This week, one of my clients showed me a spreadsheet of radio stations he wanted to send his album to – more specifically, U.S. stations that have Jazz Programs. He told me that he got the spreadsheet built by someone on Elance. My job was to comb through and pick out the top 50 (there were something like 200 found) so that we could start mailing out his new release.
 
I was excited to tackle the research he received, but after a few searches, I realized that this spreadsheet was not going to help us at all. Unfortunately, we realized that most of these stations didn’t have Jazz programs, were not even radio stations in the United States or worst case, weren’t even radio stations! On top of It was disappointing to know that my client paid for a service that ultimately will not help us. I’m still combing through as there have been a couple that will be beneficial to reach out, but for the most part, we’re going to have to start from scratch.
 
I’m not sure what happened or why the results were this horrific, but it got me thinking of ways how this could have been avoided. I understand that it’s not simple to find freelancers or a virtual assistant who understands what you are trying to do as a musician – most of the VA’s are trained as if they were working strictly for small businesses or offices, so understanding that you need a Jazz program with a local radio station is not going to translate when you ask for Top U.S. Jazz Stations. It was clear the freelancer just wanted to send a lot of results to be impressive. A classic quantity versus quality.
 
So how could my client’s dollar have gone farther to get the results he needed the first time? Here are some ways to give clear direction when asking a freelancer or virtual assistant to complete a research task.
 
1) Walk them through the steps – yes, this takes time, but it will save you the headache later. Brief them on what your goal is with this task and what you need to make decisions to reach that goal. Either jump on the phone (best) or show a video via Jing, or type up a paragraph explaining it all. For example, “I want to get my album into people’s hands who have a Jazz program on the radio, online and offline. Let’s get the name of the program, website, who runs it and their contact info – phone, address, email.”
 
2) Ask them if they have any questions – Give them the opportunity to ask questions about the research task. Almost every time I receive a research task, I ask questions or recap to ensure that once I start, I know what I’m looking for.
 
3) Offer examples if you can – If you have past examples of what you need, it’s always good to share. It’ll be easier and faster for them to deliver the results you want.
 
4) Ask them to do some of the task for your to review before moving forward – Especially for research on contacts, you can ask them to search for a few and then you review to make sure you have the information you need and that they understand the task. Once you approve, they can take it away and complete the task with confidence.
 
5) Hold them accountable – If you receive the research and something is incorrect or you wanted it delivered a different way, the first time this happens is the best time to let them know. This way, they can learn what your preferences are and you’re happier with the results.
 
Thankfully I got a hold of the spreadsheet from my client before he started sending his Jazz album to talk shows or shows in Puerto Rico! We’re taking direction by finding local stations first, and then building a list from there to help get his album into the DJ’s hands.
 
Have you ever had a horror story with a freelancer? Did you ever have trouble voicing or giving direction on a task you needed done? Did this help? I’d love to hear from you.
 
Thank you for reading and have a great weekend.
 
Cheers!

Originally written for guest post on Growth Group.
 
How is your summer going? It is hot, hot, hot in Florida, so for the most part I’m inside in the cool AC. This Sunday is Father’s Day, and while I cannot be with my dad this weekend, I’ll be hanging out with my boyfriend’s family and we’ll probably spend they day on the beach to soak in the sun! But before all the fun, let’s talk about something we all really want: staying within a budget.
 
I think we can all agree that saving money wherever you can is a good thing to do. But with the ongoing push and grind moving forward in your career, it can be hard to stop and take the time to analyze where you’re money is going and where you can save. Maybe you signed up for a music profile on SonicBids, which charges a membership fee, only to realize you only use it one month out of the year for their exclusive CMJ showcase submission. Or, you have been using the same web host services only to realize you could be saving hundreds if you switched to a newer company.
 
I get it, as an independent musician you’re not only trying to improve your craft and skill, you’re also running and managing your own career and business. It’s not easy to always keep your eyes open and you don’t always have the time to analyze every small purchase, membership sign up or investment you make.
 
That’s when someone on your team can take the time to analyze your spending or take the time to find the best price to ensure your money is well spent, therefore keeping you in budget.
 
