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Virtual Insider January 15, 2004 Issue 2 by JERPAT
Patty Benton,
Editor © 2005 JERPAT All statements made in this newsletter are not legal advisement or endorsement of a product. All information provided in this newsletter is strictly opinions and suggestions of the Virtual Insider writers. JERPAT Virtual Assistants and the writers for Virtual Insider cannot be held liable.
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by Patty Benton jerpatvas@comcast.net Dear Readers, Welcome to the year 2004!!! I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday season. Mine was wonderful. We went back to see my family in Iowa and saw many family members that we haven’t seen in years. It was great to be surrounded by family, but equally great to get back home, though my daughter is still lost without her doting grandparents around! Thank you so much for all your comments and subscription recommendations! I really enjoyed reading your comments. Our subscription list is growing daily thanks to your recommendations! You will notice we added some new columns to this month’s newsletter. As always, please give us your feedback on what you think of our columns, new and old. To show our appreciation to our readers' feedback, we have included a Reader’s Corner, in which we will be displaying feedback from our readers. Also, to show how much we value our readers, we have added a Featured Reader column, that will be featuring a different reader each month. At the end of each column are the details on how you can submit information for each column. We also added a Newsletter Swap section so that you may continue learn and gain new information from other newsletters that I personally receive and find beneficial. If you are a newsletter writer yourself, please feel free to send a swap request. The information on how to do this is printed in the Newsletter Swap section. In this issue we will be talking about marketing plans for the New Year. Marketing is such a huge and ongoing topic. This issue will focus on tips and strategies to help get your 2004 marketing plan up and going. Throughout the year we will continually come back to the topic of marketing with new ideas and strategies. Please keep us informed of topics you would like to see covered, as we are here to help your business grow! God bless, Patty P.S. I just wanted to let you know I was recently featured in Mommy's Helper - Mom's Market Ezine as the “Featured Mom.” Stop by and check it out (you may learn something new about me) at http://www.momsmarketonline.com/issue-11.html and check out the rest of the newsletter why you are there.
Please send newsletter questions, comments and ideas by sending an email to newsletter@jerpat.org.
JERPAT Virtual Assitants Owned and Operated by Patty Benton www.moretime4u.org and www.virtualvacoach.com JERPAT Virtual Assistants is made up of a team of Christians. We are proud to announce our newest team member, Carolyn. Carolyn’s work experience offers a wide variety of office skills: secretarial, transcription, insurance – personal lines, workers compensation premium collection and audit, plus general collection. She will be providing transcription services, banquet, meeting and travel arrangements for our company. WELCOME CAROLYN!
Legaltypist Owned and Operated by Andrea Cannavina No additional company news this month.
ePro Virtual Services, Inc. Owned and Operated by Vivi Gonzalez ePro Virtual Services, Inc. is proud to announce the opening of a new division dedicated to assisting Real Estate professionals, www.Your-REVA.com. New services will include various Real Estate related tasks including transaction & listing coordination and many others. This is in addition to the services already offered, administrative & secretarial duties, bookkeeping, desk top publishing and web design/maintenance. To commemorate this new division, ePro will be offering a “Buy 1 Hour – Get 1 Hour Free” promotion for all new clients!
Ennen's Computer Services Owned and Operated by Diana Ennen Ennen's Computer Services' website, www.virtualwordpublishing.com, has added many new articles, tips, links, and other resources for assisting virtual assistants in starting their own business. Also, the directory of virtual assistants continues to grow. We hope you stop by and have a look.
Spotlight Feature Improve Your Follow Through Marketing Skills By Mary Jane
Anonymous Writes “Often, marketers fail not in their promotion, but with their
follow up. It's not enough to get people to your site, but to continue the
process and complete a sale.” This Article may be reprinted as long as the resource box is attached. Virtual Insider’s Feature by Patty Benton jerpatvas@comcast.net Marketing Resolutions for 2004 Everyone knows that with the New Year come the big New Year’s resolutions. Many of us make personal goals, such as losing weight, being nice to our mother-in-law, not eating out so much, etc. etc. Oddly enough, many of us do not set New Year’s resolutions for our business. This is very important to do. The beginning of the year is a great time to look over the past year and look at our successes, and yes, our failures. What went well last year? What needs changed from last year? This information will help us set our resolutions. On top of this, we need to look at how to help our business grow. In this article, I am going to help you get started on your “marketing resolutions for 2004.”
