Crowdsourced Business Advice on Quora (Part 2)

Our last post introduced the concept of “crowdsourced” business advice with Quora. To recap, Quora is a site that allows users around the world to ask questions about any topic to seek real-world answers. Answers are upvoted by the community so the best responses rise to the top of the results.

As promised, we’ve curated a list of posts in Quora for your review.

There are 11,300 questions posted under the Quora topic “Small Business Advice”, and 241,000 followers. It’s a true wealth of information. There are related topics suggested that are more specific as well, such as Small Business Marketing, Entrepreneur and Startup Advice, and more.

General advice aside, there are lots of posts you can find about a simple topic such as CRM (customer relationship management) software. Do you have the need to be more organized with keeping track of customer or sales activities? There are many free or low-cost tools with which to achieve this but how to find the best one? Try Quora to get ideas.

Here is a handy list we feel will help small business owners the most:

1. What is the best way to promote a small business using the internet?

2. How do I generate B2B leads?

3. How can outsourcing help small businesses?

4. What are the most productive ways to spend time on the Internet?

5. What are the most effective and proven time management techniques?

What do you think? Have you found value from reading or writing on Quora for your small business?
 

Let us know!

Crowdsourced Business Advice: Part 1

I love Quora. It’s a great way to get sucked into just learning a bunch of things about really random topics, which I guess I could say is my hobby.

What is Quora, you ask? Here is their official description:

“Quora’s mission is to share and grow the world’s knowledge. A vast amount of the knowledge that would be valuable to many people is currently only available to a few — either locked in people’s heads, or only accessible to select groups. We want to connect the people who have knowledge to the people who need it, to bring together people with different perspectives so they can understand each other better, and to empower everyone to share their knowledge for the benefit of the rest of the world.”

And

“Quora has content you will feel good about having read. Quora helps you understand why the world works the way it does, why people behave the way they do, and what we can all do to make the world better. Quora provides a personalized feed of insightful answers to questions you hadn’t realized you should ask.”

I love this to just satisfy my own general curiosity about the world, but listen up: it has some pretty good info for you small business owners too. So, today’s random topics that I could imagine disappearing into for an hour or so are:

What habit/decision has saved you a large/huge amount of money?

Or

Who are some famous people whose careers got ruined because they are jerks?

Or

What's the best way to know what other people really think of you?

See what I mean? This post kicks off a series we are going to do highlighting “crowdsourcing” real world business advice for small businesses. Stuff like this What was the biggest mistake in your first entrepreneurship venture?

Next post: Best advice for an entrepreneur from Quora: A Curated List

Attitude of Gratitude for Entrepreneurs

This time of year it’s natural to think about gratitude. And each year we seem to talk about how we need to get better about being mindful of this every day, in life and in business.

Turns out, being grateful is also good for business. We came across a great article in Entrepreneur that listed some pretty real benefits to developing an attitude of gratitude. First, gratitude shifts your mindset. There is always something to be grateful for even when things don’t go the way want. Positive people see positive things (and we believe see positive results).

Gratitude creates solutions. Because you’re consciously choosing to focus on what you do have and not what you don’t, you’re seeing how to get out of a problem and get into a solution pretty quickly.

Finally, gratitude is contagious. Choosing to be around positive thinkers, and those able to see the big picture (and find the good in it) are the ones people want to be around (and hire).

That was definitely not the only article we found that sang the praises of how an attitude of gratitude works for entrepreneurs.

If you’re one of those people (like us) that like to take action to get into the right mindset, maybe start with a notebook next to your bed. Before you turn the lamp off, jot down 3 things for which you’re grateful. Even if it’s as simple as my I’m thankful for my favorite TV show, or the person who let me into their lane this morning - it’s progress.

Thank you for reading!

Online Reviews for Small B2B's

How Important are Online Reviews for B2B? Most of us use Yelp or Trip Advisor for reviews before we commit. Do people use these when selecting B2B firms to hire?

Harvard Business Review published an article a few months ago called “Stop Treating B2B Customers Like Digital Novices,” and it struck a chord. Most of our clients are in fact small and medium business-to-business (B2B) firms so our ears perk up when we come across such a provocative headline. 

In summary, the author admonishes B2B owners for ripping off the strategies of B2C companies when it comes to handling customer service issues. But there were a couple of facts included that we wanted to share:

• 94% of B2B buyers conduct online research before deciding on a purchase

• 97% of professional buyers believe that user-generated content, such as peer reviews and group discussion, is more credible than content provided by the company itself.

