a tough question to answer because some coaches are stuck on the idea that, “If you want things done right you must do them yourself.”  This is a common mistake in business. Whether you ARE the expert in an area or have no experience at all, hiring and training right can prove that others can do the job as well, and sometimes better, than you can.

The reality is that you’ll spend far more over time trying to do your bookkeeping, marketing, or admin yourself rather than outsourcing those tasks to an experienced virtual services for coaches provider. 

Take some time to identify the tasks that are the biggest time wasters in your business and outsource them to someone who does them better. Time wasters can be things that take you much longer than they should because you don't know the systems or processes well enough to do them quickly. They can also be the things you are constantly procrastinating because you just don't like to do them no matter how good you may be. 

And even if you can do something faster than someone you hire, it doesn't mean you should. The key to overcoming overwhelm and developing a track record of success is letting go so you only do the things that ONLY YOU CAN DO!

 2. Does performing this function highlight your expertise?

The tasks and projects that you outsource may depend heavily on the nature of your coaching business. 

As a coach, there are specific things you have to do yourself. Planning and executing your coaching programs, for instance, is essential for your business’ development. But there are many different moving parts to creating, marketing and executing a coaching program. Yes, you will need a strong website and systems to make it happen. However, that doesn’t mean that you need to hire a team of IT professionals full-time.

On the other hand, if you are a business coach who teaches others how to create a brand, then you may want to do the brand development of your program yourself.

Outsource the parts of projects that don't highlight your expertise to someone who provides virtual services for coaches. 

3. Is it a service that is only needed a few times throughout the year?

Coaches often do annual or semiannual launches. Since these only occur a few times a year, at most, it makes sense to outsource these projects to a virtual services for coaches company. They'll bring a level of knowledge and expertise to the project so you don't have to spend a lot of time learning skills you'll only use once in a while. 

6 Top Virtual Services for Coaches to Delegate

Virtual services are available in a wide variety of skills. There is a service that offers a solution to almost every problem a coach faces. Here are some of the virtual services you can consider when choosing where to get started.

Graphic Design

Attractive visuals form an important part of branding. A graphic designer will, therefore, be an important member of your team.  However, it is highly unlikely that you will have a consistently high volume of work for him or her to complete. This means that hiring a graphic designer as a permanent member of your team won’t be the best use of your funds.

It's tempting to hire a virtual assistant as a generalist to handle everything from your basic admin to things like graphic design. Most virtual assistants, though, won't have that range of skills. It's better to let your virtual assistant do admin related tasks and then find freelance graphic designers who you can hire on an as-needed basis.  You’ll find that you save a lot of money and time without compromising on the quality that you need.

When looking for a good graphic designer, consider these important points:

• Experience - While Canva has come a long way as a graphic design tool for social media posts, experienced graphic designers will have skills in more advanced programs such as Adobe. Graphic designers have a deeper understanding of color theory, font styles and even psychology so that the graphic elements you are asking for will enhance your brand and message.
• Portfolio - Do they do the kind of graphic designs you need? Some graphic designers only do logos while others specialize in websites or print design. What are the types of projects you are looking for and does your graphic designer specialize in those areas.
• Accessibility - There's nothing more frustrating than needing something done by the end of the week and not being able to reach your graphic designer because the power in their country is unpredictable.  (Ask us how we know that one). Make sure you work with someone who's internet and electricity are reliable and they are available based on the hours you need. It's important to understand what you might be getting when someone who provides virtual services for coaches works in other countries.

Task and Appointment Scheduling

Task and appointment scheduling is one of the quickest and easiest virtual services for coaches to delegate when they are just getting started. Virtual Assistants are often one of the first people a coach will hire and they tend to have the core skills for this type of work.

Virtual assistants are often adept at the use of scheduling software and project management tools common in the coaching industry. Your virtual assistant can use these tools to call to confirm client or prospect appointments, follow up on tasks or manage other details on your behalf.

Travel arrangements can also be scheduled. A virtual assistant can schedule flights, accommodations, car rentals…essentially any aspect of traveling.

Content Creation and Management

Content is what establishes you as an expert in your field. This might consist of podcast episodes, blog posts, e-books, free webinars or courses, videos for social media and your website, etc... All successful coaches use a variety of content marketing strategies to make their brand visible to their target audience. And yet, it is a time consuming and often difficult process that requires content creators with deft skills and experience. This makes it excellent virtual services for coaches to delegate.

Marketing forms a huge part of your coaching business. If you aren't already producing consistent content to market your coaching skills, it will be an important next step.

A content marketing manager might be just the right person to add to your team. This person’s role is to make sure that all content pieces (whether written or visual) appropriately depict the brand. They help to create and implement a comprehensive content creation schedule. He or she can also help you get the most out of the content created and ultimately allow you to reach a wider audience. While some content managers can also create the content for you, this typically falls to you as the expert or to an expert content writer.

Social Media Management

If content on your podcast and blog are like the marketing signs IN your store...

Then social media is like the billboard outside enticing people to come in.

If your social media content isn't well managed, it will be like having a billboard in Death Valley, CA. There won't be many visitors.

Social media changes, ALL...THE...TIME! Don't make it your career to keep up on all those changes. These are excellent virtuals service for coaches to delegate so they can free up more of their time and focus on what matters most.

Event Planning

Coaches, regardless of their niche, often host events (whether virtual or in-person) occasionally. Event planning is a highly detail-oriented process that can distract you from the core needs of your business. It may be something that you believe you can do yourself, but carefully consider the time you would lose when you could be spending that time attracting more clients.

