New Porch Swing is a Great & Practical Mothers Day Gift

New Porch Swing is a Great & Practical Mothers Day Gift

When my kids were young, I was thrilled with whatever gift they chose for me. Just seeing the happiness on their faces as I unwrapped the gift was a gift in its own right.

Now that they are adults, they know how practical I am. They ask me what I’d like as a gift. I know it takes the surprise element away, but I am OK with that 😊 Sometimes I send them a few Amazon links for them to choose from … then I’m surprised by which gift they picked.

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Remote Work Can Be Done From Anywhere

Work Can Be Done Remotely From “Virtual”ly Anywhere

Tracy Helps You, like so many small businesses, has had a really hard year. Many of my personal assistant clients were, of course, put on hold during the shelter in place guidelines.

However, I got a couple of new clients that I have been shopping for. They were referrals from clients that I used to take shopping / running errands and now currently shop for.

When so many people started using shopping services, they felt comfortable letting me shop for them because they trusted me. Being able to trust the people you are working with is so very important. They were also glad they didn’t need to download any new apps. They didn’t need to learn new software just to be able to get groceries in the house. Luckily, I love to shop for groceries, and I seem to be pretty good at picking out the best produce 😊.

This past year, we have also learned that so much work can now be done remotely (virtually). Thanks to online meeting platforms like Zoom and WebEx, and various social media platforms, many businesses can still operate. I have kept fairly busy moderating FaceBook Live Events and some Zoom calls.

Mostly I have learned that small business owners really appreciate having someone (me) they can trust to hand over some of the responsibility of posting to their social media accounts consistently. In the past, I’ve shied away from offering “Social Media Manager” type services (even though I have taken SMM training courses), because I did not want my clients to rely solely on my post suggestions as a way to increase business.

After talking to a few small business owners, I now realize that it is really important to make sure they understand the purpose of social media for businesses. Its name holds a big clue, it is to be “social”. It is a way for potential clients to get to “know” you and your business virtually.  It is a tool to help build your online presence and reputation. The business should post content that could be helpful to their potential clients. Quotes and “pick your brain” types of general info about their industry is a good way to build trust as a leader in the industry. Also, sharing the occasional personal / keeping it real type of post helps potential clients bond with you.

That being said, all a business can hope for from (free – not paying for ads) social media is to get their name / brand in front of the eyes (and top of mind) of your potential clients. I advise them that by making consistent posts that give value, your potential clients may think contacting your business when they are in need of your product or service. Social media has the potential to bring in new business, but that is not its purpose. My clients understand that I am merely taking the task of social media posting off their to-do list. They appreciate the time I am saving them – time they can then use for building their business.

To that end, I have created a basic social media posting package based on how frequently the client wants me to post their content for them. It is a basic package that we can then customize to meet their particular needs.

Call me to talk about the various ways I could save you valuable time!

Tracy Helps You would love to “help” you!

 

Ketchikan Alaska Sign

My Adventures in Ketchikan, Alaska

I love to travel and last year, 2019, was a year of many trips for me. We cruised to Alaska on the Norwegian Joy last July, and it was one of my favorite trips. I shared an overview of it in a previous post and mentioned that I would be sharing about our excursions in future blogs … here is the first one ?

Ketchikan was our first port of call, we were there on July 1, 2019. It was an overcast, day but no rain. After disembarking, we met up with Carol our tour guide from Shoretrips. We were happy to find out that our tour group to Totem Bight was quite small. Continue reading

paper clutter is stressful

Paperwork ~ Go From Clutter to Organized

We are several weeks into the new year, and most Americans are in the throws of trying to get their paperwork organized and ready for income taxes.

Many people are overwhelmed by paperwork clutter. Let’s face it, our lives are busy and things need to be prioritized. Paper clutter usually falls pretty low on the priority scale. Unfortunately, it also stacks up pretty quickly.

Tax time can be quite stressful if you aren’t organized. Many people procrastinate this chore, which then increases their stress when they realize they are now in a time crunch.

I helped Ed P. save time (and frustration) by organizing his paperwork … check out his story: Continue reading

Top 10 Most Popular Blog Posts of 2019

Top 10 Most Popular Blog Posts of 2019

It’s still hard for me to believe that it is 2020 … harder still to believe that I’ve been sharing blog posts with you since 2013! Time sure flies ? At the beginning of each new year, I usually go over website stats for the previous year. Those reports showed that these ↓ blog posts were the most popular.

Check out 2019’s Top 10 most read blog posts:

#10 – A Personal Assistant ~ What It Is & What It Isn’t

https://www.tracyhelpsyou.com/personal-assistant-isnt/

#9 – Holiday Pet Care

https://www.tracyhelpsyou.com/holiday-pet-care/

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Y2K - A Lot Can Change in 20 Years

Y2K til Now – A Lot Can Change in 20 Years

It’s December 31, 2019 … the last day of this decade, my last blog post of this decade. Do you remember what you were doing on December 31, 1999? Do you remember the Y2K bug? Did you heed all the warnings?

In hindsight, we know that not only did all the computers continue to work, but they, and technology in general, have thrived. So many things that we take for granted today were not around (to the general public) twenty years ago. Continue reading

Book Review & Giveaway ~ Snowfall at Moonglow by Deborah Garner

My Thoughts & Review  A personal and/or virtual assistant can help you check items off your to-do list. Delegate some tasks to us today.

I just returned from an afternoon spent at the Timberton Hotel in Montana. Well, not really, but that is one of my favorite things about a good book, it takes you away from reality for a little while. Mist, Betty and the rest of the gang are doing great.

This is the 5th story in Deborah Garner’s Moonglow Christmas novella series. It is a heart-warming story set at Christmastime that shows the importance of simple kindness & caring is to people. I’ve read and reviewed all of them, and they are all similar yet quite different. I look forward to them each year, reading it ushers in the Christmas season for me. Continue reading

Give Thanks

What Are You Thankful For?

Another November is drawing to a close; and once again my thoughts returned to being thankful for my many blessings. Overall, I consider myself to be a grateful person, but November usually brings thankful thoughts more front and center to mind.

For the last decade or so, I’ve been participating in #30DaysofThanks challenge. I believe it is mostly on social media, hence the hashtag ?, but my reflections were mostly private during my devotion time. I really like the 30-day format because it helps me to really concentrate on the everyday blessings that could otherwise be taken for granted. Continue reading

The Ark Encounter was on my travel log this year

On the Road Again! My 2019 Travel Log

As I write this blog post, I’m on yet another road trip. I’m traveling to Tennessee for a romantic getaway with my husband prior to a business training meeting. I love tacking on a couple days either before or after a business trip for some personal time away.
So far, this year has been full of travel for me, and I love it ? I love the fact that I control my schedule. I decide what goes on my calendar and when. One of my favorite perks of owning my own business, is the freedom to choose when I work and when I don’t … I don’t need to request time off from a boss … I am the boss!
Sorry for getting off topic, can you say SQUIRREL ? Continue reading

Holiday Pet Care

Holiday Pet Care

Autumn is officially here (even though it feels like Indian summer) … the holidays will be here before we know it. To me, the holidays are all about spending time with family and friends ~ near and far. You may already be checking airfares to find the best deal. When you travel to see your loved ones, don’t forget about pet care for your fur babies … they are family too! Who will take care of them? Continue reading