How to Become a Virtual Assistant and Make Great Money From Home

Becoming a virtual assistant (VA) is often one of the most sought after work at home opportunities by those who have clerical skills. As more and more solo entrepreneurs, and small businesses, seek to outsource office tasks to others, they are contributing to a boom in virtual assistant job opportunities.

Before I continue, I want to let you know that while being an online administrative professional is rewarding, it is not easy to enter into this field. If you have only entry-level office skills, meaning you know how to do basic typing, filing and answering phones, this may not be the right fit for your skill set. You see, VA workers usually have many years of administrative assistant or office supervisory skills.

If your skills are only entry level, then you would face very steep competition from those who can offer top level services to small business professionals. However, I don't want to completely discourage you from seeking out virtual assistants jobs. Just understand that you'll need to find a local career center that can give you training in advanced office administration skills.

If you are already a high-achieving administrative assistant, or office professional who wants the satisfaction of owning their own home based business, then you will be able to find a job as a virtual assistant, after you learn how to get set up and obtain clients.

A big misconception about this type of work is that it is just like working a regular job. The reality is, they are independent contractors who only work when they can secure clients. This means learning how to market yourself, stay organized and be able to manage your time well.

You should also think about specializing in a specific type of administrative work. Some of the typical jobs a virtual assistant can do for a client are:

*Bill Paying
*Bookkeeping
*Data Management and Processing
*Proofreading and Editing
*Transcription
*Word Processing

Other specialized areas are:

*Graphic Design
*Legal Assistant
*Real Estate Assistant
*Web Design

When you are just getting started, you can create a new virtual assistant checklist of all the specific skills you can offer busy professionals. Your job evolves around making their lives easier by doing tasks that you enjoy.

Another thing that's important for you to think about is who your dream client would be. There will be clients that come from all walks of life, with very different temperaments and work styles. Ideally, you want to work with clients who you're going to be comfortable working with on a regular basis.

There is also the option of doing subcontracting work for more established virtual assistants. This way, they would be the ones who would give you assignments, and you'd be helping them to grow their business while learning how to run yours.

The quickest way to get your virtual assistant business started, is to learn what to do from others who know how to do it successfully. You can find out more information about this top home business opportunity by visiting a site that features the best work from home ideas.

How to Create a Website and Make a Little Money

How to Create a Website

Many sites boast that they can create a site for you and you will be rich by the end of the month.

Let's get real. Yes, a website can make you some money. But, as your mom told you, anything worthwhile takes work. And a website is no different. Especially, if your goal is to build a home business.

Whether you want a website to make money, or just for fun, or both, the absolute best way is to learn a few of the basics first.

The very first thing you must do is to decide what your website is going to be about. You wouldn't want a website about cats, to have a domain name of DogStories.com! So, what is a domain?

A domain is actually an address. Just like the address where you live. You tell someone to come to 123 Main Street to visit where you live, and you would tell someone to go to MarysWebsite.com to visit your site. And the good thing about domains is that you get to pick the name! Not that you will get the exact name you want at first thought, but many names are still available, despite what you may think.

Many sites will also tell you that they can get you any name you want if you will host with them, and they will build you site and blah blah blah. Would you really want a site like MrBigGuy.com/yourname? I think I would rather have my own domain with the exact name of my choosing. And, if you purchase your own domain, you have complete control over what you want to do with it. If you are wondering about the cost of a domain, I can show you where to get one for less than ten dollars a year.

Buying domains and creating websites can be a scary thing, but the reality is you only have to learn a few skills and once you do it one time, it becomes easy.

Hens Lay Eggs (HLE)

“HLE” is a bit of a joke term, (or possible tongue in cheek could be a better label) coined in my Network Marketing Group - it stands for "Hens Lay Eggs" and is a take on the exponential growth theory - recruit two people, who recruit two, etc, and in six weeks you'll have 50,000 people sending you $250,000 - the false promise of MLM.

The MLM exponential growth chart makes sense mathematically but is flawed. Unfortunately the ordinary person can't see the flaw, so buy into it, and you get your 95% of people who do MLM and can't make it work. We all know the story.

