Today, hire a “virtual assistant” is a practice become common in the workplace. Indeed, many companies can not afford financially to hire someone full time on a position of assistant, or simply do not have the burden of work required to fill a full-time. They then seek to use the services of a 247VirtualAssistant. Other companies are interested in this type of service on point periods, especially in the summer, when many of their employees go on vacation, to ensure the workload in their absence. Finally, other companies sometimes have too much work to do to staff, and need assistance, from time to time, a wizard off-site to manage part of the workload. Development growing businesses and activities at home, demand for this type of service will not cease to increase.
It is an ideal niche to enter the market as an online business: the demand for the services of virtual assistant online is currently very strong. You can charge your services at the time, to the contract for a given work, or on a monthly tariff basis. It is one of the online activities easier and less costly.
Skills required:
An excellent mastery of the computer tool will be an invaluable asset. Terms of oral and written communication skills will also be very important, because your customers will require you quality work, and you will need to communicate regularly with them. In addition, a knowledge and understanding of the world of the company will be a plus.
Cost to start this business:
Initially, you will have to pay for design, development and hosting of your website, computer equipment, software, scanner, fax, and printer. If you already have some of these elements, your initial startup costs will be reduced accordingly. Other costs to be expected will be linked to the promotion of your business. To begin with, so you can predict between €2000 and €4000.
Number of employees needed to start:
A person can easily start this activity part-time.
International potential:
The company has little international potential: the majority of your customers will be in your immediate geographical environment.
Important information about this business:
An important question you will be facing concerns compatibility with software that your client uses. Needless to put all your efforts in the development of an electronic report, to finally realize that your client cannot open it. Find you on the software it uses.
Online marketing techniques:
- Develop a strategy for links. You must create a maximum of links to your website on Web sites, directories, forums in connection with the services that you offer.
- Advertising through newsletters and mailing lists is important. You may even develop your own newsletter, to stay close to your target market.
- Submit your Web site address to search engines and directories. Many of your clients will probably be in your area. Must therefore be sure to be included in the regional business online directories that target your market may have to consult.
- Develop a viral marketing strategy where visitors can “Bring this service to a colleague” through your site. They will give to the word, and it will thus create the word of mouth (and therefore visits!) on your Web site.
Additional revenue:
You can earn extra money by offering a value-added services such as scanning or printing documents. You may charge a price per page, for each of these two services. You can also provide services of desktop publishing (graphics), development and distribution of newsletter, or telephone assistance services, or any other administrative tasks often feasible at home.
