March 2011

Special Spring Offer*: 25% off all Vi-VA's Social Media Services
Welcome to our March newsletter where we talk about the fundamentals of Social Media - the nuts & bolts, the benefits.  We bring you - our newsletter readers - a fantastic and unique offer which will springboard your business into the social media limelight!

Social Media....Madness?

If you don’t engage in it, you’re behind the times.  Doesn’t matter whether you’re an IT specialist or a gardener, you are expected to have a presence in social media. Gone are the days when FaceBook was for your teenage children. Businesses, through these social communication sites, are developing lasting customer relationships which convert into brand loyalty. Through our team at Vi-VA, we can help you realise the value of Social Media marketing.
      

 Benefits:
v It’s free targeted marketing – if you use it wisely. And don’t just use it to find new business, it will help you stay in touch with your existing customers and encourage their repeat business.
v Make your business found online and increase traffic to your website – this is where you can “sell” your service/product
v Spread ideas, increase brand awareness, share your business news, shout about offers, link to your newsletters and blog. The more links you have coming back to your website, the more the search engines like you (and reward you by moving you ‘up’ in the search rankings).
v It can be instant (and free) communication with your customers! Social Media is not just accessed through the laptop anymore. Instant access through the mobile phone is becoming standard. It’s the new “cold-calling” (without the rejection).
v What’s important is to give people something interesting, something for free – make them want to ‘follow you’, ‘like’ you or ‘connect’ with you. You have a great deal of knowledge about your particular business – so share this knowledge and you will gain trust and respect – the outcome being: more customers.
v Don’t discount what you can get out of Social Media ... not just what you can give to your customers. You can keep up with news, trends and find inspiration from other’s ideas. Successful businesses don’t rest on their laurels.

 Advice:

v Choose your social media sites carefully.  Unless you have all the time in the world, up to 3 sites will be more than enough to keep up with.  
v You need to make time to keep your sites current – otherwise people (ie customers) will quickly lose interest.
v Be consistent with your message across all sites, but don’t just duplicate your updates. This shrieks ‘laziness’ and will quickly turn followers off.
v Get to know the social media you are using because, for example, what’s appropriate for Twitter may not be for LinkedIn.
v Don’t tell people that your neighbours are noisy or that you’ve just been to the gym – they’re not interested in your personal life!
v However, it is important to inject your personality into your updates – after all people buy from people.
v It isn’t necessary to ‘follow’, ‘like’ or ‘connect’ with everyone on the planet. Be selective – know your target market. But don’t be afraid to check out a sampling of high profile and successful businesses – remember, this can be a great source of tips and inspiration.
v Don’t forget to follow your competition – see what’s working (or what’s not!) for them.
v Make yourself familiar with basic social networking etiquette – ask a professional, such as Vi-VA, to help you work through the basics until you’re comfortable.

 Downsides: 
v There is one significant downside to the effectiveness of Social Media – it is time consuming to maintain.
v However, if done properly, it will be a real asset to your marketing mix.

 Where to now?

Don’t let your lack of knowledge or time stop your business from benefiting from Social Media  – help is available. You can learn the basics and get comfortable with the value of this type of marketing.  If you’re already comfortable but it’s the time you don’t have, then look to a trust worthy professional to manage your updates. Make sure it’s someone who gets to know your business well as the updates must reflect your personality and your business vision.

Vi-VA has the professionals who can fill these requirements quickly and cost-effectively. We’ll patiently navigate you through the Social Media minefield until one day the madness becomes a tool you can’t believe you lived without!

 

Special Spring Offer*: 25% off all Vi-VA's Social Media Services
http://vi-va.co.uk/social-media-marketing-strategy  

*Offer available until Easter 2011 – Quote “March Newsletter”

 

Read more on our Social Media support through these links:

Twitter: http://www.vi-va.co.uk/twitter-marketing -- Follow us on Twitter: viva@viva_va

Facebook: http://www.vi-va.co.uk/facebook-marketing -- Like us on FaceBook

LinkedIn: http://www.vi-va.co.uk/linkedin-marketing -- Link with us on LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/virtualpa

 

 

Welcome!

