There are as many reasons why businesses look for virtual assistants as there are businesses out there. For some, it’s a matter of finding someone who can take their calls and do some triaging so that important clients never feel neglected. For some, it’s a matter or working with someone who can keep the books because even though they are in business, they have some challenges with things like balancing a checkbook – let alone keeping track of incoming payments and sending out invoices. Others are looking for help with things like creating web content, designing a website or marketing their company.

That’s why there are so many things that virtual assistants do in their businesses: because there are so many different reasons why business owners choose to work with them.

Well-rounded virtual assistants can provide great services but so can those VAs who make the choice to specialize. So the question that’s there for all of you who are thinking about starting (or expanding) your virtual assistant business is this: what services are you going to provide?

By talking with other virtual assistants, talking with your prospective clients and other business owners, you’ll not only be able to learn what virtual assistants do but also a little bit more about what your next steps should be – what you can add to your VA business to become even more successful.

Yesterday in the VirtualU blog we started talking about services that a VA can provide to his or her clients; here’s the rest of the list.

11. Database maintenance. Make sure your clients’ lead database is in order so that there aren’t missed sales.
12. Internet research. When your clients need information, it can be up to you to find it for them.
13. Make reservations. When your clients have important business meetings, you can ensure that they are able to impress those in attendance with a great meal.
14. Reminder services. There’s one thing that’s certain: those who are busy in business need to remember meetings, anniversaries, birthdays and other key events – you can keep track of them for them.
15. Scheduling. Busy business folks are going to have a lot of meetings to get to; make it your job to make sure their aren’t scheduling conflicts.
16. Internet admin. With message boards, forums, chat rooms, groups and blogs, it’s important to make sure that everything runs smoothly.
17. Travel planning. If your clients need to leave town for meetings, you can make flights and hotel reservations.
18. Newsletter creation. Chances are good that the busier your clients are, the more they will need to communicate with their clients and customers; you can make that an easier process.
19. Call and email answering. By taking messages and answering the basic questions for your clients, you can help them to better manage their own time.
20. Organizing. Some people think about organization in a sense that’s a lot like re-decorating. Instead, VA’s can offer organization services that involve setting email folders, grouping prospects and sorting information to simplify different processes.

Once you identify what you’ll do as a virtual assistant, all it takes is making sure that you have the VA business training to make sure that everything goes smoothly for you.

Virtual assistants do a number of different things. How they go about setting up their VA business is going to vary based on their skills and specialties – what they are going to do for their clients.

So what might a VA do for his or her clients? Here are a few thoughts:

1. Writing. Whether for the web or for print, a VA might specialize in writing services.
2. Editing. If your clients write their own materials, you can provide editing services that ensure they are getting their message across.
3. Research. What are your clients’ competitors doing that they haven’t thought about? Make it your job to find out.
4. File Conversion. Not everyone uses MS Word; create PDF files from Word documents.
5. Imaging. Use software to do more with photos and graphics.
6. Graphic design. Learn to do even more with images that your clients have.
7. Interpreting. Do you speak multiple languages? If so, by converting English to Spanish, you can help to do more to get the word out about your clients’ products and services.
8. Web design. Make sure that your clients have great looking, up to date sites.
9. Plan meetings. When your clients have important meetings, you can set the agenda and prepare the meeting materials – and make sure those who need to be there know that the meeting is taking place.
10. Create presentations. If your client is a speaker or just is participating in an event, you can make sure that the images and speech hold the audiences’ attention.

These ten ideas will get you started; be sure to come back tomorrow for even more ideas!

When you first start thinking about becoming a virtual assistant and when you first start telling people you’re looking into the field and they ask what virtual assistants do, it’s good to have some sense of the answer.

So what do virtual assistants do?

On one hand, they provide administrative and clerical services. In other words, as a VA you’ll schedule appointments, manage emails, answer phones and direct calls appropriately. On a more advanced level, you may create forms and templates for your clients, maintain their leads and make sure that promotional materials get sent out.

Virtual assistants can also provide business services. You may help your clients with developing a revised business plan, a stronger marketing plan or conduct research.

Because VAs understanding marketing (primarily because they market themselves), virtual assistants can offer marketing services. You can design print marketing campaigns, internet marketing campaigns and help your clients to integrate their print and internet marketing.

And of course, in addition to basic services, some virtual assistants specialize and offer services that are unique to one industry or another.

When you’re thinking about becoming a virtual assistant, one of the things that you’re going to hear (probably enough times that is makes you a little crazy) is “What do virtual assistants do anyway?”

Here’s the good news: the question is a lot less pervasive than it used to be. Here’s the better news: the real answer is that virtual assistants put the skills that they have to work helping others.

No matter what your skills are, you’re likely to find that it’s not that difficult to find someone who is looking for help with something that you’re really good at. Consider these four examples:

1. Some virtual assistants are great at web design or at writing blogs and taking care of other internet marketing tasks. There are plenty of businesses that need help when it comes to online marketing.
2. Some people are just really great at providing customer service and triaging emails and phone calls; plenty of small businesses need someone who can be there for their customers but don’t have the space that they really need to bring someone else into the office.
3. Some people who make the choice to be a virtual assistant have great desktop publishing skills – they can make gorgeous print marketing materials. Some businesses, well, let’s just say their marketing department (if they have one) is lacking a certain creative vision.
4. Some people have experience in a certain field – like real estate – but don’t want to head into an office each day. There are others in that field who love what they do but don’t have the time to really focus on things like listing coordination.

In all of these cases, the answer to the question of what virtual assistants do becomes a little more concrete. Some virtual assistants specialize in online marketing. Some specialize in desktop publishing, administrative tasks or some other office service.

The key is that virtual assistants – once they have the training they need – provide valuable services to many different businesses – and they do it all from their own offices, working with clients who are a good fit for them.

Kandra Hamric – Real Estate Virtual Assistant
Train to Be a Virtual Assistant
From One Virtual Assistant to Another
Real Estate Virtual Assistant Blog
888-REVA-USA (738-2872)