Virtual Assistant Books – Choosing the Right One for Your Business

Want to have a successful and highly profitable business?  Who doesn’t these days?  Well, to do that it’s important to have the right resources as your foundation.  As a professional Virtual Assistant (VA) your business success, at least initially, can depend on finding the best virtual assistant book. Choosing the right one can be a daunting task at best; however, there are well-written and highly successful VA books on the market that meet those criteria.  You just need to know what to look for. You want one that is hands on, practical, current and offers all the information you need to succeed.

But first, what exactly is a VA?  A VA is a highly skilled professional who provides administrative support and specialized services to businesses, entrepreneurs, executives, sales professionals, and others who have more work than time to do it.  They can do everything from offering PR and marketing services to web design, event planning, bookkeeping, administrative tasks and so much more.
 
So when looking for a virtual assistant book, here are some recommendations:

Experience
Nothing is less practical than a resource written by someone with very little experience in the industry. Be cautious of the books that have been written by those who have been in business for under a year and have few clients.   Instead, look to those writers that:

 -    Know the challenges, triumphs and pitfalls of being in the industry for a good length of time.
 -    Are highly successful and sought after for their expertise. Let their record of accomplishment speak for itself.
-    Are out there on social networks offering tips and recommendations for others.
-    Above all, look for those that know what they are talking about and it shows.

Highlights Business Essentials Including Tools & Requirements
Look for a VA book that contains details to getting set up such as:

-    Understanding business basics including the type of business to start, how to choose your name, get your licenses, and more.
-    A solid, methodical, well-written, practical business plan you can execute in a reasonable period.
-    A checklist of all the components you need to start including examples of forms, client assessments, social media tools, self-assessment forms, marketing checklist etc.

Marketing Your Business Essentials
Look for solid marketing advice that is easy to follow, but will yield great results. Be especially mindful of these areas:

-    Marketing to your niche and how best to determine that niche and the experience and skills you will need for that.
-    Best ways to market that are cost-effective and time sensitive.
-    Social media tools that are current and inclusive to those plans
-    Updates on the technology and trends to increase your marketing.

Business Operational Procedures
Nice to have the vision for your business, however, day-to-day operations can be like throwing someone in the water who has never swam before and they have either to sink or swim. The right tools to ease that transition include:

-    Explains in detail best tips for organization, time management, client relations, office set up and equipment.
-    How to price your services.
-    Explains the best daily operational procedures such as turnaround time, work balance, etc. 
-    Taking not only care of your family, most importantly your number one asset, “you” should be tops on that list.

Let us face it there would be no VA industry without accurate resources.  Inspiration with practical and successful material is the perfect component to the successful VA book you need for your business.  


Kelly Poelker and Diana Ennen are successful virtual assistants and co-authors of numerous books including Virtual Assistant – The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After Virtual Assistant and accompanying Virtual Assistant the Series Workbook,  Stop by http://www.vatheseries.com for information on starting a VA business or contact authors at authors@va-theseries.com if you need a virtual assistant. Follow us on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/DianaEnnen and http://www.twitter.com/KellyPoelker
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