This week is Biz Idea at Indie Biz Chicks. Whether you have just started looking into starting or a business, or if you already have a business, something might spark you interest this week. I will provide some basic info about each idea, and if you have more questions, leave them in the comments section!
Today, we are going to talk about a great work from home job that you can pretty much start making money with immediately. The Virtual Assistant!
Being a virtual assistant can mean many things. It is one of the most versatile work from home jobs you can find. At the very basic level, you may simply answer email, return phone calls, and handle other light administrative tasks.
Some virtual assistants choose to specialize in certain areas, such as marketing & social media, blog posting, website maintenance, audio transcription, internet research, bookkeeping, creating newsletters, etc.
By specializing in an area that you are interested in, you can focus more on tasks you enjoy. Plus, you can charge more, as these are “specialty services.”
The amount you can earn will vary on your experience and skill set. I know virtual assistants who are making $10 an hour and I know others who are making upwards of $35 and more per hour.
You can find jobs online by looking through Craig’s List, online classifieds, and through freelance sites such as Elance and Guru. You can also approach businesses in your local area. These business owners may never have thought about hiring a virtual assistant, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t hire you once they understand what a virtual assistant is.
Keep in mind that with these types of jobs, you are coming in as a contractor, not an employee. You won’t receive benefits, paid holidays or other perks. You may only work a few hours per week for each client, so you will have to juggle a few clients to maintain a 30 or 40 hour work week, if you are seeking full time employment.
Another idea is to approach someone you would like to work for. This can be a person you know online or offline. Tell them that you will do a few hours of free work in exchange for a testimonial. If you do a good job, this person may hire you or at least tell all of their business friends about you. You could have several new clients by the end of the week!
You will have the flexibility of working from home, will save time and money by not having to commute, and will be doing something you enjoy. Is that trade off worth it to you? If so, you may want to look into becoming a Virtual Assistant!
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