Last week I attended a very interesting (fully funded) start-up business course.  Although I was self employed 10 years ago, it’s amazing what nearly 4 years working in a busy Property Transfer department can do for the memory.  I felt like I literally couldn’t remember anything about my previous Virtual Assistant life.  Therefore, this was a great refresher, as to the essential elements to set up as a Sole Trader again.

Now I have this information, as well as the information I’ve learnt from my Digital Marketing course (also fully funded) I can really get started.  According to gov.uk, micro businesses (1-9 employees) make up 95.2% of businesses in the UK. The Office of National Statistics advises that administrative and support services are amongst the fastest growing sectors in the UK.  Therefore, there is still an appetite for outsourcing a variety of tasks.

This all sounds very encouraging, so getting work should be easy?  One thing I do remember from before is that patience is required.  In the same way that trust is built over time in our personal relationships, it has to be nurtured in business.  I was very lucky to work for a small assistive technology software company previously.  They needed someone to process orders for their software, so that the Business Development Manager could get out to Business events and promote their product. I started off processing orders and then as trust grew, I was given more tasks like paying invoices, setting up events on Eventbrite and email marketing. 

The company did so well that they were taken over by a much larger organisation a few years later, who took my responsibilities in-house.  But it was a great working relationship and a good example of how outsourcing admin and marketing tasks can work for small businesses. 

When it comes to Marketing, many small companies just require someone to write regular social media posts.  They often can’t afford a full Marketing strategy but they want to be seen and build brand awareness, as cost-effectively as possible.  This is where a Virtual Assistant can help.  I can write/create a few social media posts a week, for designated social media channels, using a blend of video and static posts.  A weekly/monthly blog can also help drive traffic to the website and help with SEO.  These 2 elements would not take too much of a chunk out of a company’s Marketing budget but they would help to boost the brand.

The content on business websites often need a regular refresh.  Things change, the services offered might vary, prices rarely stay the same.  But these little amendments can take time and eventually not get done.  Meaning that business is being lost due to outdated information.  Updating a company’s website is something that a Virtual Assistant can do extremely cost effectively.

So with various networking opportunities booked in, I’m looking to build and nurture trust in my abilities and help small businesses to be as cost effective and successful as possible.  Why not see what services I can provide to your business.