Starting out

[christinaandrews]

Dear Bill,

This is our first day on the Business Mix Forum, and we are not even sure if thsi message is going to the right place, but as your name appeared against something vaguely connected to our interest....here goes.

Basically, we are attempting to start a 'virtual secretarial' service from home.

We have seen a couple of members advertising similar elsewhere.

My wife has been ill and I am in effect her 'full time carer'. Although she is on the road to recovery, it will take some time.

In the meantime, we are looking to supplement our small income and to secure our future.

We both have some managerial and secretarial skill between us.

But our main concern is promoting ourselves to our target market, without a huge budget to back us up.

We do have a couple of computers and printers, with enough room space to run a small office for a couple of clients.

Are you able to give us some advice or point us to the right place in the forum?

Hope this has not been too long-winded.


Yours Sincerely,


Derek & Christina Andrews

[Will]

Hi Derek & Christina,

Welcome to the forum! It's encouraging to learn that you're looking to start your own business venture and whilst the regulars here may not have experiences of being a virtual assistant, perhaps we could coax our other virtual PA member out of the woodwork. One of the aims of the website is to bring small businesses together for mutual benefit so I'll see what I can do.

One of the biggest benefits you can get from our group is by coming along to one of our monthly meet-ups in Liverpool city centre. It costs nothing, is relaxed, friendly and you get to discuss real business issues with other small businesses like yourself.

The core group has a lot of experience with marketing and I've witnessed the tip of the iceberg that is their enthusiasm (it's really quite infectious!). If you're free on the evening of the 8th November around 6pm then why not come and join us (http://www.businessmix.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=58)?

We'd love to have you come along and I can tell you now that everyone would be more than happy to talk through ideas about how you can target your market.

[christinaandrews]

Dear Will,

Thanks for the invite, but I'm pretty much housebound, for various reasons, which is why we thought of doing this business.

We will endeavour to meet up with the group at some point, but at this particular time it would be extremely difficult.

However, if this is an 'open' invitation, we will try to make it.

Is there a diary of events for next year?


Yours Sincerely,


Christina

[Will]

Unfortunately, given people's various committments and our desire to get as many people together as possible, we only tend to plan the next event.

I suspect that after the meet-up next week, we'll have one more in December and then continue in the new year.

That's just made me think and realise that the group has now been meeting up for well over a year! Wow! How time has passed!

It certainly is an open invitation and always has been. Any visitors to the forum are welcome to come along for a coffee & chat :)