Archive for January, 2010

Networking Action Plan for 2010

  • Written by Biba F. Pedron
  • Posted January 30, 2010 at 10:10 am
calendar1January is already over. Time goes so fast that we usually don’t have enough time to do everything we would like. I am sure you probably have your to do list in the morning and when the evening comes you still have a lot to accomplish from it. You got distracted during the day, something happened and you are late.
Well, it is the same thing with new year resolution, we have a lot in mind in December, but by the end of January the priorities we set up are gone for X, Y, Z reasons.
What were your networking strategies in 2008. Did you check the results at the end of the year?
-How many networking events did you attend?
-How many groups did you join?
-How many new contacts did you make, per month, and during the year?
-How many of these new contacts became paying clients?
-How many of your current clients reorder from you?
-How many referrals did you get from your clients or contacts?
-What is your conversion rate?

 

 

 

Did you ever ask yourself all of those questions?
If you didn’t ask yourself all of those questions at the end of 2008, it is an emergency to do it right now. The economy has been pretty bad the past months, so if you don’t change your strategies to get better results, you can expect 2010 to be a very bad year for you.

So take a moment, and write down everything you did to promote your business: networking, marketing, communication, etc.
Whatever you did, did you do it only once or multiple times? For example, if you did a postcard mailing, did you send only one card per contact or a series of cards? Same if you put an ad in a newspaper or on internet. After how many times did you noticed a result?

Statistic show that we need to hear or see a message at least seven times before we even notice it, so make sure you don’t give up after a couple of tests.
How did you follow up with people? Do you have a follow up system in place to make sure that you always know what to do when you meet somebody new, either at a networking event or any place else?
Did you send them an email and eventually call a few days later, and stop there, like most people do and claim that networking is not working?
Did you create a free report, or a free CD to send to people to let them know more about your business?
Did you update your website, and mention all of your new services or products, and inform everybody that you created new services during the year?
Did you organize teleclasses to reach more people in one time instead of meeting persons one at a time?
Did you create partnerships with other entrepreneurs to offer more services to your clients?

What worked the best for you? What did you do to change the way you were doing business before? What didn’t work, and did you analyze why?
With all of your answers, create an action plan to do more of what worked in 2009 and how you could even double this result in 2010.

To make sure these strategies will be in place for the entire year, schedule a meeting with yourself every week, no less than that, to test, track and analyze everything you do. So you will not spend months wondering how you should grow you business. This meeting with yourself should be your most important meeting of the week. You are your most important client. All the time you will spend working on your business instead of working in your business will generate more and more clients for you and obviously more money for your business.
Create an Excel document with your networking goals for the year and report all of your results and update per date, so you will not forget and put every positive result in red, so each time you will look at it, you will know exactly where you are and where you are going.
Need help to put your action plan for 2010 in place? Check my program: “

Power of Networking Secrets” and learn everything I do on a daily basis to grow my business and double my revenue every year, like it has been for the last five years in a row.

 

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Million Dollar Brand Secrets

  • Written by Biba F. Pedron
  • Posted January 28, 2010 at 2:59 pm

Just in case you missed Ali Brown’s FREE branding teleseminar,let me catch you up! She was joined by her business coach andmentor, and together they demystified the branding process. One of the most important takeaways for me was that branding –making my business stand apart from others’ — is not just forbig business. By failing to have a brand, I’m holding my businessback!
 
That’s why I’m so excited that Ali has launched a brand new, onetime only telecourse about branding called: “Million Dollar BrandSecrets, the Ultimate System to Branding You or Your Business.”And it’s a STEAL at only $297! It starts next week, so if youwant to get in on this, you’ll need to act fast.
We’ve all seen how Ali transformed her business from asolo-preneurship to one of the Inc 500’s fastest growingbusinesses. Her mentor Anne McKevitt spearheaded that rebrandingprocess, and she’s going to be presenting the course!
Here’s what the six-part course includes:
 
1. Getting Your Brand On–Everything you need to fullyunderstand and prepare for before jumping into brand diagnosisand creation.
 
