July 26, 2007

===> A Personal Note from India:

Hi there,

I hope you're doing well. This week's newsletter is discussing 7 powerful ways to market your home based business. New job leads are also up. You can view the latest job leads at Free Virtual Assistant Jobs.

Enjoy!

Your Fellow Virtual Assistant,
        
   - India
Virtual Assistant

When you’re starting up your home-based business, you’ll want to attract clients whilst minimizing the impact on your purse strings.

Here are 7 very powerful marketing tips that you can start using immediately to get your business off the ground. They cost either nothing or very little in terms of cash outlay, but do require an investment of your time.

Let me go into these in a little more detail:

1. Tell everyone what you are doing

Get the word out there quickly. If you’re chatting to friends, relatives, even to the hairdresser, take the opportunity to tell people that you’re going into business for yourself. Who knows – they might know of someone who needs your services! I have been recommended to two lucrative ongoing clients through friends of mine.

2. Writing and submitting articles

Writing and submitting articles to websites and ezines is a powerful way to gain exposure and build credibility on the internet. Write an article about the benefits of working with your type of business and look for ezine directories that would be interested in posting it. You will be surprised at the results this method brings you.

3. Giving out and distributing business cards

Get professional-looking business cards designed as a priority. Think of them as your calling card. Carry your business cards EVERYWHERE with you, even to personal functions and events. You never know where or when you will meet people who are interested in your services. Your business cards will also get passed on to other people who, sooner or later, will call you out of the blue.

4. Registering with business directories and networks

Run a search on the internet for suitable business directories and networks – many of these offer free listings, which will give you valuable exposure for your business.

5. Participating in online discussion forums

There is a wealth of forums and message boards where small business owners ‘meet’ online to help each other out and toss ideas around. Which forums and boards would your target market visit?

6. Volunteering in your local community

This is a great way to get exposure in your local community and showcase your skills. Does your local council or not-for-profit organization need any help that you can provide? I got great results with this strategy - one of my best clients came to me through my volunteer efforts. I designed a website for a local not-for-profit organization in my free time. They then referred me to an ongoing client who is still with me today.

7. Using an email signature

Each email that leaves your computer should have an email signature attached. This means that you’re advertising your business every time you send, reply, or forward an email. This may sound obvious but it continues to amaze me how many people pass up this valuable advertising opportunity.

So there you have it, seven powerful ways to get clients at little or no cost. These are tips you can start using immediately. Before you know it, you’ll be working from home in your own business.

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Lisa Taliga is a Virtual Assistant and author of 'Freelance from Home! The 5 Key Steps to Your Successful Virtual Assistant Business' and ‘The 7 Things You Must Know Before Starting Your Successful Virtual Assistant Business’. Get your free eBook and newsletter subscription to find out how to become a Virtual Assistant.