Do you ever get random thoughts/ideas about things during the course of the day and then when you get the time to act on those thoughts you forget what they were? Lately I’ve been jotting down ideas as I go through the day to review later in the evenings when I have more time. These lists don’t seem to have any particular order to them and when I go through them very often the more important items are not the ones I work on first.

I’ve heard a lot about mind mapping so I decided to go research into what it’s all about and how it works. I found that it’s an amazing concept that can be as easy or as hard to use as you want to make it. You can find out more about mind mapping at Mindtools. Essentially, a mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks or other items linked to and arranged radially around a central key word or idea. It is used to generate, visualize, structure and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, decision making, and writing.

There are some free mind mapping software that you can download from the Internet that are simple to use and very effective. The two that I’m playing with currently are Free Mind which is a premier free mind-mapping software written in Java that can be used across different platforms: Microsoft, Apple Macintosh, Linux, etc. This one requires a little more effort to learn how to use.

The other mind mapping software which is more user friendly is designed for use with Apple Macintosh and is called MindNode There are a ton of other ones that are out there that are either free or available at a very affordable price. There are even online mind map tools that you access through the web. One such sight is Mindomo

If you already use mind mapping, I would be interested to hear what you use it for, and how it has helped you.

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

Anyone who owns a business will know that marketing is a necessity. We would all love to be able to advertise on television, radio, in newpapers, magazines, billboards, etc. The cost could easily add up and, let’s face it, small business owners don’t have the budgets that the big boys do.

This is not to say that we should give up the idea of promoting our business. There are many inexpensive ways to promote your business that are just as effective that don’t require thousands of dollars.

A great way to market your virtual assistant business is through networking. There are many inexpensive or even free networking organizations in every city. Your local Chamber of Commerce is a good place to start. You could become an active member in discussion boards or create your own free blog on many of the blogging sites that are out there such as WordPress, Blogger, Facebook, etc. Offer advice and tips when posting on discussion boards or blogs. This is a good way to establish yourself as an expert and this can do wonders for your virtual assistant business because people will come to you first.

Another good way to get the word out about your business is to volunteer your time and services to charities and non-profit organizations. A great way to network locally! Invest in business cards that are relatively inexpensive these days. A good site that I’ve found is www.vistaprint.com. They have some really affordable prices!

Once you’ve got your business cards printed up keep them handy and with you at all times. Hand them out to friends, acquaintances, leave some at places you frequent locally like your hairdresser’s and other local businesses. Many such establishments are willing to help so be sure to ask! When leaving your business cards with others be sure to give them two: one for themselves and one to pass along.

Some of your local newspapers are a good place to advertise your business. You’d be surprised how inexpensive these are and the numbers of readers they reach that might be small business owners in your area that need some help! Very often small business owners prefer to work with someone locally.

These are just some of the ways you can market your business inexpensively. I hope this has been helpful. If you’ve tried other methods to market your Virtual Assistant business that have worked for you, we want to know! Tell us about it!

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

I thought it appropriate to post an article on what I’m currently working on which is how to market and promote my virtual assistant business in the most cost effectively manner. As a new business owner my financial resources are not limitless so I need to be wise in my choices.

I was thinking of doing email newsletters to a small select group of individuals that might be prospective clients. I’m a little hesitant about this because I would not want to appear to be a spammer! I am also thinking of putting a little advertisement in a local newspaper to tap into the local market. 

I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this or past experiences trying to market their new business that they could share.

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

Most virtual assistants at one time or another have signed up for job sites to bid on projects. I think some of these sites are useful to “connect” with prospective clients. However, I don’t believe it should be your main resource.

Another way of “connecting” with a prospective client is to have your own web site to promote your business, to do direct marketing utilizing flyers, business cards, articles in local trade papers or newspapers, advertising in your local yellow pages, email, (be careful not to spam) word of mouth, friends and family, etc. Networking through blogs, discussion forums and groups are also good ways to promote your business and get to build relationships with your peers.

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