AUGUST 24, 2009
ISSN 1947-105X | Vol. 3, No. 34

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MARKETING & NETWORKING ISSUE

In This Issue:

• A Note from Danielle
• FEATURE ARTICLE: Where Is Your Arrow Pointing?
• NEXT TELESEMINAR: Is Your Consultation Converting Prospects Into Clients?
• VACOC NEWS: Join the Virtual Assistants Ethics Pledge
• Marketplace
• Find a Virtual Assistant
• About the VACOC

A Note from Danielle...

I meet the nicest people in my daily business adventures. This week's article was inspired by my conversation last week with "S," a new business owner who was struggling to get out of nickel and dime project work and find more reliable, consistent clients and income.

Yours in goodness and success!

Danielle Keister
Founder, Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce

- FEATURE ARTICLE -

Where Is Your Arrow Pointing?

Are you a small business owner trying to connect with people you can help? How do you know who you can help? What exactly do they need help with? Where can these people be found? And once you find them, how can you craft a unique and compelling message that will resonate with these folks?

If you don't know the answers to these questions, more than likely you're trying to do business without any direction. The result is that getting clients is haphazard at best and the clients you do get are not particularly ideal for you. You expend an enormous amount of time and energy marketing and networking all over the place in the hopes that someone, anyone, (pretty please?!) will need your services. You're shooting your arrows in all directions and not hitting much of anything in the process. Are you exhausted yet?

Fear is usually what keeps business owners from focusing on one specific market. New business owners are naturally eager to get clients and they fear restricting their options because they don't want to miss any opportunities. It seems completely counter-intuitive, but getting clients can be so much easier by simply narrowing your trajectory.

• When you know who you're concentrating on, it's much easier to learn everything you can about a particular market and its common needs, pains and objectives.
  
  
• When you know who you're talking to, you can create a message that will be music to their ears.
  
  
• You'll be able to tailor much better, more attractive solutions just for them.
  
  
• It's much easier to find your would-be clients online and off.
  
  
• Instead of trying to be everywhere, talking to everyone, you can focus your best, most fruitful efforts mixing and mingling with your target market.
  
  
• In turn, you'll have much more time and energy for actually working with clients once they start coming in the doors.
  
  
• It's much easier to systemize and manage your business when you cater to a specific clientele.
  
  
• Your work also becomes much easier and your expertise in serving that market increases, allowing you to make more money.

So what's not to love about having a target market? The only opportunities you'll be missing out on are those that would have taken forever to come your way anyway. Take aim and start building your business more quickly today.

RESOURCE: If you're not sure how to determine your target market or need more help understanding the concepts, here's an article I thought did a pretty good job: "How to Identify a Target Market and Prepare a Customer Profile."

About the Author: Danielle Keister is a business advisor and innovator in the Virtual Assistance profession. An administrative professional of 20+ years and veteran Virtual Assistant of 12+ years, her logical, no-nonsense approach to business development has gained her recognition as one of the leaders in the field. She loves what she does and is passionate about sharing her knowledge and know-how with the world. She’s all about inspiring others to reach for their highest excellence. When not taking care of clients in her own Virtual Assistant practice, she is busy leading the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce and helping Virtual Assistants create six figure businesses.

© Copyright 2009, The Portable Business™. All U.S. and International rights reserved. You may print this article for personal use or republish it online only if it is left unaltered and used in its entirety, including bylines, links, copyright notice, resource and author information. Contact the author for any other permission.

- NO-COST TELESEMINAR -

Is Your Consultation Converting Prospects Into Clients?

Do you wish you made more money in your Virtual Assistant practice? Are you having trouble getting the kind of clients you'd prefer to work with? Is your current process failing to convert prospects into clients? These are just a few of the issues we'll explore at the next VACOC Guest Expert Teleseminar on Thursday, September 17. Bring your questions and your curiosity. I'll share with you some of the reasons you want to have a consultation process in your practice, how long a consultation should be and the three primary goals for your consultation to achieve. If you want to increase your success in converting prospects into clients, you won't want to miss this teleseminar!

