July 2000

‘A Clayton’s Secretary’

The Secretary you need when you haven’t got a Secretary!

The Internet Home-Based Secretaries Network Newsletter.

Thank you!

To all those members who returned their survey sheets. It was good to note the various comments and see what is working and what needs improving. A pet hate for some members is the chat on the group email listing, whilst others really enjoy hearing from members of the group. You are welcome to log into www.egroups.com with your email address and change the way you receive your email – you could choose ‘digest’ which means just one email a day that lists all the discussions, or ‘website only’ which means you log in at your convenience and read the discussions that have taken place. You can then choose to respond to any of the messages at that point. The asecretary@onelist.com (or asecretary@egroups.com) address is used only for group announcements or discussions and generally not for job leads – so you won’t miss a job if you choose to change the format in which you read these emails.

It is important to remember that if you wish to address only one person then it would be better to email that member direct – their address is available on our website.

Other answers from the survey show that many members don’t do any advertising and some do not have business cards. It is so important to remember that you are in business for yourself, and even though a member of a group of operators, you also need to ensure you make the most of any opportunity you have personally to promote your business. Flyers and business cards mean that you have something to give out to any contact you make – please do make the most of these chances when they arise. If you get to the point where you are so busy you can’t handle all the work (whether it’s because you are also working a job, or because there is more than you are ready for), or if work comes in that you aren’t equipped for, you can then refer it on to the network. Collectively the advertising of all can benefit the whole group! Please also remember that you are welcome to make use of the flyers we already have available – just add your label to the back of them as the local contact!

Tips and Techniques – Building Your Business

Wouldn’t it be great if we could just open up office and have a business running there and then? The reality is that this doesn’t happen, and whilst some may find regular clients fairly quickly, for the rest of us, it’s hard work, but work worth putting in to get the results. Today I’m fairly busy with my own regular clients and nurturing the network, but it wasn’t always like that. I had to chase work wherever I could find it, and even though I had children at home, I had to accept part-time work and off-site jobs, even temp jobs, to ensure I had an income coming in until I got to the point where I felt confident that enough work was coming to my own office. It took me more than two years to achieve this! Where are you at the moment? Some of you are being kept busy as you require, but most of you are wondering what else you can do to ensure it keeps coming in.

If you have young children ensure that you have got reliable care arrangements so that if a worthwhile job comes up that requires you to leave your home office, you can take it up confidently. With our current taxation arrangements in Australia there are many, many part-time book-keeping and administrative positions being advertised in the newspapers every week. Some of these jobs are with small companies only requiring 10-15 hours a week of your time. This is an excellent opportunity for you to further your skills, prove your capabilities, and have regular money coming in, whilst still having free time to promote and develop your business and take on clients at home. I always carried my business cards with me and if an ‘employer’ wanted to put me on their payroll, I had them do so in my business name, whenever possible. That made them my client, not my employer. Gives you a different mindset. And whilst you’re out and about, don’t forget that you are meeting people you wouldn’t meet at home every day – what better way than to increase the awareness of business people around you that you are open for business! Sometimes business cards don’t bring in work straight away, but people do keep them and it’s quite common for me to get a phone call from someone I met many months ago to see if I am still doing………….

Another thing that helps promote awareness of your business is to slip in a compliments slip or business card with every piece of mail you send out – even if it’s a bill you’re paying. People take notice and the need for our services is increasing. People just need to know where to find you! Whilst there are around 5-6 million people in Australia and many more outside on the Internet there are still many that have not yet learnt that they can find you there! So, we must make it easy by spreading our information around. If you would like to receive more of our brochures to help promote awareness of your business, please do contact this office! These brochures are suitable for use by all members irrespective of services provided or location.

Do you have something that might benefit your listing further or enhance your business? Do you have an edge that others do not have? One of our members recently shared of her experiences with Vietnam and then shared that she’d been writing an information guide to assist Business Travellers. This adds that something extra to her business! Perhaps you too have something that might enhance your business further? Please tell us about it! We’d love to help you promote it for the benefit of your business.

Farewell

We farewell a number of members who have decided not to renew for a number of reasons:

Whatever the reason, we wish you all the best for your future and should you decide to rejoin us at a later date, you are most welcome.

Accreditation

More information has been submitted via this office re the endorsement of this program and contact has also been made with an educational institution. I will keep you posted, but as mentioned before, it may take a while before this is finalised and operating. I will keep you all informed……

Case Study

The recent survey has revealed a number of stories and here are just a few:

One contact I received via my website listing 18 months ago is still producing ongoing work… and referrals…..(SA)

Great advertising and we have been receiving it tremendously! Our web site visits have increased by 260% since 1997 and "A Clayton’s Secretary" was a big part of that. I think improvements will come with improvements in technology for all……(USA)

I've really enjoyed being a part of the group and even though the jobs I've had have been valuable, the support and teamship have been what I've enjoyed most. (Vic)

Welcome to our New Members

Work Contracted

Work enquiries since last newsletter:

Some members have received referrals or enquiries direct but we do not have the details to add to this list.

Advertising

You will have heard by now that we have listings in the Australian State Yellow Pages with our new 1800 number for clients to call. The listings also show the website address for each state to encourage prospective clients to visit your listing and pick out their choice of support. Yellow Pages online and Big Colour Pages National Internet Directory listings are also being renewed. Our search engine listings are regularly revisited and I am now using a program called Copernic which allows me to see how we’re placed with many search engines using keywords such as: home based secretaries, home-based secretary, virtual assisting, word-processing, typing, typist, secretary, secretaries, administrative support and many others too. If you think of a keyword that I may not have included, please do let me know so that I can add it to our lists! You can go to our website and choose View, Source on your web browser to see the full list.

Business NSW sends me their email newsletter every week and they are interested in profiling our NSW members – I hope to be able to announce what will be happening soon!  They have a great site attached to them - Women in Business.  It is primarily for NSW and QLD currently but moving into Victoria later this year, and hopefully the other states too.  Check them out at www.womeninbusiness.com.au. 

A NSW member was recently contacted as a result of a press release I sent out – we hope to see something in print soon!

For those outside of Australia I would like to hear of directories, business listings and other places that would be benefit you, as a member, for us to place listings.

Our website is being revamped and, hopefully, by the time you receive this newsletter, it will be uploaded. I am using MS FrontPage for the design and my web host is geared up for FrontPage Server Extensions. This means that I can use the scripts built in FrontPage to have a client request form operating and a search function. Now, if a prospective client is searching for a key skill they can find it, or if they are not sure whom to approach, they can just fill out the form and it comes in email format to me for sending out.

Most Requested Jobs….

I was asked recently what are the most requested jobs that come through this office. Currently they are:

Word-processing, reformatting documentation, tape transcription (micro and regular sized audio), accounting setup for GST using MYOB, QuickBooks and/or Quicken, Filing, Phone calling and Debt chasing, Receiving phone calls on behalf of clients, Website design and development, Spreadsheets and Data entry. Also Secretariat support for associations on occasions. What is the most unusual job request? I was asked to go through newspapers to collect business names, web addresses and email addresses for a new website that is being developed. I can’t reveal the site yet as it’s under wraps, but it was an interesting (and time consuming) job. Please share with us your jobs because we’d love to know!

In the meantime – a client of my own whom I’ve been assisting with Access has just referred her daughter’s business in New Zealand! I will be teaching the daughter via email. I hope to have our New Zealand member involved in this job. You never know where your next referral is going to lead!

Kathie