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Why Consistency Matters

Showing up online consistently can feel like a never-ending battle, right?What to talk about, when to post, writing the words, creating the images—it's hard! And to do it every week, without fail? Who has the time?Well, we do, as luck would have it 😉Imagine this: you sit down for a few hours at once, plan out your content, create the images and videos, get everything scheduled, and then relax, knowing it's all under control. Sounds ideal, doesn’t it? But let's be real, finding the time to...

8 Reasons Why Your Business Needs an Online Presence (Now More Than Ever)

These days, having a strong online presence isn't just a luxury - it's a must have.With the current economic climate creating more competition than ever, making sure that your business is visible and engaging online can make all the difference. You have to stand out. Here’s why being seen online is more important than ever and how it can keep you front of mind for potential clients....

Why No One Should Do Business Alone (even now)

Yes, even in these particularly hard times. Now more than ever. While it's tempting to believe we can handle everything on our own, the truth is that having a support network is crucial for success. That's where having a reliable team, whether it's staff or outsourced contractors, comes into it. Even in times of financial uncertainty, investing in help can be a game-changer for your business.I used to feel huge pride in saying “I’m a one-woman band, I do it all” like it was a status t...

Avoiding Burnout

Let's be honest. Burnout SUCKS. I was super sick in 7th Form (Year 13) and my body never really recovered fully. I get run down and sick easier than the average person, and I need to remember that. Burnout....I've been there a couple of times in the past, and both times I ended up not taking a break until my body forced me to stop and I ended up being sick for months afterward. Never again, I said. 🤣Through those times, I learned to listen to the signs my body gives me and I'd been ...

Why AI Shouldn't Write Your Entire Blog Post (written by AI)

I've been writing a few blogs lately for clients, which I always love doing. Today, though, we tried something a bit different. We got Chat GPT to write the blog, and then I went through and "de-robofied" it. Made it sound human, and also made it sound like more a New Zealander. It came out pretty good, but it definitely required the human touch. So, once that was done, I got it to write ME a blog. On why they shouldn't be used without some serious editing and personalising. The below ...

Then and Now: A Nota Bene Reflection

As my Nota Bene birthday month winds up, when I look back to June 2020 when I first started working as a Virtual Assistant, it really is crazy to see the changes. It's easy to sit here today and think I've not come very far, or I'd like to be earning more money or have more clients, but if you compare June 2020 and June 2023 what you see is completely different.I started out on $25 an hour and I was amazed that people would even pay me that! That quickly moved to $30 an hour, and I was even more...

Why Virtual Assistants NEED To Be On Pinterest

When I was thinking about who our target market was going to be when I launched my Pinterest Management plans, I didn't really consider other Virtual Assistants, but I did think about coaches, course creators, bloggers, and other online service providers. Why was that? Why did I not consider my own people?As I was thinking about it this morning, the most inquiries I've had so far have been from Virtual Assistants/Executive Assistants wanting to know how it could work for them. I think I had...

10 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Pinterest

Pinterest is an amazing platform and it can help businesses of all sizes to reach new customers, increase their online presence, and drive traffic to their website. By incorporating search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies into your Pinterest strategy, you can improve the visibility of your content and increase the likelihood of it being discovered by the right people. Below is 10 ways Pinterest can help your business, with a focus on SEO to get the best results:Direct traffic to your we...

10 Reasons Why Your Business Needs An Email List

Let me start by saying this. Don't get me wrong, in 2023 I firmly believe all businesses should be on social media, purely from a brand awareness perspective. You want to stay top of mind with your clients and potential clients. But you probably hear people talking about how you must have an email list, and you have to contact them regularly, and it is very much true. Do you already have an email list, or is it one of those "I'll get to it one-day" type jobs?Despite always offering ser...

What is User Generated Content? (And How Can It help Your Business?)

User Generated Content (UGC) is content that is created by people, rather than brands/businesses. It's created by your clients and ambassadors or brand reps. It can be anything from reviews and ratings to social media posts and videos, to blog comments and forum threads. UGC is invaluable to businesses because it provides an authentic, honest, and unbiased look into the experiences people are having with their products or services.Does It Work?When used correctly, UGC can help businesses build t...

Why It's Not Ok To Do Everything Yourself

Stop trying to do everything yourself! If you are, you can probably feel it in yourself already why you need to stop. Burnout is a hot topic these days, and for good reason. Ever been there? I have. 0/10, do not recommend. You Don't Have To Do It All!That constant feeling of exhaustion, even if you aren't flying from place to place doing all the things. Sitting at your desk trying to do everything yourself is just as overwhelming and exhausting! Just five more minutes, just one more li...

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Virtual Assistant

You've signed on with a Virtual Assistant, you're all ready to go. What next? How do you make this a valuable, productive relationship? This year Nota Bene is all about increasing productivity and efficiency, so this is an important topic. Here are our top tips.1. PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!Don't waste your (or their) time fluffing about trying to decide what you need from them. Go into any calls or emails with a clear idea of what you want to be done. Where possible, provide the information you know they...

What To Expect When You Start Working With A Virtual Assistant

Sometimes the unknown is enough to put you off taking a big step in business. Your business is like your baby, and handing it over to someone for certain tasks can be more than a little terrifying!! So I thought I would write a quick post on what to expect when looking to hire a Virtual Assistant or Freelancer.I will use my own process as an example, but most Virtual Assistants that I know use a very similar process. The Discovery CallWhen you first book a Discovery Call with me, this is ou...

