VA Tips

Virtual Assistant Training - Which Ones Are Legitimate?

2010-01-17T08:01:00.000-08:00

Do you want to become a virtual assistant, yet wonder if you have the skill level and experience to be successful in this home business, you just might benefit from a virtual assistant training course.

Keep in mind that anyone can create a website and sell a training program to aspiring virtual assistants, but that does not guarantee they are quality or reputable programs. However, today there are some high quality virtual assistant training programs that give virtual assistants the skills they need to offer in-demand services. Experienced VAs can also benefit from virtual assistant training as a way to update their skills or learn new, competitive skills for today's business needs. Many training programs have been created by extremely experienced professionals they know what skills and knowledge a virtual assistant needs to manage his/her own home based business.

Administrative professionals with many years of experience may not believe additional virtual assistant training is necessary, or may be hesitant to put more time and money into additional training.

While it's a personal decision whether or not to get additional training or certification, many VAs find it worth the investment. There are many successful Virtual Assistants that do not have either, however, there are plenty who have found additional virtual assistant training very useful to the success of their business.

While considering additional virtual assistant training, here are some things to consider:

Are your administrative skills current and at the level of proficiency needed to work independently in a home office? You won't have a coworker to ask a question if you get stuck. You often have the ability to learn on the job when you are an employee, but as a business owner, your clients will expect you to be proficient in the services you offer.

Are your skills proficient enough for you to work quickly and efficiently while not sacrificing quality without some virtual assistant training? Your clients will not appreciate being charged for more time than would be necessary with a more proficient virtual assistant. With your current knowledge of the Internet and communication technologies, are you capable of running a home based virtual assistant business?

You will need to have the equipment and ability to communicate with your clients which may be located anywhere in the world. A virtual assistant needs to be familiar with more than just email. What other ways can you communicate with remote clients? Do you understand Internet communication services (VoIP), instant messaging and online fax programs?

What are your unique talents or skills you can use to expand your services and reach other target markets. You will want to offer highly sought after services such as web design and maintenance, bookkeeping or marketing.. Anyone with prior experience or certification in the real estate, legal or medical industry can always find clients who need their services. Another highly sought after skill is online marketing and website promotion.

Do you know how to sell yourself and manage a home based business? Owning your own business means you must be able to handle your own taxes, accounting/bookkeeping, website maintenance and promotion, as well as processing payments. You will need to find your own work by marketing yourself.

It's a good idea to take a few virtual assistant training courses to learn new skills or brush up on some skills you may already have but are a little rusty. Even the most experienced professional can benefit from some additional training that will help with the success of their home based business. .

You will need to keep up to date on the constant changes with the Internet and other modern technologies. All business owners in every industry can benefit from some additional training at some point. The virtual assistants with the most success are those who keep their skills fresh. the competitive edge you need to grow your business in today's tough economy.

Learn more about the available virtual assistant training opportunities and determine what's right for you.

The Secret Of How To Earn An Extra Income

2009-12-28T13:05:00.000-08:00

by John Farcikan

The world today is a scarce place to get money. People are losing their jobs all over and are going in debt at rapid rates. People don't have the extra money to pay for their living expenses and have a little on the side at the same time. Many people are turning to the internet and looking for a way of how to earn an extra income. There are a lot of little things that are great to have but require some extra money. It could be a new book you've been waiting for or a new pair of shoes. Regardless of what it is, there are still ways you can obtain it. In this article I will explain how to can do this and maybe even have some more left over on the side as well!

What are the ways I can make some extra money? What do I have to do to get some dough around here?

The first and simplest thing you can do is get a second job. You can get a part time job delivering pizzas or working at a gas station. You could even get a job as a game tester or anything like that. It may not be ingenuous but it definitely is guaranteed to break in some extra cash if you need it!

Another way to go about putting more money in your pocket is to sell a product of some sort. You can sell an old piece of furniture that no one uses that sits in your garage if you'd like. You could also sell something you make if you have some sort of talent. You can carve rocking chairs or even bake pastries. You can start your own little business and be making a lot of money! Sell your items for a reasonable price and I guarantee, if they're good, that people will be flocking to you to purchase them! You can make anything you want, so get up and figure out what you are good at and start making money off doing it!

Yet another option is for you to take surveys online or do some mystery shopping. There are many businesses that would love to hear your opinion on what you have to say about their products or their customer service. All you have to do is sign up for a mystery shopping service then wait for a call. You can walk out with a free pizza or some extra money in your pocket!

The last way is to do small side jobs. These jobs include mowing the lawn or trimming the hedges.

That is the gist of how to make some money doing side jobs.

About the Author:
Want to find out more about how to earn an extra income, then visit John Farcikan's site on how to choose the best membership site for your needs.

Learn How To Become a Virtual Assistant...

Christmas Sale for Virtual Assistants Specializing in Social Media Marketing

2009-12-23T07:36:00.000-08:00

Sign up for some excellent Virtual Assistant Training classes in December and get a great discount!

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION (regular $397)

VAClassroom's most popular certification program to date, the Social Media Training course will give you current Social Media skills to be able to offer

"in-demand" services in the areas of:

Social Media coaching and strategy development
Social networking management (Twitter, Linkedin & Facebook)
Online video marketing
Online reputation management
Social media content marketing (Hubpages and Squidoo)

I love the trainings offered at VAClassroom and recommend any Virtual Assistant looking to expand their business and learn new skills take a look at their website.

Besides Social Media Marketing, the VAClassroom has a variety of classes for VAs that are all excellent, up to date and concentrate only on skills and services that are in high demand today. Visit their site here...

Avoid Work at Home Scams That Target Stay at Home Moms

2009-12-08T18:14:00.000-08:00

Working from home is a fantastic way for moms to earn some extra money and still watch the children. Every woman who wants to become a Wahm has traveled down the same path. Unfortunately, that path is littered with scams and traps to take money and time from honest women looking to make money from home. With a little common sense and extra research, you can find legitimate work at home opportunities.

The first step is to search for jobs in the right places. Don’t simply click on ads to find work. Try to find helpful groups of Wahms who have successful work at home jobs to guide your search. You can try searching on message boards or finding e-mail groups for ideas of where to start your work at home job search. Many of these women can give you insight into which work at home opportunities are actually worth your time.

Keep in mind that there are no real ways to get rich quick on the Internet or by working at home. The only people who get rich are those who are scamming others. Never believe an ad or an “employer” who claims that you will get rich instantly.

