Patty Benton asked:


By Patty Benton

www.moretime4u.org

© 2005 JERPAT Virtual Assistants

When someone asks me what I do, and I tell them I am a Virtual Assistant, I am bombarded with questions. What is a Virtual Assistant? Who uses a Virtual Assistant? How much do they charge? How can they complete my work without being in my office? How is a Virtual Assistant more beneficial than someone in my office? How do I know that I can trust the hours they charge and that they won’t share my personal information? How do I go about finding a Virtual Assistant that is a “match” for me? These are all legitimate questions that someone considering hiring a Virtual Assistant needs to ask and have the answers to.

What is a Virtual Assistant?

A Virtual Assistant is a person or company that completes a variety of administrative, web, and computer work virtually. This means that they complete the work from their office and send it to their client via email, web link, postal mail, or fax. Communication is mainly done via email and phone, with many Virtual Assistants never meeting their client face to face.

Who uses a Virtual Assistant?

Anyone can. Real estate agents, coaches, non-profit, churches, small business owners, and big corporations are a few that can benefit from the services of a Virtual Assistant. The benefit of a Virtual Assistant is that they can be used on an “as-needed” basis, or a client can contract them to work so many hours a month.

How can they complete my work without being in my office?

The power of technology allows work to be done from anywhere. Some Virtual Assistants will connect their computer to a client’s and work directly on the client’s computer. Other options are to send work via email, postal mail, and even put it on the web and have clients download it. Depending on the project, a Virtual Assistant can find a way to complete the work and make sure the client gets it.

How is a Virtual Assistant more beneficial than someone in my office?

The main benefits of a Virtual Assistant to someone in an office are financial and space. An average office employee makes $43.54/hour (United States Bureau of Labor Statistics March, 2003) with their benefits package and wage. By the time an in-office employee takes breaks, lunch, restroom breaks, and chatting with others in the office, think of how much money is wasted! A Virtual Assistant will charge their client ONLY for the time spent working on the project and they pay their own benefits.

The other benefit is space. Having another person in an office means somewhere to put another desk, computer, and other office equipment needed by that employee (plus the cost of all this equipment and maintenance). Virtual Assistants provide their own work space, computer, equipment, maintenance, etc. In addition, most Virtual Assistants will cover the cost of supplies, which for an employee, the employer must also provide. When adding up these costs, the Virtual Assistant comes out as a far cheaper option.

How do I know that I can trust the hours they charge and that they won’t share my personal information?

Most Virtual Assistants use some sort of software to track their time in and out. There are several software programs that allow the user to punch in and out, just like a punch clock. It tracks the time, and at anytime the user can create a “report” that vouches for time spent and can be sent to a client when needed. As a Virtual Assistant, I use TraxTime. This allows me to record my time working, and easily punch out if I need to take care of something personal. It also allows me to make memos as to what I am working on, so a client has an idea of how long something takes to be completed. All Virtual Assistants have their own preference of software they like to use, but all work under the same ethics that they charge only for time spent working on a project. They won’t charge you for their lunch break, or the call that came in from another client. Obviously, Virtual Assistants work on the honor system of punching out for personal time. Clients always have the right to find another Virtual Assistant to work with if they feel their Virtual Assistant is charging them for time not spent on their project.

As for sharing a client’s company information, clients need to be sure to have a contract in place that ensures their company secrets and information will not be shared. Many Virtual Assistants have “niched” an industry, and this results in them having competing clients. With a contract in place, they cannot share a client’s information or use it to help another client. And to speak logically on this, if a Virtual Assistant did this, they would lose the faith and trust of clients, which would result in the failure of their business. So, it is not to their benefit to share a client’s information. But, to protect themselves, clients should be sure to sign a privacy clause in a contract.

How much do they charge?

The general price ranges from $20 to $50+ per hour depending on the services requested and the Virtual Assistants experience and degree. Many Virtual Assistants offer a “retainer plan” for those clients that are willing to commit to a certain number of hours per month. With a retainer plan, a client can get a discount on hourly rates.

How do I go about finding a Virtual Assistant that is a “match” for me?

