Web Tutoring - Social Media for Businesses

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Be prepared to have some homework. I will first ask you to email me answers to a prelimary series of questions I have for you.

Also be prepared to sit at your computer and follow my guidance: I won't do things for you, but with you.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. If prospective customers already have a website, they should know how it is hosted, and they should know their passwords to access their administration. For anything else, we will figure it out together.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I am an early adopter of new media. I keep myself updated on what is going on in an everchanging technology and I understand firsthand how challenging and intimidating it can appear to people who have their business in mind, and don't necessarily have the time to sit in front of their computers to browse and learn how things "work".

I experiment myself. I put myself in the shoes of others. I walk their mile, with them, and if they can't walk, I'll carry them or find a way so that we can fly instead.

I believe in everyone having abilities even when they don't know they have them. I am inspirational, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable. I am hardworking and extremely detail-oriented. I can spot the tiniest of those details in a wink.

I am also unconventional: thinking out of the box is a key to my philosophy. It has taken me out of my comfort zones, so I know how to navigate the unknown, and make it a fun journey instead of a scary one.

I am in my fifties. Having half of a century behind me gives me lots of perspective, experience and understanding. Having another half of a century in front of me gives me lots of humility to know that I still have lots to learn. This is a very exciting combination. It also allows me to be very professional in what I do. Once I am committed, I endeavor to reach the goals.

I believe that you can eat an elephant. One mouthful at a time. Although I have never tried it. Yet. I mean, a real elephant. I often speak in metaphors and use big words in English, but it makes me funny, not pompous. It's because English is not my native language. Being able to speak as many languages as I speak also makes me stand out, and I am proud to understand even that which is not spoken.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. What I like most about my job is that it is never dull, never see the same problem twice, never one solution for all. I like that I have to think about it, to try and find a new path each time.

What I like is that it is a very personal encounter each time: each customer is unique, with their own passions, and their own approaches. I love people, I love stories, and my job is also to help those passions to have a representation.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Customers most commonly ask me "Can you help me?" and I always answer "yes".

What my customers love about working with me is that they realize they are very good at using the web and they didn't know it before they had met me! My goal is to empower them and make them feel good about their new windowshop online.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. I recently serviced a small business whose owner was particularly technophobic: she was very reluctant to set up a facebook page for many reasons including fear of the complexity, fear of the breach of privacy for her patrons and generally fear of using her computer and breaking everything.

After some basic coaching and waiting for her to be ready to throw herself in the waters, we set up her business page in less than an hour of work. She soon got the required numbers of "likes" (previously called "fans") to use her business page as her profile, and she is now getting more and more comfortable updating on a regular basis all by herself.

I expect her to become a "pro" before we can even finish singing a song!

This is what makes me happy: to see my clients become proficient and use the tools that will make their business more profitable.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. This is the fastest changing field I believe for the time being. Most of my clients are overwhelmed by the amount of available information that they see about social media and digital marketing.

I research constantly and explore everything I stumble upon, so that I can learn what are the new developments, and how they can be used by my clients.

Because I go through the learning stages myself, I can see firsthand what is easy and what is more complicate, and it is a great asset for me to understand the steps and be able to then teach them.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. The web is so interactive now! Five years ago, many had still not really grasped what the Web 2.0 was, but now, everyone is expecting to be able to interact with everyone, be it one's customers, one's suppliers, one's teachers, one's elected persons, one's editors.

Small and large businesses are competing hard, but not always on the same field: today small businesses can make a huge difference, and reach out with very small budgets. I find this extremely exciting and promising for the world economy. Power is coming back to the people and individuals have a word to say: the web can be their voice, and I can help teaching how to use it.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Do it yourself. Go through learning the trade by doing it. Talk to the experts and learn from them. Have a personality of your own and do not try to be someone else. Be bold, be enthusiastic, be helpful and care about the others. Give back and pay forward.