There are also a few red flags to look for when you are searching for Internet jobs. You should never have to pay for work or job lists. There are plenty of free listings available that can provide tons of work at home opportunities. Companies that want to charge you for lists of jobs are just trying to get your money. The lists are often filled with dead job leads, or lists of companies that want to charge you money. Many work at home scams will also require you to pay a start-up fee or cover the cost of “necessary” training. Again, legitimate jobs will never require you to pay them any money for you to work.

Another warning sign is if the ad or website tells you to “act now.” You should always do research before joining a company and never feel pressured to make a decision right away. Many websites are set up with text that says that the offer will expire on today’s date. But if you revisit that website the next day, the ad says that the offer expires on that day.

If you are unsure about a company, do some research on the Better Business Bureau website. The BBB has files on all businesses that have had complaints filed against them. You can see what other people have to say about a particular company and be steered away from scams.

Craft assembly scams and envelope stuffing are common scams, although it is being seen less and less these days. These jobs are normally listed as mail service jobs, and then you are asked to pay for a start up kit. After you receive a start up kit, you are given instructions to place your own work at home ads. You basically just sell the start up kit to other people and become a scammer.

Another common scam today is the "home survey" business. While some of these may be legitimate, it is very difficult to make money this way. You will spend a great deal of time filling out the survey and then will be expected to sign up for several "trial offers" which will charge you if you don't cancel in time. You have to give them a credit card number which they can easily charge in the future. It can be a full-time job keeping track of all of these offers and their cancellation dates.

The best way to make money working at home is to use the skills you have. Anyone will office, administrative and business skills can use these skills to become a Virtual Assistant.

The virtual assistant business is booming right now as more and more companies are downsizing and outsourcing; a trend that is bound to continue.

There are legitimate jobs out there for Wahms, but you have to do some research on the opportunities first. If you do your research and are careful, you can successfully work from home and never be scammed.

The Best Way to Sharpen Your Virtual Assistant Skills For

2009-12-06T14:54:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, the Virtual Assistant and Online Service Provider industry
is growing in leaps and bounds with many new Virtual Business Owners emerging
each day.

It is essential to ensure that you have equipped yourself with the
right niche skills, so that you can deliver "in-demand" services to your client
base in 2010.

The end of the year is a great time to consider the new skills training
opportunities that will help to give your virtual business a competitive edge
in the new year!

We have found VAClassroom courses to do exactly that: Provide high quality,
"in-demand" training programs to sharpen your skills and boost your client and
income potential for your business.

Over the last 12 months, VAClassroom has been busy producing some of the most
current and innovative VA training programs on the web today, including courses
on Social Media, Internet Marketing, Copywriting, Virtual Events and Blogging.

For the month of December, VAClassroom will be taking an additional 25% off
their already reasonable programs!

Here are our four training programs that will qualify under this discount:

FANTASTIC FACEBOOK PAG ES PROGRAM (regular $97)
Discover a step-by-step blueprint for creating a compelling Facebook Fanpage
for you and your clients!

BlOG MARKETING TIPS, TOOLS, & TACTICS(regular $97)
Access an "easy to implement" blog marketing system for significantly
increasing your blog exposure, visibility and results! The course also provides
a bonus 50-page start-up guide to build your own Word Press Blog with all the
"bells and whistles".

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION (regular $397)
VAClassroom's most popular certification program to date, the Social Media
Training course will give you current Social Media skills to be able to offer
"in-demand" services in the areas of:
- Social Media coaching and strategy development
- Social networking management (Twitter, Linkedin & Facebook)
- Online video marketing
- Online reputation management
- Social media content marketing (Hubpages and Squidoo)

INTERNET MARKETING VA TRAINING PROGRAM (regular $197)
This program will provide you with a well-rounded skill base across the most
commonly outsourced Internet Marketing areas including:
- Email Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization
- Affilate Marketing & Management
- Web Analytics & Tracking
- Blogging & Social Media
- Internet Market Research

Save 25% off these regular prices by using the below coupon code, which will
expire at midnight on December 31, 2009.

25% Discount Coupon: BESTXMAS
Go to the VA Classroom Now

4 Ways To Stay Motivated In A Tough Job Market

2009-12-05T08:07:00.000-08:00

4 Ways To Stay Motivated In A Tough Job Market
by Dorthy Weatherbush

Unemployment is rising well above 9% in the United States and it could go well beyond 10% as well. With the future looking bleak, gasoline prices rising, and unemployment on the rise as well, is there any hope for future jobs? On the contrary, if you're in a tough situation where you may be unemployed for a time, it is crucial to stay motivated so that you'll have every opportunity and are able to grab that next job offer when time permits. If you are having trouble staying focused or motivated in this tough job market and economy, though, there are four definite ways to keep the hope so that your future looks bright.

#1 - Network, Network, Network

Networking is one of the best things that anyone can do to find a job. While online websites like Monster.com are great for helping you post your resume for different job openings, there is nothing like meeting an employer or interviewer face to face. This takes you out of the pile of resumes, and moves yours to the top of the list. So try going to various networking events like job fairs, organization meetings, philanthropic events, political events, etc. These places may not seem like the place to find a job, but often times the people going to these events are in fact looking for employees; they may not be going to that particular event to find employees, but the need is still there and it's a perfect opportunity for you to capitalize.

#2 - Think Positively

Being positive is the key to being successful in whatever it is that you are doing. If you are negative, only negative things will surround you; if you are positive, your life will be filled with good things more than negative things. So stay positive. People like being around other positive people, which means that an employer is more likely to hire you if you are a positive person.

#3 - Put Your Resume On The Market

Another step that you can do to keep yourself motivated and stay focused on achieving employment in this tough economy is to constantly have your resume in front of the right people. Go to your local job centers and search for job openings. Search Craigslist and other employment websites for employers posting job opportunities. Keep buying local newspapers for the classified job ads. If you apply to every single job opening that you see which you are qualified for then you may start seeing some results as they come.

#4 - Remember That This Too Shall Pass

Finally, realize that the economic downturn and the sudden loss of jobs won't last. Even though it's hard to stay focused in a time where thousands of jobs are lost per month, the fact of the matter is that every bad month that goes by is one month closer to a turnaround for the economy and job market. All countries have periods of job loss and unemployment, but it always bounces back as time permits.

All in all, these are some of the most important approaches and mindsets you can have in a tough job market where unemployment is rising. Realizing that the situation won't last, getting your resume out on the front lines, thinking positively about your situation, and connecting with others should help you stay motivated, focused, and in perspective!