As I mentioned previously, many Virtual Assistants find a “niche” which is an area they excel in. A client needs to find a Virtual Assistant that niches in their area of expertise and that offers the services they need. Some clients find it beneficial to have 2 or 3 Virtual Assistants that have different areas of expertise. The most important thing in finding a Virtual Assistant is not cost, or even area of expertise, but do you match well? Do you have the same work ethics? Do you have personalities that will work well together? Finding someone you feel comfortable with is the most important because a Virtual Assistant will become your partner in business and will help your business become even more successful.

© 2005 JERPAT

You have permission to reprint this article electronically or in print, as long as the text and byline remain unedited. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.



Virtual Office In Singapore

Melissa Brewer asked:


How many times have you wished that there was a work at home opportunity for an entry-level office job applicant? Do you daydream about the time you would save each day if you didn’t have to make that commute to work? Do you wish you didn’t have to dress up to attend that lame morning “pep talk” during your first cup of coffee?

You’re in luck – the times are changing. Many men and women across the country have changed career paths – and their lives, by cashing in on the latest trend in the travel and tourism industry – homeshoring. For reservation agents that work-at-home, the commute is simply moving from one room to another to start their day. It’s happening on a regular basis in the time (and sometimes cash) strapped travel and tourism industry, and most of these companies provide local training before their employees take their virtual jobs home.

Companies that hire homeshoring workers in these industries provide a full course of paid training. If you’re looking for a work-at-home opportunity, and have a home office complete with computer, Internet connection, and a second phone line, then you may be able to find employment as a reservation agent with airlines such as Jet Blue, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, or hotel chains such as Outrigger Hotels, Marriot Global Reservations, or Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.



JetBlue’s virtual opportunities set the homeshoring trend.

Jet Blue, who started their work-at-home program during the company’s infancy, quickly saw a 25% increase in productivity once employees were allowed to work from home. It is for this reason the company continues to hire work-at-home reservation agents today and why so many other companies are following their example.

In an effort to control the costs of operating traditional call centers, many US-based companies have created programs that allow employees to work-at-home instead. As a result, fewer jobs are being outsourced to countries like India and Mexico. Because most US customers would rather speak to someone whose native language is English, these companies feel they are providing better customer service in addition to providing jobs to those in the US. It’s also easier for them to schedule people during peak hours when the weather’s bad – an essential component for an industry whose reputation is at stake during the holiday season.

Currently, there are about 112,000 people working from home as customer service representatives (reservation agents, telesales, insurance agents, etc.). By 2010, this number is expected to increase to about 330,000.

Jet Blue Airlines is a success story because the company has always relied on work-at-home employees to help Jet Blue customers book reservations and answer their questions or complaints about flights and airline policies. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Jet Blue Airlines employs over 1,200 reservation agents who work locally.

In fact, many of the companies who hire people to work from home expect them to work locally so they can be contacted quickly to work extra shifts or to cover shift changes. Some companies even provide additional space in their home offices for employees to complete their shift if employees are having technical difficulties with home office equipment.

Looking for an opportunity as a virtual reservation agent?

To become a virtual agent, you may need to have prior customer service experience or you may receive on-the-job training in a nearby facility. Depending on the company, you may have the option to work part-time or full-time, you may have to work weekends and holidays, and you may be asked to cover additional shifts when necessary.

When researching possible virtual opportunities, finding companies that are within driving distance is important because many companies require that you be able to commute for on-site training. Paid training is usually provided. Keep in mind that you may be responsible for finding your own health benefits, however, as some companies do not provide health coverage for those who work from home.

Job duties vary based on the services provided by the company, but for many virtual reservation agent opportunities, you should be able to research flights, hotel room availability, make recommendations to customers about travel, quote accurate prices, input reservation data, send verifications, and answer most questions or address complaints that customers have.

The income level you can earn for most of these virtual opportunities will vary based on company criteria. Most jobs start between $7.50-$10.00 with salary differentials given on weekends and holidays. All paid employees reap the benefits of the travel industry, such as free and discounted travel, as well as qualify for standard benefits after a certain probationary period. Although salaries tend to be on the lower end of the spectrum, home based reservations agents save, on average, up to $4000.00 on their commuting expenses alone. Not sure you can take a salary cut? Add up the cost savings of wardrobe, daycare, and eating out for lunch – and you’ll see there’s a lot more take home pay in the home-based reservation agent model. And don’t forget that you can often write off your job-related expenses in your taxes.

