Archive for the ‘business planning’ Category

What Goes in Your VA Marketing Package?

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

Reprinted by permission from WAH Adventures.  All rights reserved.

Understanding Virtual Assisting – Part 6 – What Will You Put in Your VA Marketing Package?

If you have been following this series, then you’ll recall that to date we have discussed what a VA is; how to decide which services to offer; whether or not to become certified; how much equipment is needed; and how to structure your VA practice.  Now the question is, what materials will you put in your VA marketing package?

First of all, what is a marketing package?  A marketing package includes marketing materials for both online and offline marketing that you will want to use to introduce your business to potential clients.

A good marketing package may be mailed to a client via postal mail or emailed as a WinZip file or electronic folder.  A typical offline marketing package may appear to be a glossy pocket folder with your company name and logo and contain a business card, letter of introduction, brochure, flyer, recent press release, and a copy of the last company newsletter.  Large multi-VA practices might even want to include a white paper or recent case study as well as an annual report.

While these marketing packages can be impressive, they can also become expensive.  The cost of designing, printing, and mailing all of these out does not come cheap.

Again, I am going to give you the same advice as I did with your equipment list.  Don’t over do it.  Start small and build.  Please don’t price yourself out of business.

Here is my advice.  All you really need is a web site for online marketing and a business card for offline marketing.  Really.  That is all you really need.  Now, that might not be all you want, but that is all you need.

On your web site, you should have five pages: Home, About Us, Contact Us, Services, and Blog.  You can list your services under Services just like you would in an offline brochure.  You may also introduce your company  with similar language to a sales letter in About Us with contact information appearing under Contact Us.  Put samples of your work under Services or you may want to create a separate Portfolio page.

Just starting out, you won’t have an online newsletter.  You may want to write a press release, and send it to your local newspaper or online to one of the many online press release sites such as PRWeb.  You could even put a copy of your press release saved as a PDF somewhere on your web site.  I would recommend the home page in the left side bar.

Also, if you could barter your services or volunteer your services to collect one or two testimonials to place on your web site–perfect.  This will also boost your credibility.  Place the testimonials in text boxes on your web site or somewhere in the sidebars.  I would recommend doing this on both the home page and in the Portfolio or Services page.

You may also create a signature file in your web site.  This way whenever you reply to an email, your name along with your title and company name will automatically appear in the email.  You can even include your company logo with your email signature file and make it look more like an e-business card.  For offline business cards, Vistaprint has the some of the best prices.

Again, all you really need is a business card and a web site.  Why is this?  The answer is simple, but please don’t misunderstand what I am about to say.  Until you develop an online presence and have accummulated at least six-months’ expertice, you won’t really have much to write about, tweet about or video about.  Therefore, people are less likely to want to hear what you have to say, because they have never heard of you.

However, do not let that discourage you.  Instead use this to become more determined than ever to get out there and get experience and learn this industry!  Look for opportunities to sub-contract under other VAs, volunteer or barter your services.  You can do this!

In future articles, I will be talking to you about how to name your company (if you haven’t already), how to market your services, and how to promote your web site.

As always, feel free to ask questions.

Leisa Good is the owner, VA, and “Diva of Done”™ at GBS Virtual Office Solutions. She opened her virtual assistant practice part-time in 2006 when it was then named Gemstone Business Solutions. In 2008 her VA practice became full-time, and in 2011 the name was changed to its current name. Recently, she has added VA coaching to her services. She lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley and within walking distance of the famous Shenandoah River.  Leisa’s Blog

What will you put in your VA marketing package?

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Posted in business planning, marketing, virtual assistance | 13 Comments »

How Much Equipment Does a VA Really Need?

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

Reprinted by permission from WAH Adventures.  All rights reserved.

Understanding Virtual Assisting – Part 4 – What Equipment Will I Need to Get Started

If you’ve been following this series, then you’ll recall that the last two articles focused on certifications to receive and what services to offer.  Now  it is time to discuss what equipment you will need to open and maintain your virtual assistant practice.

Obviously, some of your equipment will be based on what services you plan to offer.  One of the biggest mistakes that future virtual assistants make  when deciding upon their equipment, is they buy too much.  They overspend.  You don’t need an elaborate list of equipment and software to impress  the client.

The client will probably be more impressed with your ability to curb your spending, look for creative options, and assist them with cutting  their own expenses and wasteful spending.  If the client insists on equipment or software that you don’t have and can’t afford, they can purchase it  for your use.  If they can’t purchase it, then find clients who are willing to use what you have.

Below is a basic list of equipment you will need for your virtual assistant practice.  You probably already have most of it:

  • Personal computer or laptop with at least a 1 GHz Pentium P4 processor and a minimum of 1GB or RAM with sound card speakers
  • Updated browser of your choice (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari are the most common)
  • Printer compatible with PC (one with a scanner and copier is best)
  • Wireless, DSL or Cable Modem connection to the Internet (Comcast, Cox, Verizon)
  • Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7 – (Mac users will want OS X or what is recommended)
  • Email account (recommend having one other than a gmail account)
  • Eternal hard drive backup or an online backup (Carbonite.com)
  • Anti-virus software (Avast, Norton)
  • Anti-malware prevention software (Malwarebytes)
  • Gmail account to use Google Docs and manage mutiple projects and clients
  • Dropbox.com (free account) to share larger documents
  • Cell phone or free Skype.com account (landlines are also welcome)
  • Paper, pens, and a few office supplies

Please note that there are other service providers other than the ones listed above in parenthesis.  I didn’t want to overwhelm you with choices, but you can also check with other friends or online workers to see what they are using.

