What Does it Cost to Start a Virtual Assistant Business?

I think one of the reasons why starting a virtual assistant business is so appealing for many people is that the startup costs are minimal.

Most of us already own or can easily afford the necessary equipment:

• a computer and necessary software
• an Internet connection
• a fax machine
• a phone
• an in-home office space

But the one thing many new virtual assistants forget is that their new business won't bring money in right away. It may be one to two years - or even longer - before their new business will bring in a regular income.

This is often one of the overlooked costs of starting a home business. What will you live on, pay bills with, buy food with until then?

Before you start any business, be sure you have at least 3 months income in reserve. At LEAST! The more you have the better.

Because when start running out of your reserves, you'll start feeling desperate for business. And no one wants to do business with a desperate business owner.

Is your virtual assistant blog a winner?

More and more virtual assistants are blogging and letting their clients get to know the entrepreneur on the other side of the Internet connection.

Here are some things you can do in your virutal assistant blog:

• Give your clients and colleagues a peek at the personal side of your life. We all like to know we're dealing with a real person online!
• Post regular tips and tricks for your clients. It's a great way to keep visitors and clients coming back to your site.
• Share your latest news, without waiting for the next edition of your newsletter to go out.
• Write articles for your target market
  

If you're a member of VANA (Virtual Assistant Networking Association) your blog can reap other rewards too. The association gives the VA Blog of the Week Award 52 times a year to one of its over 7 000 members.

The VA Blog of the Week Awards recognize the virtual assistant's professionalism on the web and on his or her business blog.

And just what does an award winning blog look like? Take a look at the most recent winner, Right-Hand-Man Virtual Assistant Services.

The prize? Public recognition by other virtual assistants that your business is respected and credible.

You do have to be a member of VANA to win, though. If you're a virtual assistant, or thinking about becoming a virtual assistant, you really should be a member anyways!

They have awesome articles (including some of mine :)), helpful links, a Virtual Assistant Directory, RFPs, and - most importantly - the answers to all your virtual business questions!

What is a Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant, or VA, is an administrative professional who outsources his or her administrative talents and experience to small business, individuals and corporations for a long or short-term period. Most virtual assistants have several years of experience in the corporate world, and bring to their business the training and experience accumulated during those years. Many administrators who leave the corporate world to start their own virtual assistant business do so because they are motivated to achieve and want to influence how their talents are used and developed. Virtual assistants are known for continually developing their administrative skills, business knowledge, and keeping up with leading edge technology to provide you, the client, with professional and reliable virtual service.

Virtual Assistants In Business

Virtual assistants are not employees. VAs are small business owners who work with you to support your business goals and needs. When you contract a virtual assistant, you receive expert and flexible administrative support, provided through popular and leading edge technology. VAs are business owners themselves and understand why you and your business need professional, timely, reasonably priced service. Because the client's satisfaction is key to the success of a virtual assistant business, you can expect solid and reliable performance on a continuing basis.

Though virtual assistants can be engaged for an occasional project, their potential is best realized in ongoing business relationships with their clients. Over time, your virtual assistant will become more familiar with the workings of your business, so he or she can better support you and add to your success.

History of Virtual Assistants

The history of virtual assistants, as they are defined today, is only a few years old. Though "work-at-home secretaries" existed in the 1980s, the technology was not available for the industry to be truly virtual. The true virtual assistant began to emerge in 1995, after the explosive growth of the World Wide Web (WWW) in the mid-1990s. Through the Internet, faxes, and the telephone, these pioneers proved time and again that they could fully support their clientele virtually, from their home offices.

Virtual Assistants Today

The virtual assistant industry continues to grow by leaps and bounds. The many small businesses and entrepreneurs of today's business world have found virtual assistants to be an invaluable resource.

Virtual assistants have come a long way from being "work at home" secretaries. They can be writers, proofreaders, editors, database creators, researchers, marketers, web designers ... The list of possibilities is as diverse as the people who enter the VA industry. Business owners and independent professionals are realizing they no longer have to do everything on their own and are hiring virtual assistants to take care of tasks they no longer have time for, or that they don't enjoy doing.

Where Is The VA Industry Going?

At one time, a common question was, "What's a virtual assistant?" Now people are asking, "Who's your virtual assistant?"

The current trend in business outsourcing means that the role of virtual assistants will become more significant in the future. As technology develops and business need grows, a virtual assistant may become a vital part of every successful business.

Virtual Assistant Resources on Squidoo

I finally got my lens up for virtual assistant resources! It's brand new and needs some work, so keep checking back!

10 Handy Tools for the Savvy Virtual Assistant

By Crystal Redhad-Gould

If you were just getting started as a Virtual Assistant you would obviously need to prepare a list of tools needed to get your business up and running. Over the years I have found a lot of new innovations to make my life as a Virtual Assistant as trouble free as possible. I have a completed list of over 40 tools that I use at some point or another. For the purpose of this article I have listed my top ten, these I use almost daily.

VANA

Add some VANA to your day! If you have a quick question, need some motivation, need to connect with another Virtual Assistant, have a work overflow, or simply need to vent, then head on over to VANA and I promise you will always find the support your are looking for.

Skype

I have to admit that this is one of my all time favorite tools. It’s quite a bundle wrapped in one small package. You get an instant messenger, free video calls, free calls to people on skype, cheap sms, cheap calls to phones worldwide, conferencing and more.

Microsoft Outlook

I use Microsoft Outlook as an email client. It is superb for organizing, calendars, has solid spam and phishing filters, and seamless integration with to-do lists and scheduling. You can also create virtual folders, a great tool for keeping emails organized and the search feature makes finding emails a snap.

EverNote

EverNote is an all-in-one notes organizer that enables you to keep track of notes, To-Do items, memos, sketches, website snippets and more. It integrates with Internet Explorer and Firefox, allowing you to add website excerpts, source code snippets and other items directly from your browser. You can choose to sort your notes into categories, password protect them, export them to XML and more. EverNote supports several notes templates, which allow you to add T-Do lists, Excel-like spread sheets for expenses (that automatically calculate a total), phone notes, contact information and shopping lists, in addition to regular text notes or handwritten notes (via mouse or pen tablet). All that PLUS the ability to search through your notes! Bottom line I use EverNote for everything. There is a Pro Version but I personally never felt the need to upgrade, the free version meets all my needs and more.

Cutepdf

After trying several other print to PDF packages which left watermarks or other nags, I finally found CutePDF and have discarded all the others. It is freeware and contains no nags. It does require Ghostscript to be installed as well but both installs are straight forward, I just take all of the defaults. Once installed, it is maintenance free. Just select CutePDF from the list of printers, click OK, give the output file a name and folder, and you are done.

Smartftp

A Virtual Assistant just needs to have some sort of ftp software to update websites and to accept and transfer files. I use and recommend SmartFTP. Simply put, this is the best FTP software you can acquire for FREE. I was having trouble connecting with other programs, so I decided to try SmartFTP. Best decision ever! The interface is very "user-friendly" and it connects on the first try. The ability to click and drag and have multiple sessions open is also extremely helpful.

Wordpress

Every Virtual Assistant should seek to set up a blog. I recommend that wordpress as the platform for your blog. It’s free, easy to install, and you can find thousands of high quality themes and plugins.

Timestamp

A Virtual Assistant must have a means to track client hours. I use timestamp, it is a very simple reporting utility that helps you stay on top of working time. It also comes with a handy reminder, letting you know w hen its time to go home!

MyFax

Myfax lets you send and receive faxes through email from as little as $10 per month including 100 faxes free per month. The price is standard and the support is terrific.

Groove Virtual Network

Groove Virtual Network is a great tool for keeping in touch with clients far and wide. Maintain a sense of teamwork between yourself and your client as you can do virtually anything in Groove. You can hold online meetings, store files and folders, save threaded discussions, scribble on whiteboards, share calendars, and track project information and timelines, very important to my clients.

There you have it, ten handy tools that you can easily access and most of them are free. For an up and coming Virtual Assistant, it doesn’t get any better than free.

(c) Five Star Executives. All Rights Reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Crystal Redhead-Gould is the managing principal of Five Star Executives a Virtual Assistant Practice that specializes in Internet Marketing and Graphic Design. She is a pioneer for Virtual Assisting in the Caribbean. She serves as President of the Caribbean Association of Virtual Assistants. Crystal draws on over 15 years of experience in the industry and seeks to help small and medium sized businesses with their marketing tools in order to increase profits.

Crystal is a frequent speaker at small business forums across the Caribbean. She is also author of Unwritten Rules: Become an In Demand Virtual Executive. Feel free to visit her online at http://www.fivestarexecutives.com or pop in on the Caribbean forum at http://www.caribbeanassist.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Crystal_Redhad-Gould

Your Virtual Assistant Business - How to Get Started

Valerie Dansereau has this tip for starting a successful home business: DO SOMETHING!

