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Working On Not In Your Business
Posted By Abbie Akinfenwa, Virtual Assistant, 03 October 2025

Working On Your Business vs. In Your Business 

The Crucial Difference 

As a small business owner, your time is one of your most valuable assets. Yet, too often, the daily grind of operational tasks can consume your schedule, leaving little room for strategic planning and growth.  
 
As small business owners ourselves, we know it’s essential to distinguish between working IN your business and working ON your business. Here's why it's important and how you can make the shift effectively. 
 
The Importance of Working On Your Business 
Working IN your business involves handling day-to-day tasks, such as managing customer enquiries, processing orders, or handling administrative duties. While these tasks are necessary, they can prevent you from focusing on broader goals and strategies. Working ON your business, on the other hand, means dedicating time to activities that drive growth, such as business development, strategic planning, and market research. 
 
1. Strategic Growth: 
When you work on your business, you’re able to focus on long-term goals and strategies. This might involve identifying new markets, developing new products, or forming strategic partnerships. Without this focus, your business may stagnate, missing out on growth opportunities. 
 
2. Efficiency and Innovation: 
Stepping back from day-to-day operations allows you to identify inefficiencies and innovate. This could mean implementing new technologies, streamlining processes, or finding more cost-effective ways of operating. 
 
3. Personal and Business Well-being: 
Balancing operational duties with strategic oversight can lead to burnout. By dedicating time to high-level planning, you can create a more sustainable workload for yourself and foster a healthier work environment. 
 
Common Mistakes Small Business Owners Make 
 
1. Wearing Too Many Hats: 
Many small business owners try to do everything themselves, from accounting to marketing to customer service. This can lead to burnout and a lack of focus on critical business growth activities. 
 
2. Micromanaging: 
Failing to delegate tasks can result in micromanagement, where the owner is involved in every small detail. This not only stifles the team's growth but also distracts from strategic planning. 
 
3. Ignoring Strategic Planning: 
Without setting aside time for strategic planning, your business can become reactive rather than proactive, missing out on opportunities to innovate and grow. 
 
Why These Mistakes Aren’t the Best Use of Time 
 
Spending your time on tasks that could be delegated prevents you from focusing on the bigger picture. According to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in the UK, nearly 60% of small business owners work more than 40 hours a week, and a significant portion of this time is spent on non-core activities. This is time that could be better invested in activities that drive growth and profitability. 
 
The Solution: Outsourcing to a Virtual Assistant 
Outsourcing routine tasks to a Virtual Assistant (VA) can be a game-changer (ask our clients!). VAs are skilled professionals who can handle a variety of administrative and operational tasks, freeing up your time to focus on strategic activities. 
 
Tasks a Virtual Assistant Can Handle 
You'd be amazed how many different types of tasks a VA can look after for you and if you're struggling to know where to start, just ask them and they can help you make a plan. 
 
1. Administrative Duties: 
Scheduling appointments, managing emails, and handling customer enquiries are tasks that a VA can efficiently manage, ensuring that your daily operations run smoothly without your constant oversight. 
 
2. Social Media Management: 
Maintaining an active social media presence is essential but can be a major time drain. A VA can manage your social media accounts, create content, and engage with your audience, ensuring consistent online visibility. 
 
3. Research: 
Whether it’s market research, competitor analysis, or finding new suppliers, a VA can provide you with the insights you need without you having to spend hours gathering information. 
 
4. Customer Service: 
Handling customer queries, processing orders, and managing feedback are tasks that can be efficiently outsourced, ensuring high customer satisfaction without taking up your valuable time. 
 
5. Business Development 
A VA can also help you with your CRM and sales pipeline. Organisation here is key and getting a robust system set up so no opportunities are missed is crucial. 
 
Help Is At Hand 
As a small business owner, making time to work on your business rather than just in it is crucial for sustainable growth and long-term success. Avoiding the common pitfalls of trying to do everything yourself and failing to delegate can unlock significant potential for your business. By outsourcing tasks to a Virtual Assistant, you can free up your time to focus on strategic planning, innovation, and business development. Embrace this shift, and watch your business thrive. 
 