Welcome to the latest edition. In this issue, I'm delighted to announce that the launch of our fabulous new Vi-VA website will be at the end of this week. As valued customers and friends of Take Time, I wanted you to be the first to hear this exciting news, and I have another special offer to celebrate.

Special Offer

You may already know that Vi-VA will be offering great value Social Media packages but do you fully understand the social media revolution and how it could work for you?  To celebrate our launch, we're delighted to offer clients and newsletter subscribers an exclusive discount on our NEW Social Media Phone Tutorial service, which will focus predominantly on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.  If there's a query you need answering, a topic you need explaining, or if you simply don't know where to start, we'll create a bespoke tutorial that makes sure you're not left behind.  We're offering a discounted rate of £35 for the first half hour (normally £60).  For this you will receive a completely bespoke tutorial and invaluable advice, tailored to your business.  This offer only runs until 31st October so make sure you call today to secure your post launch discount.

The Vi-VA story

When I started Take Time in 2005, I wanted to offer lifestyle management to people who needed a helping hand with their busy lives. As a working Mum, I knew there was a real need for this service, and soon we were helping clients all over the country. We took care of all those jobs that they didn't have time for, helping them enjoy their precious free time.
 
The feedback was a revelation and exceeded my expectations:
"Just wanted to say a big thank you for everything you do for me. You really have become invaluable! Work is stressful enough; without your help my personal life could be stressful at times too" (Sarah, Didsbury)
 
Over time, our personal clients began to use us for their business needs, and word spread. In the last couple of years, we've seen a dramatic rise in business clients, as the real benefits of using a VA in these hard economic times started to make sense to more companies.
 
With this in mind, I decided that the time was right to establish the different sides of the business under different names. Take Time will remain the lifestyle management side, whilst Vi-VA launches as our new dedicated Virtual Assistant service.

My Rebrand Support Team

Lots of businesses sing the praises of their team but I'm now in the great position of having used them as a customer myself. When I decided to create Vi-VA, I didn't need to look any further than my own great team for the help I needed. From researching the company status to creating a social media presence, they've been fantastic, and confirmed what I already knew - that I have assembled a first class team!
 

So what does this mean to our clients?

Nothing has changed about our commitment and high service levels, that's for sure. We've still got a highly talented team and offer a totally flexible service. What has changed is the range of new and exciting packages we're now offering. We're particularly excited about our Social Media Marketing packages - we've responded directly to our clients' demands for great value, effective packages and can't wait to help you all take advantage of the opportunities available to promote your business.

Keep in touch!

We love connecting with our clients and friends, so thank you to all of you who now follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. If you don't already, why not join in the fun?
 

Rate my Taste in Music

As our followers already know, we like to have a bit of fun on a Friday, and each week I choose a Friday tune to get us in the mood for the weekend and post it on Twitter and Facebook. Come and see how you rate my choices! Feel free to make requests if you don't agree with my eclectic musical taste (I'm warning you now that my diverse taste ranges from Rainbow to The Kooks, and Take That are amongst my favourites!)

Welcome!

With all the exciting changes going on here, this will be one of our last newsletters as Take Time!  We're beavering away at last minute tweaks to our new website, preparing some fantastic offers for you and we've already started to build followers on our brand new Twitter and Facebook pages.
In this issue, I'll be looking at the benefits of using our bookkeeping service. I'm sure most of you will have spent hours trying to make sense of business finances at some time, so you'll know how liberating it can be to hand it over to an expert.
Starting as we mean to go on, I'm delighted to be able to offer our newsletter readers a permanent bookkeeping discount this month. Make sure you sign up quickly as we're only running this exclusive promotion until the end of August.

Thanks for reading! 
Sarah.

ps - Are we LinkedIn yet?

Bookkeeping benefits really add up!