You want your events to be the talk of the town for the right reasons. Consequently, your event planner should:

• Have great interpersonal skills
• Be able to manage time effectively
• Make stellar organization a priority
• Be flexible and have a contingency plan
• Have a track record of success in planning and executing similar events
• Be creative and innovative
• Have a passion for planning

Client Relationship Management

Building positive client relationships is crucial to business growth. You may not have a large client list when you start out so it's tempting to handle the management yourself. However, outsourcing the following client relationship management functions can help you establish even stronger relationships and provide a higher level of professionalism to your business:

• Manage invoicing and payments
• Follow up for schedule appointments
• Send thank you cards

What Should you Look for in a Virtual Services for Coaches Provider?

Now that you’ve jumped onto the outsourcing bandwagon, it's time to understand what to look for in an outsourcing partner. Here’re a few things that should be at the top of your checklist:

     1. Experience

Is it OK to hire someone that doesn't have experience with your programs or in your niche?

There's a good chance you'll find a lot of applicants that don't have a lot of experience with your specific tools or in your niche. For example, a content creator that specializes in articles on health and beauty may not be a great fit for your topic of money mindset. Or a website designer who has always used Wix might not be the right hire for your Kajabi website creation. This is often the case when looking at providers with lower hourly rates. Just like in the medical field, it's more expensive to get a specialist. You probably wouldn't get a nose job from someone who's worked in pediatric medicine for a few years and now wants to do plastic surgery too. And, if you decided to, you probably wouldn't pay them the same rate as someone who's specialized in nose jobs for 20 years.

It's totally OK to hire someone with less experience and skill as long as you understand what you are getting. You can't expect them to have the knowledge that a more experienced person will. They also won't be as fast as there is often a steep learning curve (that you are likely paying for). You'll also be investing more of your time to get them up to speed. All of these things will factor into the overall cost.

Now, if you have a routine task that you have already outlined a clear standard operating procedure, it may be perfectly OK to go with someone that isn't highly experienced.

     2. Flexible

Anyone you outsource business to should be flexible enough to meet your unique demands. This makes communication integral to creating a successful working relationship. Your expectations should be made clear from the get-go and you should also make it clear that there may be instances where flexibility must be exercised.

    3. Good reviews and social media presence

Customers paint a clear picture of the true service a company provides. You have to go beyond the fairy tale picture painted on the company’s website. Check out the social media pages and read the discussions people are having about the company or individual. If something doesn’t seem right, they might not be a good fit for your brand.

In this day and age, a person or company that is aligned with yours is a direct reflection of your business. Take some time to review the social media posts and content (just be careful when using this information for hiring individuals) posted by the company. If their values do not align with yours, it could come back to haunt you.

Ready to get started?

If you are finally ready to start outsourcing virtual services for your coaching business, the next logical step is to understand what tasks to outsource and who to outsource to. A great place to start is with these six focus areas:

• Graphic design
• Scheduling
• Content management
• Social media management
• Client management
• Event management

And if you want to say yes to a little bit of all of them, then a one-stop-shop for virtual services like Virtual A Team may be the best option for you.

Note: This article was originally published on April 30th, 2019 and updated February 5th, 2024.

Everyone thought you were crazy when you said you wanted to be a coach. “You can’t make money as a coach! How will you pay your bills?” 

We hear stories like this all the time. Friends and family doubt the idea of coaching as a profession or business. 

“Who will pay for such a thing?” 

“It’s not covered by insurance so why would anyone do that?”

Fortunately, they’re wrong. 

Your desire to become a coach probably wasn’t to get rich but you didn’t start it as a hobby either. You truly want to help people transform their lives. Transformation, though, doesn’t pay the bills.

But, if you can figure out how to get people to pay for that transformation, THAT will pay the bills!

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

How to Make Money as a Coach

Whether you are just starting out or wanting to add additional sources of revenue, there are 7 primary ways to make money as a coach.

So let’s dive right in and talk about some of them.

#1: One-on-One

The most commonly known way for coaches to make money is through one-on-one coaching which involves working with one individual at a time.

It’s a lot like traditional therapy models; one client, one coach, and it’s where most coaches get started. 

With every option, there are pros and cons. Let’s talk about some of the reasons this is a good way to make money as a coach.

Pros:

• A great starting point when you don’t have an existing audience. 
• Startup cost is practically $0. It doesn’t take a lot of money to begin working with clients one-on-one.
• One-on-one coaching is a great way to figure out your overall niche, style, and system
• It can be extremely rewarding when you get to see the transformation you facilitate.

Cons:

• It can be difficult to scale your business because you only have so many hours in a day. You’ll be locked in to how much money you can make.
• The search for for new clients that can afford your coaching services will be ongoing.

#2: VIP Days 

The next option to make money as a coach is to set up VIP Days.

VIP Days are a great way to do a deep dive with clients that need to get through your process fast.

While typical one-on-one coaching programs may happen over a period of time, VIP days condense all the work into one or two days.

Pros:

• You can charge premium rates for VIP days. 
• Transformation happens much more quickly for the client.
• Typically low investment costs. You may want to reserve a relaxing meeting space and provide some VIP extras for clients but the general costs can be taken directly from the client’s payment.

Cons:

• VIP days can be draining and often happen on weekends. 
• These are also not extremely scalable.
• You will always be looking for new clients.

#3: Online Courses/In-Person Training

Once you’ve narrowed down some of the main concerns for your audience, you can start to offer webinars or in-person training and workshops.

These programs typically focus on a specific strategy for moving your participants to the next level.

They are a great way to make money as a coach while also marketing your one-on-one coaching programs.

Pros:

• You can reach a larger audience than one-on-one coaching.
• The presentations are often a great way to promote your one-on-one coaching programs while getting paid.
• You can educate your clients on the basics that will help them get the most out of your one-on-one programs.
• If you are being hired to offer these programs, the cost to set up the webinar is very low.

Cons:

• On, the other hand, setting up webinars or in-person workshops that you will host can be expensive.
• You may not enjoy being on stage or in front of a camera.
• Participants all need to have the same starting place and ending place to truly benefit from the course.

