A Few Tips on Working From Home

For people who have experience working from home, the massive disruption being caused by COVID19 is probably a little easier to manage.

In today’s economy a large percentage of workers do most of their work from a computer. This of course, gives them the flexibility to keep being productive by using the ever increasing number of tech tools out there to keep going.

Without apps like Skype and Zoom to do conference calls and Monday and Trello to manage projects, we would be in a much more challenging place. Cloud Storage, Cloud based Shared Drives, even shareable versions of MS Office enable our work day.

If you are new to working from home getting up to speed on some of these apps will help you manage your time, keep on track with deliverables, and stay easily in touch with co-workers.

Tech is the easy part.

The lifestyle change is some different entirely.

From my experience and from my experience running a successful business where most of my employees work from home, here are some lifestyle choices I recommend people new to working from home.

  1. Stick to Your Work Schedule.
  2. Take Breaks Just Like You Would in the Office
  3. Keep the TV off
  4. Work in a Quiet Place
  5. Mimic Your Office Set Up
  6. Let In Natural Life
  7. Drink a Lot of Water
  8. Snack Smartly
  9. Optimize Your Use of Tech Tools

There are many more, but getting started with some of these will help newbies to the work from home routine stay productive and ensure they stay healthy and happy.

Daniel Meyer heads both Sonic Analytics and Sonic Virtual Staffing, sister companies that deliver both data analytics solutions and virtual staffing to businesses in the United States and the Philippines. With over 20 years in Big Data and Virtual Staffing, Dan is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Asia and offers big data coaching and analytics training seminars on both sides of the Pacific.

In addition, Dan serves as senior advisor for analytics & virtual staffing with the Brooklyn Writer Project (www.bwpmediasolutions.com). Dan has also joined the Powerteam International’s Inspiration 2020 National Tour (ipowerteam.biz) as an analytics & virtual staffing resource speaker.

Sonic Analytics(www.sonicanalytics.com) brings big data analytics solutions like business intelligence, business dashboards and data storytelling to small and medium sized organizations looking to enhance their data-driven decision-making capabilities.

Sonic Virtual Staffing (www.sonicva.com) brings virtual staffing solutions like graphic design, social media management, bookkeeping and specialized virtual assistants for authors and professional speakers to small and medium sized organizations looking to scale on a budget and looking for 24/7 staffing options.

When not training current and future analysts, you can find Dan championing the use of analytics to empower data-driven citizenship by volunteering his expertise with schools and non-profits dedicated to evidence-based social progress.

Advertisement

Using Virtual Staffing to Build your Business

We live in a tech driven world, where data is more valuable than oil, artificial intelligence has become commonplace in our lives and yet most entrepreneurs and small business owners don’t even have the time to post regular updates to social media.

In fact, even with all the technology at your fingertips few of us are able to generate revenue 24/7, 365 days a year, regardless of whether we are in the office or off on vacation.

But this shouldn’t be the case.

Imagine waking up in the morning and already having a full day’s worth of work completed, so you can dive right into doing what you do best. Learn how to scale your business right now by joining our managed virtual assistant program today.

How would you like to reclaim 60% of your time? Studies show that only 40% of an employee’s time (this includes everyone from individual contributors to C-Suite executives) is spent performing primary job functions. We all get way to distracted doing busy work.

To grow your business and have more balance in your life you have to assess how you are spending your time.

When I started my first training business, I did it all: arranged client calls, prepared financial reports, returned client messages and e-mails, scheduled meetings, and attended just about any meeting where it seemed their might be new business opportunity.

While I was more than capable of handling these daily tasks, I soon realized that it was draining me personally and hindering my ability to focus on the key things I needed to do to grow my business.

I soon found that the top benefits virtual assistants add to a small business are saving time, reducing cost, free up other resources, and eliminates many HR issues.

You might think you can’t afford a VA if you have a start-up, or don’t need one if your company is already established, but VAs can be game changers for almost any business. After all, there is truth in the saying, “time is money.” If you spend more time supporting your business instead of building it, you are not maximizing your efforts.

VAs can help with almost any type of essential, but time-consuming job. For example, database management, business reports, internet research, personal correspondence, gift sending, meeting planning, email maintenance, editing, social media maintenance, newsletters, banking, and travel arrangements.

And having a managed VA from Sonic Analytics means you are getting not just some to help you manage your workload. You are getting a person who will work hard to make you even more successful.

Here is what one of our team, Amor, has to say about being a virtual assistant with Sonic Analytics. “I feel blessed to work at the convenience of our home. What’s great is I find more time to do after work activities. I also save a lot of time and money from the daily commute and spending lots of cash with food and coffee. Best of all our company provided us benefits compared to doing freelance jobs and that’s the bottom line.”

