Virtual Assistant Business Quick Make-Over Tips

February 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment
More tips to improve your virtual assistant business:
 
Give your website a revamp. Is all the information up to date? Does it show a good photograph of you? This is your virtual shop window and the first impression most potential clients will see.
 
Write articles useful to your target market then add them to your web site. You can also include them in your ezines. This showcases you as the expert in that particular field.
 
Syndicate your articles online to article directories to attract new visitors to your web site and Ezine subscriber list.
 
 
More information about how to run an effective and profitable virtual assistant business can be found in our Start Your Virtual Assistant Business online course: http://vasuccessgroup.co.uk/virtual-assistant-online-courses/
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Hot Tips for Using Blogging to Raise Your Profile

January 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Once you have set up your blog, the next stage is to decide how you will use it to promote your business. Here are a few tips to get you started:
 
1. Define your audience.
Have a good think about who you want to be reading your blog. This is easier if you have a niche market because you will have a clear idea of who your customers are. If you do not have a particular niche, think about what your clients have in common.
 
2. Define your content.
Once you have decided who you want to reach, think about what information would interest them. Your blog is not a platform for you to continually trumpet your services and remind readers how great you are; it is an opportunity to provide useful information for your readers.
 
3. Set you posting rate.
A blog is for life, not just for Christmas! A blog takes commitment and is very interactive. Your readers will expect regular new content, so think about how often you want to post. I would recommend at least twice a week.
 
For the remainder of these tips download our free report “10 Steps for Successful Blogging to Raise Your Profile”: http://vasuccessgroup.co.uk/virtual-assistant-freebies/10-step-downloads/
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Making Your Virtual Assistant Clients Love You Part 2

January 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Part one of this article looked at what your clients like about your service, and how these associations affect what they think about your business as a whole. It is also important to look at what they do not like about your service.
 
What weaknesses can you see?
Some weaknesses may be related to the industry as a whole. For example, it may be that as you work remotely you cannot make the coffee. However, be aware if things crop up that you can do something about. Perhaps you have missed deadlines or you are not up to speed with particular software that your clients use. Think about how you can improve on these in the future.
 
How can you ‘delight the customer?’
Years ago I used to work for a holiday company that used the line ‘delight the customer’. The idea was that you do not want the customer just to be satisfied with what you have produced for them. In order to get them singing your praises you really need to ‘delight’ them. So, what can you do to delight your clients? Where can you add that little bit of extra value or really show some initiative? If you are seen to be going that extra mile, your clients will love you for it, and that is when they start to become your raving fans and tell everyone how great you are.
 
Better than advertising
As you can see, creating your brand or the ‘image’ for your company is not about expensive graphic designers or advertising experts. It is about identifying what is great about your business and communicating that in a clear and consistent way. If you can turn your clients into raving fans, they will not only stick with you through these turbulent times, but they will also recommend you to others. That has got to be better than spending a fortune on advertising!

Manage your clients effectively with this simple Client Management Templates Pack system: http://vasuccessgroup.co.uk/virtual-assistant-document-templates/

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Making Your Virtual Assistant Clients Love You Part 1

January 18, 2012 By 1 Comment
We all hear about branding and how important it is to your business. But branding is not just about your web site or logo, it is also about the associations your clients hold with you and your company name. The more positive that association, the more likely they may be to remain loyal to you when times get hard and competitors start slashing their prices.
 
So, how do you know how you are perceived by your clients and prospects, and how can you set about improving or building on your brand?
 
What do your existing clients think of you?
The best place to start is by sending a questionnaire to your existing clients and everyone on your prospect list. It is a good opportunity to ask what they like about your service and what improvements could be made. You should begin to see some similarities in the responses, which will give you an idea of how your brand is perceived.
 
What do they like?
When you have identified the similarities, have a close look at what your clients and prospects love about you and your service. These are the positive aspects or your brand – the things that you should be communicating in all your marketing information.

Manage your clients effectively with this simple Client Management Templates Pack system: http://vasuccessgroup.co.uk/virtual-assistant-document-templates/

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Tips for Successful Blog Set-up

January 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Have you realised that it is time to add a blog to your website, but are not sure how to go about it? Here are a few tips to help you:
 
1. Choose an easy platform
Choose a platform you are comfortable using and one that is simple and user-friendly. Some people swear by Typepad; my personal favourite is WordPress.
 
2. Install it on your web space
Make sure that you can install the software on your own web space – ie, under your domain name. This is important, as search engines like new content, such as that provided by regularly updated blogs, and if it is hosted on the software supplier’s web space but not yours, your website will not benefit.
 
3. Set up MySQL database
Make sure you have the facility on your hosting package to have a MySQL database. This comes as standard on many, but not all, hosting packages. You will need it in order to install and operate your blog. So, if you do not already have MySQL, ask for it to be installed.
 
