ANNOUNCEMENT:

VirtualHelpOnline.com presents a terrific resource for

Work at Home Jobs – Virtual Assistant Jobs

*Welcome to the #1 resource of real work at home jobs and virtual assistant jobs on the Internet!*

We are very excited to announce our association with Virtual Assistant Jobs online directory,  specialize in locating legitimate work at home jobs in clerical, secretarial, regular transcription, medical transcription, customer service, data entry, graphics, writing, administrative, programming, research, technical and other real Virtual Assistant jobs.

Now You Too Can Find a REAL Work at Home Job!

Are you tired of searching through all the work at home jobs only to find out they are scams, charge a fee or are a home biz opportunity? Wouldn’t you like to have access to jobs that have been screened and do not charge a fee and are not MLM’s, home biz opps or old job lists.

Our Telecommuting Job Board has real administrative, data entry, research, writing, secretarial, web design, customer service, voice operator, medical transcription, regular transcription, medical coding, desktop publishing, telemarketing, sales, instructor, translation, website design, technical, programming, coding and other legitimate work at home jobs.

Each week we scour the Internet, newspapers and other resources for the best work at home and virtual assistant jobs. Also, companies post their jobs directly to our web site. These companies are then screened to make sure the jobs are legitimate and do not charge a fee.

Then and only then – the jobs are posted on our telecommuting job board!

You can immediately view and apply for these jobs!

New Companies are signing up all the time looking for people just like you to fill their work at home jobs!

100 New Jobs Are Posted Every Week!
You can see the type of real work at home jobs posted!

CLICK HERE – http://virtualassistants.com/virtualjobs.html - and be on your way to getting a REAL job online!

Among them, Ms. Byer suggests searching the web for VA businesses to get perspective on how others are marketing themselves.  She cautions not to lift material from anyone’s website, but to only use the information for research purposes.  She advises choosing an appropriate company name that adequately reflects the nature of your business.  Networking and joining trade associations are also recommended, as are taking business courses and reading magazines for information and inspiration.  For suggested trade organizations and other VA resources, read more here.

If you need some inspiration, or would like to get some ideas for home businesses you can start with minimal cost up front, check out the JustAddSweat site …

Whether you’re considering starting a career as a virtual assistant, information product creator, podcaster, business coach, affiliate marketer, seminar host, online auctions, software creator, blogger, copywriter, or direct sales distributor… you will find a success story like yours from a woman who is making a full time living from her business.

These are *real* women earning *real* money with their online businesses.
With the “Just Add Sweat” Guides you’ll learn about new business ideas that they can be started from home, so you canwork on it part-time, there are NO MLM’s, NO “get rich quick” ideas, and they all have flexibility so you can work around YOUR priorities.

Check it out now – JustAddSweat - They have already done the research for you.

Andrew Brown, the “Small Business Guru,” brings us Dale Carnegie’s  3 steps for facing your worst fears head on so that you can move forward to achieve business success.  They are:

1)  What’s The Worst That Can Happen? Write down the absolute worst case scenario, and follow it through to the end.  Will you become homeless?  Will anybody die?  Mr. Brown says probably not, and that most of our fears are irrational, but until you get everything out on paper, all your worst fears will nag at you.

2)  Accept It - This is the most difficult concept.  You must accept the possibility of the worst case scenario, but realize that if it actually happened, your “family would still love you.”

3)  Draw Out The Steps To Prevent Your Worst Case Scenario – Start with the absolute worst case scenario, and work backwards.  Mr. Brown provides an example of this exercise:

- I won’t have to move in with my parents if I cancel HBO, sell my car, and pick up a night job tending bar to make ends meet.
- I won’t have to tend bar if I can find someone in my industry to hire me as a sales rep.
- I won’t have to go work for someone else if I can keep these 3 clients.
- I won’t lose any clients if I can make things right with Mr. Smith — maybe if I called Bob or Steve they might have some ideas on how to deal with this problem.

Mr. Brown’s article teaches us that if can articulate your fears, you can do something about them.  For more, visit his website at www.small-business-guru.com.

His tips, unlike many which focus only on the desire and the need for a business plan, encourage taking a long view of the venture by starting slowly, keeping your current job for a while so that you can earn while you learn, and remaining flexible enough to change course if research dictates. Brian Tracy’s 7 tips are:

Set a goal and back it with a burning desire.
Begin accumulating capital with a regular savings program. Nothing else is possible without this. You cannot move forward until you start a savings program.Use your current job as a springboard to later success. Learn while you earn. Take the long view.

Experiment in business on a limited scale so you can learn the key abilities necessary for success.

Search for problems, needs unmet, products or services you can supply of good quality at reasonable prices.

Read everything you can find on your chosen field. Remain flexible. Be willing to change your mind if you get different information.