The logic is the same as "Zeno's arrow", based on an ancient greek philosopher and mathematician who preceeds Archimedes and Pythagoras. Or in the famous “missing pound” logic problem. More on these in future issues.

But here is the HLE analogy explained:

A hen lays six eggs. If the chicks grow up to be hens they also lay eggs and the hen becomes a “grandmother”. There is no guarantee that all 6 chicks will lay 6 eggs, etc. Also there's nothing to stop the hen laying another batch of eggs, maybe six, maybe 5 or 8. It's not set or guaranteed.

Also there is no guarantee that the eggs will hatch into chicks – “don’t count your chickens before they hatch” after all. In this sense, an egg is a prospect, a chick is an affiliate who has signed up. Whether that chick now grows into a hen and lays their own eggs is the next issue. And a lot of that is down to how you – the mentor – or “Mother Hen” – help them develop in their early days, months, even years.

So it is with network marketing, MLM, EMM - whatever you want to call it - we call it "HLE". As Shakespeare said "a rose by any other name will still give you hay fever", or to quote Bruce Lee "it's just a name don't fuss over it"

The same goes for EMM - Exact Method Marketing - the McDonalds formula example (more on that later).

So what I now do is lead with FREE affiliate programs, the best of which is the SFI scheme with their free online VStore. This means no signup fees, no upgrade fees, no forcing the distributors to buy inventory. The money is ONLY made from the sale of the product and money is ONLY made by helping your downline make sales.

When someone joins under me they HAVE to sell the products and I HAVE to help them, I can't just sell them the opportunity as they do in so many companies that are DESIGNED to take advantage of the fact that the new affiliate won't be able to make any sales or recruit any downline. THESE schemes don't need them to - they have made the money from selling them the opportunity - the startup fee, upgrade fee, and they sell product to the distribrutor who "must stock inventory" - they don't ever expect him to be able to sell it on - they don't need him to.

HLE, taken literally, is more "viral". It's like when someone sends you a joke on email, if you look, each "level" has dozens of different names the joke has been spidered out to.

That is "viral", and that is how you pass on the products and opportunity. It spreads like a virus – person to person – which is how network marketing is supposed to work. No spam, no sticking people on autoresponders – no junk mail.

Real people, real products, real opportunities, real results.

Realization of Dreams

We all have dreams. Some of us dream about winning the lottery and never having to work again (also the most unrealistic dream). Others dream of going to college, retirement, travel. Still others dream of working from their home. Some even want to run their own business. Whatever your dreams are, the realization of them is extremely important. We need our dreams to keep us going.

For many of us our destiny is based on what dreams we have for ourselves. Think of your dreams as mini goals. There are certain things you want to do over the next month, over the next three months, six months, or the next year.

For those of you who believe your destiny is pre-determined and there is nothing you can do about it, I don't buy it. Yes, bad things happen. We all go through periods where it seems that nothing is going right for us. However, you can't sit there waiting for a miracle to happen. It doesn't work that way. In order to realize your dreams you have to make something happen. You and only you control your destiny and the realization of your dreams. You have to set mini goals for yourself, and if you have trouble realizing those goals, ask for help. We all have something we are good at. Some of us, however, need help developing our skills. So ask for help. Don't just decide you can't do it. Also don't make your goals unrealistic. Start with small goals and work from there.

Your dream might be to run your own business. However, before you can do that you have to become proficient in that area. In order to become proficient, you may have to take classes or work a job related to the business you want to run, to gain insight. Any other number of things might have to occur before you realize that dream.

While we all have our strong areas, and things that we are good at, they don't always mesh with what our dreams are. The skills you need to realize your dreams can be learned, but only if you ask for help. So, if the reason your dreams are not being realized is lack of skills, ask someone for help. You won't know if you are good or bad at something until you try. Yes, sometimes you might have to put aside certain dreams for others, however, that is part of the life process.

One of the best ways to move yourself toward the realization of your dreams is to visualize yourself doing what your dream is about. If it is retirement, visualize yourself during a typical day of your retirement. Visualize the home you live in, getting up, visualize your daily routine.

