Virtual Assistants (VAs) are highly skilled professionals who take the time to excel in their given area of expertise. They provide extensive marketing solutions, creative and innovative advertising campaigns, administrative support, proofing and editing capabilities, transcription, internet research, article and press release writing and distribution, and just about anything that a personal assistant or secretary would do, only better.

Being a virtual assistant is not an easy job.  It is similar to a personal assistant who is situated outside or in an office. The big difference, of course is from the title itself -work is done online or through the Internet.

Thoughtfully choosing virtual assistance as a career will help one in becoming a better VA even though the employer and VA are miles apart. The first thing that one must do is to prepare oneself for the job. A proper background is education. There’s no standard educational attainment on becoming a VA. Basic plus advance education will help anyone in this field.  One must comprehend and communicate well. S/he must understand instructions and follow those properly. And in cases that s/he needs clarification, s/he must not hesitate to ask questions. Second is the right training. Though there’s no particular task a VA must do, one must have the initiative to train oneself. Nowadays, online training is found easily with the use of Google, Bing, Yahoo, You Tube, etc.  Training oneself is a tool that one can use. This is the solution to any task or challenge.

Lastly, to become a better VA, one must have the proper equipment. This includes:  a good running high specs computer, a quality headset with microphone, a separate working office and a stable Internet connection.  Also, include an on-call ‘techy’ person or a technician. The computer is the mainstay of a VA’s job. One must invest in a quality brand that is proven reliable. High specifications with complete installed programs will make the job VA smooth.

One of the tasks of a VA is appointment setting, so it is a must for one to have a working headset and microphone. Most VA’s purchase equipment with a brand name. It is trusted because of quality results. As practicing VAs, we must also consider having a small but comfortable work area inside our home. Most VAs simply re-arrange a small room in the family home into an office. Tables and chairs are put in for use during working hours. Soundproofing the room is preferred by many VAs. One must also choose an internet service provider. DSL/wired connection is highly recommended for this job.

Virtual Assistants are the most professional and qualified partners that an employer can have. We work with companies to increase their business, to better their business image, and to increase their profitability.  Entrepreneurs and businesses can be more efficient by outsourcing administrative work and other specialized services to bring their business to a new level or market their goods for greater results. So VAs have to give 101% focus to employers. Seeing them successful is a great feeling knowing that one is part of their success.

Written by Alex L- The Help

A background in IT, good people skills, and confidence in oneself are the beginning Virtual Assistant’s essential tools.  Perfect service for our clients – if that’s what we’re aiming for – takes practice. A lot of practice! But to get there and stay on top of the game, we need to invest in training and continuing education. That translates to finding the time to learn and keep abreast of industry developments and office management practices.

A sure way of making time is to venture into the World Wide Web. Over the years I’ve learned to surf the Internet looking for education and training possibilities that I can do from home.  I discovered Coursera last May while searching for an art course.

Today, I start another one, Foundations of Virtual Instruction where I hope to know more about the “history of virtual education, explore innovative tools, and examine key issues related to K-12 virtual instruction.^1” I’m looking forward to improving my teaching skills as well. Below are three learning sites that may prove helpful to VAs.

Coursera

Offering free online classes, Coursera partners with more than 80 universities. The courses are varied and topics range from plant research, virtual instruction, and art. In the course Foundations in Virtual Instruction, learners are provided with “the foundation for understanding the movement towards virtual instruction. It introduces fundamental knowledge needed by teachers to succeed in a technology-dependent, instructional environment.^ibid”

Class Central

An initiative by Canvas.Net, the course X-word Grammar: The Simple Sentence is “intended for English language teachers and students, world language teachers and students, and everyone else wishing to understand the structure of English.^2” The course will strengthen writing and editing skills and solidify grasp of sentence mechanics.

Elance

Elance University offers over 23,000 online courses that are available for a fee. Registering in courses relevant to a Virtual Assistant’s career will pay huge dividends in future.

These three are just a drop in the sea of learning modules made available by the Internet; let’s use them, learn and stay ahead of the virtual industry game!

¹ https://www.coursera.org/course/virtualinstruction

² http://www.class-central.com/mooc/1141/canvas-net-x-word-grammar-the-simple-sentence

Written by Yoli P- The Help

Sometimes an idea just takes a life of its own.

Take the professional title “Virtual Assistant.” It was in a conversation in 1996 between Anastacia Brice and Thomas Leonard, the life coach, when he coined the term.¹ Seventeen years later Virtual Assistants are in every field of expertise and are providing professional business support worldwide

Occupying a niche, VAs are phenomenal professionals.  They are assets to businesses because they are not permanent hires making them cost effective. They are quick learners, adapting smoothly to job requirements.