If you want to work from home and have your own virtual assistant business, stop dreaming and start doing.

But that's easier said than done... which is why I love the Virtual Business Startup System. It gives you a step-by-step plan to put those dreams into action. If you're still dreaming instead of doing, you should really take a look.

Here's Valeries's article:

The Secret of Successful Entrepreneurs: Getting Started by Valerie Dansereau

There is one secret that all successful entrepreneurs have in common. It’s not luck. It’s not unlimited financial resources.

The secret is they get past inertia. They DO SOMETHING.

When you’re a beginner, you may be tempted to keep surfing the net, looking for the perfect opportunity. You may think if you keep looking, you will find that someone will tell you exactly how to smoothly sail to success, without making mistakes, without leaving yourself scarred. Many of us throw away money on opportunity after opportunity, e-book after e-book, only to end up frustrated. We end up broke – and exactly where we started.

The truth is, there is no such thing as Get Rich Quick. And there are few, if any, successful business persons who have attained success without mistakes. There will be mistakes, some of them costly. The point is, each mistake you make allows you to correct what you’ve done wrong, and do it better the next time around.

As Mark Twain said:

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and then starting on the first one.”

Breaking your tasks into smaller tasks means not allowing yourself to become overwhelmed by the whole project. For instance, if you are thinking of starting your own website, you don’t need to decide today what will go on every page. Today’s task could be as simple as writing one article or placing one ad – or even more simply, making a decision which “guru” you want to follow. It’s important to give yourself a focus and not keep interrupting projects you’ve already started to begin new ones. A pattern of constantly beginning new projects isn’t any better than not getting started at all.

It’s also helpful to make a schedule and stick to it. If you know that every Monday you will write an article to submit to article directories and every Tuesday you will work on link building or place some classified ads etc., you are more likely to accomplish the goal of the day. Without a schedule or plan, you may sit down at your computer and begin surfing the net, reading your emails, or worse – not turn it on at all.

The fear of failure can immobilize you from getting started. The thing we don’t always think about is that every successful person has experienced failure. The difference is they don’t allow it to defeat them or hold them back from trying again.

As Zig Ziglar said, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

Make a decision to take action today. One simple beginning step today brings you closer to making money tomorrow



Valerie Dansereau is a banker turned entrepreneur. For work at home ideas, parenting tips, stress busters and more, visit her website at http://www.work-at-home-parenting.com

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

VA Industry Supports Charities

Virtual Assistant Forums is pleased to announce its first annual charity sponsorship event; showcasing the inherently supportive nature of professional virtual assistants, for a good cause.

Get the whole story here.

Where is all of my time going?

At the end of your work day, are you left wondering where your day went?

If you don't have time to get everything done, it may be time to re-evaluate how you're spending your 24 hours.

Here's a simple exercise that can help you discover where your time is really going.

You can also use this exercise with your clients to help them identify areas where they could use your virtual assistant services to manage their day better.

Choose one day and track all your business and personal activities for that day. Start from the time you wake up in the morning to the time you get into bed at night.

Write down each activity and how long you spend on it.

Include everything you do, including interruptions, time spent thinking and planning, and looking for misplaced items

Do this activity on a regular working day to give yourself a good idea of where your time’s going. Proceed with your day as you normally would.

At the end of this activity, evaluate how your hours were spent. How many hours do you spend solely on your business? Do you see any ways you could manage your time more efficiently? Are there any activities you could outsource so you could have more time to devote to your regular work?

You might be surprised at what this little exercise turns up!

Win Free Virtual Assistant Training

VANetworking.com recently announced a new contest for virtual assistants, and the winner will receive will receive a full scholarship to VAU, http://virtualassistanceu.com, that totals $1 500.

Learn about the contest and how to enter. It's easy!

Free Publicity for Your Virtual Assistant Business

When I officially became a virtual assistant in 2005, virtual assistance was virtually unheard of. In fact, when I told a friend about my new business, she asked me, "Is that just something you made up?" Others, though not so outspoken as she, had similar responses, like

"What's a virtual assistant?"

"Can you really make a living doing that?"

"Is that a real job?"

Today, instead of "What's a virtual assistant?" the more common question is "Who's your virtual assistant?"

This change is due in part to media coverage, such as a story at ABC News today called, Being a Virtual Assistant Offers Women Flexibility.

If you're a virtual assistant, you can leave a comment to let others know more about your business and the virtual assistant industry.

If you would like to tell the ABC News editors more facts about the story, you're invited to send them a separate email. It's a wonderful publicity opportunity for your virtual assistant business.

A Virtual Assistant Business Plan

Do you need a business plan for your virtual assistant business? Jenn Givler, a Business Empowerment Coach, presents some very convincing arguments for why you should have one.



Do You Really Need a Business Plan? by Jenn Givler


I hear it all the time. Entrepreneurs are not convinced that they need a plan. And, I have to admit, when I started my first business back in 1999, I didn’t think I needed a plan either. I just figured I wanted a successful business and that was enough to move me forward. I started working with a business coach who gave me quite a few reasons to write a plan. I broke down and wrote the plan. And you wanna know what? It helped my business take leaps toward my goals.


See, before I had a plan, I was just out here floundering around. I couldn’t even really articulate what success meant to me. Once I had a plan in place, I knew exactly where I was headed, and I had a pretty good idea about how I was going to get there.


It doesn’t matter what kind of business you have – your own, or a direct sales business – you will benefit from having a plan. A business plan includes your long-term goals for your business, as well as a short-term plan to get you there. Still not convinced you need a plan? Here are three good reasons to have one.


1. It’s not so much the plan document itself that is important, but it’s the process of going through and creating a plan. When you create a plan for your business, you really get a chance to pull apart your idea and look at each facet of it. You have the opportunity to decide if this is something you are truly passionate about. And, you get to clearly define your business. When you have a Crystal Clear picture of what your business looks like (on paper, and off) you can articulate what you do to your customers. If you can’t tell people what you do and what your business is about, you’ll lose them.


2. Do you know for sure that you have a viable business idea? Creating a business plan will allow you to see how feasible your ideas are. If you do an in-depth plan that includes financial and market research data, you can see in cold hard numbers how your plan will work. You’ll know exactly how big your market is, and you’ll know exactly how much money you need. You will also be able to see if there are places that you need to make adjustments.


3. Your business plan is your road map to success. Without having a clear picture of the end result you’re seeking, how will you know when you get there? Your business plan will allow you to set longer term goals, and it will give you a plan that you can follow to achieve them.
It’s possible to create and follow a very simple plan. In fact, your plan doesn’t have to be longer than one page. A good plan includes your vision, mission, your objectives (or goals), and the strategies you will use to reach your objectives.


If you are not seeking financial backing, you can create a simple plan simply by outlining the sections mentioned above. Once you’ve set up your plan, take action. It’s not enough to just write everything down. Follow your plan and update it often. Before you know it, you’ll have a Powerful Business!

Jenn Givler is a Business Empowerment Coach. She specializes in teaching new entrepreneurs how to get started in their business. Jenn can help you find your passion, create your business plan, and begin effectively marketing your business. For weekly business tips and advice check out her e-zine: http://www.jgivlercoaching.com/newsletter.html


Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com/



For some practical help in creating a business plan for your virtual assistant business, check out Tawnya Sutherland's Virtual Business Startup System. She includes templates and easy to follow instructions to create a business plan that will get you started on the path to virtual success.

Providing an At-Home Proofreading Service

Do you have an eagle eye for grammar mistakes and typos?

Are you the first one to spot when a comma or an apostrophe has been misplaced?

If so, proofreading might be the right niche for your virtual assistant business.

Although many proofreaders have a masters degree in English, that's not a prerequisite to providing a proofreading service through your virtual assistant business. A BA with an English major, or another English course will suffice, so long as you have an excellent grasp of the English language.

And proofreading is certainly an in-demand skill. As the need for good website content grows, so does the need to make sure it's spelled correctly.

Proofreaders charge by the word or by the hour, whatever works best for you or for your business.

If you need more help finding the right niche for your new virtual assistant business, check out Tawnya Sutherland's Virtual Business Startup System. Tawnya walks you through all the steps of finding your right target market and choosing a niche that's in demand and that you will LOVE.

Learn About the Virtual Assistant Industry from the very best

If you're looking for more information about the virtual assistant industry, or ways to help your virtual assistant business grow, look no further than Virtual Assistant Startups

Owned by Diana Ennen, the site is a wealth of FREE information to get you on your way and help you find the right clients for your virtual biz.

