I wish I could find the statistic of how many times it takes someone seeing your business name before they remember it? 8 maybe? I don’t know. But I’ve been working hard at my business for about a year and a half, took it full-time in September and it is now REALLY taking off. I finally feel I have a good niche established and the clients just keep coming.
One of the interesting places they are coming from are other VAs. I just signed a contract with a new client after receiving a referral from a VA I met at the IVAA Summit in Houston last October. She works with this client in another niche and, when her client asked for editorial help, she thought of me.
I had the fortune of meeting this VA when we did “Dinner with Strangers” one night in Houston. So I got to know her a bit better than some of the other VAs there. She had also probably been reminded of my name through my IVAAcast columns, Expert of the Month announcements and who knows where else.
Then, I got another lead on a possible client from a VA I met only very briefly at an IVAA conference once, but she was referred to me from another VA who recommended me. So it’s a friend of a friend type of thing. Being connected and volunteering in the VA community has a ripple effect. Each person you know knows other people. But sometimes it takes a while to see it actually working, but once it does, watch out!
I’m glad I have a unique niche and have had the opportunity to meet so many VAs, either online or in person at the IVAA summits. They’re definitely worth the investment!