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Balancing Automation With The Human Touch

On episode 15 of the Get Savvy podcast we're talking about finding the perfect balance between human touch and automation in business. With AI tools and automation technologies growing rapidly, it's crucial to figure out how to blend them seamlessly into your business.What's the Deal with Automation?Automation is all about using technology to perform tasks without needing human intervention. This includes AI tools like ChatGPT, and apps or websites like Zapier that automate processes or integrat...

Equality vs Equity in the Workplace with Cathy Sheppard

On Episode 14 of the Get Savvy Podcast, we're joined by a very special guest, Cathy from BSI People Skills. Cathy is the CEO and Founder of BSI People Skills, a leadership coaching organisation that helps businesses understand their people through the power of tools such as Everything DiSC personality profiles. With a wealth of knowledge and experience, both nationally and internationally, Cathy's expertise transcends cultural bounds, making her an expert in people and their relationships. ...

The Anatomy of a Perfect Website with Anesha Ralston

They can help identify issues with your website's functionality, user journey, and design, allowing you to make the necessary changes to improve its performance. During website audits, common mistakes that businesses make can impact the effectiveness of their website. In this blog post and podcast episode, we'll discuss some of the most common mistakes found during website audits and offer tips on how to fix them, leaving you with a perfect website! ...

5 Tips For a Successful Work-Life Blend

The term "work-life balance" has become a buzzword, but we prefer to use the term "work-life blend."  As a business owner, your work and life are not entirely separate entities, but rather, your work is just one aspect of your life.  The concept of work-life blend is all about finding a way to integrate your work and personal life in a way that reflects your love for your work and your business, while still having a life outside of work that fulfills you. Next we’ll outline five...

From Office to Online: Navigating the Pros and Cons of Remote Teams

Remote work has become a more accessible option than ever before, thanks in large part to the pandemic. This has led many businesses to consider whether to adopt a remote team or invest in leasing an office. While remote work offers businesses the opportunity to reduce overhead costs and provides employees with flexibility, it also comes with challenges such as communication, employee well-being, and monitoring employee progress. One of the major benefits of remote work is that it allows busine...

Streamline Your Workflow: A Beginner's Guide to Business Automation

By automating repetitive and mundane tasks, businesses can save time and money, reduce errors, and improve productivity. Eventually, you may even get to a point where your business is able to run without you, which is the ultimate goal for many business owners. But what does this mean for employees working in a business with automated processes? Is automation a threat to their employment? ...

BSI Culture Excellence Awards 2022

These awards recognise organisations that demonstrate excellence in developing and maintaining a positive workplace culture, and we are thrilled to be recognised as leaders in this area.We're passionate about creating a positive workplace culture that fosters creativity, collaboration, and innovation. We believe that a great workplace culture is essential for attracting and retaining great team members, and for achieving business success.Our award-winning culture is built on the foundations of o...

7 Productivity Hacks

When searching for productivity tips online, you'll find countless suggestions for doing more in your workday. However, the goal is not to cram more into your day, instead making the most of the time you have set aside for work, so you can have a fulfilling life outside of your business.In this post, we're talking about productivity hacks that can help you use your time more effectively and get more done. ...

What security questions should I ask my virtual assistant?

Have you thought about what kind of questions you need to ask your virtual assistant (VA) to ensure that your information stays secure?  Think of it like this: A virtual assistant is an external team member, essentially a type of contractor, that is being given access to important information within your business. Things like email logins, Xero access, payroll information, and maybe even contracts and confidential documents.   How do you ensure that this information stays safe fro...

Just Give A Sh!t

As a business owner or team leader, one of your most important responsibilities is creating a positive workplace culture that fosters productivity, creativity, and teamwork. But how do you do that effectively? It’s simple… Just give a shit! It’s important to make your team members feel special and valued. Take the time to listen to their needs and concerns, remember important milestones like birthdays and work anniversaries, and get to know them on a personal level. In doing so, you let y...

3 Easy Things You Can Do To Foster A Great Culture

At Strictly Savvy, we understand the importance of a great workplace culture, and we're proud to have received the Supreme Award at the BSI Culture Excellence Awards for 2022, recognising our efforts in creating a supportive and enjoyable work environment.  So, how can you create a positive workplace culture? Here's our top three tips: Make it fun! Having an outlet for fun helps keep the atmosphere relaxed and positive. We have an internal chat tool with a channel dedicated to hum...

How do I delegate my to-do list?

We hear this time and time again from people desperate to free up time in their day, but not sure where to start!  It's normal to want to hold on to the things on your to-do list.   Maybe you feel like you're the only one who can do it right, it would take too long to train someone new, or that someone else is going to take much longer to complete the task for you.   Ultimately, handing things over to a VA or team member comes down to trust, training and communication. R...

