Personal Assistant

Efficient Working with A Virtual Personal Assistant

2009-10-30T21:06:00.001-07:00

For hundreds of businesspeople and professionals, hiring a virtual personal assistant has indeed made their work and careers a lot easier to manage and care for. Outsourcing has never been easier and more organized, leading into the rise of virtual assistants and employers who gets excellent results and good work done.

Since outsourcing and virtual assistance might be new to some people, many may wonder how best to interact with their virtual assistants and how they can establish good rapport with them. Well, there are a lot of different types of virtual assistants just as there are a lot of different types of bosses and employees. Working in a “virtual office” just made it a lot easier and a lot more straight-to-the-point.

The basics? When getting a virtual personal assistant of your own, be mindful of a couple of things to get work done more efficiently and smoothly.

Be specific.

You have a virtual assistant and you have specifically chosen him/her for the task you want. Now it is best to be specific what he or she ought to do in working it. Expect the questions that will be asked beforehand and get ready to answer them. When orienting your virtual assistant, you can either talk to him/ her by phone or write down your instructions. Either way, a clear definition of the purpose and the work will help your assistant tremendously.

Establish good communication.

Checking up with your assistant daily is not really that difficult. All it takes is just an email away. Some clients and their virtual assistants require a progress report, but it ultimately depends on your management style. A good thing to establish early on is rapport and good communication. Have an effort to know your virtual assistant and what times are convenient for him or her. Again, you can do this through phone call or through a chain of emails, your choice.

Define and expect a goal.

Set goals and standards that your assistant should follow. It is actually helping your assistant into creating or developing the kind of work you have in mind, the output that meets your expectations. Voice out these goals and lead your virtual assistant in your headed direction. Eventually, often soon, your assistant will be able to know what you want and present the work that you like ahead without you even telling them. This is what good rapport does for you.

Be open for suggestions.

As a good plus, your virtual personal assistant has probably had previous experience working for other clients and accounts, making him or her a seasoned and skilled person at his or her work. Keep your mind open for suggestions and techniques you may not have heard before. These ideas only serve to produce better work. Its quite alright if you do not like them anyway, you have the final say what goes.

Provide feedback.

It is quite helpful when you provide feedback every now and then. Your evaluation points out what needs to be done and how your assistant is doing. Just be constructive and all will fall into place. Praises and a pat in the back are also good in boosting up morale.

About the author:
Agents of Value Virtual Personal Assistant is a webmaster staffing company based in the Philippines that provides direct access to motivated agents for cost-effective web services.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Personal Assistants - "Not Just For Celebrities"

2009-10-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

I have received many inquiries regarding Personal Assistant Services. Many of the inquires were people needing assistance but not feeling worthy of a personal assistant.

First allow me to start by ending the false perception that one must be a celebrity or very wealthy person to have a personal assistant; this is not the case. Busy individuals, students, families; senior citizens and small businesses are utilizing personal assistant services more and more every day.

The average person’s life is filled with priorities from work, family life, groups, memberships or organizations not to mention personal life. Having a personal assistant is not just a luxury it’s a necessity for many people in today’s society.

Who Can Benefit From a Personal Assistant?

Busy individuals, college students, families, senior citizens, entrepreneurs and small businesses all can benefit from the services of a personal assistant. Having a personal assistant can bring about efficiency and eliminate stress. There is a great benefit for businesses to contract personal assistant services as they save on health, employment and payroll expenses.

What Can A Personal Assistant Do for Me?

A personal assistant can provide many different services however; many personal assistants will tailor their services to meet the needs of the individual. Listed below is a general list of services a personal assistant can provide:

Administrative Services o Make Travel Reservations o Monitor & Reply to Emails o Answer & Return Phone Calls o Plan & Coordinate Meetings o Open, Review & Sort Mail o Bill Payment Assistance o Generate Reports & Presentations o Conduct Research o Create Filing Systems o Create & Update Data Bases

Errand & Messenger Services o Grocery Shopping o Pharmacy Runs o Pick Up & Drop Off Packages o Pick Up & Drop Off Dry Cleaning o Gift Delivery o Bank Runs

Organizing The Home & Office

Homecare Services o House and Office Cleaning o Manage Home Improvements

Event Planning Assistance o Locate and Visit Venues o Coordinate Caterer, Music, Photographer, etc. o Order Invitations and manage RSVP’s o Shopping Assistance o Provide Day of Event Assistance

Can I Afford A Personal Assistant?

Personal assistants are not as expensive as people think. Many personal assistants provide services for a little as $10.00 up to $40.00 per hour depending on the service. A good personal assistant will provide a consultation to discuss your needs and advise the number of hours required to accommodate your request. Many people utilize personal assistants for a few hours a month to assist with their personal and business needs.
What to look for in a good personal assistant?

A personal assistant will have all the characteristics stated below:

Organization A personal assistant is involved in the direct management and organization of her clients’ life and more directly making sure the day to day goes smoothly. This can involve things like scheduling, organizing meetings, making travel plans, event coordination and phone and e-mail management.

"Go-To" Person A personal assistant has to be able to handle a lot of responsibilities. She must be highly organized and be able to deal with a hectic day.

Upbeat Energy A personal assistant is constantly working and often does not have a chance to have a break. Individuals seek assistants who not only have the required skills but can also keep up with the demands of a fast-paced environment and work long hours.

Advanced Computer Skills Personal assistants should have excellent computer skills for organizing spreadsheets in Excel, writing invoices and maintaining the contacts of their client. Personal assistants also have a lot of emailing and online research as part of their duties, so they will have to be able to communicate and solve problems online efficiently.

Trust & Commitment Personal assistants deal with sensitive and personal information, so individuals need assistants that they can trust and who are willing to commit the time and efforts required.

Thank you for inquiring about the services of a personal assistant. Your comments on this article are greatly welcome.

Lakisha Melvin - COO Uniquely Coordinated - Personal Assistant Boutique 400 Perimeter Center, Suite 900 Atlanta, GA 30346

P: 678-656-9409 E: lakishamelvin@uniquelycoordinated.com W: www.uniquelycoordinated.com

Celebrity Personal Assistant Training

2009-09-30T23:02:00.000-07:00

Each day, Xtra Pair of Hands receive dozens of emails from people seeking advice on how to become a Personal Assistant. In response to this overwhelming demand, we launched our personal assistant training workshop series. The success of the series has been phenomenal. Professional from all over the country attends the workshops. It gives them the opportunity to dialogue with the panelists who consist of current personal assistants for A-list celebrities and other sports and entertainment industry professionals.

Xtra Pair of Hands, LLC has worked with many A-list celebrities, publicists, managers, entertainment attorneys and corporate executives. We incorporate all of our experiences in working with these celebrities into the workshop curriculum so novices can benefit from our successes and expertise.

The workshop curriculum covers everything needed to succeed in the field, including:

- Types of personal assistants
- Job descriptions
- Working environments
- Preparing a personal assistant resume
- Image, Style and Etiquette: Look your Best & Project Success
- Job requirements
- The hiring process
- Interviewing skills
- Role play exercise
- Negotiating salary
- The "hidden" job market
- Purchasing for the affluent
- Time Management
- Working together: The Assistant/ Celebrity team
- Managing the Households of High Profile Individuals
- How to make yourself indispensable
- Responsibility and Authority in your position
- VIP Travel & Security
- Building vendor relationships
- Tipping/Etiquette
- Confidentiality agreements
- Managing crisis
- Handling the Media
- Using technology to handle a To-Do List
- Current job openings

Included with the registration fee, workshop attendees also receive a 1-year membership to the National Association of African American Concierge, a certificate of completion, and priority consideration for open personal assistant positions and projects.

