What Does a Business Consultant Do?

As a business owner, it is natural to search for the next step.  It is natural to focus on getting outside help to grow and enhance your business.  Thinking about talking to a business consultant and understanding a business consultant are two different things!  The question now is “What does a business consultant do?”

Identify Your Expectations

Think about what you are expecting when you consider a business consultant.  Are you wanting them to come in and transform your business?  Are you planning on working together with them to find the best solutions for your business?  Maybe you just want some insight from somebody outside of your business.  Figure out your expectations so that you can find the perfect business consultant match for your business. 

A Business Consultant’s Mission

Now that you have your expectations in line, you need to be realistic as to what a consultant actually does.  Every business consultant is different in their approach, but one thing is always the same. They want to help you improve your business! They will sit down with you and learn your business inside and out. They will need to know your successes and your failures. This is not to harp on your business model or point out your faults. This is to give you constructive criticism. Without that, they cannot do their job. 

A business consultant will work to improve performance and efficiency, analyze your business, and create solutions to help you reach your goals. If you are unsure of your goals, they will help you create new ones. 

What Can A Business Consultant Do For You?

This goes back to the first section and identifying your expectations. You not only need to identify what you want from your business consultant, but what they can actually offer you. In most cases, a business consultant is there to help you improve your business. They will analyze it, find any issues, and help you create a plan for change. 

There are many different reasons you might be considering a business consultant. You may want to grow your business, identify current issues, make big business changes, get assistance teaching and training staff, drum up new business, bring a business back from the edge, or maybe just get an outside view. Whatever your reason for hiring a business consultant, listening to them is the most important part of the process.

How To Start With a Business Consultant

Once you make your decision to hire a business consultant, you will need to find one that offers what you are looking for. The first thing they will do is learn your business. They will expect you to explain things like your company’s mission and your expectations. You will probably do most of the talking initially because the consultant can’t help you until they are completely informed about your business. 

Once they understand your business and expectations, they will make a plan. The plan will be based on any issues that they were informed of by management, problems identified by the consultant, and the goals of the business. The business consultant will set additional goals, decide what needs to be changed, and how to do it. They will come up with solutions for the problems, and work with you to come up with the perfect solutions that everybody can agree on. 

As the owner or manager, it is your responsibility to LISTEN to the consultant! You are hiring them to figure out how to help your business. They are there to give you constructive criticism and be objective. You will need to work with your consultant to build on your assets and eliminate your liabilities. Your consultant will monitor progress with help from you and adjust as you go. If one thing isn’t working, then it will be reevaluated. 

Why are you looking into business consulting? If you decide we are a good fit for your business consulting expectations, give us a call! You can also schedule your appointment now to see what we can do for you.

Keep Your Business Running During the Holidays

It is that time again! The holidays are here, and business is starting to show the signs of the slower season. Don’t fret! You can keep your business running during the holidays while preparing for the next season to come! Here are some ways to keep your business running during the holidays.

1. Focus on what you can do instead of what you can’t. If you focus on all the business you do not have during the slow season, you aren’t able to look at what you can do! Spend this time focusing on building a plan to better your business. If you noticed that your infrastructure isn’t functioning well, now is the time to figure out a plan. 
2. Make a plan for streamlining. Now is the best time to reflect on what you needed help with when you were in the busy season. Get a plan in place for streamlining this. If you thought you needed help with certain things, figure out how to get that help and hire somebody now - not when you actually need them! Get a person comfortable in helping with your business and then they will be ready when you really need it.
3. Show yourself! Take pictures of your holiday activities and share them with your social media followers. Putting up a Christmas tree? Take a picture of it and encourage others to share theirs. Make your followers see you as a real person, and not just a business. The more somebody sees that you care to share your life with them, the more you will be on their mind when they need what your business offers. 
4. Plan ahead! The holidays come at the same time every year. Record your sales, income, and expenses for this time. Try to plan ahead before the holidays hit so you know exactly what to expect. If you notice you spend a lot more during this time, you can either save up early, or set a spending budget so you don’t hurt your business. 
5. Stay connected with your customers. This can be a simple email, text, or even a phone call just to say happy holidays. Spend your spare time showing you are thinking of them, and that you appreciate their loyal business. This is the best time to nurture your relationships and show your clients you really care. 
6. Take time off! I know this doesn’t really keep your business running right now, but it will give you the break you need to do great during the busy season. Take a vacation while you are slow. Relax, breath, spend time with family, and enjoy having time to do this before you get busy again. 

