Three Ways To Become A Virtual Assistant And Work From Home

The term "virtual assistant" was virtually unheard of a decade ago

. Today, they are common in the business world. You can become a virtual assistant if you have computer and Internet skills or are willing to learn them.

A "virtual assistant" is just like a regular administrative assistant working in a real company. The difference is that virtual assistants don't have to come to a physical office. Instead, they "telecommute". In other words, they do their jobs by remotely logging in to a company's server or by doing business via email.

Virtual assistants do a wide range of jobs for the companies they serve. They may do tasks like:

* Data entry

* Manage customer emails

* Handle bookkeeping

* Look after the company's advertising and/or media/communications

* Do desktop publishing

* Manage appointments

* Answer phone calls

* Schedule employees

Basically, a virtual assistant can do just about anything that a regular assistant might do on-site for a boss or company.

Virtual assistants are becoming more and more common today, mainly because of their cost efficiency. Company's which hire administrative assistants who work on site have to treat them as regular employees. This means paying employee benefits, payroll taxes and other employee-related costs.

Additionally, companies with on-site assistants must pay an hourly wage, regardless of whether there is pressing work to be completed or not. During times when business is slow, this can be expensive and inefficient.

Virtual assistants, on the other hand, are not "regular" employees. They are hired and paid either on a short-term, per-project, or contract basis. This means that a company can use and pay one only when the workload is such that one is really needed. There is no need to pay a full-time assistant during periods when work is slow, and companies don't have to pay benefits or worry about payroll taxes or employee paperwork.

You can become a virtual assistant in three ways:

1) Open up an account with a freelancing website. There are a number of these on the Web. They allow you to create a profile and advertise your services and some even provide a forum in which to bid on job contracts.

2) Apply for work with a virtual assistant agency. These agencies are the online equivalent of the office temp agency. You'll have to go through an application process just like any regular job. Once you are hired, you do all of your work from home on a contract basis.

3) Start your own virtual assistant business/agency. If you have a bit of business savvy, you can be your own boss. Get a website, advertise online, and solicit business. You may eventually get busy enough to start hiring your own virtual employees.

The virtual assistant business is a growing industry, one that continues to thrive even in the face of economic downturn. It is precisely this economic downturn that is prompting companies to hire virtual assistants instead of full-time, on-site assistants. It allows them to stay afloat when profits are down. This makes the outlook for this profession a positive one.

by: Scott Lindsay

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