Facebook business page

I'm just in the process of setting up my R&R VA Services Facebook fan page. Won't be in time to get enough followers to get my vanity facebook url but it will be good for business!!!

I'll let you know when it's up and finished and you can all come and massage my ego by becoming my fans hehehe!!

Being helpful ... for free!

I do keep doing this and not in a marketing 'give-something-free-and-hook-them-in' kinda way or a big thing about the fact it's my expertise I'm giving away (well apart from this!) but just because it's a nice thing to do. If it brings me clients then great, but if not, at least I helped someone out.

And also a note on being organised....
I'm currently printing out a few new client consultation forms that I complete as I converse with any potential client for reference and to help identify what they require (as I'm sure all good VAs do) but I just don't want to get caught on an unexpected call with no notes to guide my talk or notes on a client in lots of different places!!!

VAs that Lunch and Night Owlers

These are 2 completely awesome skype groups set up by Claire Lydia Ray of Vomnet-uk for UK/European and Australasian VAs to network, chat and generally help each other out. You can drop in and out of the thread and I have honestly not met a more wonderful, supportive and inspiring group of people. VAs are very supporting of each other whether a newbie or a pro, you got an issue, drop it into the conversation and you get instant helpful comments, a virtual hug when needed and inspiration when you get a difficult/interesting to work with client or project.

I found this group and was invited to join via the VA Twitter community and have particularly participated in Night Owlers which is from 10pm (GMT) onwards every weekday. It's convenient as it in no way impinges on the day job or distracts from my VA activities and the wonderful ladies are helping me to stay determinedly fixed on my 6 month plan and are helping me to believe I can actually pull it off!

If you are a VA in any of the above categories or happen to be around when our respective time zones coincide, I seriously recommend you come join in!!!

Creative Business Networking

I attended the LCB Depot TCB Social tonight and have to say it was great. Some useful but short presentations with opportunities to meet with business services afterwards as well as mingle. I met some interesting new people, people interested in research, people who already know me and friends! So enjoyed myself.

I have been thinking a lot recently about how I should approach these evenings (having been reading The Dream PA's Virtual Assistant Handbook) and I went with just being myself. Helpful, offering advice or to put people in touch and using my local knowledge to point people in the right direction. I hope that this strategy engages peoples interest and leads to paid work. Plus it is much less nerve wracking attending as myself rather than getting worried about representing my company, I mean I AM my company after all!!!!

I went to Creative Coffee Club yesterday too and made some good connections there too. Bring on the next event! The more I do this the more likely it is to pay off!

My USP

Apparently my main USP is, well, me! Which is nice to know but how to market me effectively........

Things are getting busy....

My to do list is getting rather long now and whilst my motivation is still there to keep working towards my Master Plan of full time VA in 6 months my body just feels like this picture. Mmmmm I'd really like to just curl up and sleep for a few days to get back my ability to function properly!!

But with all these new business set ups you just don't get the luxury! So I'm off to Creative Coffee Club tomorrow and then LCB Depot TCB Social on Thursday. I have a computer to back up before it dies on me and a marketing plan to get out of my head and onto paper....well screen anyway!

Oh and a Fabulous networking place to share with you all called Be Fabulous!! Hope to see you in the forums and help inspire each other!

Lots going on!

I've been busy with lots of different things over the last week and am having guilt that I haven't fit in blogging!

I've opened a business bank account, I've set up a meeting with Creative Leicestershire, struggled with some coding and spent the weekend in the total signal dead zone of North Shropshire!

Next big thing on the horizon is the Creative Networking (TBC Social) event on Thursday evening at the LCB Depot in Leicester. My main challenge will be getting people who know me from my day job role to view me in a different light. It could either work in my favour or not....