Virtual Assistant & Home Business Blog Carnival

If you are interested in starting your own virtual assistant business, or any home based business, check out the Virtual Assistant Blog Carnival for a variety of different blogs with topics ranging from starting your new business to running and marketing it once its established.  This  blog carnival is updated weekly, so make sure to get the RSS Feed so you receive updates. 

If you need assistance with marketing your small or home based business, please visit my website for more information.

Yvone M. Kon
Owner
M.Y. Marketing & Design
Your Virtual Marketing Assistant, At Your Service!
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Marketing – it is not all about YOU!

I remember reading one of those typical glossy teen magazines as a shy, 15 year old girl, and seeing an article about how to get a boy interested in you.  Of course, back then, finding a boyfriend and getting him to ask me to “go with” him was one of the MOST IMPORTANT things in my life.  Well, that, and finding the brightest, most blinding, neon pink, cut-off sweatshirt, clear jelly shoes, and enough Aqua Net hairspray to make my hair bigger, stiffer and higher than ever before, for our school’s monthly dance in the stinkiest gym you can imagine.  I was an 80’s chick, what can I say?  But I digress.

Top ten things a virtual marketing assistant can do for you.

There was a great article on Elance recently, listing all the projects a business owner can outsource to a virtual assistant. It got me to thinking about all the things a virtual marketing assistant can do for a small business owner.

What makes your small business unique?

So, I was visiting Naomi Dunford’s blog over at IttyBiz and she had a great post a couple of weeks ago about how some of her readers had no idea what she actually did for a living.  Basically, she wrote that if people had no idea what she did for a living after reading her blog all this time, they probably didn’t know what they did for a living either.  I can’t tell you how many meetings I’ve had with new clients and when I asked what exactly they did and what made their business unique, my question was met with a blank stare.  The majority of small business owners I’ve met with have no idea what their UPS is (Unique Selling Proposition or Unique Selling Point).  Then they look at me and say “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do, why we’re here?” 

Email newsletter marketing: to send or not to send? That is the question.

Recently I’ve noticed a lot of questions on LinkedIn and a few other forums about email marketing.  The number one question seems to be whether or not it’s a good idea.  So, I decided to tackle this somewhat controversial issue myself.

First off, since I am a Virtual Marketing Assistant, I believe email marketing can be very beneficial to small businesses – IF it is done the right way.  Heck, I rely on email for 99.9% of my communication with clients and potential clients.  Email marketing is a very affordable way to get your marketing message out to potential customers and clients.  With services as low as $30 a month, you can send out numerous emails to thousands of people instantly.  There are no other advertising options that I’m aware of that can even come close to it.  Just as with direct mail, if your email is worded correctly and includes an action item of some type, you can measure your ROI quite effectively.

What the heck is a Virtual Marketing Assistant, anyway?

O.K, I admit, I only heard the term “Virtual Assistant” or “VA” a few months ago.  Unbeknownst to me, I’ve actually been a VA for years now without even knowing it.  I realize that doesn’t bode well for me with potential clients, but hear me out.  Sure, I’ve heard of “freelancers” and “independent contractors”, but a VA?  Never heard of it!  And neither have a lot of other people either.  The term is fairly new. 99% of the time when I tell someone I’m a Virtual Marketing Assistant I get the same question – “What the heck is a Virtual Marketing Assistant”?  Well, allow me to explain.  The official definition of a VA is as follows:

My Virtual Cubicle

Working at home has its advantages.  It’s been at least three months since I had to buy a new pair of pantyhose.  My hair is healthier than it’s ever been since I’m no longer trying to tame it into submission every day with a blowdryer, straightening iron, then a curling iron (crazy, I know, but I actually need both a straightening iron and a curling iron to make my lifeless thin hair look like it has some body to it).  My feet are recovering from the abuse of the past holiday season while I worked as an Event Planner/Marketing Director for a restaurant.  My penchant for lovely, sassy shoes while working on my feet, running stairs and carrying trays for 10 or 12 hours a night has caused my feet to become misshapen, sore and really ugly (but I looked cute while doing it, and as any woman will tell you, that’s all that matters).  Plus, the commute from bed to my desk in the morning can’t be beat.  I watch the morning news with amusement now – traffic jam?  Oh well!  Construction – who cares?  I’ve gotten to my office in 30 seconds flat and the only holdup I encountered was my dog wanting a little scratch behind his ears before finding a nice spot to nap.  And truth be told, I love being my own boss, setting my own hours and making the decisions.  The creative freedom is a pretty big plus, too.