What are some things that you have found help you get through the holiday season? If you decide you need help preparing your business for the busy season, give us a call! You can also schedule your appointment now to see what we can do for you.

Not Your Average Virtual Assistant

You have been searching for a virtual assistant to meet your needs. You have looked on multiple different websites and have seen a variety of different skill sets and prices vary just as much! What is the right answer? It really depends on what you want in your assistant! Here are some questions to ask yourself.

Are you looking for somebody who will do the job once and move on? 

This may be a task that is quick and easy, and you won’t need future assistance on. Hiring an individual on a virtual assistant hiring board website may be the way to go.

Do you want a United States based virtual assistant? 

A lot of the websites that offer low rates and quick turnover are not located in the United States. If you are ok with not being able to talk to your assistant because of varying hours, and them not understanding what it is like living in the United States, this may be an option for you.

Do you want an assistant who will understand your business and focus on what you really need? Are you looking for somebody who wants your business to succeed as much as you do? Do you need somebody who is going to dive into your tasks and understand what is needed in a long-term situation? 

This last set of questions is what sets us apart from the rest. We focus on using The Hive Method with all our clients. We work toward a common goal, focus on you as a person, and focus on your business. We thrive on your success and our work shows that. As a team, we work together to make your services run smoothly, efficiently, and how you envision them. 

When you speak to us, you will be assigned a United States based project manager. This person oversees all the work on your account and is your main point of contact. Every team member we have is also based in the United States. If you have marketing work, database work, calling, or even administrative work, we have a team member to help you. Your project manager will choose the team member best suited to complete the assigned work. This is how we can properly manage your account and confirm that you are getting the service you deserve. 

At BizEBee, we are here for you. We go above and beyond to make sure you are getting what you pay for. We work together as a hive.  Schedule your appointment now to see what sets us apart from your average virtual assistant!

The Hive Method

Have you ever looked at a bee’s hive? I mean REALLY looked. 

No? As a an entrepreneur, maybe you should take the time to watch the bees. Watch how they all work together. Notice how they all have the same goal. Recognize how every single bee has a job. Every single bee is important. Every single bee makes a difference.

There are many things one can learn from a beehive. This article goes into more detail on the specifics, but there are basics too. There is a specific mentality in a beehive. It is the survival of the hive. Every bee works together toward one goal and puts that main goal above each individual task or idea. That is The Hive Method. 

If you were to look up the definition of a hive, you will find “a place swarming with activity.”  Is that what you think of when you think of your business? Maybe you see it swarming with activity but that activity is all over the place and not uniform, strong, and building toward a common goal. The Hive Method is a revolutionary approach to your business.   

The Hive Method

BizEBee created The Hive Method to bring together business consulting, business coaching, and virtual administration.  A business consultant will pick your business apart, identify weaknesses, and tell you what changes to make. A business coach will help you rely on your own knowledge and experience, and guide you into using that knowledge. A virtual assistant will do the things you don’t have time for. With these three things combined, your business can be like a bee hive. Imagine what it would be like to have all of these things working together like a well-oiled machine. 

The thing with The Hive Method is that nobody is alone in the hive. The leader is immersed in everything while the rest of the bees swarm around them working for the good of the whole hive. Nothing is put completely on one individual. Everything is a team effort.  As a hive, everybody works toward the common goal of making your business successful, and helping you maintain that success. 

Why would you want to have three different people working separately with you and your business when you can have The Hive Method, and those three people working for you with communication, common goals, and the hive mentality?

How to Balance Work and Home Life

Work and home life balance is always something that needs work. When you are a real estate agent, your schedule can be unpredictable, and balancing work and home life can be difficult. There are ways to make this balance a little easier. 

The first thing to do is to sit down at the beginning of each week and make a list of everything you have planned. This can be showings, appointments, and even fun activities you know you have planned. Take that list and put time frames next to each item. Add travel time and prep time to those times. 

