Considering a career as a Virtual Assistant?

Posted: Jun 28, 2009 | Comments: 0 | Views: 63 | Bookmark and Share

The recent market conditions and massive lay-off's  has caused many of my friends to reconsider their career paths.  Recently several of my friends asked me about my business as a virtual assistant.  I told them that a Virtual Assistant is someone who offers his or her expertise to a specific target audience on an hourly basis or a monthly retainer fee.  A Virtual Assistant is administrative at it's foundation, but a person can specialize in event planning, website design, content/copy writing, internet marketing and advertising, or as an Online Business Manager. A Virtual Assistant is a business owner and not an employee or contractor.

When a client decides to purchase my services, they do not have to worry about purchasing new equipment ( laptop, printer, etc.); pay my taxes nor provide me health benefits.  This is strictly a professional relationship, hopefully a long lasting, collabortive one.

They expressed a tremendeous amount of anxiety about quitting their jobs, and felt alittle uneasy about the process.  My recommendation for anyone is to KEEP your day job, but to leverage your time and finances to get your ducks lined up in a row:

  1. Assess your current skills
  2. Take a Myers Briggs Test and understand your working style
  3. Review your resume and write down the common theme - which will tell you what you love to do (and don't like to do)
  4. Write down the type of work you enjoy - tailor it towards a particular type of client: this can be a coach, speaker, event planner; online business (retail) owner, real estate, legal, marketing, public relations or advertising
  5. Get plugged in with at least 1-3 virtual assistant sites such as: IVAA.org or VACOC.com.  These sites offer resources and list seasoned and professional VA's who are very helpful and insightful
  6. You still need to get some kind of training because it will also help your "mind-set" when you transition to working for yourself as a VA:  Virtual Assistant training through AssistU, EA to VA by Sydni Craig-Hart, or JERPAT Training by Patty Benton
  7. I highly advise training in internet marketing, social media marketing and ecommerce - even if you don't want to offer these services to your clients, you will want to apply some of these tools to your own business
  8. Once you get through at least 6 months of training and certification courses then you will want to hire someone to build and design your website offering your services, get listed in every Virtual Assistant organizations, Yahoo, Google, and MSN, and other directories

I highly recommend that you hire a Virtual Assistant who specializes in website build and design who can whip out a tasteful, classy website that will reflect your personality, professionalism and attract the right type of clients. Their prices are affordable and because they've "been there and done that", would be able to provide you excellent advice about your site.

If you would like to learn more, please feel free to email me at ana@cyberqueen.net and I will be happy to help spare you time and resources and point you in the right direction!

(ArticlesBase SC #998335)

Rate this Article
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 0 vote(s)
    Feedback
    RSS
    Print
    Email
    Re-Publish

    Source:  http://www.articlesbase.com/business-opportunities-articles/considering-a-career-as-a-virtual-assistant-998335.html

    Article Tags:

    virtual assistant

    ,

    What is a Virtual Assistant?

    Small Business Solutions - The International Virtual Assistant Federation

    Learn about The International Virtual Assistant Federation that offers Quality service from accredited Virtual Assistants. (03:59)

    Learn about Virtual Assistant Industry

    Learn about the benefits of hiring a Virtual Assistant, And how to work With Them. (05:12)

    Learn about Hiring a Virtual Assistant

    Learn how to choose and work with a virtual assistant. (07:26)

    Small Business Solutions - Virtual Assistants

    Learn About "The 24 Hour Secretary", an administrative, secretarial and Internet-based marketing company supporting busy and often overwhelmed executives, entrepreneurs, speakers and authors, virtually. (07:35)

    Small Business Solutions - Virtual Author Assistants for Writers

    Learn how to use a virtual assistant, especially targeted at writers. (07:10)

    Is paperwork preventing you from developing your business? Are you wishing that you had a little more time to spend on performing the things that got you stimulated at the first place? Constructing a business can turn into a very tiring treadmill if you are careless.

    By: On Demand Virtual Assistant l Internet > ECommerce l Mar 28, 2008 l Views: 333
    Stella Ferrero

    Virtual assistant is the creative idea of providing practical solutions to business houses as well as individual professionals, by outsourcing the facility. This assistance is commonly offered on hourly wage and most importantly, you do not need to bother about issues which are essential for an office-office based personal assistant.

    By: Stella Ferrero l Business > Outsourcing l Nov 09, 2009 l Views: 39

    One of the more common aspects of the virtual office is that you will get a virtual office service that is called the virtual office assistant, and these are the for hire people that are attached to your account and help you to manage all the ins and outs of...