2. Your Brand Diagnosis–Anne will walk you through her criticaldiagnosis process to help you determine if you should tweak yourcurrent brand or blow it up and create a new one.
 
3. Your Brand Prescription After–You complete your diagnosisand remedy your brand with Anne’s help.
 
4. Your Brand’s Visual Solution–Here’s the fun part –design, look, and feel! Let’s figure out what YOUR brand shouldlook like…
 
5. Designing and Marketing Your Brand– From preparing, writing,budgeting, to prelaunch and eventual launch, it’s all covered!
 
6. LIVE Question & Answer Call with Anne. During this callyou’ll have the opportunity to ask Anne questions directly andhave YOUR brand issues answered!
 
You’ll never have access to such a distinguished expert on sucha timely topic as this at such an affordable price. (Less than$50 per call actually.)
 
Don’t miss out on this unprecedented chance that is sure to helpyou get clarity on how to attract business simply and affordablythrough effective branding. Did I mention that this telecoursewill not be repackaged or made available in any other way?
 
Learn more here…but don’t delay because this telecourse starts NEXT WEEK.
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Do You Know the Number One Secret to 2010 Online Marketing Success?

  • Written by Biba F. Pedron
  • Posted at 10:00 am

What better time than a new year – a new decade! – for finally getting your marketing off on the right foot?

Yes it IS possible and this is the year to do it! I’d like to introduce you to a couple of friends of mine – Karen Talavera and Mande White – who will show you the vital ingredient missing in so many online marketing programs.

(Ready to cut to the chase? Head over here NOW


So, just what is this essential element your online marketing needs for success in 2010 and beyond?

You may have heard of Karen OR Mande, but now they’ve teamed up to bring you the best of both their worlds through High Altitude Marketing Academy. They’ve gotten together to reach and teach the millions of solopreneurs, coaches, authors and independent professionals with an online presence how to harness the power of online conversation channels like email, social media, blogs and community sites together to maximize emotional connections that result in a whole new level of marketing – and sales!
It’s a new year, and the clock is ticking. I’m planning on making the most of every day in 2010 and know Karen and Mande want to help you do the same.

P.S. If you’ve ever heard Mande or Karen talk, you know they’re famous for OVER-delivering on content. You really don’t want to miss this call.
(And as a bonus you’ll also receive the recording, which is really valuable because I’m sure you’ll want to go back and listen to it again).

Emotional Connections!

Yes, you need to make emotional connections! It’s been proven time and again that people buy for two reasons: to solve problems and to make themselves feel good. What you might not know is that regardless of motivation, our human nature is to buy from our hearts, not from our heads.

That’s why I’m so excited to tell you about Karen and Mande’s free tele-class:
“From Stalled to Soaring: THE 5 ESSENTIAL SECRETS TO EMOTIONALLY CONNECTING WITH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE to Increase Visibility, Deepen Customer Relationships, and Boost Revenue in 2010″ on Thursday February 4 at 2:00 pm Eastern/11:00 am Pacific.

To sign up click here

For over a decade, Karen Talavera (founder of Synchronicity Marketing) has been the queen of Email Insight, having taught thousands of businesses small and large (including big brands like ServiceMaster, Texas Instruments, AAA and American Express) how to use email marketing legally, strategically and better than the competition in both public seminars and private trainings.

Mande White is the founder and social media choreographer behind FreeSocialMediaHelp.com which helps authors, speakers and coaches who are confused, lost, or frustrated trying to figure out how to profit and keep up with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media. Since the advent of online marketing in 2000 she has immersed herself in learning all there is to know about performance-based lead generation, co-registration, email marketing, and Pay-Per-Click marketing as well as various social media applications like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Meetup.