Attendees additionally receive a certificate of completion to present to prospective employers.

To register for the next workshop on October 25th, 2008, visit www.xtrapairofhands.com

Xtra Pair of Hands is a Personal Assistant Staffing Agency & Corporate Concierge Company located in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Xtra Pair of Hands is a highly reputable, corporate concierge and personal assistant company dedicated to providing individuals and corporations with the highest quality of services. We cater exclusively to celebrities, corporate executives, small business owners, entrepreneurs and corporations by providing customized memberships.

Enjoy Having a Virtual Assistant with Autoresponder

2009-08-28T08:53:00.001-07:00

In the world where technology has its signature of providing faster, reliable and more efficient systems of running online businesses, the use of autoresponder software provides a better solution to keep pace with the modern business era. In fact, there are many people that would argue that to be a complete business one would put a reliable and efficient autoresponder on the top of their list of must have tools for any office.

Online business fare well because it provides a more economical means of developing a more productive business in terms of income generation with less overhead costs. The use of an autoresponder complement this same principle for online business as this helps businessmen generate savings from paying an employee to function as an assistant to oversee a functional flow of their business. One good working autoresponder can take the place of many hundreds of man-hours.

With the use of autoresponder software it is like having a virtual assistant who performs the function of sending automated emails to online customers at any time you want to program it in sending emails at a specific date even on holidays. There really is no better way to reach your entire customer base as fast and as easy.

There are varieties of functions that the autoresponder software is able to perform such as sending emails on specific dates, sending unlimited emails in sequence, sending emails at any date and any time of the day. It is also programmable with a password protected log-in and it logs important information you want it to store.

Autoresponder provides reliable assistance in handling emails that you want to send to your clients on your targeted schedule thereby helps you not to miss sending any scheduled correspondence to your valuable customers. Its reliable system helps in keeping your valuable customers informed of your new products, send them updates on news, upcoming events and your new services thereby help you to keep in touch unfalteringly with your clients while keeping your business on the go even when you are resting on holidays.

Not only is autoresponder software user friendly to businessmen but it is also an excellent virtual assistant to just anyone. You can send personal ecards through email and it can also function as your own personal reminder service.

Among the special features of autoresponder software include sequential date sending with a unique template system using a simple text file for templates making it simple for anyone to use. Having your own virtual assistant working for you 24 hours a day can provide you greater relief of carrying out important tasks more reliably with the help of the autoresponder software.

The autoresponder is capable of helping you send personalized emails and holiday ecards while performing the usual tasks of a virtual personal assistant that makes your work load lighter with better efficient performance. It is a cost effective system that helps one save from paying an employee to do the simple job that autoresponder software is very well capable of performing.
Author Resource:- Will Spencer is an Internet security and Online consultant serving as a system admin for many sites and writing articles like Getting the Most Out of Your Autoresponder for PHP Autoresponder Web Site. Visit Enjoy Having a Virtual Assistant with Autoresponder.
Article From ArticlesRFree.com

Your Own Personal Assistant with Remote Online Support

2009-08-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

Living in a primarily electronic age, most professionals cannot afford any downtime due to technical difficulties, which is why getting fast remote support is a great way to effectively and cheaply address many of your computer related issues. Convenience and competitive prices are just two of the top reasons to used remote online support.

Even home users can benefit from having remote online support for their computer systems as to avoid costly damage from long term neglect of issues. Having a trained professional to walk you through a problem through a phone or electronic chat can take away much of the anxiety and confusion of trying to do it yourself with manuals and how-to booklets. Having quick access to remote support professionals can prevent a costly loss of data, clients and your valuable time spent trying to fix whatever is wrong.

When electronics and software are initially bought, usually some sort of warranty or service guarantee comes along with the product, but remote online support is rarely part of the deal. If something goes wrong with your computer or networking system, certain problems and situations are not necessarily covered by warranty plans. This leads to a higher cost of fixing a problem on top of whatever the warranty might have cost in the first place.

This approach is more sensible than going to a large retail store and dropping your computer off to them and hoping to get it back within an unspecified amount of time. You don't know if the most qualified person will be working on it. You may never even interact with the person who will be handing your computer. With remote online support the customer interacts with the technical support person, has control over how long the support session goes and therefore has much more control over the final price and tone of the help session.

Instead of paying for an extended factory warranty that may cost several hundred dollars or more, going with a remote technical support plan can help you work with the peace of mind that you will always have someone just a phone call or email away that is willing to help you through whatever technical difficulties that you are having. A remote online support person will help you to the full extent of his or her capacity as is clearly stated in the pricing plan, therefore you can buy as little or as much coverage as you want.

An additional benefit of remote technical support is that there are fewer geographical limitations on the solutions to your technical issues. Thanks to to remote technology and on-call professionals, getting prompt online support can be done virtually around the clock. If you have a call and presentation with a client in Japan and it is almost midnight local time, you can count on a remote online support person to get to your problem as fast as possible so you can get back to preparing for your client's needs.

In case of the rare occurrence that requires drastic action in person, many remote technical support companies can send out an on-call technician that can look at your problem in person and fix whatever is ailing your machine. Knowing that there is an on-site option for sever technical issues is available makes for another great reason to use remote online support.

There are few things more stressful than having a computer or network system fail and not having a quick solution to the problem. Rather than becoming distressed, try remote online support and become empowered with someone else's technical expertise no matter where you are.
Author Resource:- When you need online support fast, visit Fast Support Online and we can help! Our certified engineers will connect to your equipment remotely to fix PC problems instantly. Visit online at http://www.fastsupportonline.com/ for more information.
Article From ArticlesRFree.com

The Virtual Personal Assistant Process

2009-07-25T03:53:00.001-07:00

Virtual personal assistants are taking over the world!

Not literally though. For the most part, virtual assistants are taking over what other employees used to do. Because of the many benefits that they provide for businesses, they are fast becoming the most sought after workers that a business cannot do without.

You have probably heard of business owners tell about how they have found a good virtual assistant. And you wonder about how they got so lucky. Luck has nothing to do with it actually. It is all about the hiring process.

Now, how do you go about hiring a virtual personal assistant that is best suited for your business needs?

1. List your specific needs.

What do you need the virtual assistant for? And what are the skills you require?

Virtual assistants are capable of doing common office work like typing, compiling and answering emails. There are also that are capable of maintaining websites, programming and even internet marketing.

There are really no limits to what a virtual assistant can do. Most assistants have already work with other clients in the past. Take note of what they can do best. And check if they are willing to do other things besides what they already know.

Providing a detailed job description will make it easier for the assistant to check if they are capable of doing what you need them to do.

2. Give an initial test project.

Reading about what the virtual assistant can do is not enough. To be certain about their capabilities, you can give out a test project for the assistant to complete.

Make sure that the test project is related to what the virtual personal assistant is supposed to do once he or she is hired. Through the test you can test the skills of the assistant, plus the speed, quality and accuracy in which the project was done.

