Online Class: Virtual Assistant 101

Today's businesses, both new and established, are desperately in need of administrative type assistance at an affordable rate. They need versatility in the services performed and flexibility in the way the services are performed. If you have a career as an administrative assistant or executive assistant and would like to break out into your own business, there has never been a better time to do so. 

This Virtual Assistant course is designed to walk you through the process of preparing for a business of your own, upstarting your own business and transitioning into a successful VA business. You will learn how to research, what to research, how to target your market, how to make your VA business a boutique shop that caters to a particular industry or a general office that caters to all, how to grow you business and so much more. This course and some planning will position you to upstart your new business as quickly as possible.

Courses Frequently Bought Together:

Administrative Assistant 101

Personal Assistant 101

General Receptionist

Course Motivation

Time to "Jump Ship?"

In the United States, many households are suffering from overworked, one-parent families and too many social demands. There simply is not enough hours in the day to get everything done for the average worker. Virtual Assistants are primarily workers who come out of corporate America from the position of administrative support in some form or another. These are the detail workers who determine the quality and efficiency of their boss's final presentation and professional image. So, for these workers, the opportunity to shore up their time and energy to better spend in the interest of their families, while still retaining a profession with a professional salary is very inviting.

The immediate concern for most administrative staff who want to jump ship, is whether they will be able to handle the time demands and schedule adjustments. Another concern is whether a professional has the personal discipline necessary to jump ship and survive the change of pace, change of schedule, change of public image, and the merging of all of life into one continuum. Many people who go independent find they never stop working, because others refuse to see them as "working" while they are home or driving around in the daytime. 

Certification of VAs

Any profession that moves to create a certification system does so to increase legitimacy, professional assurances to clients, and to increase the standard fees of those professionals. Virtual Assistants are no different in this sense and, in some areas of the world, certification and associations can help the individual to earn a better income. Today, VA services range from $15 to $100 per hour, depending on the area of specialty.

In a field that has become laissez faire, some VAs question the usefulness of such organizations. But among professionals who seek to strike out in their own VA business, the associations offer a reinforcement of their image as professionals. A professional association that sets the standards for an industry can arguably benefit the client because association members meet their standards. Equally, however, there is plenty of VA work in the marketplace, where the client is comfortable with the risk of an independent person or company. Oftentimes, this is because the independent VA comes to the client from a previous professional relationship, or the recommendation of another professional through a social network or association. In other words, the quality of the VA's work is already known to the client. For many upstarts, word of mouth and previous [not current] employers form the basis for building a clientèle.

Local, National and International Research

Evaluating Your Own Professional Assets and Liabilities

For the novice, a little known fact is that no one starts a business in a field for which they have no experience. It is really practical sense that dictates you should know something about your profession before beginning the business, and significant experience, or unique corner of the market before opening your doors. After all, when you begin any business, your greatest assets are human talent and experience. The greatest liabilities are character flaws and any area of talent lack that may exist among your staff. In the beginning, you are your staff, so you do well to take an honest inventory of your personal assets and liabilities, as well as your professional ones.

Ask yourself these questions to get a clearer idea of what you bring to the marketplace that is going to cause clients to take notice:

1. What is my honest competency level?
2. Do I really enjoy assisting others?
3. Am I prepared to do the work of my clients until my business grows to the point that I can hire others to do the work?
4. Am I ready to put in the extra hours that it takes to upstart a new business?
5. What can I handle with ease for my clients that most of my colleagues either cannot handle or do not want to handle?
6. Am I willing to charge a premium price for that hard-to-find feature that I will offer my clients?
7. Where do I make mistakes in my profession? Can I hire or contract an expert in this area to help me make sure I get this area professionally taken care of, so I don't stumble?
8. Who can I count on to be part of my company's "brain trust" – professionals, counselors, and advisors who want to see me succeed?