About the Author:
Dorthy Weatherbush has helped a number of her friends find jobs. She likes to help them stay motivated with items from Successories.com. The posters and other collectibles from Successories.com have helped to get CEOs of companies make it to the top.

Beat the Recession by Working at Home as a Virtual Assistant...

How To Make Extra Income

2009-12-04T07:56:00.000-08:00

How To Make Extra Income

by John Farcikan

When we think of earning money, we do not think about how we losing money to get to the point of making money. If you want to become a doctor, you cannot just walk into a hospital and say that they have to hire you as a doctor because you want to make money - this is not how to make extra income.

No, if you want to be a doctor you have to be willing to part with some of your money, this means that you have to pay for the tuition fees so that you can go to university to learn everything you need to know to be a good doctor.

Money is not the only thing that you will be parting with, time is also a thing that you will have to invest. This is because learning what you need to learn takes time, learning to become a doctor take about 7 years altogether.

You will find that you will have to pay for these guides, but then again, you have to understand that other people need to live and make money too, which is why they are selling you the knowledge that they have accumulated over the years, in order to make you more money in the long run.

Another great way to know how to make extra income online is to start freelance jobs. You can become a freelance writer, video producer for video sites, logo designer, website programmer and more. These jobs can all be found quite easily on freelancer websites and many pay quite a decent amount for a short time of working.

Another fun way of how to make extra income, this time away from home, is to join a casting agency or extras agency. Here you will get sent to movie sets and commercials to be the background extras. You will get good pay, great food, get to be in a movie, wear cool costumes and make up, but the hours are long, . The typical working day is about 12 hours on set. If you go over this you will get paid overtime.

This is something that a lot of people are looking for. We all have responsibilities these days, and we are all struggling to make ends meet, which is why you are looking for how to make extra income. There are a few ways that you can learn how to make extra income, and the most used method, one that many people are using these days, is called affiliate marketing - that is right, and affiliate marketing is not that hard to learn, but you will have to be willing to put in the time.

About the Author:

Looking to find the best deal on how to make extra income, then visit www.article-writing-group.com to find the best advice on a membership site for you.

Top 3 Reasons to Specialize as a Virtual Assistant

2009-12-03T17:44:00.000-08:00

Three Key Reasons to Specialize as a virtual assistant.

Clients get an expert in the services they are needing assistance with, and you get to work at home doing what you love.

The first and probably most important reason is the ability to charge more money for your services. Being highly skilled and experienced in a specific niche is usually seen as more valuable than providing many administrative tasks that require far less training and expertise. You can also make more money by concentrating most of you time and effort providing services that demand a higher fee.
The secondly advantage to concentrating on a niche is the ability to build a business doing something you love. When your day is filled with tasks that are in line with your talents and that you really enjoy, your workday will be far more productive. We all love doing things we excel at and enjoy doing. As a virtual assistant, you are your own boss and you can decide what services you would like to provide.
The third reason to specialize is when you are doing what you love, the quality of your work will also be higher. You can work faster and more efficiently when concentrating on what you do best, and your clients will be much happier with you and your services. Excellent customer service leads to long-term client relationships and referrals. Happy clients is the only way to build a sustainable business that you are proud to own.

Learn more about what areas you would like to specialize in as a virtual assistant, and my recommended training resources for learning new skills or improving upon the skills you have.

Home Business Opportunities Online

2009-12-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

Home Business Opportunities Online
by Ericka Morrow

Finding a home business opportunities on the Internet can be a little difficult which is strange since there are so many genuine home business opportunities out there. It is just a matter of where to find a real ones and find something that isn't just hype.

However, there are certain ways to make money on the Internet that are far more effective than others. Finding the right thing for you will help to ensure success. The last thing you want is to get involved in something that doesn't work out since it is highly bad for your motivation and can damage your success in the future.

However, having a home business entirely based on the Internet is advantageous for a number of reasons. Obviously, you will be at liberty to choose your working hours and of course work where you want. This is great for those people who want to work at home because they have children and want to spend more time with them or even, something completely differently, they want to go travelling the world and still be earning a passive income.

Or passive income is one of the most attractive opportunities about working on the Internet. Once you build up your business, depending on what it is, you will be able to make money while sleeping.

Most of the money making ventures on the Internet involve some form of marketing and advertising. Whatever you do, you will no doubt be involved in certain aspects of marketing. Just a name a few popular possibilities, affiliate programs, advertising revenue, online surveys and freelancing are all very popular things.

Nonetheless, all these things can be learned and quickly too. You don't need to start off with anything other than a very basic knowledge of how to use a computer. Everything else you will learn along the way. In addition, you don't even need to have a knowledge of web design to be able to design a web page.

There you can get somebody to design your money making webpage for you, it will cost a lot of money and this is not necessarily required. You can design your own web page by using software which has a shallow learning curve and will be able to get you online very quickly.

Search engine optimisation relies on getting traffic to your website by always being in the top lists of the search engine results. Though not difficult to achieve this, it is indeed time consuming and until you manage to perfect this, you will not be able to make a great deal of money. There are various ways of optimising your search engine results and many of the good ones are indeed completely free.

If you want to start making money right away, then you might want to consider freelancing. If you already have a knowledge of web design, or a happy to do freelance writing, you should be able to find jobs very quickly which make paid by the week or even by the day. Much less risky, this is an opportunity that suits a large number of people.

About the Author:

Get ready to tune into one of the most profitable home businesses on the face of this earth. How To Start A Business Some people engage in day trading from their home. You will have your business up and running in no time.

Learn how to Start a Virtual Assistant Business in only 30 days!

Getting Organised - Tips For Work At Home Mums

2009-12-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

Getting Organised - Tips For Work At Home Mums.

by Justine Simard

Whether you are already a mum working from home or a mum thinking about starting your own home-based business, you are probably asking yourself this question: How can I improve the harmony between my roles as a mum and as a business owner? Knowing how to bring together the many tasks of each job and being efficient at both can be a challenge, but the answer for work at home mums lies in developing organisational skills.

I started a home business while looking after my two young children at home. I was busy enough just being a mum, and starting the business made me feel quite overwhelmed at first; now I was really busy! I since realised that you can be very busy without the overwhelmed feeling, and in fact you can reduce your workload just by being organised, which is a secret work at home mums must know!

