It is never too late to start saving you know. Play around with it and see what you have to do to get some money in the bank for an emergency fund, vacation fund, or any other kind of fund you want. Get the kids involved if they are old enough. They are never too young to learn.
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Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Free Savings Calculator
According to the poll on the right, many of you want to know more about saving money. Here is a savings calculator to try on for size.
It is never too late to start saving you know. Play around with it and see what you have to do to get some money in the bank for an emergency fund, vacation fund, or any other kind of fund you want. Get the kids involved if they are old enough. They are never too young to learn.
It is never too late to start saving you know. Play around with it and see what you have to do to get some money in the bank for an emergency fund, vacation fund, or any other kind of fund you want. Get the kids involved if they are old enough. They are never too young to learn.
Free Savings Calculator
According to the poll on the right, many of you want to know more about saving money. Here is a savings calculator to try on for size.
It is never too late to start saving you know. Play around with it and see what you have to do to get some money in the bank for an emergency fund, vacation fund, or any other kind of fund you want. Get the kids involved if they are old enough. They are never too young to learn.
It is never too late to start saving you know. Play around with it and see what you have to do to get some money in the bank for an emergency fund, vacation fund, or any other kind of fund you want. Get the kids involved if they are old enough. They are never too young to learn.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Mint - Free Online Personal Finance Software
I heard about this cool website that features free online software to set up and maintain your accounts and budget. It looks pretty easy to use (though I haven't tried it out yet) and since money management is a part of building wealth I thought I would share this with you.
It's called Mint - Refreshing Money Management. It integrates with your bank as well as your credit card and investment accounts helping you keep track of your expenses. The site is secure and your password and account information is safe from probing eyes. You don't even have to enter personal information like your name, address, or phone number. Just enter your email address, zip, and choose a password. It's very easy to set up and has most bank and credit card company to connect to. Once you set up your accounts it gives you a breakdown of where you money went and placed you can save. I just might be hooked.
Check it out, set it up, and start managing your financial life today. Let me know what you think about it in the comments section.
It's called Mint - Refreshing Money Management. It integrates with your bank as well as your credit card and investment accounts helping you keep track of your expenses. The site is secure and your password and account information is safe from probing eyes. You don't even have to enter personal information like your name, address, or phone number. Just enter your email address, zip, and choose a password. It's very easy to set up and has most bank and credit card company to connect to. Once you set up your accounts it gives you a breakdown of where you money went and placed you can save. I just might be hooked.
Check it out, set it up, and start managing your financial life today. Let me know what you think about it in the comments section.
Mint - Free Online Personal Finance Software
I heard about this cool website that features free online software to set up and maintain your accounts and budget. It looks pretty easy to use (though I haven't tried it out yet) and since money management is a part of building wealth I thought I would share this with you.
It's called Mint - Refreshing Money Management. It integrates with your bank as well as your credit card and investment accounts helping you keep track of your expenses. The site is secure and your password and account information is safe from probing eyes. You don't even have to enter personal information like your name, address, or phone number. Just enter your email address, zip, and choose a password. It's very easy to set up and has most bank and credit card company to connect to. Once you set up your accounts it gives you a breakdown of where you money went and placed you can save. I just might be hooked.
Check it out, set it up, and start managing your financial life today. Let me know what you think about it in the comments section.
It's called Mint - Refreshing Money Management. It integrates with your bank as well as your credit card and investment accounts helping you keep track of your expenses. The site is secure and your password and account information is safe from probing eyes. You don't even have to enter personal information like your name, address, or phone number. Just enter your email address, zip, and choose a password. It's very easy to set up and has most bank and credit card company to connect to. Once you set up your accounts it gives you a breakdown of where you money went and placed you can save. I just might be hooked.
Check it out, set it up, and start managing your financial life today. Let me know what you think about it in the comments section.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Cleaning for Dollars: Endless Options for Single Mom Financial Independence
While searching a few single mom forums recently, there were questions like, "how can I make money from home?" and "anybody know of any work at home jobs?" Off course there were people there recommending multi-level marketing programs of all kinds and get rich quick schemes. I feel saddened when I see people, especially single moms like me who get sucked in by all the hype. I have always thought that the best way to make money is to do something you are good at or have the ability to do with no extra effort or need to sign up a million people to make money. Now if you believe in the product, good for you, go right ahead, but for the majority of people that is not the case and they soon become discouraged, give up, and end up back at square one.
So what can a single mom do to earn money from home or at home? The first step is to take inventory of your basic skills. Can you clean really well? Are there certain things you like to clean? Windows? Garages? Refrigerators? Closets? Attics? Offices? There are many ways to make cleaning a money making business! With a few cleaning supplies from the dollar store and a lot of flyers distributed to your target homes or offices your phone could be ringing off the hook. The good thing about a cleaning service is that you can bring your kids along to help or hang out (depending on the time of day and owner permission). Once you get your schedule and routine in place, the jobs go by quickly and you could get in 2-3 homes a day. The hours are flexible so you have the option to work a few days a week with days off to do other things or expand your business.
