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Digg it UP - How to Work with a Virtual Assistant
If you are like most notaries, you have been lured in by the promise of making $100,000 a year as a loan signing agent. Well, after you paid for your training, supplies, licensing fees, etc, you are left wondering how to even pay for the expenses you have accrued, let alone make a profit. Unfortunately, this business is not a get-rich-quick industry. It is just like any small business. It requires lots of hard work and perserverence and a little bit of initial capital. So, how do you get this business started?Business Cards The first step is to get business cards. Every notary must have a stack of business cards ready to hand out to anyone who will take them. These are your best forms of advertising, accompanied with a warm smile and fi
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 so
Wholesale Distribution is truly one of the best businesses in the world and one of the oldest ones. You can manufacture your products, import them or just buy them and sell them. Ether way there is plenty of business out there, it's profitable, it's fun, it's waiting!Becoming a wholesale distributor is more than just a trend. By taking out the middle man in your profits, you will enable yourself to reap the benefits of all the work you do, instead of paying someone else and seeing only a percentage. However, if you want to be a successful wholesale distributor, you will need to understand how to maximize your profits during each transaction.First of all, you want to know your product. While you might just want to sell the most expensive and popular item in the
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 som
Making a profit is the primary goal in any business enterprise. The same holds true for Internet businesses for sale. Profit is the excess of income over expense. Profit is an objective indicator of productivity, and a solid basis for growth, expansion and survival. Profit enables a businessman to realize his other objectives too.Not all enterprises are interested in making profits. For example, hospitals, schools, charitable institutions and government agencies are not basically concerned with the acquisition of profits. The non-profit enterprises customarily rely on gifts, endowments, receipts from money-raising projects, and subsidies. In profit-making enterprises, profit should not be the end in itself. Profit should be the beginning--acting as seed money for more prod
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 so
Are you a homeowner or a business owner who owns a home or a business in or around the Dallas area? If so, are you looking to have your home or office carpets cleaned? If you are, you may be looking to hire the services of a Dallas carpet cleaning company. When it comes to doing so, do you know how to find carpet cleaning companies in or around your area? If you are looking for more information on how to do so, you are urged to read on.When it comes to finding a Dallas carpet cleaning company, there are a number of different steps that you could take. Before examining those steps, it is important that you remember that Dallas carpet cleaning can come in a number of different formats. For instance, there are a number of Dallas carpet cleaning companies that specialize
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 so
Getting sales leads is vital to every business. Every business has to have customers; and prospective clients are what they identify as sales leads. Even the teenage girl who is eyeing some fashionable clothes in a magazine can be considered a sales lead. The typical sales leads, however, are those that have the potential to be customers whom sales people get in touch with in many ways, several times before they jump into conclusions in buying and procuring the company’s product or service. For many years now, sales people have had a hard time generating sales leads.1. Great Potential For LeadsWhat they don’t know is that they do not go or visit some places that have great potentials of sales leads. They fail to scout for areas that might bring in people who will be
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 so
Corporations have many constituents. But they seem to play to only one audience – the investment community or Wall Street. Any business is made up of workers, supervisors, managers and executives. They also have customers, suppliers and in many cases dealers or distributors. They have facilities in cities, towns and communities. Some have factories and others have only offices. But the fact is that all corporations touch the world they operate in beyond the narrow confines of where they raise money through investors – or Wall Street. So why do almost all corporations decisions revolve around how Wall Street will react? Are there alternatives?What is the problem?Most corporations can track performance to a “gnat’s eyelash” but do not spend time understanding
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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