Latest news with #virtualassistants
Forbes
27-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Win Or Learn: The Entrepreneur's Mindset
Daniel is an entrepreneur, founder & CEO of MyOutDesk devoted to providing growing companies with proven, reliable virtual assistants. The common framing around failure in entrepreneurship—of things being win or lose—doesn't work for me. You're either winning or you're learning, and learning is iterative and 'the entrepreneur's mindset.' I've been establishing, growing and selling businesses for almost 20 years, and that's the mindset I decide to approach every entrepreneurial endeavor with. I know 18% of small businesses fail within their first year (and 50% within the first five), but I also know there are a lot of people like me out there who also decide every day to pursue a passion or idea that's as likely to fail as it is to succeed. That decision is the first of a million-plus decisions entrepreneurs have to make. And there are just as many different routes that could get them where they want to go. As someone who's faced the inevitable decision paralysis countless times and worked with thousands of entrepreneurs who've experienced the same, I've learned a few tricks for turning decision paralysis into progress—because action, even if in the wrong direction, is better than stagnancy. Is taking the initial leap the hardest part … or everything that comes after it? Well, that's for each founder to decide. What isn't up for debate is that the decisions made during the ideation and planning phases of the entrepreneur have the power to significantly impact future business success. Product-market fit is paramount. Find a clear path to customer demand, and offer customers a value proposition that no other company can. While your business idea must be unique, the elevator pitch for it can be formulaic: I provide this (product/service) for people (describe the person/customer/business) that want (outcome). In its simplest form, business is humans helping other humans; if you're good, then the business will grow. To be good, you must commit to a pursuit of mastery. A dedication to your business's growth and development is a dedication to your own personal growth and development as well. Ongoing education and improvement in marketing, operations and delivery are critical, but sales mastery is nonnegotiable as founders are constantly selling their vision to customers, investors and employees. Consider whether a blended workforce is the right choice for you. It can be a good idea to hire internal staff for the most technical and high-value tasks, and hire outsourced staff for the process-based tasks. (Disclosure: My company helps with outsourcing, as do others.) But for many entrepreneurs, the first 'hire' should be a technology system like a CRM or ERP platform that supports those team members and you in every business decision from customer acquisition to product or service distribution. This kind of blended model that employs physical, virtual and digital team members takes advantage of the strength of AI in its current era and gives humans the ability to leverage that technology to help better the business. Some of the most common entrepreneurial decisions are the most difficult to make because there's no right or wrong answer or one answer that fits every entrepreneur. The good news is, in my experience, it's less about what you decide and more about how. Separate CEO from self. It's your business, but the business is not you. It should be treated as its own entity, and decision-making should be based on what's best for the company, not the individual(s) running it, because those are not always one and the same. Founder compensation is a good example. While taking a salary is typically preferred from a personal perspective, it may not be best for a new business that still has entry-level revenue and weak financial stability. As the business grows and scales, so can the market value (and salary) of the CEO. Focus on the long term. I've learned that effective leaders prioritize the long-term health and mission of the business above personal gain or convenience. They lead 'from the front,' never asking employees to do something they wouldn't be willing to do themselves. This approach can foster trust, build credibility and effectively motivate teams to stay the course in the short term for better results in the long run—results that everyone on the team will professionally and personally benefit from. Do the due diligence to turn curiosity into context. Ask questions. Understand the 'what' and the 'why' of every situation, be it managing employee performance or evaluating pitches promising grandiose visions. As a founder, you'll inevitably possess a broader context than individual contributors and must tailor your communications and operations decisions to reflect that big-picture view. Be okay with saying no—strategically. It's a necessary skill for leaders to protect their business, their time, the team doing the work and the customers they serve. Establishing guardrails early on and sticking to a disciplined evaluation process when determining things like whether or not to hire friends and family or take on investors can prevent biased decision-making based on familiarity or immediate appeal instead of true business and customer needs. Often, situations are less about the decision and more about how you approach making it—less about a founder's checklist and more about a founder's willingness to take risks. While market opportunity and product-market fit are paramount, successful entrepreneurship often stems from an innate drive and passion for pursuing a vision. It takes courage, commitment and an inner self-assuredness to turn a gut feeling into a foundation for a profitable venture, not another failure statistic. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Forbes
27-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Future Of Digital Experiences
The Future Of Digital Experiences We are on the brink of a digital revolution in consumer experiences. A convergence of multiple forces is compelling organizations to innovate in this area: Today, we are already witnessing the gradual integration of multiple interaction modes into interfaces, including touch, text, voice, haptics, and gestures. Apps now allow users to use voice commands to ask questions, research products and services, and make payments. Virtual assistants use augmented reality to offer virtual try-ons. Smartwatches use haptic feedback to alert users or share health metrics. In the future, organizations will leverage AI to further reduce friction in human-computer interactions. AI-powered interfaces, such as chatbots and virtual agents, will actively observe, seek information, learn, and communicate with consumers. This will allow organizations to better understand consumer intent and emotions and generate responses that use appropriate tone, emotion, visual elements, and more. In the short term, conversational interfaces will make digital experiences more natural, intuitive, and accessible. In the longer term, the internet of senses, computer vision, extended reality, and edge AI will create more perceptive and immersive experiences by tracking eye movement, expressions, and gestures and blending multisensory experiences to incorporate touch, taste, and smell. Over the next decade, emerging technologies will enhance consumer understanding, boost automation, and accelerate the orchestration and delivery of digital experiences. By gaining deeper consumer insights, organizations will be able to: As market offerings expand, technologies mature, and consumers increasingly adopt new types of digital experiences, Forrester expects that digital experiences will evolve through three phases. These phases will not occur in strict sequential order; instead, they are interrelated and mutually reinforcing, building upon each other: Human-centered & Empowering By delivering assistive, anticipatory, and agentic experiences, businesses will be able to create a future where technology seamlessly integrates into our daily lives, empowering consumers in unprecedented ways. Brand trust, shaped by the brand promise but also the quality of past interactions, will determine how much data consumers are willing to share for personalized experiences. Additionally, trust in the technology itself, scenarios, and perceived levels of risk will influence the degree of autonomy granted to AI agents and the breadth of service or advice provided. The pace of change is accelerating — but the fundamentals remain the same. As organizations prepare for the future of experiences, it's crucial to remember that brand and customer experience are the powerhouse duo driving growth. Register to attend Forrester CX Summit EMEA in June, explore the full agenda for the event here. This post was written by Principal Analyst Aurelie L'Hostis and it originally appeared here.