As small business owners, you already know that the demands on your time are huge. And that there's no greater stress than trying to balance the books or make sure that your paperwork and records are up to date for tax returns. At Take Time, we've seen the difference that using our bookkeeping system makes and want to share some of the benefits with you:

• Expert knowledge and peace of mind - you didn't set up your business as a bookkeeper so why try to be one? We all know the reality is evenings and weekends spent looking for receipts, wondering if you're doing it right and failing to make sense of the numbers. Hand it over to us and reclaim your free time, safe in the knowledge that you're complying with all the tax and business financial regulations.
• Save money - don't waste hours of your valuable time and hundreds of pounds updating expensive accounting software packages and systems that you don't really understand. Our trained and experienced bookkeepers will soon have your finances in order at a fraction of the cost.
• Better business decisions - can you really make the best business decisions when you don't have a clear picture of your financial position? With your books in order, you'll be able to see the best course of action for you and your business.
• Wide range of services - our bookkeeping team offer far more services than you may realise. From payroll to credit control, and invoicing to completing tax returns, we can help you take control of your business finances.

Exclusive discount!

As I mentioned earlier, we're offering a fantastic saving on our bookkeeping service - a permanent 10% discount to everyone who signs up for before the end of August. Just think of the savings that this will mean over the coming years! You'll be freeing up your time, and with our renowned customer service and high calibre bookkeepers, you'll be making a great business decision too. This really is a one-off re-launch offer so makes sure you don't miss out. Call me today and start enjoying the benefits,

Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter!

We're delighted that so many of you have already found us online but we want to make sure the rest of you aren't missing out so here are 3 easy steps to keeping in touch with us during the build up to our upcoming rebrand to Vi-VA:

1. Connect with us on LinkedIn and you'll find our network of friends and trusted contacts is a great starting point for networking.
2. Click 'Like' on Facebook where you'll find great business articles and info.
3. Follow us on Twitter and you'll gain valuable tips and links to interesting articles, as well as keeping up to date with our plans.

And if you don't have an online presence yet, don't worry - we offer Social Media packages to do this all for you! 

Call today on 01244 320018

Welcome!

Welcome to the latest edition. In this issue I provide a sneak peek into our forthcoming re-brand, an exciting and progressive time!
Also in this issue is some useful insight into how social networking can add value to your business.

Thanks for reading! 
Sarah.

Exciting news!

As our closest supporters and clients, you'll be well aware of our skills at handling a wide range of projects. We're currently working on something much closer to home - the launch of our re-branded Virtual Assistant service - Vi-VA!

The countdown has begun and we'd like to invite you to join us on Twitter as we cross off the days. We're planning to let you in behind the scenes and give you the exclusive first glimpse of our future plans.

We'll also be discussing our services, giving free business tips and running exclusive promotions - all designed with you in mind. With clients including the NHS and many successful small businesses, you can be sure that you'll find the support and information that's relevant to you.

You've already recognised that we're leading the pack when it comes to helping your business grow, so make sure you're following us as we embark on an exciting new journey.

Social Networking can add value to your small business!

As a small business owner, you will no doubt know that networking can play an invaluable role in generating new leads and custom. However, you might not be familiar with the power of online business-to-business networking?

No longer is social networking the hobby of the humble teenager, professional networking sites such as LinkedIn have sprung up in the past few years and have grown at exponential rates In fact, they have proven to be a massive hit for a range of industries and probably none more so than recruiters and employers alike who can search prospective candidates details online live. Take a look at this article to learn more about LinkedIn success stories and how you might be able to harness the power of this free* resource for your business.

As a small business owner, LinkedIn can be used for a range of applications:

• Personal Profile - Your profile is effectively an online CV you can manage. If your technical knowledge or academic qualifications are your key selling point, tell the world about them!
• Q& A Forums -  Demonstrate your companies expertise by answering and offering your expert opinion on things that matter to your industry
• My Company - Direct interest in your personal profile and experience to your business website. Or, establish a branded business page so other forum members can learn more about your business and how it may suit their needs
• Groups - Join groups relevant to your networking interests. Want to find professionals interested in accountancy in the North West? There's a group for that...

The key to getting the most out of LinkedIn is investing time in creating a personal and company profile that effectively sells you and your business. Unfortunately this takes time. If you think it's about time you needed to get yourself a LinkedIn profile, why not drop us a line where we can help you on your way to business networking.

*Some paid for services are available on LinkedIn