Tuesday, June 1, 2010

How Do I Test The Waters As A Virtual Assistant?


The truth is that at some point or another we all have that burning desire to go out on our own –steer away from our current occupations – and start a new career path as a solo professional in our field of specialization. But why don’t we? What is holding so many of us back from going out and doing what it is that we want to do with our lives?

Why do we allow ourselves to be tied to our employer as if we're tied into our cubicle with invisible wires? What skills do we really need in order to finally break free from the nine to five life and start out on our own as a virtual assistant? Ask yourself all of these questions before you even think about quitting your current occupation in pursuit of the dream of pursuing any type of solo job.

Each and every year, far too many people believe that they can simply quit their current occupation and pursue a career as a virtual assistant, freelancer, or start their own businesses. Far too many of them fail, only to be forced back into the nine to five world with a sense of disappointment and hopelessness. They have given up on their dream. This isn't meant to happen to you, so you must be prepared before you branch out. When this happens it happens for one reason and one reason only – the person who wanted to pursue his or her dreams had no idea what to expect.

As a new entrepreneur your focus is on the pros of having your own business- free to have as many days off as needed, the joy of retaining all of the profits from the work you have accomplished. However, the truth of the matter is to be successful it takes a lot of working long and hard hours to meet deadlines, manage your finances, putting in place a good retirement plan, setting up a medical insurance and competing with thousands of others for the same jobs.

Before beginning any ventures in the world of the solo professional, know that it is not all fun and games. A lot of serious thought must go into your actions if you are going to be successful. Are you ready to put planning into your efforts? Are you willing to start our slow by moonlight, so that you will be able to continue to live in the manner to which your are accustomed?

Whatever you do, the answer is not quit your current job right now. You will not have a livable source of income for several months while you search for well paying gigs. Quitting your job will come in due time, but only after you have managed to net a few solid contracts and references.

The first step of your new life as a virtual assistant should be to log onto your computer, open your web browser to Google, and start the search for work at home jobs . Sounds easy, right? Use specific keywords that describe what your skills are – the types of projects you can actually accomplish. After a few hours of research you will wind up with a massive database of different websites that cater to the solo community in your specific field. These are the websites you'll want to scour, learn to work with, and set up profiles so that you can begin exploring contracts and building relationships in the freelance community.

There are also many other places on the web to subcontract with other virtual assistants to gain experience and work, however, there are far too many to list in this article. It is highly suggested that you look at other Virtual Assistants websites to see what they offer. Research how they market themselves to get ideas on how to start your own advertising to grow your own business portfolio. The eBook An Inside Job is a valuable resource if you would like to explore additional homeshoring options.  Check it out here!

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