Blogging is a great tool for companies in very exciting industries.  Great examples of this include musicians, writers, lifestyle mentors and other personality-driven businesses.

However, most industries are a bit more boring and don’t lend themselves as well to this type of blogging.  This was a problem that I first ran into when I started my cleaning company.

I opened up a blog, and began writing about the core of our business.  This one is commercial cleaning.

As you might imagine, the content was pretty dry and unoriginal.  We would write articles on subjects such as “how to clean carpets”, “how to clean patios”, “how to clean tiles”, etc..This was very similar to what every other cleaning company and the world had been talking about.

It wasn’t very exciting and it didn’t attract people from our local business area. In order to fix this, I had to step back and think about the goals we were trying to accomplish.

My 2 main objectives were:

• to gain exposure for my company within our community and
• build relevant links to our website

Rather than just recycling the same boring old themes on our corporate blog, I decided to reach out to the local business community and lend my expertise to other blogs.  This had the combined effects of exposing us to new audiences while giving fresh and new insights on other blogs that were in need of inspiration.

For example:

• We might write an article for a local accounting firm’s blog about how to negotiate better prices on cleaning contracts.
• We might approach a local health food company and provide insights into how to clean in such a way that it helps people with allergies.
• We might approach a local business that markets to parents, and give them handy insights into   how to keep children safe from hazardous products.

As the specialists, we found that we had a lot of insights to offer that many of these other local businesses may not have thought of.  Customers who frequented their blogs often found this advice very helpful. It was a win-win situation for all parties involved.

If your company is having trouble keeping its blog fresh and interesting, you may want to consider contributing to other people’s blogs rather than maintaining your own.  It’s a great way to build relationships with complementary businesses while gaining exposure to new audiences that would have otherwise never heard of you.

About The Author: Ontario Cleaning is one of Canada’s top cleaning services, with cleaning customer in Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton and Toronto.

About The Author: Paul Rudo has been a freelance business consultant for over 5 years. He specializes in B2B marketing for technology companies and organizations targeting geographically local clients. For more information, you can visit his web site at Paul Rudo.

Sue L Canfield recently released her book, The Commonsense Virtual Assistant – Becoming an Entrepreneur, Not an Employee. Today, she’s stopped by my blog. 

Janine:  Sue, why did you write this book?

Sue:  My husband, Joel D Canfield, and I co-authored the book to help newer and aspiring virtual assistants understand what it takes to run a successful business. Over the last two years, I found that many newer and aspiring virtual assistants were asking for and following my advice on how to run their business. Though they had the skills to be a virtual assistant, many had no idea how to run a business, write a business or marketing plan, how to market, and other basic business skills. Since my husband had already written a book for small business owners on how to be the best foundation for their business, we decided to add to the material and focus on the virtual assistant industry in our new book. 

Janine:  Sue, Please tell me about yourself

Sue:  I’ve worked as an administrative assistant for over 25 years and began my virtual assistant business in 2005 before I even knew there was such a thing. This past year I added virtual assistant coaching to my services to help newer virtual assistants succeed in their businesses. My husband and I work together from home along with our five-year old daughter in Roseville, California. 

Janine:  What qualifies you to write this book?

Sue:  Joel and I have more than 50 years of combined experience supporting and operating small businesses. My success as a virtual assistant is in large part due to the advice I received from Joel. Our success in our businesses provides testimony to our qualifications. 

Janine:  What is the book about?

Sue:  The book helps virtual assistants to understand that they are now business owners, entrepreneurs, no longer employees. Successful business owners need good business sense and a good understanding of what it takes to run a successful business. The book provides basic, commonsense information every entrepreneur needs to know along with advice specific to virtual assistants. 

Janine: What do you want the readers to get out of the book?

Sue:  The most important concept I would like my readers to understand is that they are now business owners and what that means. After reading the book, readers will have a clear understanding of how to set rates, manage their time, and market their business. 

Janine:  How can the readers contact you if they want further information?

Sue:  Joel and I can be reached toll-free at 877.771.7746 or by email at Contact@BizBa6.com. They can also visit our website athttp://www.bizba6.com. 

Janine:  How much does your book cost?
$19.95.

Janine:  Where can the readers purchase your e-book?
Sue:  They can visit our website at www.bizba6.com.

JanineL  Sue, thank you for stopping by my blog.
Sue: You are very welcome. Thank you for having me. 

About the Authors:

Joel and Sue have more than 50 years of combined experience supporting and operating small businesses. They operate BizBa6 Small Business Support Services and love not only their work but the life it allows them to live. This book (Joel’s third business book, Sue’s first) shares how they think about business–it’s a ‘why to’, not a ‘how-to’ because it focuses on how people think and what they want–not just your clients, but you, too. 

Book Summary:

So, you want to be a virtual assistant. The virtual assistant industry is growing rapidly. Just about anyone can say they are a virtual assistant. You have a computer, internet access, and the desire to work from home. Voila! You’re a virtual assistant. But is that enough to succeed as a virtual assistant? Do you have what it takes to run a business? Yes, a virtual assistant is a business owner. Successful business owners need to have good business sense. As a business owner, you, the virtual assistant, need to understand what it takes to run a business. Pick up your copy for $19.95 at http://www.bizba6.com.