An increasing number of people are running their own micro business from home. A recent report estimated that nearly 14% of the UK workforce is home based – more than four million people – and that more would like the flexibility and control that running their own business brings. It’s certainly a cost-effective option, so how do you make yourself look more professional, and work more professionally? That’s where specialist micro business admin support comes in.
What this article says about micro business admin support tips:
- Creating a professional work environment at home
- A reliable tech set up
- Structuring a productive working day
- Key ways to look and work more professionally
- Prioritising and delegating tasks
- How a virtual assistant can help micro businesses with admin support
The rise of the micro business culture
Since the advent of the global pandemic in 2020, our traditional understanding of ‘the office’ has been irrevocably altered. The shift towards a new working culture has been supported by advances in digital connectivity and collaborative tools that have encouraged people to start their own small businesses – often working from home, or from cooperative working spaces.
Indeed, the landscape of work has been transformed into a more flexible and dynamic space, driving improved work-life balance and opening opportunities for people to think differently about how they work.
Creating a professional micro business
The more professional you feel your business set up is, the more productive you are likely to be. We know that many people are short on space at home, but this is where the majority of micro businesses are built, so a home office often has to be in a part of your home that you use for everyday life – a bedroom or dining area, for example. Taking the time to get this right can have a positive impact on your productivity. Try these hints:
Designate a dedicated workspace: Choose a specific room or area in your home that is exclusively for work. This mentally signals that it’s time for professional activities every time you enter this space.
Invest in quality furniture: A comfortable chair and a desk at the right height can prevent physical discomfort and enhance your productivity during long working hours.
Ensure good lighting: Good lighting is crucial to minimise eye strain. Natural light is best, but if that’s not possible, invest in good quality artificial lighting.
Minimise clutter: Keep your workspace tidy and organised. Regularly decluttering helps to maintain focus and reduces stress.
Incorporate greenery: Adding plants to your workspace can boost mood, enhance creativity, and improve air quality.
Control ambient noise: Use noise-cancelling headphones or a white noise machine to drown out distracting sounds.
Adopt a professional dress code: Dressing the part, even at home, can put you in the right mindset for work and increase productivity.
Stick to a routine: Establish and maintain a consistent work schedule to create a sense of discipline.
Take regular breaks: Schedule short breaks to recharge, such as a walk outside or a coffee break, to maintain high levels of concentration throughout the day.
Have a reliable tech set up
Working from home successfully requires the best technology you can find. You’ll need to make sure that both your equipment and your internet connection are reliable and secure. Part of your micro business admin support approach may be to have third-party IT support so that you can have expert help when you need it.
Here are some examples of a reliable tech setup for working from home:
High-speed internet connection: A fast and stable broadband connection ensures that you can participate in video calls and access cloud services without interruption.
Laptop or desktop computer with sufficient specs: A modern computer with a fast processor and enough memory is crucial to handle multiple applications and large files efficiently.
Multiple monitors setup: Using more than one screen can boost productivity by providing more screen real estate for multitasking and organisation.
Backup solutions: Regular backups to external hard drives or cloud storage protect your work against data loss due to hardware failure or security breaches.
High-quality webcam and microphone: Clear video and audio are vital for professional communication, especially during online meetings or presentation sessions.
Cybersecurity measures: Protecting your devices with updated security software and using VPNs can help to mitigate the risks of cyberattacks and data theft.
Productivity software and tools: Utilising task management apps, collaboration tools, and other software can help streamline workflows and maintain organisation.
Structuring a productive working day
While it’s easy to get distracted in the office, it’s equally easy to get distracted at home – even though your micro business often requires many hours of work. So structuring your day to make you as productive as possible is very important. From fundamental tasks to managing your day-to-day micro business admin, support that helps you to put a clear plan in place – and stick to it – can make all the difference. Top tips include:
- Set a consistent morning routine.
- Outline your daily objectives.
- Implement time-blocking.
- Prioritise tasks by urgency and importance.
- Take regular, short breaks.
- Eliminate distractions.
- Schedule meetings selectively.
- Set aside time for emails.
- End your day with a review.
- Maintain a distinction between work and personal time.
