Do I Need a Virtual Assistant?

Leading Virtual Staffing Agency Responds to Small Business Owner’s Burning Question through Use of Online Self-Administered Quiz

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virtual assistant, va, staffing, human resources, virtual staffing, real estate virtual assistant, transaction coordinator, team double click

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International virtual staffing agency, Team Double-ClickSM frequently replies to beleaguered prospective clients who ask, “Do I Need a Virtual Assistant?” Gayle and Jim Buske, founders, CEO and CFO, respectively, offer a remarkably straightforward means to answer this critical question.

Team Double-Click’s recent unveiling of the company’s easy-to-navigate website offers a self-administered quiz entitled, “Fast Quiz: Do I need a virtual assistant?” Within five minutes, future clients can determine whether internet-based professionals, who provide virtual administrative, marketing and sales support, can indeed contribute to an entrepreneur’s emerging or existing business plan.

Answering a series of nine thought-provoking questions; one for example, “How often do you work additional hours in the evenings or on weekends just to stay on top of administrative tasks?” business owners select one multiple choice answer; each assigned an individual point value. Upon completion of all nine questions the allotted points are tallied to determine if a virtual assistant can or cannot be a useful team member to assist in the growth of a future client’s particular business. If determined that a virtual assistant is needed, the quiz further clarifies a recommended number of hours an assistant can be contracted to relieve a business owner of any routine responsibilities, project work and/or on-going; albeit important, time-consuming tasks.

Another challenging quiz question presented on the website is, “Do your phones go unanswered because you are often out of the office or busy on another line?” This particular question frequently leaves the small business owner wondering how much revenue is truly lost when potentially important telephone calls remain unanswered.

Additionally, Team Double-Click’s all-inclusive website offers a myriad of other customized virtual office assistant solutions for the entrepreneur. Targeting small business owners, real estate brokers, investors, and agents, visitors to the site can view a task list that a contracted virtual assistant can accomplish in their specified industry.

In a 2006 interview with Kendra Todd, winner of NBC’s “The Apprentice Season 3”, hosted by Gayle Buske, Todd was asked to explain how she eventually determined that Team Double-ClickSM virtual assistants would add value to her rising real estate empire. Todd explained that as her business grew, a business partner eventually approached her and said, “Kendra, you can’t do it all, and you need a virtual assistant”. Todd added, “I have a very large database with lots of people – a couple thousand people in my database. It is important for any successful business owner to keep in touch with their clients, and email and ezines are a wonderful way to do that.” Todd continued, “It’s hard to pick up a phone and call several thousand people and say, ‘Hello, how are you doing?’ but there are some wonderful virtual ways in which to have an intimate relationship with your customers, and so that was one of the reasons why I really needed to get a virtual assistant.”

Todd has built her real estate team based on the premise that she, “…just want[s] the best people at what they do, regardless of where they are [virtually].” Business owners and entrepreneurs can now determine within a few minutes if a virtual assistant can be a viable addition to a client’s organization and, if so, through the use of Team Double-Click’s virtual staffing solutions website customized tools are available to effortlessly assemble a dynamic virtual team.

Create A Virtual Tour Photography Business Plan, And Move Into A New Career In 90 Days

If you love the real estate industry, and have a passion for photography, creating a virtual tour photography business plan may set you on the road to a new, successful career.

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Virtual tour photography business plan

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Copyright 2006 Vision Business Concepts Inc

If you love the real estate industry, and have a passion for photography, creating a virtual tour photography business plan may set you on the road to a new, successful career.

Virtual tours are becoming a popular item for many companies to place on their websites. It can provide their customers with the chance of seeing the location or product before actually visiting. It’s a way of qualifying your customer before you spend hours, or even days with them.

And because of its popularity, it’s the perfect opportunity for a business venture.

Start by setting up your business exclusively to market virtual tour photography. Establish your business identity and create a name and branding that communicates with your target market. If you have dreams of expanding outside of this industry, you might be better off with a generic name. But if this is your niche, something along the lines of Virtual Tour Photography is a great way to get your message instantly across.

Next, decide what resources you need for your business. Do you need a commercial location to meet clients, or will you work out of your home? What type of camera equipment and software will you need? While a start-up business shouldn’t invest in extravagant equipment, you should purchase enough equipment to sufficiently do your job, and to have backup equipment available at all sessions.