If you identify what to delegate to an assistant, what can be outsourced to a virtual team and how to automate using Artificial Intelligence you will be much happier and more prosperous.

Daniel Meyer heads Sonic Analytics, an analytics firm with offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area and Ocala, FL. With over 20 years in Big Data, Dan is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Asia and offers big data coaching and analytics training seminars on both sides of the Pacific. Dan has also recently joined the Powerteam International family as a small business analytics resource speaker.

Sonic Analytics(www.sonicanalytics.com) brings virtual staffing and big data analytics solutions like business intelligence, business dashboards and data storytelling to small and medium sized organizations looking to enhance their data-driven decision-making capabilities. We also advocate the use of analytics for civic responsibility through training, consulting and education.

As citizens of this great democracy, we need to look at the data (analytics), plan a course of action (strategy) and share our data-driven viewpoints (presentation). This approach to a data savvy work force starts in school. So, we started an internship program to empower our youth to use Analytics, plan Strategy and Present their insights… ASP!

When not training current and future analysts, you can find Dan championing the use of analytics to empower data-driven citizenship by volunteering his expertise with schools and non-profits dedicated to evidence-based social progress like Saint Leo University’s Women in STEAM 2020 Conference.

Now Hiring: Email Marketing Analyst

Description

Send your application at http://bit.ly/2UtFOug

The Email Marketing Analyst plays a critical role in the execution of Invaluable’s email marketing communications. You’ll interface with a global team, including designers, marketers and advertising representatives to flawlessly execute a high volume of email campaigns. The Email Marketing Analyst is ultimately responsible for keeping the email production process moving efficiently, and for upholding the highest standards of quality in Invaluable’s email program.

Responsibilities:
-Create emails in Invaluable’s proprietary email building tool.
-Load HTML into our email marketing software and set emails up for deployment.
-Proof and QA email copy, dates, appearance, link functionality, tracking parameters, etc.
-Prioritize and manage email design team workflow
-Work collaboratively with another email production specialist to divide & conquer campaign production.
-Source and edit images and other creative for email as needed.
-Manage weekly email campaign schedule

Source and edit images and other creatives for email as needed.
-Research prospective customers and help develop a database of top customer target.

Requirement:
-Ability to multitask and thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
-Understanding of HTML and/or at least 1 year of experience with 3rd party email platforms.
-Awareness of delivery issues for HTML emails & ability to perform edits and understand tagging.
-Some copy writing or experience creating content either for web, social media or email.
-Exceptional attention to detail, strong communication & organizational skills
-Ability and desire to quickly learn and develop a technical skill set in regard to email production.

Bonus Skills:
Working Knowledge of HTML and /or Photoshop.
Experience with Salesforce.
Experience with Jira, Hipchat, Trello and other project management and communication tools.
Experience with Email Marketing Software, particularly Yesmail, Pardot and/or Litmus.

Now Hiring: Content Editor

Description

About the Job:
*Copy contents from client’s existing website to new WordPress powered website.
* Full-time
* Work from home

Requirements:
* Good communication skills
* Detail-oriented
* Experience in updating content in WordPress for a multi-site environment

Fill out this form to apply: http://bit.ly/2UtFOug

How Hiring a Virtual Assistant Can Bring You Out of Chaos

It’s often difficult to identify areas where there may be repetition or glaring gaps in how you go about operating your business every day. We are all good at some things, but trying to be good at everything often end up with us in chaos.

Depending on your individual areas of expertise, a virtual assistant can help smooth over inefficiencies and streamline your operations so that can help everything run smoother and increase productivity.

There are many ways to find a VA, such as Upwork and Fiverr are common . And can also try reaching out to your business network, associations, and industry groups to see what they do. But what you are likely to find is a mixed bag of good and bad stories. In fact, from my experience hiring a virtual assistant is often a 50/50 craps shoot at best. That is unless you go with a managed VA service.

Knowing what to pay is another big challenge. VAs either charge by the hour or a set figure that encompasses performing specific tasks. And the pricing is all over the place, but I can tell you one thing.. you generally get what you pay for. If you go too cheap, you are highly unlikely to be happy with the results. I’ve found that you should really approach hiring a VA like any other employee, complete with a detailed job description, interview, references and a trial period. If you don’t have time to do all that yourself, than a managed VA service is for you.

