THROUGH self-promotion on online forums, Erin Dawson has turned her small business, Dawson Documents, around in just four months.
THROUGH self-promotion on online forums, Erin Dawson has turned her small business, Dawson Documents, around in just four months.
As a young Perth mum and sole owner/operator of the business, Ms Dawson was limited by time and confined by a lack of working capital to promote her company.
Dawson Documents provides virtual assistance to small businesses, whether for one-off projects, relief work, or short-term assignments.
A virtual assistant completes administration tasks for companies remotely from the client's office.
"Branding is an important part of business and what you do, so I try and get out there as much as I can," Ms Dawson told WA Business News.
"I attend events, am part of groups, both online and in Perth, am a member of online forums and also complete a monthly newsletter, which I send to people who have signed up through my website.
"All this is in order to educate people further in what I can do for them and their business.
"I never pass up an opportunity to mention what I do to people I meet; you never know just who may be in need of a virtual assistant.
"Letting people know what I do is a huge part of self-marketing and because many have not heard of a virtual assistant before, they are always interested to know just what a virtual assistant is.
"It actually is a great thing for my business as I know that people are receiving the right information and then have a contact for a virtual assistant if they ever need one."
Ms Dawson said while a lack of awareness among businesses of the role of a virtual assistant had been a major problem, it had also provided the opportunity for Dawson Documents to grow.
The term virtual assistant was coined in early 1992 in America and first used locally in 1994.
As a former administrative assistant, Ms Dawson said her past experiences had allowed her to effectively operate her business "from home, around my family, which fits perfectly into our life".
She said while there were many virtual assistants in Perth, the playing field was varied, with some having a niche, or completing a range of specialised tasks like creating websites, while others focused on particular industries such as law and accounting.
"With the economic downturn, predicted recession and job losses, a virtual assistant is becoming increasingly popular, and of course [the industry is] therefore more competitive," Ms Dawson said.
"At this present time, it is increasing every day. A virtual assistant is sometimes a better alternative for a company than hiring someone full-time.
"If the term virtual assistant is explained correctly and in a way that is attractive to a business then the impact is positive.
"Upon hearing what I can do for a person's company, that is, allow the business to work on their business and not in their business, then the person will either consider hiring a VA if there is a need, or at very least pass on the information.
"It's a great part of the business, educating people as to what a VA is, because you know that you are passing on the right information and that that person will now know what a VA can do for them, or someone they know."
Ms Dawson said through her informal self-marketing online strategy, more businesses were becoming aware of Dawson Documents and hiring her as a virtual assistant.
"Again, the economic downturn has impacted on how businesses now think and many are turning to new alternatives, rather than hiring full-time staff," she said.