For the remainder of these tips, download our free report “10 Steps for Successful Blog Set-up”: http://vasuccessgroup.co.uk/virtual-assistant-freebies/10-step-downloads/
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Virtual Assistant Business Quick Make-Over Tips

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment
More tips to revamp your virtual assistant business:
Join at least one online networking site, which can be a strictly business site like LinkedIn or Ecademy, or more social site (but often equally effective) such as Facebook and Twitter. Don’t forget as a ‘virtual’ worker you can work with anyone, anywhere!
 
Send your existing clients a questionnaire. Ask them what they like about your service and what they would like to see added. If they are happy clients, ask them for referrals to other potential clients.
 
Set up a newsletter or Ezine to keep in touch with both clients, prospects and visitors to your website. Start by sending out simple tips that are useful to your target market.
 
Build your newsletter or Ezine subscriber list, put a sign up box on your web site, include a link to your sign up page in your Twitter updates, Facebook posts, blog posts, etc.
 

More information about how to run an effective and profitable virtual assistant business can be found in our Start Your Virtual Assistant Business online course: http://vasuccessgroup.co.uk/virtual-assistant-online-courses/

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Virtual Assistant Business Quick Make-Over Tips

January 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment
You know how it is, you’ve been in business for a few years, you’ve got a few clients on your books, but things are feeling a bit stale.
 
Do you feel that your business needs a Gok Wan style make over for the new year, but where do you start?
 
If you’re not already doing it, create pre-paid packages to entice clients to pay in advance for blocks of time. They benefit from a small discount, you benefit from not having to chase overdue invoices and increased budgeting capacity.
 
Join a local networking group to gain local visibility and meet some like minded small business owners. Don't forget to follow up after events and meet up with contacts outside the events too.
 
More information about how to run an effective and profitable virtual assistant business can be found in our Start Your Virtual Assistant Business online course: http://vasuccessgroup.co.uk/virtual-assistant-online-courses/
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Virtual Assistant Start Up Tips – How The Experts Did It

December 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The VA Success Group is run by two of the UK’s most successful virtual assistants and we’re more than happy to share our tips and advice with you. Below you will find a couple of tips but read on to find out how you can hear exactly how we got started.
 
When charging for your services, create pre-paid packages to entice clients to pay in advance for blocks of time. They benefit from a small discount and you benefit from not having to chase overdue invoices and increased budgeting capacity.
 
Join a local networking group to gain local visibility and at least one online group too. Don't forget as a 'virtual' worker you can work with anyone, anywhere!

Want to find out how we started and built two of the most successful virtual assistant businesses in the UK? Download our free interviews at: http://vasuccessgroup.co.uk/virtual-assistant-freebies/

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Making the Perfect One Minute Presentation

December 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment
There are many things you should prepare before heading out to a networking event. Do you have enough business cards, have you got a notebook and a pen that works (and a spare!). Have your remembered your diary?
 
One thing that often gets forgotten is preparing what you will actually say when asked about what it is that you do. When you’re asked this question you have just a few short seconds to capture the attention and imagination of the person you are talking to. If you waffle or confuse them the moment is gone and you could potentially have lost a client or an advocate for your business. So what will you say?
 
If you need help with preparing your response, or indeed, preparing the short presentation that you will give when you are asked to stand up and tell everyone in the room what it is that you do, there’s a simple podcast that will help.
 
“Making Perfect Presentations” is now available as a stand-alone podcast, as well as forming part of our “Networking For Virtual Assistants Online Course”.
 
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Getting Your First Virtual Assistant Clients – Part 2

December 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
 
Next take stock of all the skills you have and the industries you have worked in or that interest you. Consider what services can you offer and to whom? If you have been a book keeper with an IT firm for many years, you are going to find it far easier to offer your virtual book keeping services to other IT firms as you know something about their market and their ‘language’. If you target an industry or sector you have experience of, you will be seen as the virtual assistant who is an expert in this field and have an advantage over any other VA.
 
When you have decided on your target market, or niche, think about how you can reach them. Do they belong to particular organisations, read certain publications or as is the case with one of my niches, do they all drink on a Thursday afternoon in bars within a square mile of a certain point in London?
 
When you know where to find them, consider how you can get your message to them. While advertising in general is expensive and often pointless unless you can afford to take out a run, perhaps you could write an article for a trade publication, or give a presentation at an event your ‘suspects’ will attend. Think outside of the box for some interesting and inexpensive ideas that will have impact on your particular target market and keep you stimulated and motivated.
 
Above all, keep marketing as a continual process and recognise that although you may not get clients immediately from you efforts, in time your consistency will pay dividends.

For more information about which marketing tactics work for virtual assistant, and which don’t, visit: http://vasuccessgroup.co.uk/products/marketing-for-virtual-assistants-online-course/

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