Is Virtual Sales Life/Work for You?

Publisher:	Mark Paul Braunstein
Date:	2008-03-07
Word count :	788

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Discover the secrets to starting your own successful virtual assistant business

Alex Greer

2007-07-10

		Title: Discover the secrets to starting your own successful virtual assistant business

Are you fed up with working 9-to-5? Bored of doing the same jobs every day? Not enough quality time with your family? There is a better way – it’s called being a virtual assistant.

As a virtual assistant you can choose to use your PA, secretarial, office or administrative skills to work with the clients that you choose, at hours to suit you, from your chosen location, in a way that fits in with your life. You can enjoy a better work/life balance and have the lifestyle you want.

There are many benefits to running your own VA business including:

• Set your own flexible working hours
• Enjoy your working day without a rush hour commute
• Achieve a high earning potential
• Discover the opportunity to expand your skill set
• Joining a rapidly growing industry

But many potential VAs make the crucial mistake of thinking that to be a VA all you need is a computer, a desk and an Internet connection. WRONG! It’s not about simply using your PA or administrative experience to provide VA services to a range of clients. You will need to be a business owner too and that requires another set of skills entirely. The ability to actually run your business will be key to your success.

So, ok, you have your years of experience in administration, or the like, and you have a computer or laptop at home, plus a broadband Internet connection. These are some of the key tools you will need as a VA. But where do you go from here?

You could do a bit of research on the Internet, maybe get some general business advice from your local business advisor, join an online network or just get going! Fine, if you are enterprising and have unlimited funds to subsidise your business until it really takes off. Or…..

…You could play it a little smarter and get yourself some training that is specifically aimed at becoming a virtual assistant, in terms of what services to offer, what fees to charge and how to find clients. Even better, look at courses that also show you how to be a business owner, so that you not only have a comprehensive VA business but you know how to run your VA business successfully and competently.

So if you are taking your first steps towards becoming a VA, you are a start-up VA or are even well-established, you should take a look the different training options available to you on how to structure, brand, market and sell your business and VA services to attract clients so that you become a successful and remarkable VA.

29 Advantages for an Attorney To Hire a Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant

Victoria Ring

2006-12-20

		Title: 29 Advantages for an Attorney To Hire a Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant

The new buzz word is virtual. From virtual games, virtual seminars, virtual phones and virtual everything else, the word is becoming a part of our everyday language. Now virtual has extended to service providers. There are millions of virtual assistants who work for doctors, lawyers, small and large business owners every day. In fact, the latest buzz is virtual bankruptcy assistants who are trained professionals specifically working for debtor bankruptcy attorneys. Below are 29 advantages for attorneys hiring a virtual bankruptcy assistant.

1. With the changes in the new bankruptcy law, the bankruptcy petition is no longer considered a data entry job. Instead, the bankruptcy petition is now at the heart of any bankruptcy practice. Therefore, drafting a well-detailed petition is a high-level skill that now requires professional training that VBAs have.

2. Some attorneys consider virtual bankruptcy assistants (VBAs) to be violators of UPL and refuse to entertain the idea of utilizing their services. But that trend is rapidly changing. Attorneys are now learning that professional legal VBAs are an integral part of a law firm practice.

3. Some attorneys turn away bankruptcy cases every day due to the changes in the new bankruptcy law. With a trained virtual bankruptcy assistant, the process is minimized for the attorney and the law firm profits are increased.

4. Most VBAs have many years of experience and love what they do. The only difference is that VBAs work from home instead of physically in the law firm.

5. VBAs take care of the everyday tasks which allow the attorney more time to grow and expand his/her practice.

6. If you have an internet connection, it doesn’t matter where your VBA is located. All communication is electronic. You now have the freedom to choose from thousands of VBAs and not be limited to your area alone.

7. Expand your law firm services for the elderly and handicapped that have difficulty traveling to your office. Send a VBA to conduct the client intake interview in the clients home at the clients convenience.

