Are you looking for a simple way to keep track of your contacts but have it at your fingertips? If you are a GSuite / Gmail user then you would know about the little google contacts button on the right hand side from within your emails. If you click on this while your email is open then it will ask you if you would like to add to google contacts. Once added you can then go in and edit the details and even assign tags.
Personally I have mine set up with the tags ‘current clients’, ‘ clients’, and ‘leads’. This helps make it quick and easy to access the details without searching. The best part about using google contacts is that you can access this from your phone, it’s apart of your GSuite package and if you decide you would like to do a mailout it’s easy enough to download a CSV copy of your contacts list that you would like.
Say goodbye to double handling your client contact details!
Have you reached a point that you know you need to automate some processes to save yourself time? I bet you’ve heard of Zapier or maybe not. Zapier is a program that uses triggers and actions to streamline your daily activities. For instance I’ve just set up a zap yesterday so any jobs that come to my email (Gmail) and that I apply a certain tag to (New Jobs) will automatically add a new task in my project management software TickTick, this stops double handling and because I am always in my PM software I have the info at my fingertips.
Zapier does do a free plan which includes 100 tasks per month and you can set up 5 single zaps on this plan. For the beginner this is a great starting point as you can automate quite a lot with just the 5 zaps. Zapier has many intergrations for popular programs such as Gmail, Google Calender, Outlook, Zoom, Asana, Trello, TickTick, Toggl and so much more.
If you find that the free plan just isn’t enough the Starter plan gives you an extra 650 tasks per month and 3 premium apps.
Make sure to check them out especially if you are leaning more towards automating your business and saving time.
Did you or do you use Mailchimp? Looking for a free alternative for your email campaigns?
Well I have the solution for you. Not only is Agile CRM a CRM but you can also use it to create email campaigns like you would normally in Mailchimp. Mailchimp used to offer with its free version the ability to segregant your lists so if you only wanted to send an email mailout to say your clients you could but now you can’t unless you upgrade to a paid version.
Add your contacts to the CRM, apply tags to separate your list, create your email template, set your automation triggers and away you go! BUT their email templates don’t stop there you can use it for everyday use to with your GMail account. Create a template with all the bells and whistles, add the Agile CRM extension to Google Chrome and you can import and use your templates in your GMail account without having to send your emails from Agile CRM.
With the free version of Agile CRM you get 500 free branded emails per month to use so if you don’t intend to send out heaps of emails then this is quite sufficient for a small business.
I’m not affliated with Agile however after testing many CRMs I have found this program by far the best CRM on the market.
Want more information about Agile CRM, read our previous article.
A Virtual Assistant is not only an automated bot that can answer your questions it’s also someone like me a HUMAN! Virtual Assistants are independent contractors or in other terms just business owners or freelancers. So you are probably wondering well how does that work? Well I’m going to give you a run down.
Virtual Assistants are here to make your life easier and not only the professional side of your life but they can help manage parts of your home or personal life. We can pretty much work from anywhere as long as their is internet coverage and we have our laptop. This also works for your benefit too because you don’t have to pay overheads and have a dedicated premises if you don’t need to and you don’t have someone working in your home.
Because a Virtual Assistant (VA) is an independent contractor they take care of the following themselves as a part of their obligations, which means you also don’t have to pay holiday pay, sick leave etc. like you would to an employee.
tax
superannuation
insurance
Virtual Assistants aren’t all the same you may get some that only perform general admin tasks and then you have others that may specialise in a certain field, for instance real estate, web design, law, the medical field and so on.
It’s about finding the right VA for you and your business. It also comes down to personality, you may have chosen a VA that on paper looks like they will fit in your business nicely however you may clash in personalities and that’s ok because it can sometimes take a bit of trial and error to find the right fit for you.
If you are a VA or you are looking for a VA to integrate into your business then you also need to make sure that you are hiring them in the right circumstances (should they be an employee?). A great way to check this is by using the “Employee or Contractor Decision Tool” on the ATO website. This will work out if the person you are hiring should be classified as an employee rather than a contractor. Because in the end you need to make sure that you have your tax obligations right.
The two main email management programs you hear of often are Microsoft Outlook and Gmail or Gsuite, but have you heard of Mailbird? Mailbird is a great tool to use to manage multiple email accounts no matter what platform your account is created on. They do offer a free version (lite) for up to 3 accounts otherwise the pro version is just as affordable and has so many extras.
So what is the difference between the two?
Source: www.getmailbird.com
I have been using Mailbird for years now and I love that I can have all my email accounts in the one platform plus I can check Feedly for daily articles, check Facebook, view my calendar and sync to Dropbox all within Mailbird.
They have a few different theme options
Different views depending on what layout you prefer working with
Snooze option
Starred emails
You can even have some of the popular apps like Asana, Trello, Hangouts, Google Keep, Wunderlist, Twitter, Slack and Evernote integrated in there.
So if you are looking for a simple solution to manage multiple email accounts without flicking between windows then take a look at Mailbird and see if it is for you.
P.S – I am not affiliated with them I just love their product.
Hi I’m Tammy the owner of TLB Admin Support and Online Biz Connect. With years of experience in administration I help business owners grow and build their business by focusing on what’s important.