Here’s what Karen and Mande will share on this 75-minute ground-breaking call:
• Why emotional connections are essential to online – and total – marketing success today, and how to create them through online conversations.
• What “the tipping point” is and why reaching it is critical if you ever want to achieve viral word-of-mouth growth.
• The top two ways to set yourself apart in your field online, develop a loyal following, and create profitable customer relationships that stick.
• Why you can no longer afford to go it alone, the true value of online community to your business, and how to leverage it for revenue growth.
• The number one way to sell without sounding sales-y via an authentic and trustworthy buying environment you create.
Ready for lift-off? Here’s that link again to reserve your spot in this complimentary teleclass.

I’ll be listening for YOU on their call! To reaching new heights in 2010,

See you on the call,

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How to Maximize Your Negocation Skills?

  • Written by Biba F. Pedron
  • Posted January 26, 2010 at 10:00 am

dollar-signsIn any business negotiation skills will make the difference between success and failure. If you are a solo entrepreneur or a small business owner, beside all the hats you need to wear to run your business, you will also need to be a master in negotiation. This will be the gate to new clients.

Most small business owners are very good at what they do, whether they are consultants, coaches, web designers, copywriters, etc… But most of them never attended a school or training to learn how to negotiate. They need to learn it on their own, and they often learn it the hard way, losing contracts and clients.

What are the keys to successful negotiation?

1/ You need to know exactly how to explain your business, in a simple and easy way for people to understand the benefits of working with you instead of your competitors.

2/ You need to listen to your prospects or clients, to find THE solution to solve their challenges. So as soon as they told you what they need you will be able to tell them what you can do for them.

Same as networking, you need an effective 30 seconds commercial or elevator pitch to introduce yourself and your business. You need to ask the right questions and open questions to the people you meet or negotiate with, to learn what they need. And very important, your need to listen to their answer, to see how you can help them right away. You must have in mind that the only thing they want to hear is the “What’s in it for ME?”.

So when you deliver the “What’s in it for THEM?”, you got their attention and are half way to the sale.

Your mission is to learn quality information that you can use to build a positive relationship with your clients to sell the best offer. People are more willing to buy from people they know, like and trust, so building the relationship if a very important part of your negotiation process.

Knowing what they want, and offering them THE solution to their challenge, allow you justify your rates, even if you are more expensive than your competitors. As soon as you will show them how your expertise will save them time and money, price won’t be an issue.

Your negotiation skill start with an excellent networking and communication skill. The better you communicate with your prospects and clients, the better you negotiate with them, and consequently, the more clients you attract to your business.

To learn more tips like this one, on how to maximize YOUR networking, communication and negotiating skills, visit www.TheConnectionQueen.com to receive my free mini e-course. “15 ways to Maximize Your Networking Result” and free audio “Networkin.g Made Easy.”

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How to Grow Your Business with Joint Ventures!

  • Written by Biba F. Pedron
  • Posted January 24, 2010 at 10:00 am

The only reason I was able to start two new businesses after I launched Biba4Network five years ago, and today run two international businesses from home, is because I built an important network. Again it is all related to networking.


My proven strategies:
1/ Follow-up up with the people I meet,
2/ I do partnerships with other businesses on a regular basis.

Most solo-entrepreneurs and/or small business owners attend networking events on a regular basis but don’t use it the way they are supposed to.

What I mean is, people attend an event in order to get new clients, but the only thing they really do is collecting business cards, and usually stop there. They don’t have any follow-up system in place, and, as a result, they just waste their time and money, then complain that networking is
not working.

In my program, “Power of Networking Secrets”, I reveal the 7-Step Follow-up System that I use on a daily basis to stay in touch with people. I show how this system helped me to develop my two businesses.

To create joint ventures/partnership, look for people or businesses that have same target market as you and offer great complementary products or services. Working with them can be a great opportunity to access their clients or mailing list. You can cross-promote each other, organize events together, do a mailing campaign together, and subcontract services. It is a win/win situation.

In the last few most I did partnerships with investors and developers, because I had an important demand from clients who were looking for solution. Since this area of business was not my expertise, the only thing I had to do was to look for the right people/expert, and since my mission is to connect people, I just had to connect everybody in order to solve my clients problems. The beauty of it, my clients really appreciated that I help them, and know that they can count on me anytime, whatever they need. My partners are very happy because I bring them new clients, and I am happy, because of course, I make money in the process. Do you see the win/win/win situation here? (clients/partners/me).