In the end, most employees find working from home, especially in a job that can be stressful at times, allows them to remain focused, relaxed, and gives them more time to spend with family or to pursue other interests.



Virtual Office Address

Morgan asked:


The modern British office is about as calm as a tent in a thunderstorm. The fast-paced winds of corporate life whip everything into an all-consuming froth of clutter through which we try to conduct our working lives. Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art of placement, is now being employed to counter the endemic culture of corporate disorder with supporters including Richard Branson and Donald Trump. Liza Evans, the in-house Interior Designer and Feng Shui consultant for Executive Offices Group, creates harmonious working spaces by translating the discipline into an effective corporate instrument that helps businesses succeed in their market place.

Feng Shui is a discipline that explores the relationship between the natural and built environment. When Liza designs an office every detail of a building is taken into consideration including its location, direction and surroundings, as well as the positioning of its entrances, public spaces, and the office layout itself. In practical terms the main changes she effects involve a wholesale removal of clutter and the careful and subtle placement of objects in conjunction with complementary colour and texture combinations. The offices she creates have a sleek and contemporary interior design quality but are born of an art that has been honed by its practitioners over thousands of years.

The overall design must encourage the flow of the positive energy known as chi. Business centre entrances are particularly important because they are the threshold that unites the outside world with the activities inside; freely flowing chi at an entrance creates energy and harmony in everything that enters, leaves and occurs within the building. As well as harnessing chi, Feng Shui seeks to strike a balance between yin and yang, the receptive and active forces of the universe. This can be done by establishing an interaction between light and dark colours, soft and hard surfaces, smooth and rough textures in treatments furniture and flooring.

While there may be some misplaced scepticism surrounding a practice as elusive and unquantifiable as Feng Shui, few would be unimpressed by the results Liza has seen her work produce. Her Feng Shui offices have increased productivity, reduced staff turnover, improved staff relations and, perhaps most importantly, created tangible increases in profit. Recently, Liza was called in to help a City company who were having problems with turnover; money was flowing into their company, but flowing out twice as quickly. With a few adjustments to enable their staff to be more focused, which included re-seating the MD, looking at their company literature and clearing the clutter, the company’s fortunes changed dramatically and they eventually went on to float on the stock exchange.

However, if a comprehensive redesign of the office is not possible, Liza’s top ten tips can bring harmony to any office:

Keep the office anddeskclutter free, including removing mess from the drawers If you don’t use it, lose it! Get rid of any unused or unwanted itemsStore archive filing off site but treat files with respect as they represent past and future business Keep the office clean and tidyto keep the energy in the space light and fresh Regularly open windows to let fresh air/energy in and raise the blinds to allow natural daylight into the space Fresh flowers or healthy plants will help bring a touch of nature into the office helping tokeep the energy fresh Put up colourful and inspiring artwork to helpstimulatecreativity Use mirrors to help open up, energise and enlarge spaces Ideally position your desk so you have a clear view of the door. If space permits sit with your back to the wall to give you additionalsupportArrange the office sopeople canmove aroundand function easily.This will help the energy (chi) to flow around the space

