I would like to ask someone advice on doing secretarial work from home. Marketing yourself and your own skills. I have thought about making up some business cards and flyers and putting them out at some local hot lunch spots.
Has anyone here ever done that how does that sound to get started?

Shawn W. Billingsley

Hi Shawn,
I suppose it would depend on the area and who goes to the hot lunch places and whether they'd let you hand out flyers, but just in general I don't think that would be a particularly useful way to attact customers. Chances are, the people at the hot lunch spots are not going to be the people who need your services. It will be the people stuck back in their offices eating at their desks. And then you have to find the decision makers (maybe the same people) who will hire you. Of course, you might want to try to get a lunch place that serves takeout meals to include a flier from you in every order. It might work out.

A better ways to find customers, though, would be to network in local business groups, call local businesses, and ask people you know for referrals. A web site can sometimes be helpful too.

Janet Attard
Founder, Business Know-How
http://www.businessknowhow.com

PS: Perhaps some of you reading can talk about how you got your first customers. We'd love to hear your stories.

Janet Attard
Founder, Business Know-How
http://www.businessknowhow.com

I am looking for someone to give advice on how they ot started doing Medical Transcripton at home. I am looking for anything out there. Right now I am researching and making a list of Doctors whom I think would likely benefit from this service. Its that strating point. I need ideas!

Thank you.



Catharine Christine

Shawn,
Shawn,

I agree with Janet that leaving flyers or business cards in local restaurants is not the most effective way to market your business.
I believe direct mail is the best avenue. When I market my business I use a marketing letter and send it to businesses in my area. I do not use labels as I feel an envelope with a typed address is more likely to be opened. This has always been successful for me. I do have materials ready for subsequent mailings but in the past I have gotten more work than I can handle with these letters. I highly recommend Peggy Glen's Word Procesing Profits at Home. Of all the books I read (and I read a lot) this one book was the most helpful to me. (I did not purchase Janet's book until after I started my business - Janet's book is also an excellent resource). :D

Esther

Esther Gitlitz
EGA Professional Word Processing

Thanks so much for the advice and the book. I will look into getting it.

Shawn W. Billingsley

Hi Shawn,

In my experience, the best kind of advertising for administrative services is yellow pages advertising. Flyers and business cards distributed around town probably won't bring in that much business. However, if you don't mind working with students, putting flyers up at the local college for typing papers should result in some calls for you. :)

You might be interested in our recommended reading section for admin services: http://www.businessknowhow.com/officesupport/books.htm

HTH,

Lisa

Hi Catharine Christine! I just recently got started doing medical transcription from home due to the fact, I had already been working for a medical doctor for the past almost 20 years and I have experience transcribing medical reports. I'll tell you that since I understand this particular doctor's writing it is easy for me to transcribe. However, in your position, do you have any experience transcribing? If so, I would suggest possibly marketing yourself by contacting those doctors offices who could benefit from your work. I believe a good idea would be to speak to the office manager if that is the person who is the contact for hiring mt's. Another suggestion would be to set up a lunch date and/or appointment date at their office to market yourself with all of your information as far as what you have to offer them. You can offer to do a free tape for them to see if you would be able to handle the dictation from that certain doctor and so they can see your work as well. Also, be prepared to supply the doctors with your fees and contract if you are going to be using one. You might think about wanting to specialize in a certain specialty before trying to do several different types. I hope these suggestions help. Good Luck in your venture!

quote:

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Originally posted by Catharine

I am looking for someone to give advice on how they ot started doing Medical Transcripton at home. I am looking for anything out there. Right now I am researching and making a list of Doctors whom I think would likely benefit from this service. Its that strating point. I need ideas!

Thank you.



Catharine Christine

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Shawn,

I just recently started my own Virtual Assistant business from home. I am currently reading a book titled, "Getting Business To Come To You" by Paul and Sarah Edwards. Most book stores will carry it. I believe I purchased mine from Amazon.com. I would also recommend a website, business cards, brochures, etc. You could join a local chamber, business networking group or chapter. To help get your first client you could do some volunteer work for a family member or friend who owns their own business. This will help build your portfolio.

Hope this helps some and good luck to you!

quote:

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Originally posted by shawnann6172

I would like to ask someone advice on doing secretarial work from home. Marketing yourself and your own skills. I have thought about making up some business cards and flyers and putting them out at some local hot lunch spots.
Has anyone here ever done that how does that sound to get started?

Shawn W. Billingsley

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Coleen Yow

quote:

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Originally posted by Coleen



Shawn,

I just recently started my own Virtual Assistant business from home. I am currently reading a book titled, "Getting Business To Come To You" by Paul and Sarah Edwards. Most book stores will carry it. I believe I purchased mine from Amazon.com. I would also recommend a website, business cards, brochures, etc. You could join a local chamber, business networking group or chapter. To help get your first client you could do some volunteer work for a family member or friend who owns their own business. This will help build your portfolio.

Hope this helps some and good luck to you!


Coleen Yow

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While I agree with most of the information in your post I do not agree that a website is essential. Most of your business is going to come from local sources and if someone were to look for a virtual assistant online yours would be one of hundreds (if not thousands) of websites to choose from. I think you are much better focusing your money and energy on getting local business.



Esther Gitlitz
EGA Professional Word Processing

Esther,
I'm sure everyone's experiences are different, and I do realize many people looking for a "virtual" assistant want someone local. Many like the security of having someone they can meet and talk to and have come to their office. In fact, I was surpised recently when I did an informal survey of business owners I know to be heavy online and found that a lot of them have no interest in working with a "virtual" assistant. They wanted someone they could meet and talk to. I suppose it's a control thing :)

But that said, there are a growing number of people who DO use the Internet these days to research and search for almost everything they need. So it wouldn't be unusual at all for someone to log onto Google, say, and search for the term virtual assistant and the name of their county or a big town that's nearby. I just searched for Virtual Assistant Hauppauge for instance (Happauge is a big industrial area on Long Island) and I one of the listings on the first page of search hits was someone in the Hauppauge area who had a web site and offers virtual assistant services. I bet searching for word processing and a town would show even more.

And even when a local client doesn't search the web to find an assistant, they may well want to look at the assitant's web site before calling them to see if it looks professional and is free of typos.

I've spoken with one person who is a virtual assistant and does ALL of her marketing through the web.

And, anyone who does web development can work with distant clients, too. Whether web development falls into the realm of "virtual assistants" depends on how you define the term, I suppose. But I can think of 5 assignments my company has taken on since May (separate from ongoing government contracts and content licensing) that we got by being found on the web and having people look at our web site. One of those is a local company - but I've never met the client and don't have to meet him to do his work.

I don't think most virtual assistants need a big web site, but I do think a web site helps you compete in today's world. Not having one may not prevent anyone from getting a specific local job, but it could mean missing jobs that could be yours.



Janet Attard
Founder, Business Know-How
http://www.businessknowhow.com