#4: Group Coaching

Group coaching is a way for coaches to scale their services. You can make money as a coach by offering your coaching services to more than one person at the same time.

These group coaching programs typically revolve around a specific topic or desired transformation. They can be conducted virtually or in-person. 

Pros:

• Easier to leverage your time. You can serve multiple people at once.
• More scalable. You can offer more programs at any one time.
• Allow members to feel better supported and like they aren’t alone.
• Can be less expensive for individual members so you reach a wider audience.

Cons:

• Because these programs are less expensive for the members, that means you have to have more participants to get to a break-even point vs one-on-one coaching.
• You will probably have some start up costs for tools to help run your programs.
• More participants means you will need to do more marketing to fill your program.
• Clients may not see as much of a transformation since there isn’t as much time to work directly with each group member.

#5: Mastermind Groups

Mastermind groups are similar to group coaching programs in that you gather a group of individuals together.

However, group coaching is usually designed to last a limited amount of time and take group members on a specific, preplanned journey to the desired destination. The coach serves as the only guide on that journey.

Masterminds, on the other hand, bring together a group of like-minded individuals who wish to support one another.

The coach serves as the facilitator, rather than a guide, and each member can offer input and feedback to the other members.

There’s typically no fixed journey or destination in mind and the mastermind can last indefinitely.

Pros:

• You don’t need to be the all-knowing expert to run these groups. 
• It’s not necessary to have a pre-designed system or path to take group members through.
• Like group coaching, it’s easier to leverage your time. You can host more than one mastermind group at a time.
• Masterminds can be ongoing for long periods of time. This recurring revenue can be substantial without having to market over and over.
• The cost to start a mastermind can be low.

Cons:

• People typically join mastermind groups because of the leader. If you don’t have an audience already, it will be difficult to attract members.
• It can be tough to keep members engaged and active. Many mastermind groups fall apart when their members stop showing up consistently.
• There can be some headaches managing recurring payments and chasing participants whose payments didn’t go through.

#6: Membership Programs

Membership programs are another good way to make money as a coach. Programs typically combine a little bit of everything.

They include live courses, a resource library of training materials, some group coaching, and maybe even a little one-on-one time.

Pros:

• Membership programs, like masterminds, do not usually have an end date. They are meant to be ongoing providing recurring revenue for the coach.
• These programs also allow you to leverage your time and make resources available to more people at once.
• One membership program can easily be scaled to very large numbers.

Cons:

• Most membership programs include software on the back end to manage the members. This software can be expensive to set up and usually has a recurring fee. So if you're just “trying” it out, that can be a high cost to entry.
• If you do not already have a large bank of resources, you will be spending a lot of your time creating new resources for the members. 
• Managing recurring payments, dropping and adding members, and following up on tech issues can be challenging.

#7: Evergreen Courses

Evergreen courses are named after the trees that don’t drop their leaves in the winter.

These courses are made available year-round.

The great thing about evergreen courses is that, once you create them, your work is essentially done.

OK, you still need to promote them once in a while but the work to write and set up the course is done. You don’t even need to be present for the actual course! Another name for evergreen courses might be home study courses.

These programs are one of the most scalable ways to make money as a coach.

Pros:

• One time creation. You only have to write, record, and set up the course once. After that, the money continues to come in for you.
• Highly scalable. Evergreen courses are not limited to a certain number of participants. They can be sold to one or 100k+ people all at once.
• Affordable to the participants. Evergreen courses are generally less expensive than working one-on-one or even in a small group with the coach. 
• You can make money WHILE working with other clients or taking time off.
• Evergreen courses are a great way to introduce your prospective coaching clients to you and your style in an affordable way.

Cons:

• Expensive to set up. The tools and set up of evergreen courses can be expensive to do well.
• Larger audiences needed. Most coaches struggle to sell their evergreen programs and break even because they don’t have a large enough audience yet.
• No visible transformation. For coaches that love to see the AHA moment, there’s little of that in evergreen programs. The most you might get is an email with their appreciation after the fact.

Take it to the Bank

Time to review (as all good coaches would). You want to make money by coaching so you can create more transformation for more people and still be able to pay your bills. A noble and worthy goal.

Your options to make money as a coach include:

1. Offering one-on-one coaching to individuals
2. Creating special VIP days to accelerate the transformation
3. Presenting online courses or in-person workshops to groups
4. Setting up group coaching programs
5. Running mastermind groups 
6. Managing membership programs
7. And selling evergreen courses

By choosing one or more of these methods, you can create a coaching business that isn’t just a hobby but a profitable business.

You really want to grow your business and be successful. But how do you manage the time when you only have so much of it you want to give?

A few years ago, everyone was talking about this quote from Lori Greiner, one of the investors on the show Shark Tank.

“Entrepreneurs are the only people who will work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 hours a week”

Unfortunately, it got many entrepreneurs thinking they could only be successful if they worked 80 hours a week! That would mean if you:

• have a full-time job, you can’t be an entrepreneur.
• suffer from chronic health conditions that limit your work time, you can’t be an entrepreneur.
• choose family over business, you can’t be an entrepreneur

The truth is, there are different definitions of success.

For some, it’s having the biggest business around.

For others, success is the perfect work-life balance. 

Entrepreneurship isn’t restricted to those that want to work 10 or 12 or 16 hours a day to grow their business. 

Those that are successful with a shortened schedule have a few tricks up their sleeves. And today I want to share some of that magic with you.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

How to Manage the Time You Have

Those of us with limited hours to work our business, whether by choice or necessity, have a magic secret. 

And it’s not that we possess some productivity gene others don’t. But it is rooted in scientific concepts that work in our favor. 

The first one is Parkinson’s Law. This concept states that work expands to the time allowed to complete it. 

Essentially, that means that more time isn’t going to allow us to do more work. 

