My Life as a Work at Home Virtual Assistant
by Lisa Stoddart for Work-at-Home.org
It was not long ago that working at home or working remotely was only for writers and news reporters.
But nowadays it has become like second nature to many of us to work at home or start up our own home business. The work at home career you choose should be something that interests you and does not seem like a job at all.
That’s why I chose to work from home as a Virtual Assistant.
 Work at Home Virtual Assistant
A Work from Home Virtual Assistant is someone who can offer businesses an affordable way to get extra office work done on a virtual basis, without having to pay the usual taxes and overhead costs that come with having an extra employee onsite. Virtual employees don’t take off work with vacation pay and don’t take up floor space and expensive square feet. They don’t cost precious productivity interrupting other workers or getting interrupted, or standing around the office water cooler. A Virtual Assistant can get all the work done without all the hassle of hiring, training and
providing benefits. Virtual assistants
can be a very affordable investment for any company.
Home-Based Virtual Assistant’s Work
A Virtual Assistant’s job is filled with mostly work you would do at an office except it is done from your own home. A Virtual Assistant’s job is often similar to an Administrative Assistant’s job in a traditional workplace, except there’s no commute and no boss standing over your shoulder because you work from home. Your services can include writing, communications, research, appointment setting, travel services, lead generation, sales management, customer service, proofreading, web design or management, editing, correspondence, blogging, or any other office-related service you are capable of providing that someone is willing to hire you for. You set your own pricing, charging by the project or by the hour, but be careful you don't want to set it too high or too low. Check with other small businesses like your own and do some price checking. Scoping out the competition may also give you new ideas you can integrate into your virtual assistant business.
Home Office
To be a home-based Virtual Assistant you will require a home computer, a fax machine or an all in one printer, some business card stock that you can get from your local drug or stationary store, a phone line or cell phone for making and receiving business calls on.
I would recommend creating a business plan in case you want to get a business grant from your local or federal government. In most locales you will also need a business license. Be careful. Not all municipalities allow home businesses!
Here in Canada you should check with your local and provincial governments to as to what they require to start a small home based business. Some provinces will require you to get a GST number and register a name with them as well. Each state and province is different so please contact your local government and ask.
Another thing to consider about being a Virtual Assistant is time management, especially if you’re also a parent. As a home-based Virtual Assistant you can make your own hours around what you do the most, ie; house work, baby’s nap time, workouts etc. That’s one of the wonderful aspects about working at home as a Virtual Assistant: the freedom!
Virtual Assistant Qualifications
A good work at home virtual assistant will usually be detail oriented and organized, an effective communicator, outgoing and internet savvy, and well-versed in computers and software programs. If you’re a busy Virtual Assistant you will also find it helpful to be deadline oriented and a good multi-tasker. Having a well-organized home office can be crucial to managing the detailed aspects of this type of work as a Virtual Assistant.
With any new job, even home based ones, it takes time to start up and get running, so don't expect a lot of business off the start. Having said that, some good marketing or salesmanship can go a long way and one or two clients can keep you really busy if you get the right ones. It may be helpful to open your own web site as well. Put some of your customers’ comments on it… it’s great for business.
Your work from home job, whether you’re a virtual assistant or something else, should reflect you and your passion, whether it be as a blogger or article writer or anything else. You are more likely to be successful and enjoy your life if you are comfortable and enjoy what you do.
I know a few people that have started out with a small business idea and ran with it to make it a huge success. When I asked them for their advice they told me to start out small and cut a lot of costs by starting out in the comfort of my own home on my own kitchen table.
There is nothing more gratifying than taking a small business idea to work from home and turning it into something wonderful for you, for your family and the world to share. If you feel you have passion for being a Virtual Assistant or any other type of work at home business or job, I hope you’ll follow your dreams like I did.
Lisa is the owner and operator of L.S. Secretarial Services, which she operates from home in addition to being the mom of three wonderful children and two dogs and the wife of a man who shares her passion. You can reach Lisa by email at sweetheartbear19 – at – hotmail.com. (That's not Lisa's picture in this article.)
|