You can also create a test project which will help you determine how professional and how the assistant will respond to deadlines and stress. Through these tests, you can get an initial understanding of what kind of worker you are getting.

3. Interview.

Being on other sides of the planet should not hinder you from communicating with each other. Thanks to the internet, you can now interview candidates through mediums of communication over the internet like Yahoo, MSN or Skype.

Do not let distance hinder you from interviewing your chosen virtual assistant. Even after he or she has passed the tests with flying colors, you still need to talk to them personally and see if the both of you are comfortable with each other.

Clear and constant communication is necessary in the virtual assistant set up. Check to see if you are getting through the assistant clearly and with no problems at all. If not, then that assistant is not what you are looking for.

Keep these things in mind during the virtual personal assistant hiring process. They will serve as your determining factors to help you distinguish if the assistant is perfect for you or not.

Agents of Value Virtual Personal Assistant is a webmaster staffing company based in the Philippines that provides direct access to motivated agents for cost-effective web services.

Reasons for the Virtual Personal Assistant Boom

2009-07-25T03:51:00.000-07:00

Ask business owners what it felt like when they were just starting their business and they will tell you one thing: it was not easy! The paper works and arrangements are enough to make you think twice. And of course, there is always the matter of getting the right employee…

Thanks to the advancement of technology, these problems are now things of the past. All people have to do nowadays is to go online and get themselves a virtual personal assistant.

Virtual personal assistants are now taking over the work of any regular employee. Their capabilities are basically the same. The only difference is that virtual assistants are more technology-wise. They make use of modern tools to provide their clients with the best of service.

Below are some of the reasons why many people are getting their own virtual assistants:

1. Virtual personal assistants are capable of multi-tasking.

You will be surprised with the many skills virtual assistants are capable of. From sorting out emails to logging important files, you name it and it is done. Some virtual assistants can even do site maintenance and web marketing on the side.

Think how easy it would be for you to just rely on one person what would have been a task delegated to three or more persons. And imagine how reassuring it is for you to know that you do not have to train or teach your assistant everything.

2. Virtual personal assistants know what it like running a business.

Many virtual assistants have prior experience about running a business. Some are even business owners themselves. You know you are in good hands when a virtual assistant is helping you with your business.

For all you know, they might be able to share their ideas about how a business should go about. Experiences they had in the past makes them capable of giving sound advices and even strategies that can help your business become successful.

3. Virtual personal assistants are affordable.

A virtual assistant is your best option if you are on a tight budget. They do not cost as much as your regular employee.

In addition, you can agree upon certain terms of payment which will help you manage your finances better without getting a big hole in your pocket. You can hire the assistant on a per project term, months or years. It all depends on you.

4. Virtual personal assistants can start working for you ASAP.

Virtual personal assistants are not only equipped with the required skills, they also have with them the materials needed to start working immediately.

You do not have to worry about renting an office space or equipments. All you have to do is designate the tasks, specify your requirements and set deadlines and the virtual assistant is all set.

Lack of space, limited budget and work experience should not bother you anymore if you are just starting your business. What you should be concerned about is finding the person who can get the work done.

How to Attract and Keep a Personal Assistant

2009-07-25T03:48:00.000-07:00

Many managers will often say their personal assistant is invaluable to them yet they often treat them as if they're not.

Day after day, week after week the P.A. is in the office, slogging away making sure the work gets done. In many instances it is the P.A. that holds the business / department together.

Many of them are so conscientious they won't take time out and will stay at their desk until the work is done. Not only are they integral to the running of any business, their income and the way they are treated may not always reflect the importance of their role.

Jenny's Story

Jenny has worked for her current employer for the past three years and thoroughly enjoys her role as Personal Assistant to the General Manager. They have a great working relationship.

If she requires the occasional afternoon or morning off to deal with personal matters, all she has to do is ask. Her boss praises her regularly for her contribution and rewards her … sometimes monetarily and other times with a dinner out or movie tickets when they achieve their sales targets.

Because of this attitude with her employer, she does her utmost best in her work and never thinks twice about working overtime on the odd occasion. In fact she works twice as hard because she’s appreciated and has some flexibility in her working hours.

This is a totally different situation to Jenny's previous employer. Jenny had been working for another organisation where her boss was 'married to the job'. Although he had a wife and family, his behaviour didn't reflect this. He worked all hours of the day and night and couldn't understand why everyone else went home at 5.00 p.m.

Although she did her utmost best to organise him and get the work done on time, he would always ask for tasks to be done just when she was getting ready to leave for the day.

On the many occasions when she worked back or took work home so that her boss would have what he wanted for the next morning, he never thanked her. He just assumed that's what she should do. He never considered her needs. She was a single parent and therefore had major responsibilities. She had a life too. Her boss on the other hand was fortunate to have a wife who didn't work and took care of their personal life.

Prior to Jenny being in this role, there had been three other people who had worked in her position, and each one had lasted less than 3 months.

Jenny had enough, she left after 6 months and found her current position. It wasn't the money that was her main issue. It was the flexibility and appreciation. Although her boss was pleasant enough, he just didn't understand that there is more to working with someone than just paying their wages.

Learn How to Look After Your People

As soon as you have people to manage, the most important skill you need to learn is how to look after them.

Every client I have coached will often say their biggest challenge is the people that work for them.

There are many reasons for this including hiring the wrong people to begin with and the most common being the manager/boss… they haven’t developed the skills on being a masterful manager.

What the Boss Wants:

Someone who can use their initiative, make decisions in their absence and carry out tasks without supervision.

A person they can trust and take many of the basic administrative duties from them so the boss can spend his/her time on more important tasks.

A person who can organise them (and in some cases be a mind-reader).

An assistant who is their right-hand person and can keep everything running smoothly.

What the PA Wants:

A boss who they can communicate with.

A boss who understands that when they are given tasks to do, although they may have taken 2 minutes to discuss, could take the P.A. 2 days to complete with all the interruptions they have from others.

A boss who realises that the P.A. is a person who has to do many tasks as well as answering all the phone calls and often has many interruptions in their day which can cause them to get very behind with their work.

A boss who is appreciative of them and realises that the P.A. does have a life outside of work and needs to have time-out just like they do.

To be recognised on a regular basis that they are important. They also need to be renumerated for their valuable contribution and should have regular performance appraisals and be offered incentives.

The Final Word

When employing a personal assistant make sure they are the right fit. If you're looking for someone who can be extremely flexible in their hours and can come in early and stay late, then make sure that person is in the right personal situation to do that. Using our invaluable tool How to Hire the Right People can save you time, money and stress before you go through the process.

Employing people is a skill in itself. Keeping them happy so that they will be an important part of your business is another story. See Look After Your People And They Will Look After You

Have a great week

Lorraine Pirihi

About The Author

Lorraine Pirihi is Australia's Personal Productivity Specialist and Leading Life Coach. Her business The Office Organiser specialises in showing small business owners and managers, how to get organised at work so they can have a life! Lorraine is also a dynamic speaker and has produced many products including "How to Survive and Thrive at Work!"