Please be sure to get proper licenses and talk to the state tax revenue office about quarterly taxes. This information is free and they will assist you with the paperwork. Also, you can get free business cards online at vistaprint.com. There is only a small shipping fee, but it is well worth it for nice business cards.
Now that you have decided to start a cleaning service you will want to decide on a niche. Specializing is the key to earning more money because you become known for providing a certain type of service. I remember one lady who specialized in cleaning out refrigerators. She did the job that most people hate to do and made very good money at it. Other people just do windows, indoors and/or out, and then expand into pressure washing services. The sky is the limit because there will always be dirty windows and homes for that matter. You have nothing to lose and can even do it on a trial basis to see if it works for you.
Another niche is apartment move in/move out cleaning. Apartment managers need this service once a tenant leaves and are not always staffed to do this on their own. Turn over can be high so they are always on the look out for a back up service and it could be yours. Apartment cleaning can morph into a painting service for those apartments that need touch-up painting and even a carpet cleaning or removal service depending on the level of damage.
Construction clean up services are also needed for new home and apartment constructions. The debris left by contractors has to be cleaned up and the new space will need a thorough cleaning and vacuuming. I moved into a new construction once and there was sheet rock dust all over my bathroom counters, floors and showers. I had to spend time cleaning those surfaces when I would rather be decorating.
Cleaning offices is also quite lucrative for the single mom. You may think that large cleaning services have cornered the market on offices but that is far from the truth. There are probably small offices all around you that need your services. Think doctor, dentist, and insurance offices. They are typically one or two man operations that can't afford a larger service. You may already know people like this who would be happy to use you when and if their current service becomes unavailable. The worst you can do is ask and they say no. Most offices already have their own cleaning supplies so the most you would have to do is show up. Since most of the cleaning will be done after hours you can more than likely bring your child along to play quietly or not so quietly while you clean.
Your options are endless and it just takes some creativity on your part to make it work for you. Once the cleaning bug hits you try out other cleaning options such as window cleaning, computer cleaning, garage cleaning (take the junk and sell it on ebay), dog poop clean-up, carpet cleaning, mobile car detailing, and much more.
So what can a single mom do to earn money from home or at home? The first step is to take inventory of your basic skills. Can you clean really well? Are there certain things you like to clean? Windows? Garages? Refrigerators? Closets? Attics? Offices? There are many ways to make cleaning a money making business! With a few cleaning supplies from the dollar store and a lot of flyers distributed to your target homes or offices your phone could be ringing off the hook. The good thing about a cleaning service is that you can bring your kids along to help or hang out (depending on the time of day and owner permission). Once you get your schedule and routine in place, the jobs go by quickly and you could get in 2-3 homes a day. The hours are flexible so you have the option to work a few days a week with days off to do other things or expand your business.
Please be sure to get proper licenses and talk to the state tax revenue office about quarterly taxes. This information is free and they will assist you with the paperwork. Also, you can get free business cards online at vistaprint.com. There is only a small shipping fee, but it is well worth it for nice business cards.
Now that you have decided to start a cleaning service you will want to decide on a niche. Specializing is the key to earning more money because you become known for providing a certain type of service. I remember one lady who specialized in cleaning out refrigerators. She did the job that most people hate to do and made very good money at it. Other people just do windows, indoors and/or out, and then expand into pressure washing services. The sky is the limit because there will always be dirty windows and homes for that matter. You have nothing to lose and can even do it on a trial basis to see if it works for you.
Another niche is apartment move in/move out cleaning. Apartment managers need this service once a tenant leaves and are not always staffed to do this on their own. Turn over can be high so they are always on the look out for a back up service and it could be yours. Apartment cleaning can morph into a painting service for those apartments that need touch-up painting and even a carpet cleaning or removal service depending on the level of damage.
Construction clean up services are also needed for new home and apartment constructions. The debris left by contractors has to be cleaned up and the new space will need a thorough cleaning and vacuuming. I moved into a new construction once and there was sheet rock dust all over my bathroom counters, floors and showers. I had to spend time cleaning those surfaces when I would rather be decorating.
Cleaning offices is also quite lucrative for the single mom. You may think that large cleaning services have cornered the market on offices but that is far from the truth. There are probably small offices all around you that need your services. Think doctor, dentist, and insurance offices. They are typically one or two man operations that can't afford a larger service. You may already know people like this who would be happy to use you when and if their current service becomes unavailable. The worst you can do is ask and they say no. Most offices already have their own cleaning supplies so the most you would have to do is show up. Since most of the cleaning will be done after hours you can more than likely bring your child along to play quietly or not so quietly while you clean.