Try to find people on your network that you can partners with, to solve your clients problems, and offer them more services. Become the go to guy/gal for your clients. Become a problem solver and you will attract all the you need.

Want to learn more tips like this one go to PowerofNetworkingSecrets.com to receive my free audio “Networking Made Easy“.

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Selling or Not Selling!

  • Written by Biba F. Pedron
  • Posted January 22, 2010 at 10:00 am
I started my sale career in 1984 as a sale representative for a famous French appliance supply company. For just under two years I managed their booth at the Galleries Lafayette in Paris. That was long time ago and so many things have changed ever since. But that is another story.

I started working with absolutely no sales experience.

 
 

Previously I studied law for two years, but didn’t really liked it so ended up taking the first job I found. No one taught me how to sell, but the brand was so famous that I didn’t really have to work hard. People came to the booth, I explained how the product worked and it sold itself. I had some competition, but because of the brand recognition I was always the one with the biggest sales number.

After my first sales job I became a sale representative for an office supplies company. This time I had some sales training. Although, selling pens, pencils, papers or inks is really not complicated. My clients were corporations; they needed and used supplies every month. I just had to visit them on a regular basis and take the orders. It was so easy that after about a year after I built my clientele, I was working only 4 hours a day, 4 days a week and the money was pouring in.

A few years later even though the money was great, I got bored to being a sales rep. I wanted more responsibility and I wanted to focus on something that interested me. I became the sales manager for a smaller company where I felt I could make a difference. Since this company was smaller and had more competition and didn’t have the extensive advertising budget I had been accustomed to, I had to work harder.
Even though I had to work harder, I realized that everywhere I went, people were always telling me the same thing: they liked my style compared to other sales people, because I never tried to push a sale but always advised them on what
they should order.

In 1998, I started my own business, this time I was not selling a product, but services – my telemarketing services. I had to find a strategy to show the differences between my services and my competitors. I kept the same strategy: advise, but never push a sale. This perspective works because customers don’t feel pressured; they know I’m confident and that I’m capable of getting the job done. My job is to promote their businesses. The clients understand I will use the same strategy promoting their products and will get the same results. Clients will buy their products because of the way I was presenting them and not pushing them.
In 2003, I started my second business teaching clients how to grow their businesses by networking and organizing events. Once again, I didn’t have any networking training when I started but I learned how to adapt my previous business strategies to get the same results. To this day, this is exactly what I do, I advise people instead of selling to people.
I teach people how to use proven strategies to attract clients instead of chasing clients.
Don’t try to sell your product or service. Promote your free offer instead. What goes through your mind when you go to a networking event and someone that you just met three minutes ago tries to sell you something; You don’t like it, right! You don’t know the salesman’s reputation, product or service and no one referred him to you. You can’t rely on testimonials about the benefits of his goods or services as you haven’t had time to check. So think about it when you are the one tying to sell to others. It has the same effect, they don’t like it.

On the other hand, if you offer a sample of your services to your new contacts or prospects; if you offer them a free report, free CD, or free consultation, they have time to get to know you and your products: Who you are, what you do, how you do it. They have time to check your references and decide if your product or service is right for them. They will be very confident with you, or they will refer people to you, because they know you and trust you. I have 25 year’s ’sales’ experience, but I’ve never liked to sell. I inform, guide and teach people about the products or services I have to offer. I much prefer to have people coming to me to buy my products or services than trying to push them or to beg them to buy my services. The level of relationship is very important; it is crucial.
Once you have set up your free offer, don’t expect people to buy from you the next day. You need a follow-up system to keep in touch with them on a regular basis. You must continue to deliver free advice, for example: articles, free tips on your newsletters to further build the relationship.