Here is what work at home mums can do to maintain a better balance between being a mum and a business owner, and to ensure success in both roles:

1. Have a Comprehensive Schedule. This is the one thing I have become dependent on! Having working hours is not enough for work at home mums. I have a schedule which includes the type of tasks I will perform in each time slot (e.g. marketing activities, checking emails, website updates, education, making calls, writing articles, etc). This way, you don't get to the end of the week realising that you didn't accomplish all your tasks. It also prevents you from always prioritising the things you enjoy doing (there will always be tasks you don't enjoy doing but need to get done!). Pick the right time of the day to assign mentally demanding tasks. I also prefer to work harder on earlier days in the week so that I can reduce my workload towards the end of the week when I am more tired. I like to keep flexibility with the 'mum' and house tasks, but if you find it difficult to manage, you might consider including them in your schedule (e.g. grocery shopping, family time, meal time, laundry, cleaning). Finally, review your schedule at the end of every week to make sure that you accomplished your goals and that the schedule itself is adequate.

2. When You Work, Work! Work at home mums, just like any workers, need focus. This is harder when you have young children at home and you want to work around them. I find that if I try to wear both my mum and work hats at the same time, I don't do any of my jobs right. I'm not focused on my work when my children need my attention, and I'm not attentive to my children while I work. If you need to do both at once at a particular time, and it will happen sometimes, make sure you choose tasks that are not mentally demanding or that take a long time to complete, and set up your children with special toys, music, a snack or a video. If they are old enough to understand, explain to them how long you need to work for, and maybe even promise a special game or treat for when you are done if they play nicely while you work!

3. Keep It Tidy. No more piling up and scattering! Your valuable time is wasted when you are searching for your resources. Keep your work-related items together, organised, sorted and tidy. Take the time to build the filing and tracking systems you need. This way you will access what you need immediately and work efficiently. Work at home mums can even allocate a time in their weekly schedule to tidy up their office to make sure it gets done.

4. Make Time For You. As work at home mums, most of our time is taken up looking after the house and the family and managing the business. Is there any time left for you? I make sure there is, and I allocate time in advance in my schedule to look after myself and my well-being. Whatever you like doing for yourself (reading, sport, meditation, having a bath, going out, etc), make provision for it in your weekly schedule, and take the time to re-fuel, enjoy yourself and relax.

5. Get Some Help. If possible, ask your partner or other family members to help you with house tasks or minding the kids. Perhaps your partner can make dinner one or two nights per week so that you can do some work early in the evening? Or grandparents can spend a few hours on a regular basis with your children while you work? Of course, if you can afford some paid help (e.g. cleaning, ironing, etc), go for it!

Work at home mums need all the help they can get!

Here is a summary of my 5 tips for work at home mums: make a comprehensive weekly schedule and follow it as much as you can, focus on your work during working hours, keep an organised and tidy office, make time for your well-being, and get help from family members.
About the Author:
Justine Simard is a mum and home business owner. Visit my website to find out about a Home Business Opportunity for Work At Home Mums that allows mums to work from home and look after their children, while providing a high income potential, a better lifestyle and more freedom.

Learn more tips about balancing home life with a career as a virtual assistant...

Extra Income Working at Home

2009-11-27T19:56:00.000-08:00

Extra Income - Linear and Residual
by Victor Smith

Gone are the days of mid 50's and 60's when a family could survive upon a single income. Today the inflation and economic factors are such that survival on two incomes has become hand to mouth. Going by this trend we can very well imagine what the future holds for us. Two incomes certainly will not be enough. It's best to prepare for the worst and expect the best instead of vice versa. Its best then to have multiple incomes flows into your finances than to have an insecure future. The concept and importance of extra income becomes all the more apparent.

People who have been well-to-do have always known and taken care of this. If one income dries up, one can always fall back upon the other streams of income, and if all go well you can only get richer, no harm in that. Ordinary and average living people have always been in a dilemma regarding this. Loss of one income really affects them adversely and it would take years of hard work before any normalcy returns. Not to mention, the rippling effects of financial distress that could cause a lot of heartburn and unwanted emotional disturbances.

Having diverse sources of income or extra income gives you a backup to fall back upon. If one source vanishes, you should not feel the difference. One should have enough time to reorganize and regroup, that's it, and you are back on the happiness highway, safe and sound. The importance of extra income and extra sources of incomes is not lost on anyone today, therefore the want and rush.

Extra Income can be of two kinds - Linear and Residual.

Linear income is the extra income you earn on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis. There is no more future commitment attached to it from your end or form the receiver's end.

Residual income is an extra income where you work hard once and reap the fruits of it all for many years in the future. The reward for the same effort paid over and over again.

In normal course of a career, any individual earns a linear income through a job or a profession. You are earning only for the time you can spare on work on a daily basis. Some earn a higher linear income. Most smart people try to shift to residual incomes from their linear incomes through extra income routes to have a secure retirement and future. Starting with one residual extra income effort a year would be a good idea.

Internet gives a lot of options in the extra income route. One has to be careful in selecting the right one from them by recognizing the hype form the straight talking ones.

Almost all these programmes have residual income components in them. Select one and give it everything you can, when you can earn the residual from it, time to start off with the next one. All the best. - 33518

About the Author:

Online business is has been made easy with Global Virtual Opportunities (GVO). Get all the internet marketing services you need to start your business and earn money while using these services. Check it out at GVO Reviews blog.

Learn how you can earn money at home as a Virtual Assistant

Tips for Virtual Assistant FanPages

2009-11-25T09:44:00.000-08:00

Discover Top 3 Tips for Successful FanPages

There is a new excellent Training program at theVAClassroom...

Facebook Fanpages Training Course

If you have ever taken a virtual assistant training course from Craig Cannings of the VAClassroom, you know hedoes an excellent job with his atself-paced, videotrainings. You can easily learn when your schedul permits, in the comfort of your own home.

His new FanBook training is designed to helpbeginners get started with Facebook and help the experienced enjoy greater success with their Fanpages.

This is a Two Week Mini-Course and provides daily video lessons, supplementary PowerPoint templates, comprehensive resource guides, a social network to connect with other participants and a live, interactive Q & A session each week!

Here is a peek at what the Facebook training covers:

3 ultra-important items to consider BEFORE you start building any Facebook Fan Page (yours or your clients').
How to design, develop and market your Fan Page with a user-friendly, step by step guide.
Simple HTML tips to create a visually appealing Fan Page.
Creating a compelling landing page to boost your business branding.
How to make the ultimate personal connection with your audience by adding audio and video to your Fan Page.
Selecting the right business-building Facebook Applications to automate the flow of content and free up some of your time.
Successful strategies to build a highly targeted email list.
Simple SEO tips to maximize your Fan Page visibility in the search engines!
Easy techniques to create a targeted Fan Page - from scratch.
How to measure your Fan Page success - what you can learn from Google Analytics and Facebook Insights.

