Virtual Assistants (VAs) have talents that just may suprise you. With more entrepreneurs running their businesses from a home office, the need for Virtual Assistants is growing faster than ever before.
Here are a few major factors that separate VAs from other home office workers.
Skills-Virtual Assistants have a wide variety of professional skills, they know how to get things done efficiently using the newest technologies available. From planning your next business trip, managing your email, setting up webinar, or possibily having skills to create and market your business online, your VA can complete a variety of tasks on your "to do" list. By using their own equipment, they have their favorite programs and processes at their fingertips without the need for you to provide training, keep updated software, or even share your office space.
Partnership-An important asset VAs continually strive for, is building ongoing, long-term relationships with their clients. The benefits of having a business partner type relationship with your VA are many. As they learn about your business and understand your business goals, they increase their ability to anticipate your needs. They are ther to act as a sounding board for your new ideas, support you during challenging times, provide motivation, and to celebrate your successes with you.
Benefits-Virtual Assistants can now offer benefits and cost-cutting opportunities not previously available to entrepreneurs. Because VAs are business owners themselves, they are responsible for their own benefits packages like insurance, training, vacation/sick days, and retirement. All time is 100% productive, no down-time! This also means no payroll, no employee-related tax issues to worry about, and no manager/employee problems to deal with.
We all have the same amount of hours each day, but a Virtual Assistant can free up some of those hours so you can do more of those things you love, the things that you do best, and you'll have more time to enjoy your passions.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Top 20 Best Website Tips
- Know the top three things your visitor will be seeking while visiting your site.
- Make it obvious what action you want your visitor is to take.
- Give away something of value to your visitor (yes, for free) in return for submitting their email address.
- Have someone read your content and take out all jargon.
- Include a toll-free number and email contact on every page.
- Include a separate title for each page, not just the home page.
- Write a powerful, relevant description for your page, under 180 characters, using that page's keywords.
- Every page should have a clear message, what you can do for them, and what they should do next.
- Have a clean, constitant look for every page.
- Use a graphically correct, professional logo, and yes, a favicon.
- Include a description of your services or products, including a price list.
- Include testimonials in your site.
- Include a sitemap.
- Offer links to additional resources that your visitors may actually be interested in.
- Content should be short and to the point, use bullets when appropriate.
- Include a FAQ section.
- Include an ongoing, updated blog.
- Offer a newsletter, update it regularly with relevant, useful information.
- Make it easy for visitors to bookmark, tag, or subscribe to your RSS feed.
- Send email to your contact list inviting them to read more about a new service, a new product, free information, or contest for return visitors to your site.
Here's a unique gift forsomeone special who seems
to have everything-except time.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Top Fears of Entrepreneurs: How to Overcome Yours Today
Owning your own business; it's exciting to break out on your own, but it can also be scary. But, how stable is having an employer? Is it a sure thing?
Common Fears of Entrepreneur: Strategies for Success
Number One: Fear of Failure.
Failure only comes when you stop trying. Ask yourself, what's the worst thing that can happen? Even if ____ happens, how can you minimize or prepare for a bad result?
PLANNING!
Where do you see yourself in a year? In five years?
Create your plans in the right order:
1st, Your Life Plan!
(For more information visit StartupNation's Life Planning Tutorials.)
Then, a business, marketing, financial, and finally, a disaster recovery plan.
With your plans in place, YOU are in control of your life, and your future. (Note: These are working documents and need revised on a regular basis.)
Number Two: What will I have to give up?
This depends on your priorities. At what level are you willing to play?
If you have a life plan, this will be easy. If you don't, you'll have to make tough decisions over and over.
How serious are you to making your plan work? What will you do when something gets in your way?
Whether it's daily distractions, family or friends that try to discourage you, or giving up things today, for success tomorrow, you will have decisions to make along the way, and may even burn bridges, so decide what's most important to you.
Number Three: Missing out by not implementing all your ideas.
If you're a true entrepreneur, you have many ideas for a business, or things you want to accomplish. But, spreading yourself too thin, trying to do to much, you may end up not being able to do any of them very well.
Here's how to prioritize your ideas.
