"Keeping your business on the right road to success": Online Virtual Office Solutions

A Survey that got me thinking! @VAnetworking

Filed Under : Business,Online business,VA success,VAnetworking,Virtual Assistant,Work from home by admin

Sep.1,2010

I was just taking a survey with VAnetworking, and I got to a question that asked “If you’re a Virtual Assistant who has been in business for at least one year, please tell us what worked or what didn’t work for you in learning and growing your business.”

As I began typing my answer, I realized just how much further I had come than I thought I did. I had the experience and the knowledge, but was not real sure on how to implement it and put it all together.

I started my business in July and in September after 2 months of struggling I joined VAnetworking. What a blessing, I got the answers I need at the time and this definitely took some of the stress off. I spent hours on the computer, looking at marketing strategies, gosh and so much more.

I can relate part of my success to VA networking, as I received so much information and by asking questions and continued reading I found how to organize my office, begin moving in the right direction and most important take care of me.

If you are thinking of becoming, or are new virtual assistant, do not hesitate to join a networking group, ask questions and never settle, you can succeed in anything you do, and sometimes it takes outside support and constructive criticism to get you there.

Join VAnetworking and take their virtual assistant survey, help improve the VA industry. Find it here. http://www.vanetworking.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=21088

Technorati Tags: Virtual success,VAnetworking,forum,virtual business,surveys

Tags : VA success, VAnetworking, Virtual Assistant, virtual assistant networking

What are some Creative ways that you have Marketed your Virtual Business?

Filed Under : Business,Creativity,DS Creative Touches,Ebook,VAnetworking,marketing by admin

Aug.25,2010

Creative ways that you have marketed your VA business?

I was at my twins school open house last night and the 4th grade teachers were asking if anyone had any fund-raising ideas. Well I do not have any fundraiser ideas, but thanks to the help of my twins on the way home, here is what they suggested.

"We could do a lemonade stand, bake sale etc." I told them unless it entailed something that was not so time consuming I would have to think of something else. So the suggestion came that I donate the ebooks I had created to the school for them to sale, and the proceeds go to the fundraiser and I have my information put in them in the back in an about me section. My mom drew the sketches and then I put everything together into a coloring and activity book for a boy and a girl. That it helps me, helps my kids school and I get my name out their with literally no virtual effort.

DS Creative Touches is the fun side of my virtual business, and I think my kids favorite part of my business. Its where I include them in everything I do, after all they are the reason I began this section as well.

One thing I have definitely learned is to take the time and listen to what your kids have to say, because you never know what marketing strategy may come of it. Some other ways I learned some marketing strategies came from VAnetworking.com so make sure you check them out as well and become a VAinsider to find the strategy that fits you.

So what have your creative marketing strategies been? Feel free to comment I would love to hear what great ideas you have had.

Tags : Business, creative ways to market, DS Creative Touches, ebooks, marketing strategy, VAnetworking

Speak to your Audience with Markety!

Filed Under : Online business,VA Networking,Virtual Assistant,marketing by admin

Aug.14,2010

Another great article from the article directory at VAnetworking.com. This article and the information you can gain from being a member of VAnetworking in building your Virtual Business.

Do your marketing materials speak to your audience? Will it peak their interest to find out more?

Marketing can be a mysterious and elusive concept for a lot of entrepreneurs. It easily gets confused with sales and often has resistance associated with it because of that. People often aren’t sure what they need to do to effectively market their business. In this edition of the Ask the Master newsletter we will examine marketing and try to demystify it.

What is marketing?

Marketing is the process of deciding what you will sell, how many, to whom and what the product or service will look like. It is getting clear on the benefits, features, and value that the client receives and matching it with what the market wants. Advertising, promoting and selling your product or service are all part of marketing but not marketing as a whole. Another important piece of marketing is building relationships.
What do I need to know to be able to market my business?

You need to know and be able to share what it is that you offer. You need to be able to describe what it is, what it does, how it is unique, what’s included in the service, what happens, specifically, when a client uses it, what the benefits are, and what is the value they receive. Get really clear on all these areas and be able to articulate them in your sleep.
What should I use to do my marketing?

