| There is a business niche that is not being filled. | | | | mail, pay and file bills, and keep him from |
| You may have heard of a niche market in the | | | | drowning in all the paper that is produced daily. I |
| work-from-home industry called Virtual Assisting. | | | | set up files for him, purge old files, and manage |
| A Virtual Assistant is someone (usually a woman) | | | | the shredding of old archived documents. I help |
| who works out of her home and provides | | | | him gather stuff for taxes. He pays me hourly. I |
| administrative services to people who are | | | | work when he needs me. I bring my own |
| self-employed or who own small businesses. | | | | computer. And I tell him when I'll unavailable or on |
| Virtual Assistants are contract employees, which | | | | vacation. (Right now he is one of four clients I |
| means they get paid by the hour, the month or | | | | see weekly. My other eight clients are on an |
| on retainer to provide specific administrative-type | | | | as-needed or project basis.) |
| services. They receive no benefits (i.e. health | | | | 2. Perry Blickenstaff of JPB Services (whom I |
| insurance, 401(k), or paid vacations). They also | | | | interviewed in the second issue of Supporting |
| never see their clients (or do so very rarely). | | | | Solopreneurs) is a Mobile Bookkeeper. She has a |
| Their work is done via email, phone, fax and | | | | variety of clients she visits, sometimes once a |
| courier. There are a good number of Virtual | | | | week, sometimes once a month. Many of her |
| Assistants spread across the country, and I'd bet, | | | | clients feel more comfortable having her in their |
| around the world. | | | | office, especially at first, and their face-to-face |
| This is all fine and good, I think, but I believe that | | | | work is more productive. |
| Virtual Assistants are missing out on a really | | | | 3. As a mobile project assistant, I worked with a |
| important piece of the business income pie -- the | | | | non-profit group to help them set up and populate |
| niche I was referring to above. | | | | a database. We had a few face-to-face meetings, |
| It comes down to this: small business owners are | | | | but most of the work I did from home. |
| drowning in an avalanche of paper, receipts, mail, | | | | 4. With another client, I acted a mobile project |
| and filing. They are overwhelmed with the daily, | | | | assistant on a much bigger scale. I first helped |
| weekly and monthly administrative tasks of | | | | them organize the notes and results from a |
| running a small business. | | | | variety of meetings that took place across the |
| They are good at doing whatever they started | | | | country. After assembling a report, we presented |
| their business for, but generally they are NOT | | | | the data to a delegation of 1,000 people in San |
| good at basic administrative duties, they struggle | | | | Francisco, CA. My client flew me out for the |
| with needing project assistance when they get | | | | week to help with meeting preparations and |
| busy and they need help with bookkeeping. Or if | | | | manage the electronic portions of the meeting. |
| they are good at any of things I mentioned | | | | So, from the above examples, you can see the |
| above, they need to ask themselves if doing | | | | variety of work a mobile assistant could expect |
| those more labor intensive tasks at their hourly | | | | to do. |
| rate is good for their business. | | | | It's exciting, it's rewarding, and it's definitely more |
| I am convinced that most small business owners | | | | than just passing documents back and forth in |
| need real, live in-person HELP. They need help in | | | | cyber-space. You become a true and valued |
| their office to tackle the mail, to handle filing, to | | | | partner for your clients and make a real |
| manage bookkeeping, to start and continue simple | | | | difference in the day-to-day workings of their |
| organizing systems and to call on someone when | | | | business. Your technical skills are just as important |
| they need extra hands or an extra brain for | | | | as your relationship building skills. And having a |
| projects that come up. Sure, there are probably | | | | variety of clients, some that you see often and |
| really independent, uber-organized business | | | | some that you see occasionally, helps keep you |
| owners who can manage all the little details of | | | | from getting bored and it challenges you to think |
| running a small business alone. For the rest of | | | | creatively each day. |
| them, I want to introduce the concept of the | | | | It is my mission to spread the word, to teach |
| Mobile Administrative Assistant, the Mobile Project | | | | others how to fill this niche and, in return, |
| Assistant and the Mobile Bookkeeper. | | | | empower women to start their own businesses |
| A Mobile Assistant is also someone who works on | | | | using those skills that come so naturally -- |
| a contract basis. They can charge hourly, monthly | | | | organizing, multi-tasking, paying attention to little |
| or work on retainer. The big difference between | | | | details, being relationship oriented, and using |
| a Virtual Assistant and a Mobile Assistant is | | | | creative problem-solving. |
| face-time. A small business owner can rely on | | | | I really believe that it's the in-person, in-their-office |
| having administrative-type help as often as he or | | | | work that many small business owners need -- |
| she needs but without having to hiring an | | | | especially at the beginning of a working |
| employee (either full- or part-time). They get all | | | | relationship. They need administrative, |
| the benefits of having real administrative help, but | | | | bookkeeping, and project help. Many times they |
| in person and on an as-needed basis. | | | | need computer or IT help, too. Think about the |
| I've worked with a variety of clients in the last | | | | skills you have that you could offer to small |
| five years. Let me give you a few examples: | | | | business owners or consultants -- those skills could |
| 1. One of my clients is a real estate appraiser. | | | | be the ticket to becoming your own boss and |
| When he has lots of work, I go to his office to | | | | allowing you define your days however you |
| help him set up appraisals, manage his incoming | | | | choose. |