Business Letters

Are you introducing a new sale or product or looking to let your clients in on an upcoming promotion? A Virtual Assistant can help you to find the right words for the letter and can even take care of distributing it to your clients.

Web site copy

Web site copy can be a very involved process, especially if you want it to be search engine optimized. Creating impressive and persuasive copy takes more than just telling someone that you have a product or service. You need to answer the question “What’s in it For Me?” and you need to do so in a unique way to set your web site apart from your competition.

Marketing materials

A Virtual Assistant can assist you in finding the right words to portray your message in all your marketing materials including brochures, information sheets and business cards. A Virtual Assistant can also assist with preparing the copy for your marketing package as well as assembling and mailing these packages to potential clients. Keep in mind that not only can your VA put together the perfect words, but he/she can also format them and add design elements that will make your marketing materials appealing as well.

Articles

Article marketing is fast becoming a great way to prove to your potential clients that you are an expert and know your stuff. It is also an additional way to market your product or services indirectly through your article by-line. As blogging is becoming more popular, people are often looking for quality content and turn to article sites for their content. There is a potential for a well written article to reach thousands of potential clients. Not only can a Virtual Assistant assist you with writing this article, but they can also handle submitting your article to the article directory sites.

Press Releases

Another great way to tell others about your product or service or about an upcoming event or promotion is through a press release. Keeping your press release non-adversarial can be difficult, especially when you have a personal stake. Just as with articles, a Virtual Assistant can also assist you with submitting your press release to the necessary submission sites.

Autoresponder series

Many people are setting up autoresponders as a way for keeping in touch with their existing clients. Especially where a product has been purchased, an autoresponder can send out reminders at suggested intervals. It is great to have a Virtual Assistant not only write the autoresponders for you, but also set them up and maintain them. You can also utilize autoresponders for ecourses as a way of producing a residual income.

Newsletters

Finding content for your newsletter can be a daunting task and as such, often our promises to send periodic newsletters become overwhelming. A Virtual Assistant can not only assist with writing valuable content on your behalf, but they can also provide the services to produce and maintain your newsletter to ensure that your promises are kept.

Blog entries

Blogging is fast becoming a great marketing tool for business. However, many business owners are finding it hard to keep up with the demands required to maintain the blog. Just having one or two blog entries per week can mean providing enough content to establish a readership. A virtual assistant can not only write that content on your behalf, but can also prepare the entries and maintain your blog comments.

Thank you notes

So many of us forget to take the time to say thank you. However, so many of us say that we love to receive a thank you and acknowledgment from others. A Virtual Assistant can handle writing and sending out your thank you notes so that your clients (and friends) can see that you truly do value them.

Ghostwriting of E-Books, special reports, etc

Creating a residual income can be a great way to grow your business without having to put in more hours in a day. Many of us, as business owners, are sitting on a great deal of knowledge and expertise ~ we can come up with the ideas, but lack the time or skill to convert those ideas, knowledge and expertise into a tangible product. Working with a Virtual Assistant is a great way to do this. Utilizing your ideas, they work with you to put your thoughts into words and create a tangible product for re-sale.

Keep in mind that all Virtual Assistants come with their own skillset and services and not all will provide writing services, however the next time you are staring at that blank screen or paper, remember a Virtual Assistant can assist you to find the “write” words.

                          

On the second day after the holiday my VA prepared for me:
two ghostwritten articles
and an SEO ready website

On the third day after the holiday my VA prepared for me:
three personalized databases
two ghostwritten articles
and an SEO ready website

On the fourth day after the holiday my VA prepared for me:
four booked speaking gigs
three personalized databases
two ghostwritten articles
and an SEO ready website

On the fifth day after the holiday my VA prepared for me:
five social media campaigns
four booked speaking gigs
three personalized databases
two ghostwritten articles
and an SEO ready website

On the sixth day after the holiday my VA prepared for me:
six months of blog posts
five social media campaigns
four booked speaking gigs
three personalized databases
two ghostwritten articles
and an SEO ready website

On the seventh day after the holiday my VA prepared for me:
seven research projects
six months of blog posts
five social media campaigns
four booked speaking gigs
three personalized databases
two ghostwritten articles
and an SEO ready website

On the eighth day after the holiday my VA prepared for me:
eight formatted reports
seven research projects
six months of blog posts
five social media campaigns
four booked speaking gigs
three personalized databases
two ghostwritten articles
and an SEO ready website

On the ninth day after the holiday my VA prepared for me:
nine transcribed audios
eight formatted reports
seven research projects
six months of blog posts
five social media campaigns
four booked speaking gigs
three personalized databases
two ghostwritten articles
and an SEO ready website

On the tenth day after the holiday my VA prepared for me:
ten new client info packs
nine transcribed audios
eight formatted reports
seven research projects
six months of blog posts
five social media campaigns
four booked speaking gigs
three personalized databases
two ghostwritten articles
and an SEO ready website

On the eleventh day after the holiday my VA prepared for me:
eleven article submissions
ten new client info packs
nine transcribed audios
eight formatted reports
seven research projects
six months of blog posts
five social media campaigns
four booked speaking gigs
three personalized databases
two ghostwritten articles
and an SEO ready website