Instead, we will just take longer to do the same amount of work! That alone should allow us to breathe a sigh of relief knowing we won’t actually be accomplishing more by working more.

Now, let’s talk strategies for managing the time you do have to produce the greatest results.

Vision

Most solopreneurs don’t really think about the vision they want to have for their businesses. 

They simply decide on a Tuesday in July that they want to start a business. And by Wednesday afternoon, they are out getting their first clients. 

Having a crystal-clear vision for where you want your business to go can be a powerful tool to help you stay focused and manage the time you want to invest in your business. 

For example: 

• Do you want to have a huge 7-figure business or would you be content with 6 figures?
• Is your goal to create a business that has a social purpose as well?
• Does your dream business involve your lifestyle?

Knowing the answers to these and other vision questions will help you form a vision statement. 

We’re not talking lofty ideal vision statement that we frame and hang on the wall like an inspirational poster.

We’re talking about a one-sentence, driving-force kind of statement. 

Like when you could go anywhere in the world and you choose an Appalachian Mountain get-away because that’s where your mom always wanted to go on her honeymoon. 

It’s about deciding on the destination and knowing why getting there will deeply matter to you. 

When you have a clear vision, you can make better choices about how to spend and manage the time you have. 

And it helps you reject things that will distract you from getting to the Appalachian Mountains.

It’s All in the Planning

A great plan serves as a road map to manage the time you want to work. When you know what to do, you do those things and only those things. 

One of the hardest steps successful solopreneurs take is moving from a “fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants” concept of growing their business to a more structured and planned approach. 

This can be a struggle for the creative spirit. We understand! In fact, most of the coaches we work with are very creative and the thought of being limited by a “plan” can be uncomfortable at first. 

If you can relate to this, we want to encourage you because the truth of the matter is, it’s not so much about sticking hard and fast to the plan. It’s about the habit of planning.

President Eisenhower confused a lot of people with that quote. 

He was saying, plans are not guaranteed. Life happens.

Variables come into play and force constant changes to plans, right? 

His underlying message was we have to be flexible. Becoming too rigid can be just as detrimental to success as no planning at all. 

And that the magic lies in the planning itself. All the thought and strategy that goes into those plans are what lay the foundation for success.

Think 2020

This year has been a great year to test this theory. 

Many plans were set at the beginning of the year. Goals were created, programs were scheduled and plans were made. 

And then life happened. The entire world was shut down. 

What followed was our need to change plans on an hourly basis some days.

I think we can all agree that to survive quarantine, we had to drop any rigid tendencies we had and employ ongoing flexibility. 

It’s been a reminder that even a well-designed plan can change at any given moment.

However, even when you have to add-to, or take-away from, the basic plan framework will still give you a direction to go. 

It’s a flight plan

Virtual A Team recently launched our podcast, Coach's CoPilot. 

Pilots and CoPilots know that a plane almost never takes a direct flight from point A to point B. Adjustments need to be made along the way of every flight. 

But without that flight plan, they would not know what deviations to make in order to stay closely on course.

Creating a plan is an investment of your time but it’s an investment that will give you significant returns in the long run.

Fractional Analysis

Here’s another scientific principle for you. It’s called the Pareto Principle or the 80/20 rule.

Bear with me, math wasn’t my favorite subject either.

The 80/20 rule suggests that 80% of our results come from 20% of our efforts. 

For example, if you are trying to lose weight through diet and exercise, 20% of what you are doing is giving you 80% of the results you are achieving. 

What that also means is that 80% of our efforts only gives us a whopping 20% of our results! It’s time to reduce or eliminate that 80%. 

The Audit

Lately, many of our clients have requested help with auditing their business. 

They want to know what’s working and what’s not. 

We review things like their social media and email marketing.

We collect and analyze data from all our client's existing programs. 

Are Your Efforts Working?

One of our clients wanted a focused review of her social media efforts. 

She posts consistently on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Linkedin, and Twitter.

Every message and many of the graphics are crafted specifically for the channel it is being posted on. Customization is time consuming. 

We took a look at how many people she was driving to her website and also how many “conversations” she was having. 

It turns out, for this client (and please know your results may differ), Facebook was by far the best use of her time.

That was her 20% driving her 80%.

Linkedin and Twitter produced very little results for her and Pinterest produced results that were actually hurting more than helping.

This coach decided to stop spending time crafting Pinterest images and editing her post length for Twitter. The time she spent on social media went down significantly.

Action Tip: Audit your time and the results you are getting. If it takes you more time than the results deserve, consider letting that task go.

Ditch Flying Solo

Now that you have chosen to be more effective and do the things that move you closer to your goal, it’s time to start thinking about how to also be more efficient. 

That means it’s time to stop doing the things that someone else can do and focus on the things that only you can do. It’s time to start delegating.

For coaches who have built their business all on their own, taking on a co-pilot (delegating) is often new territory and scary territory.

There are three keys to making delegation easier for the newbie.

1. Make a list of all the tasks you do and begin to decide which ones you can’t or shouldn’t be doing. This is your first task list for your first hire.
2. Take your time and hire well. Don’t hire quickly because that’s usually when problems arise. 
3. Be prepared. When you work with someone else, projects take longer. There’s back and forth communication and different work schedules. 

We have a LOT of great articles for the first time delegator. Some of these may be helpful to you.

• How to Prepare Your Coaching Business to Start Delegating
• Do You Need to Learn Something Before You Start Delegating?
• Why Is Outsourcing Beneficial?

Embrace Technology

Technology can be super scary if it isn’t in your zone of genius but it can be one of the best time savers we have. 

Using technology to automate tasks within your business is often a great investment.

But what are things that you can automate in your business? 

Appointment Scheduling

Tools like Calendly or Acuity allow you to create a calendar of available time and let others pick the time that works best for them. These systems even let the scheduler answer a few questions so you know what to expect when you get on the phone (or Zoom). 

