A corporation is a separate legal entity that functions separate and apart from its shareholders or owners. You can incorporate on your own without an attorney, although it wouldn’t hurt to seek legal advice. And you can incorporate in your home state or any other state of your choosing.

More than half a million business entities have their legal home in business-friendly Delaware, including more than 50 percent of all U.S. publicly-traded companies and 58 percent of Fortune 500. Nevada, New York, California, Arizona and Florida are also magnets for businesses wanting to incorporate.

Protection Against Personal Liability Incorporating offers a variety of legal and tax advantages. For one, it’s one of best ways a business owner can protect his or her personal assets. As a separate legal entity, a corporation is responsible for its own debts. Shareholders of a corporation are generally not liable for obligations of corporation. Therefore, creditors of a corporation can seek payment from assets of a corporation, but not assets of its shareholders. This means that business owners can conduct business without risking their homes or other personal property.

Tax Advantages Many businesses choose to incorporate for tax advantages. Corporate profits aren’t subject to Social Security, Medicare, workers compensation and other taxes, which adds up to 15.3 percent in taxes. An individual proprietor would need to pay all of these taxes, commonly referred to as “self-employment taxes” on all income earned by business. But with a corporation, only salaries are subject to these taxes.

Before we continue, a definition is in order. A Virtual Assistant is a home-based entreprenuer who provides a wide variety of services, including but not limited to:

• Administrative • Technical • Creative • Financial

With so many advances in technology – Web, Internet, e-mail and instant messaging to name a few -- tasks your VA can perform for you are innumerable.

Presented for your reading pleasure are a few of my tips when hiring your own Virtual Assistant.

Consideration #1: The Face-to-Face Factor

This is by far biggest hurdle for some folks to overcome. I've interviewed a handful of potential clients who could not understand how I could assist them from my home office. You, dear business owner, must decide if you're able to deal with fact that your VA works from her home office.

To start, be honest about type of person you are. If you must have your hands on every sheet of paper, if you must see your assistant's face every day, hiring a VA is probably not a good idea for you.

Nine times out of 10, hiring a VA is a good fit for typical business owner. If you comprise that 10% of business owners who simply must have an on-site assistant, well, that's just fine. I'd prefer to work with someone who's self-aware about their work style, than someone who's attempting to make a VA-client relationship work, just for sake of making it work.

Consideration #2: Your Personality Type

If you think personality type doesn't play a role when choosing your VA, you are sorely mistaken my friend!

Example: If you're Power Player Pete, classic Type A personality, working with Suzy Granola is not a good choice for you. Whereas Suzy may be extraordinarily laid back and calm, your on-the-edge and hyper personality may make for uncomfortable work situations.

Remember, your VA doesn't necessarily have to mirror your personality. Instead, your personality and that of your Virtual Assistant should mesh very well.

Keep this in mind during interview process, asking VA questions about her personality, how she handles stress, etc. Be honest about who you are and type of VA you need to be successful.

Consideration #3: The VA's Work Hours

I have one thing to say about my work hours: my West Coast clients sure do love me!

All right folks, it's nuts and bolts time. Your VA's work hours and her availability must match your work hours, especially if your VA is to provide live telephone answering service. You also need to keep in mind time zone difference, if any, between you and your Virtual Assistant.