Next, take that list and plug it into your calendar. If you use an electronic planner, put it there. If you write everything down, write it down there. Be sure to put the allotted times next to each item. Once you have everything in your calendar you can see where you are overbooked, or where you have more time than you thought. 

While it is summer, you may have your kids home. If they are still young, you will need to arrange for childcare on your very busy days. Having your days laid out in front of you can also help you determine when you don’t need childcare. It may help to have somebody who can help you out in a pinch. 

In your home you can create a home schedule. Losing track of laundry, chores, and even dinner can be very stressful. The home is a family responsibility. The whole family makes the mess, the whole family can help maintain the home. Create a board or planner with all of the household tasks. Assign tasks to each family member. It may be a good idea to have a chore day where everything gets accomplished in one day. Maybe it works better to have daily chores. Set it up for what works best for your home. If your family is reluctant, offer an incentive such as allowance or a movie night out. 

Once you have all of your responsibilities lined up, it will be easier to maintain. You can also see where you may need help in your work and home life. It is never a bad thing to ask for help! If you decide you need help balancing your work and home life, we can help! Call us at 202-469-6774. You can also schedule an appointment online to meet your schedule! 

How to do a Database Cleanup

Last time we discussed how to write a blog. This week I want to talk about your database. Thinking about a database cleanup may be overwhelming. Your database is the heart of your business, and it can be so much more if it were organized. Imagine a day where you can schedule an email blast to go out to only buyers who are looking within the next month. Or maybe you want to send out Happy Homeowner Anniversary cards to past clients who purchased a home. It can be as easy as running a report or separating your contacts using tags. It is time to do a database cleanup to make this a reality!

First Step to a Database Cleanup

The first step in doing a database cleanup is to decide what information you want in your database about a client. Are you looking to send out birthday cards to your past clients? Do you want to start a great drip campaign for your prospective sellers? Figure out your goals, and you can figure out your tags and other categories you want in your contact files. 

You want to have tags that will identify your contacts. It is a good idea to use Buyer A, B, and C; Seller A, B, and C; past clients, dead lead, SOI, and Vendor. Tags are used to categorize your contacts for when you want to follow up with them. You may have a monthly newsletter that you send out, but you only want to send it to your past clients. This is done by selecting the specific tag and sending it only to them. 

After you decide on your tags, it is time to add the other items to your contact list. If you want their birthdays on there, add a column for that. Want to add a closing date to all of your past clients, create a column for that. Most databases you will be able to pull a report of these specific items and reach out to them as you see fit. 

Second Step to a Database Cleanup

Now it is time to run a report to include your entire database. Once you have this report run, look at the column names and add any that you want to add. It is the time to divide your list into chunks of 200. This will keep you focused and organized. Trying to tag and find information for a large amount of contacts at one time can seem overwhelming and impossible. Breaking it into smaller sections makes it completely doable. With smaller sections you can add your tags and information, upload it into your database, and take a break if you need to. 

A database cleanup isn’t something that you can accomplish overnight. It will take time, effort, determination, and organization. It will be worth all of the hard work to have an organized, tagged, and informational database. Imagine the possibilities with a working database! Do you only want to deal with tagging your database, we can do the rest! Call us at 202-469-6774. You can also schedule an appointment online to meet your schedule! 

How to Blog For Real Estate Agents

Last time we talked about Facebook Marketing, this week we are going to discuss blogging. Focusing on branding and marketing yourself includes starting, and maintaining, a blog. Getting your name out there and in front of people is a great way to get more business. Blogging isn’t something that will get you new business right away, but it will help in creating and maintaining your internet presence. Here are some tips on how to blog.

Blog Topics

The first thing you need to focus on when learning how to blog is topics. When considering what to write your blog posts on, consider your audience. Who are you trying to reach? As a real estate agent, your target audience is essentially anybody in your local area. It doesn’t matter if they are buying or selling a home right now. You want to be in front of anybody around you.

Your topics should be inviting for everybody, not just people looking buying or selling right now. The goal is to get in front of people and provide them with relevant information. To do this, you will need a variety of topics to post. Some ideas can include local area events, home improvement tips, home decorating ideas, mortgage information, and buying and selling tips. When somebody reads your blog, they should walk away feeling informed about what they were looking for. 

