How Virtual Assistants Can Amplify Your Business Marketing

Perhaps you’ve got a small business and it’s been thriving with your own marketing and research efforts. But if you want to boost your business marketing, consider the services of a virtual assistant.

Virtual assistants who’ve been trained and experienced in marketing research and business marketing — particularly through the Internet — can be invaluable to growing your business. It would take time for you to learn and do everything yourself, time that you could put to better use by focusing on the aspects of your business that you enjoy and are an expert at.

For example, not everyone is adept at using Web 2.0 for business marketing. Besides, it can eat up a lot of your time every day. Wouldn’t you rather use that time to develop your business in other ways or even relax and enjoy your family?

Here are a few marketing and research tasks that a virtual assistant can perform for you:

* promote your business in social networking sites, a very time-consuming task
* produce a podcast which will expand your business’ web presence
* look at competitors’ websites and report on what they’re doing - so you can analyze what your competitors’ approach is and come up with strategies to outdo them
* find information you need to grow your business, such as identify affiliate programs that are relevant to your business and could increase your market reach
* look for websites or blogs relevant to your business where it might be profitable for you to advertise your products or services

Could you do all this yourself and still live the life you want? Probably not. Yet these things could take your business to the next level and ultimately increase your income. You should certainly be familiar with these processes in order to effectively hire and supervise somebody to do them for you. However, you don’t have to do them yourself.

Let a virtual assistant declutter your mind of the minute but essential details of business marketing and research. Then you can focus on work that have greater impact on your business, such as monitoring and evaluating your marketing efforts and those of your competitors, formulating strategies, and mapping out growth directions.

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Stephanie Fish is the owner of Buckeye V.A, she works from her home office in Ohio. After completing her Associate of Applied Business Degree from KSU,she launched her own virtual assistance business. To learn more about the VA industry or how Buckeye V.A. can help your business please visit http://www.buckeyeva.com

vWhat’s The Next Step In Your Business Plan?

Have you ever felt like you’ve taken on too much in your business, but yet you haven’t reached that top goal?

Do you remember that time, when you first started your business and you didn’t have enough “work” to fill your schedule? Now, fast forward a year or so and your business is booming! Your schedule is so full that you can’t even take that next step in your own business plan because you’re so busy taking care of everyone else’s work.

Well, I was introduced to a book titled “Becoming An Online Business Manager” by Tina Forsyth. She explains in great detail what makes a great “Online Business Manager”, what their role is, how they can become one, and there’s even a “test” that you can take to see if you are “OBM” material!

Whether you’re looking for your own Online Business Manager or are interested in becoming one, this book is a great investment that you won’t regret spending your hard earned cash on!

 This post was part of a blog tour.
Yesterday the blog tour stopped at Key Business Partner
 
Click the link to purchase Tina’s book,Becoming an Online Business Manager

And tomorrow the blog tour continues with Craig Cannings at VA Classroom

While you’re here sign-up for my newsletter and learn about the “Top 15 Outsourced Tasks” www.buckeyeva.com

 

Feeling The Holiday Stress Already?

The recent snow flurries reminded me that winter is upon us and that means added stress, particularly due to the fact that the Holidays are right around the corner. Can you believe that November 1 means that Christmas is only 8 Saturdays away!

When I start to count down the weeks until Christmas I start to feel over-whelmed and that can cause anyone to get lost in the chaos and loose focus of their business goals. 

Right around this time of year, business owners start to take on added stress. They may have to deal with the stress of meeting end-of-the-year deadlines, clients and customers added demands (after all, they are feeling the stress from their clients and customers) and  not to forget, the stress of pre-planning for the upcoming new year!

Whew!  That’s enough stress to throw even the most calm business owner into a tizzy! By outsourcing just one task, such as article marketing, you can save yourself up to 10 hours in one months time. Just think what you could do with those “unspoken” for 10 hours?

While you’re here sign-up for my newsletter and learn about the “Top 15 Outsourced Tasks” www.buckeyeva.com

 

God Bless!

P.S. Don’t forget to vote!

 

Article Writing Challenged? How About A Challenge?

I must confess, I do write articles, I just don’t ever let anyone read them! So what possessed me to sign-up for the challenge? Carrie Lauth over at Blah,Blah,Blog is hosting a “30 day 30 article challenge” and something in me screamed “I HAVE TO DO THIS!!”

I am going to submit my articles on my blog (here) and at the following article directories:

WAHM-Articles.com

1888articles.com

Articlebase.com

talkinmince.com

If you’ve been around me and read my ezines then you know how important article marketing is to your business. To sign-up or learn more about this free challenge go here  http://carrielauth.com/blog/2008/08/29/30-days-30-articles/

 Leave me a comment and let me know if you’re joining the challenge so I can root for you!