To subscribe to her free ezine visit www.office-organiser.com.au

How Do I Choose A Virtual Assistant

2009-06-27T08:33:00.002-07:00

There are an increasing number of small and start-up businesses that are turning to Virtual Assistants to provide hands on support for their businesses. The profession has been around for more than 20 years but demand for services is rising steeply as businesses discover the huge range of benefits and flexibility of using virtual support. As the profession is unregulated, anyone can set themselves up as a Virtual Assistant. That means businesses have to carry out thorough checks to ensure that they employ the services of a reputable Virtual Assistant. This guide has been designed to give small and start-up businesses a better understanding of the Virtual Assistant profession and the checks to carry out if they are considering virtual support.

What exactly is a Virtual Assistant?
A Virtual Assistant is someone who can provide a range of services to support businesses. They work remotely from their own office using their own equipment. A reputable Virtual Assistant will be member of one or more of the representative bodies reflecting their commitment to upholding quality standards. The experience and expertise of Virtual Assistants varies widely so research is needed to ensure that any prospective virtual support can meet your business needs effectively. Virtual Assistants can work on one-off projects or provide support on an ongoing basis including providing valuable call answering services ensuring that new business opportunities are not missed. A virtual office provides all the benefits of a physical office without the additional staffing, equipment or location costs. In general, Virtual Assistants charge between GBP18 and GBP30 per hour for their time, with some charging more.

What are the benefits of using a Virtual Assistant?
There are many benefits to using a Virtual Assistant:

Their status - they are not an employee so you have no employer liability in terms of paying an annual salary, National Insurance, holiday or sick pay

Flexibility - they can fit with the needs of your business exactly, providing support for ad hoc projects or on a long-term basis as and when required

Growth - there is more scope for businesses to expand with a safety net by outsourcing tasks as and when they need to. It also means that there is more opportunity to call on support when work comes in, rather being forced to turn the work down because resources are unavailable

Cost effectiveness and budget management - with Virtual Assistants you only pay for the time you use. This is important for small and start-up businesses so that they can track expenditure and change their plans accordingly

Business profitability - for all businesses time is money. Often, it is cheaper for business owners to outsource tasks to a Virtual Assistant rather than do it themselves (because their own charge our rate will be more expensive than that of the Virtual Assistant). So, it makes more sense for business owners to use their time to focus on growing their business and looking after customers.

Specialist skills - Virtual Assistants bring a wealth of skills and experience. Businesses can save both time and money by using the services of someone who can do a job quickly and efficiently

Space - as Virtual Assistants work from their own office you do not need to think about desk space or equipment.

What types of services do Virtual Assistants provide?
Virtual Assistants can provide a range of services, including:

typing - of business and official correspondence, legal documents and contracts, minutes, mail shots, dissertations, manuscripts, CVs, transcription (from tapes or digital files)

travel arrangements - comprehensive domestic and international itineraries including car hire, flights, train travel and accommodation; provide maps and directions

internet research - research and reports of findings and recommendations

diary management - planning of business meetings and conference calls; providing helpful reminders for important dates

business liaison - call minder service, message taking, filtering emails, contacts database management

project support - act as administrative coordinator for a variety of projects, e.g. arranging courses, workshops, change of address cards

personal life management - plan and organise grand celebrations, theatre bookings, restaurant reservations, receptions, invitations, Christmas card distribution, holidays, weekend breaks, collate quotes for home/car insurance renewal, research that special product or gift, organise cleaner, gardener, handyman etc.

Where can I find a reputable Virtual Assistant?
Personal recommendation is always a good start when you are seeking expert help or to outsource work.

What information should I check before employing the services of a Virtual Assistant?

Virtual Assistants vary in their expertise and experience. A reputable Virtual Assistant should, however, adhere to strict standards in terms of professionalism and quality. The following checklist will help you to make an informed decision about whether the prospective Virtual Assistant adheres to those standards and would be able to meet the needs of your business. A reputable Virtual Assistant will:

be able to provide references/testimonials for previous work

have personal indemnity insurance

have processes and systems to ensure client confidentiality

be registered with the Data Protection Act

have a professional looking website and business cards etc

have risk management procedures in place to protect their business and yours

have separate home and work phone lines

have business security processes, procedures and systems in place

put in place contracts for any work to be undertaken

be a member of the relevant professional bodies

undertake study and training on an ongoing basis to keep their skills up-to-date

be happy to provide timesheets for any work undertaken.

How to get the most out of your VA

There are a number of steps you can take to help ensure your working relationship gets off on the right foot and progresses smoothly. Suggestions include:

agreeing in writing the nature of the work to be carried out, the specific activity, timescales, time inputs and the respective fees

ensuring any contract makes clear the arrangements for billing and any other costs that may be incurred

any changes to the agreement should be noted in writing to avoid any confusion later

agreeing how activity will be recorded and reported

agreeing specifics regarding confidentiality and security

agreeing in advance availability (office hours etc).

How else can I tell whether a Virtual Assistant is right for my business?

Websites, business cards and email addresses are a good indicator of the level of professionalism of the Virtual Assistant. If they do not look professional then you should check carefully the processes and systems that they have in place and whether they can support your business needs. In addition, cheapest is not always best. It is better to seek the services of a Virtual Assistant who has the necessary support systems and personal indemnity insurance, but may be a bit more expensive, than someone who can provide cheap services without those reassurances.

Author Resource:- Lilach Bullock runs 2 full time businesses, asklilach providing virtual pa services & Virtual PA Training, helping people set up their own successful virtual assistant business. Lilach recently attended an Award Ceremony at Downing Street for best Mumpreneur. http://www.asklilach.co.uk.

Article From New Ezine Articles

Great Contribution of a Virtual Personal Assistant

2009-06-27T08:33:00.001-07:00

If you think that you can do limitless administrative tasks on your own without the aide of anyone else, then, you must be a superhero. If not, you cannot possibly do it or if you just did, your social and familial relationship is seriously inadequate. A balance of the different aspects in ones life is always a necessity so as to live a life that is full and satisfying. A virtual personal assistant can greatly help you to divide these administrative tasks so as to lessen the load of work that you have on your desk.

The browsing of resource sites in the internet to seek the aide of a personal assistant is the best thing that one can do. This is not a draining task for you since you simply browse in the internet and find the sites that cater to such things. This is a convenient alternative if you do not have the time to read thick resume of applicants as well as the taxing interview of potential personal assistants that can take too mush of your time. They will simply do it for you and provide a personal assistant that can do loads of things for you for the reason that they are trained to be flexible and efficient in many ways.

The hired personal assistants also have the proper qualifications that a personal assistant must have since they are screened thoroughly before they are even hired. They can perform a task from a difficult and complicated angle like decision-making and accounting overheads to the simplest ones like running errands for you.

A personal assistant is trained to assist you in every way they can. They are prepared to do the typing, answering the phone, writing business letters, calculating expenditures, taking down important notes, making a schedule, organizing papers and many more. They should also possess a special ability like good communication skills and excellent interpersonal proficiency since they are the ones who will attend to the clients. Their impressive qualifications are also needed to keep up with you on your administrative tasks.

Of course, all these credentials should be recompensed with a reasonable salary. Well, if you think that you have spent much on your personal assistant that is exactly untrue since having an assistant helps you to be more efficient in a high-speed time given that two heads are better than one. It will simply make you more effective and able to cover a whole lot of loads than you can ever think of. Therefore, a virtual personal assistant should be present in every establishment to provide organization and efficiency in a high-speed time.

