Hello Online Marketers! This week's interview is with Heather Bresser of Assistant For You! Heather is a dynamic and focused businesswoman. If you're looking for a VA who also has a gift service, and several other services to help the online business, then you will not only enjoy this interview but you may just want to give Heather a call and see how she can help your business!
KB: Heather
Bresser thank you for taking the time to participate in this interview for our
readers.
To set the stage for this interview Heather, would you please tell us a bit
about yourself?
HB: I
have a well-rounded background working for the past 16 years in many industries
from Aerospace, Construction, Coaching, and Medical/Health Care fields. I
have a BA in Law & Justice and plan to start my MBA soon.
KB: Wow that is impressive Heather! Okay, give us your elevator speech, or
30-second spiel, about what you do, about your business:
HB: Assistant
For You!™ is a virtual assistance company that provides business support
services from website design and promotion to administrative services and
executive gift buying.
Services
offered that can be put into any package:
¨Administrative Support Due Diligence,
Confidentiality, Project Management, Correspondence, Message Follow-up,
Scheduling, etc.
¨Bookkeeping Using QuickBooks Pro to track your
expenses and growing profits! Can be done on our local machines then
either couriered or emailed to you to upload or can be done remotely on your
machine through a secure connection.
¨Customer Service & Follow Up Phone calls made by Assistant For
You!™ to solicit new subscribers or poll existing subscribers to gather
feedback on the new ezine & see if we can help them in any
way.
¨Data Entry Data enter your information into a
database that is existing or created
¨Ezine Creation and Distribution Production/ Publication
and List management, Mail merge, and Distribution. Monthly distribution
suggested. Monthly creation includes taking your copy and putting into
template, sending test, and final distribution to subscribers.
¨Executive Gift Buying Services Holiday Corporate Gift and Executive
Gift Buying Service to meet your gift giving needs including: customized gift
baskets, gift certificates, 100% product satisfaction guarantee, products
perfect for both men and women, prices that start as low as $16!
¨Increase Traffic & Subscriber
Base Internet Search to solicit subscribers who want your newsletter by
adding your ezine listing to various directories and submission
sites.
¨Real Estate Specialized Support Transaction Coordination, Settlement
Room, Marketing Support (postcards and flyers, ect) and use of Top Producer 7i,
Agent 2000.
¨Research and Development by Assistant For
You!™ Research to find resources, articles, subscribers, and other
information based upon an internet and/or telephone research. Research
will then be provided in the format of your choice – database, spreadsheet, MS
Word, ect.
(This does not include optional author fees for some writers)
¨Virtual Assistance Professional
Mentoring Program Starting a Virtual Assistance business but don’t know where
to start? Assistant For You! has a mentoring program for you! I’ll take
you through how to find your business license, take you through the steps of
creating your business plan and guiding you through creating your initial
marketing campaign to find clients and begin building your network to get your
VA business off to a running start! This includes unlimited email
support, planned tutorial sessions via phone and/or chat, and more!
¨Website Design and Maintenance Production, Publication
and Management for Website
KB: Now that’s what I call a speech! How
long have you been in business for yourself Heather?
HB: I
opened Assistant For You! November 1, 2002 to make my business
official. I have been offering these services on the side for more than
15 years.
KB: So you definitely know what you’re
doing and how to get a job done. Why or
what was the determining factor for you in starting your own business?
HB: I was
being asked constantly from my previous employer to do “another” project and
that one project would turn into three or four more favors. And all un-paid. I had always wanted to
have my own business at home but hadn’t found the right engine to utilize all
the skills I have and wanted to share with others. Virtual Assistance
found me.
KB: Actually I think that’s the way it should be because then you’re doing what
you love to do and you’re good at it.
Who is
your primary target audience and how do you attract them?
HB: I
have four areas that I target and each is very different.
1. Website design. This target is any business small or medium who needs
to create, re-create, and/or maintain their web presence.
2. Real Estate Professionals. These professionals are focused and
determined individuals who need not only organization but tracking deadlines
and keeping one step ahead.
