Virtual Assistant Services… a work in progress

In my previous posts, I had briefly summarized some points that we need to consider while seeking employment as a telecommuter and I hope that they have been helpful to you all. My apologies to my readers for not being here for a while, but I have been so busy researching and working on upgrading some much needed internet skills and revising my resume to make it more appealing to potential clients. This is very time-consuming but I feel it was well worth the effort and I hope that you have also spent some time doing some self-assessment and discovering your niche in the online job marketplace.

After much examination of the job opportunities available as a telecommuter, I have decided to focus on offering my services as a VirtualAssistant. I feel this is the best way to exploit my 20 years experience in administrative,  procurement  and operational leadership roles. I love the fact that VA’s work generally as independent contractors as I prefer being my own boss, however, some also work as employees for other VA agencies. Virtual Assistants generally seek to establish long-term professional relationships with their clients but may also provide temp services or contract work. They are paid either on a fixed-contract basis per job or work for clients on an hourly basis.

According to USLegal, a Virtual Assistant, Virtual Office Assistant or VA is “ an entrepreneur who provides professional technical, administrative, creative or any other form of assistance to his/her clients primarily over the internet from his/her home-based office”. 

To become a Virtual Assistant, the core prerequisite is that you have expert administrative and or secretarial experience and skills. General services offered by VA’s are administrative support services such as:

•        Database management

•        Secretarial services

•        Appointment setting

•        Transcription

•        Event planning

•       

Technologies are constantly changing at such a rapid pace, therefore to keep abreast of market demands; we need to anticipate and be responsive to the needs of our target audience. As businesses struggle to keep pace with social consumer trends, there is a growing demand for VAs to offer specialized services such as:

•        Social media marketing

•        Website design and updating

•        Internet research

•        Forum moderation

•        Language translations

•        Blog writing

If we desire to be successful and sought-after professionals, then we need to revolutionize our current skills and business practices. This can easily be accomplished by taking a few classes online or at some school in our locality. In Belize City, you can upgrade your computer skills by taking classes at Cardicom Computer Training Institute. They offer a wide variety of courses and also provide scheduled or customized individualized classes to suit your needs. There are also many courses being offered online by VA organizations and agencies if you wish to get certification as a Virtual Assistant.

I am stilling looking into which organizations offer the best resources and VA support services for Belizeans and will share this information as soon as I am satisfied with the results. I hope you find the above-mentioned information helpful and good luck with your job search.

Please feel free to comment as I would appreciate some constructive criticism and any helpful information you may wish to contribute to assist myself and readers in our search. Remember always that worrying never solves any problems but contributes to health problems, depression, wrinkles and unwanted grey hairs. Do your best and leave the rest in God’s able hands.