Most companies and individuals do not use the web to its full, cost-effective, image building best.  A regrettable fact, considering it is an excellent platform to keep costs down and customer satisfaction high. By encouraging your customer to peruse your information at their leisure, regardless of time of day, or geographic location, you have opened your doors to an audience not available fifteen years ago.  Maximize the use of this tool and you can grow your business to withstand any challenge.

There is a multitude of excellent and useful information on the internet, but the information is occasionally hard to find.  By increasing your comfort level with online resources, you will discover endless possibilities. Infinite amounts of research are available to you as well as sophisticated social networks.  Social networks, developed to assist you both personally and professionally, have created a rolodex of contacts from a variety of companies and locations thereby increasing your visibility and reach.

MySpace, YouTube, FaceBook, and Wikipedia are just among the many social media sites available on the Internet today.  The use of sites like Vestopia, Meetup and Stockpickr can heighten your sales output by enabling you to create models and portfolios for submissions to like-minded social media network members. Through LinkedIn you are able to confer with colleagues to tackle challenges or brainstorm ideas.  Blogging can demonstrate your value to clients and potential clients through a sharing of knowledge on the forums and blogs.  These connections are driving business without any financial investment, a key component during these difficult economic times. Appropriately leveraging these tools and the concepts behind them will assist you in your sales and marketing process.

A strong professional network is further established by “linking” with other business owners that compliment your values and your business.  A “link” connects your site to your associate’s site via reciprocal hyperlinks.  Smart and well-planned links will help you to cultivate your network and business’ credibility.  Every step you take in growing your network as well as your connections will supplementary strengthen your visibility thereby enhancing your potential for greater economic stability.

To help you achieve success and become recession proof, here are a few tips to get you started:

Choose your network – Evaluate what you need and what you want out of a network before you join any of them. Choose the network that works best for you and your business. Fellow members will be looking to you for answers, advice and recommendations. Be aware of the amount of members and membership quality.

Complete and Update your profile – Update your profile immediately. Your profile is your online identity, so update it often. Be certain to list your web site and post a link.

Search for connections – Perform a search for people and businesses you know. Profitable social networking is achieved by creating strong connections. The more people you connect with, the bigger and stronger your network.

Ask for and give referrals/recommendations – Beneficial social networking provides the opportunity to get referrals from other members. You will ask for and get referrals because of your value addition and your relation (past and present) with other members.

Respect other members – Respect other members and value their contributions. Always be friendly, respectful and polite with others. In return, you will receive the same. Gainful social networking is based on respect and consideration.

Provide value - Providing useful information, questions or answers validates you and makes you a valuable part of the network. People will come to know about you and will contact you making you an influential member of the network.

Utilizing this information will assist you in building a reliable social media network, grow potential income through added connections, and increase your economic stability.  It will also enhance your professionalism and credibility in the business world.

If you would like to start your own Blog, but are not certain how to get started, try experimenting with setting up a free blog at Blogger.com or WordPress.com.

Here is a complete overview of options to assist you in your social media networks efforts: Online Marketing ROI Chart

Virtually yours,
Linda Belan
Your Outsource Solutions, LLC

Blogging is one of the tools of social media that get a business out in front of people and allows the business to get known as an expert. Blogs can be about anything generally but if you are business, you will stick to information in your field.

Most people will tell you that blogs should be done on a daily basis which is difficult for the average business owner to do because of all of your other obligations. The VMA can take on your project and either give you several blog posts to load on your own, or they can do the writing and posting for you.

VMAs are savvy with the Internet and most of the time they have their own blog. They show you samples of what they do and give you plenty of information to make a decision about whether they are a fit for your business.

Blogging is one of the ways that they get their marketing done and how they attract other projects. This means they are experts in this area and they have experience at doing a variety of blogs including their own.

When you embark on the Internet highway to get your information out quickly, a VMA has the shortcuts to getting you where you want to go. They can help you avoid the pitfalls that have stopped many businesses from enjoying the ride.

VMAs attract many customers because they provide them with the means and action they need to take their business to the next level. When you have their help you don’t have to worry about when the work will be done or whether it will be done at all.

Another area where VMAs are experienced is in Internet marketing. Because of this skill they are able to take your blog and get it appropriately place in the right media for people to see it. This may mean that they not only help with the blog, but they help with placement of it around the Internet.

If you are a business that needs the Internet for survival this can be one of the greatest opportunities for you towards your success. A VMA can also help you plan your full marketing efforts on the web and use the blog as the starting point.

Many businesses use a VMA to sharpen their image that they already have with their blog. Perhaps you have kept up with it to a point, but you have a need to be consistent. The VMA can look at where you are now and help you move to where you want to go.

Virtually yours,
Linda Belan
Your Outsource Solutions, LLC
www.youroutsourcesolutions.com

Today, Internet presence is what is needed for most businesses and you must do this with some sort of effort. Whether you are a social networking or you are using professional social media to market your business, you will find that the Internet will play a major part in your marketing.

Because of this and because you are probably too busy to do it yourself, you will need the professional services of a Virtual Marketing Assistant (VMA). This is an individual who is skilled in doing what you need done on the Internet.

