Here are some tips that will help you get involved in Facebook marketing and use Facebook to reach new customers, promote your business and drive traffic to your website:

Put Together a KILLER Profile Page

Put together a profile page that will look attractive to your customers and business contacts.  Simple yet effective is best.  You should provide enough information to pique the interest of your target market–keep this goal in mind when creating your page.

Add Your Business Contacts

Many business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals already have a Facebook account.  Invite your business contacts and customers to add you as their “friend” and invite those who do not have an account yet to sign up for their own.  This will help you to build a Facebook community around your business.

Start a Fan Page

Another great way to create a Facebook network around your business or company is set up a Fan Page.  This will help you to reach and connect with your target market, and keep them up to date with relevant information, special events, news, etc.

Buy Ad Space

Buying ad space requires a small investment, but it is still a lot more affordable than traditional advertising methods.  Facebook provides you with the tools to create your ad and target it to a specific age group, gender and location. 

Post in Facebook Marketplace

You can promote and sell your products in the Facebook Marketplace for free.

Promote Your Blog

If you have a personal company or business blog, you can easily import it into your Facebook notes.  Each of your blog postings will then appear in your news feed and that of your contacts.  This is a fantastic way to keep your network up to date with your blog.

Advertise an Event

Facebook has a free application called Facebook Events which allows you to promote meetings, conferences, events you  may be hosting, product launches and your company’s achievements.

These are some great tools to get you started.    As you familiarize yourself with Facebook, make sure to explore all of its applications and add-ons, so that you can get the most benefit out of the site for your business.  

In conclusion, using Facebook as part of your marketing plan for your business or company will open the door to a whole new set of possibilities and opportunities!

Do you really know?

For all of you small business owners and entrepreneurs out there, I have included a “sanity checklist” for you to look over. I challenge you to circle the number of statements that are true and apply to you. If more than 5 statements are true, partnering with a virtual assistant may be the perfect solution.

• I am working long hours each day and still can’t get caught up.
• I am working mostly in my business instead of on my business.
• If I wasn’t here, the place would fall apart within a month.
• I want to delegate more so I have time to pursue new revenue streams.
• I am doing tasks that I do not like or am not very good at.
• Sometimes I wonder if I am spending too much money doing everything myself.
• Our customers aren’t getting quality service and we’re losing money as a result.
• I have family members helping in my business and they are unhappy about it.
• I want to take more time off with family without guilt or stress.
• I have ideas for growing the business but I just don’t have time to pursue them.
• Paperwork and organization often fall behind and costs money in penalties or fees.
• The joy of owning a business is eclipsed by the stress of running it.
• I can’t turn my business brain off and my sleep and health are suffering as a result.
• Profitablity isn’t where it could be.
• I miss or drop opportunities to partner with others to expand my business.
• The technology that could streamline my business overwhelms me so I tend to ignore it.
• The business lags behind in online marketing which I’m sure means lost business.
• I’m uncertain where my expenses are and if they can be streamlined to save money.
• I find myself missing or being late for appointments more than once a week.

Copyright 2009 Virtually Successful.com inspired by and based on the Entrepreneurs RealityCheck by the School of Small Business Coaching at Coachville.com.

Week of 01 December 2008

“First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality.  The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.”

Napoleon Hill

1883-1970, American author

For most people juggling the demands of career and personal life is an ongoing challenge.  With so many demands on your time, it can feel difficult to strike this balance.  The goal is to make time for the activities that are the most important to you.