Your options are endless and it just takes some creativity on your part to make it work for you. Once the cleaning bug hits you try out other cleaning options such as window cleaning, computer cleaning, garage cleaning (take the junk and sell it on ebay), dog poop clean-up, carpet cleaning, mobile car detailing, and much more.
Cleaning for Dollars: Endless Options for Single Mom Financial Independence
While searching a few single mom forums recently, there were questions like, "how can I make money from home?" and "anybody know of any work at home jobs?" Off course there were people there recommending multi-level marketing programs of all kinds and get rich quick schemes. I feel saddened when I see people, especially single moms like me who get sucked in by all the hype. I have always thought that the best way to make money is to do something you are good at or have the ability to do with no extra effort or need to sign up a million people to make money. Now if you believe in the product, good for you, go right ahead, but for the majority of people that is not the case and they soon become discouraged, give up, and end up back at square one.
So what can a single mom do to earn money from home or at home? The first step is to take inventory of your basic skills. Can you clean really well? Are there certain things you like to clean? Windows? Garages? Refrigerators? Closets? Attics? Offices? There are many ways to make cleaning a money making business! With a few cleaning supplies from the dollar store and a lot of flyers distributed to your target homes or offices your phone could be ringing off the hook. The good thing about a cleaning service is that you can bring your kids along to help or hang out (depending on the time of day and owner permission). Once you get your schedule and routine in place, the jobs go by quickly and you could get in 2-3 homes a day. The hours are flexible so you have the option to work a few days a week with days off to do other things or expand your business.
Please be sure to get proper licenses and talk to the state tax revenue office about quarterly taxes. This information is free and they will assist you with the paperwork. Also, you can get free business cards online at vistaprint.com. There is only a small shipping fee, but it is well worth it for nice business cards.
Now that you have decided to start a cleaning service you will want to decide on a niche. Specializing is the key to earning more money because you become known for providing a certain type of service. I remember one lady who specialized in cleaning out refrigerators. She did the job that most people hate to do and made very good money at it. Other people just do windows, indoors and/or out, and then expand into pressure washing services. The sky is the limit because there will always be dirty windows and homes for that matter. You have nothing to lose and can even do it on a trial basis to see if it works for you.
Another niche is apartment move in/move out cleaning. Apartment managers need this service once a tenant leaves and are not always staffed to do this on their own. Turn over can be high so they are always on the look out for a back up service and it could be yours. Apartment cleaning can morph into a painting service for those apartments that need touch-up painting and even a carpet cleaning or removal service depending on the level of damage.
Construction clean up services are also needed for new home and apartment constructions. The debris left by contractors has to be cleaned up and the new space will need a thorough cleaning and vacuuming. I moved into a new construction once and there was sheet rock dust all over my bathroom counters, floors and showers. I had to spend time cleaning those surfaces when I would rather be decorating.
Cleaning offices is also quite lucrative for the single mom. You may think that large cleaning services have cornered the market on offices but that is far from the truth. There are probably small offices all around you that need your services. Think doctor, dentist, and insurance offices. They are typically one or two man operations that can't afford a larger service. You may already know people like this who would be happy to use you when and if their current service becomes unavailable. The worst you can do is ask and they say no. Most offices already have their own cleaning supplies so the most you would have to do is show up. Since most of the cleaning will be done after hours you can more than likely bring your child along to play quietly or not so quietly while you clean.
Your options are endless and it just takes some creativity on your part to make it work for you. Once the cleaning bug hits you try out other cleaning options such as window cleaning, computer cleaning, garage cleaning (take the junk and sell it on ebay), dog poop clean-up, carpet cleaning, mobile car detailing, and much more.
So what can a single mom do to earn money from home or at home? The first step is to take inventory of your basic skills. Can you clean really well? Are there certain things you like to clean? Windows? Garages? Refrigerators? Closets? Attics? Offices? There are many ways to make cleaning a money making business! With a few cleaning supplies from the dollar store and a lot of flyers distributed to your target homes or offices your phone could be ringing off the hook. The good thing about a cleaning service is that you can bring your kids along to help or hang out (depending on the time of day and owner permission). Once you get your schedule and routine in place, the jobs go by quickly and you could get in 2-3 homes a day. The hours are flexible so you have the option to work a few days a week with days off to do other things or expand your business.
Please be sure to get proper licenses and talk to the state tax revenue office about quarterly taxes. This information is free and they will assist you with the paperwork. Also, you can get free business cards online at vistaprint.com. There is only a small shipping fee, but it is well worth it for nice business cards.
Now that you have decided to start a cleaning service you will want to decide on a niche. Specializing is the key to earning more money because you become known for providing a certain type of service. I remember one lady who specialized in cleaning out refrigerators. She did the job that most people hate to do and made very good money at it. Other people just do windows, indoors and/or out, and then expand into pressure washing services. The sky is the limit because there will always be dirty windows and homes for that matter. You have nothing to lose and can even do it on a trial basis to see if it works for you.
