Posts Tagged ‘ work at home ’

Ten Good Reasons to work from home as a Virtual Assistant

September 22, 2010

1. Low start up costs. There are not a lot of costs associated with becoming a virtual assistant who works from home. In most cases, a computer, telephone, and printer are sufficient so there is a good chance you already have everything you need. If you’re going to market yourself, you might want to set up a website but if you’re working for a firm your start up costs will be even lower. 2. Ability to choose hours. Virtual assistants set their own schedules. That means you can work around any commitments you already have and make yourself available for your children. For example, you might choose to only work in the mornings or put in an hour or two at different points throughout the day. 3. Be your own boss. A virtual assistant is a partner, not an employee. You will be assigned tasks by your client but you always have the freedom to walk away from a client who is too demanding and find someone else to work with. 4. Stay at home with your children. Many people choose to work from home as a virtual assistant to have more time with their children. Virtual assistants can work

Joining Support Groups

October 15, 2009

I highly recommend finding and joining at least one group online or offline that will support, encourage, and motivate you toward success in your business. I wanted to share the group I am a member of. That group is Mom Masterminds. Mom Masterminds is a members only group. There is a fee, but the great thing is you only pay the fee for one year, (or you can pay once), monthly, and then you are a lifetime member. It is a very reasonable fee, in fact right now as I am writing this I am not even sure how much it costs anymore. You’ll have to go to the site and find out. It is MORE than worth every penny. Just this week I had an experience (among many others) that let me know how worthwhile the membership is. I had the pleasure of talking to another woman, who is a member, over the phone. We talked for over two hours. I was struggling with some things that I want to do to move my business forward in my local community. I want to move forward and offer classes locally about social media, blogging, and website building. I have the

Shorten your list of services offered

September 11, 2009

One way to increase your client base is to actually make your target market smaller. I know, that doesn’t sound right. You’re scared to leave anyone out or any service out. However, the best way to become an expert in a topic is to laser focus your offerings in order to find your ideal client who needs the services that you want to provide at the rate you want to charge. You now own your own business and one reason you decided to start your own business is so that you can do what you enjoy and work with people you relate to. The other reason of course is to make money. Targeting your efforts toward a certain client, such as Real Estate Agents, Architects, Authors, Churches, or Direct Marketers,(this is not a comprehensive list) and your services to match will actually increase your business. So, don’t be afraid to shorten the list of services you offer to the specific clients you want to work with. I also made the mistake of casting too wide of a net in the beginning. Due to that I still have a rather diverse client base. While interesting, I believe it does cut down

Hungry Women of Internet Marketing

August 24, 2009

One way to become successful in any business is to be Hungry. Are you Hungry for success? Are you Hungry to make more money in your Internet business? Sometimes it is easy to become complacent. If you have “enough” money coming in, and you don’t “need” more, maybe you’re having a hard time getting that “hungry” feeling you used to have when you first started your business. If you’re just starting out, but have yet to find success, maybe you’re not hungry enough? Think about all the people out there who are successful at your chosen business who have less talent, less skill, yet are successful. Why are they successful? Because they want it more than you. The need it more than you. They are Hungrier than you. As a member of Mom Masterminds I am fortunate enough to be part of a very special group of women who do business on the Internet and also off the Internet for that matter. These women are great business women who are hungry for success. Some are just starting out, some are seasoned professionals but almost without exception we are all hungry. Every Monday we get to have a wonderful Breakthrough session

Needing Money and other considerations for a Virtual Assistant

July 25, 2009

Many times when you are thinking about working from home or starting your own business as a Virtual Assistant you are doing it because you need money. There is nothing wrong with starting this business because you need money but you must keep in mind that it will not happen over night and honestly you don’t want “it” to happen over night. No matter how great of a secretary you are, there are some unique considerations for a Virtual Assistant. Technology - Your clients will be using all sorts of technology that you may have heard about, or you may not have heard about it. There is a learning curve for all new technology and it is important to stay current. With each new client is is just like when you start a new job outside of the home. There is a learning curve that you must adapt to before you start working at your top efficiency. Make sure that you have up to date technology on your computer. Make sure you have a back up plan. What if your computer crashes and you can’t use it? Did you back up the data? Do you have a back up computer?