Do You Have What It Takes To Become A Successful VA?

Here are some questions to ask yourself when you think about starting your own virtual assistant business:

· Do you have excellent typing and proofing skills? · Do you enjoy helping people? · Are you familiar with Internet and enjoy learning new things about it? · Do you already know several people who could utilize your services? · Are you capable of making a great income and will stop at nothing to make it happen?

SKILLS NEEDED

Diana and Kelly explain, “Every virtual assistant has their own unique skills and experience that enables them to start their business. The right skills are those that you have perfected and can perform well. As you further develop your skills, you can expand your service offering.

Skills range from basics such as typing to highly specialized areas like web design, graphic arts, technical writing, and more. A professional VA will be proficient in Internet, computers, software, word processing and spreadsheet applications, etc. In addition to technical skills, a professional VA will have good business management skills as well as knowledge of marketing, advertising, and public relations. Business management skills not only help you in operating your own business, but allows you to aid your clients in running theirs.

VAs must be motivated. You can’t get discouraged when you experience minor set-backs. Start fresh each day. If phone didn't ring yesterday, make it ring today. Failure is not an option. You need to know that you're going to make it and will stop at nothing short.”

How Much Can You Make?

“Our research shows most pricing is centered around a base price of $25 per hour. However, rate does depend on services you provide and also how long you’ve been in business. Another consideration is area in which you live. In some areas you will receive more than in others. For example, in south Florida you can charge a better rate in Miami, than say a smaller town like Pompano Beach.

There are different ways in which you can charge for services. By hour, by project, by page, or for something like event planning you could charge a certain percentage of total event cost. Many VAs offer reduced rates for a monthly retainer option. With a monthly retainer your client commits to a certain number of hours per month at a predetermined rate. If you work less than committed number of hours you are still paid same. If you work over committed number of hours then you would bill client for additional hours at that same rate or whatever is agreed upon,” says Diana and Kelly.

For More Information On How You Can Become A Virtual Assistant

You can purchase Diana and Kelly’s ebook, A Bizy’s Guide: How To Start Your Own Home-Based Virtual Assistant’s Business at: http://www.bizymoms.com/main/?10000!0103

But I don't want to miss Christmas with kids this year. I want to truly experience holidays this season, not just try to plan them around my busy work schedule. I don't even want to miss upcoming, once in a lifetime "turn of century".

Now, what does this mean to my business? Does it hurt my growth? Probably in short run. Revenues won't be up but they certainly won't dip down low enough to really worry me. This, by way, is one of nicest things about an Internet business :-)

But how will this reaffirmation that I am something more than a slave to Internet possibilities eventually help my business? Easy... when I do come back to full time work my health will be improved, I'll feel better about myself and my family, and I'll have a clear head. I'll most likely return to accomplish tasks that I have struggled with previously in record time, just because of my recharged, revitalized mental state.

So how can you apply this advice in your own life?

If you have already burnt yourself out and feel that you are spinning your wheels, force yourself to take a break. You don't have to push and push and push yourself in order to prove you can be successful. It will come eventually, and when it finally does march into your life, you should want to be able to handle it. Wouldn't it be a shame if success finally knocked on your door but you were too tired and mentally exhausted to remember your early dreams, and be in a condition to take advantage of that success? Of course it would be.

History is full of sad examples of people who started out with a dream, pursued that dream relentlessly, and used all their talents and time. Somehow, when they arrived at end of rainbow, they were either too tired, or too bogged down by worries that they were going to lose it, that they couldn’t even enjoy colors, much less contents of that allegorical kettle. You probably have worked for people like that. So you know it’s not an uncommon phenomenon. Just don't let it happen to you.

If you haven't yet fully launched your Internet business, and you're feeling burnt out just from pre-launch phase, then I say enjoy this last holiday of millennium with gusto. There will be plenty of other sacrifices ahead in your first few years of business.

If you haven't already gotten in on this year’s Christmas Ecommerce train it is almost too late to do much anyway. Christmas shoppers will be making their online purchases over next couple of weeks. After that they will turn to safety of retail stores for any last-minute gifts. So if you haven't launched by now, chances are smart thing to do is just relax and enjoy this last 1999 holiday.

We receive mixed messages in many of publications we regularly read. Some writers say stop procrastinating and make sacrifices or you'll get nowhere. Then you have writers like me who encourage you to stop and smell roses occasionally. Ultimately, of course, you have to do what you feel is right for you and your particular circumstances.

I just know that for me and a few other well-known marketers I've talked to, taking some time off provides us with a much-needed renewal of our entrepreneurial batteries.