We’ve reviewed several of the top scheduling tools to help you pick the one that’s right for you.

Social Media Scheduling

You don’t actually have to be available to post to social media at all hours of the day. Tools like SmarterQueue or Buffer allow you to create all of your posts in advance and have them post based on the schedule you choose.

You can even set up posts to go out when you are on vacation!

We have also reviewed the top social media scheduling tools so you don’t have to!

Email

We often don’t think of automating the emails we receive but there are lots of tools for handling this.

Since Gmail is the largest email service out there, we will focus on that. 

Let’s start with some of the features that have been around for a while.

• See only the emails you want to see when you want to see them. 

  Gmail’s Rules and Labels feature allows you to set up automations so that emails go to specific “folders” based on their content or who’s sending them. This is great so you never miss a client message or don’t have to see all your store sales emails in the inbox all the time. This feature allows you to stop having to use two different email addresses in order to keep one of them clear of the clutter.

• Templates used to be called Canned Responses when it was in beta.

This feature allows you to create template text that you send out over and over. If you always find yourself typing the same message, set up some templates to speed up the process.

• Customize your signature.

Many of us have Gmail set up to receive multiple different email addresses into one place. Gmail allows you to customize your signature depending on the email being received. You can even rotate your signature if you have a few different PS messages you want to use.

Now let’s talk some of the cool new features Gmail offers.

• See Ya Later! Gmail’s snooze feature allows you to dismiss an email if you can’t or don’t want to address it at the moment.

It will pop back into your inbox at the top when you want it to. This feature is great if you are clearing your inbox between meetings but don’t have time for lengthy responses.

• There’s also the option to send your emails at a later date.

This is handy if you happen to be working on the weekends or late at night and don’t want your response to appear as though you work all hours of the day! 

If you need help setting up Gmail or any other automations for your business, reach out to Virtual A Team. We’d be happy to lend a hand.

It’s important to remember that automation does not replace humans.

We often get asked about very complex automations and our recommendation is always to evaluate the cost to set up something versus paying a human to do it. How long will it take to break even? 

Work Smarter, Not Harder

The best ways to make the most out of the limited time you want or need to work involve working smarter, not harder. More hours will not result in more profit.

To better manage the time you have, focus on these 5 basic principles:

1. Have a clear vision.
2. Create a plan.
3. Find your high reward tasks and focus on those.
4. Ditch the solo and delegate.
5. Embrace technology and automate.

Realize that this will take an investment of your time. For a short while, you may be working more while you get the tools and systems set up. But the rewards are well worth the investment!

What will you do with all that extra time?

It’s not too late to recession-proof your coaching business.

Even in the best of times it can be challenging to build and grow a coaching business.

And 2020 has not exactly been the best of times.

We don’t want to suggest that challenges never happen, in fact, they do. ALL THE TIME!

But many coaches have seen more challenges this year than in an average year. 

It’s not too late to take some key steps that will help you refocus and recession-proof business for years to come.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur.

Review your Financials

Wait! No, don’t go yet. I know, you probably didn’t get into the coaching business because you love numbers. 

Stay with us though because this is a really important step.

Skipping this could be the difference between a recession-proof business and one that can’t withstand the storm.

You didn’t start a coaching business to spend all your time looking at financials and figuring out the best ways to manage your business money. 

In fact, the coaches we work with often find this one of their least favorite tasks (and that’s why we have bookkeepers as part of the Virtual A Team). 

But more often than not, we see clients who are avoiding this dreadful task, and as a result, their business is hemorrhaging money.

Find the small bleeds

Odds are, you signed up for an array of business or office management type tools along the way. And odds are even better that you are no longer using at least one of them. 

Business management programs or subscriptions are a very common area to a financial bleed. 

Maybe your fax machine broke 6 years ago and you didn’t realize you’re still paying extra for a fax line in your home office.

Or maybe you’re paying for networking membership but you’re not able to attend the meetings. 

Small bleeds. Ones that are easily overlooked but add up to a fairly large hemorrhage of financial resources.

Here are some of the most common monthly or annual fees we are paying for in our businesses:

• Software as a service (SaaS) tools - these are things like social media scheduling apps, calendar booking tools, project management tools, website maintenance, etc…

• Learning programs - these might include memberships to online learning tools like Lynda.com or specific membership programs with coaches.

• Phone lines - are you paying for an unnecessary landline or too much data?

• Ads - if you have Facebook or other ads running that aren’t serving you the results you need, maybe now is the time to reevaluate those expenses.

For more information about which home office expenses can be tax-deductible, check out this article from NerdWallet. 

Take some time to review all of your monthly and annual expenses. 

• Which ones are you no longer using? Unsubscribe from them as soon as possible. 
• Are there some that could be doing double duty or just happen to be too much for what you need? Consolidate where feasible. 
• Do any of them just not fit your big goals, even if they are still being used? Decide if they are truly worth the expense.

Review Programs and Services

After reviewing what money is going out, take a look at all the ways you bring money in; your programs and services.

Most coaches will start out with somewhat of a “throw it against the wall and see what sticks” kind of plan to get stuff out there. 

If this was you, it’s ok. You’re not alone. 

But if you want to recession-proof your business it’s time to review what you’re offering and determine if each program or service still aligns with your bigger goals and vision. 

If you’ve never worked through a clear strategy for your business and products, it might be the time to do that. 

• What does your funnel look like?
• What does the client's experience look and feel like at each touchpoint?
• How are you moving prospects along their journey with you and leading them to your higher ticket services?

Having a strategy will ensure that you’re offering products and services that tie together.

When you are intentional about the cohesiveness of all your offerings it positions you as the go-to source for whatever it is that you do.

Refine Your Brand

We recently worked with a client who put out a new “group coaching” program every 2 or 3 months depending on what the current events dictated. 

