5 questions

Please note: While this interview does mention what Rosemary does and a bit about her company, this is not a paid advertisement or an endorsement of services. My mission is to learn about people and what they do.

Q: So you run a company called Virtual Hires, can you tell me about about your companies goals?

A: Our mission is to help small and medium sized web-based businesses grow by providing quality and affordable staffing solutions.

Q: What made you decide to get in this business?

A: I had quite a bit of exposure to outsourcing at my previous job, including outsourcing IT, production, and creative. When I began working for myself, I had hired a virtual assistant and was really impressed with the results I got from her link building and content writing efforts. I found my virtual assistant to be very easy to work with. She spoke English fluently, was web-savvy, polite and was very familiar with American slang and pop culture. She spoke with just a slight accent, and was willing to work on US time which make working with her really easy. Having my virtual assistant do the day-to-day lower value tasks made it possible for me to focus my energy on growing my business. It ultimately has made me more profitable.

As I began sharing my experience with other small business owners, they asked how they too could take advantage of outsourcing. After receiving several of these requests, I decided to open up a full-time business offering web staffing services to other small business. I hired a few employees, began successfully matching clients and employees, and have never looked back.

Q: Tell me how you use or plan to use Social Media in your business pursuits?

A: This is something that we do for our clients all the time, but something we haven’t done too much for ourselves. (Most all of our business comes from word of mouth referrals.)
Here are some of the things we have done for our clients and will be incorporating more for ourselves as time goes on:

• Social Networking Sites – Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. – A great way to share news and to keep in touch with clients. Personal relationships are the crux of any business. We tend to trust people we know well, and these sites offer a degree of transparency and accessibility.
• Bookmarking, Tagging, Blog Commenting, and Participating in Forums – Keeps the conversation going.
• Online Video – Increasingly popular way to share, demonstrate, and educate.
• Blogging – An easy way to build community, and share updated information.
• Microblogging – This is great way to keep promote news and share tips.

Q: Do you attend conferences? Which ones and why?

A: Yes. I love the Affiliate Summit West. Apart from escaping the Cleveland winter for a few days, it is a great place to network and to keep abreast with industry trends. I went to the Search Engine Guide’s Small Business Unleashed Marketing Conference in Columbus for the first time this Fall. I loved this conference for the small, family feel. I made some great connections and will definitely attend again.

Q: I see you enjoy the outdoors. What is your favorite outdoor sport? Tell me a bit about what you get out of it.

A: I do enjoy the outdoors. My favorite outdoor sport? That’s a tough one. I am an avid, year-round hiker.

Hiking provides exercise, and an outlet for my tremendous amount of energy. More than anything, I find a sense of renewal by being outside. It’s hard for me to stop thinking about work. When I step outside, I am able to get outside of my own head. Being outside is an act of cleansing for me. As I take in the sights and sounds around me, and as I am surrounded by the beauty of the natural world, I leave my comfort zone. I relax. I am inspired. I appreciate. Most importantly, I find perspective. I am then able to focus on what matters most to me: relationships.

Other notes: Check out her recent plug in US News & World Report!