Starting a
home-based Virtual Assistant (VA) business has many
similarities to starting any other type of home-based business. It
also has several unique features that you should clearly understand
before you begin. When you become aware of these five unique
business traits, you'll be able to research the profession with
your
eyes wide open and decide if being a VA is right for you.
Laptop Battery 1. What is a Virtual Assistant anyway?
Every VA's first and most prolonged challenge is that Virtual
Assistance is a profession that is in its infancy and it still rare
to meet prospective clients who know what a VA can do for them. In
order to convert prospective clients into paying clients you'll
need to do a lot of educating about what Virtual Assistance is and
how it can support businesses. Some self-employed entrepreneurs
know they need help but they can't fathom receiving that support
virtually. You'll need to become well-versed at how you can make
their business lives easier and communicate that message ongoingly
until it sinks in.
Over $345 million invested in virtual worlds in this year alone, the lack of interoperability is going to quickly become a nightmare for users. Were using our leadership position in the industry to drive the architectural standards that we think will enable the metaverse to avoid the fragmentation that leads to slow adoption. Our announcement with IBM demonstrated interoperability between land hosted by IBM and Second Life. Other virtual worlds talk about being open we are aggressively pursuing open standards and demonstrating results.
Thinkpad 2. You say tomato..
There are as many potential VA services as there are VAs and VA
clients. Figuring out what it is you can do best and where you want
to focus your services is imperative. Clearly define what you do
(and what you won't do) and your potential clients will be more
likely to understand how you can help them.
I know we had Microsoft on the air some time back, talking about their virtual servers , their virtual machines in the workplace of the future. We work very closely with Microsoft; as a matter of fact, when Microsoft announced Virtual Server 2005 , back in October of last year, we were part of that announcement. We work very well in Microsoft environment. We work exceedingly well in a VMware environment, as well.
Microsoft 3. Your call is important to us.
When I first started as a Virtual Assistant, many of my clients
assumed that because I was 'virtual' and sat at my computer all day
that this must mean I provided computer technical support. This
confusion is common and can often be difficult to train your
clients that what you do is different than tech support. If you
wish to provide computer technical support in addition to your VA
services, that's fine too. But know what you're getting into
first.
According to the indictment, Jones would steal various IBM and Penguin computer servers from Verisign's warehouse in Virginia and sell them to Johnson. Johnson would then sell the servers to several individuals, who would sometimes place them for sale on eBay. As a result of this scheme, the indictment alleges that Jones and Johnson caused Verisign to lose more than $120, 000 worth of computer equipment. In the indictment, Jones and Johnson are charged in three counts with causing the interstate transportation of stolen property, namely IBM 330 and 335 servers, in violation of 18 U.S.C.
Laptop Computers 4. The two-headed monster
Any self-employed entrepreneur with a home-based business can tell
you that when you become self-employed you need to become practiced
at two very different skill sets. The first is being good at what
you do for your clients. The second is being an entrepreneur. This
includes doing all the things it takes to juggle multiple clients
and take care of your business as the same time. Often we are
fantastic at the first skill, but dismal at the latter, leaving our
own bookkeeping piling up for months or years, feeling stymied by
the marketing we need to do to fill our practices or finding
ourselves under-charging for our services. Having a coach or a VA
mentor is a great way to become skilled at both these essential
business elements.
If you have the skills of an administrative assistant or secretary, consider a freelance career as a virtual assistant. Virtual assistants do word processing, spreadsheet work, correspondence, 5 in a cubicle. The only difference is that as a virtual assistant, you can work from the comfort of your own home. opportunities for virtual assistants is anticipated to skyrocket over the next decade.
Laptop Computer 5. Is anyone out there?
Even for those of us who are introverted, working alone at home
five days a week can lead to thoughts of running away and joining
the circus just to have some interesting company for a change. You
will need to build a strong community of peers around you and
schedule time to get out of your home-office and interact
un-virtually with others. Fortunately there are more VA
organizations and associations, both virtual and not, popping up
all over the globe as the profession gains notoriety and
visibility.
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Desktop Computer Armed with these five points in mind, I hope you'll be more able
to clearly decide if building a Virtual Assistant business is the
best next step for you. Working at home as a VA is a tremendously
rewarding and fulfilling occupation for many. If you choose to join
us, welcome!
Notebooks Alexandra Amor is the author of e-books that help Virtual
Assistants build successful businesses, FAST. Sign up to receive
The 20 Essential Virtual Assistant Success Habits at
http://www.virtual-success.com
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