33 Tips for Marketing

In reading the article 33 Marketing Success Tips (Lautenlager, 2007) I found a wealth of information. I was reminded of a book I read a long time ago, Guerilla Marketing. The concept is all about marketing small business. For example “It's often said that doing anything for 21 days in a row will eventually turn into a habit for you. And a marketing habit is a great thing for any business to have” (2007). I thought the “tips” would make a great check list for anyone trying to launch a small business:



 Hand write a thank-you note to a prospect or customer

 Enter customer or prospect names into a database

 Brainstorm tagline ideas

 Visit a competitor's website

 Write an article to pitch to your local business organization

 Make a list of press release ideas

 Write a press release

 Call a newspaper and ask who the feature editor is for your area of expertise

 Compose an e-mail sales letter

 Call a few prospects or customers to get their e-mail contact information

 Develop a series of survey questions

 Brainstorm advertising concepts

 Write a pitch letter to a radio or TV station

 Get contact information from media outlets

 Plan a renaming of your products

 Work on new product development and introduction ideas

 Invite a customer or prospect to your office for coffee or to discuss new ideas

 Recognize a special prospect or customer

 Discuss a fusion marketing idea with a strategic business partner

 Visit a few marketing-related websites

 Post new information on your website

 Plan your networking calendar for the week

 Call to follow up with networking contacts

 Get price estimates for the printing and mailing of your direct-mail campaign

 Mail samples of your product to top prospects

 Brainstorm ideas for an "enter to win" contest

 Develop a coupon for your product or service

 Rewrite your phone's on-hold message script

 Write an article or other text for your newsletter

 Brainstorm new product or service ideas

 Plan a new customer service activity that will truly delight your customers

 Develop your benefit list and compare to it to your competitions'

 Develop a checklist, top-ten list or other information as a response to a marketing hook



Lautenslager, A. (2007). 33 Marketing Success Tips. AOL Small Business. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.aol.com/grow/marketing/article/_a/33-marketing-success-tips/20051213183509990012

Goal setting can be a fun challenge for VAs

The article I read dealt with setting realistic goals. I find I sometimes set myself up for failure due to having too many or not realistic goals. According to the author, “make sure that you are being practical or realistic. You can pick a goal that is challenging and demanding, but do not pick one that is impossible or impractical.” (http://www.squidoo.com/Setting_Your_Home_Based_Business_Goals) I do love a challenge! Therefore, I may be setting goals too high. The article discusses the need to set timeframes on goals and to make sure to have both long and short term goals. I have a tendency to want to get everything done right away. This year I have been practicing making both long and short term goals. I’ve actually been doing this with travel, something I thoroughly enjoy doing. By practicing a skill with a fun project, it will more easily transfer to my business goals. My long term goals this year were to visit Hawaii, Europe and Panama Canal by the end of 2010. So far I have gone to Hawaii and I will be heading to Europe the end of this month. I’m currently planning a cruise to Panama, so goal-setting seems to be working!

My first article

I was excited to see the resources that my fellow learners shared in our blogging exercise. I found the Ezine site to be very helpful in publishing my very first online article (http://members.ezinearticles.com) Prior to walking through the steps, I have to admit, I felt very ill-prepared to write and publish my article. I am looking forward to publishing more articles and blogs. I think these are great tools to promote my VA business.

Top Ten Reasons to Hire a VA

Virtual assistants (VAs) work from their own premises and provide personal and office support services, such as general administrative tasks; making customer contacts; writing reports; editing documents; sending out marketing materials; handling thank-you notes, gifts and follow-up letters; setting up and maintaining databases; handling billing and bookkeeping; and updating Web sites.

Below are the top 10 reasons to hire a virtual assistant.

1. Focus on the business of making money:
Having a VA allows you the freedom to create more profitability for your company by allowing you to concentrate solely on your business, not the mundane tasks that are inherent in business. Making money is what business people do and the more time they have to concentrate on their business, the more money and opportunity they will create.

2. Saves you money:
Why invest in payroll, benefits, insurance, etc. when you could be delegating that money to building your business. Why worry about personnel calling in sick or taking vacations? There is no need to hire in-house personnel when a VA can be there when you need them to perform the duties that you need in running your business.

3. Freedom to pursue pleasurable activities:
Having a VA work with you frees you up to pursue the activities that help keep your creative juices flowing. When you are bogged down wondering if the bills are paid, you are not thinking about new and exciting ways in which your business could be growing.

4. One - stop shopping:
A VA can perform duties that range from word processing, maintaining billing - both personal and business, creating marketing tools such as brochures, flyers and business cards, travel arrangements, maintaining databases and sending out mailings, etc. There is no business duty that a VA cannot perform or would be willing to learn.

5. Tailored to fit your needs:
Whether you need one letter typed or need monthly billing to clients, a VA can perform these duties. They are set up to fit each individual client's needs. Fees are arranged for one-time tasks to retainer of 10, 20 or 40 hours per week or month. Whatever your needs are, the VA and you create your own individual working partnership.

6. Highly trained personnel:
VAs are professionals that have training in the corporate, small business and professional world and have tailored their skills to meet with the needs of the modern day business professional. They have found that every professional has varying needs and offer their expertise in caring for these needs.

7. Individual service provided:
For the entrepreneur, freelancer or small business, it is important that your particular needs are seen as unique. A VA is the person who will oversee your business and/or personal life. They can maintain your mailing lists, maintain correspondence, keep track of memberships that need to be renewed, remind you of important dates, arrange travel or send flowers. They act as your partner in caring for those tasks personally. Also whether you are in your office, your home or on vacation in Tahiti, a VA is always accessible to you. Contact is maintained through telephone, fax and e-mail.

8. Let their strengths be your strength:
Why waste time on tasks that are not your primary objective? Being a successful business owner entails hiring the right people for the right job. By hiring a VA, you are partnering with the professional that has the knowledge of the inner workings of the administrative and corporate fields.

9. Virtual freedom:
Now on-site employees mean no liability, no worker's comp insurance, and no payroll taxes to calculate. Everyone is an independent contractor. You can utilize a virtual assistant for either ongoing work or on a per-project basis.

10. No strangers in the house:
If you have a home office, hiring employees to work on-site could be intrusive. If you have children at home, or a spouse who works odd hours, or you just don't care to open up your private space to others, a virtual assistant is ideal. Most likely, your VA will never darken your doorstep.

No Guarantees in Our Current Economic Conditions

Recently, I was asked whether working for oneself or part time is a good idea. The individual was particularly concerned with benefits. I have worked as a contractor and/or part time employee for over 15 years. When I first started working as a contractor, my daughter was under 5 years old and I was a single mom. Having insurance was very important to me. I was able, through my auto insurance representative, able to buy a Blue Cross medical plan. I recall only paying $250 per month for the both of us. I had heard people make it seem as though purchasing insurance would be very expensive. I was very relieved to be paying only $250.

This leads to my title "No Guarantees in Our Current Economic Conditions". In today's business world there are no guarantees with full time employment. Over the 15+ years that I have been working for myself, I have found I get paid substantially more to work part time or on contract. The amount I make more than covers the cost of insuring myself.

Working for myself has been richly rewarding. Outsourcing is becoming more and more common-place in the business world. Employers and contractors are seeing the benefits in this type of working relationship. Consider it a win/win. Working for yourself gives you the opportunity to carve out your own niche, thereby circumventing "our current economic conditions!"