Virtual Assistant, The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA [Paperback]

Diana Ennen (Author), Kelly Poelker (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0974279056 | ISBN-13: 978-0974279053 | Publication Date: August 1, 2004 | Edition: Revised

Virtual Assistant - The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA sets the stage for starting, operating, and growing a successful and PROFITABLE virtual assistant business. This book has already helped thousands of administrative assistants, word processors, and other office professionals realize their dreams of becoming an entrepreneur. The book covers all the business nuts and bolts including business and financial planning, pricing your services, billing, and setting up your business. Plus, it offers information on creating your web site, daily operational procedures and most importantly, how and where to find clients. Discover how to put your existing skills to work for clients around the globe and apply them across many different industries Still working full time? You can still do it! We'll show you how to ease into your practice while working full-time AND continuing to care for your family. Along with their personal experiences, the authors also include recommendations from virtual assistants across the land. These are the real pros that are now running successful businesses. You will find their suggestions in the "In Their Own Words" section at the end of each chapter and featured throughout the book. This will enable you to see how others are making their businesses successful and provide you with a blueprint on how to do the same with yours. Cited as a "must have tool" for the VA industry, Virtual Assistant - The Series is currently used as training material for VA courses including: Virtual Assistance U, an online training center for virtual professionals; Red Deer College's VA Certification Program (in Canada); and other higher level learning organizations and colleges who are recognizing the potential for growth and continued education in the VA industry. **As seen in Entrepreneur Magazine and HOMEBusiness Journal**

Editorial Reviews

Review

An essential tool to launching one of the most exciting new entrepreneurial ventures—becoming a professional virtual assistant. -- Priscilla Y. Huff, Author - 101 Best Home-Based Businesses for Women, 3rd. rev.ed.

The book is fabulous! I endorse this book highly and it is required reading for all VAU participants -- Janet Jordan, MVA - Virtual Assistance U

This book is well written, informative, and packed full of valuable tips to ensure your success. -- Al Canton, Publisher, Adams-Blake Co

From the Author

Before buying this edition please check out the latest 4th edition, ISBN 978-0974279084

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Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Another 8 Hours Publishing; Revised edition (August 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974279056
• ISBN-13: 978-0974279053
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thorough Overview, July 15, 2005

By 

Tamara Gwen Nicodemus (Broomfield, Colorado) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Virtual Assistant, The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA (Paperback)

This book is okay. I am coming from an engineering background into the realm of virtual assistance, so much of the book to be "yes, I know that, let's get onto something new already." I imagine if I had been coming from more of a straight admin position that I would consider the book to be excellent. The authors pull together just about everything you need to know to start you own virtual assistant business. They talk about business plans, training, web sites, skills and services offered, and marketing.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, September 7, 2007

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A. Designer - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Virtual Assistant, The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA (Paperback)

There is a lot of general business information in this book that you can find in just about any business-related, how-to book. You'll find the typical marketing advice, typical Web site advice, and typical advice on writing a buisness plan.

The virtual-assistant Web sites listed in the "You're Not Alone!" section are mostly outdated, although I realize the author has no control over that.

There is some useful information in the book, such as the sample marketing letter and the sections on choosing services and setting fees. There also is some useful advice from other virtual assistants. However, I'm not sure those things make the book worth its cost. It may be worth the cost for someone who is totally unfamiliar with business practices.

Frankly, if you're interested in offering writing services through your virtual-assistant business, I would recommend reading the book titled "The Wealthy Writer" by Michael Meanwell.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended by business professor, March 17, 2010

By 

Thomas Smerk (Dulzura, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Virtual Assistant, The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA (Paperback)

When I designed a college course of Virtual Assistant training almost 4 years ago, I looked at many books that were available at the time in consideration for selecting a text for my new course. I chose "Virtual Assistant - The Series" by Kelly Poelker & Diana Ennen for several important reasons. First of all, the contents covered topics often overlooked by other books, such as deciding if you are right for this sort of self-employment, creating a disaster plan to avoid interrupted services, and juggling the demands of home life and career under the same roof. Another import reason for selecting this text for my classes is that there is an accompanying workbook available where the student answers questions and records their thoughts and notes about the content of each chapter. This approach is very useful in validating what was learned in each chapter. Each chapter in the book contains a section called "In their own words" where leading virtual assistants make comments from their own experience. This is like having a team of professionals at your side offering suggestions as you proceed through the course!

My final decision for choosing this book for my classes was based on Internet research which produced some glowing accolades about both authors of the book, proving to me that this book contained useful and relevant information derived from the personal successful experience of the authors.

Since then, I have taught the Virtual Assistant course many times, both lecture and online, for two different college districts in the San Diego area, and have found that the layout of the chapters and the length of the book is ideal for a 16-18 week college semester. I just added my own lecture notes and provided some hands-on exercises based on the reading, and the students have been quite happy and successful, and many are now working as a virtual assistant after reading this book and completing the course. I will recommend this book without hesitation to any college or business school desiring to offer such a course, or to those of you who choose to purchase the book and learn the virtual assistant business on your own.