Here are 5 ways an assistant can easily start helping you stay within budget:
 
Find the best travel deals. An assistant can research the lowest costing travel options for your next tour. Using sites like Kayak, Priceline, Groupon, Trivago and more, they can scout out the best deal for you, comparing costs of flying vs. driving, or with Priceline, bid to get the best daily rate for a rental – which you can usually get at 40% off the advertised price. After they do all the research, you’ll just have to choose the best option for you.
 
Remind you of deadlines. Most contests, conventions, events, and masterclasses offer early bird pricing for signing up earlier than everyone else. If there is a conference you know you don’t want to miss, an assistant can find out when those early bird deadlines are and set reminders for you to sign up, which can potentially save you hundreds of dollars.
 
Monitor and manage your bills. Bills constantly come in and it can get overwhelming to keep track of which ones have been paid, which ones haven’t and when they are due. An assistant can step in and set up automatic payments, enroll in paperless billing, or schedule withdrawal dates, saving you time and the energy in dealing with your credit card company, internet company, cable company, and so on.
 
Dispute erroneous or late charges. Instead of spending 30 frustrating minutes on hold, delegate the task to your assistant to argue against late or erroneous charges. Make sure they have all the account information questions so they can get through securely, or ask your assistant do call in at a certain time you are available in case they need to get in touch with you for a few seconds to verify that your assistant can have access to your account, especially with phone bills or bank accounts, including Paypal.
 
Eliminate or reduce business expenses. There are a lot of sites you can sign up on to host your website, run your online store, distribute your music, and even manage your team, and all of them come with a price tag. An assistant can research the ones you’re considering so you can make the best choice for your needs. For example, one of my clients was looking to leave her digital music distributor, and in my research I was able to find DistroKid, who does online distribution for the lowest monthly fee I could find with similar, if not faster results, and is, get this, endorsed by founders of Tunecore and CDBaby, two of the top online distribution channels for independent artists. Being able to save those dollars each month can add up to $100s or $1000s in a year, and is definitely better spent on my client’s next album.
 
These five ways are a great place to start if you’re just beginning to delegate tasks to an assistant which will save you money, energy and your valuable time.
 
Saving those hours spent on the hassling and energy-eating things to do in order to make sure your money is being well spent will instantly open up your day to focus on where your focus should be, making music.
 
Happy Father’s Day tomorrow to all fathers out there, and cheers to a recharging weekend,

March is here and I couldn’t be happier – it’s my favorite month! I’ll admit, I’m a bit biased since my birthday is in March. Can you blame me? 😉

As you know, in my emails to you I like to share stories and experiences working with musicians, as well as my tips and tools I personally use to help save time and money for my clients. The tasks I’m doing for my clients are probably very predictable to you by now; I’m creating graphics, scheduling social media posts, drafting newsletters, organizing documents…but every now and again, I get a response from my clients saying, “Wait, you can help me with that”?

Yes, there are some unconventional tasks that maybe you didn’t think of before to delegate (but you can!) that might lead you to get online and post a job offer for a Virtual Assistant.

Here are some tasks you might have not thought of to delegate before to your VA! And I know, I’ve done them all!

1. Dispute charges on a bill or invoice – Have you ever gotten an invoice that you felt was incorrect or not sure why you received it in the first place? Save the headache of being on the phone and on hold and have your VA contact them to find out the information you need to know. Most of the time, as long as they disclaim that they are your assistant and have the information from the invoice in front of them, they can find out why charges were made. Note, sometimes it does require you to be the person on the phone as your assistant is probably not a verified user.
2. Set up new accounts – online and off  – When I first started working with one of my clients, she admitted to hating to have to create a profile online or start an account online, which had to happen for her to apply to gigs or complete certain goals. It was overwhelming for her to keep signing up for more accounts and then manage and maintain them. Well, when we started working together, she was then able to pass off that task to me and not stress about another account to sign up for.

3. Personal purchases – Need some flowers sent to a friend but your schedule is nonstop on the road? Struggling with gift ideas for a friend? Your assistant can spend the time coming up with ideas and even place the order for you.