Most of our clients agree that “word of mouth” is their number one business development tool. However, we are slowly helping more of them add credibility to their digital footprint. This is done by creating content to share via social media channels that had been otherwise non-existent or very neglected.

Many times, B2B decision-makers are researching online before reaching out for a quote or consultation. That means online reviews and content matters more than what is usually assumed by B2B owners that are busy running their businesses.

HubSpot has a pretty good blog on best sites for online reviews, and makes special mention of a few we particularly agree with for small B2B firms:

• Better Business Bureau

• Glassdoor - especially for firms that hire employees

• Facebook

• Your Own Website - in the form of testimonials

Need to get a handle on what’s happening online with your brand? Don’t know where to start? Feel free to contact us to chat about how we could help!

Avoid Business Travel Headaches

In our hectic, modern work-life, does the word “business trip” conjure images of relaxing in first class with a briefcase resting on our lap or a frantic dash through terminals dragging a travel bag with a funky wheel?

Let’s face it. Frequent travel is a necessity for many professionals but usually not enjoyable.

The U.S. Travel Association reports U.S. residents logged 459 million person‑trips* for business purposes in 2015, with 37% for meetings and events, with direct spending on travel a whopping $296.3 billion.

The travel channel posted a great article listing some business travel tips, of which our top 3 are

1. Limit luggage to a carry-on. We’d recommend buying travel size toiletries a few a time so they are always on hand and ready to be placed in a ziplock right before the trip.

2. Join rewards clubs and use them. Airlines, hotels and car rental agencies almost always offer preferential treatment for their program members, which translate into savings and convenience.

3. Use technology like seatguru.com to check out the legroom situation and to predetermine your seat location and opentable.com to book restaurants in your destination city.

To further make business travel easier, especially for very frequent or complicated itineraries, consider using a travel agent or outsource your planning to Oak Tree Operations. Planning a trip and need help nailing down the details? Need to research unforgettable client-entertainment options? Just don’t have time to deal with one more thing? Contact us today to chat.

"Half Way" Point Check In

We are more than halfway through 2016. For some, that fact is welcome, for others, it means panic. The official halfway point is actually the beginning of July, but summer is in full swing at that point. It’s not till the kids are back in school that it feels real.

Fourth quarter is right around the corner and now is an excellent time to take stock of where things stand in your business.

What’s working? What’s not? The beauty of the mid-year review is that corrections that need to happen can occur to make an impact at year end.

The Toft Group posted a short article touting the benefits of pausing to take stock in mid-year. These include the obvious, from spending compared to revenue, to the slightly obscure like tapping into the energy of your corporate culture.

Our top 3 favorites include competitive and industry analysis, operations review, and employee feedback/review. Knowledge is half the battle in figuring out how to gain market share, and reviewing where you stand in contrast to your competitors is an excellent starting point.

Are your operations running smoothly or do you have balls being dropped? Is your staff wasting time on mindless administrative duties at the expense of customer relationship building? Taking a step back helps answer some of these questions objectively.

How about your employees? Are they fulfilled or frustrated to the point of a job search? Making time to check in with them regularly allows you to get ahead of any issues that could boil up during the stress of fourth quarter.

If your mid-year check shows that you’ll need help with certain tasks, contact us to discuss. We can take things off your plate to allow you to focus on your biggest goals for the rest of the year.

Trade Show Success!

Trade Show Success!

We remember when we planned our first trade show as an exhibitor. It seemed like a no-brainer. What more needed to be done besides  get the booth shipped, buy some plane tickets and be ready to collect business cards?!

Turns out, it took months of planning and much much learning. Such as, what the word drayage means, and how complicated it could get.

(From wikipedia: Drayage services are generally provided by a national trucking or shipping company or an international shipment brokerage firm. Drayage service provides for:

1. Completing inbound carrier's receiving documents;

2. Delivery of goods to the booth from the receiving dock;

3. Storage of empty crates and extra products at a warehouse on site or close by;

4. Transfer of goods from the booth to the receiving dock and loading them back onto the carrier;

5. Completing outbound carrier's shipping documents.)

We found a “short” cheat sheet of all the tasks that should be performed before exhibiting at a trade show. It includes FIFTY separate tasks such as ordering electrical service at the booth space, ordering AV equipment, ordering wastebaskets, ordering name badges and booking travel.