So, to realize your dreams, remember your destiny is based on what dreams you have for yourself, and you control that destiny.

Working at Home and Making It Work

Working at home can seem like the ideal situation - no commuting hassles, more time to spend with the family, the freedom to set your own work hours. In reality, though, combining your home and office environments presents many special challenges. If you want to make working at home work for you, you need to understand those challenges and meet them head on.

Choose the right business. Not every business can be run successfully from home. Consider the appropriateness of your business as a homebased business. A business that involves large machinery, lots of inventory, frequent truck deliveries and pickups, or lots of foot traffic from customers or associates is not a good candidate.

Be professional. Contrary to the popular stereotype of homebased entrepreneurs being able to "work in their pajamas", you must be businesslike and project a professional image if you want to be seen as running a legitimate business. Keep regular office hours, get business stationery printed up, have a business phone and voice mail or message system, and keep your office neat, organized, and attractive.

Optimize your work space. Don't make do with a makeshift work space. Locate your office in an area of your home that can be dedicated to business activities and affords you some privacy. Choose a space as far as possible from street noise and other distractions. Invest in functional furniture and the right equipment and set up your home office in a way that lets you be comfortable, productive, and organized.

Minimize distractions and interruptions. Staying focused is hard enough without the additional distraction of friends calling, neighbors dropping by, and children clamoring for attention. Screen your phone calls and filter your emails. Let your friends and relatives know what your work hours are and explain that during those hours you'll be at home working.

Plan your work and work your plan. Use a "to do list" every day with the tasks you need to accomplish in order of decreasing priority. At the end of the day check your progress, and put any unfinished tasks at the beginning of the next day's list.

Set goals and evaluate your progress. Setting goals and tracking your progress toward them will give direction to your efforts and keep you moving forward. Set both long-term and short-term goals that are realistic given your resources and that produce measurable results, then reward yourself every time you reach one of your goals.

Separate your home and work lives. Keep your work life separate from your home life as much as possible, both physically and emotionally. Keep your work space off limits to household members and ask them to respect your work hours by not interrupting you unless absolutely necessary. If you have kids who aren't old enough to amuse themselves while you work, hire a sitter to keep them occupied while you concentrate on work.

Keep your balance. Don't let work dominate every aspect of your life. Commit to a "quitting time" and stick to it unless a real emergency arises. Take a break and devote some time to your hobbies, getting together with friends, a change of scenery, getting some exercise, or just doing nothing. You'll come back to your work refreshed and stave off burnout.

Get some help. Don't feel you have to do everything yourself. As your business grows, use some of the profits to hire help. Outsource, streamline, or automate where you can and hire an assistant (or a "virtual assistant") to help you if the work load has become more than you can reasonably manage.

Set Up Your Home Office

Running your business from a home office saves money, spares you a daily commute, and gives you control over your work environment. A desire to work at home may even be the reason you're in business in the first place. The advantages are pretty obvious, but merging your office and home does present some challenges. You'll probably be spending a lot of time there, so careful planning will go a long way toward making it all work.

To create the ideal work space, you'll need to take into consideration the nature of your business, your own work style, and the other members of your household. Pay attention to the environmental factors that make your home office a healthy, safe, and pleasant work environment. The goal is to make your home office a place where you can be comfortable, organized, and productive.

Location: Your first consideration will probably be the right location for your office. It should be convenient, roomy enough for your furniture and equipment, and relatively private with minimal distractions. Taking over a spare room in your house is ideal, but if that's not an option choose a suitable area in your home, set it up permanently for your business activities, and declare it off limits to the rest of the household. Don't plan on working from your kitchen table -it's just too inconvenient and time consuming to clear it off every time you want to get some work done.

Access: If you expect to have clients and colleagues visiting, try to have a separate entrance so they won't have to walk through the living areas of your house to get to your office (and you won't have to feel embarrassed if your house is less than tidy!). Being able to see the street and driveway from your office is ideal, since you'll be able to see any visitors or delivery trucks as they arrive. Separate your home and business lives as much as possible, both for the sake of professionalism and the privacy of other household members.