If you'd like to know more about how a Virtual Assistant can help you and your business, contact us to arrange a chat. 

 

*Pic from Canva Oct 2025*

Tags:  #businessplan #business #bsuinessowner #virtualass 

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Boost your Visibility
Posted By Abbie Akinfenwa, Virtual Assistant, 24 June 2025

The Power of Visibility for Small Business Owners 

Unlocking Small Business Success 

As small business owners ourselves, we know that visibility is key to success. Whether you're operating online or in a bricks-and-mortar shop-front, being seen and heard by your target audience is essential for growth and sustainability. In this blog post, we'll explore the importance of visibility for small businesses and discuss strategies to improve it. 
 
Why Visibility Matters 
 
Attracting Customers: Without visibility, potential customers may not even know your business exists. Increased visibility means more people are aware of your products or services, leading to higher chances of attracting and retaining customers. 
 
Building Brand Awareness: Visibility goes hand in hand with brand awareness. The more often people see your brand, whether it's through social media, advertising, or word-of-mouth, the more likely they are to remember and recognise it when making purchasing decisions. 
 
Establishing Authority: Being visible in your industry positions you as an authority figure. When customers see you consistently sharing valuable content, offering expertise, and engaging with your audience, they're more likely to trust your business and turn to you for solutions. 
 
Staying Competitive: In today's crowded marketplace, staying visible is essential for staying competitive. If your competitors are more visible than you, they'll likely capture a larger share of the market. By increasing your visibility, you can level the playing field and compete more effectively. 
 
Strategies to Improve Visibility 
 
Optimise Your Online Presence: Ensure your website is optimised for search engines (SEO) so that potential customers can find you easily. Make sure you also create and maintain active profiles on relevant social media platforms where your target audience spends their time. 
 
Create Quality Content: Content marketing is a powerful way to increase visibility and attract organic traffic to your website. Create high-quality, relevant content that provides value to your audience, such as blog posts, videos, infographics, and podcasts. 
 
Engage with Your Audience: Actively engage with your audience on social media, responding to comments, answering questions, and participating in conversations. This not only increases your visibility but also helps build relationships and trust with your audience. 
 
Collaborate with Influencers: Partnering with influencers in your industry can help you reach a larger audience and increase visibility. Look for influencers whose values align with your brand and whose audience matches your target demographic. 
 
Utilise Online Advertising: If budgets allow, invest in online advertising channels such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads to increase your visibility and reach a targeted audience. Experiment with different ad formats and targeting options to find what works best for your business. 
 
Attend Networking Events: At Pink Spaghetti, we rerally understand the value of networking. In addition to online visibility, don't underestimate the power of offline networking. Attend industry conferences, trade shows, and local networking events to meet potential customers and partners face-to-face. 
 
We're sure you'll agree that visibility is crucial for small business owners looking to grow and succeed in today's competitive marketplace. By implementing the strategies outlined above and consistently working to increase your visibility, you can attract more customers, build brand awareness, and establish yourself as a leader in your industry. Don't underestimate the power of being seen and heard – it could be the key to unlocking your business' full potential. And if these tips feel a bit too much to do on your own, we'd be happy to help you do business better so do get in touch!

 

*Pic from canva June 2025*

 

 

Tags:  #businessplan #business #bsuinessowner #virtualass 

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Leveraging Social Media
Posted By Abbie Akinfenwa, Virtual Assistant, 27 March 2025

Leveraging Social Media 

A Vital Asset for Small Business Success 

In today's digital age, the power of social media cannot be overstated, especially for small business owners. From increasing brand visibility to driving sales, a robust social media presence can be a game-changer for businesses of all sizes. In this blog post, we'll delve into why it's crucial for small business owners to prioritise their social media strategy and ensure that their online presence is truly working for them. Additionally, we'll explore some top tips for creating engaging social media content that resonates with your audience. 
 