Here are some ideas to help you find the balance that’s best for you:

• Keep a log.  Track everything you do for one week.  Include work-related and non-work-related activities.  Decide what is necessary and what satisfies you the most.  Cut or delegate activities you don’t enjoy and don’t have time for. 
• Manage your time.  Organize household tasks effieciently.  Doing one or two loads of laundry every day, rather than saving it all for your day off and running errands in batches, are good places to begin.  A weekly family calendar of important dates and a daily list of to-do’s will help you avoid deadline panic. 
• Rethink your cleaning standards.  An unmade bed or sink of dirty dishes won’t impact the quality of your life.  Do what needs to be done and let the rest go. 
• Communicate clearly.  Limit time-consuming misunderstandings by communicating clearly and listening carefully.  Take notes if necessary.
• Nurture yourself.  Set aside time each day for an activity that you enjoy, such as walking, working out, listening to music, yoga or reading.  You deserve this precious time to yourself to help you unwind after a hectic workday.
• Set aside one night each week for recreation.  Take the phone off the hook, power down the computer and turn off the television.  Discover activities you can do with your partner, family or friends.  Making time for activities you enjoy will rejuvenate you.
• Protect your day off.  Try to schedule some of your routine chores on workdays so that your days off are more relaxing.
• Get enough sleep.  There is nothing as stressful as working when you are sleep deprived.  Getting the right amount of sleep will help keep your productivity high at work as well as keep you healthy. 
• Bolster your support system.  Give yourself the gift of a trusted friend to talk with during times of stress.  Having that “someone” to just listen to you can make all the difference in the world…don’t keep it bottled up inside.

Remember, striking a work-life balance isn’t a one shot deal.  Creating balance in your life is a continuous process.  Demands on your time change as your family, interests and work life change.  Assess your situation every few months to make sure you are keeping on track.  

Balance doesn’t mean doing everything.  Examine your priorities and set boundaries.  Be firm in what you can and cannot do.  Only you can restore harmony to your lifestyle.

Week of 27 October 2008

“Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way.”

Abraham Lincoln

1809-1865, 16th President of the United States of America

The title itself drew me in.  When I discovered this article, I knew it had to be interesting and full of insight on the benefits to you of working with a Virtual Assistant.  I have taken some excerpts from the article written by Alexandria K. Brown, a successful online entrepreneur, to give you the overall feel.   

Why Are You Doing Everything Yourself?

When I coach my entrepreneur clients, one problem I often see is that they’re not taking enough time to market and grow their business. It’s not that they don’t understand the value of those efforts, or they don’t want to make the time. It’s that they’re simply trying to do too much by themselves. They’re so busy running their business that they’re not working ON their business.

Are You Spending All Your Time on the Little Stuff?

Owning your own business requires wearing a lot of hats. But it seems that when many people leave their jobs to “go solo,” they think they must work completely solo as well. They insist on doing everything themselves–even tasks they know darn well they’re not good at.

They try in vain to design their own Web sites and brochures, write their own sales copy, process their own orders, manage their own mailing list, personally respond to every customer call and e-mail, ship their own products, and more. Pretty soon they’re running around like that proverbial headless chicken.

What eventually happens is their love for their work–the reason they started their own business in the first place– drowns in a flood of administrative trivia. Suddenly one morning they wake up feeling burnt out and without that positive, creative energy they used to have.

When this happened to me a few years ago, I was lucky to learn about virtual assistants (VAs). VAs are freelancers who take care of all that “busy work” for entrepreneurs like us. Because VAs are independent themselves, they work on an as-needed basis from their own homes or offices, saving you the cost and hassle of hiring a regular office assistant.  I now have two VAs–Liz, who lives in Boston, and June, who lives in Georgia. And I can’t live without them!

What Could YOU Delegate to a VA?

