SwansonSimpleSolutions Blog

Last week I attended a networking meeting for the Wisconsin Virtual Assistant Network group I am a part of. I was really excited to go, but got nervous as the time approached for the actual event. Being a fairly reserved person, I was not looking forward to the “networking” part of the morning. But being in a room with other VA’s what could go wrong? Nothing. I was pleasantly surprised to hear the other ladies discuss their ups and downs in their businesses. It felt good to know that I’m not the only one struggling in the VA realm. Not every one had the same difficulties, but just knowing that I’m not alone as a virtual assistant is so reassuring. Every one in that room had different talents and abilities and they were working through their circumstances to make their businesses work. I was very motivated.

The virtual assistant’s I was able to network with were a wonderful group of people. They were so friendly and loved offering advice on anything!

If you are in need of a virtual assistant, I suggest you take a look at this astounding group of ladies who are excellent at what they do.

Wisconsin Virtual Assistant Network: http://www.wisconsinvanetwork.com/

I recently started the Internet Marketing VA Training Certification online course from VAClassroom. I must say that going from the corporate world to the virtual world brings on a whole new set of challenges including knowing how to be a smart marketer. This course has been very enlightening so far and I can only assume it will get better. Being a newer entrepreneur I don’t really know anything about internet marketing, I mean, why should I? I’ve worked in the corporate world for 10 years never once needing to know how to run/operate a small online business. This class has definitely opened my eyes.

The most recent module I am on is called the “search engine marketing assistant.” I’m learning about search engine optimization, pay per click marketing, and link building. I now know that using the right keywords on a website will ensure that the owner of the site is targeting the right audience, and, of course, will make it more search engine friendly. This may be old news to some of you, but opens up a whole new world for me. What does my website content say? Am I using the right keywords to target my market? Good questions to ask.

If you are interested in learning more about internet marketing, I will happily point you in the direction of VAClassroom’s Internet Marketing VA Training Certification. Please contact me if you need more information.

But for now, I wish all of the business owners out there much internet marketing success!

Christine

Today is my first blog. I wanted to start this blog to track my progress (ups and downs) of being a virtual assistant as well as what achievements I’ve made along the way. So far business has been slow, but being a new business owner I’m learning the ropes of marketing so I know it will take time to get the hang of this. But one thing I am sure of – my skills. I want to use what I have learned throughout my 10 year corporate experience and master what I do best which is detail-oriented work that involves organizing other’s administrative tasks.

With the start-up of my business last year and working in the corporate world as well as being a mom and wife, things have started a lot slower than I would have wanted. Many times, I wanted to throw in the towel because things weren’t “easy,” but I’m still here! Plugging along, looking for my ideal client(s). I know what I can offer potential clients, but it’s just making myself and my abilities known that is the hard part. There are many virtual assistants out there, some offering very low fees (which may be a sign of the quality of work) that’s frustrating. People from all over the world can offer a rate of $3/hr. Crazy! But what kind of value are those people bringing to their clients. They’re just worker-bees, which is what I want to get away from. I want to add value to others lives as well as my own. So I can guarantee that I won’t be offering a rate of $3/hr, but the value (extra time, additional revenue, relaxation) I bring into your business will be worth it!

I suppose every post doesn’t have to be long. I don’t want to be boring, so with that I’m signing off until next time.

Wishing all business owners out there much success!

Christine