Diana has been involved in the virtual assistant industry since 1985 and has written several books on virtual assistance and working from home. Her goal on this new website is to "provide the best information and tips on not only how to become a virtual assistant, but how to become the best virtual assistant you can be."

I know I've learned TONS from her and her books. Check it out at http://www.virtualassistantstartups.com/

And if you're thinking about purchasing Tawnya Sutherland's Virtual Business Startup System, remember that it INCLUDES Diana's book, Becoming a Highly Sought After and Productive VA - required reading for ANY virtual assistant.

Writing a Virtual Assistant Newsletter

A newsletter, or ezine, is an important tool in your Virtual Assistant business. It helps you build a relationship with your clients, or potential clients, and it helps keep your name fresh in their memory.

But what should you include in your newsletter? Content is still king! Include information that is valuable and relevant to your target market.

If you don't enjoy or have time to create your own articles and content, here are some other ways you can put together a highly relevant, informative newsletter.

1. Use reprint articles. Make sure they're well-written and contain accurate information. You'll find high quality articles about online business, home business, and virtual assistance at WAHM-Articles.com.

2. Include valuable tips to share with your audience. You don't have to do a lot of writing, just jot down a sentence or two on how your readers can do something better.

3. Use inspiring quotes written by others. They're easy to find, just do a bit of research.

4. Feature other writers. Many business owners would appreciate the opportunity to have a regular column in your newsletter. It's original content for you, and a promotional opportunity for the columnist.

5. Pay someone to write for you. Hire a ghostwriter to create a unique article with your own ideas. I ghostwrite WAHM and home business articles for a very reasonable price at DeniseWillms.com.

With all these options available, what's holding you back? Create that newsletter, and start building those client relationships today!

To learn more about finding clients and marketing your new virtual assistant business, take a look at Tawnya Sutherland's Virtual Business Startup System. It has EVERYTHING you need to make all the right decisions for your VA business.

Found! An extra 5 - 6 hours every day

"It is estimated that the average small business owner spends upwards of 60% of their time performing administrative responsibilities. Outsourcing these administrative tasks to an expert, a Virtual Assistant, is the solution for many."

Source: http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/23765/

As a small business owner, thinking that I spent 60% of my time on ANY one thing frightens me.

I'm assuming that the author of this press release, Shannon Abbott of The Virtual Vantage, is referring only to my working hours... At least I hope so!

With approximately 8 - 10 hours in an average business day that means 5 - 6 hours are spent on administrative responsibilities... routine tasks that could easily be taught to someone else. And that means that those 5 - 6 hours could be spent on something much more productive, like finishing work for a client, finding the next client, or even spending time with the family. :)

With services including, as Shannon's do, word processing, information management, editorial services, accounting tasks, desktop publishing, and even making travel arrangements, the convenience a virtual assistant provides is almost impossible to ignore.

If you're a small business owner who hasn't yet considered hiring a virtual assistant, why not?

And if you're a virtual assistant, be encouraged to know your work is valuable. You really can add more hours to a day!

Authors: Short on Help? by Gayle Buske CEO

Hire a Professional Virtual Assistant!

Are you short on time? Do you spend your entire day trying to find a publishers, reviewers, signing opportunities, or do you need help editing your creation? Like most business owners, many authors find that there aren’t enough hours in the day. If you are one of them, you may want to consider a virtual assistant to help you edit, publish, market, and find endorsements for your book. You may have even though about hiring an employee but you don’t want someone’s desk crammed into a room in your home. Then it’s time that you consider a virtual assistant (VA). Using a virtual assistant negates the headaches of trying to screen, interview, and hire an employee. You don’t even have to provide them with a computer, a desk, or a space in your home office.

Gaining in popularity among large and small businesses alike, VAs can help bail you out of a rough spot on a temporary basis or even work long-term just like a regular employee, only better. A virtual assistant runs their own business. They are a professional just like you, except their business focus is making your business more successful.

In today’s soft economy and world of corporate scandals, failures, and layoffs, many a good employee has been ousted from his or her job. The ambitious ones are out there daily trying to find a new position. Trouble for them is the help wanted section of most newspapers has become extremely thin. Most people can’t go very long without some sort of income. So, the most ambitious and resourceful are making their way back into the working world any way they can. For many, this means starting a business of their own.

What does a person do when what they know is secretarial? What do they do when they need to feed their family and pay the mortgage? Many professionals create their own business and several are opting to become virtual assistants.

What does a Writer’s Virtual Assistant do?
In short, a VA can do just about anything a regular employee can do. Many virtual assistants are Jack’s or Jill’s of all trades. Here is a list of some of the things a virtual assistant can do to help you:

• Keeping your financial records
• Accounting
• Researching Publishers
• Researching marketing opportunities
• Writing and Submitting your press releases
• Concierge services
• Fill book orders
• Create your e-book cover
• Answer your phone and screening your phone calls
• Customer Service by email, phone and chat
• Marketing your business online, by fax or phone
• Make your travel arrangements and send you directions
• Research other services you need
• Typing your handwritten manuscript
• Advertising your business on newsgroups, blogs, press releases, in articles or other outlets
• Appointment setting
• Meeting arrangements
• Event planning
• Letter preparation
• Reports
• Manuals
• Newsletters
• Flyers
• Mailings
• Data entry
• Data processing
• Document scanning
• Procedure documentation
• Customer support
• Copyrighting
• Web design

Virtual assistants s are typically a very intelligent bunch as well. Many are college educated and even more have countless years of excellent business experience to draw upon. This comes in very handy when you’re looking for ideas.

How does a virtual work?
Virtual assistants come in all shapes and sizes, just as any business does. Typically, however, VAs work from home-based offices. They’re the savviest of the savvy when it comes to operating on a low budget and using technology to their advantage. Most are equipped with the latest software (and lots of it), multiple phone lines, Internet, e-mail, fax machine, cellular phone, copy machines, scanners, and a great attitude. Many even come with a cat or dog! He or she will use all of the latest technology to communicate with the client and get the work done as quickly as possible. And, possibly best of all, they only “clock in” when they’re on your project, not while they’re sitting at your desk, using your electricity, playing solitaire!

What’s all this going to cost?
All well and good, right? But aren’t virtual assistants more expensive than regular employees? Absolutely not! Actually, a virtual assistant is far more cost effective than a regular employee. You may pay more per hour than a regular employee, but leave out the FICA, state unemployment taxes, Social Security, health insurance, vacation time, sick time, 401(k), profit sharing, Christmas bonus, holiday pay, and other benefits you need to offer a regular employee, and a virtual assistant’s wage comes out far lower than that of a regular employee.

A virtual assistant can save money in other areas as well. How much does it cost you to maintain office footage, a computer, a phone line or two, a refrigerator, a microwave, a desk, electricity, heat, air conditioning, computer software, tech support, and parking for your regular employees? With a virtual, you don’t need any of those things either - he or she supplies his or her own.

The fee for a virtual assistant usually depends upon the area of the country where he or she is located and their area(s) of expertise. Virtual assistants charge between $15 and $75 per hour. But, you only pay for the time he or she actually spends working on your tasks. Some will ask that you pay for a “minimum guaranteed usage” each week or month. Many will also agree to work for varying hourly rates depending on the task. For example, if they’re to perform basic word processing, the fee might be $18 per hour, but if they’re expected to research the legalities of transforming your Copyright information, they may charge $45 per hour. Yet, others may agree to a flat fee based upon individual project requirements. Either way, you come out ahead.

Why should I trust someone I’ve never met?
VAs are as concerned with your business success as they are with their own. In fact, their success depends on your success. So, a virtual assistant can become one of the best assistants and business partners you’ve ever had. Just like you, they are business owners and even more importantly, they rely on you to be successful.

Virtual versus temp or temp agency
Virtual assistants tend to work harder than the average person issued to you by a temporary agency. Keep in mind that the temp agency is charging you as much as 20% more than the worker is actually getting paid. This practice often leads to the use of unskilled or unacceptable laborers. Hiring a virtual allows you to choose who works with you. You’ll also need to provide all of the temp’s supplies like paper, toner, pens, computer, electricity, etc, whereas, the VA comes with his or her own supplies.

How many times have you hired a temp who you spent time training, only to have her stick around for three weeks, then you had to train yet another temp? A virtual, as we mentioned, is in this to succeed and help you succeed. You’ll have to train him or her too, but only once!

Oh, yes, and you still need to pay the temp while she sits there and waits for another assignment from you. Not with a virtual assistant. While she’s waiting for the next assignment from you, you can bet she’ll be working on something for another client.

