AI tools offer many powerful benefits for businesses of all shapes and sizes. I’ve discovered that there are so many ways to leverage AI to make our work more efficient as business owners without having to build processes entirely from the ground up. The top tools we use are ChatGPT-4.0, Grammarly, Gemini / Jasper, Perplexity, Microsoft Image / Canva AI, Riverside, and Zoom AI Companion.

Clearing every email from your inbox isn’t how a CEO like you should spend your time. Instead, focus on reducing the number of emails you receive and putting some structure around how you manage your inbox. 

Melissa reveals three powerful ways hiring enhances profitability: freeing up your time for essential tasks, boosting operational efficiency, and driving your sales growth. We also explore the unique challenges women entrepreneurs face in the hiring process and the vital mindset shift needed to embrace delegation as a tool for success. 💪

One of my team members recently asked me if we’d ever add TikTok to our social media strategy. The conversation reminded me that we, as business owners, have countless options for how to spend our time, energy, and money. How do we decide what’s worth the investment? 

I'm thrilled to share that I appeared on an episode of Jacqueline Crider’s podcast, "Financial Mastery Simplified"! 

In our conversation, Jax and I discuss the importance of outsourcing and delegating tasks to avoid burnout and achieve financial growth.

Are you looking for someone to handle behind-the-scenes administrative tasks within your organization? An Executive Assistant could be the answer! Start by defining responsibilities and developing a job description. Share that across your networks and interview qualified candidates until you find the right fit. When onboarding, you can co-create SOPs to minimize your workload and set them up for success.

Have you ever signed off of work for the day and wondered what you actually accomplished? What a frustrating experience! But if you can identify time-wasting activities that are holding you back - and work to reduce or eliminate them - you can make a big impact on the success of your work. These include busy work, email management, phone notifications, time-wasting relationships, unnecessary content, and unneeded events. Instead, spend your time doing work that creates real results!

Do you feel like your business is too much? Too many offers, too much busy work, too many projects that aren’t really aligned with your greater vision? You are empowered to trust your gut and make cuts where you need to - you’re the CEO! The four areas you can eliminate are non-aligned products or services, non-ideal clients, team members who aren’t working out, and unnecessary or unproductive meetings.

Many business owners struggle with investing the time and money that is necessary for growth. Barriers include finances, taxes, and having the time to train new team members. However, overcoming these blocks is critical for taking your business to the next level.

We all can benefit from regularly evaluating our work priorities and making sure they align with our long-term goals. The most important blocks in your calendar should be your non-negotiables, like sleep and family time. Work priorities can then be sorted based on urgency, which will help you identify opportunities to outsource some of your busy work. This helps you free up your time and create the ultimate CEO calendar!

Now is the time to start planning your summer schedule! Starting preparations in the spring ensures that you can fully embrace summer fun without letting your professional responsibilities slide. To prep, I’m confirming team schedules, blocking my vacation dates, securing childcare for my daughter, and working ahead on marketing activities to make sure my business continues to grow throughout the summer months.

I can attribute so much of my success, as a business owner, to the great coaches I’ve had over the years. But choosing the right coaches can be tricky. I’ve learned to look at coaches’ track records, critically evaluate if their values align with mine, and ask in-depth questions about their coaching systems and processes. That’s how I’ve found the right support to take my business to the next level.

I recently reviewed my 2023 calendar week by week and categorized each of my activities as “Worth the time, money, and energy”, “Waste of time, money, and energy”, or “Self-care and happiness.” The results provided surprising insights into how I spent my time and where I can improve in 2024. I invite you to try this exercise for yourself!

At Melissa Swink & Co., we’ve found that we serve our clients best when we regularly touch base about their goals, the future outlook of their organization, and even their frustrations. We want to grow alongside them and help them reach their objectives, so that’s why we go above and beyond when it comes to strategic planning and guidance.

Here are some of the ways we go above and beyond for our clients.

Every business goes through evolutions and transformations, and Melissa Swink & Co. is no different. If I hadn’t learned to lean into these adjustments, my business would not be as successful as it is, today.

I encourage you to embrace change and be open to new structures within your business! Here’s what that looked like, at my company:

I'm thrilled to share that I appeared on another episode of Ursula Mentjes' podcast, "Quantum Revenue Expansion"!

In our conversation, we unraveled the mysteries of efficient team building, delegating work to free up time for busy entrepreneurs, and how hiring virtual assistants can supercharge your business growth. Imagine no longer having a job you hate... but rather, a business you love.

No matter the size of your business, this is scary! We don’t want to even imagine what it would be like to lose access to all of our digital assets, or to have any of our sensitive information (such as credit cards) compromised in any way.

But as an online business owner who has been working full-time since 2012, I’ve learned how to minimize the risks for both myself and my clients. Here are the steps you can take.

If you find yourself spinning your wheels and barely keeping up (let alone getting ahead) it might be time to re-evaluate your time organization and set more realistic boundaries around your work output.

Remote work is here to stay, but if you’ve never managed a Virtual Assistant or virtual team, it can feel daunting! To set yourself up for a productive working relationship, make sure you have a thorough onboarding experience, use a project management system, set goals and track outcomes, meet for regular check-ins, and keep the lines of communication open.

I carved out a four-day retreat to plan initiatives and priorities for my company to execute throughout the fall. It was an incredibly productive experience, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to strategically move their business forward.