RESERVE YOUR SPOT >>

- VACOC NEWS -

Join the VACOC Virtual Assistant Ethics Pledge

Did you know the VACOC offers Virtual Assistants the most highly used and respected ethics pledge in the industry? Lots of VAs use our Virtual Assistant Ethics Pledge on their websites to demonstrate to clients their commitment to integrity and excellence in business. If you are a Virtual Assistant reading this ezine, you can, too!

It doesn't cost a dime--just your promise to honor and abide by these ideals. Simply place the badge on your website and you're good to go! The coding includes a link that opens the full Ethics Pledge in a new window so you don't have to type everything out yourself. How convenient is that?

Click here to get your badge today!

- VACOC NEWS -

New Service for Clients: Quickie Gigs™

The VACOC has a new service for clients we call Quickie Gigs™. Here's the idea:

The core business of a Virtual Assistant is providing one-on-one, ongoing administrative support to clients they work with in long-term, continuous relationship. We always encourage clients to go that route because it's where you are going to reap the most rewards in terms of value, continuity and cost-effectiveness. However, if you have not yet found your right Virtual Assistant or you are between Virtual Assistants, but still have occasional tasks and projects you'd like completed, we can help you out!

Quickie Gigs™ is for simple, straightforward administrative tasks and projects that can be completed and turned-around in a day or so (24 to 48 hours) with no fuss, no muss. All you do is fill out our online form with the project specs and once the preliminary account set-up is completed, we'll get to work right away. Simple as that! For more information, be sure and check out our Quickie Gigs™ page.

Let's Connect

We Love Hearing From You!

"I enjoyed this tremendously informative session and would like to be kept apprised of anything else coming up!"

— Donna Johnson on the VACOC Guest Expert Teleseminar with Jan King on 7/16/09.

How did YOU like this issue or a past teleseminar? Was it insightful, helpful or informative? Have topic ideas you'd like to see covered in the future? Let us know!

Download the VACOC Toolbar

Marketplace

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Writing Your Personal Money Autobiography — Uncover what you really believe so you can earn more with ease! Do you like journaling and are ready to name core beliefs and do some shifting? September 10 - October 1, 1-2:30 PT, $149 before September 1. Taught by Mikelann Valterra, Director, Women's Earning Institute.

SCRATCHING YOUR HEAD? Have you been wondering what this administrative solution called Virtual Assistance is all about? Not to worry! The Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce has written an online guide to answer all your questions: The Client's Guide to Virtual Assistants.

TIRED OF WADING through the thousands of Virtual Assistant sites on the Internet? Would you like qualified, competent and reputable Virtual Assistants to come to you instead? Simply submit your info to our Virtual Assistant Partnership Center.

MAKE 25% IN AFFILIATE EARNINGS! Join the VACOC Affiliate Program and earn extra money simply by referring people to our website. Monthly payouts with no minimums required. Sign Up Today!

Find a Virtual Assistant Today

You don't have to live in overwhelm! Find yourself a great Virtual Assistant today, and go from struggling by yourself to enjoying more time, freedom and success.

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ABOUT THE VACOC: Founded by industry veteran Danielle Keister in 2006, the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce™ is the Virtual Assistant professional association specifically for solopreneurs. Our passion is helping Virtual Assistants run smarter, more successful businesses that bring them more money and greater personal happiness, freedom and client satisfaction.

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DISCLAIMER: Neither Danielle Keister nor the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce™ endorses the accuracy or reliability of any of the paid advertisers above nor the quality of any products, information or other materials displayed, purchased or obtained by you as result of an offer in connection with any ad. Please do your own due diligence BEFORE purchasing any product.

© 2007-09 Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce™. All U.S. & International rights reserved. The Portable Business is a trademark of the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce. All logos and names are the copyrights of their respective owners.