How to Blog with SEO

Have you heard of SEO? Do you know what it means if you have? It means Search Engine Optimization. In blogging, this means to use relevant keywords so that your blog can be found when people use those search words. You will need to use these keywords throughout your blog and in your images to have an impact. In learning how to blog, you will need to learn to find which keywords will work for you by using a keyword search. There are multiple sites that offer that capability. 

If you have a Wordpress website, you can also add a plugin to help with your SEO. This will verify your keyword density, your blog length, and also rate the readability of your post. It also gives you tips on what you can do to improve your SEO and readability.

How to Write a Good Blog Post

Writing a good blog post is important When you are learning how to blog, you need to be able to make an impact on your reader. Focus on what the reader needs, not what you need. Bragging about yourself can be a bad idea because it can come off wrong to the reader. The way to talk yourself up, without actually saying it, is to prove your expertise through your posts. Using relevant, helpful, and updated information in your blog posts is the best way to show that you know what you are talking about. 

Your title should be catchy and include your keyword. Your first paragraph should get right to the point about the topic of the post. Rambling on and on to reach a higher word count won’t help you. Consider when you are reading something. Do you continue to read if it is repetitive or rambling? Give fresh information, and keep it to the point as much as possible. 

When your blog post is coming to an end, make a conclusion. Ask for feedback, opinions, or suggestions. Engaging with your readers is something to strive for. Building relationships is your business, and learning how to blog can help do that. 

Still aren’t sure if you are up for the task of learning how to blog? We can help! Call us at 202-469-6774. You can also schedule an appointment online to meet your schedule! 

Facebook Marketing - Boosted Post or Facebook Ad?

It is time to reach into the world of Facebook in hopes of making an impact. How do you approach Facebook marketing? Do you boost your post or create an ad? Making the right decision can save you time and money. Here is how to decide which Facebook marketing technique is best for you.

The first thing you need to decide is what is the purpose of your Facebook marketing. Are you trying to direct people to your website? Do you need more “likes” on your page? Or maybe you are offering classes and looking for sign-ups. Define your purpose and you can decide which Facebook marketing option is best for you.

Boosting a Facebook Post

When you boost a post, you have two options. If that post has a link you can boost it to get views on that link. If it does not have a link, you are only advertising that post. With boosting a post you have very limited options when it comes to Facebook marketing. You have the ability to choose a basic audience, set location, duration, and set a budget. Those are the only options you have.

Creating a Facebook Ad

If you are looking for more detailed Facebook marketing, a Facebook ad is the best option.  The options are endless, and you can be a lot more specific in your targeting. Here is a snapshot of how it will look when you go to create an ad. 

There are plenty of options to choose from when choosing why you are using Facebook marketing. You can choose for traffic, people to sign up for events, to get leads, and more! After you get through this section, you will set up your audience. For this section you also have more options. You can choose age range, location, interests, income levels, employment type, and more. Targeting specifically what you want is highly possible when doing an ad versus a boosted post. 

One thing that is different with an ad is that your image cannot contain many words. If your image has too many words, including words in your logo, it will get bounced back and you will have to recreate it until you get the right amount of words on it. Most times images can speak 1000 words, and you can use the space on the ad for your actual words without putting them on the image. 

Do you think you need to use a boosted post or a Facebook ad for your Facebook marketing needs? If you need help deciding, or completing the task, call us at 202-469-6774. You can also schedule an appointment online to meet your schedule! 

Do You Have a Real Estate Assistant?

Balance working with a virtual and an in-house assistant.

Having an in-house real estate assistant can be a great asset to your business. They should be able to help you with your everyday tasks, and assist you with other tasks as needed. But most likely they can’t do everything, all of the time. That is where a virtual team member comes in. 

What is the difference between an in-house assistant’s abilities, and a virtual team member’s abilities? It all depends on what you need. Your real estate assistant may be fantastic with marketing and assisting with transaction coordination, but isn’t great at calling your leads. It could be that your real estate assistant is only there to focus on answering calls, managing your day-to-day activities, and is hands-off with everything else. As with any team member, everybody has their own skill set. 

