The Entrepreneur Diva with a Business Attitude!

There are an unlimited number of ways that a VA can be used such as business planning, business support, creative design and so much more. Here are some of the most common ways that clients like to use Virtual Assistants:

• Assistance with professional business planning and strategizing
• Document preparation and processing with deadlines.
• Appointment setting and scheduling for clients and patients.
• Recording data and managing it with spreadsheets and databases.
• Provide customer service and support for clients.
• Manage all business correspondence for clients, associates, vendors, etc.
• Calendar management for important meetings and events.

The average rate of a VA is $25 - $65 per hour. For those that are new to how Virtual Assistants work this may look like an insane rate to pay, but it actually isn’t. When you hire a virtual assistant, you are hiring a professional that can perform the tasks of 5 regular employees or more. And what’s even better is since a VA is an independent contractor you don’t have to worry about paying for:

• Equipment or Supplies
• Payroll or Social Security Taxes
• Health, Vision, or Dental Benefits
• Personal, Vacation, or Holiday Time
• Worker’s Compensation
• Unemployment Taxes
• Uniform or Wardrobe Costs
• Transportation Costs
• Or Additional Overhead Costs

That saves you almost, if not half, of what you would pay for an in house employee. And with a VA your work is completed in half the time because you don‘t have to worry about:

• Lunch, Coffee, or Cigarette Breaks
• Employees calling off sick.
• Waiting around for work to reach your desk.
• Employees that are under qualified to get the job done right.
• Employees that are late starting shifts or want to leave early.

If you would like to see an Employee vs. Virtual Assistant comparison please visit:
http://www.starva.net/benefits.html

Now of course when you work with anyone in regards to business related service, you want the absolute best! You want someone that can do what you the work that you need with out you having to hold their hand and watch over them. And that’s the best part of using a VA.

Now most people look for certifications when considering a VA, but that’s not always the best thing to do. Why? Just because a person doesn’t have a certification in Virtual Assisting does not mean that he/she is not qualified to do the work. Say you run across a VA that has 10 years experience in administrative support, but has no certification? Are you going to turn him/her down? If you do, that’s a bad choice.

VA’s that have many years of experience in a particular field has the hands on experience that is necessary to get the job done right. Just think, a person can have all the degrees and certifications in the word and not be good at what they do.

So if you come across a VA lacking the certifications that you feel they should have, consider their experience, references, testimonials, etc. If you don’t you will pass up on some really good VA’s out there.

People that are not aware of how Virtual Assisting works often ask the same question: “How do VA’s and Clients Correspond with One Another? The answer is quiet simple…

Now days modern technology has made it so that people can communicate regardless of location. Most Virtual Assistants prefer to correspond virtually using the telephone, fax, email, instant messaging, file sharing programs, etc. These types of communication provides flexibility, saves time, and saves money as well. Although these types are the most popular ways to communicate you will find some VA’s that will communicate via mail or will even meet with clients face to face if necessary. But one thing that all VA’s have in common is that they make sure that they are doing what is more convenient for the client.

A Virtual Assisting is an independent contractor that has been highly trained, and is highly qualified to perform business related tasks and responsibilities from what it known as a virtual location. A VA may also be known as a business partner by most, because they partner up with professionals to increase professionalism and productivity.

A Virtual Location is normally a private or home-based office that is fully equip with the necessary equipment, software, and supplies to carry out contracted services. Because all of this is provide by a VA, his/her clients are not responsible for paying for anything other than the service itself. And with the help of modern technology, the VA and client don’t have to be in the same city, state, or even country in order for work to be done.

It is so often questioned when the Virtual Assisting Industry was developed and who was it’s founder, but to be honest Virtual Assistants existed way before there was ever a name for them or an industry. Any time a professional took their work home with them or did work while on vacation, they were engaging in a form of Virtual Assistance. So although some remain skeptical about Virtual Assistants, they have probably used one in the past without even knowing it.

For the Virtual Assistant it can be hard to get everything done while on the go, but it doesn’t have to be. Thanks to recent technology and software, it is possible for a VA to do a lot of tasks while he / she is on the go. Here are some examples of technology and software that all VA’s should consider investing in:

TECHNOLOGY

Notebook PC is a great investment for those that are constantly traveling and don’t have the means to transport a desktop computer or purchase an expensive laptop. The notebook pc is a sleek laptop that is about the size of a bible or regular size novel that is easy to carry with you without cords and accessories getting in the way. You can find most notebook pc’s in the range of $300 they work on the same type of software as a desktop pc.

External Hard Drives are good for saving and carrying important documents or files when you are not carrying your pc with you. You can connect an external hard drive to any type of pc and it also protects your from losing data and experiencing issues with known viruses and internet predators. External Hard Drives may range from $69-$699 depending on the size of the hard drive.

Voice Recorder are a must have for VA’s that do freelance writing or transcription. This gives you the opportunity to record your ideas while on the go, before you have the chance to remember them. You can find cheap voice recorders at stores like Walmart, Target, Kmart, etc. ranging from $29-$79.

Webcam are a necessity for those that communicate by the Internet. It allows you to be able to visually see and communicate with clients regardless of their location. And that really works well if you have International clients and it keeps you from having to pay high telephone charges for International calling.

Headsets with a Microphone are a good idea if your webcam does not have a built in microphone. They are also good when traveling on airplanes, busses, etc. You can find some cheap headsets at stores such as Walmart, Target, Radio Shack, etc.

SOFTWARE

Go To My PC is a software that allows you to access your computer from a remote location. You can access your files, program, email, network, etc. from any computer just like you normally would sitting in front of your desktop.

http://www.gotomypc.com

Go To Assist is a necessity when you are on the go. It gives you remote support for your computer when you are experiencing technical difficulties.

http://www.gotoassist.com

Go To Meeting allows you to online business meetings with up to 15 people attending at one time. It really save a lot of time and money for in the long run, and it is convenient when you cannot physically meet up with your clients.

http://www.gotomeeting.com

Go To Webinar works much like Go To Meeting, but it allows you to hold meetings with a larger amount of people.

http://www.gotowebinar.com

There are a lot of other types of technology and software that you can use when you are on the go, you just have to know what to look for. When you are out and about, whether it is across town or across the country, you need the proper equipment and supplies that is going to provide you with the convenience of being able to work from where ever you are.

The Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet is a wonderful product that can be used for general use or designing purposes. The tablet has a pressure sensitive surface that enables you to use its pen accessory to project it’s activities on to your computer screen.

For business purposes:

If you are a business professional, you can use the bamboo tablet for various office tasks such as signing important documents on screen. This allows you to save the time that you would normally spend scanning or faxing signed documents. You can also use it for the general navigation of business applications which provides more comfort in the navigation process.

For designing purposes:

If you are a graphic designer, the bamboo fun tablet is great for creating digital drawings, paintings, and various other graphics. It works well with programs such as serif photo plus, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, or any other types of photo editing or illustration softwares. And what’s so great about it is that it takes out the step of having to scan images to digitalize them….you can just draw them directly on the screen.

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