Author Resource:- Matthew Stanton writes an article about
Virtual personal Assistantand how it gives great contribution and benefits to you. Simply visit this site for information at http://www.personal-virtual-assistant.com/ar/virtual-personal-assistant.php

Article From New Ezine Articles

Hiring A New Assistant?

2009-06-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

Are you considering hiring a new administrative or executive assistant? Maybe you should think twice.

The online service industry boom may be a viable alternative for your apparent human resource needs. More and more small businesses and even larger companies are turning to virtual office assistants to handle their administrative tasks.

Does it sound too complicated or new-fangled? Well, there are good reasons to at least consider the option.

Let's take a look at a few of the benefits that a cyber employee has over their in-office counterpart.

-Insurance, taxes, and other benefits do not apply to most online service providers. They provide services as a contractor or freelance provider.

-Your relationship with the provider you choose is just that: service provider to client. Imagine having all your employees treating you as their favorite client all the time, doing their best work each time to ensure your repeat business Conversely, have you ever been dissatisfied with a project you asked your assistant to complete. It probably, wasn't feasible(or legal) for you to fire that person on the spot. Online you determine whether to continue that relationship by allowing them to work on future projects for you or not.

-It may not seem like a lot, but take a moment to think of all the capital you invest in each new employee you hire. Every extra phone line, data port, software license, cubic foot of office space, furniture, and anything else a person would need to sit in your office and conduct business reduces your bottom line.

Obviously, virtual assistants have some limitations. Online providers can handle just about any need that could arise. Consider that you may miss the personal aspects of working side by side with someone you know and trust. It's the human and spatial aspects that are difficult to duplicate online. Extraordinary technology exists for communication and collaboration. However, none of that can ever guarantee you that if you stick your head around the corner and ask for an opinion or some help, you'll get it immediately. Most likely they won't attend your office holiday party or join the softball team!

There are many different types of companies online that can help you run your business more efficiently. You can hire on a project basis. You can put an assistant on retainer. If you have administrative needs that aren't being met, you may want to consider your options before running into your local classifieds office, ad in hand.

Article Source: http://www.articlenorth.com

Dana Wallert is the owner of DW Office Solutions. Find out more about Dana and her virtual assistance solutions and sign up to receive her free monthly newsletter at www.dwofficesolutions.com

Make life easier with the help of a personal assistant

2009-05-23T22:08:00.001-07:00

Before, a personal assistant or "Girl Friday"/"Man Friday" is only common to the people in the business world especially to business people who have high positions in a certain company. For instance, a personal assistant is hired by a prominent businessman or businesswoman to assist him or her in everything that he or she needs to do.

These things not only refer to those that are covered in the workplace such scheduling for meetings, accepting or declining phone calls, mail matters such as daily monitoring of mails—either snail mails, emails, or other correspondence, documentation reviews, research works, booking and reservations for meetings locally and internationally and so much more.

But now, the term "personal assistant" is not only applicable to the people in the business or corporate world but in other fields such as in healthcare, communications, and the like. Surveys show that more and more personal assistants are being hired to assist older people or people that have certain medical conditions and restrictions. These personal assistants are also being called "personal aide" because they specifically assist in maintaining stable medical condition.

In the field of communications, personal assistants also take the job of the secretary for doing exactly the latter's job. In this field, personal assistants are more popularly called "PA," its abbreviation. Since they are in a more complicated industry, they have more responsibilities, duties, and tasks.

Today, the responsibilities of a personal assistant doe not only involve work in the office setting job but also include some menial tasks asked by their employers. These tasks even include ordering and delivering food, laundromat services, dealing with stylists and photographers for photo shoot and other matters that their bosses can no longer take care of.

And since the responsibilities are heavier, more and more qualifications are being required for the applicants for this position. They must be able to represent their employer in more important roles such as meetings, company and business negotiations, briefing of people who will face the boss and the like.

Why is there a need to hire a personal assistant?

Hiring a personal assistant is common to people who have high profiles in the society such as politicians, celebrities, entertainment moguls, professional athletes, and business executives. This is because these people have a handful to do and needs a helping hand in all the things that they need to do. They also need personal assistants so they can accomplish more things in a shortest possible time. Since "time is gold' for these people, they would rather pay someone to do menial jobs instead of them doing those things on their own.

They also need personal assistants so they can concentrate more on the bigger things that they need to do instead of worrying over simple things that can be done by other people with their specific instructions.

But now, with the times changing, even people who don’t belong to the sector of high profile individuals need personal assistants to make their life easier. In fact, over the years, personal assistance for the middle class has an increasing demand because more and more families need it. Personal assistants in middle class families usually serve as nannies who take care of the children or the family's personal secretary who takes care of all the documentation needed for the internal affairs.

Personal Assistant Software

2009-05-23T22:07:00.001-07:00

Businesses big and small have one thing in common and that they need help. But what if you can’t afford to hire someone? Then the next the best thing is to invest in personal assistant software.

Personal assistant software is free and you can easily download this into your computer. It will help you manage appointments, to do lists, schedules, remind you about birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and a whole lot more. The only thing you have to do is encode this into the program.

But how do you choose one personal assistant software program over another? For that, you need to look at reviews that were written by other users or trying it yourself. If you are not happy or you do not find it user-friendly, you can always replace it with another one. Whichever you choose, make sure that it is compatible with the operating system of your computer.

You should also check if the program has limits in terms of how many entries you can make. If you are going to keep a lot of things here, it should be unlimited.

Another thing to help you choose a personal assistant software program over another is if it gets regular updates from the manufacturer. This will allow it to keep up with the times when those who made it have found a way to make it more efficient.

The personal assistant program should also be able to store private information like passwords and bank account numbers. To prevent it from being compromised, there must be an encryption system built into it so that only you have access to it.

When looking for a personal assistant software program, you might notice that some of those being offered on the web need to be purchased. Are these just as good as the free versions? Again, you just have to find out for yourself since some allow you to download it and let you try it for 15 to 30 days.

The personal assistant software is nothing without someone like you who is using it because you have to encode certain information for it to be able to function. If someone’s birthday is coming up, you can set it to send a visual or audible alarm so you can greet the person.

Before you download it, you should do a background check about the product because there are some websites out there that happen to be fake. If you happen to download one of these, the information you store can be accessed by others especially when there are now more incidents of identity theft.

Perhaps the best thing to look for in personal assistant software is one that can easily be customized to the individuals needs. This allows the user to make changes but given that this technology is still new, it has certain limits until such time that those who make it can overcome these hurdles.

Personal assistant software can be accessed just about anywhere and not only on our desktop or laptop. Given that it is a program, it can be downloaded into other devices like a blueberry, pocket PC or cellular phone so you take it with you wherever you go. Should you buy it or get it for free? The choice is up to you.

What are the Usual Personal Assistant Jobs and Where to Find One?

2009-04-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for personal assistant jobs, you need to make sure that the job is really for you before you commit yourself to anyone who will get your services. Did you know that with the advent of the Internet, such jobs can be turned into a home based biz? With only a few hours of your time, you can already earn from being an assistant of someone from the other side of the globe.

If you are going to do this on a home based set up, these are the usual tasks that your employer may ask you to do.

