I belong to a number of online forums, most of which relate to the Virtual Assistant industry, and one of the most asked questions is: How do I get work? The mindset seems to be that ‘now I am in business, have a website, and belong to a network, the work should be coming in’ – and it isn’t. Why?
There are probably a number of business ‘newbie’s’ in many industry categories with the same question, and so my answers here may well suit a number of readers, irrespective of what they do. And hopefully at least one item here will assist every single reader – although that one item might be different for each person.
There are many ways that people can seek out new prospective clients and one of the most common ways it is done is via networking events. But for the virtual operator the thought is that this should be done virtually – and that is not the case. Many have would-be clients living next door, across the road, over the back fence and down the street. Why ignore these potentials? And yet it seems to be an overlooked obvious answer. For anyone who operates a business online, they should not ignore the local clientele – because that is often where business comes from first. Nothing can beat face-to-face and personal contact, and whilst working relationships can be and are, built online, many people still prefer the personal connection to see who it is they are working with.
That’s not to say you can’t work virtually for someone who is local – I do, most of the time, but I want to encourage all not to overlook the obvious, and to make contact with locals, as well as those who are not so local. And to always carry your business cards around with you – ready for that connection.
There are a number of options for business networking, and these can include groups that are developed specifically for networking, to industry associations designed to aid their peers through education and social activities, to groups that service the community through works of charity whilst networking. If you service a particular industry group, then it would be worth joining their industry association (if appropriate and allowed) so that you have, at your fingertips, a ready audience of prospective clientele. But there is another source too – which probably hasn’t been considered by many at all. And that is the product launch. For those who use computer software to service their clients, then attending a product launch is a worthwhile event to attend – because there will be many prospective clients attending also, and often people who do not have as much working knowledge of the product being promoted. And attending a product launch puts you ‘in the know’ to existing clients who might also use that product, as you can advise them about the changes and what would work for them. And here another opportunity arises – writing about it in a newsletter article, thereby providing worthwhile information to those who are your readers.
I’m sure many of you may have other business networking ideas and I encourage you to send them to me, so they can be shared with everyone else on this newsletter list in a future issue. I will happily include your name and a link to your website, email or a phone number. It is good to share ideas and knowledge – what might seem obvious to one person often isn’t to another.
For those of you in Australia, visit What’s On In Town.com (www.whats-on-in-town.com for possible networking opportunities – and if you have events you’d like to add to the list, please do let me know. This list is updated regularly each month.
Networking for Business - To learn more about this author, visit Kathie Thomas's Website.
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