Although it’s time intensive and often expensive, trade shows pay off big time for lots of industries. Many of our clients at Oak Tree Operations are interested in exhibiting at trade shows but simply find it too daunting to organize with limited staff and can’t afford to hire a project management firm that specializes in trade show exhibitions. That is precisely where we can help, by offering project management on an hourly, short-term and as-needed basis. Contact us today to discuss your project!

Q&A - All About Coworking

What are “coworking” spaces? It’s really as simple as it sounds. It’s a bunch of people who go to an office space to work together, albeit as freelancers or for different companies. Each member pays a fee - daily, monthly, annually, to belong. Many spaces are open beyond normal working hours to accommodate various preferences, from the early bird party planner to the night owl programmer.

What are they NOT? They are not business incubators or business accelerators. Typically they are much more informal and welcome a wide range of freelancers and telecommuters, from writers to entrepreneurs to designers.

Why do they exist? Freelancers, frequent travellers, and remote employees who work-from-home feel disconnected and lonely. Coworking spaces solve that problem by supplying a community environment in which to work. And Harvard Business Review reports that members of coworking spaces thrive in these environments due to a sense of community, feeling that the work is more meaningful, and having more control over scheduling.

How big of a trend is this? It’s expected there will be 10,000 coworking spaces by the end of 2016. Most coworking space owners have expansion plans and report membership dramatically increasing.

It’s expensive, right? Not really. In Michigan a day pass is around $10-30, with monthly memberships from $100-300. Nationally, the average is over $500, but can be as inexpensive as $50 and up to $1000.

Need help finding the right one? Contact us, we know a lot about the local options and can help get you settled in at the right one for you.

Vacation Ghost Town

If Facebook and Instagram are to be trusted, every person you’ve ever met is in Florida right now.

For those of us left behind, is anything getting done?

We are all for vacations but this time of year can be a killer for many businesses that are in the midst of their busy season, like our client that supplies the golf course industry or our client that is wrapping up their annual customer research project.

And as we go into summer, the vacation trend will continue.

Businesses like Oak Tree are uniquely poised to cover the gaps in productivity when employees are out en masse. Need help covering something during the vacations? Contact us to get a quote on handling your projects.

Employee Perks For Small Business

We’ve worked in offices that offered perks - like access to a stocked frig with milk, soft drinks, and a pantry with cereals - and those where you had to pay for your own coffee. My own experience was that I often worked through lunch on a busy day at the office which offered the food, and that I spent as little time as possible at the office where I had to spend my own money to buy coffee.

Why do employers offer perks? What we’ve seen from our own experiences and from researching this topic, is that employers find that offering unique perks attracts the best talent, keeps that talent around longer, and creates more engaged, productive employees.

An article on Glassdoor, which gets feedback directly from employees, says that “When it comes to recruiting talent today, Glassdoor surveys show that nearly 3 in 5 (57%) people report benefits and perks being among their top considerations before accepting a job, while 4 in 5 people also say they would prefer new perks over a pay raise.”

Some of the biggest, hippest companies that need lots and lots of top performers to keep ahead of competition are the ones with truly enviable perks. Netflix offers a year of paid maternity or paternity leave to new parents. Twitter is known for providing perks such as three catered meals a day, as well as on-site acupuncture and improv classes.

For the small companies we work with, though, these are just plain out of the question. But small businesses still have plenty of options to offer. Our favorites include:

1. Telecommuting - i.e. letting employees work from home. Most employees are grateful for the ability to do this and productivity can often improve.

2. Volunteer time - offering employees paid time off or organizing a company volunteer activity where employees can come together to give back.

3. Discounts for fitness clubs - if you can’t pay for a gym membership, perhaps offering a discount to a nearby gym will encourage physical fitness.

4. Guilt-free sick or vacation time - simply creating a culture that accepts and understands that employees are human and need occasional time off for illness and vacation will give you workers that take time off when sick (and contagious!) and enjoy their well-earned time off.

What do you think? Do you appreciate employee perks? Do they make a difference in your company? We’d love your feedback!

Do You Need a Company LinkedIn Page?

You have a personal LinkedIn account, should you also have one for your business?

