Earn Money as a Professional Virtual Assistant
Virtual Office Jobs For Stay-at-Home Workers
Oct 11, 2009
Virtual assistants operate out of the comfort of their homes to earn a full or part-time income. Working from home can benefit single parents in many ways. By avoiding long commutes, car expenses, work clothing and paying for nannies, a single parent can care for family members at home while working as a professional office assistant.
Starting a small business with the help of an online staffing agency that works with thousands of virtual assistants can be a great way to pick up extra work.
Virtual Personal Assistants
According to the Alliance for Virtual Business, Virtual Assistants are "independent entrepreneurs providing professional administrative, creative, managerial, technical, business office and/or personal support services."
Successful administrative virtual assistants will have spent two or more years in a brick and mortar business as an assistant to a top manager. Virtual assistants can work from home while providing small businesses a way to save money while providing office solutions.
Start a Virtual Assistant Business
TeamDoubleClick is a staffing agency which works with thousands of virtual assistants. Offering clients cost-effective solutions, this company provides professional virtual assistants who can offer small and home-based businesses a real person to deal with real problems in a virtual relationship.
What does a staffing agency like TeamDoubleClick look for?
- willingness to make cold calls
- previous experience as an administrative assistant
- availability to answer the client's phones
- availability to work M-F during regular business hours
- provide customer service solutions
- make cold calls
- provide professional, administrative, creative support services
- provide managerial, technical, business and/or personal support services
If hired by TeamDoubleClick, each new virtual assistant starts out with a client that may only require two to four hours of work per week. TeamDoubleClick (TDC) wants to see each assistant prove their worth before they are allowed to add new clients or a larger clientele. Keeping a regular 9-5 schedule is required and each VA will be expected to handle all clients with an expert, reliable, confidential attitude.
According to TDC, "Virtual assistants use the most advanced means of communication along with the newest and most efficient office products to create successful business relationships regardless of geographic boundaries." Training at Team Double Click is accomplished through online self-study.
Becoming a Virtual Assistant
Successful virtual assistants must have the traits necessary to work well with clients who will be in contact via internet or phone, not in-person.
- pleasant and positive attitude
- self-motivated, confident
- good typing and office skills
- proficient in computer programs (word, excel, etc..)
- can handle complaints/bill pay/manage paperwork
- make appointments, handle mail, plan and schedule meetings
- blog creation/management
- writing newsletters/proof reading/copy editing/desktop publishing
Virtual Assistant Training
Another top of the line company offering a virtual assistant training program is AssistUdotcom. AssistU offers a twenty week-long training program to support virtual assistant certification. If a hopeful assistant is committed to high standards of integrity, service, professionalism and commitment, this might be the right virtual profession to pursue.
To meet a successful virtual assistant, this video clip from the NBC Today TV show will clarify the job stats in just a few minutes of viewing time. Whether a virtual assistant wannabe looks at AssistU or Team Double Click, it won't take very long to realize that this position could be a perfect fit for those who want to leave the corporate world to work from home, utilizing their sophisticated work skills in a home-business environment.
Can a virtual assistant survive on this business alone? The AssistU website insists, "They can absolutely survive financially on this business alone." Virtual assistants are able to work from home while staying connected to the business world at large.
For more ideas on how to earn money from home:
Part Time Business Opportunities at Home
Earn Commissions Selling Stock Photos
Money Making Ideas – Flexible Part Time Work
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