Are you cut out to be a Virtual Assistant, here’s what the folks at AssistU.com believe is a basic self-inventory (it’s my innterpreation at least):
1. Great Administrative Skills
2. Previous support experience is a plus if not a must
3. The ability to translate those support skills to finding and serving clients (as opposed to being a passive employee)… marketing and business management.
4. The ability to use the latest electronic tools and resources to maximize the value of your time.
The industry is new and faces its share of hurdles…
According to Janet L. Jordan, president of Corpus Christi, Texas- based Virtual Assistance U, the best VAs are organized and adept at multitasking, have excellent communication skills, and possess solid technology knowledge. Many are eager to become successful business owners, says Jordan, who founded VAU in 2000 to serve a growing need for comprehensive, online training for those desiring to launch VA practices.
Minority enrollment in the program is about 30%, with African Americans accounting for about 20% of total enrollment.
But like other fledgling industries, VAs face their set of challenges. Where providing support services to existing companies may seem like a clear-cut business vision, Jordan says many new VAs have a hard time managing their various job functions when providing services to clients for the first time. Answering e-mail messages for a client is one thing, but setting competitive fees, managing accounts receivables, obtaining health insurance, filling the client pipeline, and organizing your day when five different clients are throwing projects at you is entirely different.
Effective planning, done early in the VA’s process and updated regularly, says Jordan, can make a significant difference. “At VAU, we explore the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats confronting their practices and develop ‘ideal client’ profiles,” explains Jordan, who advises VAs to look for long-term, retainer- based clients whose needs include marketing, appointment setting, and meeting coordination. “From there, VAs can create a practice that promotes their expertise and sets them apart from others while attracting that ideal client to their practice.”
New VAs can also get help from organizations that offer credentials such as VA Certification’s Professional Virtual Assistant, Master Virtual Assistant, and AssistU’s Virtual Training Program. Obtaining credentials doesn’t always require extensive training or education, and some designations are simply given to paying members of an organization
No comments yet.