Ø Successful marketing from last year-Don’t try anything new until you are sure you have implemented what has worked for you in the past! Ø Monthly plans. Create a plan. Don’t just haphazardly advertise; what a waste! What will be your goal each month? Will you put together a mailing list and send letters to the same businesses each month for 6 months? Will you add your link to 5 sites each month? Will you start a company newsletter (if you do, send me the link to subscribe!)? Will you advertise in 5 newsletters each month (be sure to advertise in the Virtual Insider!)? Will you apply or call 5 positions posted each day in your local newspaper? (This is proving to be a successful (and free) marketing tool for me!) Ø Target clientele- It is very important in marketing to establish who you want to sell your service or product to, and market to that group. Don’t just market somewhere because it’s cheap, market because it is going to reach your target clientele. If I am selling computers, why would I advertise in a garden magazine? Wouldn’t it be smarter to advertise in an IT magazine or newsletter even if it cost more? Ø Budget marketing allowance. How much are you going to budget each month for marketing? What will you spend that allowance on? Be specific!! How much will you spend on postage, to advertise in newsletters, etc.? Ø Track your budget-Pay attention to where you are spending your marketing budget. Make an excel spreadsheet, create your budget in it, and then track your budget by noting besides each allowance where you spent it. You can even ad a column to document how many leads you received from each advertising. This will allow you to better track what is working and what is not (helpful for monthly marketing and your 2005 plan)!
Make 2004 your most successful year yet! Let’s all grow our businesses and become even more prosperous than last year! In order to do this, let the world know (okay, your neighborhood for now, and the world in 2005) that your business is there and what you can do for your neighborhood. Create your target, and go for it!
Patty Benton is the owner of JERPAT Virtual Assistants and JERPAT Web Design, www.moretime4u.org, which provides affordable administrative and web design support to coaches, small businesses, religious organizations, and realtors. Additionally, Patty is a coach for new entrepreneurs interested in venturing into the virtual assistance industry. She has developed a program that is affordable for all. Visit her coaching site at www.virtualvacoach.com for program details and great business resources. If you would like to receive Patty's articles and other tips in your mailbox every month, you can sign up at www.mortime4u.org/home.html. © 2005 JERPAT Virtual Assistants You have permission to reprint this article electronically or in print, as long as the text and byline remain unedited. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.
LATEST ADMINISTRATIVE NEWS, TIPS AND TRICKS – Top Shelf Virtual Report! is filled with content you can use today. Learn easier ways to use your software, keyboard shortcuts, including content laden business articles. Subscribe today at http://www.topshelfva.com/Newsletter/TSVR%20Peek.htm. Check out Top Shelf VA Services’ first rate virtual assistance services at www.topshelfva.com.
All newsletters featured here have been reviewed and approved as beneficial to subscribers by the editor. If you would like to swap Newsletter Ads please send a request to jerpatvas@comcast.net including a link to your most current issue.
by Vivi Gonzalez vivi@eproservices.com Q: Now with the New Year, I want to put together a good marketing campaign for 2004. Where do I start? A: There are many different ways that you can start organizing your marketing campaign and the good news is that although you can always have a paid professional handle these for you, now you have many resources available that won’t cost you! Newsletters – These are the craze right now and no better way then to keep current customers while bringing in news ones! Make sure you have great content to keep their interest. No time to write? No problem, there are many sites on the web where articles are posted that you can use. Search Engines – Make sure your site has been submitted properly to all top search engines. As each one has its own rules, make sure to take a moment to read and follow them. Of course, you can hire a professional to do this for you if you want and don’t have the time to do yourself. Just remember that it’s best to manually submit your site. Press Releases – Write about your business! Do you have a new promotion starting? Is there something new your business now offers? You can find the basic guidelines to a great press release online; it’s quite easy to do. Once written, you can submit your press release to various free-of-charge PR sites on the web. In addition to this, contact local newspapers, radio stations and TV stations, get their information and send them your press release as well. Imagine what an interview or free paragraph in your local paper can do for your business! For “More questions from Vivi” you may go to http://www.eproservices.com/articles.htm.
Vivi Gonzalez is the owner of eProServices – Virtual Business Center….. offering the best in Virtual Assistance for all business types and sizes. www.eproservices.com mailto:mail@eproservices.com For “More questions from Vivi” you may go to http://www.eproservices.com/articles.htm. Please send questions to Vivi by clicking here or send an email to newsletter@jerpat.org. **Disclaimer – This column is for the sole purpose of basic business advice and it is not meant to be taken as or replace legal advice.