Choosing a virtual assistant
Now that you’ve decided to hire a virtual assistant, how do you go about choosing one? There are several things you need to know before you start looking:

• What exactly do I need help with?
• What expertise does the VA need?
• How much do I have to spend?
• How quickly do I need this project done?
• How long will I need virtual assistance?
• How often will I need my VA to work?
• What hours should he or she be available?
• What days of the week?
• Is there any specific software he or she needs to have?
• Is what I need accomplished so specific that I’ll need to incorporate some training time?
• How will I pay him or her? Visa, MasterCard, Check, Paypal?
• How do I want to communicate with my VA? Phone, e-mail, snail mail, or a combination?
• Does my VA really need to be located in a particular time zone, country, part of the country, city?
• Any other particular qualities you’d like your virtual assistant to have?

Just as you would screen someone who would apply to work in your office, you’ll still need to spend a little time screening your virtual assistant. You’ll need to tell him or her what you need and want, and what is and isn’t acceptable. You’ll also need to negotiate pricing and terms with the virtual assistant.

The best thing you can do to ensure you receive the help you need, is behave as though you’re choosing a new car. Push the buttons, turn on the stereo, kick the tires, and ask, ask, ask. Listen to what the potential VA has to offer you as well. He or she may even be able to do several other tasks, which you hadn’t counted on, or even offer some very sound business advice.

What happens if I don’t like the VA I’ve hired, or s/he doesn’t work out?
Unless you’ve signed a contract guaranteeing a particular amount of time or pay, the answer is rather simple: you just don’t offer any more assignments.

If you do happen to have a bad experience with one virtual, however, don’t let is sour you from finding another. Treat it as though you simply had a bad date. Bad dates to happen and some people just aren’t compatible. Get back out there and look for another VA that better suits your needs or personality.

A win-win for everyone
The use of virtual assistants truly is a win-win for everyone involved. For the employee-challenged business, VAs dramatically increase your labor pool. And, for the cash-strapped entrepreneur, virtual assistants save money - lots of money. What’s more, it’s better for the environment to hire a virtual. Just think of all the vehicle emissions you’ll be saving by having one or two workers telecommute. As for the VA, they typically enjoy a better quality of life, as they are also able to be home and raise their children in between working on your projects.



Gayle Buske is the co-founder, president and CEO of Team Double-ClickSM - the country’s foremost virtual staffing agency. With over 18 years of business success, including six years as the head of a virtual staffing agency with over 26,000 professionals in its pool, Gayle is uniquely qualified to aid her clients’ growth through virtual outsourcing. For more information on Gayle Buske, visit www.teamdoubleclick.com.


Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Are You Referring to Me?

by Jill Chongva | VADiva.com

There is an on-going debate in the Virtual Assistant community about potential clients asking for references. Some are offended; some don’t really care one way or the other. This is my spin on the issue.

Virtual Assistance is still a new industry, though for those of us who have been at it a long time, it doesn’t really seem that way. However, most of the business world is just beginning to discover the benefits of partnering with a VA. And it is the job of all VA’s to educate potential clients about what we do.

When you are interviewing a potential client, you cover all your bases by asking pointed questions about their work style, business plans, technology, etc. You ask the questions that get you the answers you need to determine if (a) you can work with this client and (b) if you have the skills to do what they need to have done.

And the potential client is interviewing you as well. So don’t be surprised when they ask for “references”. They are simply following good business practices.

Would you hire another VA for your team without checking with people she/he has worked for or with? Doubt it. And if you would, well don’t get me started.

Many of those who argue against references (and I used to be one of them) say that because you are an entrepreneur, you should not be asked for references. They see it as demeaning. You wouldn’t ask your accountant or lawyer for references would you? Um, yes, I actually would.

If I am going to trust ANY part of my business to another person, I want to know about their track record. I want to hear from people they have worked with/for to get a sense of whether they can do the job I’m asking them to do. I want to know about quirks. I want to know about results.

I wouldn’t hire a [insert any job title here] without asking about their success stories or without speaking to some of her or his clients first.

Testimonials are great, and many say that that is what you should give to people asking for references. While testimonials can help, they are static. They are never going to give you the same feedback and information that a phone call to an actual human being will give.

And since most people find their Virtual Assistant via web searches, it makes sense that they are exercising a fair bit of caution. The web is notorious for fly-by-night schemes and shams, and those who are looking for a VA should be cautious in choosing one. That means they will ask for references. They will want to speak to your clients. They will do their due diligence.

After all, wouldn’t you?



Jill Chongva is a Virtual Assistant with over 21 years experience in the Administration field. Her marketing assistance help solopreneurs make the most of their message by creating branding that stands out in the crowd.

Her new ebook “Find YOUR Ideal Clients: 99 Questions to Use to Create YOUR Ideal Client Questionnaire” is available at www.vadiva.com

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Work At Home Time Management

by Tammy Embrich

Are you finding lack of time for your online business becoming more and more evident?

Are you finding it more difficult reserving well-needed time for your children and family?

Well, you are not alone. All too often, many home based business owners (unintentionally) fail to prioritize their time efficiently. I think time is about the most valuable and limited resource that we have.

Balancing our personal and professional lives is indeed quite a challenge. This important task can be accomplished by taking a look at some significant small steps.

Goals

What are your business and professional goals?

Turn your dreams and intentions into reasonable, achievable goals by writing each goal down beginning with the most important and ending with the least important.

Purchase a special journal all your own for this purpose. Keep this journal close by, on your desk at all times.Write down what you want to achieve yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily. Plan long projects by breaking them down into bite-sized pieces and dedicating so much time each day for achieving your goals.

Put Together A Work Routine Schedule And Stick With It

Keep A Business Daily Planner On Your Desk. Prioritize your home business according to specific deadlines. Make a note of tasks that need to be completed daily.

For example: Make a note to do your website updates on Mondays, Make important phone calls on Tuesdays, Do your business research on Wednesdays, and so on.

Carve out a reasonable schedule for yourself and base it around your business needs and goals. The most important thing about a schedule is of course sticking to it. Staying focused and consistent is the key element to achieving success in any home business.

Make Time For Yourself And Your Family

This is the most important issue home based business owners face today. You must reserve special time for yourself and for your family. If you don't make time for yourself, you run the risk of business burn out. You need time to yourself to feel refreshed, energized, and ready to tackle the next task that needs completing.

Take at least one half hour to a full hour each day solely for yourself. Take a walk, take a drive, take a nap, read a good book, watch a good movie or favorite program, schedule lunch with a friend. This is so important to you and also your business If you have children at home, you need to also involve them in this important time.

Take your little ones to the park, the zoo, out for lunch, anything...just as long as you take this special time just for you and your children. Always take time out for that special bedtime story, helping with homework, making that special breakfast, or just talking and cuddling. Isn't this the main reason for deciding to work from home...staying home with your kids and spending quality time with them?

Always schedule specific times with your kids, and also with yourself....this will help avoid getting over-stressed and over- worked with your home based business. Children like routine. You will also find that following a routine schedule will make you more productive and successful with your business.



Article written by: Tammy Embrich

Tammy Embrich is an Internet Marketer and is the
Owner of: http://www.onestopwebemployment.com/
And Owner of: http://www.real-wah-jobs.com/

Tammy's two WAH websites focus on free telecommute job leads and more.


Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Work At Home Time Management

by Tammy Embrich

Are you finding lack of time for your online business becoming more and more evident?

Are you finding it more difficult reserving well-needed time for your children and family?

Well, you are not alone. All too often, many home based business owners (unintentionally) fail to prioritize their time efficiently. I think time is about the most valuable and limited resource that we have.

Balancing our personal and professional lives is indeed quite a challenge. This important task can be accomplished by taking a look at some significant small steps.

Goals

What are your business and professional goals?

Turn your dreams and intentions into reasonable, achievable goals by writing each goal down beginning with the most important and ending with the least important.

Purchase a special journal all your own for this purpose. Keep this journal close by, on your desk at all times.Write down what you want to achieve yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily. Plan long projects by breaking them down into bite-sized pieces and dedicating so much time each day for achieving your goals.

Put Together A Work Routine Schedule And Stick With It

Keep A Business Daily Planner On Your Desk. Prioritize your home business according to specific deadlines. Make a note of tasks that need to be completed daily.

For example: Make a note to do your website updates on Mondays, Make important phone calls on Tuesdays, Do your business research on Wednesdays, and so on.

Carve out a reasonable schedule for yourself and base it around your business needs and goals. The most important thing about a schedule is of course sticking to it. Staying focused and consistent is the key element to achieving success in any home business.

Make Time For Yourself And Your Family

This is the most important issue home based business owners face today. You must reserve special time for yourself and for your family. If you don't make time for yourself, you run the risk of business burn out. You need time to yourself to feel refreshed, energized, and ready to tackle the next task that needs completing.

