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Wed October 13, 2005
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Work at Home Story

How to get a Virtual Assistant business off the ground



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
www.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!

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


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