Flckr img via Meet-up Annieta

I belong to several forums for Virtual Assistants and often times I see inquiries about getting clients.  Several newbies stated that they do not know where to begin, however it is not how to begin but how to continue the relationship.  Finding new prospects is easy, forming relationships with them is where the work needs to be done.  I am not an introvert by any means and it is easy for me to enter a discussion with anyone but that is not enough.  Here are a few steps that I take after meeting new people, prospects or not.

Send a “Great to Meet You” note.  Notice I say note.  We get way too many emails so think outside the box and send them something the good ole fashion way.  I send a card with a note that says glad to meet you at the event and for them to let me know who their ideal client is so I can keep a lookout in my referral network.  If they are true prospects I also add a let’s get together for coffee.

Check their social media accounts.  Join their networks however do not just sent a generic “add me to your network” message.  Personalize it with “Great to meet you at [event name].  I thought it would be nice to add you to my circle.  I am looking to getting to know you and your business better.

Send en email.  After the first two suggestions I send an email with a great business tip or general information I find helpful.  I also ask permission to add to my email list so that I can share useful resources with them.

Greet them at the next event.  When you see them at the next event be sure to greet them and have a brief conversation to see where they are since your last meet.

These are just four steps that you can take to start cultivating your relationship.  Remember not every contact will be a prospect but they can be a referrer so treat everyone equally in your art of follow-up.

What is your art of follow-up?

Signing off,
Lee

1. Inspiration is everywhere.  Since I knew I would have to produce articles daily I began to really pay attention to what was trending, question being asked and what people were saying.  It was not hard to find topics to post about.
2.  I am not wired to write everyday.  Even though the inspiration was there I found it daunting to have to write everyday.  For me, I believe a few times a week will work so that is where I will take my blog.
3. When you want to build a habit, give it 30 days.  During these 30 days I have learned what works and does not for my blogging capabilities.  Without the challenge I would still be floundering about with getting my blog back on the right track.
4.  Support of the community.  I did not take this journey by myself and by having the challenge community I was able to see others struggle, overcome and thrive.  I found that by joining the challenge it was the support of the community that had me staying the course.
5.  My website traffic did increase.  I did not truly target my keywords as I was more worried about blogging than content.  Now that I have that down I can refine my process to include better targeted traffic.

Next up, Small Biz Success Summit 2012.  While it is not 30 days it is enough for me to learn some great social media techniques that I can use for my business and share with my clients.

Would you benefit from a 30 day challenge to help your business?

Signing off,
Lee

Flickr image by Goat's Accordion

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.  As long as the power stays on I am good to go, but what happens if the snow if too much and I do lose power?

As an entrepreneur working from a home office, I am it.  As they say, stuff happens and having a plan can be the difference between success and epic failure.  Many entrepreneurs and small business owners have no backup plan because they either think nothing will happen or it is too overwhelming to think of.  Here are a few things I have in place that may help you to devise your plan.

1. Backup your computer – DAILY.  I use a cloud program to backup all my files.  I also have an external hard drive that I backup to once a week.  Many of my programs of choice are now on the cloud but that does not stop me from having all files in one central location.
2. Enlist a colleague.  Find someone you trust that can be a fill in if something would happen to you.  You should have someone who you can hand off your most important tasks in the event of an emergency and you are out of pocket. (hint, hint: VA’s can do this and more!)
3. Have a processes manual (creating one will be another post).  All big businesses have one and many small businesses too, so should you.  At the very least it should include how you operate your day and your most important client procedures.  If someone needs to step in they will have a guide to help them with the service quality that you now provide.
4. Office on the go.  I have set up my office so that if I need to operate out of another location I can do so in a few simple steps.  My cell phone provider offers mobile broadband that I can use and activate with a simple phone call.  My office phone is a Google Voice number that I can forward to any phone number I choose.  I also use Google Apps for business so if I have to use a different computer I can get to my email, documents, passwords, critical client information and project management program.

