For the potential Virtual Assistant

The life of a freelance worker before the Internet was very different from what it is today. In the past, any freelancer would need great mobility or spend hours on the phone, either asking for work or finding out WHO to contact for this endeavor. In order to get around to pitch yourself to potential customers, you would require boundless energy and an ability to deal with being told “no” face to face or over the phone. So much of freelancing is about speculation, after all. You could try to sell yourself a hundred times and could be told “no” a hundred times. Although the Internet offers no guarantees of acceptance, it does make things a bit more equal for the freelancer.

There are many sites on the Internet that offer the opportunity for freelancers to pitch to potential customers on specific jobs – a searchable database means that you can even check for jobs that match up perfectly with your own specific skills and abilities. You can name your price and tell the customer how quickly you can turn a job around. The days of having to get out there, pound the pavement and then be told “sorry, we’re not interested” are more or less over. Not to mention that the Internet provides a truly monumental research tool for the jobs that require a bit of extra knowledge. The internet is nothing less than a launch pad from which to set your career in motion.

For the potential CLIENT

Outsourcing Using the Internet

Sometimes in business, as skilled as you may be, there are things that you are unable to do. A customer will come through with a very specific task and, although you will be able to do most of it, there may be a part of the job that poses you problems and prevents you from completing the task. In this respect, it may often seem that you will have to turn down the opportunity. But that is not necessarily the case. With the Internet at your fingertips, you have ready access to a skills base that means you can complete on that job even if some of the work is outside your own skill or time reach. Welcome to outsourcing or using a Virtual Assisant.

Thinking of it as a non-Internet situation for the moment, imagine that you are an interior decorator who specialises in hanging wallpaper, painting and plastering. It may just be that a job comes through that involves all of that, plus laying a hardwood floor. You’re good, but you’re not experienced in laying down floors. With the use of some contacts, you could pay for the services of a person who is capable and experienced in that part of the job. By paying them to take those duties on, you can accept the job and move forward.

There are many workers out there who do business via the Internet, and to contact them all you need to do is pick up the phone. If you cannot complete a job all by yourself, but it will pay well, there is no need to give up. Just log on, find a contact and get the job done.

Jan Tallent
Tallent Agency Virtual Assistance

Jan Tallent is the owner of Tallent Agency Virtual Assistance for 11 years, a marketing and small business online newsletter for going on 10 years, an internet marketer for my own digital products PLUS tangible products and an avid social networker . I also have an eBay store so stay pretty busy 10 to 12 hours per day, mostly on my computer and the net.

I am concentrating my VA biz on proofreading , editing and transcriptions as these are my favorite assignments to take on and where my strengths lie. If you are in need of these or any of my other Virtual Assistance services, send me a message and we can Talk about and schedule your project or projects .

Businesses are all about the client and the product . There are files for clients and files for products. With so much paperwork, it is hard to keep everything organized. Businesses, especially smaller ones, need a virtual assistant database manager .

It would be nice for business owners if they could just talk about and sell their products or services all day long. Unfortunately there is more to it than that. Nowadays, businesses live and die on statistical analysis and other reports. In order to generate these reports you need the data to back them up.

Poorly organized data can weaken a company. For instance, how would a business ever know how their products are doing in certain areas of the country? What about customer feedback ?

The Market

Businesses capture data in order to grow. They would never discover their strong areas, weak areas or whether marketing campaigns were a success. Information is king in the business world.

To that end, it is important to manage data in an organized fashion. Customer names and information need to be logged, reports need to be generated about product demographic, customer surveys and profits to name just a few important areas.

Database management is another area that small business owners often don’t have time to look after. It takes time to organize this information and that takes away from the business of promoting and creating new products . It is a catch-22 that a virtual assistant can help with.

Do you have expertise in the area of setting up databases in different formats? You can assist online and offline businesses. Each business keeps records of customer names, demographic data, product inventory , monthly revenue and other vital information.

Virtual assistants, who specialize in database setup and management, provide such services as:

• Database design and maintenance
• Data entry of customer names and information
• Create data spreadsheets from compiled records
• Process new data
• Create reports for clients
• Create graphs and other visuals
• Tech support for clients using new databases

Databases allow your client’s employees to retrieve information that they need to do their jobs. With a little training by you, everyone can learn to access the databases that you create. The business of information gathering is streamlined for greater efficiency.

The basic infrastructure of the company’s records is in your hands. A small business can go from a desk full of loose papers with information to a well-organized database that can be updated in a few keystrokes thanks to you. Any information that the client needs right away, you can access with ease.

Businesses thrive on information and as a virtual assistant database manager; you are a major part of that winning equation. If you like working with data and are good at organization, this might be the niche for you.

Jan Tallent
Tallent Agency Virtual Assistance

p.s.

Due to excessive spam abuse, email providers and ISPs have gotten tough on blocking spam. But in their zeal to weed out spam, your support emails to your customers are being blocked! That’s why you need a customer support system hosted on your own web server.

Getting Clients – How to Pull Clients To You

Small Businesses that get clients contacting and reaching out to them find major success. When clients call you, it saves you a lot of effort, plus it allows you increase your pricing due to your demand. Nothing creates success like success. Let’s talk about how to PULL clients to you.

Network
It’s likely that your business is not the only one that a certain client uses. For example, someone hiring a web designer may also need a content writer. Certain fields go hand in hand. Start a Rolodex and put together a network of partnerships to serve clients. They will be very grateful for the referral.

Spread the Wealth
You have a lot of knowledge about your niche. Take the time to give out free information that will prove helpful to current and future clients. Write a newsletter or ezine.

Be of Service
When people are looking for a solution to their problem, they want to know what you can do for them. Focus on service and don’t publicize your needs.

Be a Good Listener
Yes, this works for your business relationships just like it works for personal relationships. Be aware of what is happening with the client at the time of the project. Listen closely, because sometimes people can’t communicate exactly what they need.

Call Them to Action
Getting potential clients to read marketing material is only half the battle. You need to get them to contact you. Be clear about what you want potential clients to do. Give them a “call to action.” Make sure your “call to action” is visible on every page of marketing material.

Jennifer Davey is a Small Business Coach and Marketing Strategist. Jennifer coaches small businesses, self employed professionals, and solopreneurs in strategies for getting clients and making more income. Jennifer can help you implement a successful and easy to repeat marketing program that will attract clients. Contact Jennifer and set up a time discuss your struggles with getting clients and making more income.

Learn what you need to know to get clients, by reading Jennifer’s FREE report “What You Need to Know to Be Successful at Getting Clients”, available at Free-Marketing-Tips http://jjscoaching.com/free-marketing-tips/

P.S. I “met” Jennifer in one of our mutual discussion lists on LinkedIn which is an awesome site for professionals to find like-minded and valuable peers to connect to and network with.

You can also follow Jennifer on Twitter .