A Virtual Assistant (or VA) is a solopreneur who specializes in providing ongoing, one-on-one, collaborative-style administrative support.
Like other professional service providers, Virtual Assistants operate remotely from their own places of business and utilize today's technology to deliver their services and communicate with clients.
Virtual Assistants are first and foremost administrative experts. Virtual Assistants sometimes offer additional, separate specialties that fall under creative and/or technical services.
Virtual Assistants come from a variety of business backgrounds, but the single-most important qualification the industry expects of its peers is at least five (5) years administrative experience earned in the real (non-virtual) business world working in upper-level capacities such as administrative assistant, executive assistant, secretary, legal assistant, paralegal, legal secretary, real estate assistant, office manager/supervisor, etc.
From this level of experience, a Virtual Assistant is expected to possess the skill sets, training and business knowledge which are the hallmark of a truly qualified Virtual Assistant.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The Journey to Virtual Assistance
Two-and-a-half years ago, I was the young mom of a six-month-old and a four-year-old who was desperately seeking a job that would allow me to keep my children out of daycare. Because my husband is a physician, that meant either working third-shift or starting my own business. Third-shift did not sound appealing, so the best option for me was starting my own business.
As I have a degree in management and a certificate in nonprofit management from Indiana University, I had the intense desire to roll my experience and passion into one phenomenal career. Amazingly, I was able to do this, and still come up with a business that could be successful and profitable the first month out.
I had never heard of a "virtual assistant" before, but that is the job title I had decided on. I found out soon enough that field of virtual assistance not only existed, but was growing rapidly.
At this point, you may be wondering what a virtual assistant is and does. I really like the definition found on the website for the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce. It reads as follows:
A virtual assistant would be able to do anything you would normally have an in-office administrative assistant do, without needing to provide an office, computer, printer, etc. for her or him. Stay tuned for a blog post about all the benefits of hiring a virtual assistant instead of an in-office assistant. To view a complete list of the services Polaris Administrative Concepts offers, click here.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Why Pay for Press Releases?
I recently learned that there is an overabundance of websites that will distribute your press releases for free. If you have a low project or advertising budget, and your goal is to get your information out to as many people as possible, this is the way to go.
You may be wondering where to start in finding these free pr websites. A client gave me a short list and then I did a Google search. The search yielded an article found on NAKEDPR that includes a list of no less than thirty of these gratuitous websites. I found all the ones I checked out to be easy to navigate and user-friendly.
There are many commonalities among the websites. All or most of the websites will want:
- Your contact information
- Registration (login and password)
- A title that is not in all CAPS
- A true press release, not an article or blatant advertisement (click here for tips)
- A unique summary that is not the first paragraph of your release
- Tags
- Time to review and approve your release
- Your target industry
On average, it took me 10 minutes to post a press release on sites where I was already registered and 15 minutes on sites where I had to create a new registration. I think it is time well spent to get your information out in cyberspace.
Of course, all of these free distribution websites give you the opportunity to upgrade and pay fees as low as $29 up to $400 per press release. As you peruse the sites, you can see what benefits are included with those fees. One service that some provide, even to the free registrants, is ability to check how many times your press release has been viewed. This allows you to see how effectively you used your time.
Here is the list of the ones I used. Check them out and use them to promote your event or organization. Have fun and remember there is no such thing as luck!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Brand New Blog, Brand New Success
As I write this, I am writing my first ever blog post. I have been putting off the weblog world for the past two years. Unsure that I could add anything "new" and "innovative" to cyberspace, I have avoided it altogether. Through clients' blogs, I have seen success and stagnation. I hope to emmulate the successful blogs by consolidating and creating helpful information that can navigate a successful future for your small business or nonprofit.If any of you are debating about whether to create a blog of your own, one helpful article can be read at the Learn How To Do Things website. This article explains the success a weblog can bring you through the online world of network marketing.
I think that is all for this first post. Keep reading and remember, there is no such thing as luck!
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