As mentioned above advertising and promoting your business are part of the marketing process. There are several ways you can promote and advertise your business.Your business card. Always carry them and make them readily available to potential clients in a variety of locations. Ask other businesses your potential clients may use if you can leave some at their location. At networking events bring a stand to display them if available.A brochure. You can pack quite a bit of information into a brochure just don’t overdue it! Make sure you leave some white space and it doesn’t look like a novel to read. Bring these to networking events, trade shows, conferences, workshops etc.A flyer. One page that says it all very succinctly. Once again make sure there is white space along with a hook or attention getter right at the top, something that will pull them in to find out more.Your web site. Make sure your web site address is on all your marketing materials and that all the pages are working properly. Make it interactive or give something away. Speak directly to your potential clients.There are many other ways to market your business so be creative (pens, mouse pads, note pads, magnets etc). Make sure that you are always branding your company identity and that your target market will connect with the information.
How do I market my business?

This is where building relationships and providing value are so important. You can do all the advertising and promoting you like but when it comes right down to it your relationships and the value they provide will be what will make the sale. In order to build any relationship you need to find out who the person is, who they want to become, what they are facing, what are the challenges, what they don’t have or what is missing, what they need most right now, and what they value. You can then offer support and/or solutions that fit the client and begin building trust and the relationship. When you make it about the client this makes you very attractive to them and they immediately see the value of the relationship. Offer complimentary sessions or discount services for people to be able to try your services. There is no better way to demonstrate value. Ask potential clients what would be of value to them, it won’t necessarily mean you have to offer more, quite often less is better.
How do I know it is working?

Any marketing initiative should be measurable. In order to determine what is and is not working for your business find out how people heard about you. Keep track of web site statistics, business cards, brochures or flyers given out at an event. The only way you will know is by finding out.

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Mary-Lou Ashon successfully launched her Virtual Assistant company in 1997 and holds expertise in organizing information, creation and implementation of administrative procedures and marketing. She has proven that dedication, communication, loyalty and a flare for marketing are keys to developing successful client relationships. Mary-Lou has a keen desire to promote awareness of VAs as a career option both internationally and at home in Canada and has developed a cost effective, convenient and high quality training program which you can locate at http://vatp.ca/.

Tags : Branding, business visibility, marketing, potential clients, VAnetworking, virtual business

Giving you a Reason to go Virtual!

Filed Under : Business,Business Startups,Coaching,VA success,VAnetworking,Virtual Assistant,Work from home by admin

Aug.13,2010

A brief message from Craig Cannings on Virtual Event Services

through my networking and the gals I get great information from from VAnetworking.com I think this information on “How to become a Virtual Event Specialist” should be a must have on all Virtual Assistants agenda. VAclassroom partnered with VAnetworking and others can open unlimited possibilities.

Tags : VA success, vaclassroom, VAnetworking, Virtual Assistant, virtual event specialist

How are you getting the word out? Branding yourself!

Filed Under : Branding,Business,Online business,VAnetworking,Virtual Assistant by admin

Jul.26,2010

Using a marketing campaign assists in getting all types of clients. Using the right marketing campaign will assist in getting the right clients for your business.

There is a variety of ways to market your business and we will discuss a few of those. Remember, though, marketing techniques that someone uses to target Real Estate businesses may not work for someone who is targeting individuals in construction — the old saying “What works for one may not work for someone else”.

So, let’s look at some marketing techniques that you might think about using:

Press Releases
If you are starting a new business, planning an event, having a seminar, or anything that you think is newsworthy, write a press release about it. Not only does a press release get the information out about your announcement, your business name gets out there too.

Depending on your target market, you can send your press release to local newspapers or go online and submit it to specific geographical areas or internationally. There are a number of free press release sites online that you can submit to.

Internet
Market your business online by getting a Website. The cost for a domain name and a host is not a huge investment considering the advantages. You can also have a very simple site made at a very low cost too. If you have products that you are selling, add pictures of them to your site so that your target market can actually see them. At the very least your Website can act as an on-line brochure that you can direct your target market to.

Direct Mail
Direct mail can be a little costly as a marketing tool, but it can also be a very effective tool. Sending a personalized introduction letter, and maybe adding a small token, can get potential clients to remember you and your business. Just remember a very important rule of direct mailing is to give people a “call to action” or reason to keep your mailing and follow up with you.

Answering Machine Messages
Even though you may not be able to answer your phone, potential clients are still going to call you. Leave a message promoting your products or services or giving them a reason to actually leave a message.

Business Cards
Whoever you know or meet, hand them a business card. No! Hand them two business cards — one for them and one to give to someone they know. If you hand two business cards to 25 people, you now have 50 business cards out there marketing for you.

Referral Rewards
If someone refers your business to someone and they become a client, offer the referrer a reward. It can be a flat dollar amount, a percentage from an invoice, a gift certificate, or maybe you offer them a certain number of hours free of your services. People are more likely to promote you and your business if there is something in it for you.