3. Mentoring Virtual Assistants. These are individuals who usually
have either an IT, Marketing, or Administrative background and want to work for
themselves. I help mentor him/her through their startup phase and guide
them around challenges and pitfalls that I have either avoided, trudged
through, or slammed into and learned from.
4. Executive Gift Buying Service. This service is for any
business – small or large. I offer an exclusive gift buying service that
is wrapped ready to give and affordable for any budget. This is great for
busy professionals to thank and/or celebrate their employees, clients, family,
and friends.
How do I attract them? I target these different groups
through my website, chamber mixers on and off-line, client referrals, various
memberships where I take an active part (moderation, contributing editor,
etc.), and word-of-mouth. I have done a few editorial contributions on
and off-line as well as direct mailing campaigns.
KB: Those are all excellent ways to attract clients. Can you share with our readers what you are
currently doing to promote your business? How do you integrate your online
promotions with your offline promotions?
HB: Right
now I have fantastic clients, associates, and friends sending in a mountain of
referrals. I also am active on and off-line with various memberships to
increase my exposure to all of my target areas. I have also used ezine,
site ads, my website, direct mail campaigns, expos, and many other great
opportunities that have been granted to me.
KB: You must be very good at what you do Heather because it’s service with
attention to detail that gains such opportunities and loyalties. Is your business primarily online or offline
or both?
HB: I
would say both. I do have a few websites (http://www.assistantforyou.com and http://www.marykay.com/hbresser)
that promote and offer different services and products to suit my clients’
needs. I have my websites listed on various search engines,
directories, all my media (brochures, business cards, gift certificates, etc.).
KB: Right, we need to keep our websites
constantly promoted. What is your best source of customers, prospects and/or
clients?
HB: Word
of mouth referrals have been my best source for prospects, customers and
eventual clients. Before I established this fantastic ball rolling I used
various Chamber of Commerce mixers, my ezine, and local campaigns to reach my
targets.
KB: That’s a good mix of online and offline – word to the wise! Since we’re are having this interview on the
International Virtual Women’s Chamber of Commerce channel, we know you are a
member of this organization but are you a member of any other professional
organizations? If so, would you please tell us a little bit about them and why
you chose these particular organizations to affiliate yourself and your
business?
HB: I am
an active member of the International Virtual Assistants Association (www.ivaa.org) as well as being the Coordinator
for the Virtual Assistant Connections program for the IVAA. IVAA was the
first Virtual Assistant organization that I was introduced to when I was
inquiring about becoming a Virtual Assistant. They are a “non-profit
organization dedicated to the professional education and development of members
of the Virtual Assistance profession, and to educating the public on the role
and function of the Virtual Assistant.” (quote taken from the IVAA main page)
I am also
on the Ambassadors Committee for the Eastern Pierce County Chamber of Commerce
(www.puyallupchamber.com/).
It is the local Chamber of Commerce and I have found many great business
associates and clients through the many mixers and opportunities it has
afforded me.
KB:
Networking is so necessary, especially these days. Online networking groups are rising in number
so are you a member of any online networking groups?
HB: I am a
moderator of the Virtual Assistants board on iVilliage (http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-wfoffice/)
and actively contribute to various other VA related message board
communities. I am a Gold Member of Ryze Business Networking (http://www.ryze.com/go/AsstForYou).
KB: Heather, on average, how often do
you visit those networks? Do you post messages there regularly, or are you more
of an information seeker and lurker?
HB: I post
at all the on-line forums at least 2 – 3 times per week as appropriate. I
am an information seeker but not lurker. I usually pass the learned
knowledge on to others.
KB: That’s good advice about passing on information to others. Moving onto a very vital subject in online
business, on average, how many email messages do you receive every day?
HB: I
assume you don’t include spam. I generally go through at least 500- 800
emails per day. These range from client inquiries to networking group messages,
to new leads and/or personal messages.