How does this benefit Virtual Assistants?

VAs will discoverhow to turn their Facebook Fan Page skills into an "in-demand" service they can easily offer theirclients.

You will also Discover the 3 Common Elements the most Successful Fan Pages all share.

Learn more today: Facebook Fanpages Training Course

For more information on Virtual Assistant Training, visit my Virtual Assistants Guide website where I share my reviews on the top training programs available for virtual assistants today.

Good Habits Build Cyber Security Protection

2009-11-24T11:06:00.000-08:00

Good Habits Build Cyber Security Protection
by Wayne Allen

Cyber security protection is not at all that difficult. Once you have made it a daily habit then it is just like riding a bicycle or can be as normal as walking. All you need is to learn how you can make it work well and build a good habit is to make cyber security a daily part of life.

By doing this you can have a better chance of keeping your confidential information protected from attacks from virus or similar applications or from hackers. This way you can keep your personal information safe from other persons who would like to access them and use them for personal gain or protect them from applications that can erase or corrupt your files.

Identify how your information can be accessed and who would be the likely people who can gain from accessing your confidential records. It's like identifying the usual suspects in a criminal line-up. I'm not saying that the people you know cannot be trusted but it helps to be extra cautious. Your brother might not do something untrustworthy but his friends might and if they have physical access to your computer then your files are at a risk of being hacked.

Lock your computer with a good password. Use combination's of letters and numbers, upper case and lower case, and even use codes. Avoid using the usual birthdays, social security numbers, bank PINs, account numbers, favorite superheroes, favorite food, etc. Use unique passwords and make one up for every system that requires authentication. Do not use the same password in all your confidential files.

To protect your computer from outside attacks, the best thing would be to disconnect your computer from the network when you're not in use. No anti-virus application or firewall systems provide 100 per cent protection. The best way would be to remove yourself from the network when you're not using your computer to reduce the risk of being attacked.

When you do go online, make sure that you have your firewall on and your anti-virus application active. Also look into your security settings. Your emails, web browsers and even other applications have specific settings which increase the security allowing them to block attacks from virus, malware and spyware. Study the security settings and select one which permits you to maximize the use of the application but at the same time offer you a good deal of security to keep your files protected.

Do not forget about power surges and other technological problems. Even though, the virus and hacker threats are very real and sometimes the priority, people also forget that sometimes power surges or breakdown of computer hardware can cause loss of data or have files corrupted and rendered unusable.

To have added protection therefore, it would be wise to install some uninterrupted power supply that protects you from power surges and permits you to back up or shut down your computer preventing possible corruption of files and applications.

And speaking of backing up, it would be great if you would regularly back up your files just in case the unthinkable happens. May these be personal files or files you need for work, having a good back up is always a great thing to have. - 33518

About the Author:

Once you have a system you will develope a great habit in cyber security protection which can help lower the risks of losing files or your confidential information being hacked. Identity theft is growing very fast and the best defense is knowledge about cyber security protection.

Sale for Virtual Assistant Client Tools

2009-04-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

There is a sale on 2 incredible tools for Virtual Assistants:

Activity & Time Analysis Tool and the Understanding Your Value (WBK-38) are both on sales until May 1, 2009 for only $47 each!

What can these tools do for you?
Both of these tools can be leveraged in a Virtual Assistant's processes for educating new clients, properly setting expectations and taking charge of the delegation process.

Activity & Time Analysis Tool - The Activity & Time Assessment Tool is designed to help you more quickly and effectively get to know a new client's business, while giving clients a more "scientific" analysis and clearer visual picture of their business and activities. This tool helps you analyze a client's time and energy busters, see where their core strengths and weaknesses are, identify where key systems and processes can be developed, and allows you to make more informed recommendations about where your services can be best utilized as you begin working together.

Understanding Your Value: How to Craft Your Own Unique Value Proposition & Cash In on Value-Billing Methodologies- This is a tutorial for virtual assistants to gain a deeper understanding of what it is they really offer and their real value to their clients. Exercises included in the workbook walk you through the process of crafting your own unique value statement, one that will have more attractive, tangible meaning to your prospective clients and have you standing heads and tails above the crowd. Also included are practical how-tos for implementing value-billing methods and strategies that allow you to work less while making more money. Great for new Virtual Assistants or those who are tired of running themselves ragged for clients that do not value them or pay them fairly.

These are just two of the great tools for starting and running a successful business that is offered by The Virtual Assistant Chamber of Commerce. They are my favorite resource for legal contracts and business forms.
Check them out here...

BONUS RECORDING: As a bonus, included is a teleseminar recording with each of these tools. The teleseminar goes over ways Virtual Assistants can take charge of the delegation process utilizing both of these tools, how they can use the Activity & Time Analysis Tool in their practice to better support clients and make more money, plus they'll get lots of other great information as well!

Finished Your Taxes Yet?

2009-04-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

It is that wonderful time of year again when everyone is scrambling to get their taxes done.

Fortunately the accounting for home based business is not as complicated as other businesses but you do need to have your bookkeeping in order. If you are not an experienced bookkeeper you can still keep your books straight just like a pro if you a good bookkeeping software program.

I have used Quickbooks for years and just love it! I had no experience with bookkeeping when I started my first business and decided to use Quickbooks because it had such a good reputation. Boy am I glad I did! It is incredibly easy to set up - a wizard walks you through the process. You answer some question, enter you banking information and you are good to go.

Another great thing about Quickbooks is its ability to import your information into Turbo Tax which allows you to do your own taxes. But if you would prefer to have someone else do your taxes (as many do) Quickbooks will produce all of the reports your accountant needs with a click of the mouse.

If you are looking for a simple and reliable home based business accounting software program, I highly recommend Quickbooks.

Learn more about home based business accounting...

Virtual Assistants are Partners in Business with their Clients.

2009-03-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

The great thing about being a virtual assistant is that you can be a partner in business with your client and not an employee.

Now this does not mean you don't listen to what they want and provide services to their specifications, but it does mean you can offer valuable insight and expertise into many aspects of your client's business.

Virtual assistants not only have years of business experience but are business owners themselves. This gives us great insight into the challenges of running a business and what it takes to be successful. Many of the skills you learn as you a building your own virtual assistant business are skills you can help other entreprenuers grow their business.

After I created my first website and finished a very good internet marketing certification course, I found a client who had just started an offline business and needed a website. This client didn't even know what a "keyword" was and was in desperate need of a virtual assistant skilled in website search engine optimization and internet marketing. Now I love helping new businesses get started on the Internet.

