BUCKEYE V.A.

Archive for March, 2009

I love online research, some think its boring, but not me! All of my research includes 1 basic element and that is to locate the contact information from websites.  One thing that I’ve seen time and time again during my research is the lack of an ‘About’ page, basic contact information and/or outdated email addresses.

 I challenge you to make sure you have updated contact information on your website, you never know when someone will approach you for an interview

Basic Information:

• Name
• Email
• phone number (optional)
• fax number (optional)

Be a Blessing and Be Blessed!

Stephanie Fish, owner of Buckeye V.A. offers a free 30 minute phone consultation. Contact me to schedule yours today!

Buckeye V.A.~ Social Media Manager and Online Marketing Assistant:

If you’re looking to delegate your internet marketing tasks such as:

• Search Engine Optimization
• Transcription of your mp3, video or audio
• Article submission
• Press Release Submission
• Blog Submission
• Social Networking Manager

Then you’ve come to the right Online Marketing Virtual Assistant

VA stands for Virtual Assistant. A virtual assistant is an entreprenuer who works from their home office servicing many different types of small businesses.  Perhaps you’re an online business owner who would like to increase your productivity this year by outsourcing to a virtual assistant, if so, please contact me today: stephanie (at) buckeyeva (dot) com

I recently had a conversation with an individual who received a ‘pink slip’ from the company they had been employed at for more than a decade.  I came to know this individual through a mutual friend who knew I worked from home and wanted to know how they could take their skills and past experience and create their own home-based business.

If you are in this same position or know someone who is, perhaps this brief outline will help you get started.

1. Assess your skills, even if you don’t have a degree you may still have skills that are marketable
2. Do you have a business idea? Have you thoroughly researched it to see if it is in demand and profitable?
3. Make sure the domain name is available.
4. Pick a business name that uses a keyword that your target market is currently using.
5. Make sure the business name is not registered by someone else, do so by checking your Secretary of State.
6. Do not use a free hosting account, its not professional. May I suggest MomWebs.com for your hosting and/or ecommerce solution?

Creating and developing an online presence doesn’t happen over night so don’t buy into the “I made millions in 24 hours” junk. Take your time, do your research and enjoy every step along the way. If you live in Tuscarawas County Ohio and would like some direction, please contact me today. I’d love to help you take your business dream and make it a reality!

###Be Blessed###
Stephanie has worked with authors, coaches, musicians, actresses and mom-owned businesses. She has appeared on internet radio shows including CWAHM Podcast Radio.

If you are looking to interview a virtual assistant or are interested in having Stephanie speak at your next professional meeting, please contact me: buckeyeva@gmail.com

I don’t know about you, but I’ve found myself with apx. 15 different social networking accounts and then forgetting that I had them! So I’ve created what I call a ‘plan of attack’ for two reasons:

1) Network regularly so I can build relationships.

2)Keep my profile up-to-date with my current service offerings.

I found that I once I created my accounts I’d make plans to add content later, but that never happened. I’d get so busy working on my clients accounts that I’d forget to create my own! So I went through my emails and placed all of my social networking account emails into one file labeled “forums”. That way every week I will go to that file and visit each social networking site to add content and talk with other business owners.

The last thing I need for my ‘plan of attack’ is to decide what social network site to visit on which day of the week.

To Your Success!
Stephanie

If you’re looking to outsource any online tasks, we need to talk!

If you live in Tuscarawas County Ohio and want to learn how to work from home please take this survey AND contact me

Social networking is a great marketing tool when used properly and consistantly. If you new to social networking or haven’t really done anything with it, then here are a few ideas to help you along the way.

Ideas:
*Get to know your customers/clients on personal basis by having a conversation. Don’t be shy to introduce yourself and your business to each new follower/friend. Ask them about their business if it applies.
*Let them know when you’ve added new products.
*Broadcast your current educational blog entry.
*Invite them to be a guest blogger at your blog. This is a great way to help you keep fresh content on your blog plus it gives them a link back to their websites.
*Announce your survey then offer them a discount if they participate.

Just remember to keep a spreadsheet of your accounts, username and password information somewhere other than your hard drive, just incase your computer crashes. I use google docs for my business and my clients, that way the information is always available.

To Your Success!
Stephanie

PS. I’m currently accepting new clients! Let’s Talk

SEO refers to Search Engine Optimization which is the process of improving your website and/or blogs ranking in the search engine results.

Every online business owner should spend time researching the SEO of their website(s). In fact, doing this at least once a year can insure that you are reaching your target market and staying with current trends.

If you’re looking to outsource your SEO but you don’t really know where your business stand then my Website Review Report may be the best starting point!

To Your Success!
Stephanie Fish
Buckeye V.A.
Now taking new clients!

Social networking is all the rage..for good reasons I might add! Not only can you get intouch with past friends and lost relatives but its a great way to educate your target marketing. The best part, the only cost involved is your TIME!

There are literally thousands of social networking sites out there so you’ll want to make sure that you choose wisely since not all networking sites and/or groups are where your target market hangs out.

Here’s a list of my favorite social networks and groups:

TWITTER
FACEBOOK
LINKED IN
PING.FM (Ok, so this really isn’t a social networking site, but it connects ALL of your accounts. I use this to send out announcements only.)

My friend, Regina Baker, is holding another one of her fantastic Networking With A Heart telesimars. Click here!

Remembering why we network and learning how to do it properly is really beneficial to all business owners.

To Your Success~
Stephanie Fish

I’m not saying outsourcing to a virtual assistant is a waste of money, I’m saying Don’t Waste Money On A Virtual Assistant when you’re not ready for a virtual assistant.

Let me explain, as a virtual assistant I know that not all small businesses need to outsource, but I would guess that the majority of small businesses will eventually need to take this next step. The problem that I’ve seen in the past is a small business owner might wait until they have become so over whelmed with their business that they either (1) give up, sell the business or just close it or (2) try to stuff an exorbent amount of tasks into a very small time span and hope the virtual assistant can pull off a years worth of work into 30 days.

Whether you’ve outsourced in the past, are presently seeking or plan to outsource in the future here is a “Don’t Waste Your Money On A Virtual Assistant” check list:

1. Plan: What would you like to do for the next 30, 60, 90 days to grow your business? Do you need to have a press release and some articles written? Do you need to set-up or add content to your blog? Do you need to get your website out infront of your target market?

2. Prepare: Do you have a current list of account information readily available to you and your virtual assistant?  Do you have a list of questions for your virtual assistant? What about concerns for your business?

3. Pause: If you said “no” to any of the above questions, don’t worry! Your virtual assistant should have a set of questions for you during your initial consultation that should help you sort out all of the important information to get you started on your new relationship.

4. Party:  Rejoice once you have found the virtual assistant that fits your business perfectly, I’m sure you won’t want to let them go.

Communication is key in all relationships, even business relationships. As a virtual assistant I try to keep in touch by updating my clients on a weekly basis. This has helped us move through many hoops and reach new levels for her business.

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Stephanie Fish is the owner of Buckeye V.A. virtual assistance for the physical product seller. I invite you to take advantage of my free 30 minute consultation to see if my services with compliment your business. If you are serious about building your business without sacrificing your summer, please contact me at buckeyeva@gmail.com

*originally published on June 27, 2008**