The Power of Two!
November 14, 2008
Have you heard of Joint Venture (a.k.a JV)? If not here is a brief description:
a business enterprise in which two or more companies enter a temporary partnership. Abbreviation: JV, J.V. (source cited below)
Joint Ventures can take on different forms such as creating and publishing e-books, create contests and even hold online seminars, as well as other partnership opportunities.
Now on to my story…about 2 weeks ago Kelly McCausey posted a “Barter To Success” blog post inviting business owners to barter their goods or/and services. So I jumped in with both feet and sought after an experienced freelance writer.
That’s where I found Teresa Hall owner of Write About Everything, so far our relationship has worked well. Here is her take on the new found relationship on her blog post
American Psychological Association (APA):
joint venture. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved November 10, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/joint venture
Chicago Manual Style (CMS):
joint venture. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/joint venture (accessed: November 10, 2008).
Modern Language Association (MLA):
“joint venture.” Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 10 Nov. 2008. .
Free download! Get instant dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedia access from your Windows programs with CleverKeys.
Dictionary.com is now podcasting. Click here to listen to our Word Explorer podcasts.
Feeling The Holiday Stress Already?
October 31, 2008
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 Marketing=Success
September 25, 2008
Articles+Customers=Success
O.k. I can hear you saying “Steph, come on..how is article writing going
to get me customers?” Well, I’m here to tell you that the correctly written
article can help you succeed in your business.
Articles are like blood types; they come in positive and negative.
1. Negative: if your article is written poorly, bad grammar, incorrect
information, misleading or promotional.
2. Positive: written correctly, no grammar mistakes, correct information,
educational.
All of your articles should be written to educate your target market. This
why your research needs to come first! Remember way back when I said you
need to focus your business? This is one reason why you have to have a
focused business before marketing your business, otherwise, you’ll waste a
lot of time and money.
So you’ve reseached your target market, your business if focused and now
you’re saying “I just don’t have the time to write my own articles” or
perhaps you’re saying “I need help getting started!”
Well, if you decide not to write your own articles for whatever reason you have 2 choices:
1. Ghost Writer- This is a more expensive option in which you hire/contract with a professional writer to write exclusive articles that you are for your use only.
2. PLR (private label rights) Articles- These are articles written by professional writers, that give you the right to rewrite them anyway you want, the distribute them to your readers, blog, newsletter and website. These are both great options to help you get the content you to educate your target market and help you in your quest for better SEO results!
Please use my affiliate link for EasyPLR.com
Remember, your virtual assistant is willing and able to help you succeed in your business and is most likely a great source to go to for help with your marketing efforts.
God Bless,
Stephanie Fish
Buckeye V.A.
*If your looking for a Virtual Assistant, may I suggest you contact me to see if my services can help you with your small business needs.
Need a Press Release?
August 26, 2008
If you want to beat out your competition, or at least be running next to them; then you need to write and submit press releases.
Your marketing plan needs to include press release submissions, as a virtual assistant I tell my clients you must have a marketing plan (btw, I can help draw one up for your business). If you are scratching your head wondering “what’s a press release” or “where in the world do I get that information!” then I have 2 great resources for you today!
Goody #1: YouTube Video:
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Goody #2: Template: http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dd8nn97m_14dtwrtxgx&hl=en&pageview=1&hgd=1
Are You Organized Enough For A Virtual Assistant?
July 18, 2008
Good Day!
I’ve been asked “What information does my virtual assistant need and how do I organize all of it?”
As a virtual assistant for almost 2 years I have seen how important it is to be very organized. Any small business knows this, but if you run your small business from home, then its even more important.
Outsourcing to a virtual assistant is crucial if you find yourself overwhelmed with “too much growth” and not enough time in your week to complete important projects.
Here’s a sample of what I use when starting a relationship with a client. If you are searching for a virtual assistant, feel free to print this list and keep it pinned to your office wall for future reference.
Remember, your virtual assistant should be able to help you get organized. Don’t feel that you have to have everything already organized BEFORE you contract with a virtual assistant.
Let’s Begin:
Open a new excel spreadsheet, give it a name, and then save it in a new folder (this will save you time from having to search each time you need to access it.)
1. Make a list of all your press release and article directory usernames and passwords
2. List all articles and press releases that have been submitted; include the date and topic for each
3. Did You outsource your article and press release writing? Write down that persons contact information
4. Write down the contact information of your hosting company
5. Make note of your CPanel username and password
Just a final thought:
Organization is just as important as communication when it comes to building a successful relationship with your virtual assistant. If you have been in business for any length of time you know how fast you collect accounts, usernames, passwords, and a million useful links so having all of this information together in place will make your life and business run more smoothly!
Good luck with your organization and remember, its never too late to start gathering all that information.
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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 will compliment your business. If you are serious about building your business without sacrificing your family, please contact me at buckeyeva@gmail.com
Overwhelmed By Success? Learn To Outsource
June 29, 2008
As a virtual assistant for online physical product sellers I see a reoccuring question:
”Do I really need to outsource?” The only way I can answer this is by asking you a few questions.
1. Have you seen a growth in your business?
2. Do you feel you are stuck-in-a-rut?
3. Are you so consumed with fulfilling orders that you don’t have time to restock your online photos, grow your social network or get publicity?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you need to learn “how” to outsource and “what” to outsource.
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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 will compliment your business. If you are serious about building your business without sacrificing your summer, please contact me at buckeyeva@gmail.com
Don’t Waste Money On A Virtual Assistant!
June 27, 2008
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!
June 20, 2008
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
Summer Plans? Life Behind the Computer
June 13, 2008
DO YOU PLAN ON WORKING LONG HOURS THIS SUMMER?
This is a very important and valid question that needs some serious consideration. As a virtual assistant for small business owners I have seen how frustrated the business owner has become when they have summer plans that do not include your business, yet you know you “have” to continue working.
There is an answer to this question and it’s called “outsourcing”. There are a few things to take into consideration before you outsource:
1. What are your summer goals? Make a quick list (nothing fancy, this is for your eyes only) of everything you want to work on or accomplish this summer. Include spiritual, health/fitness, alone time, family/friends, sports, fun reading time, etc.
2. How many tasks do you need completed? Will these be on a daily, weekly or monthly basis? Are these repeated tasks?
3. How many hours do you want to “free up” for your summer plans?
4. Do you need to start working towards your holiday sales goals? Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be looking ahead to the end of the year!
May I suggest something that works for me? Grap your calendar, a large tablet, ink pen and your favorite beverage and go sit in your favorite quiet spot. Start making a list of your goals and be honest with yourself with how much work you can accomplish without sacrificing your summer.
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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?
May 16, 2008
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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