8. VBAs are normally available 24/7 and easy to contact by cell phone. In fact, most VBAs stay available for their attorneys after hours and on weekends since they know everything cannot be accomplished between 9:00 and 5:00.

9. Keep your money in your hand. You don’t pay a VBA until after the work has been completed to your satisfaction. Hiring employees does not provide this luxury.

10. Unlike employees, attorneys do not pay their VBA for time they spend daydreaming or being non-productive. VBAs charge their attorney clients either a flat fee for a particular job or an hourly fee based upon accurate reporting from time-tracker software installed on their computer.

11. Utilizing VBAs, debtor bankruptcy attorneys can increase their currently hourly fee by 400%. (See the book: How to Increase Profits for Your Law Firm, ISBN: 0976159198)

12. Even if your VBA goes on vacation, your workflow is not interrupted. Most VBAs have a network of other professionals who can assist during their absence.

13. VBAs normally have several attorney clients they serve. They often earn a higher income compared to working as an employee which is why the majority of VBAs are highly professional, organized and knowledgeable. The VBA and attorney both benefit financially. It’s a WIN/WIN situation.

14. The average VBA prefers working from home so they can spend more time with their family and less time commuting to and from an office. This makes the field attractive for thousands of professionally skilled women and men who provide high quality services to their attorney clients every day.

15. Because VBAs work from their home office with fewer interruptions, they usually have more time to provide attorneys with a higher level of detail that saves law firms thousands of dollars as well as mistakes that grow into huge problems!

16. Idea: One attorney filmed a 5-minute commercial about his law firm with his digital camera. He then sent the video on DVD to his VBA who edited it, added a professional introduction and placed it on his law firm website. The video has been one of the major keys in increasing the client base for the attorney.

17. If you hire a VBA who is located in your area, they often provide free pick up and delivery to your office. Some VBAs assist their attorney clients at court also.

18. A VBA never leaves your side. They are as close as your office or laptop computer, regardless of where you are located in the world! This doesn't happen when you hire employees to work inside the office 9:00 to 5:00.

19. Now you and your staff can prevent “desk overload.” VBAs aide in the reduction of workload for your paralegals and other law office personnel.

20. Forward your calls to a VBA and get more work done with fewer interruptions.

21. Some VBAs provide you with the option of calling into a telephone number, recording your dictation and the VBA retrieves the audio for transcribing. Completed documents are returned to you in MS Word format so you can tweak them before filing.

22. Unlike a salaried employee, if you are not happy with the work a VBA provides, you don’t pay the invoice. This will immediately reduce problems for law firms who seem to have internal employee issues.

23. VBAs are paid like any other vendor. They never share fees and work under the sole discretion of the attorney just like your office staff.

24. Hiring VBAs helps to eliminate office gossip that is common with salaried employees and costs your law firm money.

25. VBAs are notorious for keeping backups of their client’s work on CD-Rom. After the job is complete, you can request the CD-Rom be mailed to you or keep in the VBAs office as a back-up in case your computers fail.

26. Most paralegals are amazed with how VBAs relieve their heavy workload. In fact, VBAs are not taking the place of paralegals and your other office staff; they are providing an excellent support base for the entire law firm.

27. VBAs can be located in any state and still have access to electronic court records to conduct criminal record searches to ensure there are no additional debts the client has not revealed. They also can be located in any state to draft a bankruptcy petition since the Federal Forms and Schedules are the same in every state.

28. Save the high cost of investing into software programs. VBAs have already made the investment and can export files in PDF format for cross-platform review.

29. When salaried employees are sick or on vacation, the law firm normally still pays them. But when a VBA is ill or on vacation, you don’t pay anything. VBAs are only paid once the work is completed to the attorney’s satisfaction.

Testimonials from attorneys who utilize VBAs:

1. When I passed the bar exam and started my law practice, I was $100,000+ in debt with student loans. Utilizing VBAs has saved me thousands of dollars in office equipment and the costs of hiring and training new employees.