by Diana Ennen DeeEnnen@aol.com New Year’s Marketing Resolutions What a great year it is to be in business!! We have so many wonderful things happening. Businesses and the Virtual Assistance community are uniting with the help of the Alliance for Virtual Businesses™ (www.AllianceforVirtualBiz.com). A joining of forces that will allow both to benefit. Businesses will get the benefit of finding qualified Virtual Assistants and learning the benefits that they can provide and Virtual Assistants get the opportunity to partner with the businesses and share their wealth of knowledge in the technologies and skills they possess. What a great time to set our resolutions in place and start our businesses on the path to success. Resolution #1 - So our first marketing resolution is getting your name and company name in front of your clients and potential clients. Hopefully over the holidays you were generous with your holiday goodies, gifts, and cards. Don’t stop here! Send them correspondence telling them how you look forward to working with them this year and what your plans are for the coming year and keep these going throughout the year. If you have a newsletter, fantastic! Just keep it interesting enough to keep their attention. Something that they want to read. Points they need. And don’t forget, everything has to have your company name, company logo, website, and contact on it, easily accessible. Buttons, Banners, Links, Business Directories, Networks such as Ryze.com, etc. Spend the time and get out there. Let people know who you are and what you can do. I have found that the Ryze Network is a good way for me to find places in my targeted group that I can post my business. Devote a certain amount of time each week to this. Schedule this the same as you would working on a client’s project. You will see the benefit once those new prospects come your way. Resolution #2 -- Press Releases. Yes, they work. Make it a habit to send them out regularly. I recently attended a class at VAU (Virtual Assistance U - www.virtualassistanceu.com) and it was suggested to get familiar with the editor of the publication you are submitting the release to. The best way to do this is simply to call and ask them, “What do you want in a press release?” They need to fill the paper with material and if you can meet their exact needs, their job is easier. PRWeb is an excellent place to send your releases. There is so much information available on the web on press releases, do a search and write down what you find consistent. Resolution #3 -- Networking can be key to success. This year decide to take the plunge and join a few business associations, both local and online, or the Chamber. Meet with some businesses. And you know it’s an election year. Wow―is that an opportunity or what!! Start now to think about how you can take advantage of that. It’s a golden opportunity for many. Happy marketing everyone! -- Diana Ennen
Diana Ennen is the co-author of Up Close and Virtual: A Practical Guide to Starting Your Own Virtual Assistant Business and Words From Home: How To Start and Operate a Home-Based Word Processing Business. She also operates the Virtual Word Publishing website (www.virtualwordpublishing.com), which is geared toward helping others start their own VA business by providing the necessary tips, articles, links, a directory, etc. She is the president of Ennen's Computer Services and can be reached at DeeEnnen@aol.com. In order to use this article in other publications you MUST include this text box.
by Andrea Cannavina Andrea@Legaltypist.com Dear Readers: The number one resolution for those who wish to begin marketing their business in the New Year should be to get out and talk to people about what you do. Visit a local Chamber of Commerce or BNI meeting (www.bni.com) – most will allow at least two visits before requiring you to join and they provide a wonderful atmosphere for you to work on your “professional” image. Since we work in the virtual world, it is not often that we have to speak intelligently about what we do face to face with other human beings. My experience has shown, however, that the majority of new business comes from these face to face meetings and the referrals they can provide. Before attending, make sure you are prepared. List at least ten questions you would ask if you were going to hire yourself, then draft appropriate responses and memorize them. This way, when you are asked “What’s a VA?” or “How do you charge?” you will not have to fumble for a response and risk appearing unprofessional. (Of course, you shouldn’t sound like a robot either!). Make sure you bring plenty of business cards, as well as any other marketing materials you have developed, in case there is a table for such items for members to pick up. If you are shy or have any problems speaking in front of groups of people, practice your answers in front of a mirror or join your local Toastmasters (www.toastmasters.org)(an organization dedicated to teaching effective communication and leadership skills). Getting your hair cut/styled or a manicure the same day as the meeting is also a wonderful confidence booster! Do not limit yourself to business-type organizations. Start to look for openings to speak about what you do in your every day life. For instance, recently, I was at a school function for my son and was speaking with the woman sitting next to me. She commented on my PDA/phone and I explained that I got it to better manage my business. She asked what I do and after I explained, she told me that her brother is an attorney. Since I was giving her my number anyway, I handed her a second business card (without my home number on the back!) for her to give to her brother to keep on file should he ever need help. She said she was sure he would call me at some point, since he’s always telling her he can’t find a decent secretary!! If you are serious about building your practice, you need to be able to intelligently speak to people about what you do. Get up, get out, get away from your computer and talk to anyone who will listen! Until next month............ Virtually yours, Andrea Cannavina
Andrea Cannavina is the President of Legaltypist, Inc., www.legaltypist.com, a company which provides secretarial outsourcing and off site transcription to sole practitioners and small-mid sized law firms located throughout North America. Andrea is the Coordinator of the AskAPro section of the Virtual Business Group (www.virtualbizgroup.com), and serves on the By Laws Committee of the International Virtual Assistants Association (www.ivaa.org). To contact Andrea directly, please e-mail her at Andrea@Legaltypist.com, or visit her website at www.legaltypist.com. In order to use this article in other publications you MUST include this text box.
