Class Syllabus: Starting a Virtual Assisting Business
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Class Syllabus: Starting a Virtual Assisting Business

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Course Description

A virtual assistant works from his or her own office, offering administrative and office support services, to other companies over the Internet. A virtual assistant can make from $25-$50 per hour performing tasks such as word processing, database management, desktop publishing, and email services. Moreover, because virtual assistants work from their homes, for customers they often never meet, they do not need to be located in the same city or even the same state. Students in this course will learn how to establish and successfully grow a virtual assistant business including learning how to locate customers, set fees, and develop client contracts.

Course Requirements

Textbook Required in Course:

How to Start a Home-Based Desktop Publishing Business by Louise Kursmark. (c) 2002 ISBN 0-7627-2250-9

Available at Amazon.com, Borders, Barnes & Noble, etc., Publisher's Retail: $17.95.

A note on your textbook: As of 2003, there is scant literature available for the virtual assisting business, aside from expensive proprietary training materials. Thus, we will be using a book dealing with the kin of virtual assisting, the desktop publishing business. Nearly all of the material contained in the text will be visibly applicable to the virtual assisting practice. Where specifics about virtual assisting are lacking, the gaps will be filled-in within the course.

 

Course Goals

Upon completion of this course the student should be able to... 1. Describe an overview of starting a growing a virtual assistant business 2. Perform online and offline marketing to attract clients 3. Develop contracts appropriate for services offered 4. Set fees for services provided 5. Describe the legal and tax issues related to running a virtual assisting business from home 6. Handle funamental book keeping

Course Outline

I. What is a virtual assistant? II. History of the virtual assistant III. Benefits of owning a VA business IV. Traits of successful VA s V. What services to offer VI. Setting up shop VII. Communicating with clients VIII. Pricing and billing IX. Marketing your services (part 1, Your market) X. Marketing your services (part 2, Target marketing) XI. Record keeping and taxes XII. Getting further help

Course Content

  • An overview of the nature, history, and duties of virtual assistants
  • Benefits afforded to virtual assistants and their clients
  • Necessary traits to be successful as a virtual assistant
  • A summary of the kinds of services virtual assistants offer
  • Details of setting up a virtual assisting practice
  • Particulars of communicating with clients locally and remotely
  • Pricing and billing practices of virtual assistants
  • Marketing and advertising the virtual assisting practice
  • Record keeping and tax issues
  • Resources for support

 

Methods

The course will include...

1. Assigned readings 2. Email correspondence with the instructor and interactions on the classroom discussion boards 3. An entrepreneurial self-assessment exercise 4. A market research exercise studying the competition 5. A goal setting exercise for the business 6. A skills assessment exercise designed to help the student pinpoint what services to offer 7. Development of a micro-business plan for the firm 8. Development of preliminary literature (cards, brochure, etc) for the company 9. Creation of a pricing menu 10. A market survey exercise searching for potential clients 11. A target marketing exercise

Course Links

Associations

International Virtual Assistant Association

http://www.ivaa.org/

StaffCentrix

http://staffcentrix.com

Virtual Assistant Chamber of Commerce

http://www.virtualassistantnetworking.com/

Training Programs:
AssistU
http://www.assistu.com
 
Virtual Tools:
Efax
http://www.efax.com
Yahoo s Online Address Book, Calendar, Message Boards, etc. For virtual communication)
http://Yahoo.com
PayPal (for accepting credit card payments
http://www.paypal.com
 

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