#4--Free Website Promotion -- Banners, Buttons, Exchanging Links. Recognition is key. You'd be amazed how many places there are you can put your button or banner in professional directories that will get the type of client you are looking for. Here's one to check out--Edirectoryofhomebasedcareers.com. Make a strong professional impression. Your website should reflect a confident YOU! This is your selling tool. Make it the very best it can be.

#5 -- Read Read Read -- Everything you can on starting a business. On forums, in books, in magazines. You name it. Every tip you get helps you to have a more successful business. Naturally, we highly recommend our books. They are industry leaders and have proven to be the foundation of many successful businesses. Go to Free Resources for a Sample Chapter of our book Virtual Assistant the Series.

#6 -- Network Online and Offline-- Forums, Associations (Chamber of Commerce, VA Associations, etc.) Here are just a few. I highly recommend joining these. VAnetworking.com <<The largest member based Virtual Assistant network on the Internet and....we're FREE to join!! , IAVOA, Bizymoms.com,  Work-the-Web, Chamber, etc. Get involved!!

#7 -- Be Creative -- I'm always looking for new ways to spread the news about my business. I have utilized unique business cards, a web decal, mouse pad for clients with my name on it, and my latest -- my company name on a bracelet - it opens up the conversation for what I do and the I sell I convince them to utilize my services by telling them of the benefits I can provide.

#6 -- Have a 30 second elevator speech prepared describing your business-- Fine-tune it often. Also, follow-up providing them with business cards and a friendly, confident you!

#8 -- Use a Signature Line -- let every e-mail that goes out sell you! You can add your URL. Just don't go overboard. And with your Signature Line -- Use a P.S. It works! Example: P.S. Use my services within the next two weeks and receive 15% off.

#9 Develop a niche-- Why do you hear this so often? Because it's important. You need to do this to succeed. Be the best at something. The very best. You can do other things, but excel in one or two areas.

#10 Web Decals -- Webdecals.com These are decals that you can put on your car. And they work. This is for local clientele.

#11 Direct Mail -- To your targeted market. Works good for word processors especially. I've always had success. E-mail me for additional information. I have a disk that I'd be glad to send you with letters and info.
 
#12 Newsletters/Newspapers/Write Articles/Press Releases -- PRWeb.com (see information on press releases on other pages). I have found press releases are terrific.

#13 Word of mouth! YES!! It still stands true today. When people get professional service, they tell others. Be the BEST. Always! We are a proud profession the Virtual Industry and we let others know.

#14 Offer discounts for bulk gift certificates-- Perhaps the CEO wants to buy all of his/her VPs an hour of your services to free up their time. Instead of your usual hourly rate of $25, only charge them $20 or maybe even a rounded rate, depending on how many employees. The same idea could work for a large law firm too.

Create a Marketing Plan and Marketing Book

It's essential in starting a successful home-based secretarial services business, virtual assisting business or any type of online business to create a complete marketing plan. Know in advance the clients you plan to target and exactly how you want to target them. You can market your business to attorneys, insurance agents, doctors, small businesses, other home-based businesses, real estate agents, authors, etc. Each type of client requires a unique marketing plan. Look to our free booklet on obtaining clients to help find some ideas.

Here are some additional suggestions:

Print out and keep copies of all your various marketing letters, standard marketing e-mails, press releases, link site descriptions, meta tag descriptions, passwords, etc. Categorize the book according to each entry. (Letters, e-mails, press releases, web information, etc.). Clearly state, where they can be found in your computer. Put them in a 3-ring binder, preferably in protective sheets.
Then, when the opportunity arises, that client calls and you need to send out a letter in response, you won’t have to reinvent the wheel each time. Also, it enables you to cut and paste, taking one paragraph from one letter and one from another. Can you see the potential for creating an awesome response letter or e-mail back. You can have paragraphs from several letters! Now put that new letter in there too! Having it in black and white is an excellent tool for fine-tuning your marketing.

DO'S AND DON’TS FOR STARTING A
HOME-BASED VIRTUAL/ASSISTING/WORD PROCESSING BUSINESS

Starting a home-based virtual assisting/word processing business is an excellent at-home opportunity. You can schedule your own hours, decide on the type of client you wish to work for, and most importantly, earn a good steady income. Fortunately start-up costs are low and the main requirement is the ability to type and proof well. This is a perfect business for moms who want to spend more time with their children and still make money.

Following are ten do’s and don’ts to start a business to keep in mind:

DO -- Decide on a targeted market and initially focus your marketing efforts in that area. By developing a “niche” in your field, your reputation spreads quickly and soon you become a recognized expert. Several specialties include: medical, legal or business transcription, resume consulting, desktop publishing, manuscript preparing, academic typing, computer tutoring, etc.
DO -- Be creative about where you can find business. Look in the want ads for those seeking help and offer your assistance until they hire someone. If you see a new business opening, approach them to help with not only their typing needs, but also their marketing efforts as well. Actively network and don’t limit your marketing to simply placing a few ads in newspapers or the Yellow Pages. You want to find where there might be a need -- and go fill it!
DO -- Write a complete plan of action for your marketing efforts. Having everything written down ensures that you stay on track in developing your business.
DO -- Develop promotional material that looks sensational! Your business card alone is often the only connection a potential client has with your services. It should have the POWER to draw them to you. Spend the time to review cards that have caught your interest in the past and then design yours with that in mind. With your letterhead, brochures, flyers, etc., add color and style by purchasing specialty paper at places such as Office Depot, Office Max or specialty paper stores. Occasionally change your letterhead and cards as you develop your business. With a few years experience under your belt, you can develop a much more professional marketing tool that emphasizes your current word processing capabilities and added strengths.
DO -- Learn everything you can about starting a business. Knowledge is power and the more you know, the fewer mistakes you are likely to make. Look to online services and message boards and chats to talk with other word processors operating a business. Join associations that are targeted for your industry. We highly recommend IAVOA. Go to www.iavoa.com for information. And read, read, read. By frequently continuing to increase your skills and your knowledge of your profession, the end result is a more confident satisfied you.
DO -- Provide your clients with more than they ask for. When clients leave your office and get more than they expected, they come back. And best of all, they refer others. This is how businesses grow. Also, it’s easier to keep a client than it is to get a new one. By providing your clients with excellent services, you do just that.
DO -- Enjoy!! There’s no greater feeling than landing that first client or finishing your first big project. Plus, wait until you get the opportunity to tell someone you own and operate your own word processing business. It sure beats I’m a secretary at .... Plus, when you enjoy your business it shows. Your clients will sense your positive attitude and want to be a part of your team.