There are probably thousands of VMAs who have the skills you need and they advertise them regularly. Some are in the beginning stages of their business but they may have expertise from other work.

A VMA can be particularly important when you have several projects to do at once. Here are some ways to work effectively with your VMA:

Define the Task

When you first start working with your VMA be very clear about what it is you want them to do. They are not mind readers and in order to get what you want you have to spell it out. Before you talk with your VMA make a list of all the things that you want done and that you are already doing. Be clear with yourself about which ones you want to delegate to someone else.

Define your way of working

As a small business owner you have a certain way of working that is only known to you. This information must be communicated to your VMA so that they can work with you instead of against you. The more they know the more the two of you will be able to work around your quirks.

Write what you want done in an email

Don’t expect that your VMA will know how to do something in the way you want it done. Write down in detail what it is that you expect to be done and when. Always give them a deadline so the two of you are on the same page.

Design a process for communication and working together

From the very beginning make sure that the two of you talk about working together and how that will look. Talk about the work flow and the way(s) in which you will communicate.

Let go of the work

Once you give your VMA an assignment you should be confident that they have the skills and expertise to do it. Ask your VMA for a regular update from them to resolve any control issues you have and then let them do their job.

Virtually yours,
Linda Belan
Your Outsource Solutions, LLC
www.youroutsourcesolutions.com

Many experts today are telling us to step up, to take charge and start a small business.  They tell us that economic changes are creating momentum for small businesses.  As corporate CEOs strive to keep their earnings up to the stock market expectations, the Fortune 500 sector is continuing to downsize.  But that is for large businesses and not the small business.

Small business is creating jobs, which is another economic change.  While the government and corporations are downsizing small business is increasing.  Small businesses are doing big things with today’s technology.  Small businesses are able to compete with corporations in industries that only a big corporation could handle.

With these and other economic changes sweeping the country, now is the right time to become a small business owner.  Now is the time to be your own boss.  Now is the time to start a small business you have been dreaming of for years.

Depending on what industry you want to be in, you can start your own business right from your home.  You probably already have most of the equipment that you need like a computer, Internet connection and a telephone.  If you have a good credit rating, you can easily get a small business loan to get whatever else you may need.

It makes no difference if you want to work from your home or open a storefront, now is the right time to start a small business.

Virtually yours,
Linda Belan
Your Outsource Solutions, LLC
www.youroutsourcesolutions.com

LB: Why did you write this book?

RC: My goal was to create a handbook, which entrepreneurs and small business owners can refer to when they are searching for online marketing tools and/or new marketing ideas.  I wrote it for new entrepreneurs and small business owners, as well as for those who have been in business a while.

LB: Tell me about yourself

RC: I’m originally from Arizona and now reside in California.  I earned my bachelor’s degree (with Magna Cum Laude honors) from Arizona State University when I was 44 years old.  After graduation, I couldn’t find a job; therefore, I decided to start my own business offering online word processing services, which was 6 years ago.  At that time, I was not aware of the virtual assistant industry, which I am now a member of.  So, I guess you can say I was ahead of the curve.

LB: What qualifies you to write this book?

RC: Approximately 2 years ago, I started maintaining a blog and writing articles in order to implement the article marketing strategy.  (I talk about using this strategy as a marketing tool in my e-book.)  Also, while attending college, I learned how to write.  I had to write.  I remember my English professor saying I should be a writer, because he thought I had the skills.  I didn’t take him serious.  I was just trying to get through college.

In regards to the subject matter, my background and education in marketing and my experience from operating an online business provide me with the necessary qualifications to write this e-book on the topic of online marketing tools.

LB: How long have you been an entrepreneur?

RC: I have been an entrepreneur since October 2002.  Although I started out as a small business owner, I have become an entrepreneur.  There are differences between entrepreneurs and small business owners.  In fact, I wrote an article on the differences.  It is titled, “Are There Any Differences Between an Entrepreneur and a Small Business Owner?”  Ezine Articles is one of the article banks where you can find it.

LB: What is the e-book about?

RC: This e-book contains information on various online marketing tools, along with some examples and in-depth descriptions of the tools.  There is also a resource section that lists websites where you can find the online marketing tools, including “live” links to the websites.  The resource section will save your readers a lot of time in Internet research when they are searching for information on online marketing tools.

LB: What do you want the readers to get out of this e-book?

RC: I wanted to provide those readers, who have a shoestring marketing budget, with information they can use in their online marketing plan or, at least, generate new marketing ideas.  Most entrepreneurs and small business owners do not have a large marketing budget.  The marketing tools I discuss costs little to no money.

LB: Can we look for more books from you in the future?

RC: Yes.  One of my clients, who is a coach of Christian leaders, and I are currently working together on an e-book.  It will be geared towards Christian leaders and Christian virtual assistants.  So be on the lookout for that in the near future.

LB: How can the readers contact you if they have any questions?

RC: Your readers can reach me at 760-631-1335 or toll free at 866-651-3073 or send me an e-mail at rjcartw@rjswordprocessing.com.

LB: Rita, thank you for stopping by my blog on your tour.

RC: You are very welcome. Thank you, Linda, for having me.