Berry Juice is here! If you are thirsty (see what I did there!) for all things awesome, informative and sometimes funny, albeit slightly silly, then welcome to Berry Juice. Wow! As I sit here putting together this first edition of Berry Juice, it hit me just how far we have come since the idea of StaffBerry itself was created. Its beginnings seems like a distant memory yet it also seems like we have just begun… StaffBerry started with a simple idea… To assist small to medium size businesses increase profitability. Firstly, I would to start by thanking YOU! Yes YOU! Without your belief and trust in StaffBerry, we would never be where we are today and certainly would not be looking at the exciting future assisting many more businesses in the future. So now that you have already got an amazing StaffBerry Assistant, we really wanted to continue support you and your team. We wanted a forum that we could share some cool tips and information with you as well as a laugh! AND so Berry Juice was born! In this first edition, you will find a super cool article written by StaffBerry CEO, Simon Bell. I am sure you will find this very informative and insightful. Simon shares some tips on managing your StaffBerry Assistant and some ideas on how to continue to grow your relationship with them. I have also included a profile on our AMAZING Head of Recruitment, DJ! I know you have all spoke to DJ but I am sure this will give you more of an insight into our superstar recruiter! Until we chat again soon, stay awesome! – Jess
BerryGood Business Tip - Winning in business with your StaffBerry Assistant. Lesson #1 - Build a REAL Relationship. In the early days of hiring a ‘virtual assistant’ (about 7 years ago) I made what I now know to be a cardinal mistake of outsourcing… relating to my assistant like a ‘cost effective resource’, rather than a valued part of the team. As a result I built a transactional relationship with an assistant who was great at following instructions… and well, that’s about it. Now, you maybe reading this and thinking, don’t we want someone who can follow instructions? Well… YES. However let me ask you this; How would you prefer someone on your team to relate to your business? A. It’s just a job and do only what’s required of them. OR B. They take ownership of their position within your company, go extra mile and are proactively in the business. If you haven’t been around business very long, or this is the first time you’ve had to manage other people the CORRECT answer is ‘B’… everyday of the week! So, how do you build a REAL relationship with your StaffBerry Assistant? Here are 3 super simple steps.
1) Say good morning and good afternoon: This sounds so obvious, but the amount of time’s I’ve hear clients tell me they don’t speak to their assistant some day makes me CRINGE!! It take 30 seconds on Skype to check in and say “Good morning”, “How was your evening?” and again in the evening… “Thanks for a great day today” Have a good night” (BTW… This no different to your Australian staff) Do this everyday.
2) Use video: Actually seeing your assistants face and them seeing yours, will make your relationship ‘REAL’. You’ll notice we avoid using the term “Virtual” and refer to our assistant as StaffBerry Assistants. This is not only for branding reason… It’s because the term Virtual alludes to something that is not real. Your StaffBerry Assistant is a REAL person, that if utilised effectively will make a REAL difference to you and your business. So use video to remind yourself of this fact.
Insider Tip: Family is the most valued aspect in Filipino culture, so get interested. If you’re super committed, learn a little Tagalog, the language spoken in Manila and the central and southern parts of Luzon. Get to know your friendly Google Translator. (Click Here) Salamat = Thank you.
So, if you are committed to REALLY experiencing the most value from 3) Be interested, not just your StaffBerry assistant, build a REAL interesting: relationship with them, you may be Get to know your StaffBerry Assistant. Ask surprised by the results. about their family, hobbies and interests – Simon. and share a bit about yours.
DJ Spotlight on our Recruitment Whiz/ Crazed Gamer/Mum & Wife
What is StaffBerry to you and what is your role? I am the Head of Recruitment and StaffBerry is my second home. What I love most about my job is the sense of family around our workplace. The work is hard, no doubt but our company truly values people on a personal level, which makes the hardest days just as great.
If you were doing something other than your role at StaffBerry, what would it be? Spending time with my two kids at day and a World of Warcraft player at night.
What excites you so much that it keep you awake the night before? First of all, coffee owns me, so I blame it. It is my dreams that keep me awake at night! This happens to me every time I set new goals. I get so excited about the possibilities that lie ahead that they keep me awake. I am in an organisation that is changing lives daily and taking on a new challenge to make StaffBerry the best company for all Filipino freelancers to a level that I HAVE to BELIEVE that I can ACHIEVE 100% in order to MAKE IT HAPPEN! I’m excited and terrified about all of these things at the same time. These are things I am PASSIONATE about and I can VISUALISE them all coming true and there is NOTHING more exciting than THAT!
What is your favourite thing to do on a weekend? Just spending time with the kids. Exploring new places, movie marathons, swimming and maybe some alone time with my husband who also happens to be a gamer. :)
If you could invite 5 people to dinner who would they be? 1. Dalai Lama. I am inspired by his personal philosophy and think he would be a wonderful person to listen to. 2. Pope Francis. He is a genuinely compassionate man and has a wonderful attitude towards life. As a devoted Catholic, I think he would have a ton of interesting insights about modern day issues. 3. George St. Pierre. I am a big UFC fan and he is my ultimate UFC crush. I used to call him my ex-husband. Hahaha 4. “Jon Snow� - Game of Thrones character. 5. My husband. To prove that I had dinner with these people.