Moving to a new area can teach you a lot of things, but it wasn’t until I became an entrepreneur that I noticed it can also educate you about business. And more specifically about how fearful businesses can be about making changes.
I’ve been bit surprised at how many local businesses here in my corner of North Carolina don’t have a website. Yet, they are purchasing space in the Yellow Pages. Really?!

Don’t they know that people are more likely to use their yellow pages directory as a doorstop or booster seat than to actually open it to find a business these days? And I’m not exaggerating.

Business owners still clinging to this antique advertising method are ...Click here to read the rest of this post at the Clerical Advantage Blog.

The Clerical Advantage Blog is authored by VAF member Tina of Clerical Advantage.


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Great post, as usual, Tina

I couldn't agree more - we rec'd the new 2010 phone book the other day and I said to my husband 'Who uses this anymore? When was the last time we opened a phone book?'

This post applies to ALL business markets but is an especially great answer to any of the new VAs who are asking 'Do I need a website?'

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Thanks Tess,
It's a struggle with some potential clients or networking contacts to open their eyes about their 'tried and true' advertising methods. I had one tell me they had 'never' gotten a customer from their website. I went on to explain that just about every business that I've entered since moving here was due to a website, but I don't make a habit of announcing it to whomever I interact with. I then asked him how many people he thought were like me. It certainly made him pause and think.

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~Tina Marie Hilton of Clerical Advantage
& founder of VA Survival School

I think you need both yellow page advertising and website to cover both types of people and how they look for things. Could be an age thing, location thing, etc. I may be be old-fashioned, but I always use the yellow pages to look for things. I asked my college-aged son what he would use to find a business, yellow pages or Internet, and he said yellow pages (I was surprised, I must admit, considering how tech savvy he is). All of my clients except one recent one found me either through yellow pages or referral. But that recent one found me on the Internet. She went to yellowpages.com and then went to my website from there.

So I definitely think it's moving in that direction, but I'm not ready to give up my yellow page advertising just yet; too may people I've asked say they still use it! (Wish I thought I could!)

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Pam Deyerle - Transcriptionist in the Richmond, Virginia area
The Perfect Word Transcription Services

I forgot to mention that if I already know where I'm going, I'll go on the Internet to check their hours, or if a restaurant, to see their menu (and hopefully their prices!), but I still use YP to find a business initially, like a plumber or roofer, etc.

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Pam Deyerle - Transcriptionist in the Richmond, Virginia area
The Perfect Word Transcription Services

I think the yellow pages is still much needed. But I do not actually use the book myself. I prefer to use my computer. I just type in what I want and it's there? But the yellow pages are online as well, and you may not find some companies by website you may have to use the yellow pages to locate them. I think both are still needed, and I do not think that hard copy of stuff should ever be completely eliminated.

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Rhonda Holscher, Owner
Rhonda's Virtual Office - Hire a Virtual Assistant

I'm actually surprised at the support for the yellow pages. Of course my blog post is my opinion, based on information gathered from various sources and my own personal experiences.
I never use the yellow pages, nor does anyone in my family. When the 'big book' was delivered in my neighborhood, 50% of them sat outside for weeks before my neighbors ended up trashing them. Even before I started my VA business, none of the legal offices that I worked in used them, even though we had a ton of them sitting around the office.
I started out by purchasing ad space on yellow pages.com, but found that my results were no different than with the simple free listing.
I suppose it may depend upon the services offered. Since mine are really technology specific, my website/blog, Twitter and other social media avenues have been how clients have found me.
Since computer access isn't guaranteed for everyone, the yellow pages still have a purpose, but I do believe it's no longer the perfect place to invest your advertising dollars. Of course, again, that's my opinion based on my own research and personal experience.

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~Tina Marie Hilton of Clerical Advantage
& founder of VA Survival School