KB: Wow, that’s a lot of email especially if you’re not including spam in that
count! About how many of those emails are actually email you either requested,
from clients, or pertinent information?
HB: I would
say that in addition to the 500 – 800 “actual” email I have a great filter that
can catch anywhere from 800 – 1,000 spam emails.
KB: That is just amazing and I think we all need the filter you’re using! What is your number one complaint, if any, about
email? ...and how do you think it could be resolved?
HB: I
would love to tell all those spammers that I don’t need siding, my windshield
isn’t chipped, my hubby is great as he is if not better, I don’t use or need
drugs, take your billions of so-called estate money and find an idiot to
believe you, I don’t like to “look” at naked little kids or anyone, and I know
where my children are THANK YOU.
KB: Oh Heather, I concur and well said. In fact, we may need to coin your
phrase for a “Just Say No To Spam” Can Spam Campaign! Do you publish a newsletter or ezine?
HB: I
publish three newsletters using Ezezine.com an email distribution
service. I adore them!:
AFY! One-Minute Tips: Quick, One-Minute Tips that you can implement
within a few moments! Every week, tips are emailed to you to show you
how to streamline your systems, tips and tools to better utilize Outlook and
other Microsoft Products! It's Easy! (http://www.assistantforyou.com/ezine-signup.html)
AFY! Invaluable Assistant: Become
that invaluable resource and run your front office efficiently! Quick bi-weekly
tips that you can implement within moments! Want to be a GREAT
Assistant? You don't have to be a Virtual Assistant to benefit from these
tips and tidbits for becoming an invaluable resource! (http://www.assistantforyou.com/ezine-signup.html)
AFY! Beauty and Health Tips – bi-weekly tips for the
every day woman to stay gorgeous and healthy! (email: on-1028@ezezine.com to sign up today!!!)
KB:
Those sound like very useful and information ezines. How about generating new subscribers? How do
you do that or is that even a consideration in your type of newsletter?
HB: All my
subscription information is put on my websites, media, in my signature lines on
various boards, directories. I also include a signup form in each
newsletter so that when my current subscribers forward the newsletter on to
friends, they can then immediately sign up. Easy!
KB: And yet more good advice to all of us, thank you! Do you subscribe to any
newsletters? If so, what is the delivery format?
HB: Most
are delivered by email or with email notification. I am just now looking
into RSS.
KB:
Music to my ears! Do you use RSS in any way for your business and/or personal
purposes? Tell us about that..
HB: I am
taking measures right now to either add a new ezine or start a new one using
RSS.
KB: That’s great Heather. Do you read or
subscribe to any RSS feeds/blogs?
HB: I
do.
KB:
There are so many ways to promote ourselves online and off, and one of the most
touted and apparently great ways to do so online is to write articles. Do you
write articles for use on the internet?
HB: Yes,
I have written articles that have been posted on the internet as well as picked
up and published in regional and local newspapers/journals. So far, I
have written how to create a web presence and how to work at home and keep the
balance. I plan to write more in the near future.
KB: Have you ever submitted a press release?
HB: Yes,
I have submitted all as press or news releases.
KB: How
has that worked for you?
HB: All
have been successful.
KB:
Hmmm, I could take some lessons from you Heather! What is the most creative thing you have done
to attract customers?
HB: Creating
eye-catching give-a-ways with my business card for those offline and special
exclusive offers for my ezine and current customers.
KB: If there was one thing you wish you
had (other than time!) to help you grow your business, what would it be?
HB: A
program/software that creates secured e-books or other type document for
distributing on / off-line lessons so that the recipient can open and view or
access the content but cannot pass it along.
KB: Isn’t that the truth! Someone is bound to come up with that very soon. If you could offer a word of advice to someone
wishing to start a business in your field, what would you tell them?
HB: Mentor. Get a mentor.
Thank
you Heather for taking the time to participate in this interview and for all
your excellent advice!
END INTERVIEW
Heather Bresser
Assistant For You!
(p) 253.537.7703 / (c) 253.219.9911
URLs – http://www.assistantforyou.com