LinkedIn - the social network for business professionals to share their professional highlights, newsworthy updates about their careers, as well as to share relevant industry content with their network - is a very underused tool by many small business owners.

We at Oak Tree are asked this question often: do I need a LinkedIn company page even if I already have my own LinkedIn account? Our answer: why wouldn’t you?!

It’s a free tool that can be used to raise brand awareness, promote career opportunities, and educate potential customers on your products and services. It’s another place online for your website to link, which expands your digital footprint and makes you easier to find by those looking for what you sell.

According to a 2014 Power Formula survey of almost 900 LinkedIn users, 74% of LinkedIn members use it at as a tool to research people and products. 

LinkedIn appeals to more established, educated career-oriented professional - exactly the type of person valued by small B2B companies. Business Insider published a study that says 27% of 30 to 49 year olds in the U.S. use LinkedIn. 38% of college educated adults are on LinkedIn.

Bottom line? It’s quick, easy and free to set up a LinkedIn page for your business. Adding content to your page by sharing your existing blog posts, press releases, and job postings will attract more followers.

Want more? Contact us to find out how we’ve helped others go from nothing to having an active LinkedIn business page.

Don’t Make Guesses, Research First!

For small companies, making decisions about new products or services is often based on hunches and instincts. Sometimes everything is right and the hunch results in a wonderful addition to their offerings. Other times it goes down in flames.

We aren’t talking about hiring PhD’s for heavy analysis and statistical manipulation with multiple sources of data. We are talking about something much more realistic for small businesses: just making phone calls or creating short surveys to get a sense of whether anyone would use that new software you’re considering, or to determine how much that new service will be used.

We found an oldie but goodie article from Forbes on some market research basics. The best quote in that article summarizes the benefits like this: "Failure to do market research before you begin a business venture or during its operation is like driving a car from Texas to New York without a map or street signs," says William Bill of Wealth Design Group LLC in Houston. "You have know which direction to travel and how fast to go. A good market research plan indicates where and who your customers are. It will also tell you when they are most likely and willing to purchase your goods or use your services."

Here are a few areas in which we’ve helped Oak Tree Operations clients conduct some simple research:

1. Survey your current clients. Find out what they think about your company and why they have chosen to work with you. Are they satisfied? Pretty straightforward and guaranteed to enlighten you.

2. Interview your past clients. Why did they stop working with you? Would they work with you again? Again, guaranteed to provide good info.

3. Contact potential clients. In your space, who do they consider the “players?” What impressions do they have about you and your competitors?

We’ve also produced market overviews, where we’ll dig deep online and create a summary of each competitor’s offerings, approximate size, number of employees, client lists and more.

Are you considering entering a new market or adding services? If so, consider getting some questions answered before you take the leap. Spend a little time up front to potentially save yourself time and heartache later.

Need a hand? Feel free to give us a call to discuss your project!

Successfully Onboarding New Employees

Have you ever started a new job and been “thrown” into your role with no training? We have. And having to ask a co-worker you haven’t met yet where the bathroom is can be awwwwkward. On the other hand, we’ve worked for some big companies that had full new employee orientations, schedules for meeting all the managers, and check lists of onboarding goals with timeframes.

LinkedIn posted a super informative infographic on onboarding written by BambooHR. Here are a few stats that we found most interesting:

• 76% of new hires said “On the job training” is most important in the first week of a new job

• 31% of new hires have quit a job in the first 6-months (most of those were entry-level or mid-level positions) -- only 3% of upper management left that soon

• Most of those who left that early felt that Clearer Guidelines would have helped them stay

• 45% of HR estimates  ineffective onboarding costs over $10,000

Forbes posted a recent article about called How To Get Employee Onboarding Right, which states that the more support and direction you give a new employee, the happier and more productive they are - which doesn’t seem like rocket science. But for many growing firms, it’s just one more thing for which they have to make time.

According to a study the Society of Human Resource Management published, there are “4 C’s” of successful onboarding.

1. Compliance is the lowest level and includes teaching employees basic legal and policy-related rules and regulations.

2. Clarification refers to ensuring that employees understand their new jobs and all related expectations.

3. Culture is a broad category that includes providing employees with a sense of organizational norms— both formal and informal.

4. Connection refers to the vital interpersonal relationships and information networks that new employees must establish.

Do you need help setting up onboarding plans for new hires? Our background in HR and project management make us an ideal fit to help you quickly get this done. Give us a call to discuss!

