During August, I had the pleasure of being interviewed on the Connect Her Podcast with Lee Cummins, where I spoke about the VA industry, how I got into it and all about VA Directory. Grab a cuppa and get comfy on your favourite chair and have a giggle with us (I'm so not an expert podcaster and forget the questions LOL). Watch it here Listen to it here. Let me know what you think and please feel free to share this around to your socials too. The more people who know about VA Directory, … [Read more...]
The importance of Networking online and offline
I'm a firm believer that networking should be done as much offline as it is done online. I belong to two regular networking groups - one weekly and one monthly, and then go to others periodically too. I find I pick up a lot of referrals this way from people who like to meet who they're going to be doing business with, or who they will be referring to. This is how I began doing business before the Internet and I still am actively networking on a local basis regularly, over 20 years down the … [Read more...]
Local networking is important
A question I see asked time and again on the VA and business forums are 'how do I find more clients?', or 'how do I get my name out there?' The answer is, and always has been 'networking'. Networking is one of the most important activities that is required of a business owner. You can do everything you can think of, set up great systems, design a fantastic website, have all your paperwork in place but if you don't actually spend time connecting with people, very few are going to find you. And … [Read more...]
Who do you know?
Over the years I've become known as someone who knows someone when someone might be looking for someone. Are you still with me? ;-) I believe in networking - it has helped build my business and builds the business of countless others around the world. There are some really good business networks out there that really work, and BNI (www.bni.com(.au) is one of them. This morning while I was at a BNI meeting one of the members passed a referral on to our business coach and when she read out the … [Read more...]
Business sustainability program
Have you checked what your local council has on offer for small businesses? I've recently shifted into a different Shire and found with delight that this one is very focused on helping small businesses to succeed. Their philosophy is that they would like the same $ spent over and over and over and over... again till it's worn out - in this area. They actively encourage people in business to either work only 2 or 3 mins away or to work in their homes. I've discovered they have quite a few … [Read more...]
Networking is not ‘set and forget’
A recent conversation with a client set me thinking. In fact I'd had a similar discussion with another client not much earlier. They both wanted accounts set up at various social networking tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc and have everything automated (rss feed from blogs, automatic responses, etc) so that they could literally 'set and forget' the very tools they needed for networking. This isn't the first time this subject has been raised - I've had others ask too, thinking … [Read more...]
Networking for business
On one of the forums I participate a member was asking how to market their VA business and get work. I joined in the conversation and highlighted the importance of networking. My response is below. Networking is a key to developing business and a big part of it. I believe you should be networking both online and offline. I started with offline networking in the early days of my business because there was no Internet then but online networking today is just as important - you need a mixture … [Read more...]
Is there room for me in your network?
I recently met a copywriter at a business breakfast I was speaking at and she was keen to talk to me after the event. She was looking for more ways to get clients and was wondering if I accepted copywriters into my Virtual Assistant network. I told her I would send her some suggestions that would help her with her business and then I realised that it might help some who read this blog as well. We met at the breakfast last Tuesday and you were wondering if my Virtual Assistant network would be … [Read more...]
Number 3 Mistake New VAs Make
Thinking that all clients have to be virtual. Just because you are a Virtual Assistant and can work virtually does not mean all your clients have to come via the web. Many do not realise that they have potential clients next door, down the street, around the corner and at local businesses. This is why networking is such an important aspect of running a business - any business. Many do not realise they can have a mix of clients that are both local and virtual and this will not happen … [Read more...]