License Plates
Next time you order plates for your vehicle, why not do something catchy? For example, I could get a plate that says “ABLE-VA” for my Virtual Assistant business. You never know what you can come up with that people might remember.

Some other examples of marketing techniques would be:
- advertising in the yellow pages
- having a booth at a trade show
- advertising in the newspaper
- a sign on your vehicle
- cd-rom business cards with a presentation on the cd about your business
- and so many more!

Make sure that you also find a way to track your marketing efforts so that you know where your dollars are being best spent. Just don’t overextend yourself — one good marketing campaign is better than several mediocre ones.

I joined VAnetworking.com and value the information that I have recieved from them. The Proactive VA series that I have been able to attend with Yvonne and Tawnya has helped me realize much more about my business and what I need to do to make it more successful. This blog just shows what great information you can gain from VAnetworking and Yvonne Weld, be sure to check them out. www.vanetworking.com

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Yvonne Weld is the owner of ABLE Virtual Assistant Services and offers administrative and bookkeeping support to busy solopreneurs. She is also the author of The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Thriving Business and Managing Your Thriving Business for Success. For more information and for your free downloads, visit her Web site at http://www.yvonneweld.com

Tags : Business, increase, marketing, Successful, VAnetworking, virtual assistant business, virtual success

Know the Basics to SEO!

Filed Under : Business,How to,SEO,Search Engine Optimization,content by admin

Jul.25,2010

Basics & Benefits of SEO

Search Engine Optimization (or SEO) can either be made very complex and hard to understand or very easy to comprehend. We’ll work on making it easy in this report.

To sum up SEO in one sentence, it simply means getting your website(s) in favor with the search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo so they can send you lots of free traffic and then keeping your website(s) there!

First, let’s start with what exactly Search Engine traffic means. While this course is not intended to be a complete guide to SEO by any means, we’ll quickly cover a bit of the basics to make sure that you do understand them.

Here is a screen shot from Google when I typed in “mom web hosting” on my computer.

I’ve marked the Paid listings with black arrows, and I’ve marked the free “SEO” listings with a red arrow.

To get your website listed where the black arrows are, you must sign up with the Google Adwords program which is set up as a paid advertising program and that’s an entirely different course. You trade cash for clicks, basically.

But, we’ll be talking about the red area – which is FREE. I’ll bet you can imagine that MomWebs.com, which has the first position in Google for “mom web hosting”, is working very hard to keep that spot. Free traffic is a good thing.

As I mentioned, Search Engine Optimization can be made very complex or very simple. In order to get traffic from the search engines, you’ll need to focus on two things:

Making sure that your website is very clearly telling the Search Engines what it’s about.
Making sure other people are talking about your website, too.

The first is called “on-site” factors and includes things like having posts that are relevant to your topic, having lots of great related content, and making sure your titles and images are named using words that will help Google to figure out what your website is about. We’ll talk about that more in a bit. It obviously gets more complex than that, but look at it like a game of 20 questions. Make sure Google, Bing, and Yahoo only have to ask a few before figuring out what you’re about. If they’re confused at all, no dice.

The second is called “Off-site” factors and is all about getting other websites to link to your website. This is the more important of the two, so focus 90% of your efforts on this. You’ll want to work on anything that can get you links.

For instance -

Article marketing
Blog commenting
Guest blogging
Squidoo marketing
Twitter & Facebook marketing
Stumble Upon marketing
Video marketing
Press release marketing
Forum marketing

Anywhere you can get links to your website from quality related websites, just do it.

Again, I could write a dissertation on getting links, but we’re just covering the basics in this intro, so keep reading for how NOT to do things and we’ll refer you to some resources where you can find out more info about the most efficient, effective ways to boost your Search Engine traffic, including getting links.

On that note, let’s get started, to get more information as helpful as this visit: ” Virtual Assistants steps to SEO Success”

Tags : basics of seo, benefits of seo, Search Engine Optimization, SEO

YouTube Video Viewing Hits All-Time High in May : MarketingProfs

Filed Under : Business,Internet marketing,Online business,marketing by admin

Jul.17,2010

YouTube Video Viewing Hits All-Time High in May : MarketingProfs.

How to Ruin Your Brand, Your Business, and Your Career: The 13 Worst Marketing Mistakes, Part 2 : MarketingProfs

Filed Under : Business,How to,Internet marketing,content,marketing by admin

How to Ruin Your Brand, Your Business, and Your Career: The 13 Worst Marketing Mistakes, Part 2 : MarketingProfs.