Implement your plans with courage and persistence. Have complete faith in your ability to succeed and never, never give up.

For more, visit this link.

One of the hottest new home businesses today is the virtual assistant business. Know the ins-and-outs of this business and start earning from your home today. more…..

Diana Ennen, has been a home-based word processor now for about 15 years. She started to educate herself about all the possibilities a person has when starting a virtual assistant business. Diana Ennen along with Kelly Poelker, a certified Master Virtual Assistant, just finished writing an ebook called, “A Bizy’s Guide: How To Start Your Own Home-Based Virtual Assistant’s Business.”

So What Exactly Is A Virtual Assistant?

Diana Ennen explains, “A virtual assistant, or VA, is a highly skilled professional who provides administrative support and other specialized services to businesses, entrepreneurs, executives, and others who have more work to do than time to do it.

Many VAs work as independent contractors from their own home. VAs use leading edge technology to communicate work assignments via the Internet, e-mail, disk transfer or such traditional methods as regular mail, overnight shipping and even pick-up and delivery in local areas. A VAs services typically include word processing, medical or legal transcription, database management, Internet research, e-mail handling, reminder service, bulk mailings, information processing, and any other tasks typically given to the office secretary. Many VAs also provide web development, design and maintenance, desktop publishing, meeting and event planning, bookkeeping, and business start-up consultations. The services are endless depending upon your knowledge and skills.”

Tisha Silvers explains her virtual assistant business as, “One who assists another from literally anywhere in the world. I don’t limit it to just business support functions. And I consider the person a few miles down the street to be just as virtual if you don’t meet regularly or at all. I have a few of those kinds of clients myself.”

How Can You Market This Business?

Showing clients how much you can help them as their VA isn’t as hard as you think. Julie McMann explains, “Using a virtual assistant allows clients to outsource any projects that can be done from a remote location. It allows them to accomplish more with less time. Since time is so precious to business owners, anything that frees up time and keeps the business moving ahead is extremely valuable. It’s also convenient to be able to hire and utilize a virtual assistant whenever you need them. One month you may have more projects than another. It’s much less expensive than hiring a full-time employee who doesn’t get used to their full potential. Clients also benefit by not having to worry about providing employee benefits such as insurance, 401K, vacations, etc. Finally, office space and equipment are provided at the expense of the virtual assistant, which again saves the client money.”

Do You Have What It Takes To Become A Successful VA?

Here are some questions to ask yourself when you think about starting your own virtual assistant business:

Do you have excellent typing and proofing skills?
Do you enjoy helping people?
Are you familiar with the Internet and enjoy learning new things about it?
Do you already know several people who could utilize your services?
Are you capable of making a great income and will stop at nothing to make it happen?
Skills Needed

Diana and Kelly explain, “Every virtual assistant has their own unique skills and experience that enables them to start their business. The right skills are those that you have perfected and can perform well. As you further develop your skills, you can expand your service offering.

Skills range from the basics such as typing to highly specialized areas like web design, graphic arts, technical writing, and more. A professional VA will be proficient in the Internet, computers, software, word processing and spreadsheet applications, etc. In addition to the technical skills, a professional VA will have good business management skills as well as knowledge of marketing, advertising, and public relations. Business management skills not only help you in operating your own business, but allows you to aid your clients in running theirs.

VAs must be motivated. You can’t get discouraged when you experience minor set-backs. Start fresh each day. If the phone didn’t ring yesterday, make it ring today. Failure is not an option. You need to know that you’re going to make it and will stop at nothing short.”

How Much Can You Make?

“Our research shows most pricing is centered around a base price of $25 per hour. However, the rate does depend on the services you provide and also how long you’ve been in business. Another consideration is the area in which you live. In some areas you will receive more than in others. For example, in south Florida you can charge a better rate in Miami, than say a smaller town like Pompano Beach.

There are different ways in which you can charge for services. By the hour, by the project, by the page, or for something like event planning you could charge a certain percentage of the total event cost. Many VAs offer reduced rates for a monthly retainer option. With a monthly retainer your client commits to a certain number of hours per month at a predetermined rate. If you work less than the committed number of hours you are still paid the same. If you work over the committed number of hours then you would bill the client for the additional hours at that same rate or whatever is agreed upon,” says Diana and Kelly.

For More Information On How You Can Become A Virtual Assistant–You can purchase Diana and Kelly’s book, Virtual Assistant, The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA (Virtual Assistant) (Paperback)

This article is from Liz Folger, Work-at-Home Mom Expert and author of “The Stay-at-Home Mom’s Guide To making Money From Home”. Her book is available at your favorite bookstore or by calling 800-632-8676. Liz has also created a resource site for work-at-home moms at: http://www.bizymoms.com .
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol40/virtual.htm

Membership to the association is free, and entitles the member to benefits and discounts on products and services designed to boost their businesses, including a free basic website, webhosting plans, a monthly newsletter, access to article submission services and feeds, and more. For more information, visit the site at www.vanetworking.com.