The modern British office is about as calm as a tent in a thunderstorm. The fast-paced winds of corporate life whip everything into an all-consuming froth of clutter through which we try to conduct our working lives. Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art of placement, is now being employed to counter the endemic culture of corporate disorder with supporters including Richard Branson and Donald Trump. Liza Evans, the in-house Interior Designer and Feng Shui consultant for Executive Offices Group, creates harmonious working spaces by translating the discipline into an effective corporate instrument that helps businesses succeed in their market place. Feng Shui is a discipline that explores the relationship between the natural and built environment. When Liza designs an office every detail of a building is taken into consideration including its location, direction and surroundings, as well as the positioning of its entrances, public spaces, and the office layout itself. In practical terms the main changes she effects involve a wholesale removal of clutter and the careful and subtle placement of objects in conjunction with complementary colour and texture combinations. The offices she creates have a sleek and contemporary interior design quality but are born of an art that has been honed by its practitioners over thousands of years. The overall design must encourage the flow of the positive energy known as chi. Business centre entrances are particularly important because they are the threshold that unites the outside world with the activities inside; freely flowing chi at an entrance creates energy and harmony in everything that enters, leaves and occurs within the building. As well as harnessing chi, Feng Shui seeks to strike a balance between yin and yang, the receptive and active forces of the universe. This can be done by establishing an interaction between light and dark colours, soft and hard surfaces, smooth and rough textures in treatments furniture and flooring. While there may be some misplaced scepticism surrounding a practice as elusive and unquantifiable as Feng Shui, few would be unimpressed by the results Liza has seen her work produce. Her Feng Shui offices have increased productivity, reduced staff turnover, improved staff relations and, perhaps most importantly, created tangible increases in profit. Recently, Liza was called in to help a City company who were having problems with turnover; money was flowing into their company, but flowing out twice as quickly. With a few adjustments to enable their staff to be more focused, which included re-seating the MD, looking at their company literature and clearing the clutter, the company’s fortunes changed dramatically and they eventually went on to float on the stock exchange. However, if a comprehensive redesign of the office is not possible, Liza’s top ten tips can bring harmony to any office: Keep the office anddeskclutter free, including removing mess from the drawers If you don’t use it, lose it! Get rid of any unused or unwanted itemsStore archive filing off site but treat files with respect as they represent past and future business Keep the office clean and tidyto keep the energy in the space light and fresh Regularly open windows to let fresh air/energy in and raise the blinds to allow natural daylight into the space Fresh flowers or healthy plants will help bring a touch of nature into the office helping tokeep the energy fresh Put up colourful and inspiring artwork to helpstimulatecreativity Use mirrors to help open up, energise and enlarge spaces Ideally position your desk so you have a clear view of the door. If space permits sit with your back to the wall to give you additionalsupportArrange the office sopeople canmove aroundand function easily.This will help the energy (chi) to flow around the space



Virtual Office In Singapore

Maggie Ruch asked:


Use Your Virtual Assistant for Free Publicity: Submit articles

Don’t think you have time? Then you definitely NEED a Virtual Assistant.

Don’t know how to find a good Virtual Assistant or what to delegate to the Virtual Assistant you have? Visit www.speakassist.com for valuable resources to help you get started and to delegate more effectively to your V.A.

Free publicity is the best publicity!

Submitting articles on the web is a great strategy to gain free Publicity for your business. Journalists frequently surf these article sites when looking for new information to write about. Article sites only require that when quoting an article, that credit is given to the author—and journalists will adhere to these rules. It lends credibility to their article to quote an expert. Often journalists will follow up by contacting you and asking you to be a resource for future articles.

To get started, do a Google search (or better yet have your assistant do a Google search) for free article sites. A good way to tell if the article site is worth the time and trouble of posting is by checking the Google page rank for the site’s homepage. This will tell you how often that site is visited or how important it is to Google—thus how well journalists will find the site when searching for articles. The only paid service I would recommend is newsreleasewire.com which for a small amount sends your news release to all of the major media outlets up to 52 times per year. A great free site is ezinearticles.com

Second, Google articles relative to your industry. I’m a Virtual Assistant, so Virtual Assistant Articles is what search terms I would type in. Visit the websites and take a look at the types of articles the site publishes to make sure that this where you would like your articles to be posted. Then look for a link to “Submit Articles”. Some websites require that you register, which is common and should not raise any alarms unless they ask for payment or financial information. If the website does not have a submit article link, but has a good Google rating, find the Contact Us page and send an email to the website owner asking if they will accept articles along with a brief informative bio establishing credibility (why should they publish your article? What can you offer? Why would people be interested in what you have to say?) Many times these article sites will take as much material as you can offer—they want a dynamic website with lots of information too!

About once a week have your virtual assistant post an article to each of these sites. This should only take them a few hours and it’s well worth the effort.

500 word articles are easy to write 3-5 at a time if you have the right Virtual Assistant handling the mundane everyday tasks that consume so much of your time. Just set aside a few hours each month when you are feeling creative and can have some peace and quiet (send the spouse and kids to a movie). Throughout the month collect headlines and articles from the web and print in a “swipe file” that you can refer to for topics, quotes, or inspiration—better still have your virtual assistant do the research for you!