Featured Reader TheVirtualLink.com http://www.thevirtuallink.com Anna Baron is the owner of TheVirtualLink.com and has been a Virtual Assistant for over 6 years. Anna is an IVAA CVA (Certified Virtual Assistant), CRESS (Certified Real Estate Support Specialist) and a PREVA (Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant). As a Certified Virtual Assistant, Anna Baron has been certified as a highly skilled and ethical Virtual Assistant through IVAA, the most respected Virtual Assistant organization in the industry. As a Certified Real Estate Support Specialist, Anna Baron has been supporting real estate professionals as a Virtual Assistant and has been featured twice on EPowerNews.com, listed as a preferred Virtual Assistant in the Florida Realtors Magazine and is recommended highly by Allen Hainge of AFHseminars (Cyberstars) as a preferred Virtual Assistant. In addition to her Virtual Assistant practice, Anna co-leads VAmarketing.com and VirtualAssistantTips.com; consults with other VAs in marketing their business; and is a Virtual Assistant Coach for newbies. Anna has been featured in the “The Entrepreneurial Parent” a book by Paul and Lisa Edwards, the Dallas Business Journal, the Dallas Morning News, and the Florida Realtor Magazine. Anna’s clientele list features a Big 5 Accounting firm, a Fortune 100 consumer products company, several realtors, various speakers and coaches and a wide array of other entrepreneurs. Anna’s desire is to exceed her clients’ expectations…and she always does. From proposals to presentations and e-zines to web site design, TheVirtualLink.com is your link for marketing and virtual assistant services.
If you would like to be a featured reader, help build our subscription list by recommending at least one person (more would be appreciated) to our newsletter. Once you have made the recommendation to at least one person, please send an email to jerpatvas@comcast.net. Honesty is expected. From all requests made by the 1st of each month, one randomly selected reader will be notified by the 5th of each month. Please limit to one request per month. Thank you! Advertisement
Virtual Accuracy www.VirtualAccuracy.com Virtual Accuracy provides professional administrative and technical support to small and large businesses, home based businesses, non-profit organizations and busy individuals. We allow businesses the time they so desperately need to focus on running their business instead of focusing on the daunting administrative tasks that keep them from what they do best.
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Contact us at jerpatvas@comcast.net for affordable advertisement information.
Hi Patty, I just read the first issue of "Virtual Insider" and I had to send you a quick note of congratulations. What a wonderful newsletter!!! It is very informative, easy to read, just the right length, and the suggested links are great! Fantastic job! I'm looking forward to the next issue!!! Lori Gray
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion you would like to see in the reader’s corner, please submit an email to newsletter@jerpat.org. We will post as many as we can, but do not guarantee every email will be posted. We reserve the right to edit or only post part of an email. When sending an email, you are granting us the right to post your first and last name with your email. Thank you!
What’s Coming Next Month In the next issue of Virtual Insider we will be discussing strategies and tips to get your business organized. Please be sure to send your questions and ideas on this topic to newsletter@jerpat.org.
Suggested Articles
http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com/library/ideal.shtml “Ideal Marketing Methods for Home-Based Businesses” by Vishal P. Rao
http://www.work-at-home-team.com/articles/2002480.html “Work At home- 10 Ways to Advertise for Free” by Quintarsa Malone
http://www.work-the-web.com/vapromotion.htm “Promoting Your Practice”
1_04Seymour.htm “Let’s Get Back to Business” by Terri Seymour
http://www.docutype.net/press.htm#smbiz This is a link to several small business articles written by Janice Byers
http://www.yudkin.com/marketing.htm This is also a link several marketing articles written by Marcia Yudkin
http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com/tips.htm Our own column writer Diana Ennen has some wonderful articles and tips on her site. This link leads you her tips page, where you can find information to obtain a free marketing booklet that was excellent and gave me many ideas.
Additional Newsletter Information If you would like to subscribe to our newsletter, please visit us at www.moretime4u.org/home.html.
All statements made in this newsletter are not legal advisement or endorsement of a product. All information provided in this newsletter is strictly opinions and suggestions of the Virtual Insider writers. JERPAT Virtual Assistants and the writers for Virtual Insider cannot be held liable.
JERPAT Virtual Assistants always welcomes article suggestions from our readers, although we cannot promise to print everything submitted. Because of our publishing schedule, we are not able to announce time-sensitive events; however, if there is an upcoming conference or newsworthy event please be sure to submit it, and we will do our best to validate and publish the event WHEN POSSIBLE. While we often mention commercial products, publications, and web sites, JERPAT Virtual Assistants and affiliates does not accept or reprint unsolicited advertising copy. Send your article suggestions to the editor at jerpatvas@comcast.net.
Contact: Patty Benton 303.766.3051 9 am-5 pm MST Monday-Friday
© 2005 JERPAT No part of this newsletter may be reproduced unless specified in the authors byline. Please respect all guidelines provided by our writers. If there are no guidelines provided for a section of this newsletter you would like to reproduce, please send print request to jerpatvas@comcast.net.
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