When you consult with a new client, it's important to learn as much as you can about their business. What is their company vision, mission and goals? This is an important step for any new business partnership relationship. A key aspect to the success of any business is having clear goals and a plan for how to achieve them. As virtual assistant, one of your goals will be to gain a clear understanding of the business goals of the clients you work with.

When you first start working with a new client, it will be very helpful to spend some time to really get to know your client and understand what their needs are and how best you can fill in the gaps. This is the best way to create a long-term mutually beneficial business partnership where you become an invaluable part of their business. While every Virtual Assistant has some limitations as to what she can suggest and offer, there are also many ways to help the businesses you are working with once you understand their business vision and goals.

All businesses have goals and specific functions they are needing to outsource, and these need to be communicated to their virtual assistant. To be a true parnter in business, a virtual assistant needs to understand his/her client’s mission, vision and goals in order to be aware of the larger picture and provide the best assistance possible.

Everyone involved with a business needs to be working towards the same goals. Once you, as a virtual assistant, establish a long-term and mutually beneficial business partnership with a client, you will find it a very rewarding and much more satisfying experience than being an employee.

Easy Way to Create PDF Documents

2009-03-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for an easy and inexpensive way to convert files into pdf files.

Pdf files are great for many reasons:

They are compressed files and easy to email
Can easily by uploaded to a website
Cannot be altered by anyone else
Are safe to send as email attachments because they don't spread computer viruses.

Adobe®’s Acrobat® can do the job, but it's expensive. I have tried several free options and each has had some limitations. Some don't keep hyperlinks, while others require you to add in each hyperlink individually. Some add in their logo for advertising. There just didn't seem to be a great free option, then I found this software:

Easy PDF Print Driver 5 by BCL Tecnologies

This nifty program converts any document to Adobe®’s Acrobat® PDF format quickly and easily, particularly in Microsoft Word. It includes an addin that you install which adds a pdf icon to your toolbar. This allows you to convert the file in one easy click!

It is not totally free, yet does offer a free trial. If you like the program as much as I did, you buy a single license for only $14.95. Much cheaper than Adobe® and no monthly fees.

How does it work?

As the name implies, BCL easyPDF Printer Driver installs as a printer driver in your computer. To convert your document to PDF, simply go to File > Print from the host application and select easyPDF Printer 5 as the printer of choice. You can also install a shortcut icon to your tool bar.

Key Features:

PDF Creation Features
MS Word Specific Features (PDF Hyperlink and Bookmarking)
Advanced Features (digital signature, stamps, metadata, etc)

Visit their website if you would like to give them a try Easy PDF Print Driver 5

See more of my favorite Free Virtual Assistant Resources...

5 Easy Ways to Market a Virtual Assistant Business

2009-03-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

Once you start a virtual assistant business you will need to get out there and find clients. Of course you need to start with creating your own website, but don't expect the clients to come find you. In the beginning you will need to actively promote yourself, therefore remember to include some marketing money in your business start-up plan. If this is your first business, you may not be sure just how to market your new business and wondering how you find those first clients. Rest assured there are many affordable ways to market a home based business.

Here are 5 Marketing Ideas to get you started:

Advertising. Many people don't like advertising because it can be expensive and because there is so much advertising today; some which is intended to scam the consumer. However, advertising is still a legitimate and effective way to market your business. Try placing ads for your services in local community newspapers, large newspapers,Yellow Pages and business trade magazines if your budget allows. Fortunately, many business will have a place to leave business cards and/or brochures for free.

Article Marketing. Writing articles is a great way to get known and drive some traffic to your website. You don't need to submit hundreds of articles or use a submission service. A few well-known article directories such as ezinearticles.com and buzzle.com are enough to get you some free traffic. These article directories allow you to submit articles at no charge but make sure you write quality articles and proofread your writing. Be sure to include a little about yourself and your skills, as well as your website's url in your author's bio box.

Professional Business Cards. Always carry business cards with you because you never know who you might meet and you don't want to be caught without a card. Although there are plenty of cheap and do-it-yourself business cards, don't skimp here. Your business card is a reflection of your business and your professionalism. Have a professional looking card with your name, contact information and website address. Be sure to include a list of your skills and the services you provide as a virtual assistant.

Social Networking. Social website sites such as MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have huge forums where you can network with other business professionals. Create social groups with other virtual assistants and potential business clients who may need your services and skills.

Promotional Items. Everyone loves free things and giveaways are a great way to market your business. Keep in mind this can get expensive so watch your budget, however, there are many inexpensive promotional gadgets that can do the job. Try magnets, pens, key chains, calendars and other merchandise printed with your business logo and contact information. These are great to give away at trade shows and other networking events. Try to use items that people keep, like pens, mugs and calendars, since many promotional items can be thrown away or lost.

These are five great ways to market your business, but remember there are many ways to market your virtual assistant business. Any method you use that gets your name out there and lets potential clients know about your business is successful marketing. Try some ideas and see what works best for you and don't be afraid to experiment with different methods until you find the right marketing mix for your business.

Do You Need Virtual Assistant Training?

2009-03-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

If you are considering becoming a virtual assistant, you may wonder what Virtual Assistant training is available. If you have many years of experience, you may wonder if you need training at all. Highly skilled and experienced administrative professionals may not need training, however, there is always more to learn. You may want to investigate what training is available.

Do you need Virtual Assistant Training?

For those who would like to start a Virtual Assistant business, yet are not sure if they have the necessary skills or proficiency level required to run their own business, they can certainly benefit from virtual assistant training. Keep in mind that anyone can create a website and sell a training program to aspiring virtual assistants, but that does not guarantee they are quality or reputable programs. On the other hand, there are some excellent training and certification programs available today which will ensure you have all of the skills needed to start a virtual assistant business. Training can also increase the knowledge and skill level of existing Virtual Assistants, particularly in the area of internet technology which is continually changing. These programs have been created by seasoned professionals and are specifically designed to give the virtual assistant the skills and business knowledge to run his/her own home based business.

Administrative professionals with many years of experience may not feel additional training is necessary, or may be reluctant to put more time and money into additional training.

Whether or not to get virtual assistant training and/or certification is a personal choice. There are many successful Virtual Assistants that do not have either, however, there are plenty who have found additional training invaluable to the success of their business. The virtual assistant industry is similar to many industries which require practitioners to have certification to be considered reputable. Although certification is not required, it does contribute to the legitimacy of the industry as a whole and increase the confidence level of potential clients. Even with years of experience, you will find running a home virtual assistant business can be quite different from being an employee. Being your own boss also brings a whole new set of challenges which require a different set of skills.

