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10 Things You Can Do Today to Become a More Confident Person

admin January 12, 2016

It is the confidence we see in others that makes us admire them. Confidence is something most people want but are not inherently equipped with. Luckily, there are ways to build your confidence and help you take on the world. Here we will discuss ten things you can do to increase your belief in yourself and promote the fearlessness that allows you to tackle any business venture.

1. Take advantage of the things you do well.

Leading with your strengths is a great way to remind yourself that you are capable of achieving something excellent. When you have this reminder, you are likely to feel more self-assured and positive.

2. Start conversations with strangers.

Trying this exercise whenever you leave the house will help you get rid of the fear of not being good enough. It will help you realize that making the effort is not that hard. And, the more you do it, the better you will be at it.

3. Start your day with a to-do list.

Making this list before you start your day will help you focus on your goals, and crossing off each task after completion will make you feel great.

4. Try something new.

Trying something different allows you to explore a new territory, and conquering it can help boost your confidence.

5. Improve your posture.

Body language is important. Some improvements you may want to work on includes adding pep to your step, standing straight and tall, and not folding your arms.

6. Try activities alone.

Doing things by yourself can truly help you get to know yourself, and that assurance will help boost your confidence.

7. Try activities with others.

Activities with others can help you get yourself out there – interacting with others and showcasing your skills.

8. Don’t always make plans.

Spontaneity shows confidence because it means you are not too worried about the outcome of something new and unplanned.

9. Challenge Yourself.

Step outside of your comfort zone to do something difficult. Once you get to the other side, you will have an unmistakable increase in confidence.

10. Expect to be successful.

If you expect success, you are likely to succeed – just as you are likely to fail if you expect failure.

Confidence is a tool that is necessary for overall success, and it can make all the difference in how your run your business. Hiring a virtual receptionist from Gabbyville can help build your confidence in your company, knowing that you have employees who treat your business like it is their own.

3 Cognitive Biases That Affect the Way You Think

admin December 29, 2015

As human beings, we often get caught up in certain biases that prevent us from doing our best and reaching our full potential. These cognitive biases affect the way we think, especially in business, and they cause us to view things from a narrow perspective. Here we will discuss some of those biases and how hiring a virtual assistant for your business can help you avoid making these mistakes.

Yes Men

We love people who agree with us, and we love to agree with them because they agree with us. We would much rather stick with people who seem to share our views rather than ones who challenge them. Unfortunately, because of this bias, we often ignore people who do not share our opinions on certain subjects or anyone who makes us feel like our interests might need another look. In other words, we like yes men.

However, yes men are not always good for business, and while they may feel the need to please, that need may supersede the responsibility to be honest. A virtual assistant will have no such problem. The advantage of having a virtual assistant is that no personal relationship is ever formed, so there is no need for one to soothe the other’s ego. A virtual assistant is much more likely to be honest about the direction of your company and what you need to do to help it grow.

Fear of Change

The, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” mentality is another one that often gets us into trouble. We are so fearful of change that we do whatever we can to keep things as close to what we are used to as possible. Instead of being excited about the possibilities that lie ahead, we get scared into thinking that change is a bad thing. In business, change is very necessary. Hiring a virtual assistant means hiring someone who is not afraid of change. Because virtual assistants have no emotional attachments, they are often able to come up with business solutions that are new and fresh ideas from the ones already being used.

Living in the Moment

This bias is especially detrimental to business owners. The inability to see past the current moment means the possibility of not drawing up a plan for the future. It means not setting goals. A virtual assistant can combat this bias with fresh ideas that set a clear path to the future. For example, if you are focused on making the most money for your business this year, it may not help you get ahead. A virtual assistant has the vision to help you see past the very immediate future and to help your business grow over the next five years.

Hiring a virtual assistant from gabbyville.com means more than just someone working for you from home. It means that you have a trusted employee who will do everything in their power to help you build on the success of your company.

How to Successfully Manage Manipulators

admin December 28, 2015

When you have your own company, it is important to make sure that things stay in tip-top shape. There are a lot of stresses and issues you must attend to as a business owner. Because of your immense workload and responsibility to your company and your employees, you can sometimes be easily taken advantage of by your employees. Dealing with this reality means you may have to get rid of current employees and hire more committed ones, but who can you trust? Here we will discuss the option of a virtual assistant and why it may be best for your situation.

Virtual assistants are real people who work for your company but do not come into an office. They help run your company, usually from the comfort of their own home. The use of virtual assistants is a great way to conduct your business as it guarantees that work gets done on time. Live employees have the power to manipulate you with a lot of resources that are simply not available in the virtual world.