With a business services company, such as BizEBee Consulting, you can have the best of both worlds. You can have your in-house real estate assistant, plus an entire team of virtual team members to assist you with whatever you need. 

How do you work with both?

If you have both an in-house real estate assistant, and would like to add a virtual team member, it is important to decide who does what. Take time in advance to decide what your in-house’s skills and responsibilities are to include. Then you take everything else and that is what your virtual team can handle for you. It doesn’t need to be harder than that. 

If you have a project that requires the coordination of the in-house and the virtual team, that shouldn’t be a problem either. Most virtual team members are fully equipped and willing to work with in-house assistants on anything that is needed. 

Are you ready to take the next step and talk about adding a virtual team to your business? If you are interested in more information, or for a FREE Business Analysis, call us at 202-469-6774. You can also schedule an appointment online to meet your schedule! 

5 Steps to Get Organized at Work

Organization is key in any business. When you walk into your office, whether at home or an actual office, what do you see? Are there papers stacked everywhere? Are there things that don’t even belong near your desk on it? Do you feel overwhelmed? Here are 5 steps to get organized at work. 

Step1:

Get rid of ALL non-essential items. If you have binder clips but really never use them, get rid of them, or only keep a couple of them. If you can eliminate any extra items from your desk, do it! File papers and have a plan for any future paperwork that will show up in your space. The key is to make your space inviting. It is hard to accomplish anything when you can’t find what you need.

Step 2:

Get a planner and actually use it. Some people do great with having everything on their phone or iPad calendar. Some people are better with good old pencil and paper. Figure out what works best for you and start focusing on using your planner for everything! You can even do this the night before for the next day. It doesn’t have to be complex. Time blocking can also help with organization within your planner. Figure out how much time each item will take and block off that amount of time for that item. Do that for everything throughout the day. 

Step 3:
Do not multitask! Multitasking is actually LESS productive than doing one thing at a time. Take time and complete a task, then move onto the next one. 

Step 4: 

Get your emails in check. If your desk is a mess, your virtual space probably is too! It is easy to get overwhelmed with the insane amount of emails you get, but it can be done! Spend the first part of your day organizing any emails that came through during the night. Set up your email with folders or labels to get organized! Unsubscribe to spam emails. You can get your email under control!

Step 5: 

Take breaks and let your mind roam. Every once in awhile during your day make sure you take time to just zone out and let your mind roam. Put your phone down, close your computer, and just breath. It is too often that while on a break, time is spent on the phone talking to somebody or on social media. This will actually hinder the ability for your mind to roam. Turn it all off and just take a break. 

Do you think you can get organized today? If you need help, let us be your real estate consultant and help you organize your business-services. If you are interested in more information, or for a FREE Business Analysis, call us at 202-469-6774. You can also schedule an appointment online to meet your schedule! 

Make a Work Plan, and Stick to it!

Running a business is hard. There is a lot that goes into it. If you drop the ball in one area, other areas will suffer. It is important to sit down, make a work plan, and then stick to it! Where do you start?

First it is important to understand what a work plan is. A work plan is a detailed plan of activities and events to get from point A to point B. This helps you get and stay organized, and also determine where you may need help. Start at six-month to a year in your plan. 

What kind of work activities should you have in your business? For a real estate agent, some tasks can include sales calling, database updates and follow up, marketing items, transaction coordination, meet and greets, customer appreciate activities, and more. Now take these items one by one and decide what your ideal activity would look like. Do you want to have a customer appreciation event every month? How about sending out a monthly e-newsletter? Write it all down with each item having its own section and prioritize the items.

Now it is time to make a plan. Take your highest priority level item and outline it. For example, let’s say you want to send out a monthly newsletter to all of your database. Step one would be to get your database in order if it isn’t already. Next step is to decide the platform from where you will send the newsletter. The next step would be to set a deadline to have your newsletter created by and decide if you will be creating it or if you need help. Once the newsletter is setup, it can be scheduled to send. After it is sent, the analytics will need to be reviewed to see if anything needs changed. Do this with every item on your list. Each thing will eventually have its own work plan. 

This may seem very overwhelming, but take it as the beginning of getting organized! Once you have everything laid out in front of you, you can really sit back and decide what you need help with, what you can manage on your own, and what you don’t really want to do with your business. 