Here are some things to ask yourself when considering virtual assistant training...

Are your administrative skills current and at the level of proficiency needed to work independently in a home office? You won't have a coworker to ask a question if you get stuck. As an employee, you may be able to learn on the job; however, as an independent contractor your clients will expect you to be extremely proficient in the skills you are advertising.

Are your skills proficient enough for you to work quickly and efficiently while not sacrificing quality? Your clients will not appreciate being charged for more time than would be necessary with a more efficient virtual assistant.

Do you have the necessary internet and technological skills to run a virtual assistant business from your home? Since you will be working in a virtual office, you need to be able to communicate with your clients effectively utilizing the modern technology tools available. A virtual assistant needs to understand more than just email. How else will you communicate with your clients? Do you understand internet communication services (VoIP), instant messaging and online fax programs?

Do you have specialty skills you can offer to expand your business? Services such as bookkeeping, web design and marketing are in high demand. Those with experience and certification in real estate, medical or the legal industry are needed today as well. Internet marketing is also a skill that is in great demand particularly with online business owners.

Do you understand how to run and market your own business? You will be self-employed and need to understand how to handle bookkeeping, taxes and payment processing. You also need to market yourself and find your own work.

If you are lacking in any of these skills, you may want to consider a reputable Virtual Assistant Training program. Even with years of experience in your career, there are new skills you will need to acquire in order to run a successful home based business. Keep in mind the internet is a very dynamic medium and change is rapid and constant. Everyone running a business involving the internet must continually learn new skills in this extremely dynamic environment. The successful virtual assistant will keep up with the changing technology and keep their skills fresh. Virtual assistant training may be just what you need to get started or to acquire new skills for expanding your existing business.

Essential Virtual Assistant Contracts

2009-03-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

Many new virtual assistants are intimidated by the process of creating a legal contract for their virtual assistant clients. It is very important to have legal contracts ready before you start your virtual assistant business.

Don't underestimate how important your virtual assistant contracts are. Even if you are providing services for friends, family or an a volunteer basis, a good legal contract will prevent any confusion and misconceptions about the services you will provide.

It is just not a good idea to provide services virtually to clients around the world without a virtual assistant contract that clearly outlines the scope of the project and services you will provide. Your contract will also clearly state the rate of pay, how you will be paid and and terms and conditions you require.

How do you find Virtual Assistant Contracts?

You can hire a lawyer to draw some up for you but this can be expensive. I have found an excellent source of legal virtual assistant contracts and other invaluable business forms including everything you need to launch a new business. You can purchase the legal virtual assistant contracts that are professionally designed by Danielle K. Danielle Keister, the founder & CVO of Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce. This is one of the greatest resources I was lucky enough to stumble upon with i was first starting my virtual assistant business.

What virtual assistant contracts should I use?

There are basically 3 types:

Hourly: The VA is paid an hourly rate for their work performed.

Per-project agreement: The rate is determined for the project.

Retainer: The VA has an agreement to work a predetermined number of hours in a specific time period – usually at a discounted rate.

There are advantages for each type of virtual assistant contract depending upon what a particular client needs.

Learn more about the various virtual assistant contract options....

Find available Virtual Contracts Here...

The Best Website Hosting Choices for Virtual Assistants

2009-03-12T14:52:00.000-07:00

Have you ever struggled when trying to find a reliable website hosting company? I know I found it extremely confusing in the beginning trying to understand the different features website hosting companies were advertising. How do you know which has what you need? Which is the best deal?

Actually for a typical Virtual Assistant website you don't need all of the fancy techie features many website hosting companies brag about. You just need a reliable host at a reasonable cost, and one that allows you to easily set-up a blog. Blogging is a great way to bring more traffic to your site, and showcase your expertise to potential clients. Google's blogger is the easiest to set up but WordPress is also very popular and can be a bit confusing for non-technical people to set up. Fortunately many website hosting companies today offer programs that allow you to set-up a WordPress blog with one click! Couldn't be simpler.

One of my favorite website hosting companies is BLUEHOST.COM.

This website hosting company has been around a while and has earned a pretty good reputation. They include a free domain name with a hosting contract, and have a variety of professional looking templates you can use to quickly create a website, or a site builder option for those without design experience.
Blue Host also includes a script for very easy installation of WordPress blogs.

Here is a breakdown of some of their features:

Free Domain Name Forever!
Free Site Builder

Site Promotion Package

Easy WordPress Blog installation

$25 Free Yahoo & $50 Free Google Credits

2,500 POP/Imap Email Accounts

SSH (Secure Shell), SSL, FTP, Stats

Top Notch 24/7 Support

This website hosting company is a good option for Virtual Assistant just getting started and lacking web design ability. They have a website builder that will walk you through setting up a new website. They also have support available by phone anytime you need them. I have used their support service and was find them very helpful.

If you are looking for a good website hosting company at a reasonable cost, you will want to take a look at BLUEHOST.COM.

Who is Your Ideal Client?

2009-03-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

Before becoming a viirtual assistants, you want to give some thought to who your "ideal" client will be. What type of person do you want to work with? Is there a particular type of business or industry that excites you?

Before you decide to take on a new client for your virtual assistant business, you will want to assess whether or not this is an appropriate client for your business. If the client does not have reasonable expectations about the services you can provide, or you do not have the skills the client needs, it is better to refer the client to another professional better suited for them.

Before working with a new client, you will want to conduct a brief interview. A good practice for virtual assistants is to offer a free consultation. The purpose of the consultation is to learn as much as possible about the potential client and their business. Assess what their business service needs are and what services they are looking to outsource to a virtual assistant. Just as you would conduct an interview before accepting a job, you need to interview clients before deciding to form a long-term business relationship.

Take the lead during the client interview.

You will impress a potential client if you are confident and take charge of the initial consultation process. Many clients are not fully aware of what a virtual assistant is and what they can do for them. The client may not even know what questions to ask and will be quite relieved when you lead the process. You will also need to stay in charge of the initial client consultation to ensure you obtain the necessary information in a timely fashion. There are many people who will talk excessively and may stray from the topic. You will be surprised how quickly your 30 minute consultation can go by. You don't want to take too much time that can detract from other duties and you don't want to run out of time before you have gathered all of the necessary information.

The client consultation process is not something you will want to just do without some planning in advance, particularly when you are just starting your virtual assistant business.