Show people what you can do for them and people who can use your product or service will begin to purchase within few weeks, or few months but for others it might take a few years. People will buy from you when they will be ready, and when they will need your product or service – They won’t buy just because you want them to buy. If you have a follow-up system in good working order, clients will buy from you instead of from someone who doesn’t communicate with them on a regular basis. Keep your customer base informed over and over. It is your job to keep reminding people about your services and not their job to remember about you and your business. Try it. Promote your free offer to bring people into your marketing funnel, build the relationship and you will attract a lot more clients.

Need help attracting new clients?
Then get a copy of “Power of Networking Secrets”. I’ve outlined each strategy step-by-step, so you too can implement them right away to get results. I’ve included a workbook with an assignment after each strategy, just follow the program one step at a time, so you won’t get lost and will attract more clients.

You can get yours at www.powerofnetworkingsecrets.com

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You Don’t Have Your Own Product, So What!

  • Written by Biba F. Pedron
  • Posted January 20, 2010 at 10:00 am
I work with lots of start-up and solo-entrepreneurs and one of the main concerns when starting a business is not having your own product or service yet.

In actuality, this is a small problem that doesn’t need to affect your ability to make a profit right away. There are many ways to make money by offering other people’s products. Selling products via affiliate programs is a great way to grow your contact list, so that when your product is ready (in a few months or a year) you will already have potential buyers ready to buy your products.
 
The solution is to join affiliates programs.
On many sites you usually have a page named “Affiliate,” just click there and see what they offer. Commission generally ranges from 20% to 50%. There are also companies such as ClickBank, Paydotcom or Linkshare which specialize in affiliate programs. When you join their sites you have access to thousand of products to sell and they track your clicks, give you your statistics, inform you when you made a sale, and send you the money once a week or once a month depending on the program. Essentially they do the majority of your work for you. And the best part, it is free for you.
Sign me up! Now how do I get started?
If you just started your business and don’t have a budget to get a website, start a blog on Blogger or Wordpress for free. Select products that are related to your niche and are a good resource or complement to your own service. Let’s say you are a marketing coach, contact other marketing coaches that you already know or do research online to see if they have an affiliate program. Find out which product they are selling, then promote the product on your blog and newsletter (by the way, your newsletter is the most cost effective way to follow-up with your prospects and clients).
Don’t consider them as competitors, but as partners, since they will help you make money. The best part of an affiliate program again is that other people are working for you. The person or company who offers an affiliate program usually prepares the sale page and the promotional text; the only thing that you have to do it copy and past the text on your blog and newsletter, then promote it to your list. Or use it to build your list. And best of all, since the topic of this product is related to your own service, you will attract your target market.
If you already have a website or a blog, this also apply to you since it will be a way to make an additional revenue and a passive income. If you already have you own product using affiliates programs will allow you to upsell to your current clients. It is the same concept, the only thing you will have to do is select products related to your own service then simply copy and paste the promotional text. Et voilà!
You can also create a resource page on your website with various products that you use to develop your own business and recommend them to your prospects or clients. If you succeed, people would like to know how you did it and they will appreciate the fact that you share those resources with them. Why not make some extra money at the same time? Do your research today; selected a couple of products to promote and try it and watch the money coming in your bank account.
To learn how to create your own product, and more strategies “To Turn More Contacts Into Business Boosting Clients In 7 Simple Steps”, Check out “Power of Networking Secrets”
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The Power of NO to Attract More Clients

  • Written by Biba F. Pedron
  • Posted January 18, 2010 at 10:00 am

noHave you ever accepted a client you knew was not good for you or your business?

Your reasons could have been anything from the need for positive cash flow, a favor to family or friends, boredom… A few days or weeks pass and you regret not listening to your gut instinct not to take the particular client that is now driving you up the wall. I am asking you this because I have made that same mistake before.

A classic new business owners mistake is to take on every and any client because of the shear excitement of a new start and because a new business is in need of money. You say yes to everyone who walks through the door. But every great now and then, you know the moment someone walks in the door that they are going to be impossible. You ignore your better judgment and forge ahead. Then the problems start. It can be anything: negative energy, late payments, tardy appointments, last minute cancellations, a complete lack of respect for you or your services or just a constant stream of complaints. What ever it is, it is taking up way too much of your time and you are too deep in to get out.
　
Why not just choose clients you will enjoy working with?