If you want to work in a particular industry, you’ll have to know more than how to prepare an EXCEL spreadsheet or a compelling sales letter. Fields such as finance, real estate and the health care sector have languages all their own.

To get those clients, you’ll need to learn to speak their language. Bill Lampton, Ph.D, in his article “Learn The Lingo: Expand Your Vocabulary And Your Client List” at businessknowhow.com, provides these suggestions to bone up on your desired clients’ vocabulary:

• Identify the groups you want to join or market to, in addition to those that you are affiliated with or cultivating now.
• Read the group’s publications. Frequently you can find the Annual Report on the corporate Web site. Request back issues of newsletters, magazines, and press releases. Study the mission statement.
• Interview two or three organizational leaders. When they use terms that puzzle you, ask for clarification. You can do that in the early stages of cultivation without losing credibility. In fact, you will appear interested rather than uninformed.
• Attend special events open to the public.
• Tactfully ask for invitations to “insider” events, such as strategic planning sessions and annual meetings.
• List new words and their definitions, and keep them handy. You could easily compile a glossary for each of your target industries.
• Incorporate the company’s jargon in your conversations, presentations, handouts, and proposals.

For more, continue reading at businessknowhow.com

Virtual Assistants are professionals who work from their homes, offering business services such as administrative support, transcription, bookkeeping, public relations and website design, as independent contractors.

Ms. Ennen suggests that professionals possessing these skills should consider becoming virtual assistants, as much of the work can be done at night, and compensation ranges from $35 – $100 per hour for highly specialized skills.

She offers the following links for information and resources for starting a virtual assistant business:

Virtual Assistant Networking Association (vanetworking.com),

The International Association of Virtual Office Assistants (iavoa.com)

The International Virtual Assistants Association (ivaa.org).

For more, read the article at http://www.rd.com/content/best-quick-cash/1/

In her article on AYS Virtual Assistant Blog entitled “Wounding With Words,” Nora Rubinoff explains that while it’s understandable that an intensely frustrated person needs to vent, “using cruel words is never a good or ethical choice.” She explains that aside from the hurtful aspect of a nasty e-mail, you are also leaving a permanent written record of your tyrade, with your name attached.  To the angry and frustrated, she offers these alternatives:

“Talk to a friend. Do you have an understanding friend (or perhaps spouse) that you can reach out to? Ask if they have time to listen, and tell them you are frustrated and need to vent.

“Type it and file it. Sometimes a great way to let off steam is to type out your vent, then file it and walk away. You’ll feel better getting it off your chest, and no one will be injured by reading cruel or offensive words.

“Take a walk! You’ve heard it time and again. I’m telling you that this solution works — walk away from the computer, phone or what have you. If you’re in a face to face situation, ask for a few minutes to gather your thoughts. Then take 10 minutes and walk, alone. Breathe deeply. Then come back to your situation with a fresh and calmed down head.

“Get physical. This is another one that works well. Go blow off a few minutes of your steam by pushing a lawnmower, digging in your garden or stacking some wood. Venting through physical activity always has a double bonus — your body reaps the benefits of activity and you can scratch a chore or two off your list.

“Try an environmentally soothing technique. I found a great recording on iTunes of wind chimes, nothing but wind chimes, blowing in the breeze. (Artist is David Sun; album is Songs of the Earth) It is remarkable how much more calm I feel when I have this as a background noise in my office. Or try lighting a soothing scented candle or using another type of aromatherapy such as oils, mists or a cup of tea. ”

For more, read the aticle here at AYSweb.com.

In a traditional interview process, you would be given the opportunity to present yourself as a polished professional, with a portfolio of work samples in hand.  Without that visual advantage, there are several virtual steps you can take to project an image of trustworthiness and competence to assuage a potential client’s concerns. 

First, you might consider joining the International Virtual Assistants Association, www.ivaa.org.  Prospective members are given an ethics test, and are expected to adhere to a code of ethics while they work. 

In his article at ezinearticles.com entitled “How To Find a Virtual Assistant You Can Trust At a Price You Can Live With,” David Burch gives tips to [tag]small business[/tag] owners on steps they can take to find a trustworthy assistant.  According to his article, you can offer a prospective client samples of your work, for example, an article you may have written or a sales letter. 

Providing client testimonials and references goes a long way to convince a client to put their trust in you.  Mr. Burch recommends arranging a phone call or video conference as well.  Read more  here.

Some would argue that a virtual assistant willing to work at a client site is not actually a virtual assistant, but an administrative assistant with telecommuting privileges. 

