Archive for the ‘Marketing’ Category

We have all heard the adage “YOU have to spend money to make money”. Although starting a Virtual Assistant business can be relatively inexpensive, it is important to spend money on those things that will create opportunities for you and your business.

Many forget to weigh the possibilities and simply write off spending money on their business.

Before you say “I can’t afford that” remember, the biggest key in spending money on your business is knowing what you want and the best avenue to get it.

1. Attending a Virtual Assistant conference or tradeshow will create relationships with peers, open possibilities for joining a multi-VA team, open doors to learning from others who have been where you are.  Examples are VAvirtuosos Seminar Series, FoVA, IVAA Summit & OIVAC.
2. Signing up with a Virtual Assistant Coach/Motivator or mentor will get you over a hurdle in your business that is holding you back from reaching your full potential.
3. Joining a Virtual Assistant association or membership group such as VAinsider Club will give you the opportunity to learn and provide you with RFP possibilities and invaluable templates.
4. Joining a Virtual Assistant networking group will provide you with the opportunity to meet potential clients.
5. Having you website designed by a professional will provide you with the professional image that will attract the clients you yearn to work with.

Before you say “I can’t afford it” consider how can you not afford it?

Take some time to create a yearly budget and invest in yourself and your business.

Why is a website essential?

There is no question that having a website is the most important ingredient in an e-marketing strategy. Your website is the online face of your Virtual Assistant business; it is where people get to see your brand, view your offerings, read about your company, view your privacy policy or business protocols, look at your picture and read about you.

Does a Virtual Assistant have to have a website?

These days, what Virtual Assistant doesn’t? We are virtual aren’t we?  Saying that they’re not all created equally. Since the goal is to get your potential clients into your marketing funnel so that you can market to them over and over again, it is important to have a website that conveys professionalism, security, and trust.

Getting Started

Remember that your website is a living document and will undergo many changes. So keep it simple when you’re starting out and avoid investing a lot of time and money into the latest technology that may be difficult to revise or update. Don’t think “state of the art”; think, “state of the market.”

On the other hand, avoid the temptation to use free websites with flashing banner ads or to hire your teenage nephew to throw something together for you over a weekend.

You want a professional, error-free site that is easy to navigate and you can accomplish that simply and inexpensively.

I highly recommend a Wordpress website like the ones we include in our VBSS.

Now, you may struggle with deciding the best content, colors and font size. The easiest way around this is to step back and design your site from the standpoint of what your clients would like to see. Would your clients want to know which programs you are familiar with? Would they want package deals or a la carte services? Looking at your website from the perspective of your clientele, you can never go wrong.

5 things you must include on your website

1. Your contact information. It’s essential to provide a way for your clients and potential clients to contact you, and it also shows that you are a legitimate business. A phone number easily visible on every page is an excellent CALL TO ACTION!  An “About You” page with your picture will also create a sense of trust to your potential prospects.

2. Privacy policy. People are feeling insecure about the Internet, because of cases of identify theft and unscrupulous marketers who sell private information and don’t provide a secure environment for online transactions. Your visitors need to be reassured that they’re safe at your website and in doing business with you.

3. Your rates and/or prices. If you’re selling products, by all means list your prices. If you’re providing a service, you may choose to wait until you’ve had a chance to meet with a potential client and tell them more about the value you can offer. However, I must say that it’s my personal preference to see the costs of a service professional up front, before I choose to make contact and I recommend putting your retainer packages online for your prospects to see.

4. A sign-up box on EVERY page. Every page of your website is a potential entry point for a new client to sign-up for your newsletter, e-course or special report and not just your home page. Remember that a website visitor may click away and never come back, and you’ll have lost your chance to help them. So get them on your mailing list and keep in touch with them regularly.

5. The most current information. Nothing looks more unprofessional than outdated content and broken links. Keep the content fresh! Your customers and clients will thank you and the search engines love updated content.

I’ve been getting asked this question every time I turn around lately…

Should I be worried about working as a Virtual Assistant during this economic downturn?   NO!!!

Why?  Because financial problems for other entrepreneurs can mean more business for YOU, the Virtual Assistant.

With more and more business entrepreneurs trying to find ways to cut back on hired in-house help to save a bit of their hard earned money, hiring a Virtual Assistant ends up becoming a fantastic option for these entrepreneurs.

With a Virtual Assistant entrepreneurs SAVE MONEY since they don’t have to pay for the office space for that secretary to be in their house/office.  Not to mention all the trivial luxuries of having an employee that they normally have to pay like:

• computer equipment
• office supplies
• software updates
• administration costs
• overtime pay
• UI insurance
• worker’s compensation
• retirement plans
• health/dental benefits

ATTENTION: VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS!!!

Don’t let this economic downturn send you into a spirally funnel of  endless worry. Instead grasp this chance to market your own wares!

I tend to tell it like it is so don’t take this the wrong way as it may sound a bit harsh to some but…Look for ways your Virtual Assistant business can benefit from the negativity and worries of others in today’s economic downturns.

Now is the time to start rewriting your brochureware, your website content, press releases and articles.  Focus your marketing materials on how a Virtual Assistant can help your business during these hard economic times others are currently facing.

Put on your marketing hat and turn this negative time into a positive time for your business!

Educate your potential clients on the financial benefits of hiring a Virtual Assistant for their business needs. Feel free to add our Full-time Employee versus Virtual Assistant cost comparison chart to your website to show your clients their savings of hiring you as their Virtual Assistant.

Before long, you will have more clients knocking on your website door asking you how you can help them save money with their business tasks.  So start singing that song all the way to the bank…Don’t Worry – Be Happy!

To your virtual success…

Tawnya Sutherland
Your VA Expert!