Not ready for a personal VA just yet? There are other ways to outsource admin needs. For example, get an 800 number so you don’t have to use your mobile number; it also makes your business look more professional. Additionally, you can set up your voice mail to transcribe messages, which then can be e-mailed or forwarded to your regular phone. This way you have a record of information that can be shared with others on your team. These are good short term workaround until you are at a point where you decide a VA is just what you need.

While you probably have the skills to do all or most of your administrative and specialized tasks, you should take an inventory of your day and decide what is the best use of your time. When we are stressed or not at optimum energy, our executive and critical thinking skills suffer. It is more important to work smarter and devote your workday to the areas of your business that require your full attention and energy.

Take for example posting on Facebook. It’s not hard. Anyone can do it. But should you be the one doing it? Do the math. What is your time worth? I bet whatever you come up with will be a lot more than the $5–$10 an hour that you could have VA doing the posting for you.

No matter what your business size, investing in a VA can be a small amount to pay in order to help maintain a stronger work-life balance that benefits both you, your company and those in your personal life.

That is where Sonic VA comes in. We can get you a VA, one that will consistently add value to your business for a reasonable price.

This is an example of what you will get. Here’s Vida, one of our veteran VAs, “Working from home is perfect for mothers like me. It gives me the opportunity to look after my little one and still earning an income. I’m so lucky I’ve found a company that provides us good compensation and benefits, very understanding with employees’ needs, and I have awesome colleagues to work with.”

Happy employees + more free time for you = big value add to your business

And that is how you get yourself our of the chaos you find yourself in when you try do everything in your business by yourself.

Daniel Meyer heads Sonic Analytics, an analytics firm with offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area and Ocala, FL. With over 20 years in Big Data, Dan is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Asia and offers big data coaching and analytics training seminars on both sides of the Pacific. Dan has also recently joined the Powerteam International family as a small business analytics resource speaker.

Sonic Analytics(www.sonicanalytics.com) brings virtual staffing and big data analytics solutions like business intelligence, business dashboards and data storytelling to small and medium sized organizations looking to enhance their data-driven decision-making capabilities. We also advocate the use of analytics for civic responsibility through training, consulting and education.

As citizens of this great democracy, we need to look at the data (analytics), plan a course of action (strategy) and share our data-driven viewpoints (presentation). This approach to a data savvy work force starts in school. So, we started an internship program to empower our youth to use Analytics, plan Strategy and Present their insights… ASP!

When not training current and future analysts, you can find Dan championing the use of analytics to empower data-driven citizenship by volunteering his expertise with schools and non-profits dedicated to evidence-based social progress like Saint Leo University’s Women in STEAM 2020 Conference.

Now Hiring: Digital Marketing VA

Description

We are looking for talented Digital Marketing VA who have experience working for Real Estate Business as Virtual Assistant. This is a full-time work from home position.

Responsibilities:
– Repurpose blog posts.
– Market Research and Profiling
– Editing of 2-3 minute videos
– Photo Editing
– Social Media Marketing
– CRM Management
– Mailchimp Surveys

Requirements:
– Know how to operate Adobe Premier Pro, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom.
– Basic to intermediate knowledge of digital marketing.
– Have at least a year of experience working for Real Estate Business as Virtual Assistant. This isn’t required but can be an advantage.
– Exceptional attention to detail, strong communication & organizational skills
– Ability to multitask and thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Send your application at: http://bit.ly/2UtFOug

What Makes Being a Virtual Assistant with Sonic Analytics Special

It’s funny how this all started.

Eight years ago, I had moved to the Philippines to set up an analytics training company. It took a few years, but we were quite successful in becoming THE name brand in analytics training in not just the Philippines but across Southeast Asia.

While in the midst of getting the business established, I got a request from a friend of a friend to help them do some outsourcing. Specifically, the requirement was to set up a team of six SEO keywording specialists to tag images on an online auction site. I shook my network and we quickly set up the team and they dove in.

We were so successful that we quickly expanded the team to 12, added a graphic designer and an e-mail marketer. All home-based workers. The client was so happy, we just kept adding. To the point where we quickly had over 30 employees on the account.

There were two things we did that made a difference. So much of a difference that are attrition has been under 10% year of year ever since. In the outsourcing industry, that is unheard of. And for home-based work, where most people work as freelancers, the “ghosting” rate is so high that it’s basically a 50/50 craps shoot if you get a good person.

So, the first of the two difference makes is the talent pool. This is true of VAs as whole, but for me it’s my secret sauce. Most of my employees, and just about all of the leadership team are stay at home moms who used to work in the call center industry. They have good English; they have worked within an American business model and they are used to structure. They also have a big incentive to work hard to provide for the family and be there every day for their kids.