Why Blog in 2016?

Have you ever gone to a company’s website, seen they have a blog, clicked on it, and there are 2 entries there? Two posts, both maybe a week or two apart, from a few years ago. Sitting there…. lonely, outdated and pointless.

Adding a blog as a section on a website is often an afterthought during a website redesign, and most companies don’t necessarily have firm plans to blog at that time. But it seems to be easy at first thought. Write a few paragraphs once a week, twice a month, maybe once a month -- sure, easy. We can all take turns and everyone will contribute. Yes, we will definitely start blogging.

But then, when the time comes to actually do it, a couple get posted -- then, crickets.

Why? A few reasons: while updating content on the website is beneficial, it is not an urgent task. It easily gets pushed to the backburner.

On the other hand, there are so many reasons to make it a bigger deal in 2016. HubSpot offers several reasons why:

1. It helps drive traffic to your website. A blog is not a 3 paragraph sales pitch - it’s a timely, relevant chunk of content that will appeal to your digital audiences - including both current and prospective new clients. So, for our B2B engineering client, topics would include industry news, recaps on trade shows, and describing the ways they solved their customers’ problems. When users search online for the topic your blog is written about, the fact that a page on your website exists about that topic makes it much more likely that searcher will find your site online.

2. Blogs can help generate leads. When the blog content page is found via online search, it is just one more page that your website visitors land on. Calls to action (like fill out this form, call us today for more information, subscribe to our email list) are ways potential customers can be nurtured into becoming actual customers. The point is, your blog encourages action.

3. It establishes authority. The fact that your business is writing about the topics that are timely and relevant to your target audience gives online searchers a great impression of who you are and what you do. Your blog will portray you as a subject matter expert, and a credible, knowledgeable solution to your customer’s problems.

4. It drives long-term results. The blog is content on your website, and once posted, can continue to deliver traffic to your site far into the future.

Maybe this is your business New Years Resolution and you know the benefits. But if this is still too daunting? Consider hiring an intern, consultant or company (like Oak Tree) to create a blog calendar, to write the blogs, post them and share them on your social media accounts.

Happy 2016!

Vacations Are Good!

What happens to your business during times of mass vacations over major holidays? Sure, there’s a skeleton crew trying to hold down the fort, but are your urgent projects stalled? Does this make you discourage or downplay employees or co-workers from taking their vacation time?

Americans as a whole seem to be loath to actually use our vacation time, and it’s a real problem. The body and mind can only handle so much work-related tension before productivity starts to take a nosedive. Stress plays a part in causing illness, both short-term and chronic.

But taking a vacation -- even a staycation -- are good for worker productivity and for the economy, according to Forbes. Beyond that, it’s simply healthier. Stress reduction, improved creativity, and increased mood are physical benefits for employees, which translates into a happier and more energized workers.

The most commonly cited reason for not taking vacations is that the workload is just too heavy to get away.

If there are urgent projects that you can outsource to help your employees get away from the office, there are plenty of resources for that help. Interns home from college, virtual assistants, temp or contract workers, or feel free to simply give us a call.

Encourage your employees to take their vacation time and come back to work ready for new challenges. Short-term it may be an inconvenience, but the long-term benefits are well worth it.

Last Minute Holiday Office Party Games

At the office holiday party, are you dreading standing around a cheese platter while Mark from Accounting tells you all about his trouble with the moles in his yard?

Yeah, we would be too.

That’s why games and planned ice-breakers are a great way to kick things off in a fun way.

Here are a few, EASY ideas that don’t need advance planning to get your partay started:

1. Guess Who Did What - Each person writes down a few interesting facts about himself on slips of paper. Slips go into a hat. Take turns going around the room pulling slips and guessing who did what. You might find out that sweet Patty from IT breeds show quality miniature ponies, and that is good stuff to know.

2. True True False - Going around the room, each person tells 3 facts, of which 2 are true, 1 of which is false. Everyone can blurt out guesses or you can take turns. Either way, it’s fun.

3. Really?! - Each person gets 2 candy canes when they walk in. They write down (either on a name tag or on a whiteboard in the room) 2 things about themselves, one is true, one plausible but untrue. As guests mingle, they guess which is true. If correct, the guesser gets a candy cane. If incorrect, they give a candy cane. Thirty to 45 minutes later, whoever has the most candy is the winner.

