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FEBRUARY 9, 2009 Don't forget to add "newsletter@virtualassistantnetworking.com" to your email friends list so you won't miss future issues! WORKING WITH VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS ISSUEIn This Issue:
From the EditorKnow what you get when you work with a Virtual Assistant who caters exclusively to clients in your industry? A Virtual Assistant who specializes in YOU. Find out what that means in this week's article. Yours in goodness and success!
Find a Virtual Assistant Who Specializes in YOU
But did you know that just like you, many Virtual Assistants focus on supporting specific target markets? Yup, they do! For example, Virtual Author's Assistants are administrative experts who specialize in supporting authors, speakers and others who write and publish books. Virtual Legal Assistants are those who have the experience and special paralegal training to support attorneys. Other Virtual Assistants specialize in supporting coaches. Some focus on the real estate industry. Wherever there is a specific industry, chances are there is at least one Virtual Assistant who caters exclusively to that group. There are so many advantages to working with a Virtual Assistant who specializes in supporting your industry. For one thing, she comes to the table with a ready understanding of the unique aspects of your field, how things work, and what your singular goals and obstacles are. She makes it her business to learn specifically about your particular field so that she knows the work inside and out and can structure her offerings to best suit your unique support needs. She becomes an expert at the special software and tools used to get that work done and can advise you on your best options. Need an example? Well, let's take real estate. A real estate agent is going to have many areas of highly specialized administrative work that just aren't going to be done in any other kinds of business. Much of the work requires specialized skills and knowledge to perform it which means not just anyone can do it without specific training and understanding. But Real Estate Virtual Assistants specialize in that work. They get to know it exclusively and better than any other kind of Virtual Assistant out there. In another example, there are a million different practice areas that attorneys specialize in. One area of law may have a high level of litigation whereas another may not entail any at all. The work can be so vastly different that even someone with a college degree can seem incompetent if they don't have any knowledge or experience with the intricasies of that practice area. But you find a Virtual Legal Assistant who specializes in working with attorneys in a particular practice area, and that attorney just cloned him or herself once or twice over. You get the same kind of difference between, say, a consulting or professional services business, and a business that is retail or sales-based. They are completely different business models that are going to have very different objectives, operations and administrative work involved. A Virtual Assistant who specializes in a specific target market is going to have a greater, in-depth level of understanding, knowledge, and specific skills needed to best care for clients within that field. So if you're between Virtual Assistants or just beginning to seek out your first Virtual Assistant, try looking for one who specializes in your industry. Look for Virtual Assistants who focus on your field in the Virtual Assistant directories you utilize. Or, type "Virtual Assistant" + "your industry" in the search engine bar of your browser. It's going to greatly narrow the field and make your search much quicker and easier. And you'll find end up finding someone who's going to make working together that much more effortless and beneficial to your business. RESOURCE: The VACOC Virtual Assistant Directory allows you to search specifically by target market. Check out our awesome Virtual Assistants (all of whom have been screened to meet our standards of competence and excellence) at the Virtual Assistant Directory.
© Copyright 2009, The Portable Business™. All U.S. and International rights reserved. You are granted permission to republish this article only if used in its entirety with this copyright notice, title, article content, resource, author's bio and links left intact.
Let's Connect!
Reader Raves!Send our writers some love! Your feedback makes their day. If you found an article insightful, helpful or informative, shoot us an email.Regarding "The
Ultimate Post Office Box" on 1/19/09: "Thanks
again Danielle!! I'm truly enjoying the resources you've been sharing
as you are making your transition. They are invaluable."
Next No-Cost Teleseminar: February 19, 2009
- A D V E R T I S E M E N T -
Download the VACOC Toolbar
The Results Are In!
If you are a Virtual Assistant and didn't participate this year, we really encourage you to take part in the next survey. You will be contributing to the effort that is helping the industry grow AND you'll get a copy of the full survey results report once the survey period is over. Only those who participate get the full survey report at no charge. In the meantime, we offer an abridged version of the survey (about half) which gives some of the basic statistical data. You are welcome to "take one down and pass it around." You may also publish the results contained in the survey highlights report as long as attribution is given to the VACOC.
- M A R K E T P L A C E -EmailCenterPro.com, brought to you by Palo Alto Software, is the BEST web-based tool to enhance your business and help you more efficiently answer your client’s email with a secure tool. Analytics and collaboration tools help you increase your effectiveness. Set-up in 15 minutes – IT knowledge not required. NO-COST TRIAL.
Do you have an accurate financial picture of your business? Would you rather focus on your business and not your books? Hire a virtual bookkeeper. Accounting and bookkeeping services on an as-needed or on-going basis. Specializing in QuickBooks clean-up. Give Us Your Books, Focus On Your Business™. Call: 301-668-8284, info@thefinancialboutique.net
SCRATCHING YOUR HEAD? Have you been wondering what this administrative solution called Virtual Assistance is all about? Not to worry! The Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce has written an online guide to answer all your questions: The Client's Guide to Virtual Assistants.
TIRED OF WADING through the thousands of Virtual Assistant sites on the Internet? Would you like qualified, competent and reputable Virtual Assistants to come to you instead? Simply submit your Request for Partnership at the VACOC RFP Center.
Find a Qualified Virtual Assistant Today!
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| ABOUT THE VACOC: Founded by industry veteran Danielle Keister in 2006, the is a professional association committed to empowering business-minded Virtual Assistants grow smarter, more successful practices, and providing business owners with to connect with reputable, qualified Virtual Assistant professionals. To change your subscription, see link at the bottom of email notification. The Portable Business™ (formerly The Gritty Business Buzz™) is a trademark of the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce™. All logos and names are the copyrights of their respective owners. Disclaimer: Neither Danielle Keister nor the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce™ endorses the accuracy or reliability of any of the paid advertisements above nor the quality of any products, information, or other materials displayed, purchased, or obtained by you as a result of an offer in connection with any ad. Please do your own due diligence BEFORE purchasing any product. © 2007-09 Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce™. All U.S. & International rights reserved. |
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Virtual
Assistants are administrative experts. They are in the business of providing
ongoing, right-hand administrative support to business owners who don't
have the time or space for employees. They're the perfect alternative
to employees for those folks, and since they are consultants of a sort
in their own right, they bring a whole other level of business knowledge
and administrative know-how to their clients that you just don't find
in an employee.
About
the Author: Danielle Keister is a business advisor, innovator
and thought leader in the Virtual Assistance profession. A veteran Virtual
Assistant of 12+ years, her logical, no-nonsense approach to business
development has gained her recognition as one of the leaders in the field.
She loves what she does and is passionate about sharing her knowledge
and know-how with the world. She’s all about inspiring others to
reach for their highest excellence. When not taking care of clients in
her own Virtual Assistant practice, 
Join
us on Thursday, February 19, for the next VACOC Guest Expert Teleseminar:
"Exercising Your Brilliance for Innovation." Guest
speaker Jim Canterucci believes when you're faced with a situation where
you have to come up with and implement great ideas, and you can... that's
Personal Brilliance. The four catalysts to Personal Brilliance are awareness,
curiosity, focus and initiative. In Jim's session, based on his bestseller,
"Personal Brilliance, Mastering the Everyday Habits that Create a Lifetime
of Success," we will go beyond creativity to innovation. You'll benefit
and so will the clients you serve! 
