Much have been said of successful Virtual Assistants; organized, competent, and creative are some qualities often mentioned to describe their work ethics. Underpinning these traits are three basics that can define success or failure.

1. Persistence – the Miriam-Webster dictionary defines it as “the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people.” Committing to a career in the Virtual Assistance industry will mean a continuous effort in networking, in reaching out to various professionals and businesses, and in learning cutting edge technology to offer prospective clients. Could be a tall order for an industry beginner but a quality that will be of extreme value in future. For example, long before a foreign language was considered an asset in an administrative career, I decided to learn French. I was 40 at the time; it took a couple of years and I was a full time student with very little money but I persisted. That decision landed me a job in an international think tank in Washington, DC.
2. Resourceful – Someone who’s resourceful is a problem-solver; steps up to the plate when confronted with challenges. Virtual Assistants are relied upon to resolve/facilitate all types of difficulties; from sourcing 100, 0.5 automatic pencils for a conference set to happen in an hour to making flight reservations for a three-continent trip for five members of the board who live in four different states. Of course, the Internet is a great source of material required for such tasks. It takes a resourceful even creative thinker to pare down the large amount of information so that the pencils are delivered and the directors are sent on their way.
3. Punctual – A Virtual Assistant’s middle name is Punctuality. Assignments are delivered on time if not earlier. The advantage of being an early bird on delivery means glitches are caught and ironed out long before these become problems. A conscientious VA is thorough and will ask questions on possible issues that may arise, while keeping in mind that most tasks have deadlines.

All enterprises pursue goals that will grow their businesses and The Help has consistently been a backbone for growth since it joined the Virtual Assistance industry in February 2008. Currently ranked third among 3,359 companies in the US by Elance, The Help is the epitome of persistence, resourcefulness, and punctuality.