Happy Holidays to your crew from ours!

Surviving the Holidays!

It’s that time of year again, The Holidays are upon us! It is a time to plan parties for your employees, buy gifts and send out Holiday cards. But you obviously can’t put all your work deadlines on hold.

Oak Tree can help plan your Holiday party or dinner, purchase and wrap your employees gifts AND handwrite and send cards that need to go out to your clients. Heck, Oak Tree can even wrap all your family’s gifts as well!

Give the Holidays a personal touch, while you continue to focus on your year end deadlines. Oak Tree Operations is here to help!

Got it all figured out? Well, here are 25 ways to Fight Holiday Stress.

Happy Holidays!

Year End Data Crunch - Finish Strong!

We are now just a month and a half away from the end of 2015 - that went fast, didn’t it?

Sales quotas that need to be met for the year, revenue collection, dealing with a growing client list and the need for more employees, and the fun of closing the books for 2015, can bring real anxiety to business owners this time of year.

As many of our clients are small businesses, we wanted to reference a great Top 10 List we found to help you finish strong.
 

1. Review your policies and procedures - and prepare to adjust if needed for 2016

2. Get to know your financials

3. Think more creatively to expand your business next year

4. Add value versus discounting - this is an expensive time of year and adding a perk (gift cards, tickets to an event, etc.) to close lingering business can be strong incentive for action

5. Evaluate bad habits - it’s not too late to “be better at networking,” volunteering your time to a cause you believe in, and improving time management

6. Set realistic and achievable goals

7. Use mentors and your support team - a fresh set of eyes on a problem or to bring ideas to you can bring lasting benefits

8. Improve your digital footprint - we are firm believers that the web is extremely underutilized for many small businesses - spend some time thinking about how 2016 could be a year you pay the attention to how your website works for you

9. Show gratitude and heart - this is touchy feely but bear with us; how you serve others is who you are - something your customers and employees will appreciate

10. Commit to your own health and well-being

If you find yourself overwhelmed with year end data and could use some help with data entry, online research or project management, give us a call. We would love the opportunity to quote your project or can be available with blocks of hours devoted to your business.

Avoid Open Enrollment Headaches

For many companies, Open Enrollment is November 1st to January 31st. So what does that mean for your company? It’s a time to review / reevaluate your insurance plan and enroll in a new plan, if need be.

Abby Rosenberger wrote,in her Small Business Employee Benefits and HR Blog, 5 Tips for Small Business Owners:

1. Evaluate your current health insurance options

2. Evaluate new health insurance options

3. Know the dates

4. Take advantage of premium tax credits (See IRS info on this)

5. Communicate with and educate employees

Competitive medical benefits are a crucial part of hiring the best employees. Sure, other perks are greatly appreciated, but having great insurance makes your company more attractive to potential new hires and rewards loyal employees.

Because insurance coverage is so important, it’s now a law that everyone must carry it.  

If you need help reviewing your options, or educating your employees on the benefits offered, let Oak Tree Operations help! We have years of experience in employee relations and HR issues and are ready and available for benefits projects. Please give us a call today to discuss your project.

Don’t let Q4 get you down!→

Well Target has their Christmas ornaments out, so this can only mean fourth quarter has arrived, which for many small businesses means a crazy busy few months.

Finalizing projects, forecasting for 2016, and making that last push for closing pending deals against the ticking clock can be too much to handle on its own. Even so, thoughtful planning needs to be done to ensure future success. It’s those important but “easy to put on the back burner” items that are often overlooked this time of year.

Andrew Filev of FastCompany  wrote a short post on making sure you keep your eye on the big picture in Q4 planning. In October, he recommends setting next year’s goals. Use November to communicate those goals to all, and December should be a time of reflection to determine how to improve. Those are lofty goals for a business operator to undertake when the demands of the day-to-day business are screaming for attention.

There is a great checklist for small business owners’ to follow that includes not only strategic planning, but also high importance/low priority items like organizing mileage records, creating budgets, and planning in advance for employee and client appreciation gifts and events.

If you’re stuck with a monster to-do list and can’t add any more tasks, why not consider short-term office assistance? Data entry, competitive research, or creating fourth quarter social media posts are easy things to quickly outsource so you have time to focus on being more strategic as you wrap up your fiscal year. If this sounds helpful, feel free to give us a ring to get an estimate on your project.