Unfortunately, it left her with no identifiable niche. 

Her programs ranged from stress management to relationship coaching.

And while she had great information on each focus area, because she didn’t pick a lane so-to-speak, people weren’t entirely clear on what it is that she has to offer. 

You want to be top-of-mind for your clients when someone is asking them for a referral or is in need of what you have to offer.

If You Sell Seashells...

For example, you want your audience to be able to say, “Oh, Susie? Yeah, she sells seashells by the seashore!” 

With a focused niche and a well defined personal brand for your coaching business, your clients will immediately think of you when someone they know is asking for the best place to buy seashells. “Why at the seashore with Susie of course!” 

One of our expert strategists sat down with her and worked out a plan to use 3 of her existing programs to build towards her signature coaching program. 

A recession-proof business is one that can easily sway when the wind blows. 

And the current events have been a bit breezy, right? 

So we helped her build a marketing plan that would be effective while honoring her desire to respect current events. And set her up to weather future storms. 

We discovered that her programs didn’t need to change all that much, we simply needed to adjust her marketing to convey a different tone or emphasis.

Hone Your Marketing

• What programs do you have now? Write them all down and see how they work together. If they aren’t working together to grow your business, they are working against each other.

• Which ones do you need to toss? Are there any that can be tweaked for a better fit? What new ones do you need to create to fill in the gaps?

Clean Up Systems

We have a client whose primary business is helping other business owners become more profitable. 

She recently added more hours to her package with us for the express purpose of focusing on a strategy to recession-proof business. She knew that she needed better, more efficient systems.  

Now, we know you might be thinking, “I don’t have any systems in my business.” We hear that often. 

People often equate systems with large corporations but systems come in many shapes and sizes. For example, if you:

• Use Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Active Campaign or another email marketing platform ~ you have a system.

• If you have a certain way of responding to requests via email ~ you have a system.

• The way in which you prioritize how you spend your day ~ that's a system.

• That certain way you manage your social media ~its a system.

• And even the fact that you only schedule certain types of appointments on certain days ~ yup, it’s a system. 

Focus on Function

Systems can be physical, using paper and pencil, digital, or automated. 

For example, if you move emails around in your email folders as needed. You have a manual system.

If you have set up rules so that emails from a particular sender land in a designated folder, you’ve automated that system. 

Just from the example above you can see how the click-and-drag method might not be the best way to go about doing things especially when you have a lot of emails coming in. 

Better systems can help you increase your own personal productivity. And when you, the revenue generator, are more productive you’re able to focus on more revenue.

If you are working with a team, better systems can help your team function more optimally and save you money in the long run.

Increasing revenue and saving money is a powerhouse way to effectively recession-proof your business.

Connect, Relate, and Align

When everything is smooth sailing we can easily get caught up in our normal program engagement with our clients. 

It’s easy to forget to get to know them as people, not just clients.  

But in our current shifting environment people will most likely be looking for more. 

• Interactions are at a distance now which means people will be naturally craving deeper connections. 

• And with our uncertain economy, they will be more selective about where, and with whom, they spend their hard-earned dollars. 

They want like-minded relationships with businesses that make them feel special. 

Know How to Attract Your Tribe

Set aside a few extra minutes with your clients. Be intentional about being ‘in the moment’ with people you come in contact with in daily life. 

The offshoot of really getting to know your existing clients is the ability to create better programs. 

You will get more insight into the personality and identity of your ideal client; what attracts them and what could turn them away. 

For example, terms like Boss Base or Fempreneur may be offensive to some individuals but may speak loudly and proudly to others.

You’ll also be better able to create a strong identity for your business.

Now is a great time to recession-proof your business by building relationships.  

Consider Payment Options

If your business can afford to, figure out some creative payment options for your clients that also may be struggling financially. 

Here are some creative ideas some of our clients have been using to recession-proof business.

Pay What You Can

Add a “Pay What You Can” option to group programs and trainings.

Don’t be afraid of having people pay less than you normally charge for a program.

You may find you get more people to register with a flexible payment option than would have without any sort of discount.

This concept also allows you to avoid the “discount” mentality since your focus is on continuing to provide valuable services to as many as possible.

Skip a Payment

Take a cue from some of the big insurance companies.

If a client comes to you and needs to skip a payment, and that doesn’t cost you a lot of money to do so, consider allowing this to happen.

One missed payment is better than losing the whole client.

Add Alternative Payment Options

Perhaps you’ve never included credit card payments before.

Now is a great time to add this service so you can make it easier for clients to continue with your services.

You may also want to consider bartering for things you're needing. 

Be Flexible

When you can work with clients and be willing to be flexible in light of the times, you are more likely to build raving fans that will be with you long after the recession ends.

Don’t go into debt to keep a client but consider what you can do to help them out.

Recession-proof Business

We never want to think about having to tighten our belts and refocus our businesses because that takes us away from our primary focus, helping people. However, it’s a lot like the analogy goes, 

"In the event of an emergency, please put on your oxygen mask before assisting others."

The best ways to refocus your coaching business and build a recession- proof business are to:

• Review your financials
• Review your programs and services
• Clean up systems
• Get connected 
• Consider payment options.

When you can invest some time in taking these steps, you’ll build a stronger, more stable business for years to come.

Is it time you stop waiting and start to get in a groove?

I've spoken to a lot of clients recently who are struggling to recover their version of 'highly productive people' habits. So, if you're wondering how to get in a new groove post-quarantine, read on.

The idea of self-isolating sounded scary at first because it was like the world was ending. What were we going to do about shopping and socializing and growing our businesses?

And then we adjusted. 

For some of us, quarantine meant a lot more free time.

• We reconnected with loved ones through conference calls and video chats.
• We found time for hobbies long forgotten or discovered new ones. I even rediscovered a love for photography and creative writing. 