Tags : Branding

10 ways a Virtual Assistant Can Revolutionize your Business

Filed Under : Business,Online business,VA success,VAnetworking,Virtual Assistant,content,outsourcing by admin

Jul.15,2010

10 Ways a Virtual Assistant (VA) Can REVOLUTIONIZE Your Business
By VAnetworking member Diana Ennen

For those of you who are still in the dark, a Virtual Assistant, or VA, is an executive level, administrative professional who works from his/her own office to support clients using some of the latest available technology. The Internet has brought many skilled professionals out of the corporate environment and back into their homes, enabling them to create a better work-life balance, while still performing in the roles they love. The VA is one such professional. Working from their home-based offices and making use of the Internet, telephone, fax and email, VAs are able to offer small and medium-sized businesses a quality of administrative support, previously only available to the corporate giants, in a cost-effective manner.

A Virtual Assistant’s service offering may vary, but you are guaranteed to find one out there who is able to perform the exact functions your business needs. You will find that hiring a VA will REVOLUTIONIZE your business.

1. A VA brings invaluable work experience and training to the table. You may even find that they will teach you a trick or two. Be it software, hardware or grammar, you can be sure that your VA knows his/her stuff!
2. Because VAs run a business themselves, they have a unique understanding of what your needs as a small business owner are. They will be able to assist and advise you on matters pertaining to Marketing, Branding, Web Design and e-Commerce. What avenues of advancement have you not yet explored with your business? Are you sure that you have all your bases covered? Your VA can help.
3. Get organized. If you attend conferences and AGMs I’ll bet you have a ton of business cards cluttering up your desk. Let your VA scan and enter them into a database for you. Future mail campaigns will be a breeze with a ready-made contact list all neatly stored on a CD.
4. Is there a special project boiling over on the back-burner that you’ve been wanting to do? Your VA can help with research, planning and coordination, leaving you free to continue your focus on your core-business function.
5. If you’re too busy to remember important dates, anniversaries and meetings, your VA, with a tailored reminder service, can assist. From ordering flowers for your mother, to sending a thank you note to a client and even arranging gift baskets for investor, they aim to please.
6. Conceptualizing marketing items can be agonizing if you don’t have the know-how, equipment or creative flair. Most VAs have a wide range of software packages at their finger-tips, as well as experience in creating flyers, brochures and business cards for their own company’s. Put your ideas to your VA, they will dazzle you with the results.
7. Planning a much-needed break with your family? Let your VA take care of the details; flights, car hire, accommodation, even a list of “must-see” places of interest. Your VA can handle it all, down to the very last detail.
8. If you’re on the road a lot, chances are your cell-phone is often out of signal range and there is no one in your office to take a message should that all-important client call. With the call answering service provided by many VAs, you can divert your calls and rest assured that your client will receive the personal touch rather than dealing with an annoying automated answering device. Your messages will be passed on to you in order of importance and you won’t need to sort through lengthy messages on voicemail.
9. Conferences and networking functions can take a lot out of a small business owner. It is imperative that you attend and make a dazzling show of it, but in order to do so, you have to neglect existing clients. This will no longer be a problem with a VA. They can handle all your conferencing arrangements; table-hire, banner design and creation, even gift bags for client samples. It’s that easy!
10. If you have a lot of correspondence, and you’re a bit of a “keyboard klutz”, your VA can help. Many VAs offer a fully digitized transcription service. Simply record your memos/letters onto your computer and email them to your VA, s/he will have it neatly typed and ready for mailing in no time! Other VAs may provide dictated typing as a service, so that urgent e-mail is just a phone-call away.

Now that you’ve heard all that a VA can do, where can you find one? That’s easy. The Virtual Assistant Networking Association at http://www.vanetworking.com is an invaluable resource when looking to partner with a VA. With 6,500+ professional VA members you are certain to find exactly the service you are looking for. According to Tawnya Sutherland, founder of VAnetworking, and author of the Virtual Business Startup System states, “Our forum is leading the way in revolutionizing the VA industry by offering expert advice to VAs on how to be the best VA they can be. That’s why partnering with one of our VAs can help your business grow and operate on a more proficient level. Our team of VAs are varied with different skill sets and different visions for their business. That’s why teaming up with a VAnetworking Virtual Assistant can give your business all the support it needs.”

So if you’re looking for a VA or want to start a virtual assistant business, now is the time to stop by VAnetworking and see everything they have to offer.

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*Source: Virtual Assistant Networking Association
The ever popular, friendly, informative, educational & resourceful network for successful and aspiring "IN THE KNOW" Virtual Assistants and Achievers globally that everyone online is talking about.

