Guilty, I’ll own it. I even have part of my business as a totally local biz, but I still don’t remember to convert all my advertising to being local.

Sometimes being online keeps my head thinking only online. I am a VA, but why does that have to be strictly virtual? Why wouldn’t some local small businesses want a contractor to help them get a newsletter out, manage a mailing list, set up their website, or any number of details that a small business can’t get to. Many small businesses can’t afford full-time employees and even regular part-time employees for that matter.

I started a post previously about forums, negative and then some of my favorites. I briefly touched on my 3 favorites and have now decided to put up a much better description of each of them and hopefully entice you to join us. lol

I’m going to start with my absolute favorite forums. Mommy’s Helper Community. I’ve been a regular posting member there since Sept of 2004. So working on 6 years now! Not only do I have a ton of posts and helpful replies, but I’ve made a ton of friends there. Some of us found each other from a negative forum and then also a forum that was very active and then became spammy. So it was awesome to all join in at Mommy’s Helper and have this positive place to hang out together again.

If your marketing campaign just isn’t working, or you’re just getting started, take a long look at what you’re trying to do. Is it exciting? Is it eye catching? Is it unique? If not, you’re campaign is likely too bland to get anywhere.

It used to be that simply advertising your business could get you more than enough customers, but this is no longer the case. Look around you. There are advertisements EVERYWHERE.

Yikes, I dislike having such a negative post and thankfully I had some comments on it so it brought it to my attention. So this post is to counter that with some great forums to go check out!

I’ll also comment that I’ve been frequenting forums for over 9 years now. Sadly some major one’s that I learned the most from are so full of spam I won’t send anyone there any longer. But there are still some incredible forums out there that I am a part of and I’m more than happy to promote them!

If you want your business to make you money or even just get off the ground, you’re probably going to have to advertise. For many companies, advertising becomes a huge chunk of the overall budget, but it doesn’t have to be. There are plenty of free or inexpensive ways to let people know about your business and get them coming back.

* Email

Email is a great, cost-effective way for get your name out there, contact potential customers, and keep existing customers up to date and coming back. And while developing an email list may take some time and effort, sending out an email once you have a list takes very little time.

Whether your business is online or offline or a mix of the two, building positive word-of-mouth is important to your success. By building a steady following of customers and clients your marketing will become much easier. You may even get to the point where all (or most) of your business comes from word-of-mouth recommendations alone.

If you’re looking to improve your business presence, then these tips will help you get started:

#1 – Customer service is king. Whether you provide the service yourself or have people doing that task, it’s important to pay a lot of attention to this area. Most customers, even when very upset at a situation, will come around if they are treated politely and fairly.

Web writing can be a lucrative and fun career option. Most business owners have now realized that having a web presence is necessary – whether you’re a one-person business or a large corporation. With that in mind, you can rest assure that this industry is here to stay.

If you’re an aspiring online writer or currently writing for a living, these success tips will help you make the most of your business.

Marketing is something many virtual workers struggle with. They know that they can do the job at hand but often face difficulty in passing on the message that they are available, ready and willing to do the task.

If you’re a virtual assistant, writer, web designer or other virtual worker, these marketing tactics will help you find and keep clients.

#1 – Work on what you have. If you currently have a client (or more), maximize what you currently have before looking for new clients. Let your clients know that you’re available for other services. Regularly keep in touch with them and let them know you are happy to help. Often times, you’ll find you email a client to let them know you’re availability and they’ll give you a new project.