Wiring and cabling: Another consideration is electrical wiring and cabling. You'll need to have enough outlets to accommodate your computer and all your peripheral devices, plus any lamps, clocks and other electronic devices. You may need to hire an electrician to do some additional wiring to accommodate all the electronic devices your office requires. You'll also need enough phone lines and jacks for your business phone, fax machine, and Internet access if you're using a dial-up connection. You'll need a DSL or cable connection if you want high speed Internet access.

Lighting and ventilation: Your office should should be climate controlled with adequate ventilation, both for your sake and your computer's (operating your computer at high temperatures can damage it). It should also be relatively clean and dust-free, since dust and dirt can also damage your electronic equipment. Natural light is easiest on the eyes, but you'll obviously need lighting fixtures after dark. Use more than one light source in different spots to balanced lighting and buy bulbs that provide a soft glow. Place the main lighting source above and behind you so light will come over your shoulder(s) onto your computer screen and desk without creating glare.

Desk or workstation: Your desk is the central piece of furniture in your office space and the most critical in terms of your productivity. You need a desk or table with room for your computer, monitor and peripheral devices, plus a work surface with room for your papers, notes and anything else you want to keep handy. Another option is a multi-purpose "workstation" that accommodates your computer system, printer, and phone along with some storage space for books and CDs. If space is very limited, using a simple computer stand that holds just your computer system may be the best option.

Other furnishings: Invest in a good desk chair that is comfortable, durable, and adjustable to be ergonomically correct for you. Choose one with arms and lower back support to prevent fatigue. Not only will you be far more productive in a chair that "fits", but it will help you avoid back strain and carpal tunnel syndrome. If you'll be using your office to meet with clients and colleagues, include a few guest chairs and a table where you can sit down together for meetings and consultations. A combination bulletin board and chalk board or write-on board give you a handy place to stash business cards and clippings and jot down notes to yourself.

Ambience: After you have all the essentials, add some personal touches to create a pleasant work environment. Decorate your office in a way that relects your taste and personality, creates an upbeat mood, and motivates you to do your best. Surround yourself with pictures and objects that relax, amuse or inspire you. Use color in your paint or wallcovering, fabrics and artwork to set the mood. Your work space can be soothing or energizing, depending on the color scheme you choose.

Personal touches: Some possibilities for personalizing your office are family photos, a globe, your kids' artwork, mementos and objects with sentimental value, framed quotes or motivational sayings, a table top fountain, small sculptures, a fish tank, photos from nature, a wall mural, a radio or sound system, or a small TV. One of the biggest perks of working at home is having the freedom to personalize your work space, so be creative in setting up the ideal work environment for you.

Safety and security: If your office has an outside door or a door that opens to the rest of the house, make sure they're securely locked when you're not in the office and consider an alarm system as well. Not only are your computer and other office equipment valuable, but lost data may be irreplaceable. Your home office may become a target for thieves, and it's worth the effort to protect both your investment and your personal safety. Installing a smoke detector is a must. Hopefully you'll never need it, but as they say, better safe than sorry.

The Art of Knowing When To Say When

When running your own business it is important that you develop the wisdom to know when to say when. It's important to realize that there are actually other things in life that you need to pay attention to.

For example, I know this may come as a surprise to some of you, but you are human and sometimes you need to take breaks to do things like eating and sleeping.

Don't forget about that family of yours. They need to see more than the back of your head. After all, didn't you start this business so you could spend more time with them?

Also, don't be afraid to give yourself breaks just to veg out. It's really easy to become a victim of information overload these days. Do some fun things online. There's nothing wrong with taking some time out to just play some games or whatever it was you used to do before you started trying to make some money online.

Oh yeah, don't forget to bathe. :-) I know it sounds silly, but sometimes we need to be reminded of such things. If you have to schedule these types of breaks on your computer to remind yourself, then do just that. Sometimes I amaze myself when I calculate how long I’ve been on the computer at one time.

Get up and stretch. Get outside(unless the smog alert is code orange). Play with your dog. Play with your cat. Read something totally non-business related.

I know it sounds hard, but I know you can do it. You'll be much more productive when you allow yourself to take a break. Okay, break over. Let's get back to work.