Have your assistant subscribe to Google alerts. This free service from Google sends an email to you every time Google search engines find a new web post on a certain topic. First, make a Google alert with your name, then an alert with your business name, and then a few alerts on topics relative to your industry. Registering your own name is important because you want to see if you are quoted in The New York Times and show it off on your website. The same thing is true for your business name. You want to see who is talking about you or more importantly if someone is doing business in your name. Google alerts on topics relative to your business will help you build your swipe file and you can go one step further. Write to the author of an article and offer an opposing viewpoint with the reasons why, “there’s more” to the story, or your own expert advice based on experience. Offer to be a resource to them and they will ask you the next time they need an expert in your field. Google alerts allow you to jump on these topics while they are hot and contact the author right away instead of weeks later when they are onto the next thing.



Singapore Virtual Office

Janet McNair asked:


32% of the virtual assistants surveyed charge $31-40 per hour for their services with the majority of virtual assistants putting in 31-40 hours of work per week. Amazingly, 43.6% of the virtual assistants surveyed normally work on weekends.

93.7% of the Virtual Assistants surveyed stated that their clients are found through word of mouth referrals with 80.1% of virtual assistants also marketing through a website online. *Source: The Media Virtual Assistant Survey

Many employees are working in the job market where they are being cross-trained to provide countless services. This is great for employers but takes advantage of the employee. Cross training is often presented to the employee as “team playing.” But this practice is what has caused many individuals to start thriving, part-time, Virtual Assistant businesses. Which is many cases blossom into full-time income!

What is a virtual assistant?

Virtual assistants often provide administrative and office support services to small businesses. Nowadays these services are being purchased by new entrepreneurs and home-based businesses owners who can’t afford to hire full time employees. The number of entrepreneurs entering the marketplace is exploding. According to Entrepreneur Magazine these new business owners are entering the marketplace at a pace of 8,000 per day.

Virtual assistants work from home with their own equipment, handling tasks that their clients don’t know how to do (or don’t want to do).

New business owners can concentrate on the parts of the business that make the money and leave the details to competent virtual assistants who enjoy the freedom of working from home.

This is a true win-win.

The entrepreneur doesn’t pay the virtual assistant to chat around the water cooler, instead virtual assistants only get paid when they produce. This means more productivity for both the virtual assistant and their client; the entrepreneur.

The obvious benefit to someone employing a virtual assistant is not having to deal with payroll taxes, vacations, sick days, or employee benefits.

Plus virtual assistants work remotely and fee up office space and computers.

Virtual Assistants provide many of the same services as onsite employees, without the added costs. Here are some of the tasks you might expect to delegate to a Virtual Assistant:

” Personal Assistance

” Website Maintenance and Updates

” Customer Service

” Answering Service

” Link Exchange

” Article Management

” Online Advertising

” Data Entry

” Accounting and Bookkeeping

” PowerPoint Presentations

” Database Management

” Word Processing

” Technical Support

” Transcription

” Travel Arrangements

” Reminder Service

” Writing, Editing, and Research Services

Below you will find just a few of the many benefits of hiring a Virtual Assistant over a conventional or temporary employee:

Cost of Work Space and Equipment

Virtual Assistants work from their own home or office and use their own equipment. You don’t have to pay for office space, equipment, maintenance, or addition utility bills. This is especially beneficial if you don’t have a lot of space of your own.

Cost of Taxes and Benefits

Since Virtual Assistants are independent contractors you don’t have to spend time or money dealing with taxes. Another benefit is you don’t have to pay health/life insurance or workers compensation. In addition, you don’t have to pay holidays, vacation time, or sick leave.

You’re In Charge

The relationship between you and your VA is based on a contracted agreement and you state the terms. You have the added benefit of paying by the project, by the hour, or on a monthly retainer. Since they bill for work completed you don’t have to pay for personal phone calls, tardiness, child issues, or sick leave. You choose which tasks to delegate to the VA and which tasks to do yourself or to keep in-house.

Professional Ideas

A Virtual Assistant is an entrepreneur that has their own strengths, background, and areas of expertise. They work from home and provide a service just like you do and have their own ways to market and solve problems that you might never have thought of. Having an experienced business person to bounce ideas off of will help you and your business grow.