One huge component that could be used to beguile you is simply having a relationship with your employee. Because you may have built a rapport with your workers, this relationship can possibly make your employees think they have certain privileges. With a virtual assistant, there is no space for such a relationship, thus, it becomes much less likely that you can be taken advantage of.

Live employees can also compromise your business because of their own situations and personal agendas. While in-person employees may call in sick or show up late, leaving you without someone to do the job on time, virtual assistants are at no such liberty, and they understand their role is to show up on time and work for the required amount of hours. In addition, as the company owner, you do not have to worry about lunch breaks, vacation time, or sick days. With a virtual assistant, they are always working.

Hiring a virtual assistant can help you get the job done leaving you without worry and anxiety. The employees at Gabbyville understand how important your business is to you, and they are committed to making it their priority as much as it is yours. When you hire a virtual assistant from Gabbyville, you are making an investment that is sure to pay off.

Three Great Reasons to Hire a Virtual Assistant from Gabbyville.com

admin December 23, 2015

Are you overwhelmed by the amount of work you need to do in just a limited amount of time? Are your most important tasks being ignored because you can’t fit them into your schedule? Is your business growing, and you don’t know how to handle the growing amount of work? If you’ve answered “yes” to even one of these questions, you might benefit from hiring a virtual assistant (VA). There are many ways a VA can help ease your burden and keep you on the track to success.

Administrative tasks

Administrative tasks are a necessary part of any business. But, they often get pushed to the side to make time for “more important” tasks. If that practice goes on for too long, the tasks simply never get done, which can become problematic. A virtual assistant can take the everyday tasks off your plate and free you up to concentrate on the bigger picture of your business.

Social media

Owning a business in the 21st century means you must have a social media presence. However, Keeping up to date with updating Facebook statuses and Tweeting out messages takes a lot of time. Add to that keeping a presence on LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+ and Pinterest and the task becomes overwhelming. It is virtually impossible for a business owner to keep up with social media and still maintain a business. Hiring a VA to focus on social media is the perfect solution. Virtual assistants are well versed in social media and are adept at knowing what to post and when.

Avoid hiring the wrong person for the job

Virtual assistants are fabulous placeholders. Gone are the days when a business owner or hiring manager had to hurry up and fill a position simply to get a warm body at a workstation. Virtual Assistants are today’s “temps”. Hiring a VA to fill the shoes of an employee who has left the company is a much better solution than hiring the wrong person to do the job on a full-time basis. Bringing a VA in will fill the gaps and allow the work to be done seamlessly until the perfect new hire is found. Plus, if the VA is not a good fit, it is easy to terminate the relationship with no reprisals and hire a new one until the best permanent fit can be found.

These three examples are but a few of the many advantages you can gain by hiring a virtual assistant. If you are trying to run your business without the assistance of a virtual assistant, you are not meeting your maximum ability. If you are a business owner and need the assistance only a Virtual Assistant can provide, contact Gabbyvill.com today. Our VAs are the best in the business!

Do Something Great Today and Hire a Virtual Receptionist

admin December 18, 2015

A business requires investments to be successful. Those investments could be your time, money, or resources. One of the best investments you can make for your business that you may never have thought of is hiring a virtual receptionist. Here are some reasons why hiring a virtual receptionist today is the greatest thing you can do for your business.

Investing in a virtual receptionist can cut down on how much money you need to invest in your business. If you could reduce how much of your money you put into your business, wouldn’t you take that opportunity? A virtual receptionist is more affordable than hiring an in-house receptionist. Between the hourly wage, paid sick days, lunch breaks, and any other benefits provided, the costs start to add up for an in-house receptionist. With a virtual receptionist, you can pay as little as $99 per month without worrying about sick days, contracts, and extended lunch breaks.

The other investment that can be reduced with a virtual receptionist is your time, and it’s another great thing to do today for your business. Sometimes, it’s hard to find good employees to fill positions that can become tedious or slow. Reduce the amount of time you spend interviewing and training new employees for your receptionist position by hiring a virtual receptionist.

If you feel like you spend extended hours in your office for fear of missing an important phone call, a virtual receptionist will allow you to spend your valuable time doing things that are important for your business, rather than waiting for the phone to ring. Your virtual receptionist can pass messages on to you right away, and can also forward urgent phone calls to you so you don’t miss anything important.

Missed phone calls can equal missed sales, missed clients, and missed opportunities. Virtual receptionists can ensure that you don’t miss out on money-making opportunities by being available all the time during your business hours. While your regular employees can get caught up in doing the day-to-day tasks of the business and miss a few phone calls, and your virtual receptionist is there for you for the specific purpose of making sure phone calls don’t go unanswered.