Tags : Diana Ennen, VA industry, VAnetworking, virtual assistant networking, virtual business, virtual world publishing

Making, Saving and Managing!

Filed Under : Budgeting,Business Startups,Organize,content,financial success,make money,marketing by admin

Jul.12,2010

Saving, Making, and Managing Money: What’s In It for You?

Do you dream about financial independence, but struggle to believe that it’s actually possible for you? Are the bills piling up in your household? Do you fear the financial obligations that come with the next thing to go wrong in your home?

Thankfully, there is hope.

According to USA Today, nearly 2/3 of Americans are in debt. Of those, nearly half have stopped paying one or more of their credit cards. Yet the situation is far from an impossible one to overcome.

You can achieve the financial independence you deserve if you know the right choices to make and you’re willing to believe that you can do it!

When you get your financial situation under control, the benefits you experience will touch every area of your life. Many of the daily stresses you face that seem totally unrelated to money will disappear. Your physical health will improve quickly as you regain control of your stress levels. Plus, you’ll be able to think more clearly about your goals and dreams.

Less stress means more time to enjoy your family and nurture the relationships that are most important to you. Small steps in the right financial direction can give you the freedom to enjoy your life!

Thankfully, the financial peace you seek is right around the corner. You can experience the success others only dream about when you take small steps to conquer these six areas:

Budgeting. Everyone knows they need a budget. In fact, you’ve probably heard this a thousand times! The good news is that setting up a workable family budget is simpler than you think. This first step to financial freedom will motivate you to use your finances as a tool to increase your happiness and pursue your dreams.

The key to any successful financial plan is to earn more money than you spend. The only way to do this is with a family budget. But once you know where you are and where you want to go, you’ll have a roadmap to get there and the confidence to know that anything is possible. Only a workable family budget can give you that confidence.

Saving Money. Once you’ve created your roadmap to financial success, and you’re earning more than you spend, you now need the right strategies for saving money. Once you know the right steps to take, short-term and long-term savings will become a joy.

Your savings fund your dreams. When you begin to save toward the bright future you’ve always dreamed about, you’ll be excited to wake up every day and work toward those dreams. Your family will be excited, too! Hopeful rays of sunshine will replace the dark, gray clouds of financial obligation.

Starting a savings program will also bring you peace of mind unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before. You’ll be able to take trips to the mailbox without knots in your stomach. When the phone rings, you’ll know that the person on the other end isn’t a bill collector. Your bills will be paid and your future will be secure.

Credit. A key component in your roadmap to financial success is learning to use credit wisely. Credit, kept in its proper place in your financial life, can be a tool in your financial prosperity toolbox. Misused, however, credit can destroy your financial life.

There’s hope when you learn when to use credit, how to use it wisely, and how to effectively manage your credit score. Taking positive steps toward effective credit management can ensure that your financial tomorrow is a bright one.

Getting out of debt. Once you get free, nothing can stop you from living the life you want to live. No matter how high the mountain seems at first, the only way to the top is by taking small steps. The key, though, is taking steps that lead you in the right direction. Knowledge is power when you act upon that knowledge.

When you learn effective strategies for getting out of debt, you’ll feel the exhilaration as you move closer to becoming debt-free. You’ll begin to feel more in control of your life than you ever have before.

Bringing in extra cash. One stumbling block you may encounter is finding a way to earn the income you need to survive and thrive. However, with the right strategies and a determination to succeed, this stumbling block can be turned into a stepping-stone toward your success.

Many online and offline income strategies offer you the opportunity to realize your dreams if you’ll take the first step today. As a member of VAnetworking I got 52 ways to bring in quick cash and great ideas to bring in that extra cash.

Protecting your identity. In the world we live in today, failing to protect yourself against identity theft and other financial crimes could derail even the best of financial plans you’ve made. Thankfully, protecting yourself is easier than you think. When you do, you’ll have the confidence that comes from knowing you’ve done everything required to protect your success. Get Identity Protection. Don’t allow thieves to use your information. LifeLock helps you. Enroll Now.

Your financial prosperity is closer than you think, but the choice is yours. You can stay on the couch, like most people, paralyzed by fear and living a stressful life that falls far short of the life you crave. Or, you can take simple steps today that will lead to a bright tomorrow for you and your family.

If you create a realistic roadmap, use effective strategies to reduce your debt, use credit wisely, and save toward your dreams, you’ll experience the financial independence that most only dream about.

Tags : bring in extra cash, Budgeting, financial tips, protecting your identity, reduce debt, VAnetworking