Once you have all of your ducks in a row, start putting them into action. Whatever you can do on your own, face it head on and start making moves. If you can’t do it on your own, find help! You are running a business. What business do you know of that is a single owner without any sort of help? If you need it, get it so you can focus on what you do best, SELLING!

Do you think you can get started today? If you need help, let us be your real estate consultant and help you organize your business-services. If you are interested in more information, or for a FREE Business Analysis, call us at 202-469-6774.

Problems with Realtors® and Virtual Delegation

Looking around your desk, and your emails, you are probably wondering how you can get through everything. Another question that might come to mind is, who can help you without having to go through a long and stressful interviewing process? One thing you may or may not have considered is virtual delegation. 

What exactly is virtual delegation? This is when you hire somebody to help you with your work, but they work from home. This has become very common in the world of business, and can be considered a business saver for some. 

Now if you are getting curious you can start brainstorming about what you can comfortably delegate. Start by considering what things are falling behind. As a Realtor®, you have many balls to juggle. Some of these to consider are database cleanup and follow up, marketing on social media, blogging, transactions coordination, website creation, and other marketing services. 

Sit down and make a list of everything that you handle on your own. Not a list of things you would LIKE to handle on your own, but what is actually getting done without assistance. Then write down everything that you don’t know how to do yourself. This can be your marketing items, blogging, website work, etc. Next focus on the things you just don’t have time to do, or don’t want to do, such as database work. 

Since your list will most likely be varied, you want to hire a company to handle your tasks. The reason is that if you hire a Virtual Assistant, they may or may not have the experience and ability to handle all of your tasks. They will most likely be proficient in one thing and you will have to hire multiple assistants to get your work done, which will then cause you more stress in the end. The best option is to hire a company who has multiple assistants who specialize in different things. Then you can keep everything under one roof, and eliminate the stress of finding multiple assistants or finding that their work is sub-par. 

Now to the problems with Realtors® and virtual delegation! Miscommunication can be the biggest problem. Because it is virtual, good communication is a must! If the Realtor® gets busy and cannot answer calls or emails from the virtual assistant, the work cannot get completed as expected. Communicating what exactly is expected or desired to the assistant is also vital. Without this, there will be confusion and work will need to be redone. Another problem that Realtors® tend to have is actually letting go. It is hard to trust your business to somebody else, but without actually releasing responsibility to the assistant, work will be spotty and unorganized. 

Are you ready to talk about your options for virtual delegation? Let us be your real estate consultant and help you organize your business-services. If you are interested in more information, or for a FREE Business Analysis, call us at 202-469-6774.

5 Biggest Mistakes Realtors® Make

As a Realtor® there are many mistakes that you may be making without even knowing it. A few reasons these mistakes happen are because of being overwhelmed, not having the help needed, and being too busy to handle everything. Being busy is not a bad thing, but it can be if mistakes are being made because of it, and you don’t have the help you need. Go down the list and see if you are making an of these mistakes.

1. Grabbing all that sparkles. When you see a program, or a website that looks like something you would use, you sign up and purchase whatever is needed for it. Then the site sits there doing nothing because it won’t do anything without you programing and telling it to. No matter how many programs or websites you sign up on, if you don’t have the time or knowledge to manage them, they will just be another thing you have a password for and are paying for. Not everything that sparkles is good!
2. Letting relationships go. If you are not following up with your friends, previous clients, and family, you are missing out on a huge network that WANTS to help you succeed! Keep you sphere close and let them know you are still good at what you do.
3. Not keeping current. Your database is the heart of your business. This goes with letting relationships go. Keeping your database current and updated is vital to the success of your business. Doing a little now will save you from doing a lot later. 
4. Where are you? Do you only market yourself when you think of it, or when you have spare time? Sporadic marketing can be as bad as not marketing at all. If you aren’t marketing frequently, you should be.
5. Who are you? When clients see your business do they see you, or your brokerage? Do you want your clients to know your name or do you want them to know who you work for? If you are not branded, or only branded partially, you may want to reconsider.  

Are you making these mistakes? Let us be your real estate consultant and help you organize your business-services. If you are interested in more information, or for a FREE Business Analysis, call us at 202-469-6774.