I attended a NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) event again last week. I had so much fun! It’s great to gather with so many successful women and have the opportunity to learn and share with them. This will be my second time attending this group’s event so I will need to join if I plan on continuing the relationship. It will be an investment on my part and I plan to join by Mid-March.
Making the decision to join a networking group is not an easy task. It’s important to be sure they are worth the time and money. As a small business owner, and a fairly new one, I don’t have “extra” funds and have to ration out where every dollar goes. The conclusion I keep returning to though is that I need to meet other small business owners and I need to get my name out there. There really is no better way than face-to-face.
What I have decided is to join NAWBO now and choose another group in September; maybe BNI. One tip I can offer is to research, research, research any group before you decide to invest in it. Visit a meeting and see how many people attend and how active they are within the group.
At NAWBO, becoming a member doesn’t mean only investing money and attending the networking events, it means being active in the various committees and offering up my services. The other businesses will begin to see what it is I do and how I can assist them in their businesses. I think I can call it an act of “goodwill” and that can go a long way towards building my contact list and my credibility within the small business community in Western New York.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tracy Lynn / Phone: 716-570-6517 / Email: tracylynn@valliance2u.com
VIRTUAL ASSISTANCE GAINING MOMENTUM IN WESTERN NEW YORK
Virtual administrative assistance is helping small business owners in Western New York and the surrounding counties achieve greater success by relieving the burden many business owners encounter while conducting everyday office administration.
Buffalo, NY, United States, 11/29/2007 - For a growing segment of professionals who have decided to offer their skills and experience to business owners who will appreciate the value of there expert assistance, work means never having to set foot in an office or utter a single face-to-face hello to another client again.
From a home office Buffalo, and throughout the United States, thousands of people, including Tracy Lynn, are helping businesses in Western New York and the world as virtual assistants, also known as VAs.
Virtual assistants are professional office assistants who provide office services and support without being physically present by using the internet, email, fax, and telephone. Since much of their work is done online, they can work locally or globally.
Tracy Lynn began her VA business, Virtual Alliance 2U, in 2006. Previously a Florida-based company, the move to Buffalo proved to be a wise business decision as virtual assistance is a fairly new industry to many towns across the United States. “I am glad to have the opportunity to bring this professional and desireable service to the business community here in Western New York. I find that clients typically hire virtual assistants so they can focus on what they do best, and business owners in Buffalo have a definite desire to carry out the primary functions of their business without worrying about the back-end administrative tasks,” says Tracy.
She got into the profession after years of work in various industries such as Airport Retail Concessions and Managed Healthcare turned her off to cubicles, commuting and office politics.
Since the term “virtual assistant” surfaced in the mid-1990’s, an estimated 5,000 VAs have hung out their shingles. And unlike temporary employees, VAs are entrepreneurs and small start-up businesses - just like many of their clients.
Virtual Alliance 2U offers a variety of services including Document Management, Forms Creation and Conversion, Writing Services - administrative and technical, PowerPoint Presentations, Desktop Design, and many other administrative services.
Tracy Lynn says that many companies that are hesitant to use a VA are usually unaware of the tremendous talent pool available through independent contractors. “With advancements in technology, the VA industry now consists of enterprising individuals - many of whom have elected to leave corporate positions in order to provide highly skilled services virtually.”
She points out that it’s also quite cost effective to hire a VA. “Studies have shown the real cost of hiring and keeping a full-time assistant at your own site is 2-2 1/2 times the cost of his or her salary,” Tracy Lynn explains. “Since a VA is a contractor, employers don’t have to pay taxes, insurance, or any fringe benefits.. There’s no need for extra office space or equipment. And the employer only pays for ‘time on task’.”
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If you would like more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview, please call 716-570-6517 or email at tracylynn@valliance2u.com.
I have been mulling this idea around inside my head for quite a while now and I think that I will just go ahead and jump in - feet first - and develop one. I haven’t produced a press release before but I have found a nice little article that I believe will help to guide the process somewhat and give me a direction in which to start.Here are “24 Killer Press Release Secrets” as created by Larry Dotson:1. Your press release should sound like news, not an ad.
2. You should only send your press release to the media related to the topic of your press release.
3. Keep your press release one page in length.
4. Your header, contact information and release date should be at the top of your press release.
5. Use short sentences and double space your lines.
6. Your header and first few sentences should grap the reader’s attention.
7. You should tell a story and mention your business, product or service in the body of the press release.
8. Proofread yoru press release many times. Look for grammar and spelling mistakes.
9. Write a press release about the new products or services you’re offering on your web site.
10. Create a press release about the results of an online survey or poll you have completed.
11. Submit a press release about a trade show or seminar you’re hosting.
12. Write a press release about no cost chat rooms classes that you’re teaching.
13. Creat a press release about your opening of a new web site.
14. Submit a press release about an online award your business or web site has won.
15. Write a press release about a free e-zine you’re publishing.
16. Creat a press release about online products or services you’re giving away.
17. Submit a press release about an online business association or club you’re starting.
18. Write a press release about a famous person that’s endorsing your business.
19. Create a press release about a joint venture you are doing with another business.
20. Submit a press release about a new book or e-book that you wrote.
21. Write a press release about an expert who is speaking in your chat room.
22. Create a press release about a fundraising event you’re doing at your web site.
23. Submit a press release about major sponsorships you’re doing online.
24. Submit a press release about a new contest or sweepstakes you’re having at your site.
There are some nice ideas here as to what a Press Release can pertain to. There are also some formatting issues addressed in this article. I hope that it can help others with their press releases.