2. After hiring two VBAs I now have time to plan the direction I want my law practice to grow into and implement my ideas with better care.

3. VBAs like Geoff Gratz of Monkey Productions installed a remote connection on our computers whereby technical computer support is provided 24 hours a day, He doesn’t need to come to our office in Colorado which is 2,000 miles away. (Ref: Monkey Productions, 614-668-5037).

4. Unbelievable! Within 90 days after hiring a VBA, my law firm profits increased from $7,000 per month to $12,000 per month.

5. I expanded my personal injury law firm to offer bankruptcy services. The VBA I hired does the majority of the intake work and client intake interview because she is so knowledgable in bankruptcy. This has given me a lot more free time and my law firm profits increase 250% in only four months.

6. Since I hired two VBAs and moved to my own home office, I now only need to put on a suit and tie when I go to court.

To locate virtual bankruptcy assistants, visit http://www.713training.com/directory/

To receive more bankruptcy petition drafting tips subscribe to the free Bankruptcy Training News at http://www.713training.com/subscribe.html

AUTHOR BIO:

Victoria Ring is a Certified Paralegal and Bankruptcy Specialist. She has developed an entire line of training products and holds several seminars per year in drafting bankruptcy petitions. Her training materials have been approved by NALS for 7 CLE credits. Additionally, Victoria Ring provides speaking and in-house training services for bankruptcy law firms. Visit her website at http://www.713training.com

How to Work with a Virtual Assistant

Patty Benton

2005-12-13

		Title: How to Work with a Virtual Assistant

When someone asks me what I do, and I tell them I am a Virtual Assistant, I am bombarded with questions. What is a Virtual Assistant? Who uses a Virtual Assistant? How much do they charge? How can they complete my work without being in my office? How is a Virtual Assistant more beneficial than someone in my office? How do I know that I can trust the hours they charge and that they won’t share my personal information? How do I go about finding a Virtual Assistant that is a “match” for me? These are all legitimate questions that someone considering hiring a Virtual Assistant needs to ask and have the answers to.

What is a Virtual Assistant?

A Virtual Assistant is a person or company that completes a variety of administrative, web, and computer work virtually. This means that they complete the work from their office and send it to their client via email, web link, postal mail, or fax. Communication is mainly done via email and phone, with many Virtual Assistants never meeting their client face to face.

Who uses a Virtual Assistant?

Anyone can. Real estate agents, coaches, non-profit, churches, small business owners, and big corporations are a few that can benefit from the services of a Virtual Assistant. The benefit of a Virtual Assistant is that they can be used on an “as-needed” basis, or a client can contract them to work so many hours a month.

How can they complete my work without being in my office?

The power of technology allows work to be done from anywhere. Some Virtual Assistants will connect their computer to a client’s and work directly on the client’s computer. Other options are to send work via email, postal mail, and even put it on the web and have clients download it. Depending on the project, a Virtual Assistant can find a way to complete the work and make sure the client gets it.

How is a Virtual Assistant more beneficial than someone in my office?

The main benefits of a Virtual Assistant to someone in an office are financial and space. An average office employee makes $43.54/hour (United States Bureau of Labor Statistics March, 2003) with their benefits package and wage. By the time an in-office employee takes breaks, lunch, restroom breaks, and chatting with others in the office, think of how much money is wasted! A Virtual Assistant will charge their client ONLY for the time spent working on the project and they pay their own benefits.

The other benefit is space. Having another person in an office means somewhere to put another desk, computer, and other office equipment needed by that employee (plus the cost of all this equipment and maintenance). Virtual Assistants provide their own work space, computer, equipment, maintenance, etc. In addition, most Virtual Assistants will cover the cost of supplies, which for an employee, the employer must also provide. When adding up these costs, the Virtual Assistant comes out as a far cheaper option.

How do I know that I can trust the hours they charge and that they won’t share my personal information?