1. Determine your niche, so you won’t promote to everybody and will attract only the people that you really want. The people you can serve because you know what they need, you know their pain, and you know how to solve their problem.
You can’t help anyone else. You can only help the people who have problems you can solve.

2. Price your services according to your value. Don’t under-price your services and expect to attract more clients. It just doesn’t work that way. Don’t let the news dictate your price. Today, some coaches charge up to $100,000/year and still run at full capacity. People have money to spend (yes, even in this economy), you just need to reach your right target.

3. Charge your services up front, so you won’t have to deal with the money issue in the future. If a client is not ready to pay you up front or try to negotiate before you even start working with him/her, you can be sure that this same client will always be trouble and will not be committed because he/she is looking for a price of your service or product, not for the quality or value of the service.

4. Learn to say NO to a client if he/she doesn’t fit your requirement. You can create a questionnaire or pre-qualify your potential clients before you start working with them to make sure they are the right fit. That ensures you have the same motivation, passion to access success and you know that you will enjoy working together.

It took me years, before I understood this concept but as soon as I finally decided to raise my price, and refuse people that were uncommitted or were looking for a price more than a valuable service, I was able to attract a lot more qualify clients. This meant less clients, but more positive cash flow because I had to work less to get clients, I now charged what the service was actually worth and the clients I did get were very loyal and referred other like minded people to me. In the end, I have more free time having a business working for me and not me working for my business.

5. Stop worrying, or complaining about the situation. Become very confident in what you do. You are an expert in your field. If you are not convinced about it, people won’t be convinced either and won’t be ready to pay you for your value. Don’t underestimate yourself. Don’t under price your services.

If you are confident about yourself and show it, you will attract the right clients who will understand the value of your knowledge and your product. They will pay for your services. Take action NOW, raise your price, select your clients, and learn to say NO if he/she is not the right fit for you and your business 100%. Working with the right clients also means getting the right referrals, because your clients will love to work with you so much that they will refer you to their friends, family, colleagues or partners, and will promote the business for you. Learn to say NO, fasten your seat belt and watch you business grow.

To learn more strategies like this one, on How To Turn More Contacts Into Business Boosting Clients In 7 Simple Steps, check Power of Networking Secrets

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How to Leverage Your Time and Close More Deals?

  • Written by Biba F. Pedron
  • Posted January 16, 2010 at 10:00 am
Whatever your business or expertise is, you generally have to repeat the same things over and over to explain your business to new prospects. So why don’t you create a product to give to your prospects so they can learn more about you and your business, while you have more time to close deals.

You go to networking events, and you meet numbers of new people every month. You schedule coffees or meetings with each and every one, and you spend most of your time doing the same presentation. I agree that the one-on-one contact is important, but do you really need to meet everybody? Can you evaluate your new prospects before you meet them, so that you only meet those who are really interested in your services, and you will get more chances to close the deal? You have only few hours a day, so why don’t you leverage your time?

Here are 3 simple ideas to leverage your time and close more deals.
1- Organize a teleseminar to present your business and expertise to your prospects.
Speak with 10, 20, or 60 people at the same time, instead of doing it one at a time. Introduce your business:What you do.How you do it.What problems you solve. What solutions you provide. What are the benefits of working with you. Then answer each and every question that is asked.

With the technology available today, it is very easy and free to organize a teleseminar.You could record the teleseminar to create a CD or an audio program to use as a giveaway to attract potential new clients, at tradeshows, or to organizations that you are targeting but never get the chance to reach directly. According to the information you provide about your business, you could sell the CD and create a product from the teleseminar.

You can do it once and use the same content or CD with everybody, or you can do it monthly and showcase your expertise to more people.

