| As a successful Mobile or Virtual Assistant, you | | | | informationo responding to calls and requestso |
| should regularly review your skill set and the | | | | assistance with completing annual insurance |
| types of services you offer your clients. When | | | | paperworko purging and shredding old appraisal |
| you begin to write down the things you do best - | | | | fileso keeping track of continuing education |
| your skill set - consider how you can target | | | | paperworko scheduling appraisal appointmentso |
| certain types of businesses to market to. | | | | assistance with billing and follow upo filing, mail |
| Use that list to see if you can fill a need for a | | | | handling, etc.o bookkeeping |
| certain group of professionals - choosing a "niche." | | | | 4. Business Consultants. These solopreneurs tend |
| If you choose a niche, you can easily become the | | | | to be overwhelmed with the administrative-type |
| "go-to" mobile administrative assistant or mobile | | | | tasks. They really need help with everything from |
| bookkeeper for that industry. | | | | making travel arrangements to polishing and |
| I scanned the websites of several virtual | | | | printing multiple copies of a presentation. This list |
| assistants and talked with other mobile | | | | could be endless, but here are some routine |
| administrative assistants. I wanted to know what | | | | tasks:o filing, faxing, photocopieso basic |
| markets and industries they served. The list I | | | | organizationo creating and preparing anything using |
| came up with was huge - there are plenty of | | | | Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and/or MS |
| potential industries to market to out there! | | | | Office Publisher (or any software that lets you |
| Possibilities include, but are not limited to: | | | | create reports)o researcho special event |
| 1. Non-profit boards. These organizations work on | | | | assistanceo travel arrangementso billing or |
| a tight budget and generally need a limited number | | | | reimbursement requestso document preparation |
| of hours of help each month. Tasks would | | | | (I use FedEx/Kinko's a lot for clients)o |
| include:o membership data entryo mailing events | | | | bookkeeping |
| (pledge drives, etc.)o special event planningo | | | | 5. Attorneys There are solo attorneys out there |
| recording & transcribing meeting minuteso | | | | who run their own shops. They need all the |
| light bookkeeping (usually with Quicken or | | | | standard administrative help, plus specialized |
| QuickBooks) | | | | assistance with paralegal or notary services. The |
| 2. Independent Real Estate Agents. Often times | | | | more specialized your skills, and the more |
| they themselves are solopreneurs and need help | | | | detail-oriented you are, the more successful you'll |
| during busy times. You can provide assistance | | | | be working with an attorney. Your work could |
| without the burden to them of being hired | | | | include:o filing, faxing, photocopieso mail and paper |
| full-time. You could assist with:o managing the | | | | managemento data entryo billing and follow upo |
| paperwork that accumulates during the listing and | | | | scheduling appointmentso notary serviceso |
| sales processo copying/printing sales brochureso | | | | paralegal serviceso shreddingo bookkeeping |
| returning phones calls to prospectso pick up/drop | | | | While doing research, I discovered one Virtual |
| off signso creating sales brochureso purchasing | | | | Assistant in Virginia who "provides services |
| thank you gifts for clientso assistance filling out | | | | exclusively to Orchestras, ensembles, soloists, |
| annual insurance paperworko keeping track of | | | | conductors and music industry vendors on an |
| continuing education paperworko filing, mail | | | | ongoing or temporary basis." How cool a niche is |
| handling, etc.o bookkeeping | | | | that? |
| 3. Real Estate Appraisers. These solopreneurs | | | | A word of caution, though, about choosing a single |
| definitely need help during busy times - theirs is a | | | | niche - if your chosen industry goes bust (like real |
| true feast or famine industry. Routine tasks | | | | estate is some states), you could see a lot of |
| include:o setting up new appraisal fileso managing | | | | your business dry up quickly. So, pick a couple of |
| the large amount of paperwork associated with | | | | niches to specialize in - that way, if one is slow, |
| the appraisal fileso data entryo printing appraisal | | | | the other is still there to keep you busy! |