5 Ways to Grow Your Virtual Assistant Business

One of the biggest challenges for Virtual Assistant
business owners is consistently attracting enough
clients. The following list contains 5 marketing
strategies to expand your ideas about promoting
and marketing your virtual assistant practice. Don’t
get overwhelmed and throw in the towel. If you
have the skill set and determination, there is no
reason why your business can’t flourish.
5 Ways to Grow
Your Virtual
Assistant Business
By: Apex Virtual Academy

5 Ways to Grow Your Virtual Assistant Business
©All Rights Reserved www.thevirtualassistantschool.com
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Copyright © 2011 Apex Virtual Academy
All rights reserved worldwide.
No part of this e-book may be copied, shared or sold with the permission of Apex Virtual Academy
The use of our information, products and services should be based on your own due diligence
and you agree that Apex Virtual Academy is not liable for any success or failure of your
business that is directly or indirectly related to the purchase and use of our information, products
and services.

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Attracting the right clients seems to be the toughest challenge among service based
entrepreneurs. This list contains 5 marketing strategies that you can start using immediately to
build your virtual assistant client base.
How to Use this Guide
To receive the best possible results, it is recommended to read the list in its entirety, making
notes where you see fit. Once you are done reading, select at least two strategies to focus on.
Once your strategies have been selected, it is then time to start taking some consistent action
and be sure to track your results. If you are not tracking your results, it is impossible to get
maximum results from your efforts. Tracking allows you to see what is working and what needs
to be tweaked.

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Tip #1: Small Business Networking
Why this is Important
Small business networking is one of the fastest ways to change your financial
circumstances as a virtual assistant. Running a virtual business means that most of your
clients will probably never get the chance to speak with you face to face. Networking
removes the mystery and doubt. Even though you’ll still be working virtually, your
prospects have met you face to face and they now feel as if they know you.
Your Action Plan
a. Challenge yourself to hand out at least 5-10 business cards every day. It may be
uncomfortable at first but it will eventually become effortless. Often times to get in
a comfortable place financially, it is necessary to get uncomfortable. Get out of
your comfort zone and do something different.
b. Attend at least 1 networking event related to your niche or area of specialty each
week. The goal is to make connections and show people your knowledge in the
area. Don’t go in selling, you want to make connections, build trust and establish
credibility. Be sure to stay in touch with the people you connect with.
c. Everyone you know should know the type of business you are running. Don’t be
afraid to ask your friends and family for referrals. It’s only harassment if you keep
bugging them after they’ve given you the back off signal. I always recommend
being as discreet and as innocent as possible. A good way to do this is to just
throw it in an everyday conversation. Real friends and family at some point will
ask you how’s business or how’s work going. This is the perfect time to say,
“Things are going great, I actually just launched this really cool referral program
for my virtual assistant business. It allows people to make money just by telling
people what I do. If I am able to convert people that come to me on their behalf, I
will send them a check for $____ or a gift card for/to _______________. And
before I forget, it works for family and friends to so if you know someone that
could use my services feel free to send them over. By the way, how are things
with you?”
Helpful Notes
It is important to keep a record of what type of events are the most successful for
you. You can do this with a simple spreadsheet that tracks the following:
 Approximately how many people attended the event
 How many people did you really connect with? (This is not the number of
business cards you collected; it’s the number of people that you saw as
real prospects.)
 Total number of business cards you collected?
 Number of connections that turned into real clients

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Tip#2: Newsletters, Blogs and Articles
Why this is important
Writing newsletters, blogs and articles requires consistency if you want to be effective.
You can’t write one or two pieces and expect to build a following. If your work is good,
people will start subscribing to your feeds or newsletters and before you know it, they’ll
start buying stuff. This is an awesome way to let them get a sample of how GREAT you
are.
Your Action Plan
a. Start a free newsletter or blog. Promote it online; a good place to start is by
adding it to online directories and submitting your link to various search
engines.
b. Send your articles to magazines and industry or association journals in hopes
of getting something published
c. Submit articles to online directories. Here is a short list of some good article
directories.
 www.ezinearticles.com
 www.goarticles.com
 www.ideamarketers.com
 www.articlebase.com
Helpful Notes
Below are some of the items you should be tracking.
 How many times each article was read?
 Your click conversion rate; how many times did your article entice a reader to
click on the link that directs them to your website?
 How many readers of your blog, article or newsletter actually bought something?
 What types of articles are getting the most traffic? (Find out what topics work
best for you and find creative ways to stick to those particular topics. There’s no
point in writing on topics that no one cares to read.)

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Tip #3: Become an Expert Salesperson
Why is this important
Knowing how to sell your services or products is one of the most important aspects of
running a business. In order to actually get to the doing part, you have to master the
selling part. Many business owners are afraid to ask for the sale or they treat sales like
some dirty little disease. There is nothing wrong with asking for business. Every
company has to do it in order to survive.
Your Action Plan
a. Read books and takes courses on sales and marketing techniques and
strategies
b. Develop a strong self-introduction; you should be able to say who you are and
how you help your clients in less than 5 minutes
c. Don’t be afraid to ask for the business. GO BIG OR GO HOME. There’s nothing
wrong with rejection, everyone has to face it at some point. Instead of burying
your head in the sand, use it as a learning lesson. Figure out what you did wrong
and correct the problem. You can even call or email the prospect back and ask
them if they could assist you by completing a survey to help you improve your
presentations in the future.
d. Learn how to manage and handle prospect objections during your sales
conversation. In many cases there’s an objection when
 The person you’re talking to is not your ideal client
 You haven’t sold them on the actual benefits you bring to the table
 They don’t like your personality (people generally buy from people they
like)
e. Get a clear sense of your business purpose.
 Believe in your service
 Get clarity on the benefits and focus less on your features
 Know why your service stands above the competition
Helpful Notes
You may want to create a few different sales presentations. Try each presentation
multiple times and track your results. You may see that one doesn’t work at all or that
one in particular works on prospects that have certain personality types.

