Resources & Tools
Rise Up & Lead Well
How Leveraging An Assistant Will Change Your Life & Maximize Your Time
A new ebook to eliminate the uncertainty and get a clear plan for how to effectively use an assistant. This isn’t fluff, theory, or pure inspiration. It’s battle-tested tactics directly from our CEO.
Book
One Next Step Podcast
The Small Business Mentor You've Always Wanted
Are you ready to get more done and see more results? One Next Step is the most practical business podcast in the world. We aim to provide takeaways and actionable insights for you every single week so you can affect change in your business as soon as possible.
Podcast
Juggle Less
How To Maximize Your Inbox
Learn how to manage your email efficiently and effectively with some of our most tried-and-true tips, tricks, features, and tools to help you regain control of your inbox.
Course
Ultimate Virtual Assistant Master Class
Learn all things essential to becoming a rock star virtual assistant. We’re talking nuts-and-bolts, nitty-gritty, everything-you-need-to-know kind of information to equip you to become a virtual assistant with the confidence to pursue your dreams.
Course
Managing Remote Teams
Be the best at managing people who work remotely. Productivity does not have to wane. Culture does not have to suffer. Employee engagement does not have to dwindle. In fact, they can all thrive while working remote– and you can have fun, too! Successful remote leadership is possible. And this course shows you how.
Course
The Ultimate Guide to Working with a Bookkeeper
There are so many questions our clients have when they first start working with a Bookkeeper. We compiled the most often asked questions and concerns and addressed them here for you to gain a better understanding of what a Bookkeeper does (and doesn’t do).
Resource
The Ultimate Guide to Working with a Virtual Assistant
Life has a sneaky way of getting in the way of our best intentions. We know what we’re supposed to do – but often, we just can’t quite figure out how to do it. But as with any struggle or obstacle in life, the first step is admitting you have a problem: You may not have everything under control.
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Your Personal Guide to a Productive Work Week
What does it mean to be productive?
Let this be the year you finally make the most of those precious 24 hours – both personally and professionally.
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Case Studies
Listen. We think we’re pretty great, and that how we serve our clients is extraordinary. But you don’t have to take our word for it — take it from our clients!
Resource
Fresh from the BELAY Blog
Ericka James
Ericka D. James is passionate about equipping entrepreneurs with the tools they need to do the impossible. As a speaker, trainer, and consultant, she has found her purpose in supporting the dreams of women in business. Ericka herself is the CEO of The Convergence Center LLC, a world-class training and consulting firm; the founder of The Alliance, a training and development organization for businesswomen; and the founder of The Kingdom Minister's Association, a training and development organization for marketplace ministers.
How A Marketing Assistant Can Transform Your Marketing Strategy
There are countless ways to create a marketing strategy â but that doesn't mean all strategies are created equal. A strong strategy is crucial if you want to elevate your organization and make the most of your marketing efforts. So, how can you take yours to the next level?By hiring a BELAY Marketing Assistant, you can turn your marketing strategy from good enough to great. A BELAY MA offers a fresh, knowledgeable perspective for your organization while allowing you to reclaim your bandwidth and focus on the things you do best. Plus, this expert can implement and uphold high-standard practices, so you can succeed without worrying about work being done correctly or on time. Whether you're an executive, a consultant, an author, or something else entirely, you can transform your marketing plan with a BELAY MA. To begin the journey, take a moment to review the top skills and strengths that these professionals bring to the table.
The 8 Pillars of Trust
Nothing tops trust. From the brands you purchase to the leaders you follow, everything of value is built on trust. So why isn't trust the number one factor we consider as business leaders? In today's episode, I'm joined by best-selling author and CEO of Trust Edge Leadership Institute, David Horsager. Following his highly-acclaimed book The Trust Edge, David recently released Trusted Leader: 8 Pillars That Drive Results. As a go-to expert on trust for leaders, David is here to share powerful insights that grow your impact.
8 Ways to Unlock Growth with a Fractional CFO/Controller
What could your organization achieve with clear financial visibility, scalable financial systems, optimized processes, and expert insights? If you read our blog post, Fractional CFO Services 101: Everything You Need to Know, you know hiring a fractional CFO/Controller gives you the clarity and confidence you need to grow your company. A fractional CFO/Controller is an outsourced hire that offers flexibility and ease while providing a cost-effective financial option to meet your business's unique needs. These professionals tackle everything from cash flow to KPI tracking and beyond â preparing your company to make financial decisions aligned with your vision. BELAY's fractional CFOs/Controllers can drive monumental success for your business, giving you a competitive edge and building a foundation for sustainable growth. Not only does a fractional CFO/Controller elevate your finances, they help you save time and focus on your top skills as a leader. Ready to take your company's finances to the next level?
