how to outsource your way to a smarter business

@jessostroff @dontpanicmgmt

How to Outsource Your Way to a Smarter Business

Jess Ostroff Director of Calm

@jessostroff


Who Is Jess? •  Director of Calm at Don’t

Panic Management •  New York City resident •  Started freelancing in

2009, started Don’t Panic in 2011

•  Lover of wine, live music, and the color purple


What is Don’t Panic Mgmt? •  Full-service virtual assistant agency •  Focused on PR and marketing professionals •  Operations, administration, social media,

content creation, WordPress, project management, bookkeeping, event planning, and much more!

•  Based in NYC with 4 team members (New York, Connecticut, Chicago)


What is Don’t Panic Mgmt?


Who Are You?

•  Aspiring business owners? •  New business owners? •  Seasoned veterans?


Why Are We Here?

•  Being a small business owner is hard •  Manage clients •  Manage money •  Manage workload •  Manage contractors •  …all while still trying to grow your business

and enjoy your life.


Why Are We Here?

•  You don’t have to do everything yourself •  Outsourcing to contractors, software, and

online tools will change your life


“You should only do what you are uniquely qualified

to do.” - @jaybaer


What Do You Hate?

•  What do YOU have to do? •  What can you HIRE someone to do? •  What can you utilize SOFTWARE to do?


Business Pain Points

•  Accounting/Bookkeeping •  Project Management •  Marketing •  Productivity


Contractors and software can handle all

of this for you


Accounting & Bookkeeping



•  Paying bills •  Sending invoices •  Tracking expenses •  Depositing checks •  Handling payroll •  Taxes


Accounting & Bookkeeping •  Freshbooks – www.freshbooks.com


Freshbooks

•  Invoicing •  Expense tracking •  Time tracking •  Reporting •  Mobile application


Freshbooks

•  Pricing – Free!



•  Harvest – www.getharvest.com


Harvest

•  Estimate creation •  Time tracking •  Invoicing •  Expense tracking •  Reporting •  Mobile application


Harvest

•  Pricing



•  Expensify – www.expensify.com


Expensify

•  Expense tracking •  Reporting •  Exporting •  Receipt manager


Expensify




•  Mobile banking – Make transfers – Deposit checks – Bank statements


You can hire someone to manage these tools for you.


What Can a Contractor Do? •  Send invoices •  Pay bills •  Import and manage expenses •  Send payroll to paycheck company OR

schedule bank transfers •  Pull bank statements and expenses for tax

purposes •  Employee benefits



•  Taxes? •  Business projections? •  Advice?


Hire a lawyer and an accountant.


Project Management


Project Management

•  Scheduling projects •  Collecting assets •  Creating deadlines •  Holding people accountable •  Creating task lists •  Assigning due dates


Project Management

•  Basecamp – www.basecamp.com


Basecamp •  Multiple projects •  Multiple team members •  Different permissions •  Dates •  File upload •  Discussions •  Text documents •  Reminders •  Assign and compose via email


Basecamp

•  Pricing – Starting at $20/month


Project Management

•  Producteev – www.producteev.com


Producteev •  Task management •  Multiple team members •  Multiple projects (labels) •  Subtasks •  Reminders •  Priorities •  Mobile & desktop applications •  Assign and compose via email


Producteev



Project Management •  Flow – www.getflow.com


Flow

•  Task management •  Delegation •  Multiple projects •  Multiple team members •  Mobile applications •  Assign and compose via email


Flow

•  Pricing


What Can a Contractor Do? •  Break down projects and tasks into

actionable items •  Schedule due dates •  Assign tasks •  Keep the trains running on time •  Hold people accountable •  Be flexible •  Make sure the work gets done


Online Marketing


Online Marketing •  Social media setup & management •  Website development •  Blogging •  Email marketing •  Copywriting & editing •  Community management •  Listening •  Measurement


You can outsource it!


Social Media Management •  Sprout Social – www.sproutsocial.com


Sprout Social •  Social media management •  Scheduling •  Multiple team members •  Listening •  Discovery •  Reporting •  Multiple social profiles (Facebook, Twitter,

LinkedIn, Google+) •  Does not support LinkedIn Groups


Sprout Social



Social Media Management

•  Hootsuite – www.hootsuite.com


Hootsuite •  Social media management •  Scheduling •  Multiple team members •  Multiple profile accounts (Twitter, Facebook,

LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, Foursquare, Flickr)

•  Most support for unique social channels •  Listening •  Reporting (a la carte) •  Collaboration


Hootsuite

•  Pricing – Free trial


Social Media Management

•  Argyle Social – www.argylesocial.com


Argyle Social •  Social media management •  Scheduling •  Multiple social profiles •  B2B focused •  Tracking sales leads •  Notifications •  Custom URL tracking •  Marketing automation •  Reporting •  Campaigns


Argyle Social



Social Media Tools

•  Favorite social tools for small business – http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-

media-tools/favorite-social-media-management-tools-for-small-business/


What Can a Contractor Do?

•  Write social media messages based on overall marketing strategy

•  Create a social media editorial calendar •  Schedule across channels •  Monitor brand mentions •  Identify and interact with influencers •  Create monthly reports to track progress


Social media isn’t everything.


What ELSE Can a Contractor Do? •  Write blog content •  Write newsletter content •  Format and edit copy •  Add/format images •  Add SEO data •  Set up guest blog content for you and approve/

schedule guest blog articles for your blog •  Set up podcast feeds •  Transcribe podcast content


Content Tools

•  WordPress Editorial Calendar (scheduling plugin)

•  Inbound Writer (SEO) •  Yoast/Genesis/All In One SEO Pack (SEO) •  Mailchimp (email marketing) •  Infusionsoft (email marketing/CRM)


Productivity

•  Action Method – www.actionmethod.com


Action Method

•  Notebooks •  Online and mobile applications •  Task management •  Delegation •  Goal setting


Productivity

•  Producteev – www.producteev.com


Productivity

•  Workflowy – www.workflowy.com


Workflowy

•  Mindmapping •  Organizational structure •  Task management •  Great for high level planning and project

task to-do lists


Figure out how you spend your time. Spend one week writing down what you do every minute of every day.


How do I get so much done?


Productivity is about doing the most difficult things first and saving menial

tasks for later (or for other people)


What about procrastination?


When it comes to getting things done, the less you have to think about the

process the better.


Do not decide on a tool right now. Spend one full week with a tool, use it

every day, and then decide if it will work.


How to Hire a VA


How to Hire a VA •  Look for someone who has experience in your

industry •  Visit LinkedIn profile •  Look for recommendations •  Get referrals •  Evaluate communication style •  Do a trial period •  Set up clear contractual terms and

confidentiality agreements


Questions to Ask

•  How do you like to communicate? •  What’s your rate structure? •  What kinds of clients do you like to work

with? •  How do you get your work done? •  Do you outsource your work? •  How do you track tasks and time?


Communication skills are the most valuable skills you and your

VA can have.


What’s left for you?


What’s Left for You? •  High level strategy •  Developing your product/service •  Nurturing new business leads •  Networking •  Podcasting •  Speaking •  Writing •  Enjoying your life


How much are you willing to grow?


How much are you willing to let go?


Thank You

Where to Find Jess: •  @jessostroff •  Linkedin.com/in/

jessostroff •  Facebook.com/jess.ostroff •  jessostroff.com

Where to Find Don’t Panic: •  @dontpanicmgmt •  Facebook.com/

dontpanicmgmt •  dontpanicmgmt.com

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