During next week, keep a log of all your activities. Then sit down and review it. Decide which activities are truly ones that only you can do and which you can delegate. For example, here are some of the tasks I delegate to my VAs:

• Responding to customer e-mails and phone calls re. downloading my e-book.
• Scheduling business and personal appointments and interviews.
• Bookkeeping: invoicing customers, receiving and paying bills, reconciling bank statements, tracking expenses and tax records, working with my accountant. (This was my favorite to delegate — I despise this stuff!)
• Internet research and fact checking
• Planning my travel for speaking engagements and seminars
• Maintaining my e-zine and customer mailing lists
• Managing my e-zine ad sales
• Handling registrations for my teleclasses/workshops
• Maintaining my Web site (copy edits, additions)
• Creating sales reports
• Shipping customer orders
• Submitting my articles to other publishers and article sites
• Placing ads in publications and at Web sites.
• Formatting e-books and creating PDF files
• Designing PowerPoint presentations

And I don’t stop there. Liz and June have also been happy to help me with personal stuff like researching vacations, purchasing client gifts, and reminding me of birthdays and other important dates. Thanks to these two amazing gals, I save my time and energy only for my “genius work.”

Worried You Don’t Have the Budget?

The good news is you’re not hiring your VA full time. A VA only charges you for the hours she actually works. Although VA rates may be more than you’d pay an administrative employee (usually $30-50 per hour), you don’t have the added expenses of employee benefits, office space, and equipment. You’re also getting someone who has years of experience, who loves what she does, who already has her own desk, chair, computer, software, fax, phone, stapler, and pens, and who’s ready to leap in and start work as soon as you are.

Keep in mind that having a VA will IMMENSELY free up your time to focus on the stuff that matters: marketing and growing your business, developing bold new product ideas and income streams, and servicing your larger clients. You’ll think much bigger and will have much more creative energy.

Week of 6 October 2008

“Success means doing the best we can with what we have.  Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph.  Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be.”

Zig Ziglar

1926-    , American author, salesperson and motivational speaker

I invite you to check out an article/review that was written about Access Office Services.  It was posted this past weekend online at:

http://www.asuccessfulwoman.com/success/2008/09/27/resource-virtual-assistant-at-access-office-services/

Enjoy!

Week of 22 September 2008

“Follow your bliss and the Universe will open doors where there were walls.”

Joseph Campbell

1904-1987, American mythology professor, writer and lecturer

Like Attracts Like.

I recently sat down with a phenomenal woman, Carol Ebert, who is, among other things, a Wellness Specialist and Mindful Coach Instructor.  We had such a powerful and energizing conversation, swapping stories about how we attract the things that we want into our lives. 

I want to share with you the following article that I found on the Law of Attraction to familiarize you with the theory:

The Law of Attraction is one of the better known universal laws. The theory behind the Law of Attraction is that we create our own realities. We attract things we want and we also attract things we don’t want. We attract the people in our lives, the stuff in our homes, and the money in our bank accounts through our thoughts and feelings.

When our beliefs are limited, we attract limited wealth and compromise our well-being. When we believe anything is possible, the sky’s the limit. In fact, you can break through that glass roof in the sky with your miraculous positive thoughts. When we focus on the “lack of” we are creating a less-than reality. But, if we focus on being abundant and happy we will enjoy a luxurious and glorious reality.

Although the theory behind the Law of Attraction is very simple, putting it into practice on a conscious level takes work. Negative and limiting belief systems are buried deep inside us. Changing or ridding yourself of ideas and old habits that defeat you at every turn can be done. Are you up to the challenge?

1. Ask-You must know what you want.  I mean, really know what you want.  The universe can’t deliver without first knowing what it is that you want to have manifested into your life.
2. Believe-You need to truly believe that what you are asking for will become yours.  Doubts need to be pushed away.  The idea that failure is a possiblity will mess up the delivery.
3. Receive-It is important that you become an active player in reaching your goals.  When opportunity comes your way, you must not hesitate.  Grab the brass ring when it appears. 

If you want to learn more about the Law of Attraction, check out one or more of these suggested books:

“Law of Attraction:  The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t” by Michael J. Losier

“Jack Canfield’s Key to Living the Law of Attraction:  A Simple Guide to Creating the Life of Your Dreams” by Jack Canfield and D.D. Watkins

“The Law of Attraction:  The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham” by Esther and Jerry Hicks