For others, the workload didn’t change but the scenery did.

Many of us already worked from home but we became a lot more familiar with the same four walls (was that crack ALWAYS there?).

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

We discovered that the Brady Bunch was really just on a zoom call all along… HINT: this video is a must see!! #yourewelcome

Get in a Groove Step 1 - Declutter

Ok, this isn’t Marie Kondo’s site, but decluttering is a powerful way to reset the mind and body. It helps you get focused and gain clarity.

Get in a new groove by decluttering: 

Your Workspace 

Look around you and observe. Has your workspace gathered homework assignments, half-used coffee mugs, miscellaneous pieces of mail, and other random clutter?

Take some time to clear your space.

Your Body

OK, we’ve heard about the Quarantine 15. If you’ve noticed a little slacking off on your healthy lifestyle, now is the time to reboot those habits.

Take a look at your diet and exercise and determine what to declutter.

If many things are still going well, you can even consider a health cleanse.

Your Mind

Through quarantine, we've been focused on dealing with issues we never expected, or even considered.

• Our health
• Children (or grandkids) home from college
• Homeschooling
• Loss of income and/or financial security
• Safety of our loved ones
• And loss of freedom to take our planned vacations

We’ve had a LOT more than usual to worry about and it’s time to let some of that go.

Do some mediation exercises or consider talking with a professional about your concerns. Holding it all in doesn’t help anyone.

Bear or Butterfly?

Over time, we found our quarantine groove.

We learned how to work and play in this new atmosphere.

Sure, we never expected it to last as long as it did. But we found a way to exist.

And now we are facing the next change. 

Many cities and states have been open for a month now. Some are just starting to open back up.

And, as they do, we are, once again, adapting to new ways of doing things.

Hibernation vs Transformation

Change happens whether we want it to or not. Sometimes all you can do is hang on and enjoy the ride. But other times you have to take control and steer.

There's a really important choice to make.

You can look at this quarantine as a period of hibernation. Bears and other animals hibernate to conserve resources and survive tough seasonal conditions. It is nothing more than pure survival.

Or, you can view it as a chrysalis. The chrysalis is the life-cycle stage where a caterpillar, in its cocoon, is undergoing the remarkable transformation into a butterfly.

Once you’ve chosen to be the butterfly and not the bear, what actions can you take to get in a new groove and make your transformation amazing?

Get in a Groove Step 2 - Dream Big

I say it often, New Year’s isn’t the only time you are allowed to set new goals. Any day that ends in Y is a great day to do so.

We work hard at the beginning of each year to set goals.

Now is the time to review the goals you set at the beginning of the year when 2020 was going to be THE year that rocked! There’s still time to hit your mark. 

Reviewing and revising your goals is a great way to get excited again.

It gives you a chance to see what’s possible, not just what’s existed so far. There’s a reason gyms are so busy in January and that's because EVERYONE is excited...in January!

If you struggle with creating goals, I would encourage you to check out this Goal Setting article by James Clear. This isn’t just a rehash of the old SMART goals methodology.

You may find that his approach unlocks something that helps you actually LOVE goal setting! (OMG, crazy, right?)

Get in a Groove Step 3 - Bring in the New

Have you always wanted to try the 5 AM Club?

Or maybe you’ve been thinking about that Bulletproof coffee all the podcasters are talking about.

Bringing in a new routine is a great way to re-energize yourself and get in a new groove.

It gives you an exciting reason to wake up in the morning (I’ll see you around 7, I’m not getting up at 5) and it helps you feel like you have control over something.

If you aren’t quite ready to try something new, reintroduce something that you’ve let go. 

It’s been easy to stop setting the alarm clock or planning meals in advance. After all, you have been just trying to survive.

But now is the time to pick up those past habits or find a way to adapt them to the new way of your world.

Get in a Groove Step 4 - Get Organized

Just because you’ve gotten rid of mind, body, and space clutter doesn’t mean you’ve organized what’s left.

Take some time to organize your schedule.

Create some systems for yourself.

• What days/times will you work?
• When will you rest?
• How will you plan?
• And when will you play?

Write things down. There’s nothing more exhausting than trying to remember all the things you need to remember.

Checklists are your friends

As a new owner of a travel trailer, I’m realizing the HUGE value of lists.

✅ I have lists for what to pack.

✅ And checklists for before leaving home.

✅ Lists for setting up and tearing down our campsite.

✅ I have to plan meals in advance and prep them before we leave.

✅ Hubby has to make sure everything is in working order.

✅ We have to get clothes and supplies packed. 

I would be overwhelmed and exhausted if I had to constantly try to remember to pack the syrup for the French Toast or make sure to put the vent down in the bathroom before driving off!

One quick check of the list, and I can stop thinking about it.

Get in a Groove Step 5 - SLOW DOWN!

You are tired of self-isolation, quarantine, “new normal” and all that other crap.

It’s tempting to do everything at once so you can get back to the “old normal”. But that’s not reality.

To get in a new groove you're going to have to accept the fact that...

Your world is different and your emotions are different now.

You are grieving the old way and you will for some time. And that's ok!

• Give yourself space to have bad days.
• Build pause days into your schedule.

These are days where anything goes without judgment.  Be OK with imperfect for a while.

Finding Your Groove

It all comes down to control.

One of the best ways to get in a new groove after any big change, especially a change that feels out of our control, is to do something that allows you to feel in control.

We can’t control a lot of things that happen in our lives but we have more control than we sometimes feel; or often remember we have.

And one of our greatest, and most accessed, super-powers is our ability to control how we perceive even the things we have no control over.

When you feel in control, you feel powerful.

It’s this power that will help you realign and come out better on the other side.

Just remember, it’s OK to take your time getting back in the groove. Even a butterfly takes time coming out of her chrysalis.

Has this ever happened to you while on your entrepreneurial journey?

