This Little Piggy went to Market

There aren’t many times in a woman’s life where being called a “Piggy” would bring a smile to her face. But like the nursery rhyme, as VPs, we want to be both the Piggy who went to Market and the Piggy who Stays HOME. Of course, I am actually writing, in a lighthearted way, about the serious subject of bringing our VP Business to market.

No matter what stage of your business you find yourself in, swamped with work and growing a team of subcontractors -- or just starting to build your client base, “going to market” is a big task. Like having a healthy body and working out every day or so, having a healthy business demands that we exercise our marketing skills on a consistent, ongoing basis.

Finding great and inexpensive ways to market can be much easier than we think (or fear). It is not a road through the jungle that we have to clear ourselves.

Committing just a few hours to read a great marketing book, such as Guerrilla Marketing for the Home-Based Business (by our favorite team, Jay Conrad Levinson and Seth Godin) and flagging your favorite ideas as you go can be a tremendous and affordable boost to any business. Spend another hour afterward to customize your own fresh marketing strategy (whether or not you currently have one) could be invaluable to your successful future.

The Virtual Nation’s bookstore carefully chooses the resources and authors we recommend to our community. Our own team consists of many Virtual Professionals who join to advocate for our industry and support those who take the courageous and smart leap into building their own futures. Visit the bookstore often to see what’s new, not only in marketing strategies and business techniques, but also to discover new skills, softwares and solutions!

Finally, we are always happy to answer your questions or point you in the right direction. Be sure to check out our website (www.thevirtualnation.com), check out and sign up for our ezine (The Virtual Vision), and join our community. Be part of today’s growing virtual success story.

With Gratitude,

Michelle Ulrich, Chief Villager and President

TVN Tip of the Week

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Looking for Subcontracting Work?
Are You Getting Your Name Out There Among Your Peers?

Talk to anyone building a business in the VA world, and the conversation will quickly turn to clients -- either the search for more, or managing those we already have. One of the best solutions to these challenges is subcontracting. The new VA will often find a client base in her own peers who are further down the career path, and established VA's can share their abundance and experience with talented and enthusiastic newcomers.

If you are one of those newcomers, however, the question becomes how do you get your name out there in the least expensive way. Certainly joining professional groups, such as The Virtual Nation or the IVAA is a strong introduction, and as soon as time and resources will allow, every one of us should have a virtual presence through websites and ezines, etc.

Another vibrant, inexpensive way to gain exposure, especially if you haven't had the time to develop a web presence yet, is through banner and ezine ads on already established Ezines. At the Marketplace on The Virtual Nation's website, you can find exactly these types of opportunities for as little as $25.00. You can even publish your own article this way with live links and archival.

With minimum research there are many other such opportunities for affordable peer exposure and the chance to develop strong business relationships and mentoring opportunities. Embracing these opportunities is a win-win for all of us in the VA world.

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With Gratitude, Michelle Ulrich, Chief Villager & President
The Virtual Nation(tm)
http://www.thevirtualnation.com

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