VA Matchmaker: Virtual Assistant Profile #11

April 18, 2008

(1) What made you decide to become a virtual assistant?

Even before I knew what a VA was, I already had a realtor client that I did website design and marketing for. I had been looking for a way to be able to stay home with my son, and happened upon the term Virtual Assistant. I realized that I was already doing this, and could turn it into a full business by providing similar administrative and real estate type services to other business people. After a lot of reading and researching, I decided to launch my own VA business.

(2) What are the top three skills you have or that you love to do?

My top 3 skills would be:

Real Estate Support – especially related to marketing, internet branding, social networking, article marketing, etc.

Blog Site Design – this is probably one of my favorite projects, as it combines creative and technical skills

General Administrative work – Transcription, proofreading and editing, etc.

(3) What are three things you don’t like doing?

I’m not much for numbers, so bookkeeping is right at the top of my “don’t-like-to-do’s”. Two others would probably be telephone work and schedule/calendar management.

(4) Describe your ideal client.

My ideal client is a business owner that understands the value of working with a VA, not just as an assistant, but as a partner to their business. Someone that feels comfortable turning over a full project to me and letting me manage it for them, touching base occasionally. One that also feels comfortable bouncing ideas around with me, having full faith that I will use my knowledge and experience to find a way to make their projects and ideas as productive and profitable as possible.

(5) What is your favorite thing about being a VA?

My favorite part of being a VA? There are so many! I love the variety of projects I get to work on, and the fact that I am continually learning. I love being a business owner, and I love being able to work from home while giving my kids a ton of Mom-time.

(6) What is the most important piece of advice you’ve received about running your own business?

Probably the most important advice I’ve received on running my VA business is to remember that it is my business, and that I need to set policies and procedures that I am comfortable with, so that I can provide the highest level of service possible. After all, doing something I’m not comfortable with will rarely produce the best results.

(7) Who are your business mentors?

I think the biggest influences on me, professionally, have always come from successful small business owners that have taken what they loved doing, and become very successful doing it. It reminds me that drive and motivation are just as important as start-up capital or a business degree!

Technorati Tags: VA Matchmaker, virtual assistant, virtual assistance, VA, virtual assistants, outsourcing, delegating, delegation, outsource, virtual assistant profile