Setting Up A Virtual Assistant Office
October 18, 2008 by Reba
Filed under Blog, Hot Topics, Virtual Assistant
Internet Business Model Series
Service Business / Charge by Hour or Project
For a virtual assistant, being organized and having the right equipment to do the job is vital to success. Here’s a list of a few of the necessities to set up a successful virtual assistant office.
Computer with Internet Access – A computer is the heart of a virtual assisting business and the one chosen should be powerful. A state of the art computer will cost more than the ones advertised but is an investment in the future of the business and most often can be claimed as a deduction on to following year’s taxes. Even though the bottom of the line or outdated computer will not work for most virtual assistants, the highest end computer is not needed either. Just be sure to purchase plenty of RAM so multiple software programs can be run simultaneously and not cause freeze-ups. The computer with Internet access is the major means of communication with clients so a high-speed internet connection is most often a necessity.
Telephone - A separate phone line for the business prevents personal calls from getting mixed in with business calls. Children should be kept from answering business calls and having a separate line will help in this regard. For the virtual assistant, communication is paramount and quite often a phone call is needed to communicate with a client. An easy and inexpensive way to add a phone line is to set up a separate number with VOIP (voice over internet protocol) through a company like Vonage. VOIP accounts are inexpensive and allow you to add a toll-free number for just a few dollars. Additionally, domestic long distance is usually included at no extra charge.
Fax machine – Some clients will prefer sending documents by fax verses email, sometimes it’s because they don’t have a scanner, other times it’s just their preferred method. Specs for work and documents that need a signature are sometimes easier to deal with when sent this way and this method is always faster than snail mail. It’s not necessary to have a separate fax machine, the all-in-one scanner/printer/fax is quite inexpensive and a scanner is necessary anyway. If the VA office is equipped with a scanner, an online fax service like E-Fax can be used instead of a fax machine.
File cabinet – Most of the information a virtual assistant receives from clients is in the form of virtual documents. For privacy and business purposes, contracts and other documents can be printed and filed. A file cabinet needs a secure lock so all business communication is safe.
Comfortable desk and chair – Most of a virtual assistant’s time is spent working at a desk. The environment must be kept comfortable in order for the body to be able to work for long hours and to prevent physical problems that can occur. The chair must be a proper fit and the desk the proper height. Don’t over look the height of the computer monitor and placing it straight ahead from the chair will help prevent neck pain.
Separate work area – For tax purposes, it is essential that the home office be separate. With so much sensitive data coming in and out of your hands, a virtual assistant needs an area dedicated to the business and nothing else. Use a den, garage, spare bedroom, or construct a small office behind the house (if finances permit).
All-In-One Printer – Simple printers are a thing of the past for virtual assistants. A printer that has the capability of scanning documents, sending faxes, and copying documents is more of value and cheaper than purchasing each separately. A virtual assistant will utilize all of these features. Many printer manufacturers now offer wireless versions of their all-in-one printers, this is convenient if work is done on a laptop from varying locations in the house.
Software – A virtual assistant is nothing without the software to do the job. This includes website design software, desktop publishing software, Microsoft Office, accounting software, and the like. At bare minimum the most recent version of Microsoft Office is necessary but if the VA is considering any specialization, the software to facilitate that specialty is necessary.
The virtual assistant’s office is his or her main workspace. It not only must be functional but comfortable as well. It’s important to purchase quality products that will last and help project a perception of professionalism to the client.
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VoIP is definitely the way to go. It works get and is inexpensive, especially if you already have an internet connection.
This is a great little check list for starting a business at home. That phone line tip is crucial, having your young son or daughter pick up the phone and start chatting with a client can be funny once but it isn’t good in the long haul.
Great post. But I’m not sure fully agree with the need to have a separate office. We have one of our rooms set as an office which is fully recognised with the IR.
But I guess we can’t claim as much doing it this way.
Thank you for discussing such an topical article with all of us. I
You did a good job. Without any of these devices, it just wont work.
Hello I just lost my job. I have applied to most of the job sites more times than thousand times and sent off hundreds of resumes. However, i have not been able to find a single good response to my applications. If anyone knows about any particular place where i can look for a good job, please revert me with the location details. I will be thankful to you for your early response.
I currently use virtual assistance office at moment. It is a great tool to save your time and concentrate on other stuff.
Emmanuel
we spend more time in the office than in any other room. A good chair is the nonplusultra for concentrated and effektive work
These are all things that are ideal for any home office really. It’s great if you can have a private area that’s not part of the main living area so that when you’re working you don’t have the kids running around or loud arguments going on over your shoulder.