Interview by Janet Scarborough
of Cheryl Allin, Virtual Assistant and Owner of
VirtuAllin
What does a Virtual Assistant do?
A Virtual Assistant
provides remote administrative support to clients located all over the
globe. Services can range from simple tasks such as data entry all the
way up to specialized tasks such as marketing or other niche services. A Virtual Assistant is best suited to work with entrepreneurs
who may not want or need to hire in-house staff.
What does a typical day look like in your job?
I usually start
my day in my jammies with a cup of coffee, checking my email. I check status of some online accounts for one of my clients and
I sometimes have transcription projects to work on during the morning. I take time out throughout the morning to care for my two small
children, and we usually all do lunch together about mid-day. My husband also works from home, so he and I trade off managing
the kids so we can both work on projects. Afternoon naptime for the kids enables me to finish up any pending
projects and make any plans for the following day. I track everything with TraxTime software from
spudcity.com
, and I keep reminders in Outlook.
What do you like best about your
job?
I love the freedom of
scheduling my own hours, but even more I love the fact that this business
is wholly mine, its success or failure depends solely on my actions. Every day now has meaning and a depth that you don’t get when
you’re just doing the 9 to 5 (or 6am to 10pm) drudge of a “regular job.” It’s very satisfying.
What are the most challenging things
about your job?
I’d have to say keeping
an eye on the big picture. As an entrepreneur, you have to have your fingers in all the pies. I have to be aware of taxes, liability insurance, our own medical
insurance needs, keeping up in current trends and software, and so many
other issues that are all vital to my businesses success. What eases these challenges are the online organizations for Virtual
Assistants or for entrepreneurs in general that allow me to mentor or
be mentored by other business owners in my same circumstances.
How did you land your first clients?
First, I had my husband
design a terrific website. Then, through the advice of another esteemed Virtual Assistant
I began joining online groups and networking with other online individuals
with my same interests. I’m happy to say that it definitely worked. One of my best clients came from a post to the Digital Eve list
(a high tech women's networking group). I’m also fortunate in that one of the Virtual Assistant organizations
I belong to has an RFP service, and I’ve won several clients from that.
How much time do you spend on marketing
now?
I really
spend negligible time on my marketing now as my current roster of clients
is rather full. I do try to do brand building whenever possible. I
have a Web decal on the back window of my car advertising my URL and
I was recently interviewed for an article on women owned businesses for
the Tacoma News Tribune.
I had emailed the reporter
several months prior, complimenting her on a story she wrote and she
remembered me. Very rarely I have contacted companies advertising for in-house
staff in the paper. I usually send an introductory letter explaining what a VA does
and offering to follow up at a later date. I haven’t done this enough to quantify the results, however.
What was your professional background
before launching your business?
I started my
professional career as an Arabic Linguist for the United States Army. After my time in the military, I began an administrative career
working in several fields such as customer service and financial services
but I hadn’t found my niche. In 1998, I bought my first PC and got online. When I was looking for work in ’99, I used the internet to find
a position as assistant to the CEO of one of Tacoma’s very first ISP’s. After that company folded, I moved on to become the Launch Coordinator/Customer
Service Manager of ImprintStore.com. I felt strongly after three years in the dot com scene, I was
ready to break out onto my own.
What is your educational background?
I graduated
from Rogers High School in Puyallup in 1986 and then went right into
the military.
What skills are most important to succeed in your work?
Most important, you have
to have excellent problem solving skills. Clients want solutions, they don’t want someone to tell them it
can’t be done, or someone who has to ask how to get it done. You also should have an entrepreneurial spirit and be willing to
be flexible in your day to day operations.
What advice do you have for someone
who wants a job similar to your job?
Do your research. There are online organizations like the
IVAA.org
or individual VAs such as myself where you can find out more information. Make sure this is the life for you.
Are there any commonly held misperceptions
about your career that you would like to clarify?
Many people still think
of VAs as “temp help” at best or unskilled stay at home mommies trying
to “get rich quick” at worst. In actuality, VAs are the smartest solution for very small businesses. VAs are only paid for “time on task,” clients don’t have to provide
desktops, software or expensive benefits.
What is the income range for persons
in your career?
A one person VA firm
typically charges anywhere from $25 - $70 per hour for services, depending
upon the task. Many VAs eventually increase their earning potential by outsourcing
client work to other VAs and keeping a small percentage of the fee.
Any other comments?
Outsourcing is
a trend that I see increasing in business today. With outsourcing, a business can focus on the key elements that
grow their business and leave the rest to the organizations that partner
with them.
If someone wants to
hire you, what is the best way to contact you?
Email:
callin@virtuallin.com
Office:
253. 565.3015
Toll-free
VM / Fax: 877.768.1990
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