You know I have been working on line for quite a few years now and have had some clients for a long time that I have never met in person. I bet there are tons of people with a business on the web that are the same way. I have to tell you it is great if that is working for you but every once in a while you really need to get out and connect with the people in your neighborhood, community, town or city.

When people see you face to face they have a lot more confidence dealing with your company rather than just an anonymous screen on the internet. Think up some new and exciting ways to promote your company while you are out there. They do not have to be expensive. It can be as simple as a small baggie with a few candies, a pen and your business card. Anything that makes your potential customers remember you in a good way.

While you are handing them out be sure to promote your company, maybe you have a sale going, a new product you are getting ready to launch or just to introduce your company to them. Be sure to talk to them about the value your company can bring to the table. Explain what you can do for them, don’t just give them a bunch of data that they will not remember. Why they need to hire you or buy your products or service.

You never know, you may just make some life long customers and friends.

You are welcome to use this article as long as you provide a link back to my site and blog.
http://www.vickysvirtualoffice.com
http://blog.vickysvirtualoffice.com/

Great post! I'm a big advocate of local networking and it helps to establish you in business community. A great way to locally network is join and/or attend your local Chamber of Commerce events or participate in community business expo's. The wya I see it, is that the more people "see" that a Va is "real" the more mainstream virtual assisting will be, at least IMO!!

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Doreen R. Patrick, MVA, ACS, CIVA
www.virtualbusinesspartners.net

Thank you. I think so also. I had a blast getting out and about last week.

Vicky:

I agree with you about local networking and have worked that into my schedule for next year. I'll probably schedule most of it for the Spring and Summer -- I live in Michigan and can't stand the cold weather. I'm a California girl always!

Speaking of having nice things to give away ... you might want to check out the site http://www.bagsandbowsonline.com/ which has a variety of pretty bags and boxes in which you can give some things away to folks you meet when you're out and about networking. There are lots of sites online where you can purchase branded items, too. I've not purchased any branded items, but I am thinking about.

Great post Vicky.

Best,
Tara Kachaturoff

I have a newfound respect for local networking. I have always been the type of person to prefer staying to myself and not drawing attention to myself. Well of course we know when you are in business for yourself, if no-one knows you they will not know about your business. I have made it a point over the past month to get out and network as much as possible. With this being holiday season, there is more than enough networking to keep me busy here in Houston. I have made more contact within the past month and received more feedback from new clients and potential clients than I have in the past 5 months put together.

I also am an advocate for joining your local Chamber of Commerce as they have a vested interest in seeing your business be a success.

Best regards,
Tomesia Ingram

I'm a 100% into local networking. My goal for the new year is to get a whole lot better at internet networking.

Also, if you are looking for more local networking opportunities, don't forget that volunteering in your local community under your business name could probably go a long way to getting your business name out there as well or even helping to sponsor a community event.

Leanna Kalka
Lee's Office Assistance n' Stuff
www.leesofficeassistant.com

thank you for the bags & bows resource.

The only downside to local networking for me has been that sometimes (not all) locals feel that they can have more face-time with me because I am a few miles away. So this means a little more explanation that I only work virtually. But of course, if you don't mind doing some work virtually and some work out of the office then that wouldn't be a problem for you but I am 100 percent virtual, local and out-of-area. I have met some potential clients who believe they can stop by my home office or meet me at a diner or ask me go to their office, which is not my policy.

I've done some local real estate and website VA work for bartering other services so that was OK with me to work offsite for a specified period of time but I find that being local tends to create more problems so I tend to network out-of-area to avoid virtual vs. face-to-face issues.

On the other hand, some local networking I've done in the past has led to new clients which are located out-of-the-area. but this has been an infrequent opportunity. In general, I never stop marketing my business whether I am living my life locally or networking out-of-area, but as a general rule, I do not heavily market on a local level. So far that has worked for me but that could change if need be.

Janine

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Janine, I have had the same responses with local clients or clients-to-be. I had to turn my first client down because of that. He didn't even own a computer, and wanted to come over my house to drop off/pickup work. We went back and forth for a few weeks but then I nicely told him we weren't a good fit and that he should look for someone else. I don't mind occasionally having to go outside my comfort zone but not on a regular basis. I think what he really needed was a secretarial service since he did not have any work that couldn't be done by a secretarial team.
Jo-Carole

I know in my area there are quite a few fairs - job fairs, health fairs, economic fairs, environmental fairs, career fairs, and the like. Perhaps a small booth at the right venue could help? Maybe not.

Back to the think tank.