15 year anniversary
Life goes fast, one minute you are watching the last Harry Potter, learning about one of the first chat bots in Siri, and it’s 2011 and the next the world is populated by tech magic, and you are wondering where the last 15 years went!
For many small businesses it’s hard to keep on top of the changes the world bombards us with and that can be costly to business.
This year my Essex based VA business, Pängels celebrates 15 years and it’s hard to sum up what those years of supporting small business mean. We’ve seen so much happen, haven’t we?
In 2011 companies were struggling to get their heads around Siri – I mean who talks to their phone?! But some things don’t seem to change as small businesses are still battling tech to grow their profits and reduce their stresses and it’s something here at Pängels we’ve been helping companies navigate for years. New tech, platforms, and opportunities arise all the time but how do you make the time to learn about them and implement them? We can help with that!
Many find they are trying to make AI work within their companies but risk losing that personal touch that companies need to compete with the big businesses. By prioritising customer care, you can stand out from your competitors and utilise Pängels to give you that extra pair of hands that has the time to care about your customers, introduce new tech and initiatives and ensure you concentrate on what you do best.
We find that as virtual assistants we are often doing the bits and bobs around the edges that take up your time. Did you know you can even turn to Pängels to set up subscriptions, alter Direct debits, source best prices on insurance and chase up accounts?
Growing evidence suggests that many business owners still haven’t sussed how to be fully adoptive to the best tech for their businesses therefore many are wasting precious time trying to adopt AI and it’s overwhelming. We can help you with that too.
When you work with our Essex based VA company to support your business we can work remotely or in house, so we are that natural bridge between a new member of staff and someone on hand when you need an extra pair of hands.
We’ve even been asked to jump in at the last minute and be a Meeter and Greeter for events. It’s amazing what Pängels have helped companies with over the years. We like to say that when the phone rings and you ask, “Can you help with email management?” if we can’t help you, we will even help you source some one that can.
To grow you need to use every minute in the best way possible, as VA’s supporting Essex businesses for 15 years, we’ve seen how it can have a very positive impact on the company to get the right admin and hidden support working behind the barriers.
It’s not just about freeing up your time to grow your business when you can trust someone to talk to your customers as you do then you extend the ability to build great relationships. We aren’t just about clearing your inbox, chasing your invoices and writing your content for your marketing strategy. We care about you and your business like it’s our own.
If you are feeling overwhelmed right now, talk to us about how we can help. We’ve been helping businesses like yours navigate everything around the edges of a successful business for 15 years and no matter what tech or magic you may need, we find the solutions together. Let’s hope the robots are not in charge in 15 years time and we are still allowed to run our own businesses right?
Here’s some tips on what you can farm out to a Virtual Assistant to free up your time and mind to make more money and get everything done…
You love the networking but you hate the follow up. Every business knows they need to follow up but few bother to do this and that’s costing you business. “More than 50% of people are more likely to buy something if the salesperson doesn’t pressure them during follow-ups. When sales reps simply follow up without pushing too hard, it makes potential buyers feel more comfortable and in control.” If you love networking but hate the follow up, did you know you can hand us your business card stack and we will follow up. Ask them if they’d like to go on your database, find them on social media and send them an email that starts a relationship. Even make a polite call to follow up your conversation at the event.
Got a database? How many email campaigns have you sent out and not checked if the person you are writing to is still at the company or even dead? "Business owners spend fortunes chasing strangers while 22–30% of their existing database quietly decays every year."[martal.ca], [salesgenie.com]
Did you know if you don’t clean your database then you could missing out on business? It’s not just about sending regular updates. We can phone everyone on your database, gauge their interest and where they sit in your sales funnel and get them ready to buy. We had one client who was writing to dead people – they didn't spend much!
Send regular updates – it’s not enough to build a database, you need to talk to them about what matters to them. We can help you work out what to write and even phone them to follow up for you. We offer a service that can be fit into most Pängels price packages to cold/warm calls on your behalf.
Competitor research is something we love to do. We can help you understand your competitors and what makes you stand out. You can use AI but it rarely gets the nuances of what makes customers come to you and stay with you. By helping you understand your competition we can help you assess your marketing messages and your follow up strategy so you can concentrate on the networking and we do the grunt work you hate.
Not everyone loves meeting people. Some are happier hiding away in the office, if that’s you did you know I can even go networking on your behalf? I love meeting people and have been networking for years, so really enjoy sharing information on the companies I rave about. I can help you by being the face of your brand if you’d rather be in the office.
Let’s talk. Sometimes the biggest issues for business owners are around things that you assume no one else can do for you. But unless you have a conversation you just don’t know. Over the last 15 years of enabling companies to outsource admin tasks and the stuff that sits on desks un-started (or finished which is even more annoying!) bosses are often surprised what tasks I can magic away.
Just as it seemed magically 15 years ago to jump on a platform and find any song you could ever imagine – yes 2011 is the year Spotify launched – I can jump into your business and do things you’d never imagined outsourcing. It’s that age old saying “You don’t know until you ask” and a coffee to understand you and your business is always a great opportunity to off load and have another brain working on your business.
I personally love a challenge, hence I love the challenge of being that additional employee in your small business and adapting to everything from sorting your holiday insurance to chasing up payments!
I also use my passion for challenges and raise money for charity. I have jumped out of planes, dressed as an angel for networking and now I’m about to do a wing walk – think James Bond but strapped to one spot in the middle of a bi-wing plane. Yes, it’s scary, yes I’m scared, yes I’m still doing it! I lost a friend to suicide recently and it made me want to do more for Mid and North Mind (https://www.justgiving.com/page/jenny-sjollema-wing-walk-for-richard-holland),a charity that helps people in Essex with mental health. To mark the occasion I am hosting a fundraising session on the 2nd August at Heybridge Basin St George’s Community room, I would love to welcome you along to meet me and get to know how I can help you, meet other networkers and business owners. I find networking is a natural way to get clients with many of my clients coming to me via networking or word of mouth referrals. So come along and have a cuppa and some cake, raise some money for mind and see how I could make business better for you. If you know any businesses that would like a stand at this event, please do share this article. Thank you.
Being in business for 15 years things have changed a lot but the needs of a business owner don’t. If you don’t get the right business support, then admin and to-do lists can kill your productivity and profitability. It can be scary to let someone into your head to see what needs to happen for the best. Having supported businesses across the Essex region for 15 years I’ve seen so many things that make a difference. No request is too big or too small. I’m here, let me know what you need and together things can get a lot easier in business.
Call 07903 347782 / Email jenny@pangels.co.uk
I network at www.bwninsiders and Essex Networking Skills click here to learn more. and I’m happy to have a coffee before or after any event.
Building relationships matters to me as much as it does to you and your customers.