Fast Company
07-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
12 tips for partnering with the right virtual assistant agency
BY As the demand for virtual assistants grows, many companies are turning to VA agencies to access skilled support without the overhead of traditional hiring. However, building a strong, effective partnership with these agencies requires work beyond just hiring the first service provider you find. To help leaders establish the right foundation, Fast Company Executive Board members share their best practices for partnering with a virtual assistant agency. Their insights offer practical strategies to encourage clear communication, align expectations, and create a productive relationship that supports your business's growth. 1. INTEGRATE VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS INTO COMPANY CULTURE. Treat your virtual assistant as a true team member—provide clear goals, consistent communication, and feedback. When they feel part of your company culture, their engagement, accountability, and performance go way up. – Pedro Barboglio, Remote Team Solutions 2. CONDUCT DEEP ONBOARDING. The best partners understand the complexity of your category. In furniture, that means recognizing that purchases are often tied to major life moments—moving, growing a family, starting fresh, and so on. Deep onboarding is essential. The output is only as smart as the context it's built on. – Alex Seaman, 3. ALIGN HR STRATEGIES WITH BUSINESS GOALS. Align your HR strategies with business objectives to ensure broader success. This approach emphasizes the strategic partnership between HR and business functions, ensuring that virtual assistance integrates seamlessly into the organization's overall plans and goals. This can help drive efficiency, improve collaboration, and enhance operational outcomes. – Bala Sathyanarayanan, Greif 4. SET CLEAR COMMUNICATION PROCEDURES. Establishing clear communication procedures is essential best practice when working with a virtual assistant service. This involves deciding preferred lines of communication, establishing response times, and planning frequent check-ins to review development and handle any issues. Good communication ensures that chores are completed efficiently and aligned with your company's goals. – Christena Garduno, Media Culture 5. ENSURE ALIGNMENT ON VALUES, GOALS, AND EXPECTATIONS. Treat them as a true extension of your team. Start by asking: Are they right for you? Do you share values? Then, share your goals, brand voice, and customer expectations from the start. This ensures clear communication, aligned service, and a seamless experience that truly supports and enhances your business operations. – Eric Schurke, Moneypenny 6. BE WARY OF PARTNERS WHO PRIORITIZE RETAINERS OVER RESULTS. Large upfront retainers are the kiss of death from any organization operating under an agency framework, so avoid paying them, be it virtual assistance agencies, talent agencies, or investment banks. Valuable people or assets are their product, and the ones who are capable of moving things forward often prefer a larger commission and smaller retainer, or simply a commission and no retainer. – Sean Adler, SWN 7. DEFINE THE SCOPE OF WORK AND EXPECTATIONS UPFRONT. Establish a clear scope of work with defined outcomes and communication protocols upfront. By investing in a well-defined onboarding and communication process, you build accountability and trust while allowing the VA to work efficiently and proactively. – Britton Bloch, Navy Federal Credit Union 8. PROVIDE DETAILED SOPs AND CONSISTENT FEEDBACK. One best practice for partnering with a virtual assistant agency is to clearly define roles, expectations, and communication protocols upfront. Providing detailed SOPs and regular feedback ensures alignment, boosts productivity, and builds a reliable, long-term working relationship. – Stephen Nalley, Black Briar Advisors 9. BUILD A LONG-TERM, TRUSTED PARTNERSHIP. I have had the same VA for five years. Valuable VAs aren't just task-completers—they're team members. Include them in company events, share daily operations and strategic planning, and build trust over time. The magic happens when your relationship transforms from transactional to collaborative, creating a trusted partner who doesn't just manage your calendar but helps drive your business forward. – Kathleen Lucente, Red Fan Communications 10. SHARE THE BIG PICTURE TO ENCOURAGE PROACTIVE SUPPORT. Involve them in the rationale, not merely the tasks. When assistants comprehend strategic objectives and the broader context, they exercise greater discernment and contribute proactively. This transforms the relationship from transactional support to a symbiotic, value-generating partnership. – Albert Lie, Forward Labs 11. EVALUATE PAST RESULTS TO SET EXPECTATIONS. Ask them to show real examples of results they've helped drive for other clients. Then, dig into what made those work and what you can do on your end to help them do the same for you. It sets the tone early that you're focused on outcomes and want them set up to actually deliver. – Travis Schreiber, 12. DISCOURAGE COMPLACENCY.