Most Virtual Assistants use some sort of software to track their time in and out. There are several software programs that allow the user to punch in and out, just like a punch clock. It tracks the time, and at anytime the user can create a “report” that vouches for time spent and can be sent to a client when needed. As a Virtual Assistant, I use TraxTime. This allows me to record my time working, and easily punch out if I need to take care of something personal. It also allows me to make memos as to what I am working on, so a client has an idea of how long something takes to be completed. All Virtual Assistants have their own preference of software they like to use, but all work under the same ethics that they charge only for time spent working on a project. They won’t charge you for their lunch break, or the call that came in from another client. Obviously, Virtual Assistants work on the honor system of punching out for personal time. Clients always have the right to find another Virtual Assistant to work with if they feel their Virtual Assistant is charging them for time not spent on their project.

As for sharing a client’s company information, clients need to be sure to have a contract in place that ensures their company secrets and information will not be shared. Many Virtual Assistants have “niched” an industry, and this results in them having competing clients. With a contract in place, they cannot share a client’s information or use it to help another client. And to speak logically on this, if a Virtual Assistant did this, they would lose the faith and trust of clients, which would result in the failure of their business. So, it is not to their benefit to share a client’s information. But, to protect themselves, clients should be sure to sign a privacy clause in a contract.

How much do they charge?

The general price ranges from $20 to $50+ per hour depending on the services requested and the Virtual Assistants experience and degree. Many Virtual Assistants offer a “retainer plan” for those clients that are willing to commit to a certain number of hours per month. With a retainer plan, a client can get a discount on hourly rates.

How do I go about finding a Virtual Assistant that is a “match” for me?

As I mentioned previously, many Virtual Assistants find a “niche” which is an area they excel in. A client needs to find a Virtual Assistant that niches in their area of expertise and that offers the services they need. Some clients find it beneficial to have 2 or 3 Virtual Assistants that have different areas of expertise. The most important thing in finding a Virtual Assistant is not cost, or even area of expertise, but do you match well? Do you have the same work ethics? Do you have personalities that will work well together? Finding someone you feel comfortable with is the most important because a Virtual Assistant will become your partner in business and will help your business become even more successful.

Patty Benton is the owner of JERPAT Virtual Assistants and JERPAT Web Design, www.moretime4u.org, which provides affordable administrative and web design support to coaches, small businesses, religious organizations, and realtors. Additionally, Patty is a coach for new entrepreneurs interested in venturing into the virtual assistance industry. She has developed a program that is affordable for all. Visit her coaching site at www.virtualvacoach.com for program details and great business resources. If you would like to receive Patty's articles and other tips in your mailbox every month, you can sign up at www.mortime4u.org/home.html.

You have permission to reprint this article electronically or in print, as long as the text and byline remain unedited. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

Discover the secrets to starting your own successful virtual assistant business

Carmen MacDougall

2008-05-04

		Title: Discover the secrets to starting your own successful virtual assistant business

Are you fed up with working 9-to-5? Bored of doing the same jobs every day? Not enough quality time with your family? There is a better way â€“ itâ€™s called being a virtual assistant.

As a virtual assistant you can choose to use your PA, secretarial, office or administrative skills to work with the clients that you choose, at hours to suit you, from your chosen location, in a way that fits in with your life. You can enjoy a better work/life balance and have the lifestyle you want.

There are many benefits to running your own VA business including:

â€¢ Set your own flexible working hours
â€¢ Enjoy your working day without a rush hour commute
â€¢ Achieve a high earning potential
â€¢ Discover the opportunity to expand your skill set
â€¢ Joining a rapidly growing industry

But many potential VAs make the crucial mistake of thinking that to be a VA all you need is a computer, a desk and an Internet connection. WRONG! Itâ€™s not about simply using your PA or administrative experience to provide VA services to a range of clients. You will need to be a business owner too and that requires another set of skills entirely. The ability to actually run your business will be key to your success.