Most people will not leave a message and will not call back, so you could potentially be losing out big time by not answering every call. Hiring a virtual receptionist is a great thing for you to do today.

Do something great today and hire a virtual receptionist from Gabbyville! It’s not too late to make a small investment that will have a big positive impact on your business.

Do What Successful People Do: 8 Habits

admin December 17, 2015

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be successful? After speaking with and interviewing hundreds of people who consider themselves to be successful, there are eight habits that they practice that stand out. If you want to be successful, do what successful people do.

1. Put Thought Into Action

It’s one thing to always think about what your next step is or what you want to do next. It’s another thing to put thought into action. The first step is usually the hardest.

2. Persevere Against the Odds

Persevering against the odds means that you have a goal and you’re determined to meet that goal – no matter what. Everybody experiences setbacks. It’s almost as if plans were made to be broken. However, nothing ever gets accomplished without a plan first.

3. Maintain Confidence

Maintaining confidence can be a daily struggle. You have to look inward and be mindful of your limitations – but don’t dwell on them.

4. Read

Read articles and do research. Even if it takes away from your daily tasks, by reading articles, you’re exercising your brain and becoming a little smarter every day.

5. Exercise

Exercising your body is just as important as exercising your mind. This is best done in the morning. Take a 30-minute walk before you hit the office or simply take the stairs instead of the elevator.

6. Meditate

When your mind is constantly going all the time, it’s important to schedule downtime. Schedule some time so that you can meditate. Calm your mind, turn off your cellphone, and step away from the computer.

7. Watch Your Reputation

Warren Buffett said this best when he said, “It takes 20 years to build your reputation and five minutes to ruin it.” Always be mindful of what you do and what you say. Reputation is one of the few things that you cannot buy. It has to be earned. If you ruin it, your only choice is to salvage what’s left.

8. Think Outside the Box

Always be open to new opportunities. Many business opportunities will end up at a dead end. Even successful people experience failure. If something isn’t working out, abandon it and start something new. Don’t waste your time, money or effort.

Are you ready to put productivity into overdrive? Start your FREE trial with Gabbyville and get your Virtual Receptionist today!

Your Office Productivity With This Simple Step: A Virtual Receptionist

admin October 15, 2015

That title might sound silly to you. How would a receptionist make my office more productive? So they answer the phones, so what? If you actually sat down and mapped out all of the time that you spend on the phone or that your employees spend on the phone, you are probably going to surprise yourself. Most people at businesses spend a large chunk of the workday on the phone, and that means they are not able to get to the work they need to be doing. So yeah, a receptionist can make your office more productive by answering the phone. But we are not just talking about a standard, traditional receptionist here. We are talking about a virtual receptionist, and they can help you make your office so much more efficient in so many ways.

First of all, they can answer the phone for you, and they will. In fact, at any time during work hours, they will answer the phone. This actually is not the case with a traditional receptionist. A traditional receptionist will have to take breaks, and that will mean there is time that they will be away from the phone. A traditional receptionist is also normally just one person. With most virtual receptionist services, such as Gabbyville, you have an entire team working for your business. That means that even if one person is taking a break, then there are several other people that will still be there making all of your calls are being answered. Furthermore, you do not have to worry about missing other important calls while your traditional receptionist is bogging up other lines. With a virtual receptionist, everyone’s calls will be answered promptly, cheerfully, and exactly the way you want it. How does this make you and your business more productive though? Well most of the calls that a business receives will be asking for information that is easily found like hours, prices, location, and so forth. If you think about it, these are the pieces of information that automated voices provide when you call a major corporation. It might not seem like these calls take you away from your real job much, but they add up quickly, and the time you lose when you keep getting distracted and losing your focus is actually pretty significant too. A virtual receptionist means you never have to do that. You also do not have to worry about callers hanging up and turning away from you when they hear that robotic, droning automated voice. Callers will be greeted with professionalism and a welcoming voice. And while the virtual receptionists are handling all of those annoying calls, you can focus on taking care of what really needs to be done and the parts of the job that are actually in your job description.

Virtual receptionists do more too. A virtual receptionist means that you are no longer tied to the office. If you have off-site work that you need to do or a meeting to go to, you do not have to worry about missing that important call you were waiting on. A virtual receptionist can have a call forwarded to you on a cell phone or through a computer. They can also take a message and send it to you via text, email, voicemail, or other options. This means that you are never bound to the office again. For most purposes, the office goes wherever you go when you have a virtual receptionist. But let’s talk about that important meeting you have too. If you’re anything like most people, you have a lot of work on your plate, and getting behind and disorganized can happen all too easily. Luckily, a virtual receptionist can help you out with that too. A virtual receptionist can make sure that your schedule is up to date, clear of any possible mistakes, and they can even send you reminders of when you have something coming up. Just think about how much more productive and organized you would be if you had someone to just send you a gentle text reminder when you need to start heading out for that big meeting. You would be so much more on top of things and so would your business, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what a virtual receptionist service can do for you and your business.

