How to Start a Home-Based Secretarial Services Business (Paperback)

by Jan Melnik (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
There is a great demand for books on starting new businesses, particularly specific types of businesses. The strength of these titles is that the authors have all started their own business and operated them for many years. All three authors discuss business plans, financing, record keeping, and other basics and include samples of the necessary forms. Dell includes an excellent section on dealing with the employees needed in a landscaping business and even gives advice on managing aliens and non-English speakers. He also explains how to find and bid on different landscaping jobs. Melnik devotes a large portion of her book to the marketing of a secretarial service. She provides sample advertising letters and scripts for responding to phone callers inquiring about services. Parker discusses extensively the desktop publishing business. She includes a list of 63 possible jobs a desktop publisher and writer can do, including producing advertising copy, making calendars and greeting cards, and writing articles. She also includes a discussion of computer software and hardware. Each book is essential reading for anyone wanting to start a business in the field it covers. Recommended for libraries with small business collections.
Joel Jones, Jefferson Cty. P.L., Arvada, Colo.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
>From buying the right computer to getting clients and keeping the books, this surveys the basics of conducting a home-based secretarial business. This second edition updates and adds to the details on taxes and accounting, keeping current on the latest secretarial skills in demand which would fit with a home-based business. -- Midwest Book Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Globe Pequot; 3rd edition (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762705159
• ISBN-13: 978-0762705153
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #810,745 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simply an EXCELLENT reference book!!, December 2, 1998

By	Erla Charles ([e-mail]) (Curacao, Netherlands Antilles (The Dutch Caribbean)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Start a Home-Based Secretarial Services Business, Second Edition (Paperback)

Jan's book tells you EVERYTHING you need to know to launch and grow a well organized and well planned secretarial business. It guides you through business organization, assessing personal skills, estimating start-up costs, pricing your services, planning growth, writing your own complete business plan, advertising & promotion, balancing your work life and home life, screening and hiring employees and much, much more.

The book also gives you the advantages and drawbacks of operating a home-based business as well as important comments and much needed sound advice from other secretarial services business owners. There are also lots of samples e.g.: sample zoning permit application, sample expense worksheet form, sample balance sheet form, sample start-up office supply inventory, sample brochure, sample press release, sample flyer, and many, many samples more.

The only information I miss in this book are internet sites one can access for more information and articles, etc., as well as the fax & e-mail addresses of the contacts mentioned in the appendix (this is the only reason I rated the book 4-stars). I consider this kind of information extremely important in today's world.

I am now setting up my own secretarial services business following the guidelines I've found in this book. The book has made the path a lot easier for me because now I know what I have to have (minimum), what I have to do, how I have to do it, where I have to go and how I have to plan. Even though I'm in another country, the book has definitely guided and hinted me in the right direction. I would have gone through a lot of unnecessary struggles without this book. I highly recommend it to anyone thinking of starting a secretarial services business. Everything you need to know about starting and running the business is in this book.

Jan, thanks a lot for writing this book. It has become an indispensable and extremely valuable reference tool for me.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely Worth a Read!, May 28, 2000

By	"cocoababy" (Suitland, MD United States) - See all my reviews

Ms. Melnik has done an excellent job in writing this book. She provides comprehensive information on all aspects of starting your own secretarial service. She assume's the reader is at the very beginnin stages of planning and does a great job going through the entire process, one step at a time!

The only thing I wish there was more information on was operating this business from an internet standpoint.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have!, July 9, 2002

By	"superboffice" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Start a Home-Based Secretarial Services Business (Paperback)

Jan's book is a must have for anyone seeking to start a home-based secretarial (virtual assistance) business. Her book is full of wonderful advice -- she even shares with her readers the actual forms she uses in her own business. This book is the "Virtual Assistant's" bible!