Back in about 1997, when most North Americans really had no clue about the Internet, I was introduced to it by a local service provider who built my first website for a small business I had back then. I was one of the first “Custom Fishing Rod Builders” to have a website, and it certainly was quite a mystery to me as to how it all worked.
However, in time I learned to do some on-line marketing (back then, newsgroups were one good way if done correctly – remember them?), met my now business partner who taught me HTML, and from there, learned as much as I could about everything from SEO to Linux server management.
Around that same time, I became acquainted with Tawna Sutherland and we collaborated on some projects together as we both learned to navigate the “world wide web” and the business opportunities it had to offer. My business continued in the direction of web development (I know, you wouldn’t know it by the appearance of this blog today, however, clients come first!) and search engine optimization services while Tawnya built a successful Virtual Assistant business and now has an amazing website full of resources and information for those who are, or who are considering working at home as a VA.
Fifteen years later, Tawnya and I are teaming up again in a small way, and I’m very excited and proud that she has asked me to moderate and help out with the SEO questions that may get posted to her forum as well as offer advice and updates to her great visitors and members.
It’s pretty exciting when a friendship that was formed more than a decade ago can once again have mutual business interests and we can work together on some projects. Just goes to prove that networking can be a very valuable tool with business and friendship relationships being formed; and you never know when those strong relationships that are forged will continue to be beneficial for all concerned.
My first post at the VA Networking forum was a quick tip on some possible on-site quality issues to look for and address if you were hit by Google’s Penguin filter. You can read it here.
And while we’re at it, if you work at home or would like to work from home, and are thinking of becoming a Virtual Assistant (or perhaps you are already in this line of work), I highly recommend you visit Tawnya’s site at http://vanetworking.com
Tawnya is a great motivator and coach and sometimes that’s all we need to get us out of the doldrums and back to work when discouragement sets in.
I am looking forward to being of assistance over at Tawnya’s place!