Friday, December 9, 2011

Transitioning Your Business to the Virtual Realm


"The virtual realm," the term itself sounds so cold and kind of like science fiction, but that can't be further from the truth. Make no mistake, making the transition to streamline business functions by working with the virtual industry will offer benefit after benefit many times over. Allow yourself to simply look into what services the virtual business owner may have to offer and how they will use online tools to provide assistance. It is their business to be your productivity enhancers. Small businesses are prime candidates for profiting from a successful collaboration with a virtual assistant firm.

A small nail salon can drastically intensify their visibility simply by having a website, which in turn will improve their list of potential clients, and make for a fairy tale ending just by diving into the virtual realm. Because the local gift shop owner hired a web staff to handle his repetitive administrative tasks, he now has more time to look after things he enjoys -  like that special project, a new product line he's been thinking about getting on his shelf, or just getting to know his customers.

How do you know when it's the right time to make your business transition into the virtual realm? Maybe you've missed opportunities because you failed to follow-up with potential clients in a timely manner, or the day to day running of your business keeps you from doing the exciting business projects you have been thinking about for months. What about your general items on your to-do lists that seem to be pushed off for the next week and how many times do you find yourself working weekends and evenings just to keep up with the repetitive administrative tasks that must get done? Instead of hiring an employee to help you keep a handle on things, take a look over the brick and mortar wall into the land of the virtual assistant. Employees might incur more overhead expenses like office supplies and equipment not to mention the expectations of health benefits, but with a VA, all you worry about is the work itself.

A virtual team of assistants can actually help grow your business when it’s organized and executed mindfully.  Small businesses can benefit from using internet tools far beyond email and instant messaging. Tools like websites, email surveys, your own company newsletter, and having a friendly contact for your customers to touch base with when you are unavailable are priceless resources that you must explore.

Let's look deeper. Having a web presence will expand your reach; keep in mind a website is your virtual front door. You can have a website not only set up for you but also managed and updated. Need to update your current list of potential customers and keep a line of communication open with current and past customers easily? Virtual Assistants can create, organize, and manage a newsletter for your business to keep your marketing momentum going. If customer support is a hurdle for you and find yourself not able to meet the customer service standards you have set for your company, have a VA to assist you with handling the special needs of your customers.  

Having a web staff on your side will guarantee you are collaborating with experienced internet savvy people with a variety of talent that are there to help your business flourish. Customers will recognize the organization of your business and when they do your customer relations will improve and develop into new business. When customers have a terrific experience, they'll let others know. 

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Its really interesting blog. Good work..Thank you.Virtual Assistant Services