Determine the following, rate on scale of 1-5 (5 being most,or highest):
a.)How much time it will take to implement the idea?
b.)To what degree is your idea related to your passion?
c.)Will you have a sense of fulfillment or accomplishment from your idea?
d.)will the financial return be worth the effort necessary?
e.)Is your idea time-sensitive?
Rate each area, total each idea's score to get a better look at the value of each idea.
Then stay focused on THAT idea through to completion.
Number Four: Stepping out of your comfort zone.
If something isn't working, or when you're afraid of taking the next step, focus on the benefits. Think of how you'll feel when it's done and remember, it's usually easier than you think.
So get in your car, pick up the phone, write that email, contact that new lead, make that apology, do whatever you have to do to complete that next step, or fix whatever isn't working,.
Now?
Yes, NOW!
You'll be so glad you did!
Common Fears of Entrepreneur: Strategies for Success
Number One: Fear of Failure.
Failure only comes when you stop trying. Ask yourself, what's the worst thing that can happen? Even if ____ happens, how can you minimize or prepare for a bad result?
PLANNING!
Where do you see yourself in a year? In five years?
Create your plans in the right order:
1st, Your Life Plan!
(For more information visit StartupNation's Life Planning Tutorials.)
Then, a business, marketing, financial, and finally, a disaster recovery plan.
With your plans in place, YOU are in control of your life, and your future. (Note: These are working documents and need revised on a regular basis.)
Number Two: What will I have to give up?
This depends on your priorities. At what level are you willing to play?
If you have a life plan, this will be easy. If you don't, you'll have to make tough decisions over and over.
How serious are you to making your plan work? What will you do when something gets in your way?
Whether it's daily distractions, family or friends that try to discourage you, or giving up things today, for success tomorrow, you will have decisions to make along the way, and may even burn bridges, so decide what's most important to you.
Number Three: Missing out by not implementing all your ideas.
If you're a true entrepreneur, you have many ideas for a business, or things you want to accomplish. But, spreading yourself too thin, trying to do to much, you may end up not being able to do any of them very well.
Here's how to prioritize your ideas.
Determine the following, rate on scale of 1-5 (5 being most,or highest):
a.)How much time it will take to implement the idea?
b.)To what degree is your idea related to your passion?
c.)Will you have a sense of fulfillment or accomplishment from your idea?
d.)will the financial return be worth the effort necessary?
e.)Is your idea time-sensitive?
Rate each area, total each idea's score to get a better look at the value of each idea.
Then stay focused on THAT idea through to completion.
Number Four: Stepping out of your comfort zone.
If something isn't working, or when you're afraid of taking the next step, focus on the benefits. Think of how you'll feel when it's done and remember, it's usually easier than you think.
So get in your car, pick up the phone, write that email, contact that new lead, make that apology, do whatever you have to do to complete that next step, or fix whatever isn't working,.
Now?
Yes, NOW!
You'll be so glad you did!
FREE TRIAL! A limited number of subscriptions are now available to Internet marketing guru Derek Gehl's exclusive members-only online profit newsletter, Secrets To Their Success Free Offer Get yours today
Monday, August 6, 2007
"Your List" is a golden opportunity.
If you're not building a contact list from your website visitors, and using it correctly, you're leaving money on the table.
Here's how to generate business and increase profitability by using your list.
Offer something free on the front page (better yet, every page) of your website. By providing their name and email address, they get something of value. It can be an informative article, a free gift, your company newsletter, or a discount on your product or services.
Although I've signed up for a ton of newsletters, I continue to get only 4-5. These (about 5% overall) give solid, valuable tips, and information on topics of interest to me.
If your customer opens an email/newsletter and it's an advertisement, or continually has content with little or no value, they will opt-out and be lost.
(Be sure to conform to anti-spam laws by using an opt-in/opt-out system.)
How do you keep them wanting more?
Give them more! Information is valuable.
A good example is a newsletter I enjoy from Joe Garcia at givetogetmarketing.com. Sure, they have a few ads now and then, but it's well worth it to scan over a few ads to get to the information I want. I haven't been disappointed and will continue to open every email he sends.
If you apply these same "Give to Get Marketing" techniques to the customers on your list, you'll see results.