Take at least one half hour to a full hour each day solely for yourself. Take a walk, take a drive, take a nap, read a good book, watch a good movie or favorite program, schedule lunch with a friend. This is so important to you and also your business If you have children at home, you need to also involve them in this important time.

Take your little ones to the park, the zoo, out for lunch, anything...just as long as you take this special time just for you and your children. Always take time out for that special bedtime story, helping with homework, making that special breakfast, or just talking and cuddling. Isn't this the main reason for deciding to work from home...staying home with your kids and spending quality time with them?

Always schedule specific times with your kids, and also with yourself....this will help avoid getting over-stressed and over- worked with your home based business. Children like routine. You will also find that following a routine schedule will make you more productive and successful with your business.



Article written by: Tammy Embrich

Tammy Embrich is an Internet Marketer and is the
Owner of: http://www.onestopwebemployment.com/
And Owner of: http://www.real-wah-jobs.com/

Tammy's two WAH websites focus on free telecommute job leads and more.


Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Don't Write That Proposal Until You Ask The 'Magic Question"

by Tessa Stowe

Have you ever had a potential client ask you to write a proposal or give a presentation only to respond with "Thank you for doing this and we'll get back to you at some time in the future if we decide to do something"? All that wasted time for nothing.

If only you'd known they were going to say that before you wasted all that time writing the proposal. If you knew they were going to say this, would you have written the proposal? So how do you find out what they are going to say? The way to find out what they are going to say after you have given them your proposal is to ask them the 'magic question' before you have spent time and money preparing the proposal. Simple really.

The 'magic question' is magical for two reasons. It's magical as it transports you both into the future (to the time when they have received the proposal you have yet to write) and it's also magical because much of the need for writing the proposal will vanish after you have asked this question.

So what is this 'magic question'?

When someone asks you to write a proposal (or give a presentation), just reply with this question "Imagine that you've read my proposal and, without doubt, the solution proposed is a perfect fit for what you want then what will happen next?"

Let's suppose that the response to your 'magic question' was one of the following:

"I would then discuss it with my manager (partner, etc.) to see if they want to move ahead."

"We'd need to assess it along with everything else we are doing right now and decide on our priorities."

"I'd need to make sure that the costs are within our budget."

These answers will have identified to you that writing a proposal is not really the next best step and may, in fact, not be necessary at all. So for the time being at least, the need for writing a proposal has vanished (magical!).

With the above examples instead of spending your time and money writing a proposal, the best next steps could be:

- Meeting with the manager (partner) as they appear to be involved in the decision making process. Who else is?

- To ask a lot more questions to find a compelling reason for why they should solve this problem now. If you can't find a compelling reason, chances are high they won't be doing anything.

- To discuss your pricing range to confirm it is within their budget.

Depending on the outcome of these next steps, it may become obvious that this is not a qualified prospect or that you to need to meet with more people and ask a lot more questions before writing a proposal.

Make it a rule that you only write proposals if you know in advance what they are going to say after they have read your proposal and are happy with the solution you are proposing. Only write proposals if you are satisfied with this answer and you know that writing a proposal is therefore the next best step for them to become your client.

(c) 2007, Tessa Stowe, Sales Conversation. WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE? Yes, you can, provided you make all links live and include this copyright and by-line below.



Tessa Stowe teaches small business owners and recovering salespeople 10 simple steps to turn conversations into clients without being sales-y or pushy. Sign-up for her FREE monthly newsletter that is full of tips on how to sell your services by just being yourself at http://www.salesconversation.com

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

7 Steps to Starting Your Business

by Cristina Favreau

'I've finally decided to start my business. Now, WHERE THE HECK DO I START?'

Sound familiar?

This question comes up a lot and I'm always surprised by the "words of wisdom" seasoned entrepreneurs give. Things like "make a website," "get your business license," "buy this software," "read this book," "write a business plan" or "open a business bank account."

This is great advice if (1) time is not of essence and (2) money is no object. Don't get me wrong, those answers are correct. But I find they often miss the point by adding unnecessary burdens like anxiety and expenses to someone who's just starting off. Most people I speak with don't have the luxury of time or money. They want to get their business up and running quickly and start attracting clients so they can start making money to care for their families.

If you fit the latter description, don't despair. I've come up with 7 steps to help you get up and running in no time.

Specify what you do. This is probably THE most important step. You can't start marketing yourself without being absolutely clear on what services you offer. Split your list in two -- services you DO offer and services you DON'T offer. Keep this list handy; you'll find as time goes on, this list will narrow down to what you really love doing and everything else. This first step will help you define your specialty.

Determine who do you it for. You'll often hear people (especially coaches) say you "must" choose a target market, or niche, if you want to succeed in business. It's true that narrowly defining a target market IS important. But when you're starting off, you can't know who you like doing business with until you've had a few contracts. Start the process by listing the types of people or companies you like to work with. Remember, you want to be more specific than saying something general like "stay at home moms," "small business owners," "lawyers" or "baby boomers." This second step will get you closer to identifying your target market.

Decide on your fee. Just because you're starting up a business doesn't mean you have to low-ball your fees. Base your decision on these 3 factors: (1) What is your competition charging? (2) How much are your potential clients willing to pay? and (3) Can you have financial freedom asking for this fee? Your decision may be mostly based on intuition or experience. Remember to ask for what you think you're worth and don't accept anything less.

Get business cards. And I don't mean cards printed on your friend's "really good printer." These days, you can get professionally printed business cards for cheap. Don't worry if you haven't yet chosen a company name; just use your name to start with. Once you've decided on a company name, a logo and have started getting clients, you can order more cards.

Design your 30-second intro. You must be able to answer the "So, what do you do?" question in 30 seconds or less. Remember, your audience is tuned in to the WIIFM channel ("What's in it for me?"). If something in your pitch doesn't pass the "so what?" test, it's best to leave it out (like "Hello, my name is Cristina Favreau and I'm a Certified Coach." Really! Who cares?). Make it compelling. Talk about the benefits of doing business with you. Identify what makes you different from your competition. Get help to brainstorming ideas. Practice it, until it comes naturally to you.

Network. Once you've complete these 5 steps, you need to get out there and start networking. It'll be difficult and scary at first, especially if your pipeline is empty, but the more you do it, the easier it gets and the more your pipeline fills up with contacts. Great places to start are local chambers and business networking groups. You may also want to join a few online groups where the people you identified in step 2 hang out.

Market your business each day. Marketing is telling people what you do over and over again. You have a limited budget, so stick to inexpensive strategies: give a referral, give away a free report, write a newsletter and blog, offer a free introductory session, give a presentation at your local networking venue or anything else you can think of that will get people to start seeing you as an expert in your field, even if you're just starting off.

The trick to these 7 steps is to keep it simple. Just because you have limited cash flow doesn't mean you can't be successful. Your strategies at the beginning should be to get your name out there and to get clients.

Obviously, these 7 steps are not the end-all-be-all of starting a business. There's still more to do. But going through these steps will give you a solid foundation to build on. In a following article, I'll share with you the next steps to take, once you have these ones in place.



Cristina Favreau is Mom to 2 kids under 2 years old. As a Certified Coach and Get Clients Now! Licensed Facilitator, she helps service professionals make marketing & self-promotion easy to understand & implement, starting at your level. Within 3 hours, she’ll help you identify where you’re stuck in the marketing process & come up with an action plan of immediate strategies to gain momentum. Visit http://www.cristinafavreau.com or http://blog.cristinafavreau.com

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

7 Steps to Starting Your Business

by Cristina Favreau

'I've finally decided to start my business. Now, WHERE THE HECK DO I START?'

Sound familiar?

This question comes up a lot and I'm always surprised by the "words of wisdom" seasoned entrepreneurs give. Things like "make a website," "get your business license," "buy this software," "read this book," "write a business plan" or "open a business bank account."

This is great advice if (1) time is not of essence and (2) money is no object. Don't get me wrong, those answers are correct. But I find they often miss the point by adding unnecessary burdens like anxiety and expenses to someone who's just starting off. Most people I speak with don't have the luxury of time or money. They want to get their business up and running quickly and start attracting clients so they can start making money to care for their families.

If you fit the latter description, don't despair. I've come up with 7 steps to help you get up and running in no time.

Specify what you do. This is probably THE most important step. You can't start marketing yourself without being absolutely clear on what services you offer. Split your list in two -- services you DO offer and services you DON'T offer. Keep this list handy; you'll find as time goes on, this list will narrow down to what you really love doing and everything else. This first step will help you define your specialty.

