Donna

About two weeks ago a colleague of mine was laid off.  I was really sad for her because I knew she was a single parent with two kids.  I called her last night because I wanted to see how she was doing, and to my surprise I found out she was doing well after all.  She told me she kind of suspected that she was going to be laid off, and in anticipation of that, she had set up a small Virtual Administrative Assistance office in her home!

A Virtual Assistant (VA) is an entrepreneur who works closely with a limited number of clients from home, communicating via the Internet, phone or fax.  VA’s use outstanding administrative and organizational skills to handle a variety of projects such as bookkeeping, desktop publishing, research, meeting and travel planning, project management and public relations.

Here are the tips I got from my colleague:

1.  Decide what services you are going to offer and to whom you would like to offer those services.

2.  Name and register your business.  It is really important to always have a legal entity before you conduct business.  This will make sure that in case of any liability, your personal assets are protected.  I absolutely recommend that you use an attorney to create the business for you. 

3.  Buy your equipment. You will need to have the basics: fax, telephone line, computer, printer, cell phone, computer programs, pens, pencils, papers and tons of sticky notes.

4.  Have a Website.  A website is a must in today’s internet era.  Your clients will want to learn more about you, and having a website is a way for them to do that.  You can have all the information that a client may need on your website, including your contact information.

5.  Market yourself. This tough economy is making life difficult for many companies.  Employers that are downsizing are looking to hire independent contractors, people that can do the work without the responsibility of having to pay benefits.  Your marketing campaigns should include but not be limited to: cold call letters, postcards, newsletters, press releases, referral programs, ads in local news papers, etc.  You can also bid for jobs at job market places such as Monster.com or Guru.com. 

6.  Get business cards.  Check out the free ones being offered at VistaPrint.com or BizCards.com.

7.  Do a good job.  The only way to keep a client is to make sure to complete you tasks in a timely and friendly manner.  As a VA, you must be very organized.  Always send a thank you card to your clients after each new project.  This will give you the opportunity to ask for referrals to their friends and family.

For additional information, you can check Assistu.com and the International Virtual Assistants Association.  Both sites are very helpful.