You see a great subject line, click through, and spend time reading the article only to discover that it's way too basic or far too advanced for you.

Frustrating, right? I’ve often felt the same way!

And then, recently, it became super obvious how often this happens. Let me tell you what I mean...

Before social distancing hit, my husband and I began planning a cross-country RV trip. It was to be our first.

I was so excited; we both love to travel!

We’ve sat idly by the last several years watching the annual RVing adventures of my sister-in-law and her husband https://millerluckycharm.blogspot.com/.

We decided we were done being jealous. It was time to give it a try for ourselves.

Before rushing out to spend a good chunk of our savings on a rig, we decided it would be a good idea to rent for the first trip just to make sure the RVing life is really something for us. 

We were going to fly to Minneapolis, pick up the RV, and then stop at as many interesting places as we could along the route back home to Arizona.

We booked the RV, jumped up and down like little kids a few times, and then sat down to plan our adventure.

We started strong. How hard can this be, right? We’ve planned tons of trips. But the further along we got the more we discovered things we definitely didn’t know. 

I Just Want MY Golden Nugget

Who knew there are length restrictions on certain highways? The pros tell ya not to drive more than 330 miles a day but that sometimes gets you driving in circles to reach some of your top destinations.

And it turns out there is a really important difference between black and grey water. Not to mention something known as dry docking; we thought that was boat storage - not so much.

One delivery pizza, a large veggie tray, a few Moscow Mules, and 9 hours later our original jumping up and down enthusiasm had turned into more of an ‘Eeek…we might have bitten off more than we can chew’ feeling.

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 my husband and I had to cancel our inaugural RV trip. But I’m so grateful for the experience of planning that trip. Because in the process I had an epiphany.

The Epiphany

As I was researching, I was running across articles with "way above my novice head" information and then others that left me saying, “Yes. I know how to pack a suitcase. Thank you. I’m way past that."

I was spending too much time reading through content desperately searching for the golden nugget of information that applied to me.

In my frustration, I thought, “I just want one website that says” 

• If you’re a beginner, click here.
• Got a few trips under your belt, click here.
• RV every year? Click here.

I wanted a site that offered me the ability to find content applicable to where I was at in my RV-life journey.

That got me thinking more. It wasn’t restricted to this RV thing. I felt that way whenever I wanted to learn how to do just about anything from how to use Photoshop to creating an online membership program! It's certainly been something I've noticed on my own entrepreneurial journey.

The Struggle Is Real

This is the information overload age. We get so much thrown at us from every direction.

Being the productivity expert that I am I pondered on how much precious time we are all spending while we struggle to consume content that is either way over our head, or stuff we already know.

And then it hit me…does Virtual A Team content do that? 

Calling a meeting

I called a team meeting and asked our experts, “Do you think we help our clients use their time more productively by guiding them to content that applies to where they are in their personal entrepreneurial journey?”

Collectively we decided the answer was no, we don’t. We all agreed that it is frustrating to spend time reading an article only to realize at the end there was nothing in it that was applicable to us.

Let the brainstorming begin! The team was invigorated by the challenge and felt like this could be a game-changer for our clients and subscribers. 

We went back through blog posts since the beginning of Virtual A Team time. We publish blogs weekly that answer your questions about:

• Growing your business
• Marketing
• Personal growth
• Productivity
• Sales
• Social media marketing
• Management
• Building a team
• And of course, outsourcing

We answer critical who, what, when, where, and why questions.  Lots of how-to tips. ‘Are you ready to implement this?’ tips and, ‘these are the best tools out there’ tips.

But we realized that one size does not fit all.

Just like the difference between myself, a novice RV enthusiast, and my well-seasoned RVing sister-in-law, Virtual A Team has clients in the early stages of their business journey and others who are much further along in building. And both are searching for their respective ‘click here’ buttons.

It was so clear to me and the team what needed to happen. We needed to become the kind of resource like the one I was searching for.

We set out to build something that would help our readers easily find the content that meets them where they’re at in their entrepreneurial journey.

KNOWING YOUR STARTING POINT

Are you ready? Ready to hear what Virtual A Team built? We believe it is going to help inform and educate you in the best possible way.

Ok, it all starts with knowing where you’re at on the entrepreneurial journey map.

Rest Stop 1: “I’m going!”

You’ve decided to embark on your journey. You grab your backpack, fill it full of your dreams, and set out to revolutionize the world. You’re building and creating your framework. You know there is growth potential here, but you’re most likely struggling to know just where to start. There are so many decisions and you don’t know where to get help, or possibly in what areas you could use some help.

Rest Stop 2: “I can do this!” 

You’ve gained some experience and tools. Your backpack can no longer hold everything, so you’ve upgraded to a duffle bag. It’s full of lessons learned, new systems, connections, and knowledge that is helping you continue your travel toward huge success. The future's looking bright and full of opportunities. But you’re feeling the weight of the bigger bag. You start thinking, “Yikes! I could use some help.”

Rest Stop 3: “Are we there yet?” 

It’s been a tough journey and there is a lot more to carry now. You tried holding on to the heavy bag but soon realized you couldn’t carry that alone. You’ve tossed that duffle bag to the curb in exchange for the helpful rolling suitcase with pivoting wheels. You’ve lightened your load. You’re walking tall and can see your destination again. You’ve given away a few hats allowing you to spend more time in your zone of genius.

Rest Stop 4: “Go ME!” 

After leaving the last stop you realized that if you could lighten your load even more, you could go that much further. You gave away more hats and the tasks that were draining your energy. You’ve offloaded enough that you can continue your journey carrying only a briefcase. You have a team. You’ve tested and proven that you have what it takes to grow a successful business and the results show. You have more time to focus on new ideas and passions while supporting the teams that will keep the business traveling towards huge success.

To find out what Rest Stop you’re at, take the quiz …