Business Opportunities - 8-Point Checklist When Starting Your Own Virtual Assistant Venture

Virtual Assistance is a profession which is fast growing and becoming extremely popular. Virtual Assistants are individuals who work from the comfort of their own homes to provide valued services using technology to clients globally. As women try to juggle their work and family life, more and more prefer to stay at home and work as a virtual assistant.


Are you interested in starting your own home based virtual assistant venture? Then follow this simple checklist.


1. Evaluate Yourself


Before jumping into starting your own virtual assistant business you should first evaluate yourself and see whether this is the right career path for you. Possessing great administrative skills, communicative skills and being computer literate is a must in this profession. In addition if you are a self motivated person who loves to learn new things, enjoy working with dynamic people and dream of having your own business this is the correct path for you.


2. Decide on the Service You Want to Offer


The nature of work that you provide to your clients will depend on your area of expertise. You should decide which service you want to offer by analyzing your background and the experience that you have already acquired. Depending on the above it could be billing and book keeping, meeting and travel planning, market research, business writing, desktop publishing, website creation, etc.


3. Determine Your Commitment to Your Business


You should decide how much time and energy you have to commit to your business. Whether you want to become a full time virtual assistant or a part time virtual assistant? The advantage of being a virtual assistant is that you get to set your own working hours. You can work “on call” or you can setup a work schedule with the client according to the time convenient for you.


4. Verify the Equipment & Software


Now that you have decided which service you would be offering to your clients, you should examine and see whether you have the correct equipment and software to provide it. Also since most of the communication and data delivery between you and your client would be done through the computer, you should ensure that you posses the required connectivity and software. For example email, instant messaging, etc.


5. Identifying Your Clients


You should identify which type of clients may need your service and where they are located and how you can have access to them.




6. Making a Business Plan


It is essential that you create a business plan for your venture. In this you should include information such as the business history, summary of the business, management information, designing & production plan, financial plan, etc. As your business grows and expands you can refer to it to manage your growth and change.



7. Creating a Marketing Strategy


A very important aspect to your venture is your marketing strategy. Now that you have decided on your services you need to spread the word about your venture. You should decide on a marketing strategy which suits you and your budget and start working on it.

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8. Fees and Pricing


You should have a competitive fee/price for the service you offer. When you are starting off it is always better to do some research and find out what the competitive rates are in the market. Always remember never to overprice or to sell yourself short.



Starting up a home based virtual assistant business would not involve a high cost. By following the above guidelines, you can build up a very successful virtual assistant practice.



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Business Opportunities - 10 Reasons Why You Should Become A Virtual Assistant This Year

First of all, what is a virtual assistant (VA)?

I like to explain it as a word processor gone wild. A VA is someone who works with clients, providing them with top quality support services without having to be physically present at a clients office. VA services are becoming more and more popular thanks to today’s technology such as email, the Internet, online instant messaging, fax, phone, and overnight delivery.

Gone are the days of offices needing their support staff in the same building.

If you have a secretarial background or other support staff expertise and a love for computers and all the technology it offers, then here are ten very good reasons why you should start your own VA business this year.

1. Make An Income You Can Live On

It was reported by virtual assistant trade organizations that the average full-time VA working in the US would gross about $39,452 annually. Now that isn’t a bad income!

That is the type of money you can live on, even if you are a single mom.

2. The Need For VA’s Is Only Going To Get Greater

According to the George Washington University forecast of emerging technology, Virtual Assisting will become a $130 Billion Industry by 2008. Thanks to our growing technology, and the fact that it’s easier to just source out work to a VA due to the fact that a business doesn’t have to pay for any benefits when they out-source, this type of service will only get bigger and more in demand.

3. Are you feeling unfulfilled, unchallenged, and unmotivated? Is your current corporate job beginning to feel like a real drag?

Are you dreading getting dressed up, driving your commute to work, and working with a boss who is ungrateful and unappreciative? Do you love some parts of your job and despise other parts and wish you could do the parts you love more? Then becoming a VA might be something you need to look into.

4. Want to continue your professional working life without having to leave home?

Want the flexibility to work from home and have a better balance between work and life?

Maybe you’re thinking of having kids, or have had your first baby. You so want to continue your career, but you also want to spend more time with your children. Take a good hard look at the world of a VA. This type of home business will continue to give you the satisfaction of a career, while also offering you the ability to be there for your kids doctor appointments, their first step, school field trips, and running them around to after school events.

5. Gain the ability to work with people you want to work with.

Do you tend to click with certain types of people more than others? With a VA business, you can decide who you want your clients to be. Authors, salespeople, consultants, coaches, executives, entrepreneurs, and small business owners are just a few of the types of people you could work with.

6. The ability to do more than just one thing.

Looking for a little variety in your business? Don’t want to get stuck doing the same thing over and over again? Here is a list of just some of the things you can do as a VA.

• Administration


• Writing services (technical or creative)


• Business/employee communications


• Proofreading and editing, research (online or traditional)


• Word-processing


• Spreadsheets


• Data entry


• Database management


• Message management


• Scheduling


• Bill paying


• Simple website design


• Newsletter distribution


• Bulk mailing


• Reminder services


• Event planning


• Special projects


• Concierge services


• Secretarial services


• Research


• Data processing/data management


• Desktop publishing


• Transcription services


• Mail and email services


• Telephone/fax services


• Internet services


• Bookkeeping


• Purchasing services


• Writing/editing services


• Marketing services


• Personal services


• Santa letters


• Proposal Writer

7. The ability to Niche yourself.

Choose just a few of the ideas above and take it one step further. Niche yourself. You might already possess knowledge in a certain area. You can contact those businesses you are already familiar with and work with them. Maybe in the past you had worked as support staff for a marketing company. If marketing is your thing, you can let businesses know that you can not only be their VA and take care of all their typing and database applications, but that you can also use your expertise to help them market their business.

