How Personal Do You Get in Your Business?...

I often find that people comment on the fact that they like how I share myself with the outside world.  I post photos and videos that provide some insight into my life.  Whether it’s about my dogs, my husband or my family and friends, people feel like they get to know who I am.

Even though most people appreciate that and I do encourage others to infuse some of their personal life, I do have to caution that too much can be a bad thing.

One of the most common places I see this over-sharing of personal information is on social networking sites like Facebook.  Business owners don’t segregate their personal Facebook profile from their business one and too much information is shared over these types of mediums.

Think about this – what if one of your personal friends wrote about an experience you shared that was particularly embarrassing or was something that could potentially damage your reputation.  It may have even happened a long time ago and you may have gotten over that period in your life but let’s say that this friend wrote about it on your Facebook profile.

Your clients and colleagues see this and are mortified and whatever this thing is, it damages your reputation and causes you to lose potential clients.  This very thing would have been prevented if you had a profile JUST for business and one JUST for personal.

Now, I do realize that is an extreme case but think about even your personality or your tone when you are with your friends as opposed to your business colleagues.  You don’t want to confuse your clients by having split personalities and showing a totally different side so keep your two lives separate.

Your clients don’t need to know that you partied last weekend nor do they need to know that your best friend had a baby.  Keep it focused on either your business or your personal life and all parties will appreciate it.

Professional vs. Self-Taken Photographs...

Dear Erin, The VA Coach:

I was wondering about photographs for my website. I have a photo on there now but I’m not quite sure it suits. It was taken by my husband at our Christmas party last year. What do you think?

- H.W.

This is a really important question and I’m glad it was asked! For photographs, it is really important to make sure that they are professional. When a potential client visits your website, you want them to instantly have a sense of who you are and in doing so, you want them to know that you are an experienced service provider.

That being said, it doesn’t mean that you have to spend thousands of dollars on an expensive photo shoot. Alternatively, here are some ideas to avoid having to dish out the big bucks:

• Ask a friend. If you have a friend who has a fairly good camera, ask him or her to take some photos of you. Get your hair done, put on a really nice business suit and sit somewhere appropriate. You can even do them outdoors if you wish!
• Go to a family photo center. You know the department stores that offer children and family photos for really cheap? Go there after getting dressed up in an appropriate outfit and have them shoot some photos of you in a variety of positions – sitting, standing, etc.
• Ask a professional to do just one shot of you. You don’t need hundreds – you just need one good head shot to use on your website and promotional materials.

If you want to check out some of my photos, here are a couple:

These were taken by Creative Captures Photography (who happens to be my mother-in-law!) and she comes highly, highly recommend.

Have a question you want to ask The VA Coach?  E-mail Erin at info@thevacoach.com.

Business Cards – Do You Need Them?...

As a work-from-home entrepreneur, I go back and forth on the issue of business cards. Do I need them, can I do without them… It’s a debate that goes on quite often in my head when I am doing up my marketing and promotion strategy for the new year. I always seem to settle on the fact that they are not overly required. However, there are a few times during the year that I find myself at a networking event and I find myself collecting cards and making up an excuse such as, “They are being re-designed as we speak.” So, I ask you – are they required in a position like mine?

I have asked this of my peers from time to time and the answer I get most often is, “If you don’t have them, collecting cards is not a bad idea – it provides you with a reason to follow up with the people you meet at these events.” This is often very true.

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