Another niche is apartment move in/move out cleaning. Apartment managers need this service once a tenant leaves and are not always staffed to do this on their own. Turn over can be high so they are always on the look out for a back up service and it could be yours. Apartment cleaning can morph into a painting service for those apartments that need touch-up painting and even a carpet cleaning or removal service depending on the level of damage.
Construction clean up services are also needed for new home and apartment constructions. The debris left by contractors has to be cleaned up and the new space will need a thorough cleaning and vacuuming. I moved into a new construction once and there was sheet rock dust all over my bathroom counters, floors and showers. I had to spend time cleaning those surfaces when I would rather be decorating.
Cleaning offices is also quite lucrative for the single mom. You may think that large cleaning services have cornered the market on offices but that is far from the truth. There are probably small offices all around you that need your services. Think doctor, dentist, and insurance offices. They are typically one or two man operations that can't afford a larger service. You may already know people like this who would be happy to use you when and if their current service becomes unavailable. The worst you can do is ask and they say no. Most offices already have their own cleaning supplies so the most you would have to do is show up. Since most of the cleaning will be done after hours you can more than likely bring your child along to play quietly or not so quietly while you clean.
Your options are endless and it just takes some creativity on your part to make it work for you. Once the cleaning bug hits you try out other cleaning options such as window cleaning, computer cleaning, garage cleaning (take the junk and sell it on ebay), dog poop clean-up, carpet cleaning, mobile car detailing, and much more.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
10 Reasons Why You Should Become A Virtual Assistant This Year
First of all, what is a virtual assistant (VA)? I like to explain it as a word processor gone wild. A VA is someone who works with clients, providing them with top quality support services without having to be physically present at a clients office. VA services are becoming more and more popular thanks to today’s technology such as email, the Internet, online instant messaging, fax, phone, and overnight delivery. Gone are the days of offices needing their support staff in the same building.
If you have a secretarial background or other support staff expertise and a love for computers and all the technology it offers, then here are ten very good reasons why you should start your own VA business this year.
1. Make An Income You Can Live On
It was reported by virtual assistant trade organizations that the average full-time VA working in the US would gross about $39,452 annually. Now that isn’t a bad income!
That is the type of money you can live on, even if you are a single mom.
2. The Need For VA’s Is Only Going To Get Greater
According to the George Washington University forecast of emerging technology, Virtual Assisting will become a $130 Billion Industry by 2008. Thanks to our growing technology, and the fact that it’s easier to just source out work to a VA due to the fact that a business doesn’t have to pay for any benefits when they out-source, this type of service will only get bigger and more in demand.
3. Are you feeling unfulfilled, unchallenged, and unmotivated? Is your current corporate job beginning to feel like a real drag?
Are you dreading getting dressed up, driving your commute to work, and working with a boss who is ungrateful and unappreciative? Do you love some parts of your job and despise other parts and wish you could do the parts you love more? Then becoming a VA might be something you need to look into.
4. Want to continue your professional working life without having to leave home?
Want the flexibility to work from home and have a better balance between work and life?
Maybe you’re thinking of having kids, or have had your first baby. You so want to continue your career, but you also want to spend more time with your children. Take a good hard look at the world of a VA. This type of home business will continue to give you the satisfaction of a career, while also offering you the ability to be there for your kids doctor appointments, their first step, school field trips, and running them around to after school events.
5. Gain the ability to work with people you want to work with.
Do you tend to click with certain types of people more than others? With a VA business, you can decide who you want your clients to be. Authors, salespeople, consultants, coaches, executives, entrepreneurs, and small business owners are just a few of the types of people you could work with.
6. The ability to do more than just one thing.
Looking for a little variety in your business? Don’t want to get stuck doing the same thing over and over again? Here is a list of just some of the things you can do as a VA.
- Administration
- Writing services (technical or creative)
- Business/employee communications
- Proofreading and editing, research (online or traditional)
- Word-processing
- Spreadsheets
- Data entry
- Database management
- Message management
- Scheduling
- Bill paying
- Simple website design
- Newsletter distribution
- Bulk mailing
- Reminder services
- Event planning
- Special projects
- Concierge services
- Secretarial services
- Research
- Data processing/data management
- Desktop publishing
- Transcription services
- Mail and email services
- Telephone/fax services
- Internet services
- Bookkeeping
- Purchasing services
- Writing/editing services
- Marketing services
- Personal services
- Santa letters
- Proposal Writer
Choose just a few of the ideas above and take it one step further. Niche yourself. You might already possess knowledge in a certain area. You can contact those businesses you are already familiar with and work with them. Maybe in the past you had worked as support staff for a marketing company. If marketing is your thing, you can let businesses know that you can not only be their VA and take care of all their typing and database applications, but that you can also use your expertise to help them market their business.