So, ok, you have your years of experience in administration, or the like, and you have a computer or laptop at home, plus a broadband Internet connection. These are some of the key tools you will need as a VA. But where do you go from here?

You could do a bit of research on the Internet, maybe get some general business advice from your local business advisor, join an online network or just get going! Fine, if you are enterprising and have unlimited funds to subsidise your business until it really takes off. Orâ€¦..

â€¦You could play it a little smarter and get yourself some training that is specifically aimed at becoming a virtual assistant, in terms of what services to offer, what fees to charge and how to find clients. Even better, look at courses that also show you how to be a business owner, so that you not only have a comprehensive VA business but you know how to run your VA business successfully and competently.

So if you are taking your first steps towards becoming a VA, you are a start-up VA or are even well-established, you should take a look the different training options available to you on how to structure, brand, market and sell your business and VA services to attract clients so that you become a successful and remarkable VA.

Virtual Sales Dealmakers

Negoish

2008-01-30

		Title: Virtual Sales Dealmakers

You are ready to take the next step in our Virtual Sales Community
with our custom On-Demand Applications CyberTility between Sales
Partners, Sales Alliances and Sales Affiliates to increase your sales
revenue by 50 for your "new/existing" business. Take your "Free" Evaluator to
qualify as a top sales producer worldwide.

Negoish.com has realized it's technological goals over many years of
R&D to develop and implement turnkey business solutions on the web
for your company, yourself, and your family. We are ready to increase
your sales revenue by 50 in the P&L, budget, or small business space. The matrix is limitless
for each client to maximize their resources, technology, marketing and
sales for huge market share.

Negoish:WEB gives you a virtual interface directly through an internet,
intranet and extranet [VPN] virtual private network between sales
partners, sales alliances, and sales affiliates to support your needs.

Negoish:DIRECT provides customized hardware, software and services
to integrate the hottest client/server configurations possible with the
greatest [ROI] return on investment. Each user has his/her own private
sales control panel to navigate their own independent business group.

Negoish:UNIT v1.0 has been designed with unlimited webcentric scalability
to be viewed as a vision of technological forward thinking. This outstanding
"new" business model with twelve great men as the senior management
team have created opportunities for very large f100 companies who are
interested in launching "new" virtual sales projects, sales entrepreneurs
who are thinking about "new" f500 virtual companies, sales management
who are dreaming of "new" f1000 virtual clients and sales professionals
who are hoping to get finished with sales their quota and get home to their
virtual home business on the beach, boat, or RV.

Negoish:UNIT v1.0 provides on-line services with your user i.d. and password
all the necessary template databases, documents, plans and lead generation
software to facilitate any size deal for your clients. You have a team of
tremendous leadership to back you from start to finish to generate "new"
business for huge profits. You have realtime virtual capabilities to make full scale interactive voice, data, video and text presentations in a consultative mode for huge long term contract deals.

We perform at the highest level of genius knowledge and pedigree's from
the government [lawman], military [intelman], legal [judge], scientific
[technologist], financial [banker], information technology [motivator]
and dealmaker [negoish].

This webcentric turnkey business solution for sales partners, sales alliances
and sales affiliates is extremely user friendly for virtual sales closers.
You have a multi-interactive, multi-integrated, multi-tasking and multi-user
platform with a host of unique, simple and fun sales tools to generate your
team [QP] quota.

Each virtual dealmaker can use his/her capabilities in the sales process from
start to finish with your customized sales control panel to market and sell
"best of breed" technologies based on your own specialization plus our
complete portfolio of intellectual property assets for sparkling growth.

We use "state of the art" hardware, software and services that can be
customized to your exact technical specifications. Integrate all your existing digital appliances to maximize your [RRS] Re-Ducing Re-Capitalization System combined with your [IPP] Independent Profit Plan
for your wealth and prosperity.

This could be exactly what you are looking for a "new" virtual business venture or a "new" virtual business project where all your marketing and sales related experience can be exploited and applied. You can focus on sales development and sales production opportunities to provide yourself shared equities, shared profits and shared benefits for your next success.