Have a blessed holiday weekend!

God Bless,

Stephanie Fish

Is Your Business Green?

The growing trend or change of lifestyle today is “going green”. There is “enviromentally friendly” household cleaning products, vehicles, and clothing. I believe online businesses have been “green” for a long time before it became so well known.

Here are some ways that online businesses help with the “going green” movement:

1. They don’t drive to and from work/home/daycare.
2. They control what and how much to print.
3. Utilize a virtual assistant instead of an “in house” assistant.

Are there anymore ways that an online business can help the enviroment?

Don’t Waste Money On A Virtual Assistant!

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

 

   

Boomer Diva’s Unite!

I had the awesome opportunity to speak today at the Boomer Diva Day Celebration that was hosted by WECAI 

If you would like to read more about what we learned, what was taught and who the speakers were please visit this post from Michelle Waters

May God Bless You!
Steph

Sweet “16″? Not Really

Yesterday started out to be a nice sweet “16″ birthday for my oldest daughter. We had a nice homemade breakfast and she opened her gifts. At lunch time we decided to go to Applebee’s and eat some junk food, this is when it started to get “not so good”.

When we got outside the van wouldn’t start. So we had to wait about 1/2 hour for my husband to come home and give us a jump.

We got to Applebee’s, sat down, ordered ice water with lemon and an appetizer sampler to share. Then it happened! My 8 yrs. ( she’ll be 9 on Sunday) went into a seizure! She’s on medication and hasn’t had one for about a year, but this was no seizure we were used to! I’ll spare you the details, but a woman from the table behind us came over to help me open my daughters airways, the ambulance was called.

We spent the next 7 hours in the E.R. before she was cleared to come home, it turns out she has an ear infection (and her ear doesn’t hurt?!) that started the seizure.

I’m so thankful we weren’t far from home, we have good medical help within reach, and we are all home together.

My 3 oldest daughters were so brave and they held up very well. My 8 yrs.old said she’s “not ever going to Applebee’s again!” LOL

 

May God Bless You!

Steph

 

How To Enjoy Your Summer With Out Loosing Customers

Summer is a time to enjoy your family, friends, and to unwind.  Here are 5 suggestions on how to keep your business from falling by the way-side, continue to build your sales and basically keep it on “auto-pilot”.

1. Organization: Take your “mental” to-do list and place it on paper! Take all of your thoughts and write them down. Keep this list in a visual area so you can add to it. Look at your calendar for the summer months (June, July, August). Now write down specific tasks that need to be accomplished each day. For instance, customer service/help desk needs to be checked periodically throughout the day, check phone service for customer messages, check business email, add new inventory, ect.

2. Outsource: Look at your calendar again, which days do plan on not being in the office. Decide if you want to take your laptop or if you are going to be “unplugged” for that day. The tasks that need to be done daily can be outsource to a virtual assistant.

3. Own your time: If you have children home from school, decide how much time you want to spend inside of the office and outside with your family enjoying the beautiful weather. Ask yourself which tasks can be done while your family is sleeping or entertaining themselves.

4. Auto-Responder: Set-up your mailing list so it sends itself out on a regular basis, most mailing lists can be post-dated so you can prewrite your messages, then the software sends the  messages out at the predetermind date and time. Your mailing list is a great way to build customer awareness of your business and to build customer relationships.

5. Blog: Post date your entries, this will keep your content fresh (which the search engines love!),  and in the end you stay connected with your loyal (and maybe new) readers.

 

Summer time should be a time for you to reflect and renew your well being, enjoy your friends,family and the weather. Don’t run yourself ragged, take advantage of the many services offer by the many qualified virtual assistants this summer and keep your business from falling by the wayside. 

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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

Need More Traffic to Your Website?

We all know that more traffic = more potiental sales which means more money for you and your business.

Here is a list of potiental traffic driving actions you can take:

1. Start your own blog and add it as a subfolder (by accessing your CPanel) to your website (ex http://www.yourdomain.com/blog)

2. Get involved with other blogs and leave honest comments, not spammy type of comments

3. List your blog in blog directories

4. Submit articles to article directories (or pay a professional ghost writer to write your articles)

5. Write a professional press release (or pay a professional to write your press release)

6. Exchange links with other online business owners with complimentary businesses

These are just a few of the many things you can do to drive traffic to your product selling website and hopefully increase your sales.

 

Until next time!  

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