On the twelfth day after the holiday my VA prepared for me:
twelve months of bookkeeping
eleven article submissions
ten new client info packs
nine transcribed audios
eight formatted reports
seven research projects
six months of blog posts
five social media campaigns
four booked speaking gigs
three personalized databases
two ghostwritten articles
and an SEO ready website

                          

1. Good Communication
   Since your Virtual Assistant will not have a physical presence in your office, it will be important to establish and follow a good communication plan. Determine whether you would like your Virtual Assistant to contact you with updates daily, weekly, monthly or as needed. When providing your Virtual Assistant with instructions ensure they are always direct, precise and understandable. Also ensure your VA is aware of your preferred method of communication (telephone, e-mail, facsimile, etc.).
2. Be Open
   First and foremost, in order to have a successful working relationship with your VA you must be open to the concept. Also, be open to any ideas or suggestions your VA may have and offer reasons why or why not you think the ideas are worthy of further consideration. Remember to give your VA time to answer your inquiries because although they may not have the answer, they do have the resources to find the answer for you.
3. Trust the Partnership
   Just like any relationship, trust must be earned. When working with a VA it will be especially important to trust that when they say they are working for you they truly are. Try starting your relationship off slowly to “test the waters” and gradually work up to larger, more demanding assignments.
4. Have Patience
   Remember to give your VA time to learn your business and your preferences. Provide your VA with the guidance they need and remember they may have a lot of questions as they learn how and why you and your business operate. The end result will definitely be worth all the time, patience and understanding you devote to making the partnership succeed.
5. Give Up Control
   I know you have been wearing many of the hats for awhile, but don’t be afraid to hand over some “control” to your VA. Just remember by allowing your VA to handle your administrative headaches you gain the opportunity to focus your time and energies elsewhere. By giving up control you can “hand off” all those tasks you dread, knowing they are being handled professionally and accurately.
6. Be Respectful
   Remember that your VA is likely to have boundaries you should be aware of. Be respectful of your VA’s office hours, turnaround time and how they wish to receive instructions. Through mutual respect and appreciation, your VA can become a vital part of the success and growth of your business.
7. Plan Ahead
   Please try to remember that in most cases, your VA has other people they work for so keep that in mind when scheduling when you provide them with work. Don’t leave things until the last minute.

Now that your VA is handling your administrative headaches it is time to concentrate on the things that matter to growing your business. These are the things that attracted you to your business in the first place. By partnering with a VA, you gain the opportunity to spend more time on the things you enjoy doing. Spend more time with your family, wine and dine a new client or try a new marketing strategy. By partnering with a VA, you can concentrate on truly growing a thriving business.

                          

I am sure that you will agree that after you meet 20 or 30 insurance agents, because let’s face it every networking group has one, it is hard to remember which agent is which … Unless they have done something to make you remember them. I say this because I remember once meeting an insurance agent at a networking event, that was giving out lifesavers with his business card and telling people, after I sit down with you and help you make sense of all your insurance needs you will realize that I am a lifesaver. It was just the hook I needed to remember this gentleman.

I remember a friend once telling me that she went to a dog park with her dog and there were frisbees all over the park with the name of a local doggie spa. The dogs were going around the park and picking up the frisbees to take home … I thought to myself that this was such a great marketing trick!!

So what are you doing for your business to make people remember you? If you are stuck for ideas, perhaps a brainstorming session is in store with your colleagues, your friends or your Virtual Assistant. You will be amazed at the ideas that you can come up with.

Some things to look at as you start trying to think of ideas for your own hook are; your business name, the services you provide, your business values, your business goals and what your services/products mean for the people who purchase from you.

Oh and one last tip … don’t dismiss an idea because it is corny. Sometimes it’s the corny ideas that work the best at making people remember you.

                          

So what is it that makes it not work? The answer is quite simple … most don’t have the success ingredients needed for to turn their resolution into a reality. You see, having a resolution is very much like setting a goal for yourself. In order for your resolution to work, just like goal setting, it requires the following success ingredients:

1. It should be positive – don’t say “This year, I will get more clients”, say “This year, my business attracts several clients that fit my ideal profile”
2. It should have a time line – set yourself a date when you will accomplish your resolution. It is so much easier to accomplish this if you have a deadline. Don’t say “this year I want to write a book”, set a date to launch your book and say, “On September 1^st I will launch my book”.
3. Keep it realistic – is creating a 6 figure income attainable? For some businesses, this is easily attainable, but for others it would take a lot of effort. Ask yourself if your resolution is realistic given all the current circumstances surrounding you.
4. Write it down – by writing it down, you are less likely to forget what your resolution is and more likely to find success.
5. Have a plan – without a plan it is much like trying to make a loaf of bread without a recipe. Yes we know some of what needs to be done, but isn’t it much easier to bake a perfect loaf of bread when you know the ingredients needed and how to turn it from those ingredients into an actual edible loaf of bread.

When you use these ingredients in setting your resolutions, you will see that it can happen. You will be on your way to creating a growing and thriving business for yourself.

Now is the time to take charge of your own destiny, for those that have set a New Year’s Resolution, make sure you use the ingredients above and you will be on your way. For those that haven’t set a New Year’s Resolution for your business remember you don’t have to wait for a special day to make your business resolutions. Seize the day and make your changes today … no time is better than the present.