Upload and Wait?
I have heard many new business owners say “I have my website up and running, now what?” A few people think that once the website is uploaded the traffic will automatically build and the phones will start ringing. I am here to tell you, not so. 
Now that you have established your online presence you now need to create a buzz and get people talking and recommending your site.
Here are a few tactics to get you going:
Email Signature
The quickest and simplest way to infect the world with your message. Create an informative and intriguing message and include a link to your website in your signature.
Create something valuable for free.
A free ebook for signing up for your mailing list. Please ensure that whatever you give away is packed with valuable information and find a way to embed links back to your website in the material.
Write Articles
Spend a few hours writing some informative articles and submit them to article directories. I can’t express how valuable this method is for building your brand. Be sure to include the all important keywords in your articles.
Affiliate Programs
Pay others to promote your product or service. Set up affiliate program and encourage others to promote your brand. The great news about this is you only pay when you get the referral.
Setting up a website is one thing, going out and marketing it is another. You will only get visitors if they know that you are there. So go out and use these methods and see the click coming in.
CRG
The Cost-Effective Solution for Small Businesses
Question: Can you afford to hire a Virtual Assistant?
The answer is: Can you afford not too?
Many business owners, entrepreneurs and executives are usually blown away by the hourly rate of a Virtual Assistant. They sometimes decide that it is more cost effective to just hire an in-house assistant at a much lower rate. Is it really more cost effective?
If you are going to hire a full time assistant to work on tasks that can be completed within a few hours it certainly is not.
It has been a lot more cost effective for business owners, entrepreneurs and executives to hire a Virtual Assistant for a few hours weekly. Many will attest to the fact that it has been a wise decision.
Hiring a Virtual Assistant can save you money on overhead costs, inefficiency, vacation leave, sick leave, and other fringe benefits. A virtual assistant has a genuine interest in your business success because your success means continued business and referrals.
So the next time you think about posting that help wanted ad why not post a RFP and receive quality bids for virtual professionals.
To Your Business Success,
FSE
Virtual Assistant Must Haves
For the sake of upcoming Virtual Assistants I have compiled the list of must have software. Please note that you can obtain a lot of them at no cost. So here goes:
- Microsoft Office (Including Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
- Microsoft Outlook (Task management, email, calendar, contact management)
- Antivirus (Avast, Norton etc)
- Time Tracking Software (Timestamp)
- PDF Creator (Cutepdf)
- Web Design/ Publisher (Microsoft Frontpage)
- FTP Software (Smartftp)
- Instant Messenger (Skype)
- Adobe Reader
- LogMeIn (Remote Access)
- Gimp (Desktop Publishing)
- Evernote (Get organized)
- Express Scribe (Transcription)
There is a short list of the software that I use almost daily.
There is another point that I want to emphasize and that is the use of free email clients (gmail, hotmail, yahoo). Until you obtain your own domain name try using you the name given by your Internet Service Provider, for eg, tstt, cwjamaica, etc.
Thats it for now, comments and additions to the list are always welcome.
CRG
Benefits Of Working At Home As A Virtual Assistant
There are a few Virtual Assistants who have established offices outside of the home. However the vast majority still operate outside of their home offices. There are quite a few challenges to consider when you set up an office at home but I will leave those for another day. Today I will focus on the benefits of working at home, here are a few benefits:
Get a competitive advantage. As a virtual assistant you can reduce your overhead if you set up and work out of a home office. Money saved from not having to pay a monthly rent can be used to market your business or pay for membership at your local chamber of commerce. Reduced overhead can give you an edge on your competitors by offering lower rates to your customers.
Reduced Stress. No deadlines to meet, unless they are self imposed. No drama at the office or stress over getting that promotion. You can set your own schedule around family time and commitments.
Personal Freedom. Set your own goals and work when you want to.
Save Money. For me, working at home meant saving on gasoline, commute time and business suits. Of course this does not give you permission to dress sloppy, it just means that you don’t have a buy a new suit every month. It also meant a significant saving on daycare.
Family Time. One of the most important benefit of working at home is the ability to spend time with family on your own terms.
Personal Development. I cannot express fully what working at home has given me in terms of personal development. As a Virtual Assistant, like many other business owners, I have to wear a variety of hats throughout the day. I have learned to manage the books, build a website, desktop publishing and write a book, to name a few.
Increase Productivity. I know a monthly income depend on my productivity. This inspires creativity as each month I seek new ways to increase my earning potential.
I have a few benefits and I am sure that there are lots more. As you join this growing movement, please feel free to share your thoughts, I would love to hear your reasons for working at home.
CRG
