Virtual Meets Reality
I am a member of VAnetworking.com based in Canada and their founder, Tawnya Sutherland, has issued the following press release in the last few days. She has asked all members of VAnetworking to circulate it as widely as possible in their own areas to achieve global coverage. So this is where my efforts start…….
Summary: VAnetworking.com receives mention in Entrepreneur Magazine
(VANCOUVER, BC) March 2, 2008 ? In recent years, telling someone you were a Virtual Assistant (VA) would get no response besides a blank stare and polite nod. That?s now beginning to change as Virtual Assistants have been enjoying some (much deserved and long overdue) time in the media spotlight. This is thanks, in part, to thousands of these independent administrative professionals working tirelessly to bring their industry mainstream and their cumulative efforts are finally starting to pay off. Most recently, the world?s largest Virtual Assistant organization, VAnetworking.com, has been mentioned in a special issue of Entrepreneur magazine, called StartUps Spring 2008, which is on newsstands until mid-May. Not only is this media attention great exposure for those working as ?VAs?, but it?s especially great news for small business owners that are finally discovering their administrative headaches can be cured - virtually.
Tawnya Sutherland, a pioneer of the VA industry and founder of VAnetworking, is thrilled that the media is finally picking up on the massive interest surrounding the industry. ?Each time a story about virtual assistance reaches the press, another business owner learns their administrative burdens can be outsourced without incurring the expense of a full time employee. These stories also tug at the heart strings of working mothers longing to be at home with their children,? says Sutherland. ?Each time a story is published, I get dozens of emails from working mothers having been awakened by the thought that they too can support their families with their admin skills, while being at home to care for them.?
A Virtual Assistant is a professional administrator that works from her or his own fully equipped office for several different clients. There are endless types of services these entrepreneurs provide, including administrative and specialized support for real estate agents, business coaches, professional speakers and internet marketers. Virtual Assistants are able to assist their clients with anything from managing incoming email and proofreading correspondence to creating and implementing marketing plans. The biggest benefit to their clients is VA services are acquired on an as-needed basis, so they are only paid for time spent directly on projects.
Helen Byrne is a UK-based Virtual Assistant and owner of Virtualoso ? Virtual Office Solutions Online (www.virtualoso.info). After 25 years in research project administration at a leading UK university, Byrne had the opportunity to take advantage of a voluntary severance package from her employer and now enjoys a better work-life balance whilst following her goal of becoming a self employed Virtual Assistant. ?I knew for a long time that this was the direction I wanted to move forward in, but it was never the right time to leave my ?comfort zone?.? She credits part of her start-up success to organizations like VAnetworking who provide a wealth of information and support. ?VAnetworking is a fantastic tool and I always feel at home when I visit the forum to ask questions or just to chat with other VAs. It has helped make the transition into VA business ownership so much easier than I ever could have imagined?.
If you are a business owner interested in learning more about how a Virtual Assistant can help you increase your profits by taking over your non-revenue generating business activities, visit http://www.VAnetworking.com. There are endless resources there for you.
For those interested in starting their own virtual assistance business, VANetworking should be the first stop. With over 8,000 members and 81,000 posts of information, this free resource is unparalleled.
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Tawnya Sutherland, Founder of VAnetworking, http://www.vanetworking.com, and author of the Virtual Business Startup System (VBSS), is a Certified Internet Marketing Specialist sharing her expertise to help aspiring and successful VAs turn website clicks into cash for them.