Key ways to look and work more professionally
First impressions count, and your customers will want to have confidence in your ability to deliver your product or service professionally and efficiently. That means that even if you’re working from your kitchen table or an office in the shed, you need to demonstrate your capability from the very beginning. That can be daunting, as most home-based business owners come from a corporate environment where the finances, administration, IT and marketing – all now your micro business admin support functions – are all handled by other departments.
Give your business a name: Even if you’re not a Limited company, you can give your business a name. This automatically makes you look more professional and actually, psychologically, gives you an advantage – if you think of your business as a business rather than a hobby or a tentative enterprise, you will already feel more confident about it when you are contacting customers. If you want to be a Limited company, it’s straightforward to do – or you could consider outsourcing to a virtual assistant, who can help you find a specialist and project manage the process for you.
Get a website: You might feel that the digital world is a bit saturated, but there’s always room for a good, relevant, useful website. Your customers will almost certainly use it as a credibility check, and you will be able to use it as a place to showcase your services or products, give your customers advice and share your expertise. Customers expect a business to have a clean, easy-to-navigate and useful website, and you can get one without breaking the bank.
Ditch the generic email address: There’s an automatic assumption that a business with a generic email address is not a serious enterprise. So keep your gmail, Hotmail and other accounts for your personal mail and set up a couple of email addresses that use your business name. A virtual business support service can help you to find and manage a professional to do this if you haven’t done it before. Set up one for yourself and at least one other – an ‘accounts’ email or a ‘sales’ or ‘info’ email are good ways to both manage your emails and to give a professional impression. They will also help you to separate your micro business admin support needs from your general life admin.
Look consistent: When many home businesses start up, they use clip-art logos or readily available fonts for their logo. These are easily spotted and often show that either you’re not willing to invest in good design for your business image, or you’re not really bothered. Looks do count in business – take a look at your competitors and see what they look like. A simple logo, colour palette and single font can help you to be consistent across all your communications. And this doesn’t have to be expensive – sourcing graphic design is often on a list of virtual assistant services, for example.
Get a PO Box or office address: Many people don’t want their customers to know that they work from home, or don’t want to give out their home address to strangers. So it makes sense to take advantage of the many remote office services on the market. You can either use a real office address, which can accept mail on your behalf and might even have meeting rooms or hot desks where you can work when you choose, or pay for a PO Box. Both these options give you a professional image without costing a fortune and allow you to keep your home address private.
Prioritising and delegating tasks
If you work from home, admin management can end up taking up a lot of your precious time. So, how can you categorise and prioritise your workload to make you as efficient as possible?
- Make a to-do list.
- Categorise tasks by urgency and importance.
- Set specific deadlines.
- Break down large projects.
- Delegate effectively.
- Use productivity tools.
- Review and adjust regularly.
How a virtual assistant can help micro businesses with admin support
Day-to-day admin tasks may look straightforward, but they can take your time and often drop to the bottom of the ‘to-do’ list when you’re trying to get new business through the door. That’s why it might be worth looking for a remote virtual assistant to help out with these and other tasks.
The right virtual assistant support can make a micro business owner look more professional – and even give the impression of a bigger company – for minimal outlay. This is particularly useful for general, but important tasks such as:
Virtual PA services
- Virtual secretary services
- Diary management
- Email management
- Meeting preparation
Admin Virtual Assistant
- Data entry
- Supplier management
- Virtual phone answering service
Virtual Marketing Assistant
- Virtual research assistant
- Website assistance
- Social media support
- Email marketing management
- CRM management
- Content support
Sales Support
- Outsourced appointment setting
- Virtual assistant for lead generation
- Outsourced telemarketing
- Customer service
- Proposals and quotations
Finance Support
- Virtual bookkeeping and invoicing
- Credit control outsourcing
- Expenses management
Events and travel support
- Event planning
- Travel planning
With an affordable pay-as-you-go model, virtual assistants have the knowledge and skills to get these jobs done efficiently and can also support your business in a number of other ways as it grows. So if you think you’re missing out on crucial micro business admin support and you need some help, there’s always somewhere to turn. If you’re short on time feel free to call us on 0800 994 9016 or use our contact form in the menu above.