8. Use the equipment you already have.
If you’re reading this article, then there’s a good chance you already have a computer, a printer, and fax capabilities. Why not start putting that equipment to good use and make some money?
9. The choice between working full-time or part-time.
Maybe you don’t want to work full time, but you need to do something to call your own. That’s great! You’ll be your own boss; you can decide how much or how little you want to work.
10. Being able to say you love the way you make money.
If just the thought of working with your computer and current technology makes you giddy, why not make money doing something you love? Grab hold of the opportunity to make as much money as you’d like and the ability to work from your home. You have the opportunity to decide who you want to work with, the type of work you want to do or not do, and your niche area. If this sounds like the perfect opportunity for you visit *** to learn more about starting your own Virtual Assistant Business.
For More information on this business visit: Bizymoms.com
10 Reasons Why You Should Become A Virtual Assistant This Year
First of all, what is a virtual assistant (VA)? I like to explain it as a word processor gone wild. A VA is someone who works with clients, providing them with top quality support services without having to be physically present at a clients office. VA services are becoming more and more popular thanks to today’s technology such as email, the Internet, online instant messaging, fax, phone, and overnight delivery. Gone are the days of offices needing their support staff in the same building.
If you have a secretarial background or other support staff expertise and a love for computers and all the technology it offers, then here are ten very good reasons why you should start your own VA business this year.
1. Make An Income You Can Live On
It was reported by virtual assistant trade organizations that the average full-time VA working in the US would gross about $39,452 annually. Now that isn’t a bad income!
That is the type of money you can live on, even if you are a single mom.
2. The Need For VA’s Is Only Going To Get Greater
According to the George Washington University forecast of emerging technology, Virtual Assisting will become a $130 Billion Industry by 2008. Thanks to our growing technology, and the fact that it’s easier to just source out work to a VA due to the fact that a business doesn’t have to pay for any benefits when they out-source, this type of service will only get bigger and more in demand.
3. Are you feeling unfulfilled, unchallenged, and unmotivated? Is your current corporate job beginning to feel like a real drag?
Are you dreading getting dressed up, driving your commute to work, and working with a boss who is ungrateful and unappreciative? Do you love some parts of your job and despise other parts and wish you could do the parts you love more? Then becoming a VA might be something you need to look into.
4. Want to continue your professional working life without having to leave home?
Want the flexibility to work from home and have a better balance between work and life?
Maybe you’re thinking of having kids, or have had your first baby. You so want to continue your career, but you also want to spend more time with your children. Take a good hard look at the world of a VA. This type of home business will continue to give you the satisfaction of a career, while also offering you the ability to be there for your kids doctor appointments, their first step, school field trips, and running them around to after school events.
5. Gain the ability to work with people you want to work with.
Do you tend to click with certain types of people more than others? With a VA business, you can decide who you want your clients to be. Authors, salespeople, consultants, coaches, executives, entrepreneurs, and small business owners are just a few of the types of people you could work with.
6. The ability to do more than just one thing.
Looking for a little variety in your business? Don’t want to get stuck doing the same thing over and over again? Here is a list of just some of the things you can do as a VA.
- Administration
- Writing services (technical or creative)
- Business/employee communications
- Proofreading and editing, research (online or traditional)
- Word-processing
- Spreadsheets
- Data entry
- Database management
- Message management
- Scheduling
- Bill paying
- Simple website design
- Newsletter distribution
- Bulk mailing
- Reminder services
- Event planning
- Special projects
- Concierge services
- Secretarial services
- Research
- Data processing/data management
- Desktop publishing
- Transcription services
- Mail and email services
- Telephone/fax services
- Internet services
- Bookkeeping
- Purchasing services
- Writing/editing services
- Marketing services
- Personal services
- Santa letters
- Proposal Writer
Choose just a few of the ideas above and take it one step further. Niche yourself. You might already possess knowledge in a certain area. You can contact those businesses you are already familiar with and work with them. Maybe in the past you had worked as support staff for a marketing company. If marketing is your thing, you can let businesses know that you can not only be their VA and take care of all their typing and database applications, but that you can also use your expertise to help them market their business.
8. Use the equipment you already have.
If you’re reading this article, then there’s a good chance you already have a computer, a printer, and fax capabilities. Why not start putting that equipment to good use and make some money?
9. The choice between working full-time or part-time.
Maybe you don’t want to work full time, but you need to do something to call your own. That’s great! You’ll be your own boss; you can decide how much or how little you want to work.
