A virtual assistant is an entrepreneur who provides support in an administrative capacity to help big or small businesses and busy executives with their workload. A virtual assistant can handle all the tasks that are generally handled by a company employee. So, why work with a virtual assistant instead of having an assistant right outside your door?

You are busy

You may be running a small business, perhaps a start-up, and are working from your home. You do not need to provide office space or equipment nor have someone in your home distracting you from your own tasks. You can simply delegate tasks in your own time.

Cost Control

You pay ONLY for the time a Virtual Assistant works for YOU. A Virtual Assistant is also a small business owner who is 100% responsible in assuming all tax obligations for their income. You do not have to pay for vacation, sick days, holidays and provide other benefits. In addition, when you hire a VA, they provide their own computer, software and office equipment, so you do not need to be burdened with these expenses. The only thing you pay is for their hourly charge or retainer.

Pay per Project or Monthly Retainer

Virtual Assistants can provide you with services on an as-needed basis. If you only require only a couple of hours of service for a project, you will pay their standard hourly rate. Many VA’s will offer a discounted rate for a monthly retainer and often times, should there be any unused hours, they will be rolled into the next month.

Experience

Most Virtual Assistants have worked in an Administrative capacity for at least 5 years and it is not unusual to find others that have 20 years or more of experience in dealing with busy executives in a professional setting. You can feel assured as a business owner, that when you hire an experienced VA, your work will be handled with the utmost of care and professionalism.

No “Down” Time

Productivity is vital in a business setting but many employees actually admit to handling personal matters while on the company clock. With a Virtual Assistant you only pay for the time they are actually working on your job. A good VA has time tracking software which keep track of the time spent on your project.

Business Owner Relationship

Perhaps the most important consideration when comparing a Virtual Assistant to an employee is that unlike an employee, a VA is also a business owner. VA’s understand what it takes to run a successful business.

A final advantage in working with a Virtual Assistant is that you are not limited by geography. Thanks to current technology, your VA can work with you from another state or even from half way around the world. Regardless of the time difference, you can E-mail your VA and they will respond to your needs. In fact, as you sleep through the night, your VA may be busy working on your project, so upon awakening, you can find your completed project in your in-box, ready for presentation. How’s THAT for service?

It’s currently THE social media tool but it the website provides no statistics on your use (or that of your followers). 

If you want to know your stats, and also those of your followers, check out Twitter Analyzer. All you need to do is enter the account name and you have more information you can shake a stick at.

I’ve gone though my own account and it’s not 100% accurate.  For example it claims I have no followers in the UK and I know that’s not true.  The number of followers I have too was off by about 30 which isn’t a huge amount but in the world of statistics it matters!

Don’t let that put you off giving it a try - it is free.  Just be careful that getting your stats doesn’t become as addictive as Twitter itself!

Education levels of Virtual Assistants (VAs) vary but as a general rule they are normally well educated and have a multitude of hard skills and experience in office management and computer systems and software.

My assistance is ideal for small to medium businesses, business start ups, sole traders, freelancers, charities, community groups and larger companies who have the opportunity to outsource work. I am also available to help with personal matters and projects.

I am not an employee of your company. In fact I am my own small business owner myself. I take pride in working with your company providing an excellent, cost effective resource.

Communication between us is usually by phone, e-mail, instant messaging, fax or post. However, if you are a local business then I can meet with you personally. 

I can provide you with business support on a continual or ad-hoc basis. I have over 17 years office experience in I.T. and secretarial support.

Here is a brief guide to getting your own self hosted Wordpress Blog.

1. Register domain and get hosting.  Make sure hosting has MYSQL and PHP.  If you don’t have a hosting company in mind, pop on over to Blue Host as they can provide you with reliable hosting at a great cost.
2. When domain and hosting is set up add the email addresses you will need.  You don’t have to do this step but it looks great in marketing if you have yourname@yourdomain.com instead of a Yahoo or Gmail account.  It’s all about the image!
3. Set up a MYSQL database via your hosting company.  Make note of settings as you’ll need them.
4. Download latest version of Wordpress from wordpress.org and install on your local drive (your computer).  It’s free so you don’t have to get your credit card to get the rather awesome wordpress software.
5. Change the wp-config-sample.php to include the MYSQL database details.  Rename the wp-config.sample.php to wp-config.php.  You can use notepad to edit the file.
6. Use an FTP program to upload the wordpress files to your host company.
7. Go to your domain name in your internet browser and go to your domain name.  The installation process should run automatically.  All you need to enter is your Blog title and your email address (using one of your new ones creates a streamlined blog approach but you don’t have to – any old one will do).
8. Make note of the admin password – I suggest copying it because you’ll need it to log in.
9. Log in to your new blog and start to tweak!

The site is growing and shows a lot of promise so sign up and show your support.  One of the best features is ‘I need help with‘ - a list where you can ask for help and members help.  It’s a fantastic way to make connections and help someone out too!

Organising a wedding is a job in itself.

You have a budget, you have a time limit and there are a million and one things you need to do to make sure your big day goes smoothly and not literally with a bang.

Most couples today have extremely busy lives occupied by careers, friendships and hobbies. You might have only a couple of hours to spare in the evening AND the last thing you want to do is log onto the Internet in a frustrating search for information on venues, caterers and suppliers and so forth.

Organising a wedding can be very demanding.  Some of the work can be fun, but BUT some of it will be a real chore.

Take the stress out of the organisation by hiring a Virtual Assistant to cover the tasks you don’t want, or don’t have time, to do.  You’re still in control, you still make all the decisions and call all the shots.  BUT you just have just one person to check in with instead of the florist, the chauffeurs, the caterers, the stationers, the hotel…. the list could go on forever!

Make it easier on yourself and get a VA to help make your big day the biggest day of your life.

Still don’t want a virtual assistant to give you a hand?

Check out these resources to help your day go smoothly…

• Amazing Wedding Planning
• The Fairy Tale Wedding Kit
• Wedding Planning On A Budget