Time to Focus on Your Business

Hiring a Virtual Assistant will free up your valuable time to focus on improving your business. Delegating administrative work such as bookkeeping, writing, research, customer service, and other jobs will allow more time for you to expand your business.

Virtual assistants can make as much as the job demands. There are cases where virtual assistants can make up to $100 per hour. Invisible workers offers this kind of pay scale for their workers.



Singapore Virtual Office

Brandi Cummings asked:


More and more people are working from home. There are a number of reasons for this: cost of commuting, commuting’s impact on the environment, downscaling of businesses, home business start ups, and the list goes on. Regardless of the reason for people working from home, it is happening in record numbers. As people make the move to the home office one of the biggest challenges they face is in their phone system. What many people will do is have their home phone line pull the double duty of handling personal and business calls or pay to have another standard phone line installed in their home for business. The inherent problems with these answers is that they fail to address 3 very important aspects of what any business phone system should include.

When deciding how new home office communications will work, these 3 things should be considered: maintaining a professional image, functionality, and flexibility.

Maintaining a professional image while working from home can be challenging. One of the major reasons for this is because of the need to be available by phone to your clients, customers, and or colleagues. If you have both personal and business calls coming in on the same phone line, unless you greet every caller as if it were a business call, you are not able to answer professionally. A virtual PBX will solve this problem for you by giving you advanced notice of the kind of call that is coming in. Even though a virtual PBX uses your already established phone lines, you will still know how you need to greet the caller before you answer. This can be done with an announcement that only you will hear stating that you have a business call while the caller listens to on hold music. They won’t even know they are being transferred to a home phone unless you tell them.

One of the next things to consider is functionality. A business phone needs much more functionality than what can usually be found in a home phone. A virtual PBX answers this with features such as main menu greetings that will let the caller know they have reached a professional business, the ability to have multiple extensions in case there still needs to be different departments (or the illusion of different departments), the ability to transfer calls between extensions or phone numbers, and the ability to send and receive faxes. Those things just cannot be found in a standard home phone and without them home offices will lose a lot of functionality that a business needs in order to maintain their professional image and efficiency. A virtual PBX will allow all of this functionality without having to install an expensive phone system in the home. With a virtual PBX, all that expensive phone system equipment is housed by the service provider and the home office reaps the benefits.

A major advantage of working from home is the flexibility that it allows. However, the communications have to be flexible as well in order to take advantage of the freedom that a home office can offer. A virtual PBX is flexible so that users are free to take calls anywhere they like. They are not stuck taking calls from the home office. They can take them on their cell phone lying on the beach if they want and all calls will still be answered with a consistent and professional message. They can receive fax and voicemail messages to any email address or on any computer with Internet access and change call forwarding numbers on the fly at any time. That kind of flexibility is just not possible with a standard phone line.

A major issue for people starting to work from home, whether it be telecommuting or a home based business, is the question of how they will handle their phone set up. A virtual PBX answers that question with its advanced features that allow home office workers to maintain a professional image, enjoy the enhanced functionality that a business requires and take advantage of the flexibility that comes with working from home.



Virtual Office Address

Bizymoms.com Management asked:


A Virtual Assistant (VA) is an independent individual working remotely to provide much needed and valued services to clients located all over the world. These services can fall into the categories of clerical, administrative, technical or creative. With the engaging of virtual assistants by companies becoming more and more common, their services have even spread into areas such as graphic and web designing, IT support, marketing and even translations.

Many companies are most likely to hire virtual assistants to save money. The client doesn’t need to provide equipment and office space, taxes, training, healthcare and insurance benefits when hiring a virtual assistant. Also some companies may only need an assistant for temporary projects.

A virtual assistant may work “on call” or may setup a work schedule with the client according to the time convenient for that individual. The nature of work carried out by a virtual assistant will depend on that person’s area of expertise. It could be appointment & reminder service, meeting and travel planning, billing and book keeping, database and contact management, desktop publishing, business writing, data entry, document preparation, website creation, market research, etc.

Virtual assistants work from their own home and the client would outsource the work on a contractual basis. The communication and data delivery between the virtual assistant and the client is carried out via phone, fax, email and online instant messaging. The virtual assistant and the client may even coordinate the work through online intranets and special software which allows them to access each others computers.