We can assist you right now to determine if your ready to step forward into
the world's first virtual sales community with our "free" evaluator and "free"tour integrated with your "free" consultation to help you make the big move
into a virtual profit center.

Our Virtual Sales Community can protect you, can stimulate you, and can
provide you with an opportunity for virtual transition for your most important sales related skills needed in the future.

What if it's all green being in a virtual sales community?

Virtual Secretary Jobs: Should You Start Your Own Virtual Assisting Business?

2007-12-11

		Title: Virtual Secretary Jobs: Should You Start Your Own Virtual Assisting Business?

If you’ve been looking for a virtual secretary job or online data entry job, and haven’t had any luck, you may have considered starting your own virtual assistant business. A virtual assistant works for themselves – and creates their own client base. If you want to work from home and have more control over the amount you earn, the types of projects you accept, and the number of hours you work, then starting a virtual assisting business may be the right work at home option for you.

In order to become a virtual assistant, you will need a computer with a reliable Internet connection, fax machine, dedicated phone line, and the ability to market your services effectively.

Vital Skills for Virtual Assistants

Virtual assistants provide services that traditional secretaries do not. These include technical writing, editing, desktop publishing, and web design. Even though you may not possess these skills, if you've worked as an administrative assistant or you have experience in business writing, marketing, public relations, event planning, or legal experience, you should be able to use these skills when promoting your business. Many of your virtual assisting clients may need your help with email inquiries and content management – basically, a person to handle their daily small tasks while they focus on their main jobs. A good dose of web-savvy is a great launching point for a virtual assistant business.

Traditional secretarial skills like typing, transcription, monitoring email, setting up meetings, updating calendars, and reviewing documents are also needed by those too busy to do this type of work themselves. Depending on your prior experiences, you may be able to offer a wide variety of services to prospective clients. Keep in mind that you can also learn new skills once your business is up and running – don’t be afraid to ask your potential clients what daily web chores they could do without on a daily basis.

Finding and Retaining Virtual Assisting Clients

Virtual assistants market themselves in many different ways, and you’ll want to find what works for you. Like most small businesses, marketing your services is important if you want to maintain a certain level of income. Using the Internet to conduct searches in online classifieds, joining social networking groups, freelance job sites, and contacting people you know are all ways to find work.

A great place to find prospective clients is LinkedIn.com – an online networking community for business professionals. You can give and receive recommendations and target businesses in your area of expertise by answering questions and participating in groups.

Offline promotions can offer just as much business as your online marketing campaign. This may mean taking out an ad in your local newspaper, networking with people you already know, going to conferences and other functions to meet people in need of your services, or making phone calls to companies you believe could benefit from your services.

Once you have a steady stream of clients, you should continue your marketing efforts by attending social functions, updating your website if you have one, and making phone calls to companies in your area who might need your services. Unlike other jobs you've had in the past, clients who use your services will come and go, so you need to be prepared to find new clients at any time.

Average Income and Terms of Payment for VA's

If you live in an urban area, you will probably earn more than someone who lives in a rural area because the need for virtual assistants is less. The average virtual assistant earns $20.00-$25.00 per hour and works at least 20-30 hours a week. You can choose to be paid weekly, bi-weekly, per project, or you can work with clients on a retainer. A retainer, commonly used in the legal profession, is paid by the client in order to secure your services. A monetary amount is agreed upon by the client and the business owner for a set number of hours during the month. If you work fewer hours, you get to keep the full retainer. If you work over the set amount, then you can invoice the client for any extra hours worked.

Because you are the owner of a small business, you will be responsible for health care, retirement funds, and other expenses that an employer usually pays their employees.

Becoming a virtual assistant may mean working long hours in the beginning until you have enough clients. You may also have to work occasionally in the evening, on weekends, and during holidays.