5 Reasons NOT To Hire A Virtual Assistant

As much as I think most businesses need a VA in their life, not everyone does. Maybe.....🤯 You LOVE being stressed out. It could be your jam? That constantly on edge feeling that comes from trying to plan and schedule your social media or get a newsletter out. Some people like to live on the edge. 🤯 Maybe you just HAVE to do it all yourself? The short time it takes to teach a skilled VA how you like things done isn't worth it. It's just easier to do it all yourself (Or, more to the point, ...

Social Media Package - What Does That Actually Mean?

It's all very well for me to say "I do social media". That doesn't always mean much to people. So I thought I would take some time and put it out there - what it is that I actually DO for the social media package. This is not exclusive. More often than not, prospective clients want a more personalised package. Something with more posts, less posts, or for me to also do newsletters, blogs or other tasks, in which case I would go away and put together a bespoke plan for them. But th...

Hiring Your First VA - What To Expect

I've just hired my first Virtual Assistant (VA), what happens next? Hopefully you've already had a video call or a face to face meet up with them, to discuss your expectations, and what you need from them. If not - That's a very good place to start! Get to know each other, and get a feel for how each other works. Make sure it's compatible with your own style.  They should have sent you through a Statement of Work, or a Service Agreement, laying out exactly what tasks they will be performing...

How NOT To Treat Your Staff: 7 Lessons From A Former Employer.

This is the second time I've written this. Note to self: If you're writing something and you get interrupted... PUSH SAVE BEFORE YOU WALK AWAY.  Now I have to remember all the pearls of wisdom I was imparting.  How NOT To Treat Your Staff: 7 Lessons From A Former Employer. While I work for a couple of VA Agencies as a Contractor as part of my work as a Virtual Assistant, I've not had a "boss" in about 11 years. But the bosses I had back then taught me a lot. Sadly, most of it was abou...

Self Care - Avoiding Burnout

I'm going to share a little behind the scenes with you. This is a topic that is so close to my heart.  Burnout. Been there 2x myself, and I have no intention of being there again. I had 3 very small businesses, a cleaning job and mum/wife life. I was far too busy and I felt myself getting dangerously close again a few weeks ago, so it's timely that we are focusing on self care this month.  We might define "burnout" differently, but at the core of it all, it's the same thing. Always fee...

The Importance Of Self Care

I'm writing this on a Friday night, in my bed with the electric blanket, comfy pants and Spotify playlist on, away from the loud enthusiastic-ness of my xbox playing family. Self Care for the win.  It's been a particularly challenging two weeks. (not in business!) More than particularly, if I'm honest, and with no sign of it easing up soon. That's why it's so fitting we are focusing on Self Care this month. It can benefit me as well.  So. Why is self care so important when you're in bu...

10 Things You Can Outsource To OTHER Virtual Assistants

It might seem a bit weird to write an article about tasks you can outsource to OTHER VA's, but I wouldn't be a good one if I claimed to do anything and everything. Instead, I would much rather stick to what I know, and point you in the right direction for the other stuff. When I first started out, I thought I should be a Jenny of all trades, and what is more important than bookkeeping? So I spent a full weekend reducing myself to a shaky, sweaty pile of tears trying to "learn" Xero.&nb...

10 Things You Can Outsource To A Virtual Assistant

So, already this month we've talked about WHY you should outsource, in the next 3 articles, I'm going to show you WHAT you can outsource.  Today, it's 10 things you can outsource that I can help you with myself, next article it's things you can outsource to OTHER Virtual Assistants (I can even help you find the right one to fit your needs), and then, things outside of Virtual Assistants that you can outsource - life stuff. Because if we can make life a little easier inside and outside of bu...

How Do I Know If The Time Is Right To Hire A Virtual Assistant?

Have you been wondering whether now is the time to get some extra help in your business?  I kind of think of it like when you're deciding to have a child - if you wait for what you think is the perfect time, that time will probably never come. Ok, so having a child is maybe a teensy bit bigger than hiring a Virtual Assistant....  But the mindset is still true. Speaking from personal experience, if you wait until you're earning "enough" money, or you think you're busy "enough"... You'll...

10 Reasons To Outsource To A Virtual Assistant

I could make a list far longer than this as to why you should hire a Virtual Assistant, but this list of 10 are what I believe are the top reasons.  More Time, Less Stress This is a huge one. Are you feeling constantly overwhelmed about what needs to be done next, what you should be doing and then trying to do a bajillion things at once? Delegating some of the tasks to a Virtual Assistant frees you up to spend time on the tasks that really move the needle. There might be things that need d...

What The Heck Is Outsourcing?

Think of outsourcing as getting someone else to do the tasks that you don't know how to do, don't have time to do, or just don't WANT to do.We all have stuff like that, whether we're in business or not. Life just gets too busy, no matter what you do in your normal day.  Throughout the coming month, we're going to chat about how you can reduce the stress in your life by handing over the tasks in life that someone else could do faster or even better. That way you have more time to do thi...

Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself

So I've made a lot of new friends in the last 6 months and I realised I haven't re-introduced myself in a long time.So, hi! I'm Nikki, I'm based in Tauranga, New Zealand and I am your friendly Virtual Assistant - Nota Bene.If you've been around awhile, you will notice that I like words. Lots of words. And last year I decided it was time to niche down and put that to good use - Newsletters, blogs, social media (both content and optimising your Pinterest and YouTube) - anything you need help findi...