The Virtual Assistant Industry

The following page provides information on the Virtual Assistant Industry and working with a Virtual Assistant.

What is a Virtual Assistant? A Virtual Assistant (VA) is a highly-skilled, independent professional who remotely provides administrative, technical and/or creative business support services.*

*Source: from VANetworking.com The Largest Global Meeting Place Online for Aspiring and Successful Virtual Assistants

Partner with a VA: Grow Your Business

1. Work with a person who can be a sound board for your business ideas.
2. Have a person who can suggest marketing ideas.
3. Save money on overhead costs such as payroll, equipment repair, sick days and vacation days
4. Obtain the benefits of an in house employee without the cost of hiring one.
5. Have someone who can concentrate on the nitty-gritty functions involved in the daily maintenance of running your business.
6. Increase access to resources: VAs have their own network of resources that they utilize for printing, document processing and promotion. Tapping into a VAs resources doubles your own.

VA Industry

The Virtual Assistant Industry – Special Results a VA Can Deliver

• VAs have special knowledge in niche areas such as internet marketing and social media.
• Build effective campaigns to grow your online presence and drive more traffic to your website.
• VAs have years of experience in administration areas such as document formation.
• Deliver polished documents to your customers and get more business.
• VAs are experts with time management.
• Have a deadline reminder service, enabling you to meet dates for your projects and not be late for meetings.

The Virtual Assistant Industry – Types of VA Services

• Social Media
• Internet Marketing
• Website Design and Maintenance
• Administration

Social Media

Create and Manage Social Media Sites
✅Blog pages with WordPress, Blogger and TypePad
✅Social Media sites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)
✅Niche social networks such as Ning and SocialGO
✅Local Community sites such as Foursquare and Yelp
✅Research to identify the right social networks for their customers
✅Measure results of social network activities

Internet Marketing

Develop and implement cost effective plans to attract visitors to website
✅Website link building
✅Article submissions
✅Affiliate program management
✅Keywords in website to ensure top positions in search engine results

Evaluation of customers website design and programs
✅Identify gaps and determine areas for improvements

Online Competitor Analysis Reports

Measure website traffic using sites such as Whois.net, Google Analytics, Market Samurai, etc.

Website Design and Maintenance

• Creation of websites using WordPress
• Design of sites using customers corporate visual identity (font, colors,
  images)
• Social Media optimization by inserting plugins linking website to social
  media sites
• Blog pages in site that include polls, comments from customers and
  informative posts to attract target audience
• Insert Meta Tags and keywords for high search engine results
• Ecommerce strategies to increase sales
  ✅Shopping cart software insertion and management
  ✅Auto responders to launch email marketing programs
  ✅Pink spoon giveaways
  ✅Squeeze pages to sell products

Administration

• Database Creation
• Mail Merges
• Direct Mailings
• Spreadsheets
• Email Management
• Scheduling Appointments
• Deadline Reminder Service
• Presentations
• PDF Document Creation

Other VA Services

• Bookkeeping
  ✅Invoices, Payroll, Taxes, Accounts Receivable, Accounts
  Payable, Receipts, Budgets, Statements, Bank Reconciliation
• Event Planning
  ✅Meetings, Conventions, Dinners, Trade Booths,
  Teleconferences, Web Meetings, Catering, Hotel
  Accommodations
• As well as numerous services
  ✅Paralegal
  ✅Real Estate
  ✅Transcription
  ✅Etc.

The VA Office

• VAs work from their home office
• Communicate with clients by using both standard (phone, fax, email) and the latest modern day technology products such as:
  ✅Voice Over IP
  ✅Instant Messenger
  ✅File Transfer Protocol
  ✅Live Agent
  ✅Video Conferencing

How to Find a VA

Virtual Assistant Industry Organizations
– The Canadian Association of Virtual Assistants (CAVA)
– Virtual Assistant Networking Association www.vanetworking.com
Word of Mouth
Internet Search
Social Media Sites
Online Virtual Assistant Directories

Submit RFP to Work with a VA

1) Provide as much background information on your company
2) Include contact details and preferred method of contact (telephone or email)
3) Length of time for project (short term, long term, number of hours, retainer)
4) Explain the work needed and be as specific as possible
5) Office set up needed for the VA (is email needed, is a certain software required)
6) If a local VA is needed or a VA in a certain time zone, include this detail in the RFP
7) Review all the proposals that you have received in detail

Make Your Decision

• Confirm VA is available
• Negotiate contract details with VA
• Draw up Contract, Review it and Sign it
  ✅Include a Confidentiality Agreement clause
  ✅Include Terms and Conditions
• Set up communication systems with VA
• Schedule first meeting and agree on next steps