A good practice is to have the questions you will ask a potential client planned and written down in advance. You can have a little script written down to guide you as you go through the phone call, but remember to be flexible as every call will be unique.

Have an idea in mind of what your ideal client is so that you are screening this potential client according to your business goals. You will not be the best virtual assistant to every client and need to be clear as to your skills and service offerings. There are also some clients that just are not a good fit for any virtual assistant and you will want to ascertain that before you start working with them.

Take some time to think about what your ideal client will be and what questions you need to ask before you start your first consultation. There is an excellent client consultation form you can use and adapt to your business to help you get started.

It is a good idea to have a form on your website that potential clients can fill out when scheduling a consultation with you so you can do some research before your first conversation.

Information you will want to collect:

Business name, name of main contact person
Phone number
Email address
Website address
Brief description of the type of business

Take a look at their website before your consultation so that you have a pretty good understanding of their business beforehand. This will help save time during the phone call and will present you as a well-prepared professional who knows how to conduct business. Just as you would look up a website before a job interview, you are preparing to work in partnership with this business and want to be as knowledgeable as possible about that business before your consultation.

The Virtual Assistant consultation and assessment is the best way to determine if a potential client is suitable for your virtual assistant business. Be prepared in advance, learn to conduct a good interview and you will build a business you enjoy with clients you enjoy working with.

Marketing Your Virtual Assistant Business

2009-03-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

The best way to approach marketing your virtual assistant business has changed over the last few years. The way we do business and advertise ourselves over the Internet changes constantly and it can be a challenge for Virtual Assistants to keep up.

I found this interesting post by David Meerman Scott. David is an internet marketing strategist and the author of three books on marketing. He has some great tips on marketing your business online.

Top ten PR tips for small businesses

Last week I participated on a call with John Jantsch who asked me to share my top ten PR tips for small businesses with his audience. John is the author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide and he writes the very popular Duct Tape Marketing blog.

I had to take the call from my room in the Beverly Hilton because I was speaking at The Milken Institute Global Conference. OK, I'll admit that I didn't prepare for the call (sorry John) and just banged out ten tips a few minutes before we spoke.

After the call, I realized that sometimes there is value to top-of-mind ideas. Nuggets of value may be lost when you obsess over getting every detail perfect. So I thought I'd share the list with you. No, it is not comprehensive - given time I would choose different things for the list and re-order what's here:

1. The old ways to get noticed were to buy expensive advertising and beg the media to write about you and your products. The best way to get noticed today is to publish great content online.

2. Don't talk about what your products and services do. Instead talk about how you solve problems for your customers.

3. Be enthusiastic and have fun. People want to do business with people they like.

4. Don't rely on spamming the media with your press releases and PR pitches.

5. Use press releases to reach buyers directly.

6. Comment on blogs, forums and chat rooms (but don't talk about your products and services).

7. Read the popular books in your market and write a review on Amazon. Use your real name and affiliation.

8. Shoot a short video and put it up onto YouTube

9. Know what search terms people are using to find products and services like yours and create content that search engines will reward with high search engine rankings.

10. Don't be egotistical. Nobody cares about you and your products. Your buyers care about themselves and solving their problems.

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Become a Virtual Assistant

2009-02-27T16:08:00.000-08:00

Now is a great time for anyone who has considered becoming a Virtual Assistant to learn more about this business.

During these economic times businesses are looking to cut expenses and many small businesses cannot afford a full-time employee and provide benefits on top of their salary. You can take advantage of that trend by starting your own virtual assistant business.

One of the advantages of starting a virtual assistant business is the relatively low start-tup costs in comparision to many other traditional businesses. Anyone with high level administrative skills and a decent home office can become a virtual assistant.

If you are just learning what a Virtual Assistant is and what this industry is about, my favorite resource is the book Virtual Assistant the Series by Dianna Ennen. She gives an indepth description of what a virtual assistant is and what a day in the life of a virtual assistant is really like. This book is an excellent investment for anyone serious about pursuing a career as a virtual assistant.

This is a great way to learn as much as you can before you decide whethor or not becoming a Virtual Assistant is something you really want to do.

Should Virtual Assistants Lower their Rates?

2009-02-24T08:09:00.000-08:00

Many Virtual Assistants are struggling with the current economy and wondering if the best strategy is to lower their rates.

If you are just starting your virtual assistant business and trying to build your clientele, or even find that first client, you may be tempted to try to underbid your competition.

This is understandable and I have struggled with these issues myself; however, I think there are a few important factors you should consider before you determine what rates to charge for your virtual assistant services.

If everyone tries to underbid the competition, the standard fees will be lowered for the industry as a whole. I think most virtual assistants today charge just enough and are certainly not overpaid. I have often wondered if this industry were male dominated, how different the approach to rates would be. Women are so good and underestimating their own worth.

Since we are virtual assistants, we are competing in a global market and we will see jobs on freelance sites for virtual assistant jobs at rates as low as a few dollars per hour. American, Canadian and European virtual assistants cannot make a living at these rates and shouldn't worry about competing with these foreign virtual assistants. I know it's discouraging and would love to see virtual assistant jobs posted at a fair wage, however that is just not the reality on many of these Internet job sites.

I think the best strategy is not to lower your rates to the point where you cannot make a profit. No business can survive without a profit and you need to consider your expenses if you want to have a thriving business for years to come. Instead seek businesses that value your services and will pay you what you are worth.

Consider the quality of your work. If English is your first language and you are educated and experienced, no $5 an hour foreign Virtual Assistant will provide the same level of quality and professionalism in their writing. If you have other high level skills and business management experience, the quality of work you will provide will be higher and will justify the higher rate.

With so many businesses struggling today, should you lower your rates?

These are tough times no doubt, but there are still businesses surviving and even thriving. Even in tough economic times, services need to be performed and bills need to be paid. There will always be business owners looking for the least expensive option in any economy, but most business people understand how important quality is and that you need to pay your best people well. If you have a client struggling, you may have to work fewer hours and perhaps they will have to take on more of their administrative tasks. This is why it is imperative to have more than one or two clients. You cannot charge too little if you are going to survive this Recession.

I see so many Virtual Assistant websites where they emphasize the cost savings of their services versus a full-time employee, often on their home page. It can seem as if they are trying to justify their fee from the very start.

Everyone runs their business differently and if you want to push the cost savings to potential clients, you certainly can. I just personally prefer to emphasize the quality of my services and talk rates later after I have pre-sold the client a little first.

Here are some more things to consider when you are determining your own Virtual Assistant rates...