|
|
| Small Business Information |
|
|
|
|
Getting Behind in Your Work? You Need a Virtual Assistant!
If you don't know what a Virtual Assistant (or VA) is, don't worry. I only came across the term myself about a year ago. It seemed like a high-tech occupation that I would know little about until I stumbled across some information and found out that I was a Virtual Assistant! Not only that, I realized that small businesses were missing out on the opportunity to improve their efficiency by neglecting the vast talent so easily available online. What Is A Virtual Assistant? The term Virtual Assistant started in the mid 90's. Virtual Assistants are really the same as telecommuters, usually performing administrative tasks for businesses and working out of their own homes instead of the office they provide services for. Using a Virtual Assistant can be a low budget alternative to hiring full or part-time staff. Fees are variable and often range from $15 -100/hr depending on the work or specialty. For small businesses, even one-man (or woman) businesses, a VA can dramatically ease your work load at a very reasonable cost. Virtual Assistants provide needed skills such as proofreading, bookkeeping, website design, writing, data management and more. Some specialists work with the real estate or medical fields. Others handle the day-to-day tasks or help you with certain projects ? all on an as-you-need basis. How Do I Choose A Virtual Assistant? There are several associations such as the IVAA (International Virtual Assistants Association) which provide the names of screened Virtual Assistants. Another way to find a good Virtual Assistant is by word-of-mouth. As with any freelance job, it is wise to establish if the worker is efficient and responsible as you cannot always follow up in person. All Virtual Assistants should have a privacy policy if not a member of an association. This shows that they understand that your business information is confidential and will take steps to ensure your privacy. Finding a Virtual Assistant that you feel comfortable with can lead to a relationship that gives you the freedom to pass assignments over without the need to re-educate them about your business. A personal virtual assistant will learn your business through projects, and apply that knowledge to all of your assignments. I have had great joy in learning how being a Virtual Assistant can benefit small businesses in handling their tasks. It is a rewarding experience to meet new individuals, be exposed to various business that are being run online, and to develop relationships with clients all over the world that can count on me. Consider what hiring a Virtual Assistant for your business could do for you! Shannon Emmanuel is a freelance author and Virtual Assistant, check out her available services at: http://www.assistant-for-hire.com
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Starting a Virtual Assistant Business If you're organized, smart, capable and willing to work with deadlines, you could start a virtual assistance business and cash in on your skills without having to commit to an employer (you'd be your own boss instead) or the "cube life". A VA (virtual assistant) is basically like an administrative assistant (or whatever duties need to be filled, such as writing, link building etc) that serves in a virtual capacity. What this means is that they are independent contractors, and not employees of individual companies. Is Brick and Mortar A Passing Fad? Q: Is the online world the best place to sell a product or service these days? My friends seem to think that brick and mortar stores will totally disappear in the future. I debate this all the time with them, but it seems to be heading that way. Your thoughts? - Alex H. Mobile Detailing Environmental Concern in the Deep South Macon, GA goes after garage-gas station conversion detail/hand car washes for allowing storm drain pollution. I can remember a time when we were in the Macon GA. we stopped and talked to be head of the DEP and showed them pictures of people polluting after someone complained about our company we knew it was a competitor. They looked at the pictures and then looked us in the eyes and said "we do not want any problems around here, you must be from somewhere else are you from California?" we said yes, we were from California, but that makes no difference, because you are not allowed to pollute anywhere in this country no matter where you are because the NPDES permits requires that you follow EPA laws. Provide Affordable Health Care To Employees At Little To No Cost To You You can provide affordable health care plans to your employees. If you feel overwhelmed by health care plan costs, you may be able to achieve far more than you believe. Here is how. Employee Relations Manual Sample Outline Most smart entrepreneurs and all large corporations have Employee Relations Manuals. Nearly all businesses with over five or more employees have some sort of employee manuals but not all have Employee Relations Manuals for their managers. It is important in today's litigious lawyer trap to have a good policy in place to protect you from a bad decision or improper handling of an employee situation by a manager. All too often a minor incident can lead to a problematic situation and end up in court, union arbitration or a hefty fine from a government regulatory agency which often tend to side with the employee, regardless of fact. Competition in the Mobile Car Wash Industry We have all seen the mobile washing units cruising our city, usually they are trucks, vans or trailer set ups with a water tank and a pressure washer unit aboard. They market their services with flyers and business cards, however most of their business comes from weekly repeats and referrals. Some cities have hundreds of these units going around the city cleaning stuff. You may think what a great business, but like in any business there is a competitive component to the industry, which is not so obvious on first observation. Specialty Advertising in C-Stores It appears the mini-blimp indoor theme and concept is making significant headway. We have seen them in the halls of Congress sniffing for anthrax. What else can we use them for? C-Stores can use Mini Blimps Advertising and Surveillance to prevent Shoplifting. These can be paid for by beer vendors, soda vendors as advertising signs, which float around the store like a pool sweeper around the family pool. It does not have to be a blimp shape, it could very well be any shape such as a giant banana or a football? 11 Things Small Business Owners Can Learn From The Supreme Court 1. Have A Strong Constitution ? Justices deliver decisions by interpreting the U.S. Constitution. Never let the challenges of running your small business overwhelm your judgment. Freelance Tips: How to Cope with Spring Fever When Theres Work to Be Done We all know how glorious those first warm days of spring feel. The trees are blooming, the birds are singing... boy, it's sure hard to keep your head out of the clouds when the skies are blue and the sun's shining brightly. 