4. Receive mail for you – This is something I actually do frequently for my clients. One in particular travels a lot, almost every weekend, so sometimes we direct important documents being mailed to him to be sent to me since I am in my office every day. It ensures that things were sent and if needed, can be stored safely, instead of him wondering if it made it to his mailbox.

5. Something else? Just ask. – Almost every week I’m doing something new that I hadn’t done before for my clients, from mixing audio before submitting to a licensing company, or calling up a health insurance company to explain their benefits. If there’s something you need done and you don’t have the time or just don’t want to do it, ask your assistant to take on the task.

Every VA is different in what services they are willing and able to do, but you don’t know if you don’t ask. Bottom line, their role being there to support you in your business and your life, most tasks you will ask of them is to be expected.

Let them help you take time off of your hands to do less what of you don’t want to do and more of what you need and want to do for your career.

Cheers to delegation!

These past few weeks were a force to reckon with…let me just begin with this…Have you ever agreed to do a show without any sort of written agreement? DON’T. Do not ever think you don’t need one.
 
Yes, I’ll admit, most gigs go by without a hiccup. You agree to terms, you show up, and you get a check handed to you right away. Everyone is happy. However, what if you finish your job and have a great, exciting performance, realize when you get home miles away, after the fact, that you were never handed your check?
 
Believe it, it happens to some of the top musicians in the industry. I’ve seen it. I’m still seeing it, and particularly this month I experienced a horrifying situation.
 
A performance was agreed upon in good faith with a long time colleague of my client. They had done programs like this together before and worked together for years so there was much trust built. All positive. My client wrote an email with all the terms to substitute for a full-on agreement, as no one felt it wasn’t necessary (It might be relevant for me to tell you now that no payment terms were given in this email.)
 
The concert came, went absolutely wonderful. They sold many tickets and my client had a great visit. His colleague helped every step of the way to make it a great performance.
 
After the event, my client didn’t receive the check. Why? OH, the venue has to process the payment first and then he can get paid, said my client’s friend.
 
After a month, payment wasn’t still received.
 
Another week went by, and that’s when I was asked to step in and ask my client’s colleague about why payment taking so long. He responded to me, explaining that unfortunately, he wouldn’t be able to pay for another 2 months, that it was just a crazy time, that it was the soonest he could, that he still had to process the payment from the venue….get a sense of what’s happening here?
 

 
It made me and my client clinch, but we now had it in writing when payment would be made. Also, again considering the relationship, a little shaken but still strong, my client agreed to waiting.
 
Then, the new deadline was approaching, and there was no word, nothing, nada. After me having to reaching out again, he says as if there is no issue at all, “Of course, I will send the check! Right away! Yes!”
 
I was optimistic – finally, a sign that he will send the payment! My job was done, I thought. If only I had remembered who we were dealing with….Another 2 weeks went by, and no payment was seen.
 
After harassing him on the phone, email, AND Facebook, demanding him to overnight the payment right away, he finally responded, and said the best he could do was send HALF of the payment. I requested that he document the receipts so I knew I could trust that he sent it. I felt silly doing it, but it was the only way I could ensure that he would actually send it. I’m going to have to do it again when he is able to pay the second half next week.
 
As my client and I are discussing our frustrations, it’s clear that we are both thinking that we wish that even the simplest of terms, especially including when payment was due, were agreed to in writing. Even the most seemingly trusting people out there can easily screw you over! And the worst part about it is that it’s completely preventable.
 
Sometimes the biggest mistakes and negative situations can be a great blessing in disguise. Let this story be a lesson for any performance, big or small, have a written agreement on file. It protects everyone and avoids confusion and frustration. Most importantly, it avoids valuable time wasted on chasing payments and the energy spent doing so.
 
So, with your next concert or gig, draft up an agreement with all the terms laid out, including when and how you’ll get paid for your services, and ask the presenter to sign it. If an agreement feels too formal, put it in an email and ask them to say they received and agree. Simple as that, and you can go to bed that night knowing you are protecting yourself a little better. A small, forward step to improving your business. Trust me, you’ll be saving hours and hours of energy and follow up afterwards when things don’t go smoothly.
 
As always, have a wonderful rest of your weekend and see you next time.