Determine who do you it for. You'll often hear people (especially coaches) say you "must" choose a target market, or niche, if you want to succeed in business. It's true that narrowly defining a target market IS important. But when you're starting off, you can't know who you like doing business with until you've had a few contracts. Start the process by listing the types of people or companies you like to work with. Remember, you want to be more specific than saying something general like "stay at home moms," "small business owners," "lawyers" or "baby boomers." This second step will get you closer to identifying your target market.

Decide on your fee. Just because you're starting up a business doesn't mean you have to low-ball your fees. Base your decision on these 3 factors: (1) What is your competition charging? (2) How much are your potential clients willing to pay? and (3) Can you have financial freedom asking for this fee? Your decision may be mostly based on intuition or experience. Remember to ask for what you think you're worth and don't accept anything less.

Get business cards. And I don't mean cards printed on your friend's "really good printer." These days, you can get professionally printed business cards for cheap. Don't worry if you haven't yet chosen a company name; just use your name to start with. Once you've decided on a company name, a logo and have started getting clients, you can order more cards.

Design your 30-second intro. You must be able to answer the "So, what do you do?" question in 30 seconds or less. Remember, your audience is tuned in to the WIIFM channel ("What's in it for me?"). If something in your pitch doesn't pass the "so what?" test, it's best to leave it out (like "Hello, my name is Cristina Favreau and I'm a Certified Coach." Really! Who cares?). Make it compelling. Talk about the benefits of doing business with you. Identify what makes you different from your competition. Get help to brainstorming ideas. Practice it, until it comes naturally to you.

Network. Once you've complete these 5 steps, you need to get out there and start networking. It'll be difficult and scary at first, especially if your pipeline is empty, but the more you do it, the easier it gets and the more your pipeline fills up with contacts. Great places to start are local chambers and business networking groups. You may also want to join a few online groups where the people you identified in step 2 hang out.

Market your business each day. Marketing is telling people what you do over and over again. You have a limited budget, so stick to inexpensive strategies: give a referral, give away a free report, write a newsletter and blog, offer a free introductory session, give a presentation at your local networking venue or anything else you can think of that will get people to start seeing you as an expert in your field, even if you're just starting off.

The trick to these 7 steps is to keep it simple. Just because you have limited cash flow doesn't mean you can't be successful. Your strategies at the beginning should be to get your name out there and to get clients.

Obviously, these 7 steps are not the end-all-be-all of starting a business. There's still more to do. But going through these steps will give you a solid foundation to build on. In a following article, I'll share with you the next steps to take, once you have these ones in place.



Cristina Favreau is Mom to 2 kids under 2 years old. As a Certified Coach and Get Clients Now! Licensed Facilitator, she helps service professionals make marketing & self-promotion easy to understand & implement, starting at your level. Within 3 hours, she’ll help you identify where you’re stuck in the marketing process & come up with an action plan of immediate strategies to gain momentum. Visit http://www.cristinafavreau.com or http://blog.cristinafavreau.com

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Tips on Winning a Virtual Assistant Position AND Keeping It

by Lori Redfield

A Virtual Assistant (VA) is much like a traditional Administrative Assistant in many ways. VA's handle correspondence, scheduling, customer support, website updates, writing and design projects, data entry - pretty much anything you can think of that an online company would require for their day-to-day operations.

Many parents who want to stay home with their children have opened their own VA Service. It is a perfect career choice for mothers of young children, or people who must take care of older relatives. You work out of your home office as an independent contractor. Often times the schedule can be quite flexible.

This is an ideal position for women who plan to return to the workforce when their children are older. It will enhance your resume' and inevitably you improve your old skills and acquire new ones.

Basic skills and equipment you will likely need include the following:

- Microsoft Office - Excel, Access, Outlook, and Word
- HTML skills with either Macromedia Dreamweaver or Microsoft FrontPage
- Instant Messaging software - ICQ, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger
- Cable Modem or DSL - Dial up is far to slow for the pace most online entrepreneurs are accustomed to working at.

The above aren't always necessary - but acquiring each and learning to use them will only increase your desirability and worth.

There are many places to start looking for a Virtual Assistant position:

- One of the easiest places to land your first clients is through an ad placed in your own local classifieds. It seems unlikely - but trust me, there is far less competition for local clients then for jobs being bid on through Internet Job sites.
- Freelance Job Sites such as elance, smarterwork.com, findafreelancer etc. There is an extensive list of these types of resources here: www.freelancemom.com/gigs.htm
- Via Freelance, Home Business, or WAHM forums. Virtual Assistants with an established client base often times search for reliable 'Over-flow Partners'. Forums are an excellent place to network and seek out these types of opportunities.
- Building your own website. Unless you do some very good website promotion, it isn't likely you will actually gain clients through a website that you build to promote your service. HOWEVER, you really should have a website. Just as business cards are an expected and valuable piece of your traditional business, websites are like an online business card/resume. You should list your rates, your skills, your availability and your portfolio. A well thought out website will give you the edge when bidding on a position.

When you are applying or bidding on a freelance position, you must come across as a professional. There is something about the online medium that invites a casual correspondence style. You will do well to avoid this temptation. Save similes, abbreviated internet slang (LOL, IMO etcetera) for later on in your relationship with your client.

Your client needs to trust that you are going to help him/her run their business with professionalism. Your first impression must come across as professional as a traditional cover letter for employment. Be confident and clear in your interactions with them. Ask intelligent questions and be very honest about the time that you have available in your schedule.

I strongly advise all aspiring Virtual Assistants to do an honest assessment of what their career objectives are before they begin seeking out work. It is easy, and common to over extend yourself. If your main goal is to earn a part-time living specifically so that you can put raising your children ahead of your career. then be very clear about that when you begin to take on new work assignments.

Start off slow and add clients or responsibilities for clients gradually. Being too eager to succeed can quickly be your worst downfall. The quickest way to lose a good client is by under-delivering. Make realistic promises. You will gain their respect and their trust. And you will find that as their business grows, they will be more then willing to work around your schedule and needs in order to keep you as a valued contractor.



Lori Redfield is a Freelancer and Internet Entrepreneur. Visit her website, FreelanceMom.com for more information and work from home jobs.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

So You Want to be a Virtual Assistant?

by Lori Redfield

More and more women today are opting to stay at home to nurture their children. But this is nearly always a financially stressful decision for a family to make. Our economic situation often times demands two incomes - and even so, many couples continue to find themselves sinking further and further into financial debt.

The benefits of being at home for our children are obvious. But how can we achieve it and still contribute substantially to the financial end of things? Furthermore, there are more expressions of ourselves than mother and wife - and many of us yearn to continue building viable skills that keep us 'marketable' and also enable us to make contributions to society. How can we do it all? That is the puzzling question that more and more women are successfully being able to answer.

The advent of the World Wide Web has had a significant impact on a women's ability to work from home. There are an ever-increasing number of Internet based companies who think in a completely contemporary way. These companies are seeking to employ "Free Agents", independent contractors - otherwise known as "Virtual Assistants".

Why is a Virtual Assistant a good idea? It saves a company money. The company is not obligated with the typical overhead costs that an "employee" usually represents. There is no office building, no benefits - health, vacation, 401k or otherwise. The Virtual Assistant is self-employed, pays their own taxes, does their own invoicing and provides their services from their own office.

A Virtual Assistant provides any number of solutions to the Internet based company. There is the roll of virtual support that many companies are implementing now which allows a more personal relationship with the customer that had been lacking in Internet stores and service sites. What this is is a "Live Chat" service where the customer can request a chat and a customer service representative on duty can respond and chat real time - answering questions about products or services instantly. This is still a new concept, but it is quickly becoming the norm and there is a definite need for people who can competently provide this service and represent companies in a professional way.

Other solutions for customer support that a Virtual Assistant may offer are email and phone support for both Internet based and more traditional brick-and-mortar companies.

Oftentimes VA's are offering editing and proofreading services as well as 'beta testing' new websites or portions of websites before they are launched to the public. The beta testing mainly consists of clicking all of the links on each page of the clients site, taking copious notes of anything that is not functioning properly including testing forms, surveys or other interactive elements on the site. You would note weather or not you received a confirmation email after signing up for their newsletter - if you encountered any error pages, had suggestions for improvements, etc.

Any webmaster or website owner will tell you that a fresh pair of eyes is a tremendously valuable resource that they are willing to pay for.

Other Virtual Assistant roles might be HTML editing, updating website data, hand submitting websites to search engines, researching competitor sites for website owners. or more traditional secretarial functions like basic accounting, data entry, or mailing list maintenance. The possibilities truly are limitless.

More and more women are finding fulfilling roles as Virtual Assistants, many with more work than they can handle. Our aim is to help women obtain the necessary skills they need to become successful Virtual Assistants, teach them how to market themselves, and help to dig up current position openings.

Interested in more information? Why not join the FreelanceMom.com newsletter?