It’s been said that virtual assistants (VAs) are lifelines for small businesses. VAs provide critical administrative services such as lessening pressure on a team in an understaffed office. They are the extra hands that take on work overflow during busy times.

VAs, however, are dependent on each client extending or renewing service contracts. Necessary to positive and continued business relationships are flexibility, timeliness, and work quality. Even so, providing clients with discounts will be appreciated. Word of mouth advertising is proven to be the best marketing tool.

A best practice that can prevent a rocky business relationship is making certain to follow up on all calls and messages. Clients have been lost because of VAs not returning calls promptly. Waiting a few hours or a day before calling back can give an impression of lackadaisical attitude. A VA’s Initiative to set up a time to Skype or Google chat with a customer will prevent communication problems in general.

To broaden VAs business offerings, it is imperative to hone old and learn new skills such as:

•             Social media management
•             Web design
•             Shopping cart set up and maintenance
•             Graphic arts
•             IT support

As W. Clement Stone said, “Always aim for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

¹Source: http://virtualassistantinc.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/virtual-assistant-history-the-birth-of-a-phenomenal-profession/

Written by Yoli P. – The Help

The last two decades witnessed the gradual growth and recent explosion of the virtual assistance industry particularly in the range of skill sets offered by professionals in the field. Virtual assistants or VAs can handle a variety of tasks some recurring such as scheduling of weekly meetings and handling forwarded calls when the client is away. They can make cold calls for a sales team when needed.

Why are VAs hired? There are many reasons but the most common is their being low-cost as well as minimum supervision they need. Low cost because they are paid based on services rendered. Experienced administrative assistants are gold mines. With very little supervision, they oversee virtual offices making sure that business managers and owners get their investments’ worth.

At The Help, clients are provided quality assistance at reasonable prices. Of course, a repeat client is more than welcome because a customer’s return to the same provider is evidence of satisfaction. Here are some reasons given by repeat patrons:

• Employees at The Help are skilled in customer service ensuring that client requirements are met. Its staff is adept at using Ring Central, Desk.com, Google Voice, and Microsoft Excel.
• The Help handles inbound or outbound telephone calls; managing and delivering in an effective, accurate manner and in accordance with agreed protocols. To support its goal of efficient communications, The Help uses RingCentral, Google Voice, and Vonage International.
• The Help does beta testing, subjecting software to further trials prior to its market release to make certain that the product has minimal faults or bugs thus preventing glitches for end users. For this type of work, they are experienced in the use of Test Flight and Apple devices.
• In bulk mailing, The Help works in a wide array of post office tasks such as receive letters and parcels; sell postage, revenue stamps, postal cards, and stamped envelopes; fill out and sell money orders; mail large numbers of identical printed items (snail mail, electronic mail). They also do mass emailing with the use of email sender applications such as AutoPilot, MailChimp, and Constant Contact.

Combining administrative best practices with technical expertise resulted in The Help, a fine-tuned virtual assistant. Now on its 8^th year, they are here to stay.

Written by Yoli P.- The Help

As homebased jobs become more accessible and large numbers of people choose working from home over traditional office work, it is important to remember that working from home is not for everyone. Certain aspects of this lifestyle change must be weighed before making a decision. Looking into both its advantages and disadvantages can prevent possible disappointments and financial setbacks.

Some advantages of working from home are:

• Saving time; no need to worry about commuting to the office everyday.  In only minutes, the computer is turned on, signing in is a breeze.
• Saving on transportation, food, and even clothing expenses.
• Being your own boss. Setting your own schedule, avoiding daycare, and spending more time with your family.

Now that some advantages are clear, here are the disadvantages of working from home:

• Distractions can disrupt concentration; may be difficult to deal with activities at home while working.
• Time management is important; challenges may present itself in separating office work from housework leading to missed deadlines.
• Used to working in an office environment, someone new to homebased work may be overwhelmed because of lack of social interaction. Working from home means working alone, no co-worker to chat with or even ask for help when needed.

Given these advantages and disadvantages,  it’s now up to the individual to decide if working from home is going to be to his/her advantage. The virtual assistance company, The Help has a number of moms and dads who work from home, full time (8 hours/day). They manage assignments and tasks in the evening or when kids are in school and are also able to attend to their family’s needs. Committment and creating a healthy work-life balance is very important in any type of professional activity. Careful examination of the many aspects involved in changing from traditional work environment to virtual work from home could lead to financial stability.

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” 
― Confucius

Written by Evyna A- The Help and  Edited by Yoli P- The Help