One of the key benefits of utilising social media as a small business owner is the ability to build brand awareness. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn provide an unparalleled opportunity to showcase your products or services to a vast audience. By consistently posting engaging content and interacting with your followers, you can expand your reach and attract potential customers who may have otherwise never heard of your business. 
 
Connecting with Your Audience 
Social media also offers a unique opportunity to connect with your audience on a personal level. By sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business, responding to comments and messages and actively engaging in conversations, you can foster a sense of community and loyalty among your followers. This not only strengthens your relationship with existing customers but also helps attract new ones who are drawn to your authentic and relatable brand persona. 
 
Driving Website Traffic and Sales 
In addition to building brand awareness and fostering customer relationships, social media can also be a powerful driver of website traffic and sales. By strategically incorporating links to your website in your social media posts and leveraging features like shoppable posts and product tags, you can seamlessly guide your followers from discovery to purchase. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook offer robust advertising options that allow you to target specific demographics, interests and behaviours, maximising the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. 
 
Staying Ahead of the Competition 
In today's competitive landscape, having a strong social media presence is no longer optional—it's essential for survival. By actively engaging with your audience, staying updated on industry trends and keeping an eye on your competitors, you can ensure that your business remains relevant and competitive in the digital marketplace. Moreover, social media provides invaluable insights into your target audience's preferences, allowing you to tailor your products, services and marketing strategies accordingly. 
 
Below are our Top Tips for Creating Social Media Content 
 
Know Your Audience: Take the time to understand your target audience's demographics, interests and pain points. Tailor your content to resonate with their preferences and address their needs. 
 
Be Authentic: Authenticity is key to building trust and credibility with your audience. Share genuine stories, experiences and behind-the-scenes moments that showcase the human side of your business. 
 
Mix Up Your Content: Keep your content fresh and diverse by incorporating a mix of photos, videos, graphics, blog posts and user-generated content. Experiment with different formats and styles to keep your audience engaged. 
 
Stay Consistent: Consistency is crucial for maintaining a strong social media presence. Establish a regular posting schedule and stick to it. Consistency not only helps keep your audience engaged but also signals reliability and professionalism. 
 
Engage with Your Audience: Social media is all about fostering two-way communication. Respond to comments, messages and mentions promptly. Engage in conversations, ask questions and encourage user-generated content to deepen connections with your audience. 
 
Monitor Performance: Keep track of your social media metrics to gauge the effectiveness of your content and identify areas for improvement. Pay attention to engagement rates, click-through rates and conversion rates to refine your strategy over time. 
 
Social media is a powerful tool that can propel your small business to new heights of success. By prioritising your social media strategy and ensuring that your online presence is working for you, you can build brand awareness, connect with your audience, drive website traffic and sales and stay ahead of the competition. By following these top tips for creating engaging social media content, you can create meaningful connections with your audience and position your business for long-term success. 
 
Do you need help leveraging your social media? Don’t hesitate to contact us today. 

 

*Pic from Canva*

Tags:  #businessplan #business #bsuinessowner #virtualass 

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Why an On Line Presence Matters Even More
Posted By Abbie Akinfenwa, Virtual Assistant, 06 March 2025
With businesses having to move to a new virtual world, never before has having an online presence mattered more. Approximately 97% of people learn about businesses online before they do anywhere else. This is why small business owners need digital marketing. Not only is it a must-have tool for promoting your products or services, but it is also one of the main keys to your business’ overall success. 
 
Let’s run through a few marketing tools that you can easily implement into your business and marketing strategy that will make a huge difference: 
 
Website 
 
A professional website is one of the most important assets for your business. This is where you show who and what you offer, where you are, and how to get in touch with you. 
 
Blog 
 
Regardless of how often you publish a blog, although regularity is always better, you will improve your website’s visibility online and build consumer trust in your company. You may write these yourself or consider outsourcing this to others. Blogs also offer that ability to add a call-to-action on your posts to subscribe to your blog/receive emails and this is a great way to start collecting leads and potential customers. 
 