A Virtual Receptionist Can Help Take Your Event Planning Business to the Next Level

admin September 9, 2015

Let’s take a minute to think about what an event planner does. To the common person with know knowledge of the job, it might seem like an event planner comes up with a neat idea for a party or gathering and then just runs a credit card a lot at different stores. This, however, could not be further from the truth. An event planner does come up with amazing ideas for events, but they also put these plans and ideas into action. This means contacting a number of people (from the caterer, to the musicians, to the florist, and so on), coordinating with them so that everyone is on the same schedule, keeping in touch with the client to ensure everything is going according to plan, and, last but not least, making sure the event goes off without a hitch.

When you lay it all out, it sounds exhausting, and without any help, it probably is. Fortunately, the new advances in technology and business have created a resource that every event planner should be using to make their business more successful. That resource is a virtual receptionist.

If you are an event planner, you might be scratching your head right about now. “Why do I need to hire someone to answer the phone for me? Why can’t I just use my cell phone?” you might be asking. That’s a perfectly good question, and if the only thing a virtual receptionist did was answer the phone, then you would be right. In actuality, though, a virtual receptionist does so much more.

Remember that bit about contacting all of the various people and services needed for an event? That’s something your virtual receptionist could do. Virtual receptionists are trained to do the work and make the calls the way you want them to. Do you need someone to call through your contact list of bands to see which is available to work on a certain date and perform a jazz set? That’s a task to take off your plate because the virtual receptionist can handle it. Maybe you want a list of the caterers in the area that can serve a full meal under a certain price limit. That’s also something your virtual receptionist can do for you. Plus, it gets even better. When those people and services inevitably start calling you back and asking for confirmation of time, payment, and other inane details, your virtual receptionist can take their calls and provide them with all the information they need. That way, you will not be bogged down by those annoying calls and be able to focus on the important parts of your job. Furthermore, if there is something that needs your approval or inspection, the virtual receptionist can have the call forwarded to you. Or, if you decide a call is something you personally want to handle, then you can take on that part of the job yourself. You will be able to make these decisions because you will have a lot more time to do what you want than you did before.

A virtual receptionist does more than that too. One important part of an event planner’s job is making sure everything and everyone is where it needs to be and is there when it is supposed to be there. This is where the planning and scheduling functions of the virtual receptionist service really comes in handy. As the virtual receptionist is taking calls and helping you coordinate the event, they will also be taking note of times and dates that you need to remember. Because they are entirely digital, they can even have reminders sent to your phone or email to make sure you are where you need to be when you need to be there.

And don’t worry about whether you’re going to have some kind of heartless robot as your virtual receptionist. The virtual receptionists, especially at places like Gabbyville, are real people dedicated to providing the best level of customer care that they can. It is their mission to make sure every caller that they speak with can hear their smile through the phone. If you get a virtual receptionist, then you will understand. You’ll be smiling too.

A Virtual Receptionist Can Be Your Best Friend If You Work in IT

admin August 31, 2015

People who do not work in IT might not understand the frustrations that come along with that kind of job. Sure, many times calls that come in will be serious problems that require a lot of work and attention. A lot of calls, however, will be really simple fixes like resetting a router or restarting a computer. It would be great, then, if IT professionals had a way to get rid of those pesky calls, help them with the more difficult ones, and keep them in the digital zone so they don’t require a physical office.

As it were, there actually is something that can do all of that, and it is a virtual receptionist. A virtual receptionist really is a great resource for an IT professional and for a number of reasons. Let’s start with those pesky calls though. A virtual receptionist is your vanguard between dealing with all the customers that just need to call in and be told to restart their computer. A virtual receptionist can answer the call, determine the severity of the problem, and if it is something that can be fixed really simply, then they can go ahead and tell them what to do. The receptionist can even bill the customer, then, if needed. This way you do not have to deal with the same issues over and over again. This will make your job easier and will let you work on the more important stuff.