8. Use the equipment you already have.

If you’re reading this article, then there’s a good chance you already have a computer, a printer, and fax capabilities. Why not start putting that equipment to good use and make some money?

9. The choice between working full-time or part-time.

Maybe you don’t want to work full time, but you need to do something to call your own. That’s great! You’ll be your own boss; you can decide how much or how little you want to work.

10. Being able to say you love the way you make money.

If just the thought of working with your computer and current technology makes you giddy, why not make money doing something you love? Grab hold of the opportunity to make as much money as you’d like and the ability to work from your home. You have the opportunity to decide who you want to work with, the type of work you want to do or not do, and your niche area. If this sounds like the perfect opportunity for you visit *** to learn more about starting your own Virtual Assistant Business.

For More information on this business visit: Bizymoms.com

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Business Opportunities - How To Make Money With Your Own Virtual Assistant Business

By Liz Folger, Work-at-Home Mom Expert

So you want to start your own virtual assistant business. Great! I assume you want to start your own VA business not only to own your own business, but also to make money. More and more businesses are outsourcing and paying VA’s, and there is no reason why you can’t be one of them.

You’ve got your business name, all the office equipment you need, and you’ve got the determination to make your business a success. So now the big question is, how do you go about finding clients?

What Type of Services Will You Provide?

We all have certain areas where our talents and interests lie. You have so many choices as to what areas you want to special in. There’s a good chance you already have experience in some of the specialty areas.Maybe you don’t even realize all of the areas VA’s are working in.

Here’s just a small sampling of the services you could offer:

Administration

Writing services (technical or creative)

Proofreading and editing, research (online or traditional)

Scheduling

Bill paying

Simple website design

Newsletter distribution

Reminder services

Event planning

Concierge services

Research

Data processing/data management

Desktop publishing

Transcription services

Mail and email services

Telephone/fax services

Internet services

Bookkeeping

Purchasing services

Marketing services

Personal services

Once you know the types of services you are going to offer, it’s time to find you some clients.

What to Charge

It isn’t too hard to figure out what to charge. Start by contacting local support service businesses in your area. Ask them if they can send you a price list. Get several of these to learn what everyone else is charging. You don’t want to charge too much and you don’t want to under price yourself so you look like you don’t do great work. Find the happy medium and go with that amount. Prices are not set in stone.

If you have to change your prices down the road, so be it.

Get Some Business Cards

If you want to look professional, make sure you get your business cards right away. You never know when you might meet someone who needs the services you’re offering. When that time comes, all you need to do is pull out your card and hand it to them. Never be without your business cards!

Here are some great sites where you can get business cards from free to as low as $10 for 250 cards.

(Click on FREE business cards)

http:www.overnightprints.com

http://www.dcp-print.com/Products/Free_Business_Cards.asp?agent_camp=1300001

(Try them out for free)

Tell Your Circle of Friends and Family About Your Business

Since you already have a relationship with your family and friends, don’t forget to tell them about your new VA business. While your brother might not need your services, there’s a good chance that he might know someone who does. You can start networking right away with those you already know.

Think about designing a letter or oversized postcard about your service and send it to everyone you know. Maybe even include a picture of yourself, the name of your business, the services you offer and ask that if they can’t use your service, to please recommend your business to others who might.If you send a letter, include a couple of your business cards for passing on to your possible clients.

Send Out Press Releases

A press release is a great way to start your business off with a bang. I want to mention here though that a press release is not something you just send out when you open your business. I’ll talk more about this a little later.

Here are some great places to find press release tips and templates:

http://www.press-release-writing.com/press-release-template.htm

http://www.marketingsource.com/pressrelease/releaseformat.html

Where to send your press releases:

Local Newspapers

Local Business Publications

Local Radio Talk Shows

Local TV News Stations

Online sites to send your press release for free:

http://www.prweb.com/aboutg.php

PrWeb is free and you can pick what area you want your press release

to be distributed to.

Other reasons to send out a press release:

• You’re offering a new service


• Launching a website for your business


• You’ve won a high profile client account or contract


• You’ve had an unusual challenge or adversity and
  overcome it; especially when others thought it couldn’t be done.


• You participate in a fundraising event or you are to
  serve in a charitable organization.
  


• You’re offering or sponsoring a workshop, seminar, or conference


• If you’re changing the company name, location, web
  address, or product name

I’m The Answer to Your Problem

Convincing your future clients that they should hire you might seem a little scary at first. But once you build more clients, and they start telling you what a godsend you are, your confidence level is going to soar.

Here are some convincing ideas to consider…

Tell your future client why they need you. Maybe you work odd hours, or you have very reasonable rates. Go over the services you offer and why you are so good at what you do.

Explain to the client what skills you possess, your background, and your education.

You can help your client catch-up on a backlog of work that other employees aren’t able to get to.

You offer reduced costs and expenses for your client. They don’t have to pay you benefits or sick time.

You will help their business grow with your marketing techniques.

Thanks to the technology that is currently available, using your services will save the client money. Explain that you reduce overhead. They only pay you for work completed. They aren’t paying someone if there is no work to do. Plus your client doesn’t have to pay for sick or holiday time, or for health benefits.

It won’t be long until you’re confidence, strong and bright, shines through. You won’t have any problems explaining to a future client that you are the right person for the job, or that you are the solution to their problems.

So What Are You Waiting For?

Making money in a virtual assistant business can be done. Full time VA’s are making about $38.000 a year. This year, why can’t that VA be you?

For more information about this business visit: Bizymoms.com

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