Since the virtual assistant is stationed at home, this facilitates more time to spend with the family and the decrease of many costs involved with working at an office. Also the profit potential in this profession is very good. As a result this profession is fast growing and becoming extremely popular.

In the modern era, many women strive very hard to achieve a work/family balance in their life. Due to work overload at office, office functions, heavy traffic congestions on roads while commuting to and from office, they rarely have time to spend with the family. So many of them now prefer to stay at home and start their own virtual assistant business. There are many advantages in becoming a virtual assistant. For example, more time to spend with your children, saving on day care costs, having more flexibility, cutting down costs of traveling and office attire, performing work which you love and investing more time for your betterment are to name a few.

It doesn’t involve a high cost to start up a home-based business. But before starting, a person should evaluate herself and see whether she could make a good virtual assistant. Computer literacy is a must and you should have good administrative skills as you would have to organize, plan and schedule your work. Self motivation, a willingness to learn new things and good communication skills are required when working as a virtual assistant.

You should decide what type of service you would want to offer your clients and determine how much time and energy you have, to commit to your business. A business plan and a marketing strategy are essential for your venture when managing and promoting your services to clients. By putting your best effort into it you can build up a very successful virtual assistant practice in a matter of months.



Virtual Office

Darvy Kaitlin asked:


What is a registered office?

It is basically an address of a company registered under Companies House, which works as the official address of that company, organization or the legal entity. It is the registered office where letters and reminders from Companies House are sent. In UK, one can have this type of office anywhere in England and Wales or even in Scotland if the company is registered there.

What are the benefits of registered office?

First of all, it is a necessity to have such kind of an office if you want to run an organization. A company must have an office with a valid postal address. All the statutory mails will be sent to this office. So, for official correspondence such an office is a must. However, it is not necessary that the registered office must be the place from where the business is run.

This fact makes it possible for overseas entrepreneurs to run their business in UK without having any base there. There are service providers who find out address for registered office for such businessmen. These service providers also ensure that the posts sent to this office are delivered to the respective businessman. One can avail the advantage of this kind of service online.

What are the legalities connected with registered office?

There are certain legal facts connected with this type of office and one must know them if he wants to have such an office in UK. First of all, the office should be registered with Companies Registry and the address should be notified to it. Secondly, the address provided as registered office must be a real one. Thirdly, the name of the company must be displayed outside the office. Next, the company’s products or posts must bear the name of the registered office. Then, any change in the address of the registered office must be informed to the Company’s House using form 287.



Virtual Office In Singapore

Ashlie Lanning asked:


Hickory, NC – January 22nd 2009 - Office Suites PLUS, headquartered in Lexington, KY, provides office space and virtual offices for hundreds of businesses across the country that desire a professional image but need an alternative to long-term leases and traditional office practices . Scott Beauchamp, VP of Technology, and his team of three are responsible for managing a sprawling network of 130+ workstations connected to 45 servers spread across 35 locations in 9 states and used by more than 120 employees.

Viruses were falling through the cracks

For several years, Office Suites PLUS had been standardized on Symantec for their virus protection needs. Then two years ago, another leading anti-virus software provider offered a special price incentive to switch to their enterprise product. But after only one year in use, Beauchamp’s overall experience with the product was less than positive.

“We had workstations that were getting infected even though they were running a managed, enterprise product,” he recalls. “What started happening is that every time a computer started acting crazy, my network administrator would download the Free version of AVG, clean the system, remove AVG, and reinstall our enterprise product.”

That’s when Beauchamp decided to make a change. “Several of the IT staff, including me, were already using AVG Free Edition on our home computers, and now my network administrator was using it to clean systems that were supposed to be protected. It only made sense to switch to AVG.”

Making the switch to AVG

Beauchamp was well aware that AVG Technologies provides the Free product for home use only so he went directly to AVG Technologies’ website to look for a commercial version. After completing a live trial of AVG Network Edition, Beauchamp turned to Walling Data, the longest-standing and highest-volume distributor of AVG Technologies solutions in North America, to provide a quote for 150 licenses. Already confident that the AVG solution could take care of the virus problem, he was delighted to find the software extremely affordable.

“The price Walling quoted us for the AVG Network Edition product was very competitive with what we were paying for our current product,” he said.