Prepare My Business.org offers a great pdf checklist for creating a disaster plan which you can use as a guide to begin your plan.  Do you have plans in place for your business?

Signing off,
Lee

Flickr image by dieselbug2007

We are in the middle of another remodel and surprisingly this one is going quite well.  Since all tasks at hand are taking not as long and coming in under budget we decided to tackle the windows now instead of later.  Which brings me to my rant.

I called three companies to have them come out, give their pitch and quote me an estimate.  In all fairness to the story, all three did ask if there was a Mr. and I did tell them we where getting quotes and information to make our decision.   Well number one scheduled and came, number two scheduled and came, number three is the subject for this rant.

After asking if there was a Mr. and being told there was I did let them know we would not be making the decision today.  Mainly because I need to process things a little before changing my mind a few times.  He then asked what would be a good time to come and I told him anytime I work from home and am flexible.  He then said okay what about Mr. and I stated he worked and I would be getting to details of the information.  I was then told, “well I can some on a Saturday” which I replied I am not available then.  He said that was okay he could meet with the Mr.  Did he really just say that?  I let him know he would be meeting with me and only me, take it or leave it because now I am offended that he does not think this is worth his time.

Move to the meeting, my husband thought it would be funny to pop in during the meet so he did.  During the whole time he was there he talked to my husband only.  Strike two.  But the hubs being the straight shooter that he is said he like the product but ultimately it was my decision because I will have all the details.  Redemption for me!  The hubs then left.  So now I was important enough to talk to.

Then comes the final straw.  Instead of touting the benefits of his product, which we knew because we used them before, he started bashing the other choices we made.  Especially the fact that they used employees and everyone else used subcontractors.  As he continued on his rant that the other companies probably got their people from the local pub I could not take it anymore.   Hmm, that is my business model.  I am a subcontractor and my team is made up of subcontractors.  No more explanation needed.

Moral of the story, if you have a great product then sell that product.  Don’t insult the intelligence of your potential customer by excluding them or bashing your competition.  We are still in the decision making process however with a great quote and great product I do not even know if they are still in the running because he discounted me as a dumbass.

Have you run into this before?

Signing off,
Lee

We all know by now that social media is a great piece to our marketing puzzle and according to Hubspot ” 41% of B2B companies and 62% of B2C companies that use Facebook have acquired a customer because of it. In addition, companies that use Twitter average 2x more leads than those that don’t”.  But do you really know how to begin to harness the power?  This article walks you through 8 things you can do now.

8 Ways to Leverage Social Media Beyond Social Networks

The next article comes from Small Business Trends and touches on the subject of project bidding.  At one point or another we will all underbid a project and this article walks you through some scenarios and steps to take in the event that it has or before it happens to you.

What to Do When You Underbid on a Project

Yes it is that time of year again, tax time in the U.S. and Allan Branch gives some great nuggets of information in this article including the all important “keep solid books”

6 Tips to Avoid IRS Audits for Freelancers

And finally, I love the library and borrow books quite often. With my Xoom and Kindle app I was left with little options of obtaining borrowed books, until now. Check out MakeUseOf’s article on the eborrowing process.

How To Find A Nearby Library Which Lends Kindle Books & Other eBooks

Well there you have it, five articles that I hope will help you gain some additional knowledge for you and your business.

Signing off short and sweet,

Lee

Search Engine Optimization:  This is the process of increasing quality web traffic to your website or blog by obtaining high-ranking placement on a search results page of a search engine.  By utilizing the correct keywords and phrases (also know as long-tail keywords) the higher the ranking and the greater a chance of a site visit by the user.

Organic SEO: The process of obtaining a natural placement on the search engine results page (SERPs).  Some popular techniques for gaining organic placement are use of keywords, link building and writing content aimed at the reader and not the search robots.

White Hat SEO: The accepted use of SEO practices in order to get higher ranking and more traffic.  This includes using meta tags, titles on all pages, internal navigation or site map, quality content creation with useful keywords and phrases.