The other big difference? You may have noticed I refer to my team as employees. They are exactly that. Most VA services that are work from home jobs can be kinda shady. Low paying, no benefits, inconsistent workload, poor communication loop with clients are common. By employing talent full time, paying a competitive wage, with all the benefits and perks of an office job, and following local labor laws, my team really values their job.

Here is a testamonial from one of my team, Liza, who has been with us for 6 years.

“I find working at home very practical and convenient in terms of travel. No traffic to waste time on, this is quality time spent with the family or errands. No need for expensive clothes to wear nor uniforms to iron every day. Food is easily accessible and if you have children, no need to hire a maid just to take care of them and the household chores. Homebased jobs also make working safer and more efficient. Invaluable gave me the chance to be valuable again in the comfort of my own home. There really is no place like home.”

And that is what makes being a Virtual Assistant with Sonic Analytics special.

1*wyFcxBxeVsWX165Jv_4sIg

Daniel Meyer heads Sonic Analytics, an analytics firm with offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area and Ocala, FL. With over 20 years in Big Data, Dan is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Asia and offers big data coaching and analytics training seminars on both sides of the Pacific. Dan has also recently joined the Powerteam International family as a small business analytics resource speaker.

Sonic Analytics(www.sonicanalytics.com) brings virtual staffing and big data analytics solutions like business intelligence, business dashboards and data storytelling to small and medium sized organizations looking to enhance their data-driven decision-making capabilities. We also advocate the use of analytics for civic responsibility through training, consulting and education.

As citizens of this great democracy, we need to look at the data (analytics), plan a course of action (strategy) and share our data-driven viewpoints (presentation). This approach to a data savvy work force starts in school. So, we started an internship program to empower our youth to use Analytics, plan Strategy and Present their insights… ASP!

When not training current and future analysts, you can find Dan championing the use of analytics to empower data-driven citizenship by volunteering his expertise with schools and non-profits dedicated to evidence-based social progress like Saint Leo University’s Women in STEAM 2020 Conference.

Devouring the Thoughts of Others

It’s not secret that one of the secrets to success is being well read.

You find a lot of people who might knock an education, offering their opinion as to how they got to where they got in life with out one or making fun of those who have one who are still idiots.

There is a lot of data out there though that is indisputable, the more education you have the higher the probability that you will be financially successful. A college degree is worth a lot more in potential earnings than a high school diploma.

But I digress, the point I started to make is that you have to read a lot. One of the indisputable benefits of a college education is you have to read a lot and read a lot of things you might not normally have read. This broadens you.

I read a lot. Like a book a week at least. And I am always reading stuff online. You can never stuff enough knowledge and wisdom in your brain. It’s impossible to fill.

So where attention goes (to being well read), energy flows (you get all kinds of new ideas), and results show (you make a lot less mistakes and errors in judgement).

And that is why I read a lot. Thanks T. Have Eker for proving my point which proves your point.

1*siq6yJ2ZOJ8XmECjxRtyhwDaniel Meyer heads Sonic Analytics, an analytics firm with offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area and Ocala, Florida. With over 20 years in Big Data, Dan is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Asia and offers big data coaching and analytics training seminars on both sides of the Pacific. Dan has also recently joined the Powerteam International family as a small business analytics resource speaker. 

Sonic Analytics(www.sonicanalytics.com) brings big data analytics solutions like business intelligence, business dashboards and data storytelling to small and medium sized organizations looking to enhance their data-driven decision-making capabilities. We also advocate the use of analytics for civic responsibility through training, consulting and education.

Like a Diamond in the Rough

I came across this article recently that really hit home.

The gist of the article was how people who are driven, passionate and successful are often alone.

There have definitely been times over the last decade that I have been my own boss that I’ve felt alone.

However, most of the time I’m not alone. I have always worked hard to surrounded myself with people who get what it meas to be successful. Ones with a great work ethic, have a vision and possess integrity.

So when I read the article, which the above quote is a paraphrase of, I felt the need to share it and explain what it means to me.

We are “diamonds in the rough”. This really says a lot. We are rare, we are valuable and we often take a while to turn from common to priceless.

I love the keywords, “honest”, “reliable” and “forward thinking”.

It never ceases to amaze me about how many people do business dishonestly. Its a small minority, but some days it seems like I attract more than my fair share who are trying to sell something that is not what they promise. Overtime honesty is the best policy, you can’t sustain success if you are constantly overpromising and under delivering.

