Reader's Digest - May 2007 Issue

I'm really excited that the Reader's Digest has spotlighted the VA industry. It's nice to see Virtual Assistants and the industry is becoming more recognized.

Lend Assistance

If you've got word processing, transcription, bookkeeping, public relations or website design skills, you may want to try life as a virtual assistant. That broad title refers to people with expertise in a range of services, including administrative support and legal and medical transcription, says Diana Ennen, co-author of Virtual Assistant -- The Series. "There is so much work for VAs," Ennen says. "The field is thriving, absolutely booming."

Though some work might require daytime hours, much of it can be done at night or on the weekend. Hourly rates range from $35 for basic transcribing to up to $100 for Web design.

Online forums and websites can be good places to gather how-to information from experienced assistants. Try the Virtual Assistant Networking Association (vanetworking.com), the International Association of Virtual Office Assistants (iavoa.com) or the International Virtual Assistants Association (ivaa.org).