• Hotel and airline reservation.

• Billing concerns and complaints

• Scheduling of meetings and other important events

• Planning of family gathering or vacations

• Reminders of important tasks and dates

• Organization of appointments

• Sending out direct mailing pieces or seasonal cards to clients

• Researching of important topics needed by the superior

• Inquiries regarding different information as required by the employer

Are you up for the challenge? The abovementioned are the usual tasks that you may be assigned as a Virtual PA or even on an office based set up. You need not worry about other tasks like the house chores of your boss. The most likely personal tasks that you may be asked to do are the following.

• Manage the office budget and household finances.

• Hiring of people that may be needed to the business and even the household staff.

• Accompanying your boss, their loved ones and relatives to important appointments like at the doctor’s office, in buying gifts and other personal errands.

• Go to the person or contact the person your boss should be meeting with if they would be late or can no longer make it to the meeting.

The Earnings

Your salary will depend on the services you choose to give and to what industry your boss work at. And when you do this on a home based set up, your salary will depend on the number of hours that you spend on the tasks. You will be paid on a hourly basis even if you have finished your tasks for two days or you did not finish the assigned tasks for the day. You just have to make sure that if the latter occurs, you will be ready to make up for it on the coming days.

Finding Jobs

On an offline set up, you would have to go through the usual process of going through an agency to find you the right company and the right job. You can also opt for referrals or finding gigs through leads.

It will be easier when you do this online. There are a lot of web sites where you can sign up to and apply for the available PA jobs. If you have become accustomed to the whole process, you can even acquire a lot of employers at a time. Just make sure that you will be able to give your best shot at every task given to you.

Finding personal assistant jobs can be easy. This is true as long as you have the will to do it and the capacity to carry out everything that will be assigned for you to do. Just be sure that before you apply to any PA gigs, you are well equipped with the skills and you can commit to the time that you’ve agreed to work for an employer.

What Should You Consider in Buying a Personal Digital Assistant?

2009-04-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

A personal digital assistant or the PDA is commonly known as the smart phone. This is one vital tool that has changed the lives of many business people, professionals and common people alike.

What are the usual features that make this gadget so popular? Here are only some.

1. You can keep important records, information and notes.

2. You can use this to access the Internet. You can send mails and receive through this tool.

3. You can use this to keep up with the latest news and other information that you may want to research on.

4. You can also play games on this gadget to pass time or to relieve stress and pressure.

5. You can highlight important dates and set reminders.

A PDA is really one useful innovation that has changed many people’s lifestyles and how they do business. This phone is essential to global positioning purposes. The camera feature has also been put into good used by many enthusiasts because of the ease of file transfer and printing.

Availing a PDA

If you have decided to get one for yourself, these are the usual considerations that you may want to look at.

1. The price varies depending on the style, the brand, the model and the features of your chosen PDA. Before you buy one, you must first determine how much your budget is. After which, you can go over the Internet or you can also look at stores for the ranges in its costs. You can also start with a good brand with fewer features. You can upgrade every time you already have the money. For example, you can get higher memory storage or have more programs installed on your PDA.

2. Check the features of your PDA. Make sure that it is compatible to the operating system of your computer. This way, you will have no problem regarding file transfer and storage. Also check if you have the right tools, plugs, ports and adapters to be able to accomplish such tasks.

3. Make sure that you know why you are purchasing a PDA. This way you will know what to ask the salesperson once you get to a store. For example, you can ask for assistance if you would like to have something that can aid you in keeping up with important dates and reminders.

Or if you are always on the go, you would want something that will be fast and easy to connect to the Web. You can ask for its wireless capability. You may also want to check out its other features and make sure that you will get exactly the gadget that can be your digital personal assistant.

This is one smart invention that you can use to make your lives easier. This can be used by the busy bees, students and even the home buddies. You just have to find the right one that can aid you as to whatever purpose that you may want to use the gadget. Your lifestyle can be easily changed by this small tool. You just have to find the appropriate one for you.

So if you still do not own one, start saving up to be able to afford your chosen personal digital assistant. With such ease and comfort that this can give you, what else is stopping you from investing on a good brand and a style that will match who you are?

Hiring a Personal Assistant

2009-03-27T09:31:00.001-07:00

More and more people are occupied with so many things. Some are so busy into their work—thus—they have less or no more time for other things that they should be doing. While others simply cannot perform or attend to their duties to numerous reasons such as medical condition or lifestyle. For these people, having a personal assistant is a great help to maximize their time as well as their energy.

Process of hiring a personal assistant

Today, the demand for efficient personal assistants continues to increase because more and more people are busy with so many things. With this at hand, the employment for personal assistant has become a lucrative employment target.

If you have an extremely busy life, a time-consuming executive career or your own business, or if you are working in a large home taking care of handling daily operations that involves business or office, then it is a must that you hire a personal assistant. Since a personal assistant will have a great responsibility in your life and business, you cannot just hire somebody for the position. To effectively hire a personal assistant, you must:

1. Write down the description of the job that the personal assistant needs to do. This list should contain specific details of what you really need the personal assistant is for.

2. Advertise your need for the personal assistant depending on your requirements. You can do this by placing a small advertisement in the local newspaper. Make sure that you include your contact details so the applicant can reach you easily.

3. Choose at least the top five among the applicants based on their resumes and credentials. To save some time, make sure that you pick those that have previous experience in being a PA in your work setting. This can be very convenient because it will take you lesser time to train the PA, all you need to do is conduct an extensive briefing and that would be it. In some cases, it will also be wise to hire qualified college fresh graduate because you can benefit from their vigor.

4. Set the schedule for the interview. Scheduling an interview should take place in one single day. By doing this, you can readily compare each applicant and there's a greater chance of hiring a new personal assistant when the interview sessions are over. If you are not in a hurry to hire one, you can conduct a two-part interview to properly screen the respective candidates. On the second interview, ask somebody—a friend or a co-worker—to come with you and conduct an observation. This can be beneficial for you because you can get a feedback from other people.

5. After you have chosen the best candidate, prepare an orientation. This is very important because he or she exactly would be briefed on how the office or the business works. During the orientation, be prepared to discuss the salary and other benefits he or she will be getting.

6. Set a trial period. This is a wise move when hiring a personal assistant because you will never really know if he or she is fit for the job unless the PA is doing the work. A three-moth period is suitable to know if the hired personal assistant is fit for the job requirements that you need or not.

Training for Personal Assistant

2009-03-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

A personal assistant—the one in-charge for the daily organization of the employer's overall schedule—should have invaluable leadership skills and strong initiative in doing things. These are very important because the employer relies and depend on what the personal assistant has prepared.

Another major qualification in being a personal assistant is mastery of skills in terms of organization and socialization aspects. Although there is no specific training to become an efficient personal assistant, it pays to undergo some sort of briefing to know what it's like to be one. Here, people who have plans of becoming a personal assistant would have an idea what are the key essentials needed for one to be hired immediately and of course, how to be efficient for a specific type of boss or employer.

Aside from that, a personal assistant should be able to do two or more tasks at any given time. This is very vital especially to those bosses who have very hectic schedule. A personal assistant should also be able to remain calm despite stressful situations because there will always be time when she or he will be blamed for the things that went wrong along the way.