5 Tips for Hiring a GREAT Bookkeeper Bookkeeping?the "dreaded" word is something we all have to worry about. Business owners rarely go into business to deal with the financial aspects of running a business. It's easy to understand why! Who wants to do all those boring record keeping functions? Not many. Therefore, one of the first things most entrepreneurs do is hire a bookkeeper. Though hiring a friend, relative or anyone who isn't experienced with the basics of bookkeeping may be a recipe for DISASTER! Secrets of Cleaning Truck Trailers in Your Fleet from a Veteran Truck Washer Cleaning the trailers towed by big trucks is not easy, those big forty-foot to fifty-three foot boxes are quite intimidating up close when you are holding nothing more than a brush and pressure washer gun, looking at a soap bucket. The hardest thing to do is to clean the back doors of trailers because they get really greasy from all the debris and stuff the truck has driven through. When they run through bad weather areas, they get even dirtier. Pay special attention to rear doors on trailers. Sometimes you'll have to brush them twice. You may even have to do them three times until you get them right. Use a harsh soap or degreaser and watch for left over dirt around the tubular bars that act as the door locks and sealing mechanism. Now on the top of the sides of the trailer you'll have lots of soot if you have a tractor that's been leaking or maybe has a small oil leak or an exhaust problem. This leaves this big exhaust stain down the side of the trailer from the exhaust stack on the tractor. This is a problem because it is hard to clean and you need to clean it. So sometimes you will have to stand on top of the tractor and brush downward. This is done because you cannot get enough leverage from the ground. You may need to pour cleaner directly on your brush or you may need to put cleaner directly on the sides of the trailer. You may need to do both. Make sure the brush is really wet and then set the nozzle on the spray bottle for a steady stream. Spray with the wind and shoot the spray up to the top of the trailer and kind of saturate it a little bit. Then brush it. Now it should be able to come clean. Make sure you rinse really well; otherwise you'll have soap streaks running down the sides. These will be black soap streaks because they will have some of the exhaust mixed in with the soap. How to Profit from Business Consulting Opportunities Business consulting opportunities might be just what your are looking for in a home based business. 6 Steps to a Successful Medical Spa Expansion According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, since 1997, nonsurgical procedures have increased by 471 percent. Jeff Russell, CEO of MedSpa Financing, comments "Medical Spas are a natural progression of medical practice expansion, having a medical doctor run them gives them the credibility and public confidence needed for their success." North County San Diego Small Business North County San Diego has had some significant growth, and it appears to be a wonderful place to run a business. It has a strong middle class upward bias and plenty of opportunity and employment. If you are thinking of a place to live near the California Coast some of the best weather in the World you might consider it. Lots businesses, customers and cash flow. We visited Legoland in Carlsbad, California. What a great theme park for the whole family. Creating Lists to Learn About Yourself, Your Business and Your Customers I love lists. I make them for everything. And I'm not just talking about groceries, things to do this week or places to see before I die; but more important lists that help me learn about myself, my business and my life. Pressure Washer Concrete Cleaning Equipment Cleaning concrete is tough and there is an easy way and a hard way. There is one thing you need to understand when you are pressure washer cleaning concrete; the concrete cannot always be made to look brand new again after it has been stained. You can always get stains lighter or bleached but completely removing it is very difficult, sometimes you get lucky, but if you are looking for perfection, chances are you will be underwhelmed. So when talking to customers let them know up front and explain this to them otherwise they will be asking for a job that just can't be done unless the entire concrete slab is ripped up and re-poured. New Habits, Rebounding Economy Help To Sell Giftware and Collectibles Just a few years ago, when one thought of a home-based sales business, Tupperware, Avon and a host of multi-level marketing schemes might have come to mind. Today, however, changing market conditions and evolving consumer habits have converged to make home-based selling businesses a realistic opportunity with real profit potential. 3 Ways To Make Certain Your Business Fails Most small businesses incorporated in 2005 will fail by the year 2007. No matter the industry or the economic times in which the company was initially conceived, the fact remains that businesses fail on a daily basis due to general lack of knowledge and know-how. What follows are my opinion on three very common methods to ensure not only mediocrity but failure as a business entity in today's world. Why Do Franchisors have Exclusive Territories The reason we Franchisors call it an exclusive territory is because we will not sell that area again to another franchisee. That is your area to market and to conquer and to generally obtain as much market penetration as possible. If you are a home-based business or mobile franchise then this is a serious issue. You can put as many service units in your area can support and try to make the most reasonable profit you can per each service unit you put into your exclusive territory. Most franchisors charge a percentage of the gross income and probably make a little off every service unit you buy, so they want you to expand. Starting an Aircraft Washing Service To wash an airplane there are many items you will need to keep in mind. The first is safety while working on the tarmac of an airfield. When moving any vehicle on the tarmac the driver should always maneuver the vehicle in square turns. The reason for this is so that the pilots of the other airplanes can predict the movement of your vehicle. A person should never drive their car or truck under the wing of larger planes. This can be dangerous because the top of the vehicle can catch a part of the plane and cause damage or if the plane is starting up. If a pilot does not see the vehicle when starting up his plane some loose part from the vehicle could come off and hit the prop or be sucked into the jet engine and besides it's just not safe.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2005 |