- Stay in contact with your customers,
- Establish a relationship with potential customers,
- Be easily reached, and
- Respond quickly when contacted.
When they are ready to buy, they'll think of you.
So, stop leaving money on the table! Generate "Your Golden List" of contacts, send valuable information, build trust, and you'll have loyal, long term customers that keep coming back for more.
Here's how to generate business and increase profitability by using your list.
Offer something free on the front page (better yet, every page) of your website. By providing their name and email address, they get something of value. It can be an informative article, a free gift, your company newsletter, or a discount on your product or services.
Although I've signed up for a ton of newsletters, I continue to get only 4-5. These (about 5% overall) give solid, valuable tips, and information on topics of interest to me.
If your customer opens an email/newsletter and it's an advertisement, or continually has content with little or no value, they will opt-out and be lost.
(Be sure to conform to anti-spam laws by using an opt-in/opt-out system.)
How do you keep them wanting more?
Give them more! Information is valuable.
A good example is a newsletter I enjoy from Joe Garcia at givetogetmarketing.com. Sure, they have a few ads now and then, but it's well worth it to scan over a few ads to get to the information I want. I haven't been disappointed and will continue to open every email he sends.
If you apply these same "Give to Get Marketing" techniques to the customers on your list, you'll see results.
- Stay in contact with your customers,
- Establish a relationship with potential customers,
- Be easily reached, and
- Respond quickly when contacted.
When they are ready to buy, they'll think of you.
So, stop leaving money on the table! Generate "Your Golden List" of contacts, send valuable information, build trust, and you'll have loyal, long term customers that keep coming back for more.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Don't forget your privacy policy
If you're collecting information from or about visitors to your site, then you’ll need a good privacy to explain why and how you intend to use that information.
Provide an explanation about the information gathered:
Be specific enough that you are able to defend yourself in court if a dispute arises, yet be general enough that you don’t create a liability if you miss something.
Use a friendly tone, not sounding too legal or like your intending to use it for monetary gain or sales opportunities later.
Your visitors will often look for and read your policy before giving out personal information when online - I do.
It’s always a good idea to have your attorney look it over.
Provide an explanation about the information gathered:
- What information is needed
- Why you need that information
- What you will do with the information
- Who has access to it under what circumstance, and
- Any control they may have over the process i.e. updating or contact person regarding deleting information.
Be specific enough that you are able to defend yourself in court if a dispute arises, yet be general enough that you don’t create a liability if you miss something.
Use a friendly tone, not sounding too legal or like your intending to use it for monetary gain or sales opportunities later.
Your visitors will often look for and read your policy before giving out personal information when online - I do.
It’s always a good idea to have your attorney look it over.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Why Blog? Creating an Online Presence
People do research on the internet before deciding where to spend their hard earned dollars. Having a professional website gives your potential customers a chance see what you have to offer.
If you have a brick and mortar business, but don't have a website, then it's time to make that happen.
But, if you're not in the position to get a website right away, an easy alternative is to create a blog.
I started this one from Google's Blogger, it's free and comes with templates that are easy to setup, you can make changes to format and colors if you'd like. Plus, there's many tools for promoting it too.
Having a blog comes with tons of benefits.
Here's a few:
- It gets you started in establishing an online presence,
- gives you a way to communicate with your customers,
- builds your creditability with others in your industry,
- you'll be helping people by providing information they need (because you really are an expert), and
- potential customers have an opportunity to build trust in you, and in your business.
Go ahead, get your feet wet in the new "social media"/ "web 2.0" era.
Start a blog today!
If you have a brick and mortar business, but don't have a website, then it's time to make that happen.
But, if you're not in the position to get a website right away, an easy alternative is to create a blog.
I started this one from Google's Blogger, it's free and comes with templates that are easy to setup, you can make changes to format and colors if you'd like. Plus, there's many tools for promoting it too.
Having a blog comes with tons of benefits.
Here's a few:
- It gets you started in establishing an online presence,
- gives you a way to communicate with your customers,
- builds your creditability with others in your industry,
- you'll be helping people by providing information they need (because you really are an expert), and
- potential customers have an opportunity to build trust in you, and in your business.
Go ahead, get your feet wet in the new "social media"/ "web 2.0" era.
Start a blog today!
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