Then join professional organizations that will put you in touch with your target market. Join real estate associations, chamber of commerce’s, and local leads groups to get in front of realtors and other business owners that can help bring in business.

Starting with the real estate industry may seem like the natural choice. But from there, you do have many other options for target markets. Consider these industries that would also benefit from having virtual tours:

* Real estate

* Hotels

* Resorts

* Outdoor locations and events

* Restaurants

* Retail stores

* Tourist attractions

* Convention centers

* Vacation rentals

* Property developers

Virtual tours have become an important part of business. Most businesses now have a website for advertising their business. And as more businesses become more sophisticated with their marketing, they understand the need for information, and the power the Internet holds in reaching out to people, and providing them what they are looking for.

Virtual photography is one of those tools that will grow over time. The technology is now at a level where almost all Internet users have the ability to view such a presentation. Which means there will be an increase in the amount of businesses looking at virtual tours as a way of communicating with their prospects and clients.

Starting with realtors is the obvious first step. But then use the above list to come up with a more creative approach to businesses. Teach them the benefits of this powerful tool, and create a successful business in the process.

Branch out as you feel the desire to grow, and the referrals begin coming in. In just a matter of a few months you can be well on your way to a successful, thriving business.

Career Outlook For Virtual Assistants

Government career outlook predictions aren't developed yet for the Virtual Assistance industry, whether that's because it's a relatively new field or because the tasks done by VAs are as varied as the VAs themselves remains to be seen. One has to examine similar fields and skill-sets to see how VAs will fare in the years to come. By looking at these similar fields, you can see that the growth outlook for Virtual Assistance is above average. The question of "Will this job sti...

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Article Body:

Government career outlook predictions aren't developed yet for the Virtual Assistance industry, whether that's because it's a relatively new field or because the tasks done by VAs are as varied as the VAs themselves remains to be seen. One has to examine similar fields and skill-sets to see how VAs will fare in the years to come. By looking at these similar fields, you can see that the growth outlook for Virtual Assistance is above average. The question of "Will this job still be around in 20 years?" can be answered by looking at the services that a specific VA is offering and closely-related "traditional" employment fields.

The most important thing to remember, though, is to keep current with technology and software that can progress your business. If you only know outdated technology, then you and your business are outdated and your clients may go elsewhere for service. Keep adding to your services and learn everything you can about your niche market and what they currently need.

With many businesses restructuring and downsizing (getting rid of middle managers), companies are utilizing more and more secretarial and administrative support staff to take over those duties. If you offer administrative support as a VA, and market yourself as an off-site solution to those downsizing companies, your "job security" looks pretty good. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that you will have competition from on-site employees for these positions.

If you offer more specialized services than administrative support, you have different chances for sustaining an ongoing career. Here are two examples:

If you offer Public Relations (PR)services, your occupational outlook is rosy. With so many different types of organizations -- such as businesses, nonprofits, universities, hospitals and more - looking for media specialists and PR specialists to do more than just "tell their story." Creativity, initiative, good judgment and the ability to communicate effectively are some of the skills necessary to succeed in this job. There's lots of competition in this role, but employment/contracts for PR specialists is expected to grow faster than average, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

If you offer Desktop Publishing services, your occupational outlook is also great. Many companies are beginning to outsource these services, as opposed to having in-house staff. With experience and/or a degree in graphic design or a related field, desktop publishers have a variety of different organizations to market themselves to. VAs offer an affordable alternative to hiring a graphic design firm.

Whether you specialize in desktop publishing and graphic design or public relations or another niche specialty, it's clear that Virtual Assistance is catching on and the VAs who are out there aren't going anywhere. With more and more employers and companies looking to outsource projects turning to offsite personnel to fulfill these needs, the view of using "virtual" workers is changing. It's no longer as common to hear objections such as "How do I know you'll really be working?" when proposing using a VA to someone who never has before. Many people have heard of VAs now or know someone who uses theirs. In most cases, once someone has a VA on their team, they don't turn back to in-house staff to fulfill those duties.

To check out similar fields' occupational outlooks, visit the Occupational Outlook Handbook (2006-07 edition) put out by the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics at http://www.bls.gov.