This is another benefit. Those pesky calls for simple things take up your time. They might not take up much time at all, but when they compile on top of each other, then it can really take you away from more important work. Plus, nobody wants to really be in the zone and working hard, only to have their concentration interrupted by a call saying a mouse stopped working or that someone does not know how to install a new software. A virtual receptionist can help that from happening, but they can also make working on those difficult orders a bit easier too. A virtual receptionist can get all of the details from the client before you even start working on the job. This can also mean setting up screen sharing, compiling all of the details for you in an easy to access way, and communicate with the client if anything else has to be done. With all of that extra help, you will be able to quickly get in, do what you need to do, and move on to your next job. Not only will this make your work much easier, but it will also make you more efficient. This means more orders for your and more profit.

Plus, you will not have to worry about much of that profit going to a receptionist. A virtual receptionist, after all, costs less than a traditional, in house receptionist. When you account for a full-time salary, benefits, and everything else, an in house receptionist can prove to be rather costly. A virtual receptionist, on the other hand, has half of those expenses, and is generally cheaper overall. Plus, you never have to worry about being without your receptionist like you would with an in house receptionist. A traditional receptionist takes lunch breaks, goes on vacation, and calls in sick from time to time. A virtual receptionist, though, never does that. With a virtual receptionist, you will have a team of people dedicated to you and your business that work together to ensure that you will always have someone ready to answer the call and assist your customers to the best of their ability.

Finally, a virtual receptionist is particularly better for IT professionals than an in house receptionist because of the impression it will have on your customers and clients. A virtual receptionist shows how technically savvy you are. It shows that you know how to navigate and operate within a heavily digitized world and do so with ease and professionalism. Furthermore, an in house receptionist would mean that you would have to rent or buy a physical space for them to work from. If you are an IT professional, you don’t want to have to worry about any of those pesky annoyances, and a virtual receptionist can help make them all disappear.

How a Virtual Receptionist Can Help a Plumber, Electrician, or Other Handyman

admin August 21, 2015

So you have your license and the experience to work as some kind of handyman. Maybe you’re a plumber, or maybe you’re an electrician, or maybe you’re something else entirely. Most people probably assume that your job simply consists of fixing whatever is broken and moving on to the next job, but there’s a lot more to it, isn’t there?

After all, when you start working as any kind of handyman or maintenance worker, the jobs don’t just make themselves. You have to find clients, establish a reputation in the community, deal with logistics, and schedule the orders. All of that on top of simply doing the work that you have to do. With all of this added work that you probably didn’t intend on doing when you got into this line of work, you can easily find yourself swamped under lots of office work. This keeps you from actually going out and completing orders. And, of course, if you don’t have time to complete the orders, how will you get paid?

This is when it would be really helpful to have some extra assistance to take care of these extra parts of the job. A receptionist, obviously, would be an excellent idea, but there are so many issues with a traditional receptionist. Just to begin with, many handymen and other maintenance workers do not have an actual physical office that a secretary would work from. Furthermore, many handymen are working for themselves and working like contractors of sorts. If this is true in your case, you are not going to want to spend a significant chunk of your earnings on another person’s salary. After all, a traditional secretary would likely require a salary, benefits, and so forth. At the same time, a receptionist would mean you would have to worry about missing calls (and therefore missing precious job opportunities, building a reputation with clients, and so much more). It also means you would be able to focus more on the working part of work and actually be able to do what you planned to do when you went into this line of work.

Fortunately, there is an option that provides the benefits of traditional receptionists without the problems they create on their own. That solution is a virtual receptionist. A virtual receptionist works just like a traditional service, but does a lot more for a lot less. A virtual receptionist takes calls and messages for you, forwards calls, schedules appointments, keeps you up to date on your work, and so much more. Plus, you don’t have to worry about having a physical location or not. When you pay the monthly subscription, you are signing up for a team of receptionists that work remotely, but still provide excellent level of care to your clients and potential clients. You also don’t have to worry about that extra salary being taken out of your profits. Virtual receptionists are much cheaper than traditional, in house receptionists, and because you are contracting out their services, you don’t have to worry about benefits, sick time, or anything else.

In fact, you could easily think of virtual receptionists as a handyman for handymen. They come in and fix all of the problems the handymen are having with their own work. If you are struggling to get clients, this is also a great option to really boost your reputation in the community. Imagine a potential client that is shopping around for a plumber to come fix an issue with their kitchen sink. They call several plumbers to inquire about services, but one particularly stands out to them. This plumber has a receptionist that answers the phone promptly – there’s no chance the call will be missed because the receptionist is always working during work hours. The receptionist is friendly, knowledgeable, and provides all the information the client needs quickly and courteously. Now compare that to the other plumbers that answered their cell phone while they were in the middle of a complicated job or the plumbers that didn’t even answer the phone because they were too busy. I think you can imagine which plumber got the job from this client.