Virtual Assistance: The Future of Virtual Secretaries

Currently, there are 3,000 to 5,000 virtual assistants working worldwide. The number keeps getting bigger as more companies take advantage of the services offered by those who want to work from home.

If you want to start a virtual assisting business, creating a sound business plan, having enough in savings to pay for living costs until you begin earning a steady income and aggressively marketing your services to various industries are all important to your success. But once you establish yourself, there are many opportunities to be had in this profession.

Discover the secrets to starting your own successful virtual assistant business

Alex Greer

2007-07-10

		Title: Discover the secrets to starting your own successful virtual assistant business

The Review of the Virtual Smart Agent

Christopher Raine

2008-04-17

		Title: The Review of the Virtual Smart Agent

In recent months you may have noticed a movement towards the use of Virtual Sales Staff on websites, so what makes "Virtual Sales Agent" different from these.

Basically there are two types of service on the market today and both of which incur a regular cost.

The two types are:

1. Monthly paid

2. Pay Per sale

Apart from the need to have ongoing costs, you also need to enter into backwords and forwards discussions to get your campaigns correct. So you do not have your own easily accessible interface to make adjustments to your project. So now you can see what is already on the market, lets talk about the "Virtual Smart Agent"

"The Virtual Sales Agent-The Review"

Not surprisingly based upon the points above this software is totally customisable from its own cpanel and there are NO.....

Commissions to pay or...Monthly Fees Charged

This product was created by Dave Guindon and during his own and selected Beta testers tests of the product have shown an increase in their sales to the tune of 20% to 80% with an average improvement in sales of 40%.

The amazing thing about this software is that these sales increases are taking place when the visitor is ready to leave, that's right under normal circumstances these visitors would say "Good bye" most probably for good and because of the Virtual Smart Agents interaction they stay and buy the products.

Here's some of the key benefits of this ground breaking software:

1.Increase your website conversions up to 20-40% in a little as 2 weeks!

2.Dramatically reduce your shopping cart abandonment

3.Instantly increase the value of each website visitor

4.Improve your website visitor's experience (builds trust and repeat business).

5.Increase your customer loyalty and overall satisfaction

6.Quickly grow a highly responsive opt-in list of interested prospects.

7.Reduce labor costs.

8.Save time by reducing questions and support requests

9.Up-sell or cross-sell similar and/or additional products to boost your revenue.

10.Find out WHY customers are leaving your site.

11.One installation works on ALL your websites... boost your entire business!

I suppose a good way of looking at this software would be to consider it as your very own virtual sales person, operating 365 days a year 24/7.

The Downsides Of This Product

By now you may have guessed that I'm a fan, and I don't deny it. The only downside for most people is the cost of buying internet products.

This product with all its features and benefits in my opinion should be priced at $197 to $297. at the very least, its quality deserves that price tag.

However, for a small period it is available at a knock down discounted price of $97. This I believe will rise on the 15th of April. so it is in your interests to make your own judgment and decide whether this is the right product for your business and whether you feel you can benefit.

Discover the Secrets to Starting your Own Successful Virtual Assistant Business

Alex Greer

2007-07-10

		Title: Discover the Secrets to Starting your Own Successful Virtual Assistant Business

How to Work With a Virtual Assistant

Patty Benton

2007-07-01

		Title: How to Work With a Virtual Assistant

By Patty Benton
www.moretime4u.org
© 2005 JERPAT Virtual Assistants

When someone asks me what I do, and I tell them I am a Virtual Assistant, I am bombarded with questions. What is a Virtual Assistant? Who uses a Virtual Assistant? How much do they charge? How can they complete my work without being in my office? How is a Virtual Assistant more beneficial than someone in my office? How do I know that I can trust the hours they charge and that they won’t share my personal information? How do I go about finding a Virtual Assistant that is a “match” for me? These are all legitimate questions that someone considering hiring a Virtual Assistant needs to ask and have the answers to.

What is a Virtual Assistant?

