Are You Ready to Be a Virtual Assistant?

If you’re ready to transform your administrative experience into a home business and enjoy the freedom and flexibility of being a solo professional, becoming a virtual assistant could be your answer.

A virtual assistant, or a VA, is an entrepreneur that supports other professionals and small business owners from a distance. VAs commonly work from their own home offices and communicate with their clients via email, faxes, instant messaging, telephone calls and other web based applications, such as Google Docs.

But before you slap up a website and call yourself a VA, you should closely examine your qualifications and evaluate if you have the right skills to be a virtual assistant.

If you have any of the following experiences, you may be able to turn your skills into a profitable VA business:

- administrative experience
- book keeping
- strong computer and technical abilities
- good communication and writing skills
- organizational talent
- legal assistant or paralegal
- office management
- professional organizing experience
- concierge experience

Many new VAs brush up on their skills before launching their businesses, so they can give their clients the most efficient service possible. You could take classes that improve your knowledge of commonly used programs like Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access and Photoshop, or any other classes that would improve your marketable skills.

Depending on what services you want to provide, you could take classes on things like writing, organization or life coaching.

Several VA certification programs are also available to help prepare you for a successful career as a VA. Certification is not required to be a VA. However, having a VA certification gives your new venture credibility and demonstrates commitment to your business. Potential clients may be more willing to trust you because you’ve completed a training program.

Leaders in the VA industry have established VACertification.com, a voluntary certification program for the VA industry.

Training is also available through several other organizations, including:

The International Association of Virtual Office Assistants (IAVOA)
Virtual Assistance U (VAU)
VATraining.com
AssistU.com

If you prefer to learn independently, a possible training option is the Virtual Business Startup System created by Tawnya Sutherland. This 30-day program gives aspiring VAs daily steps and valuable resources to take to create a prosperous virtual business.

While VAtraining may be helpful and add to your professionalism, many successful VAs haven’t gone through a VA training program. Instead, they’ve found creative ways to turn their well-developed skills into a profitable business venture.

Ultimately, your unique experience and background will shape your own VA business. If you have the right skills, you can put what you know to work for you and your clients, and start living your work-at-home dreams.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

D.L. Willms, the "write" assistant for home business owners, built her virtual business in 30 days with The Virtual Business Startup System. Learn more about starting your own virtual assistant business at her blog, Virtual Assistant Resources

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