Two CEOs, One Realization: The Transformative Power of BELAY
In recent conversations, Tom DuFore of Big Sky Franchise Team and Courtney Kingston of Kingston Family Vineyards shared how they both once believed that investing in a Virtual Assistant was either unaffordable or unattainableâonly to discover that it was the key to unlocking exponential growth for their businesses and personal lives.
Lydia Fenet on Finding Your Voice, Owning Your Power, and the Art of Persuasion
You know what you want your business to say â the question is how. Communicating in an effective, engaging way can be difficult and overwhelming, especially when you have a plethora of messaging points you'd like to dig into. But much of the time, it's not about what you're selling â it's about how you're selling it. In today's episode, I'm joined by Lydia Fenet â a global managing director and lead benefit auctioneer at Christie's in New York. Lydia is also a gifted speaker and the author of the widely acclaimed book The Most Powerful Woman in the Room is You. Together, we'll dive into finding your voice as a communicator, owning your power, and being both confident and persuasive. Here are a few of our top takeaways:
Got a question? No problem.
Our team is here to help!
Well, that depends on you. It takes time to onboard your new team member. Your commitment to training them and giving them what they need will greatly impact how quickly they’re up and running. For most of our clients, it takes about 90 days.
We get it. Handing over the decision on who will work with you is a tough one. But what we also know, after helping people just like you, is that you don’t have time to devote to screening and setting up interviews. We have a customized system to match you to someone equipped to handle everything you need accomplished.
Your contractor’s hours can “ebb and flow” throughout the month. We just shoot to come in at the contracted amount at the end of the month. If they go over, we simply bill the extra hours, but they do not roll over to the next month. We track and report on those during on-boarding to make sure you are at a good amount of hours for the work needed.
Yes, you should set them up with a company email address. Having everyone on your team have the same email domain shows inclusion and builds trust. It’ll show they are acting on your behalf, too, if you have a Virtual Assistant who will be setting meetings for you.
Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. The more you set clear expectations and give feedback, the more your contractor can learn and understand the way you work. If you commit to sharing what you have going on, they will be able to find additional ways to better assist you.
Your Virtual Assistant is not a bookkeeper, however, he or she might be able to perform light expense and invoicing duties for you. We are happy to talk through our Virtual Bookkeeping service line with you to discover if this will be of benefit to you and your organization.
We’ve had clients introduce their new team members in many different ways. Consider having your contractor write up a short bio and send a photo for you to email out to your existing team. You can share how the contractor will be supporting you and the team, and include his/her bio and photo. It’s really important to include your contractor to your team calls/meetings, even if it is a live meeting and they join by Zoom.
Onboarding your new team member will take a commitment from you to invest time into their training. This includes training sessions with you and your contractor, transferring information you have about the projects or tasks they’ll be handling, and helping to connect the big picture to the day-to-day work.
You should over communicate – the more information you give, the faster your contractor can understand what is expected of them. Delegate and trust quickly – share log-ins and passwords. If you’re using a Virtual Assistant, give them access to your email and calendar right away.
Commit to make your Client Success Consultant check-ins and Calibration Calls a priority to assess progress, identify areas to tweak, celebrate wins, and talk through what’s next.
On average, a Contractor placement takes two weeks after the Discovery Call.
Train your Contractor, trust quickly, let go and delegate, share real-time feedback, celebrate and recognize when something is done well, make weekly 1:1s a priority, and treat your Contractor as part of the team.
We have a very thorough vetting process to ensure a great fit for BELAY and for you as our client. If you want the peace of mind from a background check, you have the option of running your own upon kick-off. Because of the scope of what our Bookkeepers do, they have a background check on file.
We do not do personality assessments, but we are confident in our matching magic to place a Contractor that complements your personality and communication style. If you want that extra layer to better understand how you both can collaborate and communicate, you are welcome to have your Contractor take one post kick-off.
While our Contractors come to BELAY very qualified and have extensive professional backgrounds, it takes time and intentionality on the client’s end to thoroughly onboard to ensure the engagement is set up for success. Example: While your Contractor may have had Salesforce experience in a previous role, they will still need training from you on how to utilize Salesforce in your company.
BELAY understands how important it is to protect you and your sensitive financial information. For our Bookkeepers, we have processes in place to properly vet each bookkeeper including conducting background checks and talking with their references to be sure we are placing a trustworthy bookkeeper with your organization. We have internal checks for compliance ensuring everything remains above board. If you have any additional questions about this, please ask! We can connect you with the people who have all the answers.
This is a common request and, yes, many Contractors assist with personal tasks as well as business. Be sure to mention what type of tasks you have in mind to your Client Success Consultant so we are sure to match you with a Contractor who has experience in those areas.