Relief for Small Business Owners
Relief for Small Business Owners
Carrie is a small business owner of a convenience store in Frederick, Maryland, she has three employees. Although they help run the store during the day, Carrie is responsible for all the administrative work. She spends most of her day managing her employees, helping customers, talking with vendors and overseeing deliveries. Therefore, the administrative work is left for Carrie, late at night. She is completely overwhelmed and not sure where to turn for help. Her friend, Shell, comes in to grab coffee one morning and suggests working with a virtual assistant. Carrie is excited about the potential benefits of hiring a virtual assistant to free up her time.
What are Virtual Assistants?
Virtual Assistants (VAs) are professional administrative assistants who provide services without being physically present. VAs work with small business owners via the Internet, fax, and phone to provide support remotely, collaborating with their clients to meet their business needs without the burden of overhead costs. Unlike temporary employees, VAs are business owners themselves, and they relate to the needs of their clients.
What do they do?
Virtual Assistants provide a wide range of business and administrative tasks for their clients. VAs manage schedules, make appointments and travel arrangements, handle bulk mailings, create and maintain spreadsheets, manage email and faxes, and research just about anything. Some have specific skills in website design and maintenance, Internet marketing, copywriting, and more. Most importantly, VAs get it done, whatever “it” might be.
Why work with a VA instead of an employee?
A VA is a popular alternative for the small business owner because payroll taxes, insurance, vacation, or other benefits are not required.. VAs are independent business owners, not employees. They pay their own taxes, employment and health insurance, and any other business costs. The business owner pays only for the time the VA has worked.
In addition, small business owners and home-based business owners may need administrative support but don’t have the work space or equipment to house an employee. VAs provide their equipment, training, and knowledge.
How do business owners find VAs?
Several online companies provide a referral service to connect business owners and VAs. One such organization is AssistU, the premier VA training and client referral organization. AssistU has trained hundreds of VAs around the world, and the referral system matches clients with VAs.
Business owners who are ready to work with a VA should consider what they can outsource. What can only they do versus what can be done by someone else?
Remember Carrie? She started working with a VA, and her life has changed dramatically. She still gets up at 5 am, but now goes to work out at the gym before she heads to the store. She leaves the store at 4 pm, and she’s done for the day. Her VA handles all the administrative tasks that she used to have to do late at night. Her business is thriving, and she’s considering opening up another store across town.
What can a VA do for your business?
Relief for Small Business Owners - To learn more about this author, visit Michelle Kelley-Olsen's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
Carrie sat down at her desk and glanced at the clock. It was 9 pm, time to check emails, pay bills, send out invoices, and order supplies, along with a host of other tasks she hadn’t had a chance to do earlier in the day. Her day started at 5 am, and she’s exhausted.
Carrie is a small business owner of a convenience store in Frederick, Maryland, she has three employees. Although they help run the store during the day, Carrie is responsible for all the administrative work. She spends most of her day managing her employees, helping customers, talking with vendors and overseeing deliveries. Therefore, the administrative work is left for Carrie, late at night. She is completely overwhelmed and not sure where to turn for help. Her friend, Shell, comes in to grab coffee one morning and suggests working with a virtual assistant. Carrie is excited about the potential benefits of hiring a virtual assistant to free up her time.
What are Virtual Assistants?
Virtual Assistants (VAs) are professional administrative assistants who provide services without being physically present. VAs work with small business owners via the Internet, fax, and phone to provide support remotely, collaborating with their clients to meet their business needs without the burden of overhead costs. Unlike temporary employees, VAs are business owners themselves, and they relate to the needs of their clients.
What do they do?
Virtual Assistants provide a wide range of business and administrative tasks for their clients. VAs manage schedules, make appointments and travel arrangements, handle bulk mailings, create and maintain spreadsheets, manage email and faxes, and research just about anything. Some have specific skills in website design and maintenance, Internet marketing, copywriting, and more. Most importantly, VAs get it done, whatever “it” might be.
Why work with a VA instead of an employee?
A VA is a popular alternative for the small business owner because payroll taxes, insurance, vacation, or other benefits are not required.. VAs are independent business owners, not employees. They pay their own taxes, employment and health insurance, and any other business costs. The business owner pays only for the time the VA has worked.
In addition, small business owners and home-based business owners may need administrative support but don’t have the work space or equipment to house an employee. VAs provide their equipment, training, and knowledge.
How do business owners find VAs?
Several online companies provide a referral service to connect business owners and VAs. One such organization is AssistU, the premier VA training and client referral organization. AssistU has trained hundreds of VAs around the world, and the referral system matches clients with VAs.
Business owners who are ready to work with a VA should consider what they can outsource. What can only they do versus what can be done by someone else?
Remember Carrie? She started working with a VA, and her life has changed dramatically. She still gets up at 5 am, but now goes to work out at the gym before she heads to the store. She leaves the store at 4 pm, and she’s done for the day. Her VA handles all the administrative tasks that she used to have to do late at night. Her business is thriving, and she’s considering opening up another store across town.
What can a VA do for your business?
Relief for Small Business Owners - To learn more about this author, visit Michelle Kelley-Olsen's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
|||
John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
|||
Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
|||
John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
|||
David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website |
|||
Casey GollanCasey Gollan, Business Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Add $1 Million to $10 Million in the next 1 to 3 years. Since 1996 Casey has to added hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses. Watch a free video see client results Business Coaching website. - Visit Casey Gollan's Website |
|||
Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
|||
Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Michelle's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
Referred by: http://www.julielenzerkirk.com
 | ||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Feed your body, gain a life Campaigns to Customers Relational Software Managing Generations Profitable Blog Guide |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Marketing Blogs
Top Marketing Blogs of 2010 | |
 |
Fortune Hunters
CBC Entrepreneur TV | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
| ||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||