Beacon Virtual Assistants, LLC

Burnout is the prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job or in the workplace. We’ve all heard the term and entrepreneurs seem to be more susceptible to it then others. This is in part because they are usually more passionate about their work; are more socially isolated then their employee counterpart; have few safety nets when a problem arises and hence operate in a higher level of uncertainty. The ten most common signs that someone is approaching burnout and should take action are exhaustion, frustration and cynicism, inability to think well (inability to make decisions as well as becoming forgetful), decrease in performance, inability to leave work at the office (both physically bring work home and mentally have the mind at the office), short temper, negativities creeping in, no socialization, insomnia and dependence on sleep aids and health issues that creep in slowly. If caught early, sometimes a vacation will take care of the situation,...

Many find it difficult to stay organized if they have busy social or work calendars. Even if you have a personal assistant who helps you run your business, you still need tools to stay on schedule and get your own tasks done. A digital calendar can help you achieve the organization you desire. Below, learn the benefits of implementing a digital calendar. What Can I Do With a Digital Calendar? 1. Coordinate Easily With Others Using a digital calendar is like having your own personal assistant. You can easily schedule meetings and appointments with others as soon as you need to. Instead of wasting time figuring out when people are available, you can view availability for meetings and appointments with a digital calendar. It makes it easier to avoid conflicts when you can easily view your schedule and other people’s calendars. 2. Set up Reminders Gone are the days of missing a note on your desk reminding you to go to your meeting or pay a bill. You can set up re...

A CRM (customer relationship management) is a type of software program that can be purchased to do exactly what it sounds like, manage building and nurturing the relationship with your leads, contacts and customers. This helps to keep the relationship fresh from the initial meeting through purchase and beyond. Most CRMs allow you to create groups for your con tacts. This helps to ensure that your prospects, current customers, vendors, referral partners and inactive customers are all receiving timely, relevant information that is geared specifically for them no matter where they fall in your pipeline or sales funnel. You can create a different email campaign to send to each of your groups. Typically, these campaigns can drip emails out to each contact, in intervals that you choose, based on the action that they took on the last email. These drip campaigns keep you on the forefront of the contact’s mind. When your prospect is ready to buy an item you sell or a referral partner ...

If you’re like most small business owners, you have many essential financial records regarding sales and other transactions. Keeping these records organized is the process of professional  bookkeeping , which impacts financial planning, taxes, and even bill pay. Below are a few reasons why businesses must take these financial processes seriously. 4 Ways Bookkeeping Can Help Your Small Business 1. Keeps You on Budget Much like personal finances, a budget keeps your business solvent. While creating a budget is crucial, sticking to one is easier said than done. Strong financial records help you determine whether your business is on budget. It also helps you identify areas where your business should draw back spending. 2. Helps You Prepare for Tax Season Deductions greatly lower your tax burden. You can deduct the purchase of equipment, employee bonuses, and even charitable contributions made in the name of your business. If there are questions about deductio...