Black Hat SEO: The use of unethical techniques to gain search engine rankings.  This would include keyword stuffing, invisible text, and duplicate content on multiple domains. Needless to say you want to stay away from this technique.

Hoping that these definitions help you to begin to understand SEO techniques.  Do you follow any SEO experts who have helped you break down the rules?

Signing off short and sweet,
Lee

First off there is the testimonial aspect.  Especially if you are just starting out and need to build some creditability.  However when you choose pro-bono or reduced rate services you should look at the viability of the relationship to your future business.  Usually when I help organizations I look at the support that they have and how I can form new relationships with members and volunteers.  So not only do you want to ask for the testimony you also want to meet as many people as you can and be sure that your name gets out there.

Second is can you grow with them.  Some organizations are struggling because they are new and the funds just are not there.  That does not mean that they will stay there so look at the down the road opportunities.  If enough people work together there would be enough momentum to move the organization to the next level and you will already be in place.

Finally, it is the right thing to do.  Yes I know it does not pay the bills but it does help you to become a well-rounded person.   Now I do not mean keep giving until you are sucked dry because you still have the power to say no.  However, if you commit see it through so that people can see that you walk the walk and are reliable.

For all the causes and organizations I have helped I have made valuable business contact and have gotten work from those who were in their network.  That is the reason I disagree that no money is coming in because while it will not be tangible from the organization you are helping it is tangible from those who find you based on the work you did.

Here are some of my favorite ways to give back:

Mentor high school kids

Mentor business owners who are just starting out

Provide an internship to college students and recent graduates

Work with a not for profit whose cause you support

Do you give back and if so how?  If you do not what are your reasons not to.

Signing off short and sweet,

Lee

First tell every one that while you are at home, your office is there and give them your working hours. Now do not expect this to be the light bulb moment for them. It will help with a few but there will still be people in your circle who will expect you to take a break when they pop in.

After that you could ignore their knocking or door bell ringing however if they know you are in they will call you to let you know they are outside. Sometimes on the guise that they wanted to be sure you were okay but the damage is now done, you are officially interrupted.

Now here is something that I have found works every time. I post a note on my door, I actually learned this trick by testing it out inside my home when taking conference calls or monitoring webinars. I simply say: RECORDING IN PROGRESS – PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. For some reason this works, well except for one 17 year old child who has learned to interrupt by shoving notes under the door. I believe that it does work because you have given them a valid reason to not disrupt your day.

I hope that you do not encounter that one hold out however this easy trick will help you to curb the unexpected visitor. This will also show others that you are working and they will be able to relate that you have important tasks at hand and they should respect them.

Have you found another method that has worked for you?

Signing off short and sweet,
Lee

My personal page is tailored for me, quirky, goofy and just plain me.  I share useless trivia, with my own spin of course.  Sometime picture, when I remember to take them and upload them.  Random thoughts and information from friends I find funny, crazy and useful.  This is the page where you find the personable me.  Being a virtual worker I rarely meet my clients face to face and this is a place where they can come and get to know me.  I am careful what I post as far as politics and religion because they are my views and I respect yours so without being able to have dialog I just do not go there.

My business page is where I share my knowledge.  You can find posts on useful articles I have read, links to applications and products I find worthwhile and the occasional question, quote or fact.  I have also started sharing documents and templates from my site and of course my blog posts.  I tend to add my personality but it is more about my professional demeanor.   This is the area where I want to share what I find relevant to your business.

Each has its own use and personally I feel all businesses should have a business page.  The reason is that anyone can go there to see your brand and products.  No invitations necessary and if you want to grow your community you can add hidden or special pages for fans only.  Business pages are public and therefore searched so this can also help you with your SEO and rankings.

One other note, I do not care about how many likes or friends I have.  That is just not important to me.  What does matter is if you find the information useful so on my business page I pay attention to the insights and on my personal page I note subjects that people are talking about.

Feel free to join me on either one or both for that matter, you are always welcome in my circle.

Signing off short and sweet,
Lee