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Tip #4: Speaking and Seminars
Why this is important
Speaking and teaching are the easiest ways to build credibility. The key is to
ensure that the information you are sharing is accurate and will be helpful to your
potential client.
Your Action Plan
a. Offer to speak for free to groups, associations and service clubs related to
your area of expertise
b. Offer a workshop or training at no cost to the public
c. Teach a class at your local community college in your area of expertise
Helpful Notes
Whenever you are teaching or speaking at an event, it’s always good to have some type
of giveaway or a freebie item that your audience can take home with them.
Many group organizers will also allow speakers to set up display tables. If you are able
to do this, here are some things you don’t want to overlook.
 Capture contact details. This can be done by having a place set up for people to
subscribe to your newsletter.
 Another idea is a free giveaway. Your prize could be a sample package of your
services or product. You can use a fish bowl or jar to collect business cards for
your drawing. At the end of your session, you can pull a name or card.
Once you get back to your office, contact the people who submitted cards and let
them know you appreciated their attendance. Also tell them that you are sorry
they didn’t win the free giveaway but that if they’d like you can sign them up for
your newsletter and they’ll get some great information and a chance to win other
great cool stuff. DO NOT ADD THESE PEOPLE TO YOUR LIST WITHOUT
THEIR PERMISSION!

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Tip #5: The World Wide Web
Why is this important
The world wide web is the second best way to reach potential clients for your service
based business. Your online presence speaks volumes about who you are as a
business owner and because most of your clients will never get a chance to have coffee
with you, this is all they have to form an opinion, SO MAKE IT GOOD!
Your Action Plan
a. Create a website with useful content for your ideal clients
b. Research and incorporate associated keywords for greater search
engine ranking in all of your online content
c. Participate in online discussion groups
d. Link building with other websites that share your target audience
e. Create a professional online profile
Helpful Notes
It important to be careful online because it is one of the quickest ways to lose credibility.
So many small business owners get caught in very uncomfortable situations online with
the misusage of social media. It is okay to use social media for work and play but you
have to be very careful when you’re interacting on your personal pages. I always advise
people to stay clear of things like politics, dirty or inappropriate jokes and uncomfortable
pictures.
You should keep a record of how much of your business comes from your online vs.
your offline marketing efforts.

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Want More?
The tips in this guide are a great starting point. If you’ve used the information above and
had great success, it may be time to take it a step further. Below is a list of programs
that Apex Virtual Academy offers to the small business owner or busy professional in the
areas of marketing and revenue building. If you see something that piques your interest,
use promo code: GOTTAHAVEIT and get a one-time discount of 25% from your total
purchase.
 Online Marketing
 Proposal Writing
 SEO Expert Training
 Prospect Follow-up
 Classified Advertising
Looking for something else? Visit us online at www.apexbusinessacademy.com

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Who is Apex Virtual Academy?
Apex Virtual Academy is an online training facility. We support
small business owners and business professionals by providing
expert training in the areas of small business startup, marketing
and various forms of modern day technology.
Our Instructors come from a host of professional backgrounds
with training that includes but are not limited to: Project
Management, Bookkeeping, Virtual Assistance, Social Networking, Online/Offline Marketing,
Photoshop, HTML and Dreamweaver.
Our Mission
Apex Virtual Academy’s mission is to help Virtual Assistants and entrepreneurs gain a better
competitive advantage by providing the most current tried and tested methods available. By
teaching industry values, marketing and niche specialties, Apex shows students how to create
or increase revenue.
Our Beliefs
Education equals power. With an open mind, creativity and the ability to learn, success is
unlimited.
Our Purpose
To equip our students with the skills and training necessary to build and develop successful
careers or businesses.

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The Founder of Apex Virtual Academy
Founder Trena Stubbs is a successful entrepreneur and
author. After years of providing solutions in sales and
marketing solutions in the corporate world, Trena decided to
start Apex Virtual Solutions, a virtual assistant practice. Within
six months of starting Apex, Trena was able to bring in 3
additional virtual assistants to assist her in servicing her
clients.
Now with a practice of 34 VAs, she has used her combined
experiences in corporate sales and virtual assistance to
create a dynamic coaching program for small business owners and solo entrepreneurs
providing a professional service.
Dedicated to helping small businesses, she recently had her first book published, The Secrets
to Email List Building; a guide that teaches small business owners how to create income
through email marketing. The Road to Going Virtual is Trena's latest publication. This guide
teaches entrepreneurs how to setup, systemize and market a Virtual Assistant business.
As an active member of The Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity and Hands on Atlanta,
Trena is dedicated to giving back to the community. One of her favorite quotes by Albert
Einstein states, “It is every man’s obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of
what he takes out of it”.
Some places you can connect with Trena……
 Author of The Road to Going Virtual
 Author of The Secrets to Email List Building
 Founder of The Marketing Booth
 President of Apex Virtual Solutions
 Founder of Apex Virtual Academy

5 Ways to Grow Your Virtual Assistant Business

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5 Ways to Grow Your Virtual Assistant Business