10. Being able to say you love the way you make money.
If just the thought of working with your computer and current technology makes you giddy, why not make money doing something you love? Grab hold of the opportunity to make as much money as you’d like and the ability to work from your home. You have the opportunity to decide who you want to work with, the type of work you want to do or not do, and your niche area. If this sounds like the perfect opportunity for you visit *** to learn more about starting your own Virtual Assistant Business.
For More information on this business visit: Bizymoms.com
Friday, March 21, 2008
Tips for Starting a Virtual Assistant Service
8-Point Checklist When Starting Your Own Virtual Assistant Venture
Virtual Assistance is a profession which is fast growing and becoming extremely popular. Virtual Assistants are individuals who work from the comfort of their own homes to provide valued services using technology to clients globally. As women try to juggle their work and family life, more and more prefer to stay at home and work as a virtual assistant.
Are you interested in starting your own home based virtual assistant venture? Then follow this simple checklist.
1. Evaluate Yourself
Before jumping into starting your own virtual assistant business you should first evaluate yourself and see whether this is the right career path for you. Possessing great administrative skills, communicative skills and being computer literate is a must in this profession. In addition if you are a self motivated person who loves to learn new things, enjoy working with dynamic people and dream of having your own business this is the correct path for you.
2. Decide on the Service You Want to Offer
The nature of work that you provide to your clients will depend on your area of expertise. You should decide which service you want to offer by analyzing your background and the experience that you have already acquired. Depending on the above it could be billing and book keeping, meeting and travel planning, market research, business writing, desktop publishing, website creation, etc.
3. Determine Your Commitment to Your Business
You should decide how much time and energy you have to commit to your business. Whether you want to become a full time virtual assistant or a part time virtual assistant? The advantage of being a virtual assistant is that you get to set your own working hours. You can work “on call” or you can setup a work schedule with the client according to the time convenient for you.
4. Verify the Equipment & Software
Now that you have decided which service you would be offering to your clients, you should examine and see whether you have the correct equipment and software to provide it. Also since most of the communication and data delivery between you and your client would be done through the computer, you should ensure that you posses the required connectivity and software. For example email, instant messaging, etc.
5. Identifying Your Clients
You should identify which type of clients may need your service and where they are located and how you can have access to them.
6. Making a Business Plan
It is essential that you create a business plan for your venture. In this you should include information such as the business history, summary of the business, management information, designing & production plan, financial plan, etc. As your business grows and expands you can refer to it to manage your growth and change.
7. Creating a Marketing Strategy
A very important aspect to your venture is your marketing strategy. Now that you have decided on your services you need to spread the word about your venture. You should decide on a marketing strategy which suits you and your budget and start working on it.
8. Fees and Pricing
You should have a competitive fee/price for the service you offer. When you are starting off it is always better to do some research and find out what the competitive rates are in the market. Always remember never to overprice or to sell yourself short.
Starting up a home based virtual assistant business would not involve a high cost. By following the above guidelines, you can build up a very successful virtual assistant practice.
Now you can purchase any of Bizymom’s 10 Home Business Career Kits for one low price! Website and Hosting Included! CLICK HERE!
Tips for Starting a Virtual Assistant Service
Virtual Assistance is a profession which is fast growing and becoming extremely popular. Virtual Assistants are individuals who work from the comfort of their own homes to provide valued services using technology to clients globally. As women try to juggle their work and family life, more and more prefer to stay at home and work as a virtual assistant.
Are you interested in starting your own home based virtual assistant venture? Then follow this simple checklist.
1. Evaluate Yourself
Before jumping into starting your own virtual assistant business you should first evaluate yourself and see whether this is the right career path for you. Possessing great administrative skills, communicative skills and being computer literate is a must in this profession. In addition if you are a self motivated person who loves to learn new things, enjoy working with dynamic people and dream of having your own business this is the correct path for you.
2. Decide on the Service You Want to Offer
The nature of work that you provide to your clients will depend on your area of expertise. You should decide which service you want to offer by analyzing your background and the experience that you have already acquired. Depending on the above it could be billing and book keeping, meeting and travel planning, market research, business writing, desktop publishing, website creation, etc.
3. Determine Your Commitment to Your Business
You should decide how much time and energy you have to commit to your business. Whether you want to become a full time virtual assistant or a part time virtual assistant? The advantage of being a virtual assistant is that you get to set your own working hours. You can work “on call” or you can setup a work schedule with the client according to the time convenient for you.
4. Verify the Equipment & Software
Now that you have decided which service you would be offering to your clients, you should examine and see whether you have the correct equipment and software to provide it. Also since most of the communication and data delivery between you and your client would be done through the computer, you should ensure that you posses the required connectivity and software. For example email, instant messaging, etc.
5. Identifying Your Clients
You should identify which type of clients may need your service and where they are located and how you can have access to them.
6. Making a Business Plan
It is essential that you create a business plan for your venture. In this you should include information such as the business history, summary of the business, management information, designing & production plan, financial plan, etc. As your business grows and expands you can refer to it to manage your growth and change.