Other qualifications include being business and Internet savvy, being computer literate especially to basic operations, having knowledge in accounting and bookkeeping, basic phone etiquette, and people skills especially in dealing with people during negotiations and meetings.

To be able to become a good personal assistant, one has to know the tasks and responsibilities for the position. Knowing these will somehow train you to becoming an efficient and reliable personal assistant to your employer.

Preparing for the job

Once you have listed down all the qualities a personal assistant must have, it is now time to know if you have those skills needed for the job. If you think you don’t and still would want to pursue a career in this position, then you can train yourself to possess those skills.

It is best to start with the nature of the job you will be related to. If you will be working for an employer who runs a business, you must master the skills and efficiency of a secretary. This is because you will be asked to do all the scheduling and bookkeeping for the business. If you will become a personal assistant to a politician, you should also master the skills of organization and people skills because you will be dealing with people from all walks of life.

If you plan to work as a personal assistant for a celebrity, you must be very well prepared in dealing with pressure. This is because you will be involved in the very busy and complicated world of show business. If you will be working for a person with medical condition or disability, you must be very well informed in dealing with the boss who is also a patient.

Overall, the best possible way of becoming a good personal assistant is by training one's self by actually doing it. You can do this at home like helping your parents in the business or managing the household. You can also train yourself to become an efficient personal assistant by dong volunteer works in various establishments or you can join organizations to form network. Here, your skills can be honed and prepare you for the job that you wanted.

How to Get a Job as a Secretary, Getting Hired as a ...

2009-03-15T00:34:00.001-07:00

How to get a job as a secreatry, personal assistant, legal secretary and how to get hired in ANY economy and a recession.

Pageonce - A Personal Assistant

2009-03-15T00:27:00.001-07:00

Pageonce is the first mobile application that literally places all of your personal online accounts in the palm of your hand. See what's coming next on Netflix, view mileage points earned, flight status updates, approaching cell minute limits, package delivery dates, bid results alerts, and your bank balance and credit card transactions.
iOnce by Pageonce consolidates all of your accounts in one app and allows you to view them, password-free, via the iPhone and iPod touch. iOnce features thousands of providers from the following categories: email, finance, social networking, utilities, travel, and shopping. iOnce by Pageonce makes your personal online experience easier and more mobile than ever before.

How One Becomes a Personal Assistant?

2009-03-10T04:30:00.000-07:00

Nowadays, personal assistants can be considered as 24/7 girls or guys because they are on call no matter what time or day. They have to take care of all the things that concern their bosses such as scheduling of meetings, business negotiations, bookings and reservations for flights or for restaurants, sorting of mails, and all the works that concern the office.

Often times, personal assistants also take care of the menial tasks such as meal orders, office interiors, laundy issues, and other fetishes of their employers. And at times, they are the errand boys and girls who takes care of appointments and represents the boss in meetings and other functions or events.

Becoming a personal assistant

If you were thinking of becoming a personal assistant, the first relief would be no specific educational background and course training matter. This is because the major requirement would be the skills of the person to remain calm during pressure and stress. If one can handle pressure and stress with ease, then, he or she can be a candidate to become a personal assistant.

Other main consideration would be being in the right place and in the right time. If you are working in a corporate world and if you have a clean track record or if you have secretarial experience, then you are the foremost candidate for the position. People who usually work near the boss or the line of work usually deals with the employer are among the options once the boss decides to hire a personal assistant.

Aside from working near the boss, people who have friends that know high-ranking executives may also get the position through recommendation. This can be very helpful especially if the future employer trusts the backer. But in this case, the candidate for personal assistant should be very careful because once he or she commits something unpleasant, the trust in him or her is not the only thing at stake but also in the person who gave the recommendation.

Although becoming a persona assistant does not really require outstanding academic background, having a clean track record and reliable credentials can help a lot. People who are interested to become personal assistants should bear in mind the major qualities and technical skills needed for the position including the:

- strong work ethic because the job requires all the patience and perseverance any person could have;

- self-discipline because the position entails a lot of responsibility;

- ability to do multi-tasking because this is needed for the busy and hectic schedule of the boss;

- people skills because forming a good rapport earns the trust of the executive or the boss;

- ability to stay calm despite pressure because it will make the person think straight;

- computer skills for handling technical matters such as electronic correspondence, research, etc.

- telephone etiquette because good manners is a must in communicating through phones;

- superb style in communication because he or she represents the boss at times;

- keen problem-solving skills to rule out everything that the boss needs;

- excellent time management skills to make sure that the boss in not lagging anything behind; and last but not the least, a personal assistant must have outstanding organizational skills to ensure that everything and in place when the boss inquires about it.

The Job Description of a Personal Assistant

2009-02-11T04:25:00.000-08:00

A lot of people employ a personal assistant. But what does a personal assistant really do? What is his or her job description?

The personal assistant is called by many names. They can also be referred to as executive secretary or executive assistant. He or she works closely with the manager then coordinates with the various departments.

But most of the time, this person deals with administrative and secretarial tasks like answer the phone, enter, welcome the visitors, make appointments, deal with deliveries and faxes, make schedules, take dictation and minutes, produce presentations, do background research, organize meetings, liaise both internally and externally, arrange travel accommodations, organize paperwork and make decisions in the absence of others.

In order to be an effective personal assistant, you should be able to know the company and the business inside and out. This will allow you to get in touch with the right people when you are instructed to. Given that you handle matters that are important to the company, you should be trustworthy and exercise confidentiality and discretion at all times.

The personal assistant may sometimes be instructed to do other duties. This may involve handling accounts and budgets, carrying out a specific project and take some of the manager’s load which means being given the opportunity to be involved in the decision making process. Some companies do that while others don’t and just stick to the basics as mentioned.

Celebrities, professional assistants and politicians are just some of the few examples of people who need a personal assistant. Small businesses also do and the average salary of a personal assistant these days is $37,000.

If you think about it, there is no specific educational degree that lands you the job of a personal assistant. It just happens which is why a company who feels the need for one will probably hire someone internally before posting a job posting.

In order for the two to work together, both the manager and the personal assistant should have good rapport otherwise nothing gets done.

Should you consider being a personal assistant, keep in mind there are some drawbacks. For one, you will have to work 40 to 80 hours or more especially when your boss has a late night meeting or tells you to accompany him or her to a business out of town. You may be on call 24/7 so you may have to rush from one place to another even late at night or the in early hours of the morning.

But there are benefits for being a personal assistant. You get to meet other celebrities and high level executives that could lead to better job opportunities. You get to attend business dinners or even parties. Those who travel get to work and go on vacation at the same time which often includes free travel and an expense account.

Working any job even that of a personal assistant has its ups and downs. Those who can take it will be able to stay in this position for a very long time while others who have tried but could not stomach it will look for a better job role. For you to succeed here, you have to be trust worthy, hard working, can work under pressure and have a strong work ethic.

Personal Assistant for the Disabled

2009-02-11T04:23:00.000-08:00

Celebrities and executives are not the only ones who need a personal assistant. The disabled also need such individuals to help them do things that they can’t do on their own.

The task required of the personal assistant to do for the disabled include bathing, cleaning, cooking and dressing among other duties. If there are other things that the personal assistant will be instructed to do, this should be agreed upon and written in the contract.