Fax machines and all other equipment are optional.  Also make sure that you have a comfortable chair and are in an area of the house where you can actually work without distractions.

Accounting software, graphic software, and everything else can be added later.  This is unless you plan on offering accounting and or graphics as your primary services.

In future articles, we’ll also discuss marketing materials.  However, I will go ahead and inform you that you can survive and thrive with a simple web site, business cards, and three FREE social media accounts (Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook).

As you can see, it really doesn’t take an excessive amount of equipment to get started in your virtual assistant practice.  The good news is that most if not all of these items will become tax write-offs for your business.

In summary, my advice is to start small, make a profit, and continue to invest in your equipment, your training, and your marketing.  A low overhead will cause a lot less stress for both you and your future virtual assistant practice.  Nothing is worse than to try to concentrate on growing a business with several maxed-out credit cards constantly on your mind.

Good luck, and I am always available for questions.

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Posted in business planning, technology, virtual assistance | 5 Comments »

3 Challenges for the Serious Business Owner in 2012

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

Happy New Year!  Happy 2012!

As the two faces of the Roman god, Janus, look both to the future with one face and to the past with the other face—let us do the same.  My challenge to your business is to have three things that you leave behind and three things that you do to plan your business success.

Things to leave behind are projects or work that you are not passionate about.  There are just too many other opportunities to find work that is a “fit” for you.  You rob the world of your unique talents and skills when you chose the wrong work.  If you struggle with procrastination, this is probably why.

Another item to leave behind are clients that drain your energy and do not respect you or do not pay well.  Time to get your energy back and your wealth back too.

Lastly, stop wallowing in mistakes and failures.  Use them to learn what NOT to do next time or what to do differently.

Now for the things that you need to “take with you” in 2012 are setting realistic goals for your business, re-evaluating last year’s marketing plans, and striving for a better work/life balance.

What are realistic goals?  They are the ones which you have to stretch a little to reach, but they are reachable and measurable.  They can be broken down into smaller goals.  Most of us know deep down what is realistic and not realistic.

Also, don’t forget to see where you are in your business’ marketing.  The only time you ever stop marketing is when you don’t want any more clients.  So, look at what worked and what didn’t work.

And finally, the one all of us freelancer, self-employed types struggle with is work/life balance.  Have at least one day off a week.  Get away from your computer!  You’ll be amazed at how good and refreshed you will feel.

Again, Happy New Year!

Are there other things you’d like to leave behind in 2012?  Are there other things you’d like to achieve in 2010?

You know a good VA can always help you achieve those realistic goals, marketing goals, and perfect work/life balance.  Consider adding one to your success equation for 2012.  We at this blog and GBS Virtual Office Solutions stand ready to help.

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Posted in business planning, motivation, virtual assistance | 15 Comments »

And the Series Continues…

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

As you probably know by now, I am also a featured writer at WAH Adventures.  And if you don’t know about WAH Adventures and all of its great work-at-home resources then I would invite you to definitely go, visit, and sign up.  Don’t forget to sign up for the holiday giveaway.

Without any further ado, here is my third article:

Understanding Virtual Assisting – Part 3 – Do I Need to Become Certified?

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Posted in Business Research, business planning, virtual assistance | 8 Comments »

Got Resolutions?

Wednesday, January 10th, 2007

“Set priorities for your goals. A major part of successful living lies in the ability to put first things first. Indeed, the reason most major goals are not achieved is that we spend our time doing second things first.”
–Robert J. McKain

Yes, it is that time of year! Time to make those New Year’s resolutions. This will be the year that we will, we must, we have to accomplish what we have set out to do. That resolution really is a priority for us this year. It was also a priority last year and the year before, but that was just different.

We must lose weight, quit smoking, add more clients to our business, spend more time with our families, and on and on the list goes. We start out with the best intentions. But then….well, life gets in the way.

We decide that maybe now is not a good time. This isn’t going to be the year after all.

I like the way the Goals Guy explains it. He compares making New Year’s resolutions to cooking from a recipe. There needs to be a step-by-step sequence, preciseness, measurability, and a time frame. You also have to be in this thing for the entire year and not just for instant gratification.

He also explains that there needs to be one what, three whys, and five hows in your resolution making. Almost sounds like the five w’s of journalism, hugh?

Well, I’ll let you read about these whats, whys, and hows on the Goals Guy’s web site. After all, to read more may be one of your New Year’s resolutions.

Happy New Year!

Leisa

A.K.A. Virtual Water Fountain

www.GemstoneBusinessSolutions.com

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Posted in Business Research, business planning, marketing | No Comments »