Lori Redfield is a Freelancer and Internet Entrepreneur. Visit her website, FreelanceMom.com for more information and work from home jobs.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

The Virtual Assistant

by Lori Redfield

As a small business owner, outsourcing work to Virtual Assistants is fast becoming a popular and intelligent decision. The business owner saves enormous amounts of money by cutting the costs of offices and equipment overhead as well as expensive benefits packages.

The 'Virtual Office' creates an enormous amount of personal freedom and independence for both the small business owner and the virtual workers. The dedication and commitment that virtual workers demonstrate testifies to the satisfaction derived from a home office setting.

Being on the cutting edge of this profession offers tremendous opportunity for technical savvy entrepreneurs to secure a viable and stable home business opportunity. A good business plan and well thought out marketing campaigns are crucial to the organized success of a Virtual Assistant in both securing enough clients and/or work to meet their budget goal as well as adequately being able to balance clients and deadlines.

Virtual Assistants actually would be well advised to embrace a business partner or utilize a team of trusted colleagues to entrust overflow work to. The standards of a good Virtual Assistant aren't easily met and establishing a virtual network of quality workers isn't an easy task. Any overflow work that you outsource must exemplify the same care and quality as your own or you stand the chance of alienating your clients.

As the owner of a home business resource specifically geared toward professional mothers seeking home based work, I am often approached for advice on how to become a Virtual Assistant and also receive many inquiries about what skills are required to be successful in the field.

To gain and retain clients, my main advice is to maintain your professionalism in all of your interactions with your client. As much as it is a leap for you to give up the 'security' of working in a corporate office, it is also a very new concept for business owners to outsource their work to a team of 'Virtual Workers' who they may likely never even see face-to-face. There is a great level of trust employed in this relationship and your professionalism in correspondence and phone calls will go a long way in securing their trust.

Furthermore, I advise you to pay great attention to your accuracy and final product that you submit to your clients. Meet all of your deadlines, and know at least two days ahead of time if you are not going to be able to meet them. Communicate that to your client before the project is late and keep in communication on a daily basis from the beginning to the end of all projects with brief status reports.

Make yourself easily accessible through email, telephone and instant messenger. You should have access to whatever instant messenger service your client prefers. The most popular are ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo. Be certain to set your instant messengers to save your history so that you can easily refer back to client request or comments without having to solicit the client to repeat what they already have said.

A rule of thumb is to remain in communication with the client, but don't waste their time. The client should end their work day each day with a sense of real gratitude of the skills, organization and trustworthiness you bring to the table. They should know that you are available to converse with at almost any time but you do not bother them unless it is absolutely necessary.

In the end the presence of a Virtual Assistant should prove to make the company more money because the owner and other business team members can focus on income producing areas of business that they otherwise wouldn't have as much time to do.

The most common and I would say necessary tools for the job are the most current version of Microsoft Office. You should have and be comfortable using Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Access. You should have either Macromedia Dreamweaver or Microsoft Frontpage and know the basics of HTML and ftp'ing files to and from servers.

So much of a Virtual Assistant's work is based online that it really is crucial to have DSL or Cable internet access. You also want to have a good computer that you can rely on.

There is so little expense in running a virtual office that I don't believe it is wise to cut corners with your computer, software and other office equipment. Having the latest technology on hand and continuing to acquire and master new skills will increase your desirability and worth in the eyes of your clients. It will also demonstrate your commitment to your career.

When a client begins to trust you with important responsibilities and invests the time in training and familiarizing you with the procedures of their particular business, they need to be able to depend on you and to know that you are committed to your work.

In short, with administrative skills and above average technical savvy, coupled with an organized and professional approach - a career as a Virtual Assistant is definitely a viable and rewarding option.



Lori Redfield is a Freelancer and Internet Entrepreneur. Visit her website, FreelanceMom.com for more information and work from home jobs.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

How to Get a Virtual Assistant Business Off the Ground

by Lori Redfield

The revolution of how businesses operate is an enormous boon to Virtual Assistants. With more businesses moving into an internet based atmosphere, the opportunity for growth as a Virtual Assistant (VA) is exceptional.

Virtual Assistants are modern day Administrative Assistants. Most often a good VA has the skill sets of a traditional administrative assistant with the added benefit of being technically web savvy and often possessing website and graphic design skills, HTML know how and an understanding of search engine optimization and Internet marketing.

However, there are many levels to what type of work you could choose to target as a Virtual Assistant. Many Virtual Assistants provide virtual customer support for clients while others focus entirely on data entry work. The options are diverse and plentiful.

So Where to Begin?

Many up and coming VA's get their first assignments from established Virtual Assistant businesses. So networking with other VA's can be an essential method of getting a shoe in this business. The obvious place to begin networking is on forums. Do a Google search on 'virtual assistant forum' and you will have a good starting point.

When you are networking on forums, try to be an active participant on the forum. Ask intelligent questions. Share your understanding on different topics and comment on what other members have said. The biggest mistake for many women trying to network or promote their businesses on forums is to give one-liner answers that aren't thoughtful. I am far more likely to outsource work to a candidate when I see that they are serious about beginning their business, it isn't just a whim. And that they are willing to ask questions and hone their skills.

Build a Website

You really should have a website up for your business. Without one, your chances to succeed are seriously going to be hindered. There are several viable options for getting your website started. You can purchase a template, use a site builder, hire a designer or build one yourself.

Building a website yourself can seem daunting, but it is likely a skill you will need to develop in the Virtual Assistant industry and this will give you some hands on experience. I highly recommend building your own site.

Once you have your website you can begin promoting it on your signature in emails and on forums. You can advertise your services locally and provide your customer with a website address to learn more about your services. The opportunities for acquiring clients and networking with other VA's expands tremendously once you have a professional website presence.

Find Work Online

There are quite a few places now online where you can connect with prospective clients and bid on jobs that they have. By far the best place to do this is www.elance.com. Elance has an excellent reputation and an excellent advertising budget. They draw thousands of jobs there all the time. There is a fee, but it is well worth the investment.

Other sources for finding work are: www.craigslist.com, www.sologig.com, www.homejobstop.com, www.guru.com, and getafreelancer.com. There are really quite a few websites now that focus on bringing clients and service providers together.

Do a Good Job

When you do land your first gig, do it well. Aim to astound your client. Be ahead of schedule, respond to their inquiries, and send them daily updates. Oftentimes first assignments are your best opportunity for receiving more work. When a business reaches the point of outsourcing, they are doing well. It is very likely that pleasing the client with your first assignment can lead to ongoing work and/or glowing recommendations to their colleagues to use your services.

Starting a Virtual Assistant business is an innovative, legitimate way to utilize skills that you have. It is quickly becoming a popular home business and there is tremendous room in the industry for growth. It can take some time to sign on your first clients, but before you know it you will have a full work load and a surprisingly abundant business doing what you love!



Lori Redfield is the founder of http://www.FreelanceMom.com. Her website provides support, advice and job leads for women who wish to work from home.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Volunteer for Virtual Success

by Denise Willms

Think you might enjoy being a virtual assistant, but can't afford to leave your current job to find out? Maybe you want to know if you have the right skills to be a successful VA. Or, perhaps you're a new VA wondering where to find those all-important references and testimonials. If you want to test the virtual waters and lay the groundwork for your VA business with minimal risk, volunteering may be your answer.

As a professional, a virtual assistant shouldn't offer free services to anyone to let them "try you out." But volunteering for an organization or cause that is meaningful to you is a different matter altogether. Many virtual assistants who volunteer early in their careers find it so rewarding that they continue volunteering long after their VA practices are established. After Hurricane Katrina, at least one VA volunteered her time to help hurricane victims contact their family members. Many successful VAs regularly donate time to their favorite charities, churches, and other organizations.

You won’t be mailing out invoices, but the rewards you’ll receive as a volunteer may be more valuable and longer lasting than a cheque for your services. Besides the satisfaction you’ll get from helping others, here are some of the rewards you can expect when you volunteer as a virtual assistant:

1. Perfect your presentation Being able to sell yourself and your abilities is an essential quality of a successful VA. Many entrepreneurs fail to get their new businesses off the ground due to a lack of confidence and preparation when presenting their ideas. Volunteering as a virtual assistant can give you an opportunity to practice your presentation in a business setting with minimal risk: if the presentation doesn’t go well, you haven’t lost a potential contract. Once you’ve chosen the organization you want to help, schedule a meeting (in person or on the phone) with the appropriate person to present your abilities and ideas. Feedback from this meeting can help you refine your presentation, and you'll be more confident and prepared the next time you present to a potential client.

2. Network with potential clients Everyone knows someone else. Many successful VAs have gained their best clients from connections they made early in their careers - people they once worked with who later referred a colleague or a friend. While you're volunteering, you're meeting people who know people, who know more people, who know…. you get the picture.