    By: Alvin Jay l Business l Oct 29, 2009 l Views: 14
    Maneet Puri

    As the global economy melts, business enterprises are looking towards the internet for more effective and cost competitive solutions for their business. In the present times, virtual assistance is a highly sought after service on the web.

    By: Maneet Puri l Business > Customer Service l Jul 30, 2009 l Views: 56

    A Home-based-business is Something That Many Individuals Hope to Pursue. While There are a Variety of Home-based-businesses That You Can Launch; One of the Most In-demand Professions is a Virtual Assistant Business.

    By: Michelle Colvin l Business > Home Business l Mar 17, 2009 l Views: 27
    Virtual Assistant

    To simplify business activities and processes, virtual Assistant Outsourcing Services in India provide wide range of Virtual Services like Virtual Assistants, Virtual Receptionist, Hire Personal Assistant, Office Administration, and Live Receptionist And many more to in your office at your finger.

    By: Virtual Assistant l Business l Oct 23, 2009 l Views: 46
    Virtual Assistant

    To simplify business activities and processes, virtual Assistant Outsourcing Services in India provide wide range of Virtual Services like Virtual Assistants, Virtual Secretarial Service, Virtual Receptionist, Hire Personal Assistant, Office Administration, and Live Receptionist And many more to in your office at your finger.

    By: Virtual Assistant l Business l Sep 21, 2009 l Views: 10
    Virtual Assistant

    To simplify business activities and processes, virtual Assistant Outsourcing Services in India provide wide range of Virtual Services like Virtual Assistants, Virtual Secretarial Service, Virtual Receptionist, Hire Personal Assistant, Office Administration, and Live Receptionist And many more to in your office at your finger.

    By: Virtual Assistant l Business l Oct 12, 2009 l Views: 11
    Bharat Book Bureau

    Bharatbook added a new report on "Legal Services Market in India 2010" covering a dynamic sector. This report gives Market size, primary regulation and types of legal services in India.

    By: Bharat Book Bureau l Business > Business Opportunities l Feb 10, 2010

    Today, there are many data entry jobs from home that you can do which are manageable and don’t need too many requirements. As long as you can organize yourself, you can avail of jobs to update Twitter profiles, encoding, and writing blogs and articles that will get you a regular income.

    By: Alan Lim l Business > Business Opportunities l Feb 09, 2010

    Want to earn extra income free? Look know further than the computer you are on right now. If you are not making money online like millions of other people, what is holding you back? Making money online is easy, fun, and can be very rewarding. After only two years working online I now earn money from multiple sources on complete autopilot. Here are some simple ways that you can start free to develop powerful income streams on the net.

    By: Ben Frank Jr. l Business > Business Opportunities l Feb 09, 2010 l Views: 4

    Are you afraid of trying to make money online because you do not want to get scammed by some unreliable opportunity? It's true, many people get scammed out of valuable money and time when trying to earn online. There is only a 5% success rate amongst new internet entrepreneurs odds that are not in your favor. One of the main causes of failure is choosing an earn income online scam.

    By: Ben Frank Jr. l Business > Business Opportunities l Feb 09, 2010 l Views: 1

    If yes then you can earn $320 Dollars after completing your work. Enjoy your holidays. Get free gifts, vouchers and many more bonuses. Join us and give your hand and let’s make money and enjoy your life. We are not saying that we’ll give you a thousands of Dollars but we are giving guaranteed income $320. Let’s make this world to earn at least $320. For detail visit http://tinyurl.com/yzp82ua

    By: Ammar Aslam l Business > Business Opportunities l Feb 09, 2010 l Views: 2

    Affiliate business is a form of business that pays you a commission when you make a sale on behalf of the parent company. As an affiliate, your income potential is unlimited. Affiliate business represents the fastest means of doing business and making money without incuring the startup costs of starting a business on your own. Many affiliates however do not wait long enough to start seeing the business succeed before giving up. That is why only 5% of all affiliates in any affiliate business

    By: emmanuel omoyefa l Business > Business Opportunities l Feb 09, 2010 l Views: 1

    Investing can be a very profitable venture if you have the right knowledge about it

    By: andre l Business > Business Opportunities l Feb 09, 2010 l Views: 3

    There are tons of moneymaking/business ventures to choose from. All you need is an open mind to spot and grab moneymaking opportunities around you.

    By: andre l Business > Business Opportunities l Feb 09, 2010 l Views: 7
    Ana Lucia Novak

    Defines what a virtual assistant is, steps to transitioning from corporate to working as a virtual assistant.

    By: Ana Lucia Novak l Business > Business Opportunities l Jun 28, 2009 l Views: 63

    Add new Comment

     
    * Required fields
    Author Box
    Articles Categories
    All Categories
    0