Many owners of smaller bridal shops may not even realize that a virtual employee is a possibility.  It may never have crossed their minds that outsourcing their administrative, marketing or accounting needs could save them time, energy, and creative juices. The thought of hiring on additional staff for any of these tasks seems too expensive while in reality, using virtual assistants, marketers or accountants is really a way to not only cut costs but free up staffing to generate more revenue.

A Virtual Assistant (VA) can be the person on hand when store owners need help with projects like preparing mailing lists (email and snail mail) before and after a bridal show.  Or, they might need new brochures or events flyer designed. They could even have online store inventory that is causing them to lose sleep at night.  A VA can support them on one or more of these projects, freeing up valuable time.

A VA can act as a marketing consultant to a smaller “mom and pop” shop.  A VA is not only experienced in marketing their own company but may also have experience with other marketing campaigns.  Her involvement with marketing can range from proofreading the marketing you put together, reviewing all your marketing to ensure the key elements and brand are apparent across the board, brainstorming and consulting, all the way to running or managing the entire campaign.  Many a VA is also familiar with Social Media Marketing like Facebook and Twitter.

Some VAs can also act as webmasters or provide an online division for a smaller retailer. You may not want to, or be able to, actually do business via the web, but you need a site that provides a customer with an online experience for your store and inform them of the hours, address, and a visual of what to expect from the products and services you provide. A VA can consult with you to figure out what type of site fits your needs and the most cost effective way to get up and online. A skilled VA may also design, maintain and update your website for you.  Worst case, she can work with your webmaster for you and get the site inline with your goals and dreams.

Whether you sell bridal gowns, special occasion dresses, invitations, or flowers… or you rent linens, tuxedos, or venues, do not be afraid to reach out to unconventional resources for help to ensure that your business stays strong for generations to come!