Get Ahead VA Blog

Understanding Twitter's new anti-spam rules
18
Apr

Understanding Twitter’s new anti-spam rules

Spambots have long been a problem for Twitter, and as of 23rd March 2018 the platform introduced new anti-spam rules to try and combat them. The idea behind the new rules is to prevent users from posting multiple Tweets with the intention to “disseminate spam” or to “artificially amplify or inflate [a Tweet’s] prominence”.

The changes are designed to combat duplicate content, so they’re likely to have the most significant impact on social media managers and business owners who post the same content across multiple accounts. Want to know if these new rules will affect you? Read on to find out what steps you can take to avoid your Tweets being marked as spam.

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favourite apps
13
Apr

Expert Showcase: Get Ahead VA’s favourite apps

Here at Get Ahead VA, our team of virtual assistants includes experts in a wide variety of fields. From accounting to admin, Hootsuite to holiday cover, email marketing to Excel, our VAs can add value to many aspects of your business.

With that in mind, our VAs are always on the lookout for the apps, tools and tricks of the trade that will help them to work more efficiently. We asked them to name their favourites, so you can discover the programs behind the people, and get some inspiration for your own business.

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Emma McCarthey
10
Apr

Meet the VA: Emma

Here at Get Ahead VA, our people are everything. Our ever-growing team includes a wide range of highly skilled professionals with different backgrounds, expertise and personalities to ensure we can find exactly the right virtual assistant to match our customers’ requirements.

Here’s 60 seconds with one of our VAs, Emma, whose background in digital marketing and PR led to her current specialism as a blogger and copywriter.

Name: Emma McCarthy

Areas of expertise: Copywriting and blogging (more…)

manage small business stress
4
Apr

5 ways to manage small business stress

Stress at work is an extremely common problem in the UK. According to the Health and Safety Executive, in 2016/17, 12.5 million working days were lost to work-related stress, depression and anxiety. Add to this the pressures of being your own boss, and stress can be a particular problem for small business owners.

So what can be done about the stress epidemic? One of the schemes that has been put in place is Stress Awareness Month, which takes place every April. The aim of the month is to encourage people to talk about stress, share their coping strategies and take care of themselves and others.

If you’re looking for somewhere to start with managing your own stress, here are 5 of our top tips. (more…)

28
Mar

Meet the Client: SmallOutside.com

Here at Get Ahead VA we are privileged to work with a wide variety of clients ranging from will writers to window cleaners, financial consultants to fashion designers. All of our clients are motivated and driven business owners, with clear plans for business growth. They recognise the value of outsourcing, passing onto others tasks that either they lack the skills in, or that drain their valuable time.

Here’s 60 seconds with one of our clients, SmallOutside.com:

What situation was your business in when you came to Get Ahead VA?

SmallOutside.com is a start-up IT consultancy company with some very big plans ahead, and so we wanted to maintain focus on our offering (i.e. IT services) and off-load work that was not directly relevant to our core strengths. There is always so much to do when starting up a company, and we were looking for a reliable partner who we could lean on for help with both the administrative and creative activities.

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End of the year
23
Mar

End of the financial year: tips for the self-employed

Thursday 5th April will be the last day of the 2017/18 financial year, and if you’re a freelancer, sole trader or business owner, this will obviously be an important date for your diary. However, this can also be a stressful time for the self-employed, especially if the thought of spreadsheets and tax returns makes you shudder.

The best way to deal with the transition is to get organised. Now is the time to put your finances in order and prepare yourself to fill out your tax return. Not sure where to start? Here are four essential tips for dealing with the end of the financial year as a self-employed person.

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Expert-Showcase-Website-Platform
21
Mar

Expert Showcase: Kanbanflow

Here at Get Ahead VA, our team of virtual assistants includes experts in a wide variety of fields. From accounting to admin, Hootsuite to holiday cover, email marketing to Excel, our VAs can add value to many aspects of your business.

In this ‘How to’ guide, one of our blogging and copywriting experts, Clare, shares her expertise on one of her favourite productivity tools: Kanbanflow.

“One of the most complicated parts of running a business is managing your time. Which tasks should take priority, how long should you spend on them, and how can you work effectively throughout the day? The best way to handle these sorts of questions is with a tool that can manage your entire workload. For me, this tool is Kanbanflow.

What is Kanbanflow?

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14
Mar

Meet the VA: Sophie

Here at Get Ahead VA, our people are everything. Our ever-growing team includes a wide range of highly skilled professionals with different backgrounds, expertise and personalities to ensure we can find exactly the right virtual assistant to match our customers’ requirements.

Here’s 60 seconds with one of our VAs, Sophie, who joined Get Ahead VA to expand her opportunities in freelance copywriting for businesses.

Name: Sophie Livingston

Areas of expertise: Writing blog posts on digital marketing, and crafting website copy for digital creatives.

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Update CV
8
Mar

Update your CV with LinkedIn Resume Assistant

Last year, LinkedIn launched a new program in collaboration with Microsoft Word: Resume Assistant. This gives you a new way to look at LinkedIn Jobs, through a Word document, so that you can check job recommendations and profile information whilst editing your CV or job posting.

Although the Resume Assistant has not yet been rolled out in all countries, once it arrives in the UK it will be a useful tool for anybody who regularly uses the Jobs section of LinkedIn, whether to apply for new positions, to find candidates for jobs, or to research skills and qualifications. Interested in learning more? Here’s all you need to know about LinkedIn Resume Assistant, so you can be ready when it arrives.

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International Women's Day
6
Mar

7 networking events for International Women’s Day

On Thursday 8th March 2018, the world will come together to celebrate the achievements of women across the globe. International Women’s Day is an annual celebration that recognises the contributions of women to culture, society, politics and, of course, business.

In honour of this special day, events are being held up and down the country to champion women in business, and these are invaluable opportunities for you to network with other small business owners, freelancers and entrepreneurs. So whether you’re a woman in business or you’re just on the lookout for some new contacts, here are 7 networking events you can attend to boost your business on International Women’s Day.

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