A Virtual Assistant is a person or company that completes a variety of administrative, web, and computer work virtually. This means that they complete the work from their office and send it to their client via email, web link, postal mail, or fax. Communication is mainly done via email and phone, with many Virtual Assistants never meeting their client face to face.

Who uses a Virtual Assistant?

Anyone can. Real estate agents, coaches, non-profit, churches, small business owners, and big corporations are a few that can benefit from the services of a Virtual Assistant. The benefit of a Virtual Assistant is that they can be used on an “as-needed” basis, or a client can contract them to work so many hours a month.

How can they complete my work without being in my office?

The power of technology allows work to be done from anywhere. Some Virtual Assistants will connect their computer to a client’s and work directly on the client’s computer. Other options are to send work via email, postal mail, and even put it on the web and have clients download it. Depending on the project, a Virtual Assistant can find a way to complete the work and make sure the client gets it.

How is a Virtual Assistant more beneficial than someone in my office?

The main benefits of a Virtual Assistant to someone in an office are financial and space. An average office employee makes $43.54/hour (United States Bureau of Labor Statistics March, 2003) with their benefits package and wage. By the time an in-office employee takes breaks, lunch, restroom breaks, and chatting with others in the office, think of how much money is wasted! A Virtual Assistant will charge their client ONLY for the time spent working on the project and they pay their own benefits.

The other benefit is space. Having another person in an office means somewhere to put another desk, computer, and other office equipment needed by that employee (plus the cost of all this equipment and maintenance). Virtual Assistants provide their own work space, computer, equipment, maintenance, etc. In addition, most Virtual Assistants will cover the cost of supplies, which for an employee, the employer must also provide. When adding up these costs, the Virtual Assistant comes out as a far cheaper option.

How do I know that I can trust the hours they charge and that they won’t share my personal information?

Most Virtual Assistants use some sort of software to track their time in and out. There are several software programs that allow the user to punch in and out, just like a punch clock. It tracks the time, and at anytime the user can create a “report” that vouches for time spent and can be sent to a client when needed. As a Virtual Assistant, I use TraxTime. This allows me to record my time working, and easily punch out if I need to take care of something personal. It also allows me to make memos as to what I am working on, so a client has an idea of how long something takes to be completed. All Virtual Assistants have their own preference of software they like to use, but all work under the same ethics that they charge only for time spent working on a project. They won’t charge you for their lunch break, or the call that came in from another client. Obviously, Virtual Assistants work on the honor system of punching out for personal time. Clients always have the right to find another Virtual Assistant to work with if they feel their Virtual Assistant is charging them for time not spent on their project.

As for sharing a client’s company information, clients need to be sure to have a contract in place that ensures their company secrets and information will not be shared. Many Virtual Assistants have “niched” an industry, and this results in them having competing clients. With a contract in place, they cannot share a client’s information or use it to help another client. And to speak logically on this, if a Virtual Assistant did this, they would lose the faith and trust of clients, which would result in the failure of their business. So, it is not to their benefit to share a client’s information. But, to protect themselves, clients should be sure to sign a privacy clause in a contract.

How much do they charge?

The general price ranges from $20 to $50+ per hour depending on the services requested and the Virtual Assistants experience and degree. Many Virtual Assistants offer a “retainer plan” for those clients that are willing to commit to a certain number of hours per month. With a retainer plan, a client can get a discount on hourly rates.

How do I go about finding a Virtual Assistant that is a “match” for me?

As I mentioned previously, many Virtual Assistants find a “niche” which is an area they excel in. A client needs to find a Virtual Assistant that niches in their area of expertise and that offers the services they need. Some clients find it beneficial to have 2 or 3 Virtual Assistants that have different areas of expertise. The most important thing in finding a Virtual Assistant is not cost, or even area of expertise, but do you match well? Do you have the same work ethics? Do you have personalities that will work well together? Finding someone you feel comfortable with is the most important because a Virtual Assistant will become your partner in business and will help your business become even more successful.

© 2005 JERPAT
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