The Timesaver

Ten years ago if any one had told Lincoln resident, Glenda Hinz, that the nascent industry that she has been working so hard to promote would finally receive its own day or recognition, she probably would not have believed it. Hinz is a virtual assistant, and she along with more than 5,000 other virtual professionals working worldwide will celebrate the third International Virtual Assistants Day (IVAD) on May 16, 2008.

Proposed by the online advocacy group, Alliance for Virtual Businesses (A4VB), IVAD is now officially registered with Chases Calendar of Events, the recognized authority of special days, weeks and months. International VA Day will be held annually on the third Friday of May. The annual celebration of International Virtual Assistants Day coincides with a three-day assembly sponsored by the Online International Virtual Assistants Convention (OIVAC) running from May 15 – 17, 2008. Virtual Assistants worldwide will display the free International VA Day logo and creed on their websites.

“This day of observance not only allows us to celebrate individual accomplishments, but also affords us the chance to pat the backs of our colleagues,” says Hinz, whose company, HINZtime Virtual Assistance, specializes in association management and general administrative support.

Virtual Assistants or VAs are independent entrepreneurs who work remotely and use technology to deliver professional administrative, creative, managerial, technical, business back-office and/or personal support services to busy professionals. Clients only pay for the time actually spent working on projects and often retain a fixed amount of hours per month for service.

Typical services could include everything from general secretarial and word processing services to desktop publishing, website creation and marketing. Projects are often handled over the phone, by fax, e-mail and even instant messaging. Most attractive is the fact that VAs are also responsible for their own taxes, training, healthcare, insurance - overhead costs that make hiring an employee expensive.

Since 1996 more than 5,000 professionals around the world have become VAs. More than 90 percent of them are highly-skilled working mothers who choose to start their own businesses in order to achieve a better work/life balance. According to a study conducted by Brenner Books in conjunction with A4VB in 2004, the United States accounts for the largest number of VAs followed by Canada, Australia and Great Britain.

“This will be a very special day for everyone involved in the VA industry because it will allow us to bring together all VA organizations and their memberships under one umbrella,” says Alliance for Virtual Businesses founder Sharon Williams. “VAs are making important contributions to the growth and stability of small businesses everywhere, and the establishment of International VA Day simply acknowledges all of those virtual professionals who work so hard to honor our creed: Dedication, Experience, Expertise and Determination to Succeed (DEEDS).”

About HINZtime: Launched in 1978, HINZtime specializes in association management, transcription, and general administrative support. Visit the website at www.hinztime.com.

About Alliance for Virtual Businesses: Established in June 2003 the Alliance for Virtual Businesses™ is volunteer-directed organization, whose primary mission is to promote the growth of free enterprise between virtual assistants, entrepreneurs, small businesses, corporations, associations and other business entities. At the web site client-related case studies, industry-related demographics, and a wealth of other types of information are available to facilitate learning about our industry. Visit the website at www.allianceforvirtualbiz.com.

About Online International Virtual Assistants Convention: The OIVAC is an online, interactive, “live” yet virtual environment convention of Virtual Assistants, traveling Pathways to Successful VA Practices. Visit the website at www.oivac.com.

If you had asked me about being a Virtual Pioneer 3 years ago, I would have wondered what you were talking about (even though I’d been doing it for the past 20+ years!). It just never dawned on me to refer to myself as such. You know the saying…it could be staring you right in the face and you’d never see it….Ah well, live and learn! Enjoy this article written by Patty Benton, a fellow Virtual Assistant.

Are You Ready to be a Virtual Pioneer?
Top Five Benefits of Working Virtually
by Patty Benton

Throughout our history, we’ve had adventurers and pioneers.  People who have taken risks and were driven to follow their dreams.  People who didn’t stop when small trials or tribulations came up.

Are you a pioneer? 

Maybe you’ve tinkered with the idea or have already taken the leap – whether employed in a traditional work setting or starting  a business as  a home-based professional, you know there’s something tremendously appealing about working virtually. In fact, it’s an option that’s becoming increasingly popular in today’s society. Statistics show that one out of five people in a traditional work setting are telecommuting at least one day a week – and, in the U.S. alone, statistics reveal that home-based workers constitute a $427 billion a year industry, 52 percent of all small firms.
 
Many of us have worked within the traditional norm of “going” to work every day…   And today’s norm is increasingly shifting to the commute being just a few steps down the hall at home to go to work.
 
If you remain on the fence about making a case to your employer about the benefits of working from home a couple days a week or even to yourself about finally becoming a home-based entrepreneur, consider the following:
  
# 1 – Flexible Schedule
Working virtually offers individuals the ability to have more freedom over their own schedules.  Whether you’re a parent who wants to be able to volunteer in your child’s classroom or you want to have time for home projects or you know you work best late at night so working in a “traditional” environment just doesn’t work for you….  Being able to manage your own schedule is very freeing.  It is a wonderful thing to plan your work around your life rather than the other way around.

# 2 – Money Saved on Professional Wardrobe
With client interactions at a minimum, a “professional” wardrobe for a virtual professional does not translate the same as a “professional” wardrobe for a corporate executive.  Most days, wearing something as simple as jeans and a sweater or polo is professional enough for working from home.  With the majority of contact coming through email or the phone, pin-striped power suits are now polka-dotted pajamas!

# 3 – Meeting people from all over the world
Your coworkers and networking contacts are no longer on the other side of the cubicle/office wall.  With virtual workspaces, there are virtually no limits.  Chatting with a fellow professional from Australia while working on a project for a client in Germany and sitting in your office in Colorado…  Well, you get the idea!  

# 4 – Being there for your family
In addition to flexible scheduling, you also get to still be there for your family.  There are wonderful things that happen every day in your children’s lives.  With working from home, I have been there for first words, first steps, first teeth and everything else.  Even with incorporating in-house help, I have still been there for it all.

# 5 – Best of all… Lunch!
With working from home, you don’t have to worry about not eating Greek or garlicky Italian food or anything else that you desire for your lunch break.   

Bottom line…  You have options.
 
Thirty years ago, home computers weren’t that common.  Home offices often consisted of bookshelves, a writing desk and a telephone.  Now, home offices can connect you with the rest of the world at the touch of a button.  So, surround the virtual wagons and set up your wireless connection. With the empowerment of technology, innovation and flexibility, working virtually allows you to remain close-to-home and have a global impact. Don’t allow yourself to be encumbered by the past…  Break new ground and grant yourself permission to be a virtual pioneer!    

Patty Benton runs a training program for new entrepreneurs interested in venturing into the virtual assistance industry that is affordable to all, and she has also written an e-book that takes virtual assistants through the process of setting up their business. Visit her coaching site at www.virtualvacoach.com for program details and great business resources. Additionally, Patty is the owner of JERPAT Virtual Assistants and JERPAT Web Designs, www.moretime4u.org, which provides affordable administrative and web design support to coaches, small businesses, religious organizations, and more. She has also partnered to establish the ministry Acknowledging Christ Together at Work www.actatwork.com and is co-owner of Virtual Business Group www.virtualbizgroup.com an online networking organization for Virtual Professionals.