Becoming a virtual assistant is often one of the most sought after work at home opportunities by those who have clerical skills. As more and more solo entrepreneurs, and small businesses, seek to outsource office tasks to others, they are contributing to a boom in virtual assistant job opportunities.

Before I continue, I want to let you know that while being a virtual assistant professional is rewarding, it is not easy to enter into this field. If you have only entry-level office skills, meaning you know how to do basic typing, filing and answering phones, this may not be the right fit for your skill set. You see, virtual assistants usually have many years of administrative assistant or office supervisory skills.

If your skills are only entry level, then you would face very steep competition from those who can offer top level services to small business professionals. However, I don’t want to completely discourage you from seeking out virtual assistants jobs. Just understand that you’ll need to find a local career center that can give you training in advanced office administration skills.

If you are already a high-achieving administrative assistant, or office professional who wants the satisfaction of owning their own home based business, then you will be able to find a job as a virtual assistant, after you learn how to get set up and obtain clients.

A big misconception about this type of work is that it is just like working a regular job. The reality is, virtual assistants are independent contractors who only work when they can secure clients. This means learning how to market yourself, stay organized and be able to manage your time well.

You should also think about specializing in a specific type of administrative work. Some of the typical jobs a virtual assistant can do for a client are:

* Bill Paying
* Bookkeeping
* Data Management and Processing
* Proofreading and Editing
* Transcription
* Word Processing

Other specialized areas are:

* Graphic Design
* Legal Assistant
* Real Estate Assistant
* Web Design

When you are just getting started, you can create a new virtual assistant checklist of all the specific skills you can offer busy professionals. Your job evolves around making their lives easier by doing tasks that you enjoy.

Another thing that’s important for you to think about is who your dream client would be. There will be clients that come from all walks of life, with very different temperaments and work styles. Ideally, you want to work with clients who you’re going to be comfortable working with on a regular basis.

There is also the option of doing subcontracting work for more established virtual assistants. This way, they would be the ones who would give you assignments, and you’d be helping them to grow their business while learning how to run yours.

The quickest way to get your virtual assistant business started, is to learn what to do from others who know how to do it successfully. You can find out more information about this top home business opportunity by visiting a site that features the best work from home ideas.

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Category: Business
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