2- Turn your teleseminar into an e-book.
You could even go a step further. Your teleseminar is ready, so turn it into an e-book. Hire somebody to do the transcript and offer the e-book as a giveaway or sell it on your website, as with the teleseminar. Use your e-book as a marketing tool.
3- Turn your e-book as a series of articles.
You work hard to prepare your presentation, so why don’t you use your e-book to do a series of articles that you can send to newspapers or magazines or post online at articles-directory. There is no need to rewrite the same thing over and over.
Remember the goal here is to leverage your time, so do the work once and use your content to develop various materials, tools and strategies. Using those marketing strategies will not only help you leverage your time, attract more clients and close more deals, but it will also position yourself as an expert in your field. So differentiate yourself from your competitors, and show people why they should buy from you and not someone else.

Want other ideas like this one to grow your business? Learn more about “Power of Networking Secrets”, a 7-step program to turn more contacts into clients and more leads into sales.
You can read more about it and get your own copy of “Power of Networking Secrets” 

© 2007/2010 Biba Pedron
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How to Boost Your Business with a Virtual Assistant?

  • Written by Biba F. Pedron
  • Posted January 14, 2010 at 10:00 am
Are you like most small business owners, trying to do everything on your own and are so busy working IN your business that they are not working ON your business.

How many hours a week are you spending on administrative tasks, accounting or bookkeeping, designing your business cards or brochures, managing your own mailing list, answering the phone for every call, going to the post office, following up with clients, etc? Now how many hours are you working ON your business, means doing your marketing plan, creating new services or products, promoting your business, looking for new clients or partner for strategic alliances, all these essential elements that are bringing you money to grow your business?Personally, few months ago, I completely changed my organization and instead of doing everything on my own, I decided it was time to delegate.
For example, my website is now on total auto-pilot. Thanks to 1Shoppingcard, (that I really recommend, because it is one of the most complete service) when people sign-up for the newsletter or for an event, I don’t have to send an email to each person, the auto-responders take care of it, same think to send a reminder. Or once a week, when I send my newsletter, I just set up the system and the news goes to my entire list. I don’t have to send it 30 emails by 30 emails as I used to. I was able to save hours of my time, just using their system. Plus with the ad trackers, I can measure the results of each of my ads or specials sales.
I also have two virtual assistants. One who does my administrative work in French, and one who does my administrative work in English. So now, I don’t spend my time on every little stuff which definitely needs to be done, but doesn’t have to be done by myself. this gave me time to write my book for example, “Start Your Dream Business Today!”, or to create new products, (you will hear about it very soon). So the fact that I have more time also helped me focus on my business, make more sales, and grow my business.That is how I was able to double my revenue last year. Sincerely, it took me time to get there, but now I enjoy this new organization so much, that I delegate each time I can.
But I hear your question. What is a virtual assistant (VA)?A VA is a freelance executive assistant who can work for you from her own home or office. She is an independent professional so you don’t have to train her. She will work for you by the hour or the project on any business project that you have, so you won’t need to hire a regular assistant. You will save the cost of a salary and equipment.
What could you delegate to your virtual assistant?
 
Take a look at all your daily tasks, and see which one could be delegate.As mentioned earlier, examples are: administrative tasks, accounting or bookkeeping, designing your business cards or brochures, managing your own mailing list, answering the phone, following up with clients, set-up appointments, organizing your trip, researching on the internet, submitting your articles on other websites, promoting your products or services, managing your newsletter, shipping your orders, handling registrations for your events, etc.
What is the investment in a virtual assistant?
Lot of people think of an assistant as an expense, and very often I hear “I don’t have the money to pay an assistant”. But think of it as an investment in your business. The advantage of a virtual assistant is that you are not hiring her full time. You can hire her for only 4 or 5 hours a month, or for a specific project. But during those 4 or 5 hours, YOU will have the time to work on your business and make money. Plus since she is a professional, she will probably spend less time in a specific task that you will do. And more time for you, means more money for your business.
Where can you find a virtual assistant?

On internet, some companies are specialized. By referrals, if you know somebody who already works with a virtual assistant, you may ask them for the contact information.
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