3. Learn new skills Completing real projects for a real organization can help show you if you have the right skills to succeed as a VA. Many nonprofit organizations have the same business needs as your future clients and this is your chance to take an up-close look at what those needs are. Want to learn something new? Most nonprofit organizations are open to letting their volunteers try something they haven't done before, or that they're still learning. Just let your organization know about your lack of experience beforehand so they're not disappointed if you experience a setback.

4. References and testimonials These can serve you well in establishing your credibility with potential clients. If you've done a consistently good job as a volunteer, you'll have ready-made references and testimonials when you open your VA business.

5. Confidence Confidence is a defining characteristic of an entrepreneur. How do you get it? By remembering your past successes. Knowing that you have worked successfully as a volunteer VA will give you added confidence when you meet with your future clients and when you experience setbacks and failures – as all entrepreneurs do.

Ready to experience all the rewards of being a volunteer VA? Just call your favorite nonprofit organization and get started! If you need ideas for places you can volunteer, type “virtual volunteer” into your favorite search engine to find links to virtual volunteer opportunities.



Denise Willms,a homeschooling mother of two, helps work-at-home-moms get targeted traffic to their websites through copywriting, article writing, and press releases. Subscribe to her newsletter, WAHM-Articles Ezine, and receive 105 Power Tips to Get Your Online Business Noticed and Profiting.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

The Benefits to Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses to Outsource to a Virtual Office or Assistant

by Melissa Vokoun

Today more entrepreneurs, small businesses, and home-office professionals need the support of highly-trained personnel to efficiently handle administrative, marketing, clerical, concierge, and financial tasks.

The majority of corporate employee cutbacks directly affect the ability to accomplish these critical assignments without draining time resources from mission-critical professionals.

The emergence of the Virtual Assistant – Virtual Office support professional can fill that gap. The Virtual Assistant takes the role of office temp and elevates it to the status of entrepreneur. Because the Virtual Assistant is self-employed, bills the client only the hours worked or assignment completed, and is dependent on steady workflow from existing clients and referrals, this is the perfect solution for the busy professional.

The Virtual Office Ensemble – Virtual Assistant offers several advantages over a paid employee. When you hire a virtual assistant, you get all the benefits of outsourcing – no burden with employee taxes, insurance, retirement plans, vacations, or sick pay. This savings in financial resources is coupled with the loyalty and steadiness of a company employee because your trust and work is vital to the success of their company.

Hiring office temps often does not work out for several reasons. They are a transient solution and are very expensive with the associated fees of the hiring agency which they are employed through. A temp can be more costly than their worth with the cost of training and supervision added into the equation. Also, most temps are looking for full-time employment and even if you find a person who seems to exactly fit your needs, they are not always available when YOU need their services or they have been hired full-time elsewhere!

Paid employees or temps come with a host of related expenses. You must provide a desk, computer, phone and necessary facilities. Most agencies WILL NOT allow temps to work in your home due to insurance restrictions. A Virtual Assistant – an entrepreneur – not only has a virtual office with computer, phone, printer, fax, and client-specific essentials, but is more than willing to meet and work with you in home-office or small-office environments.

Industry estimates the cost of most support employees is nearly triple their annual salary when all factors are considered.

Statistics provided by the United States Bureau of Labor determined the “true cost” for an experienced in-house administrative employee is currently $45.54 per hour.

This does NOT include the expenses related to office space and equipment required for them to perform their job.

On average, the Virtual Assistant industry estimates the starting rate for a Virtual Assistant is $40.00 per hour. This professional entrepreneur is responsible for taxes, benefits, space and equipment.

5-hours of in-house administrative labor will cost a company $212.70 versus $175.00 for retaining an Independent Virtual Assistant for the same time period.

A reputable Virtual Office or Assistant has the expertise and tenure to handle administrative, marketing, basic financial and concierge support services.



Melissa Vokoun has dedicated her career to helping provide necessary infrastructure for entrepreneurs and small businesses for over 25 years. Her firm provides necessary expertise through establishing partnerships with talented professionals. NuVo Partners offers Business Start-Up, Marketing, Operational, Financial, and Administrative support. For more information, visit the website at: http://www.nuvo-partners.com or call 847-392-6886.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

A Virtual Assistant Needs a Website that is a Client Magnet!

by Angela Wills

One of the most essential and first tools you should consider getting when beginning you Virtual Assistant business is a website. Your website is your virtual 'home’, and should be an important part of your marketing plan. Your potential clients will want to know as much about you as they can find out before speaking to you in person.

While it's true a large amount of your client base will come from referrals, you can be sure they'll ask for a website address when considering margin contact.

As you design your site (or have someone design it for you), put yourself into the position of a potential client. What would someone want to know about you, your business and your services? Make sure you provide full contact information that’s easy to find - you'd be amazed how many people build a great site but leave no way to be contacted.

Your website will need a few key components that potential clients will be on the lookout for:

Contact Info:
As mentioned previously this should be easy to find so when people want to hire your services, they can!

Services:
Virtual Assistants provide a wide range of services so when people come to your website they will want to know what services you can provide. Have a clear, detailed list of what you are proficient at and explain the details if not obvious.

Rates:
This is a personal preference. Many VAs post there rates wile many others do not. Of course this may be a benefit for when someone is price shopping, but if you prefer to charge on a project-by-project basis (as I do) this may not work for you.

Portfolio:
If you do any web design or graphics work a portfolio is a must. People want to see examples of your work before paying you to do something for them. If you do things like sales letters and ghostwriting , having a portfolio of completed work is also a very good idea.

About You :
Your clients are not only buying your services, they are buying into a relationship with YOU. Let them know who you are and why you can be trusted to hold a portion of their business in your hands.

Policies and Privacy:
With all the privacy and internet safety issue out there you want to assure your visitors that their information is safe with you and always will be. Spell out your policies on collecting email addresses, collecting payments, work confidentiality, etc.

Testimonials:
Ok, so you've got up a great website with everything mentioned previously. Does that mean your visitors will trust you? Probably not. You see, they have no way of knowing what quality your work is or even if you're a real professional running an actual business. Testimonials help to prove your credibility by showing that you have satisfied clients who are happy to sing your praises.

Now that you've learned some of the essential elements of a Virtual Assistant's website, go back and have a look at your website (if you have one) and see if you are missing anything. If you don't have a website yet then print this article out and use it as a checklist while your site is being developed to make sure you have used every advantage to create a site that sells your services!



Get advice, ideas and inspiration on working from home and outsourcing at http://www.angelawills.com.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

A Virtual Assistant Proposal That Wins the Contract Every Time

by Denise Willms

In a Virtual Assistant business, one of the most time-consuming and unrewarding tasks is writing business proposals in response to RFPs.

Have you experienced this? You find an RFP posted in your favorite VA forum or association website. You quickly research the business and determine that this is indeed your ideal client. You have just the skills the person is looking for, and you know that you’re a perfect fit for the contract.

You put together a beautiful proposal that describes your business, how you can help this person, and why your Virtual Assistant business is the best one for this contract. By the time you're done, you've got one impressive proposal and, better yet, everything you wrote is true.

You click "Send" and wait for the phone call or the email that tells you you've got the contract, or, at the very least, asks for more information.

It never comes.

What went wrong?

Probably nothing. In fact, there's a good chance you did everything right. The problem is that responding to RFPs is simply not the best way to get clients for your Virtual Assistant business.

Even though your business and your proposal may have everything a potential client is looking for, there are just too many variables that affect the client's ultimate decision. Perhaps she was ready to accept the first proposal that came in, and yours was the third or fourth. Maybe she saw a familiar name in the proposals she received and decided to go with someone she had heard of before. It could be that the project suddenly fell through.

That only proposal guaranteed to win you that next contract is no proposal at all.

How does that work? Become the expert in your field for and potential clients will be coming to you instead of you having to hunt for them.

So, how do you become known as the expert?

Find the forums your target market frequents and let the members get to know you. Write articles about your field of expertise and get them published where your target market will read them. Create podcasts, tele-seminars and free classes for your target market and show them that, when it comes to contracting a Virtual Assistant for their business, there really is no other choice but you.

If this sounds like hard work, that's because it is. Building relationships and achieving expert status is definitely hard work, but it's much more rewarding than simply responding to RFPs and crossing your fingers and toes that someone will finally call.



Denise Willms,a homeschooling mother of two, helps work-at-home-moms get targeted traffic to their websites through copywriting, article writing, and press releases. Subscribe to her newsletter, WAHM-Articles Ezine, and receive 105 Power Tips to Get Your Online Business Noticed and Profiting.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com