How to become a legitimate virtual assistant?

Question

I have a small at home marketing business but while I am building my client list or while I have down time in business I would like to be a virtual assistant. I don't know how to get into this field. Is anyone familiar? I was wondering if there is a way to start quickly and where I can work part time. How do you get connected with the people who hire you? Is it through a firm or your own contacts? Please only legit ways of doing this.

Answer 1

Actually as the lead virtual assistant and marketing specialist of OnDemand Virtual Services I can tell you that Virtual Assistant is not at all a "catch phrase" but a real business. Those who venture into this industry are administrative experts and entrepreneurs who provide their services virtually to businesses looking to become more productive. If you are looking to go full time a business plan, marketing plan and website are just some of the beginning tasks you will need to create. To get started quickly for a part time practice you can put ads on sites like craigslist.com and backpage.com and then take advantage of sites like elance.com and guru.com. While the lower paid gigs are usually generated from these sites, it is among the fastest and easiest way to get a client. Hope that gets you started!

Answer 2

For legit virtual assistant jobs, you'd get clients pretty much the same way as you do for your marketing business - by personal contact and networking.  The internet sites promising to hook you up with people are pretty much scams who will collect their fee from you, but not find you work.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Virtual assistant is a catch phrase, work at home companies use it because it sounds cool and brings in contacts.

There are many ways you could work to help people on a virtual format. That could be web page building. Advising on malware protection, detection, and removal. Networking, or a number of different areas of expertise. You could also advise on a virtual format on about anything where that format would be advantageous and you could be paid in advance via credit card or paypal so it could work pretty slick.

Actually the Geek Squad started that way, and I used them via Internet and telephone when they were only a few strong and I actually got the CEO on the phone and he worked with me because my problem was pretty complex and I didn't want to pay for a guess, lol. Now they are a huge multi million $ company and might just get an ipo in the near future and the value could turn to billions. Not a bad way to do business right? Though they are also working with best buy and doing mobile visits to peoples homes, they started virtually right over the net.

Figure out which area you think will be marketable and advertise on line and locally until it takes off a little then go for more advertising. Be ready for a lot of trial and error, that's the best way to learn and most really successful business innovators have done a lot of that, probably all of them.

You could also find a service that fits your skill level on the net and contact them to become part of their program. A skilled addition to a team which has a service in great demand is always very welcome and you might even get offered a piece of the action, which you should take if it's offered. Those things have a way of making millionaires.

Why not use what you already know, learn more about internet marketing and become a virtual internet marketing consultant? (consultant sounds pretty good).

Answer 4

Check out the following site for ideas and resources to make money online or for legitimate work-at-home opportunities.  The Home page includes great ideas and specific websites for making money like selling on Amazon or EBay, writing How-to articles for money, blogging, selling your artwork or creations, etc.  There are several sites recommended that most people have not heard of but are a great way to make extra cash.  The Work-at-Home page provides links to actual companies that hire for legitimate work-at-home jobs as well as other work-at-home resources.  These jobs include data entry, customer service, VIRTUAL ASSISTANT positions and more.  There are other resources listed for more information about becoming a VIRTUAL ASSISTANT.  The Resources section includes a long list of websites that might be good opportunities to make some extra cash.  

http://www.freewebs.com/askwendyrenee