Top Three

"What are your most-requested services?"

I'm asked this question alot. And mostly when discussing our services offering with a potential client. It's a fantastic question! It can completely open the door on delegation. Quite often people aren't sure where to start and feel overwhelmed just thinking about what to delegate. So here's our top three and they all fall under the umbrella of Online Marketing & Brand Management:

1. Social Media Management. Biznik. Facebook. LinkedIn. Ryze. Twitter. Online Forums. Message Boards.... ARGH! Don't know where to start? We do! We'll help you set up a profile and maintain it on the sites you need to have a presence on. We'll come up with a social networking strategy to make sure you're connected and communicating with your desired audience. We'll manage your online reputation to see what your customers are saying... and your competitors too! It's all about keeping OUR ears to the ground so you can focus on growing your business!


2. Public Relations. Have something press-worthy? (Believe me, whether you know it or not, YOU DO!) We'll work closely with you to create an online PR campaign to get the word out. Let's get a buzz going! Perhaps you've already received a press mention and don't know what to do with it? We're full believers in tooting your own horn; we'll work with you to leverage it to the max and get it out in front of your target market! Don't have a huge corporate PR budget? No worries... we'll create a guerrilla marketing campaign to work within your means. No problem. It's what we do. It's what we love.


3. Web presence. If you don't have a website... you need one. From the moment your business concept is but a sparkle in your eye, to the smallest of start-ups, to a well-established and functioning business, we've got you covered. We can customize a package for you tailored to where you are now, and where you want to be. We'll do it all starting with the domain name purchase and registration, to design and development of the site (via html or content management system), to writing the content and even the ongoing maintenance & updating. Hey... we'll even write your blog! On the flip side, we can also get you up and running and then train you on the upkeep. Are you breathing a sigh of relief yet?


4. Ok, so our Top Three has turned into Four. Honourable mention goes to our standard virtual assistant services (after all, we are a virtual assistant business!) Are the administrative aspects of your business not really your forté? That's where we come in! We love them (it's kinda what we do after all!) These services keep us very busy and can be quite quick and easy to delegate! Need some templates created, or contracts prepared? Fire the rough copies to us and we'll get it done in no time! Have a few ideas of what you need created or expanded on? A quick discussion of your thoughts and we can get a draft prepared for you. Need a PowerPoint presentation developed? Let's put our heads together and we'll get started!
   

What do you want to delegate today?

What is a VA?

I'm asked, all the time, "What is it you do? A VA? Virtual Assistant? What is that? So just *what* is it you do again?"

Seriously.

All. The. Time.

So here's the professional definition of a virtual assistant taken from my own homepage:

A Virtual Assistant is a professional who provides support out of their own office utilizing their own equipment to other business professionals, entrepreneurs, small business owners, etc, who have a lot of work to do but not enough time to do it. A Virtual Assistant is a business owner, just like you.

Partnering with a Virtual Assistant reduces stress, protects cash flow, eliminates administrative hassles and enables business people to find the success they originally set out to achieve. You eliminate the need to pay for vacation time, sick time, employee taxes, benefits and the high overhead associated with having an assistant in-house.

The short and sweet of it?

Whatever an administrative assistant would do in your office is what I do for you off-site.

Plus some.

There's alot of collaboration involved. Alot of proactivity. Strategizing. Planning. Executing. At Scratchpad Secretaries we not only offer Administrative services, but our Online Marketing and Brand Management services are highly sought after in this day and age of Web 2.0. And our creative and technical side is very busy with website development and maintenance. And then there's our Personal Assistant services...we really have alot to offer!

So that's a Virtual Assistant. That's what we do. And that's just a few of the offerings at Scratchpad Secretaries.

Questions, anyone?

;)

How to use a VA. Pt. 2

Last week we talked about five ways to use a Virtual Assistant for administrative and secretarial assignments. Today in Part 2, we'll address five more tasks and projects you can easily outsource to a virtual assistant. Feel free to contact us for details on how we can help, or leave a comment with further suggestions!

Let's get right to it:

1. Blog updates. Are you currently on tour? Have speaking engagements criss-crossing the country? Want to write some "words from the road" to keep your fans updated? Have funny backstage stories to share? Or do you simply want to keep an on-line diary of your travels to keep your family and friends in the loop? Blogging may be your answer! We will happily update your blog on a daily/weekly basis, or as often as you'd like with pictures and stories and even the latest press coverage, whatever is happening that you'd like to communicate. Don't have a blog? Let us set it up for you!


2. Holiday & Thank you cards. Have a few hundred (or thousand) cards to send that you would like to personalize? Or just a few thank you cards? Let us do the work! We have delightful penmanship. We can even send the cards from our office. And we can set up reminders for upcoming celebrations in your life so you'll be prepared for the next round. It's time for you to relax and enjoy the holidays, let us do the work on your behalf!


3. Internet-based research. Have an upcoming role you need researched? Are you a costume-designer and need some in-depth design mysteries solved? Looking for that perfect prop? Do you have an idea for a new business or a side business but no time to investigate and research? Relax! Let us do it for you. We can provide comprehensive internet-based research and reports directly to your inbox.


4. Vacation coverage and workload overflow. Do you have an existing team to help you manage your time? Already work with a personal assistant you just couldn't live without? We often work directly with your existing staff to aid in vacation coverage, research, special projects, and workload overflow just to name a few. We step in when the going gets tough. And the tough gets going. On vacation.


5. Website maintenance. Ok, so your website is up and running. And there it is. Just sitting there. You have absolutely no time at all to update it, to keep it fresh. You're simply too busy. That's what we're for! Let us do that work, let us worry about keeping it fresh and interesting, while you can get back to doing what you do best! We can simply update with newsflashes, update the blog, post the latest press releases and tour dates, the list goes on. Don't neglect your site - let us stay on it!

There it is, neatly wrapped up for you. Five more tasks to delegate to a virtual assistant - to us!

Have an idea of something else you'd like to get off your plate? Give us a jingle and let's see how we can work together to help ease your mind...and schedule!

In Da Club

A few years ago I went to a 50 cent concert.

You know what he was wearing?

Sneakers, sweat pants and a sweatshirt, and he had his ball cap on sideways.

You know what I thought?

"I paid $80.00 to see him, at least he could have dressed better."

How do you look when people are paying their hard-earned money to see you? Oh, you don't do public appearances, speaking engagements, webinars? It doesn't matter. It's your website I'm talking about. People are taking time (and time = money) to check out your site. To see what you're up to. To see your products. TO BUY YOUR PRODUCTS. How does it look?

It is simply a static, informational page? Or does it engage the user? Does it pull them in and make them want to stay for a while? Do you switch it up once in a while? I'm not talking a complete overhaul here, just switching it up, moving things around. Do you update the content regularly? Not only does this keep your website fresh, it helps with search engine positioning.

You've got to create a web presence, not just a web site. Engage the user. They're taking time to show up, so you should too.

Scratchpad Secretaries offers blog writing and website maintenance and updating as part of their offering of services. Contact us today for your free 30-minute consultation!