Reliability goes hand in hand with honesty, but often being reliable can take a back seat when you are overwhelmed. When you set up an offer and you don’t have the ability to meet that demands of that offer over time you are going to lose credibility with your clients and they are going to go some where else.

To be in business in 2020 and not be forward thinking is an oxymoron. With the constant evolution in technology it has never been easier to grow a business. Social media, artificial intelligence, chatbots, smartphones… you have to wonder what’s coming next. And when you do find what is coming next, you have to jump on it. Small businesses around the world are being killed by the technology gap between them and their big tech titan competitors.

 So this leads me back to the central theme of joining masterminds and surrounding yourself with people who are honest, reliable and forward thinking.

As we are now 20 years into the information age, masterminds are still the best way to meet the challenge of being alone. Digital ones work too.

1*dcrpZySeJk_t50RzwvI5ZQ@2x

Daniel Meyer heads Sonic Analytics, an analytics firm with offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area and Ocala, FL. With over 20 years in Big Data, Dan is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Asia and offers big data coaching and analytics training seminars on both sides of the Pacific. Dan has also recently joined the Powerteam International family as a small business analytics resource speaker.

Sonic Analytics(www.sonicanalytics.com) brings big data analytics solutions like business intelligence, business dashboards and data storytelling to small and medium sized organizations looking to enhance their data-driven decision-making capabilities. We also advocate the use of analytics for civic responsibility through training, consulting and education.

As citizens of this great democracy, we need to look at the data (analytics), plan a course of action (strategy) and share our data-driven viewpoints (presentation). This approach to a data savvy work force starts in school. So, we started an internship program to empower our youth to use Analytics, plan Strategy and Present their insights… ASP!

When not training current and future analysts, you can find Dan championing the use of analytics to empower data-driven citizenship by volunteering his expertise with schools and non-profits dedicated to evidence-based social progress like Saint Leo University’s Women in STEAM 2020 Conference.

An Entrepreneur’s Atmosphere 

I came across this article recently that really hit home.

The gist of the article was how people who are driven, passionate and successful are often alone.

There have definitely been times over the last decade that I have been my own boss that I’ve felt alone.

However, most of the time I’m not alone. I have always worked hard to surrounded myself with people who get what it meas to be successful. Ones with a great work ethic, have a vision and possess integrity.

So when I read the article, which the above quote is a paraphrase of, I felt the need to share it and explain what it means to me.

“The energy we carry, the personality traits we possess and the atmosphere that create on life are hard to understand by the average person.” Let’s break this one down.

“The energy we carry” is what drives us to do what many people look upon as crazy choices. Working 100 hours a week so we dont have to work 40. Leaving a stable salary and managed healthcare benefits. Walking away from a routine, where we know what we have to do everyday without many surprises. These choices give us an energy that is hard to understand unless you live it yourself.

“The personality traits we possess” is what makes us successful. We are persistent, we don’t give up and we have a deep faith in our ability to make a difference. Many people in our lives are quick to tell us their opinion, but few actually have the experience to make that opinion one we should listen to. Not a judgement, but a fact.

Most of us are surrounded by people we love dearly, but they are probably not the best ones to be taking advice about how to run a business from. CEO’s of big companies have boards of advisors. Small business owners generally do not.

“The atmosphere we create” is what happens when someone who is always “working” walks in the room. We never have a lack of things to do, we see opportunities in everything and we know the value of always moving forward. This makes us seem impatient, distant and unrelatable to many who know us.

So this leads me back to the central theme of joining masterminds and surrounding yourself with leaders and doers and people of action.

It is the best way to meet the challenge of being alone.

Daniel Meyer heads Sonic Analytics, an analytics firm with offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area and Ocala, FL. With over 20 years in Big Data, Dan is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Asia and offers big data coaching and analytics training seminars on both sides of the Pacific. Dan has also recently joined the Powerteam International family as a small business analytics resource speaker.

Sonic Analytics(www.sonicanalytics.com) brings big data analytics solutions like business intelligence, business dashboards and data storytelling to small and medium sized organizations looking to enhance their data-driven decision-making capabilities. We also advocate the use of analytics for civic responsibility through training, consulting and education.

As citizens of this great democracy, we need to look at the data (analytics), plan a course of action (strategy) and share our data-driven viewpoints (presentation). This approach to a data savvy work force starts in school. So, we started an internship program to empower our youth to use Analytics, plan Strategy and Present their insights… ASP!

When not training current and future analysts, you can find Dan championing the use of analytics to empower data-driven citizenship by volunteering his expertise with schools and non-profits dedicated to evidence-based social progress like Saint Leo University’s Women in STEAM 2020 Conference.