I first met Julie on the VANetworking Forums. I replied to a request she made for feedback on her website and it wasn't long before we were talking by Skype. Julie is a real go-getter and her enthusiasm is contagious! She is the first representative in Canada for Chief Virtual Officer.

Sue: When did you start your business?
Julie: February 2010

Sue: Why did you choose to become a Virtual Assistant?
Julie: I have wanted to work from home for about three years now, I enjoy doing computer and administrative related work and when I discovered that other people were making a living doing it from home I decided to try it too.

Sue: What advice would you give new and aspiring VAs?
Julie: Get as much information as you can about the business. Read forums and blogs and talk to the people who are already doing it. And most of all network both online and in person.

Sue: What resources have helped you in your business?
Julie: I read a lot online before I started. I spent at least three weeks reading everything I could find about being a VA.  I joined several online communities and met some fantastic people who gave me some great advice.

Sue: Would you mind telling us a little something about yourself?
Julie: I love music, animals and gardening. I also love anything to do with computers. I am very much a homebody and I’m glad to have found a career that will allow me to enjoy all these things.
Thank you Julie for sharing with us today. Julie's contact information follows:

Julie Dillman, Executive Digital Assistant
http://executivedigitalassistant.com
Twitter @ExecDigAssist
Facebook Executive Digital Assistant
LinkedIn ExecDigAssist

My first post this month announced my decision to post an entry every single day in April to see if it caused increased traffic to my blog. Today's the last day of the month and I've posted every single day. The results?

There was a noticeable increase in traffic, more comments, an increase in my newsletter subscription and additional connections with virtual assistants on Twitter and Facebook. There was also a noticeable increase in the number of books I sold this month.

It was a success and not as difficult as I thought it would be. Though I don't plan to continue writing every single day, I am committing to writing at least 2-3 posts weekly. It really helped me focus on getting things done in April.

Views on the weekend were minimal so I won't concentrate on posting on weekends. I did notice that when I posted on days I was a guest speaker on a call, when I sent out my newsletter, Tweeted and mentioned on Facebook my posts, then traffic increased. I'm going to go back and note which pages got the most attention and what entries received the most traffic to help me focus my attention in the future to topics of interest.

What small daily steps to succeed are you going to take?

We're all tired of being bombarded by sales pitches on our social networks. Your efforts at social networking to market your business can be successful. Remember, it is what you make it.

That means that instead of constantly sending out advertising, you need to provide value to your network. Posts tips and advice that your network can use in their business. This will earn you credibility and the respect of your network.

There's all this talk about networking, online and in person, and building relationships. What does it mean? How can it benefit you and your business?

Networking should be a vital piece of your marketing puzzle. But the point of networking is not just to have lots of contacts and build your list. You want to build relationships with people so they can get to know and trust you. You also want to get to know and trust them so you can confidently refer them to people you know. Because one of the best ways to get word of mouth referrals is to start giving referrals yourself.

Building relationships means more than just connecting on Twitter or Facebook or emailing someone whose business card you received at a networking meeting. You need to take further steps. Pick up the phone and make a call. If they are in your local area arrange a time to meet and talk. Visit their website and other social networking sites to learn something about them before you approach them. Ask them about what they are interested in before you start telling them anything about yourself. Show a real interest in the other person.

As you start building relationships you will find there are key people who you are drawn to and are drawn to you. They may start referring people to you and vice versa. These key relationships are ones you want to strengthen and maintain.

Take a few minutes and make a list of the top four people in your network that you want to build stronger relationships with. Think about why these four are important contacts. Are they easy to work with or get along with? Do they send you referrals regularly? Are they good listeners with good ideas? Note that information down along with their name.

Now think about what you've given to that particular relationship. Do you spend time on their blog or connecting with them on a regular basis on Twitter? Do you send them referrals regularly? What do you do for them to help them achieve their goals?

Next think about the last time you had a meaningful exchange with that person. Schedule time each month to connect in a meaningful way with that person to continue growing your relationship.

As you take time to build these relationships by networking you will find that there is an increase in your satisfaction. You may also find a measurable increase in the number of referrals you give and receive.

Who are you going to contact today in order to continue building a relationship?

One of the business challenges many virtual assistants have is that of how to market their services. The first step is to have a game plan, or as I like to call it, a Marketing Recipe for Success.

A successful marketing plan includes specific daily activities. The hit and miss approach may work periodically. But if you want consistent results you need to be consistently marketing.

Take some time to write down your plan. Include a detailed description of your clients and prospects and what they need from your services. Write down specific actions you can take each day to put your message in front of your clients and prospects.

Your Marketing Recipe for Success may include spending time using Twitter and Facebook each day. Beware though not to get caught in the trap of visiting these sites and then getting caught up for hours without a specific plan. Set a timer and spend a specific amount of time proactively connecting with people and providing valuable information.

Please feel free to share your Marketing Recipe for Success.