What kind of work does a virtual assistant do? Virtual Assistants perform a wide variety of administrative services. They may perform duties such as data entry, internet research, desktop publishing, appointment setting, etc. I personally perform most administrative tasks as well as general bookkeeping.

What type of background is necessary to work as a virtual assistant? I recommend at a minimum you have at least a few years working in an office environment and be comfortable doing so. You can also obtain a virtual assistant certificate but it is not necessary. I also recommend taking some accounting courses if you are going to be offering any financial services.

I see that you have a lot of work experience as a Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper. What made you think of taking your experience and skills to the online market? I love my job and can't imagine my life without doing it. However, I also have a daughter who I want to be home with more than anything. I decided by starting my own business, I could have the best of both worlds.

What was this change like for you? It is a lot of hard work running your own business as well as caring for a young child. I am a single mom, so that adds another element to the hardness. I am still working outside the home while getting my business to where it needs so I can support my family financially.

What type of market do you service, online? I primarily market to work at home moms online. I also market to local small businesses where I live.

How do you go about finding those who need virtual assistants? I do a lot of networking on message boards and also on Ryze.com. Word of mouth is defiantly the best way to go! I also periodically send out mailers to new small businesses.

Do you contract with companies/individuals, if so, how does that work?  I do require a minimum of 4 hours per month (which for me is $100). Most clients will require more hours, but this gives me a little assurance I will be getting something.

Do you work collectively with other virtual assistants to have a broader scope of clientele? If so, how does that work? I have a couple of other va's lined up in case I have a client that requires services I don't perform such as resume building or desktop publishing. In return, they will refer me if they have a client who is in need of bookkeeping services.

If you were to give someone interested in becoming a virtual assistant advice, what would that be? Don't come into this business expecting clients to be lining up at your door. It doesn't happen that way. It takes a lot of hard work to locate clients. Don't get discouraged. Starting a business doesn't happen over night!

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