DON'T -- Under price your services. Don’t make the mistake of assuming if you charge the lowest prices, you’ll get the most work. You won’t. Instead, you’ll end up working outrageous hours for peanuts! Clients will pay more for professional services. When a potential client discovers you’re charging a lower rate than standard, they often feel they will receive a quality of services that is also lower. You are a professional service and you want to charge accordingly.
DON'T -- Overextend yourself. One of the common mistakes many word processors make is to accept too much work and then not be able to accurately complete it. Learn to say no or have a back-up helper who can assist you with any overflow work. Remember one of the most important ingredients for success is keeping your clients satisfied. If you overextend yourself and make a lot of errors, it will jeopardize your business.
DON'T -- Get discouraged. It takes time to get a business going. Plan ahead and have money saved in reserve. Don’t buy items until you have found the best possible price and there is an absolute need. This advance planning takes the pressure off of having to make money NOW. If things are slow and the phone just isn’t ringing ... MAKE IT RING!! There’s plenty of work out there, you just need to aggressively pursue it.

Finally, the most important ingredient for success is your belief in yourself. If you believe that with your skills and experience, you can own your own business, then there’s nothing stopping you. DREAMS DO COME TRUE. SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED TO MAKE THEM HAPPEN.

Tell me what you think? Any suggestions! Please send me your tips to add to this page.
diana@virtualwordpublishing.com

SOME HOW TO’S ON STARTING A HOME-BASED
VIRTUAL ASSISTING BUSINESS

Setting up a home-based virtual assisting business is relatively easy, but it's important to have a complete plan of action set out in advance.
I'm a firm believer that the initial planning phase of a business is crucial to its success. This ensures that you don't leave any vital steps un-addressed and also prevents any unexpected surprises down the road.

Therefore, I recommend first writing a complete business plan for your business. Nothing technical, just how you plan to operate your business including advertising methods, pricing, business hours, equipment and supplies needed, etc.

The next step is to select the appropriate business name. Take your time here as you want your business name to be an asset by appealing to your potential clients. Your name needs to clearly express what services you provide and not limit you if you choose to expand your business into other areas. Decide on a name that people would want to call if they have virtual assisting needs.

To operate a business you are required by law to have the appropriate licenses. This is your permit to do business locally. It's a simple procedure that doesn't require a considerable amount of time. Contact your city and county officials under occupational licenses for complete details. You will also want to check out a good domain name as you will want to get a web site as soon as possible.

Now it's time to set up your bookkeeping. I find that the most important ingredient to keeping good books is keeping it simple. If it's easy to do, and doesn't require a lot of effort, I tend it do it more regularly. You will want to keep track of all your income and expenses. Save all receipts and pay all your expenses out of your business checking account. A software program such as Quickbooks is ideal for our type of business. Not only does it allow you to keep accurate records, but it also enables you to track exactly where the most money is coming from. This enables you to target your marketing efforts more in that area.

Now you must decide how much to charge. Don't undercharge your services. Many make this mistake. They feel if they price their services substantially below everyone else, they'll get more business. That's true--you might get more business, but you'll also be working outrageous hours and not making the kind of income you should. Call others in your area and see what they are charging.

Now you need to obtain clients for your virtual office. The key to successful marketing is to tell clients what benefits they will receive by answering their main question, "What's in it for me?" Keep in mind, you're not selling your services, you're selling the benefits of your services. What can you offer them that would make their business run more successfully. An example of this would be accurate dependable service done on an “as needed” basis.

It is also important to have an impressive marketing piece. Your brochures, letterhead, flyers, business cards, etc., should look sensational. Think back on what has caught your eye in the past. Now design your material with that in mind. The most important requirement is that it must be professional and convey that you are more than someone typing documents. Businesses want to deal with other professionals. They don't want to risk their work, and possibly their clients, on someone who is not. Let them know this is exactly what they will receive when they seek your services.

Once established, word of mouth is your best advertisement. When people get professional, accurate, and friendly service they tell others. If you offer such exceptional service, you can be assured that you will need to advertise only at the onset to get your business started. From then on, your repeat clients, and referrals from them, will keep your business thriving.

Recognition is also a key to success, whether it's through the Yellow Pages, message boards, newspapers, chats, or school bulletin boards. When clients see your business repeatedly, they become familiar with your company and when the need arises, they will call you. Therefore consider where you can advertise that can keep your name out there.

Now that you’ve got the clients, you need to keep them. The best way to do this is to always provide them with more than they ask for. Go the extra mile on all assignments. Let them know that you value their business and are eager to help them succeed.

And finally, enjoy your business. Many start their own business to spend more time with their family. It’s the perfect way to stay at home and still make an excellent income. Firmly set your hours and learn to say no. Remember it’s your business and often your dreams come true. By learning your limitations, you can keep it a wonderful experience that both you and your family will enjoy.