7. Creating a Marketing Strategy
A very important aspect to your venture is your marketing strategy. Now that you have decided on your services you need to spread the word about your venture. You should decide on a marketing strategy which suits you and your budget and start working on it.
8. Fees and Pricing
You should have a competitive fee/price for the service you offer. When you are starting off it is always better to do some research and find out what the competitive rates are in the market. Always remember never to overprice or to sell yourself short.
Starting up a home based virtual assistant business would not involve a high cost. By following the above guidelines, you can build up a very successful virtual assistant practice.
Now you can purchase any of Bizymom’s 10 Home Business Career Kits for one low price! Website and Hosting Included! CLICK HERE!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Got Typing Skills?
Typing is fundamental.....well for many people, but there are many people in this world who either just can't do it or won't do it. That where you came in. I provided typing services for people in my life for many years. It can be a lucrative side business if you just let people know that you can do it and charge a reasonable price. It can turn into a booming business if you add proofreading and editing services to the mix.
You can find customers at local colleges and universities, at the library, and among small business owners. If you target a special group of people and service just them, word will spread about your services and you may get more than you can handle.
After a while and with the basic home office equipment you will be able to call yourself a personal assistant or virtual assistant. I will discuss the Virtual Assistant business in another post. So dust off your keyboard and fire up the printer and get started as a freelance typist.
You can find customers at local colleges and universities, at the library, and among small business owners. If you target a special group of people and service just them, word will spread about your services and you may get more than you can handle.
After a while and with the basic home office equipment you will be able to call yourself a personal assistant or virtual assistant. I will discuss the Virtual Assistant business in another post. So dust off your keyboard and fire up the printer and get started as a freelance typist.
Got Typing Skills?
Typing is fundamental.....well for many people, but there are many people in this world who either just can't do it or won't do it. That where you came in. I provided typing services for people in my life for many years. It can be a lucrative side business if you just let people know that you can do it and charge a reasonable price. It can turn into a booming business if you add proofreading and editing services to the mix.
You can find customers at local colleges and universities, at the library, and among small business owners. If you target a special group of people and service just them, word will spread about your services and you may get more than you can handle.
After a while and with the basic home office equipment you will be able to call yourself a personal assistant or virtual assistant. I will discuss the Virtual Assistant business in another post. So dust off your keyboard and fire up the printer and get started as a freelance typist.
You can find customers at local colleges and universities, at the library, and among small business owners. If you target a special group of people and service just them, word will spread about your services and you may get more than you can handle.
After a while and with the basic home office equipment you will be able to call yourself a personal assistant or virtual assistant. I will discuss the Virtual Assistant business in another post. So dust off your keyboard and fire up the printer and get started as a freelance typist.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Opportunities Everywhere
When I look around the world I see opportunities to build wealth everywhere. I have ideas pouring out of my, well pores. Maybe that's the problem, too many opportunities and not enough time to do them all.
Making extra money is always in the front of my mind and I can see how others can make money from their talents and skills, but it is harder for me somehow. Right now, off the top of my head I can think of five ideas for my dad to make money. He is a mechanic and has been for 25 years, so he's an expert, right. Being an expert is a money making opportunity in itself. People come to you for advice all the time. So back to my dad. He knows what the average Joe or Jolene doesn't know and he has what they all need at some point in time. Knowledge about how to fix cars. So he can take his knowledge and make money in the following ways.
1. Write a book
2. Teach a class
3. Blog
4. Sell parts
5. Consulting
That was easy enough for me to think of the ideas, now the hard part is expanding on the idea and implementing a plan of action. All of the ideas mentioned above can be done at the same time if he wanted, all it takes is organizing it.
I will talk more about these ideas for my dad in a later post because it is helpful to see how ideas can become reality with honest effort. I will tell you how it goes. In the meantime can I help you generate ideas for your talents and skills? I would love to explore this with you. Leave a comment and we will dive in together.
Making extra money is always in the front of my mind and I can see how others can make money from their talents and skills, but it is harder for me somehow. Right now, off the top of my head I can think of five ideas for my dad to make money. He is a mechanic and has been for 25 years, so he's an expert, right. Being an expert is a money making opportunity in itself. People come to you for advice all the time. So back to my dad. He knows what the average Joe or Jolene doesn't know and he has what they all need at some point in time. Knowledge about how to fix cars. So he can take his knowledge and make money in the following ways.
1. Write a book
2. Teach a class
3. Blog
4. Sell parts
5. Consulting
That was easy enough for me to think of the ideas, now the hard part is expanding on the idea and implementing a plan of action. All of the ideas mentioned above can be done at the same time if he wanted, all it takes is organizing it.