4 Signs it's Time to Hire a Virtual Assistant

More often than not it's the incremental shifts in how your business is running that add up to a feeling of overwhelm and stress. You might not have even considered that hiring a VA is an option for you.   Here's our list of signs that it's time for a VA's assistance. ...

How do you build a business that runs without you?

On this episode of Get Savvy, we’re here to give you practical advice on getting your business to the point that point that it runs without you, while being successful and profitable.   It’s important to keep in mind that this isn’t something that will happen overnight.   But there are things that you can start doing today that will propel you towards that goal faster, and that’s what we’ll be covering today in detail.   So, ask yourself the question, how ...

Get Savvy Podcast Episode #1 - The trap that business owners fall into

On this episode of Get Savvy, we're talking about the trap that we see so many business owners fall into:  Trying to be all of the things in your business.   When you first start out in business, it is all you.  You're going to do all the marketing, the sales, the delivery, the strategy, all the accounts, the admin, everything. You are all the things!  But you’re spreading yourself too thin, and that can't go on forever.  As humans, and as business owners, we canâ...

Who are the best virtual assistant companies in New Zealand?

We've rounded up the top four VA agencies that you should consider while searching for a VA. While each of these agencies will be able to help you with your admin, bookkeeping and design tasks, they all offer specialty services as well.In no particular order:...

NZ Virtual Assistant Award Winners!

We wanted to start by thanking The VA Foundry and Virtual Assistant Network New Zealand for their work to make this event happen, which brought together VAs from all over the country. We’re a tight-knit community and it was great to catch up with everyone face-to-face after COVID kept us apart last year! A huge thanks also goes out to our incredible team, who truly make Strictly Savvy what it is today. We wouldn’t be where we are without them, and the awards that we took ...

Digital Tools Equal Growth

Article written by Deb Tapp at WellingtonNZ. ...

NZ VA Awards Winners!

On Saturday 25th September the NZ VA Awards were held. These awards recognise hard-working and dedicated virtual assistants across 10 different categories.  If you have been following us on LinkedIn or Facebook, you may have seen that 2 of the Savvy team, Leanne and Teesha, were finalists for awards - and we are now so proud to announce they have both WON their categories! Leanne is the winner of the 'Top Performing VA Team Member' award, and we aren't surprised!Going above and be...

NZ Virtual Assistant Awards Finalists!

We're very excited to announce that 2 of our team members at Strictly Savvy have been selected as finalists for awards at the NZ Virtual Assistant Awards 2021.These awards are split across 10 different categories, and recognise and give kudos to virtual assistants across the country putting in the hard work for their clients, their communities, their teams and for their agencies....

Should You Do A Facebook Live In Landscape or Portrait

In this episode of 'Get Savvy with Teesha and Jo', we want to talk about whether you should film your Facebook live in landscape or in portrait mode.There's not actually a right answer to this question, you can do either for different purposes. So let's break down the purposes for each videos.So for portrait videos, these are mostly targeted at your viewers that are watching your live on their mobile phones. It is best used for instant reach to your viewers and if you also don't need the video t...

The Ride of Our Lives - For Good

By Lance Jensen On April 21st 2019, Jo and I rode into the 'The New Life Project' home in Kanchanaburi and met the kids we fundraised for...  and the best way I can sum up the whole experience is 'Life Changing'! Jo and I were part of a group of 65 riders that had spent the last 5 days biking 500km across Thailand in 42-46 degree heat -- it had been seriously challenging -- and it was all instantly forgotten the moment we saw the children's faces ♡♡♡ My little guy (Ice) barely said a...

The Benefits Of Outsourcing To A Virtual Assistant

When you hire a virtual assistant (VA), you’re not only saving on employee-related costs, but you’re also maintaining high productivity rates for your business, and ensuring continuity of service on the tasks that you’re delegating. Let’s look at some of the main benefits in more detail:...

[VIDEO] We won! Best Professional Services Business

We won! Best Professional Services Business at the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce & Industry - 2017 Wellington Region Business Excellence Awards.We won because of my exceptional and hard working team - this is absolutely because of them. My team is why I love coming to work each day. It is because of them that we're the leading virtual assistant company in New Zealand and going from strength to strength. The talent that we have on the team is remarkable. 2017 has been an incredible year for us!...

Business Excellence Awards 2015

We were lucky enough to be nominated as finalists in 3 categories in the recent Wellington Region Business Excellence Awards – 'Small Business & Professional Services'; 'Best Emerging Business'; and on an individual level, Jo was a finalist in the 'Young Businessperson of the Year' category....