Email 
 
Email marketing is a critical, in fact, 73 percent of millennials prefer communication from businesses to come via email over any other method. Email is not only universally accessible but it is also free and scalable throughout the growth of your business. Use email to send out newsletters (with your new blog posts) or promotions to your existing and potential customers. 
 
Social Media Accounts 
 
Whilst it would be easy to write off social media as a simple platform for people to socialize, it’s actually a really powerful business platform. Social media can increase traffic, improve search engine rankings, and even help you to engage with potential customers. Ensuring that you have some presence on the top four sites; Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/LinkedIn will prove invaluable to your business. 
 
Once you’re on your chosen platforms, make sure engage with customer/follower comments/questions when they post them. This will help to make your company look responsive and credible. 

 

*PIC FROM CANVA*

Tags:  #businessplan #business #bsuinessowner #virtualass 

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How to Scale Your Business
Posted By Abbie Akinfenwa, Virtual Assistant, 26 July 2023

So you've started a business and things seem to be going in the right direction (phew!) but how do you take it to the next level and scale up?

Here are some top tips to help you achieve your goals:

1. Plan and Assess, Objectively

Take a close look inside your business to see if you are ready for growth - be honest with yourself, have you got the appetite and time as it's hard work taking a business to the next level. What needs improving, what could be done better and what could you do without? 

2. 'Show me the Money' 

Scaling a business doesn't come without investment. Your growth plan may involve employing more people, implementing new technology, updating equipment and facilities, and creating reporting systems to keep everything on track - be sure you've budgeted for this and have found the right solutions at the right price. 

 3. Secure those Sales 

Scaling your business naturally assumes you will sell more. Have you got the sales structure in place to generate more sales and to cope with an upturn in demand? Are the behind the scenes processes in place to handle more orders?

4. Invest in Tech 

Technology makes it easier and less expensive to scale a business, but you really need to have a good understanding of what you need and what's out there that can help. Sometimes an 'off the shelf' product will work while other times, you may need something bespoke, all of which comes at a cost. Do your research (or get someone else to do it for you).  

5. Find new staff or Outsource 

Last but certainly not least, are the 'bums on seats' needed to carry out the work. Employing staff can be tricky, time consuming and a drain on time that you may not have. Outsourcing to a virtual assistant for example, who already has the experience and capacity you need, may well help fill this gap and also help elevate your business quicker through their wealth of knowledge and experience. 

 If you’d like to find out more about how we can help you with growing your business, Click Here to contact us now.

*Picture by Canva July 2023*

Tags:  #businessplan #business #bsuinessowner #virtualass 

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Why Outsource Your Marketing?
Posted By Abbie Akinfenwa, Virtual Assistant, 28 February 2023

Should you really be doing your business marketing? Is it actually working? 

That's the question you might need to ask yourself if you have a suspicion it's just not working or is taking up too much of your time. We help lots of small businesses with their marketing and the relief we see on our clients' faces when they hand it over is immeasurable.

Here are our top reasons you may want to consider outsourcing it:

 1. You are a small business - not a marketer! Concentrate on what you love/do best and leave the rest to your VA. 

2. Do you know how to effectively measure your ROI? A VA does and they can help you ensure you are spending your budget wisely. 

3. Is your content engaging or is it a bit stale? It's amazing how much time it can take if you try and do it yourself and also sometimes it can be just too 'salesy' for your audience. 

4. Are you too close to your business to objectively critique your marketing? A fresh pair of eyes can often transform your approach. 

5. Digital marketing and social media is constantly evolving - are you able to keep up to date with everything in this fast-moving arena? Possibly not, but your VA will be. 

The marketing world really is vast, with lots of different areas to explore. A huge benefit of outsourcing to an experienced VA is that you can benefit from their experience, skillset and of course their creativity, ultimately saving you time, money and helping your business grow. 

If you’d like to find out more about how we can help you with your marketing, Click Here to contact us now. 

*Picture from Canva*

Tags:  #businessplan #business #bsuinessowner #virtualass 

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