By Tina Hilton of Clerical Advantage

I know it seems way too soon to be talking about the holdays, doesn’t it? Did you notice that the back to school aisles in stores are now covered with Halloween candy? Trust me, Thanksgiving and Christmas will be on top of us before we know it. And for a business, one needs to plan ahead for the holidays.

Do you swear every year that you’re going to send out holiday cards to your customers and clients, only to realize it’s December 24th and once again you didn’t do so? Do you love the idea of a special holiday marketing campaign, but can’t seem to find the time to pull it all together? And then there are the gifts. Remember last year and the cookie box from the real estate office you work regularly with? You wished you had thought to do some sort of business gifting too, didn’t you? Inspired by the blog post at Enterprise Nation entitled “10 tips for maximizing online sales at Christmas” I thought it fitting to share 10 ways a Virtual Assistant can help businesses make your holiday season not only merry and bright, but offer a unique marketing opportunity.

Specifically geared to the Holidays a Virtual Assistant Can:

1. Order, Address and Send Christmas Cards to your Customers, Clients and Colleagues

2. Find the perfect gift for your business to give to those really special businesses and individuals who have a relationship with your business. They can also arrange for delivery if you don’t have time to deliver them yourself.

3. Create a special holiday newsletter.

4. Plan a holiday open house so the community can get to know who you are. This includes arranging for refreshments, creating and sending invitations, placing an announcement in local newspapers and creating special ‘goodie’ bags for attendees with brochures, business cards, information about your business and some small gift like candy, a pen or small office supply

5. Plan and implement a ‘holiday special’ of some sort. For example, a massage therapist could offer a free chair massage for every hot stone massage gift certificate purchased. A VA can design your materials, and get the word out there in whatever manner works best for your business.

6. Design an amazing Holiday advertisement and submit it to your local paper or other media outlet.

7. Find, order and have gifts for your employees delivered.

8. Don’t forget Halloween! Have your virtual assistant order candies with wrappers personalized with your business information. You never know who the parents of those little trick or treaters are!

9. Include Thanksgiving by having your virtual assistant help you distribute “We’re Thankful for your Business” cards or flyers which can do double duty as an introduction to your upcoming holiday campaign.

10. Give the gift of virtual assistance. Purchase an hour or two of virtual assistance for that hard to buy for business person on your list. It’s like gifting them with an hour or two of free time to spend doing whatever it is they love to do!

I’m sure you’re all as reluctant to let go of summer as I am, but it benefits all businesses to think ahead. Set the wheels in motion now and by the time the holidays arrive, you’ll be thankful you did!

If you have questions concerning virtual assistance or have an interest in working with a virtual assistant you can contact Tina Hilton or visit her business website for Clerical Advantage.