I will talk more about these ideas for my dad in a later post because it is helpful to see how ideas can become reality with honest effort. I will tell you how it goes. In the meantime can I help you generate ideas for your talents and skills? I would love to explore this with you. Leave a comment and we will dive in together.
Opportunities Everywhere
When I look around the world I see opportunities to build wealth everywhere. I have ideas pouring out of my, well pores. Maybe that's the problem, too many opportunities and not enough time to do them all.
Making extra money is always in the front of my mind and I can see how others can make money from their talents and skills, but it is harder for me somehow. Right now, off the top of my head I can think of five ideas for my dad to make money. He is a mechanic and has been for 25 years, so he's an expert, right. Being an expert is a money making opportunity in itself. People come to you for advice all the time. So back to my dad. He knows what the average Joe or Jolene doesn't know and he has what they all need at some point in time. Knowledge about how to fix cars. So he can take his knowledge and make money in the following ways.
1. Write a book
2. Teach a class
3. Blog
4. Sell parts
5. Consulting
That was easy enough for me to think of the ideas, now the hard part is expanding on the idea and implementing a plan of action. All of the ideas mentioned above can be done at the same time if he wanted, all it takes is organizing it.
I will talk more about these ideas for my dad in a later post because it is helpful to see how ideas can become reality with honest effort. I will tell you how it goes. In the meantime can I help you generate ideas for your talents and skills? I would love to explore this with you. Leave a comment and we will dive in together.
Making extra money is always in the front of my mind and I can see how others can make money from their talents and skills, but it is harder for me somehow. Right now, off the top of my head I can think of five ideas for my dad to make money. He is a mechanic and has been for 25 years, so he's an expert, right. Being an expert is a money making opportunity in itself. People come to you for advice all the time. So back to my dad. He knows what the average Joe or Jolene doesn't know and he has what they all need at some point in time. Knowledge about how to fix cars. So he can take his knowledge and make money in the following ways.
1. Write a book
2. Teach a class
3. Blog
4. Sell parts
5. Consulting
That was easy enough for me to think of the ideas, now the hard part is expanding on the idea and implementing a plan of action. All of the ideas mentioned above can be done at the same time if he wanted, all it takes is organizing it.
I will talk more about these ideas for my dad in a later post because it is helpful to see how ideas can become reality with honest effort. I will tell you how it goes. In the meantime can I help you generate ideas for your talents and skills? I would love to explore this with you. Leave a comment and we will dive in together.
If Not Now? When?
It's time for single moms to get with the program. I know, I know, there are not enough hours in the day to put forth the effort to be rich. Well I am here to tell you that you better make time, because your knight on the white horse may not be coming around the corner anytime soon.
Doing this parenting thing alone sucks and being broke sucks. But you have a couple of choices, you can bitch and moan about your fate or you can get off your %$#$ and do something different. I am by no means rich, yet. But I am on the path to being rich. It will take time, just like building a bridge or incubating an unborn child takes time, so don't even think about rushing this process.
I hope you will join me on this journey as I explore the 1001 ways to make money, save money, and invest money so that it works for you. Wealth is not just about how large your bank account is, but it sure does help pay the bills! Let's get started shall we?
Doing this parenting thing alone sucks and being broke sucks. But you have a couple of choices, you can bitch and moan about your fate or you can get off your %$#$ and do something different. I am by no means rich, yet. But I am on the path to being rich. It will take time, just like building a bridge or incubating an unborn child takes time, so don't even think about rushing this process.
I hope you will join me on this journey as I explore the 1001 ways to make money, save money, and invest money so that it works for you. Wealth is not just about how large your bank account is, but it sure does help pay the bills! Let's get started shall we?
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
If Not Now? When?
It's time for single moms to get with the program. I know, I know, there are not enough hours in the day to put forth the effort to be rich. Well I am here to tell you that you better make time, because your knight on the white horse may not be coming around the corner anytime soon.
Doing this parenting thing alone sucks and being broke sucks. But you have a couple of choices, you can bitch and moan about your fate or you can get off your %$#$ and do something different. I am by no means rich, yet. But I am on the path to being rich. It will take time, just like building a bridge or incubating an unborn child takes time, so don't even think about rushing this process.
I hope you will join me on this journey as I explore the 1001 ways to make money, save money, and invest money so that it works for you. Wealth is not just about how large your bank account is, but it sure does help pay the bills! Let's get started shall we?
Doing this parenting thing alone sucks and being broke sucks. But you have a couple of choices, you can bitch and moan about your fate or you can get off your %$#$ and do something different. I am by no means rich, yet. But I am on the path to being rich. It will take time, just like building a bridge or incubating an unborn child takes time, so don't even think about rushing this process.
I hope you will join me on this journey as I explore the 1001 ways to make money, save money, and invest money so that it works for you. Wealth is not just about how large your bank account is, but it sure does help pay the bills! Let's get started shall we?
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