While clearly a willingness to appear on-site increases the number of client prospects, it can also interrupt your work flow considerably, and adversely affect your relationship with other clients. 

For example, if another client has an urgent issue arise while you are at another client’s workplace, you cannot feasibly or ethically address that client’s needs as you would if you were [tag]working from home[/tag]. 

According to The Gritty Virtual Assistant on her website www.grittyva.com,  working at a client site “depletes the time you need to focus on client work, as well as [tag]marketing[/tag] and taking care of your own administrative needs. It also affects the quality and level of consistent service you provide to existing clients who are completely virtual.  On top of that, it just really disrupts your “flow.” You have to consider the prep time, travel time, and getting mentally and physically settled-in time.

I found that on days when I knew I had to go somewhere, my brain wouldn’t mentally shift into doing any in-depth work because I knew I’d have to stop, and not necessarily at a convenient spot.” 

She goes on to say that weaning a client from on-site demands is difficult as well.  For more, read the article at http://www.grittyva.com/the_gritty_virtual_assist/2007/03/index.html 

In her article “Starting a Virtual Assistant Business” on Entrepreneur.com, Carolyn Moncel advises that a new VA must be prepared to work evenings, weekends and sometimes 14 hour days when launching a new business. To prepare for the time and financial implications of a new business, Ms. Moncel lists Elite Office Support founder Susan Totman’s tips on starting your new venture:

1. Decide just what type of services you want to offer, and analyze your background to ensure you have adequate experience.
2. Determine your business niche-consider specializing in just two to three services.
3. Determine how much time and energy you have to commit to your venture. Do you want to work part or full time?
4. Conduct thorough industry research to determine a need for your services in your local area.
5. Outline who your clients are, where they are and how to access them.
6. Do a market analysis. Find out the needs for your niche and focus on how you’ll apply that to your business.
7. Know your budgetary constraints-projected expenses, expected income and how long you can “float” until your business is running successfully.
8. Prepare a business plan and review it often to manage growth and change.
9. Examine your equipment, software and work space to ensure they meet client needs.
10. Wrap up all legal and financial aspects of startup before securing your first client.
11. Market your services 24/7. Just because you’ve built a Web site or placed an ad in the Yellow Pages doesn’t mean clients will come knocking on your door.

For more, read the article at http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/businessideas/article71516.html

Like any work from home position, being a VA takes determination and self motivation. It’s especially hard to stay focused in a world where work from home jobs are usually portrayed as “work in your jammies” jobs.

When a business owner retains a [tag]Virtual Assistant[/tag] they are not expecting to get someone who sits around all day in bunny slippers and a fuzzy robe. They are expecting a professional. Someone poised and experienced who can get the job done. Being able to turn off the TV and tune out the world has to be a priority so that you can truly provide your clients with exceptional service.

An individual must also be disciplined to thrive in the virtual workplace. There is no manager looking over your shoulder and no time clock to punch. However, the Virtual Assistant market is flooded with outsourced professionals from countries around the world willing to do it cheaper and faster.

So how do you stand out in such a saturated market? Do it better! Many employers today aren’t just looking for the lowest bid or the quickest turn around. While the bottom line is always a factor, employees do see the value in an assistant who can do the job professionally and efficiently. Do you have what it takes?

When starting a business, it’s important to have a clear vision of your objectives. If your primary reason for [tag]working from home[/tag] was to dedicate more time to your family, it’s important that you maintain that vision as you add on clients and increase your workload.

Adding on too many clients or too many projects too soon can quickly overwhelm you and undermine the quality of your work. This concept is commonly referred to as “over-promising and under-delivering.”

In her article, “Tips on Winning a Virtual Assistant Position,” Lori Redfield advises that under-delivering is the fastest way to lose a client. She suggests starting off slowly and building the client’s trust by making realistic promises. Delivering high-quality work on time will encourage a client to be flexible in working around your schedule, in order to keep a valued contractor.

Read the article at http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol132/virtual.htm

So when clients call and deadlines need to be met, how does one create the illusion of a professional, organized workplace? Kirsten Ly offers some suggestions in her article “Creating Balance in Your Working Life” on www.work.com.

In brief, they are: 1) Set Boundaries – establish clear working hours and family time, which do not overlap.

2) Manage Client Expectations – let clients know when and how to reach you, to establish an environment of mutual respect.

3) Stay Organized – create a workspace which will be respected by other members of the family.

4) Prioritize Activities – make a daily to-do list of all your activities – personal and professional.

5) Spend Time With Yourself – read a novel or visit a museum – take time to relax and recharge.

Ly adds that if the dog decides to bark in the midst of an important phone call revealing the fact that you’re at home, honesty and humor are the best ways to deal with it. Read the article at http://www.work.com/creating-balance-in-your-working-life-1106/