| 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 virtual assistant 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 -- Expert
Virtual Assistant Career Kit -- to learn more about starting your own Virtual
Assistant Business. |