Given that Walling Data also provides unlimited no-cost US-based pre- and post-sales support to its customers, Beauchamp estimates, “we’re saving over 25% on our anti-virus budget by switching to AVG.”

He continued, “As we roll out AVG 8.0 across the company to all 130 workstations, I like what I see. It’s very efficient and does a great job protecting our equipment. We have not had a single infection slip through the cracks since installing this product. AVG is an affordable, lightweight and powerful solution to our virus problem.”

Deuce Towe, Network Security Administrator for Office Suites PLUS, has also been pleased with the ease of the product’s administration and overall performance. “They have made great improvements with the latest version. I am confident in the software’s ability to protect against infections, with the added benefit of spyware protection, eliminating the need to install additional products dedicated to spyware removal. Our helpdesk tickets related to spyware issues have virtually disappeared, and it is a direct result of our migration to AVG.”



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About Walling Data

Founded in 1994, N.C.-based Walling Data is a value-added technology distributor of technology products for resellers, small businesses, and education and government institutions. Walling Data was the nation’s first distributor of AVG security products and today is the highest-volume distributor for the product in North America, with more than 50,000 satisfied customers. Walling is also the only value-added distributor for Cymphonix Network Composer, an award-winning device that helps companies control and monitor users compliance with internet usage policies. Additionally, the company has recently become a distributor of CyberPatrol’s parental control and business-grade web filtering solutions. Walling Data provides free, unlimited, U.S.-based phone and “we-do-it-for-you” remote support for all of its customers. For more information, visit wallingdata.com and avgantivirus.com

About AVG

AVG is a global security solutions leader protecting more than 80 million consumers and small business computer users in 167 countries from the ever-growing incidence of web threats, viruses, spam, cyber-scams and hackers on the Internet. Headquartered in Amsterdam, AVG has nearly two decades of experience in combating cyber crime and one of the most advanced laboratories for detecting, pre-empting and combating Web-borne threats from around the world. Its free online, downloadable software model allows entry-level users to gain basic anti-virus protection and then to easily and inexpensively upgrade to greater levels of safety and defense in both single and multi-user environments.

Media Contacts:

Ashlie Lanning 919-557-7890



[AL1]Customer added this.



[AL2]Customer made this change.



Singapore Virtual Office

Jan Harris asked:


What is a Virtual Assistant and is it different from other virtual secretarial services?

The Virtual Assistant (VA) industry has grown rapidly in the last few years and its definition has evolved as well. The entrepreneurs who founded this industry defined what the job entailed and set standards to be upheld. These standards are important for increasing the credibility of all of the home based professionals in this industry.

If you look at the term “virtual assistant” the name defines the job as “virtual”. This means the work is done remotely, usually in the assistant’s home office. This distinguishes this profession from a telecommuter who is an employee that is allowed to work remotely. The VA is an independent business owner, working from their own office on a contract basis for a particular client. These are business owners and not employees of the companies they work with.

The second half of the name is “assistant”. This term distinguishes the VA from a secretary or freelance worker. While a home secretary may perform an administrative task one time for a company, the VA’s goal is to establish a relationship with a business. They work in a collaborative partnership with their client and perform specific services for that client according to their business needs. Most virtual professional assistants prefer not to be viewed as freelance workers where the name implies someone who performs a job on the side for some extra money.

The VA is building their own distinguished home based business with long-term financial goals in mind. The first virtual administrative professionals paved the way for future entrepreneurs and did an excellent job of setting high standards for the industry. The typical VA has over 10 years of high level administrative experience and is extremely proficient in a variety of software packages. They are skilled in business writing, office procedures, computer and internet technology. These are not home typists but highly educated, experienced professionals with skills that prove invaluable to the companies they assist.

If you are considering becoming a virtual assistant, the main distinction to keep in mind is that you will own your own business and establish yourself as an invaluable partner to your client’s business. Successful VAs take much pride in the fact that they help their client’s businesses grow and prosper. Many of these VAs are kept on retainer by their clients and serve them on a continual basis with whatever services are needed. If you are an experienced administrative professional that is interested in starting your own home based business, you should learn more about what a virtual assistant is and determine if you have what it takes to become a Virtual Assistant.



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