The client may decide to write down what needs to be done daily as part of a routine so it will be easy for the personal assistant to follow. This allows the client to live within the community rather than being shipped off to a nursing home or assisted care facility. Unfortunately, not that many people are aware of this.

Just about anyone can become a personal assistant to the disabled as long as they are 18 years of age, have a social security number, passes through the screening process which includes the background and health check. The personal assistant can even be a member of the client’s family as long as he or she is not the spouse or a parent of a minor child.

You don’t have to be internet savvy to get this job. Just be able to do some simple chores and tasks as required by the client.

When the personal assistant is off into the field, the client becomes the acting employer so he or she must do what is necessary to enhance the client’s ability to live independently as well as respect the individual and their property.

The pay rate of a personal assistant for the disabled varies depending on the state where one is employed. This may increase after a year while other benefits are at the discretion of the employer. One example if giving the personal assistant an incentive for bringing another client to the business like perhaps a neighbor of the person you are caring for right now.

In order for you to work well as a personal assistant, both you and the client must have a good relationship. This means you are able to communicate openly with each other. This is why certain house rules are set. There are regulations set by the employer but you also have to know what are the rules which the clients wants you to follow.

Just like working for a celebrity or an executive, the personal assistant should not reveal any information about the client to anyone. You have to know which matters should be kept so their privacy is not violated.

Being a personal assistant to the disabled is not that popular yet unlike other occupations. This means that the pay is also not that high but if you are willing to put yourself in the service of others that is all the matters.

The personal assistant service these days is not only for the disabled. This is now being used to benefit seniors, doctors, clergymen and financial planners with the fees being economically priced to meet a range of budgets as the number of people who will be over the age of 65 will jump to 21% by the year 2040.

Truly, the government should have done something better in terms of healthcare way back in the 1960’s but there is nothing we can do about that now except promote the use of personal assistants.

Start a Home-Based Personal Assistant Business

2009-01-29T07:47:00.000-08:00

This is an extremely simple and easy home business opportunity that virtually any stay at home mom can start. Before you start, you have to ask yourself whether you know how many people have time to manage the variety of important tasks before them each day. Not too many, think of your own life. How many times have you wished you could have more time to complain about a billing error and how long it eventually took to be resolved when you finally had enough time to deal with it? Well there are thousands of people saying just that and have the same problem with time. This problem is now your opportunity, now you can start a Home-Based Personal Assistant Business.

Here is a listing of the types of tasks that many people need help with the most:
Billing Complaints
Organizing Meetings and Appointments
Party Planning
Client Christmas Card Mailing
Important Date Reminder
Vacation Planning
Information Inquiries

Getting started is simple, there are three things to consider, business setup, service pricing and marketing.

Business Setup
You will need a phone that can handle multiple incoming calls at one time. Nothing worse than a busy signal when an important call is coming in and you cannot handle it in a professional manner. A cell phone and a pager, always be available for your clients. You may even consider obtaining a blackberry to handle email when you are away from your office. Next, you will need a fax machine, a computer and a high quality printer. The last essential piece of office equipment is a tickler file. The tickler file is a filing system methodology that incorporates organizing tasks by importance and due date. Those tasks that are of most importance and are due sooner than the others are placed in front of the file, while those of least importance and are due later are placed behind. As tasks are completed, they are moved out of the file system and into a separate complete file so that only your active tasks remain in the tickler file.

Pricing
You can be paid in two ways, though methods that are more creative can be used also. The first is to be paid by the hour, if you do choose to employ this method, make sure you keep good track of the time you spend on tasks so that you can provide detailed billing, much as an attorney would for his clients. Do not be too fussy, some minor tasks can be listed but can also be discounted. The second way to be paid is to obtain a type of retainer fee from the client whereby you promise to complete a set number of tasks in each given year without sending a bill.

Marketing
Start by advertising in your local newspaper and gradually graduate to prominent business journals, magazines and newsletters. Once you have a few clients and have successfully completed a few tasks, ask them for referrals. If they use your services, chances are they have the same types of friends that will also need your services.

I hope you will think about this unique opportunity and if you do start a business of your own that it will be successful and you will enjoy many happy years of financial freedom.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Diagonal Street Business Services offers work at home articles and business ideas to stay at home moms. If you are thinking of starting a business, visit www.BestBusinesses4u.com.

Considerations when Hiring an Assistant

2009-01-29T07:45:00.000-08:00

According to some people, you cannot trust an assistant if they have an interest in investing. He offers many tips about things you should think about when hiring an assistant. You can find a lot of advice in books about hiring personal assistants.

When you interview people for your open assistant position then you need to ask people right off the bat if they have any interest in investing. You want someone who says they have no interest at all. The person who gets excited and their eyes light up when you ask them and they say yes are the people you need to worry about. These are the ones who will steal your knowledge and become your competitor.

Some recommend you be sure to use a non-compete clause for your business. You should not trust anyone because when you least expect it they will take your clients and your prospects. A non-compete clause will ensure you that an assistant cannot take your business elsewhere. You can rest assured that if they want to go out on their own then they will have to start from scratch.

Others might recommend that you should be sure to complain on occasion about your job and the work you do. An assistant will make life very good. An assistant will also give you more free time and make the job look very enticing when you are making a lot of money. Be sure to complain about the things you deal with and be vocal. This is how you deter your assistant from wanting to be successful in the same field as you. Your success is for you and no one else.

When you purchase the systems to hire a personal assistant, you will learn all of the things you need to think about when hiring and working with an assistant. You will learn how to protect your business, your clients, and your success.

Find books, articles, or magazines to find out the best concepts that are involved in hiring a personal assistant. This is a concept by ones whom say this worked for them. There is no guarantee these systems will work for your or anyone else. You cannot hold the company liable for the system not working and it is at your own risk when you purchase the program. Not all people will be given a refund and given 30 days to test the program.

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Independent Business With Virtual Assistant Services & Office Administration Services

2008-12-29T23:32:00.000-08:00

A Virtual Assistants Company India typically will perform services for independent professionals, sole proprietors

, and home or small businesses that do not need or have a budget for a full-time secretary. Virtual Assistants are highly skilled and make their services available to clients on an as-needed basis or retainer basis. In all over the world Virtual Assistant is a personal assistant that works from a remote location. Virtual Assistant Services can offer generalized services or specialized services like Information Processing, Personal Assistance Services, Web Site Services, Desktop Publishing and Bookkeeping Services.

A Virtual Assistant Services can take on the tasks prevent you from focusing on growing your business, advancing your work. Virtual Assistance Services utilizes the latest technology to provide professional, efficient support with fast turnaround. Virtual Assistant is sought after by business owners and professionals such as real estate agents, executives, coaches, attorneys, authors etc.

You will save time by allowing your Personal Assistance Services & Live Receptionist to take care of time-consuming tasks such as, proofreading documents, managing contact databases, data-entry, sorting through emails, writing letters and other important administrative tasks. You will also save energy by allowing your Virtual Assistance Services to handle the details such making sure your calendar is up to date, internet research is done, and phone calls have been returned.You will reduce stress and stay focused because you'll be confident that all of your minor and major chores are being taken care of by your Virtual Assistant.

To know more you can visit our site http://virtual-assistants.outsourcing-services-india.com to have better idea about us.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/independent-business-with-virtual-assistant-services-office-administration-services-667788.html