Course Syllabus: Starting a
Virtual Assistant Business
Instructor:
William Flood
Email:
wflood3080@wowway.com
Description
A virtual assistant works from
his or her own
office, offering administrative and office support services, to other
companies
over the Internet. A virtual assistant
can make from $25-$50 per hour performing tasks such as word
processing,
database management, desktop publishing, and email services. Moreover, because virtual assistants work
from their homes, for customers they often never meet, they do not need
to be
located in the same city or even the same state. Students
in this course will learn how to
establish and successfully grow a virtual assistant business including
learning
how to locate customers, set fees, and develop client contracts.
Textbook
Virtual Assistant, The Series: Become a Highly
Successful, Sought After
VA. Ennen and Poelker,
ISBN: 0974279056
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course the student will be able to...
1)
Present an overview of starting and growing a virtual
assistant business
2)
Perform online and off-line marketing, including
establishing a web presence
3)
Develop contracts appropriate for services provided
4)
Appropriately set fees for services provided
5)
Describe legal and tax issues
related to running a virtual assistant business from home
6)
Handle fundamental book keeping
Course
Content
·
An
overview of the nature, history, and duties of virtual assistants
·
Benefits
afforded to virtual assistants and their clients
·
Necessary
traits to be successful as a virtual assistant
·
A
summary of the kinds of services virtual assistants offer
·
Details
of setting up a virtual assisting practice
·
Particulars
of communicating with clients locally and remotely
·
Pricing
and billing practices of virtual assistants
·
Marketing
and advertising the virtual assisting practice
·
Record
keeping and tax issues
·
Resources
for support
Course
Objectives:
Upon completion of this course
the
student should be able to...
1. Assess
their personality characteristics to determine their suitability for
being a
self-employed virtual assistant
2.
Take
inventory of their skills, interests, strengths, and weaknesses to help
determine appropriate services to offer
3.
Determine
local licensing requirements and properly “set up shop” as
a virtual assistant
4.
Describe
the benefits and disadvantages of the various forms of legal
construction
5.
Establish
proper pricing, billing, and collections procedures
6.
Successfully market their virtual assisting practice
7.
Handle
basic record keeping and tax planning related to their business
The course will include...
1.
Assigned
readings
2.
Email
correspondence with the instructor and interactions on the classroom
discussion
boards
3.
An
entrepreneurial self-assessment exercise
4.
A market
research exercise studying the competition
5.
A goal
setting exercise for the business
6.
A skills
assessment exercise designed to help the student pinpoint what services
to
offer
7.
Development of a micro-business plan for the firm
8.
Development of preliminary literature (cards, brochure, etc) for the
company
9.
Creation
of a pricing menu
10.
A market
survey exercise searching for potential clients
11.
A target
marketing exercise
Submission of
Assignments
Results
of
your assignments will be posted in the appropriate discussion board for
appraisal by the instructor and for feedback among class members. Students wishing more in-depth evaluation of
certain exercises may email or fax written versions to the instructor.
Course Outline
Lesson
(Week)
Subject
____
Chapters
Due
1.
What is a virtual
assistant?
Chap.
1
Post
introductions
2.
History of the
virtual assistant
Chap.
1 (cont)
Entrepreneur’s
assessment
3.
Benefits
of owning a VA business
Chap.
2
Competition
project
4.
Traits
of successful VA’s
Chap.
2 (cont)
Goal
setting exercise
5.
What
services to offer
Chap
6
Skills
assessment
6.
Setting up shop Chap.
3
Begin
micro business plan
7.
Communicating with
clients
Chap.
4
Company
literature
8.
Pricing and billing
Chap.
4 (cont)
Pricing
menu
9.
Marketing your
services (part 1, Your market)
Chap.
5
Target
market project
10.
Marketing your
services (part 2, Target marketing) Chap.
5 (cont)
Marketing
methods report
11.
Record
keeping and taxes
Chap.
7
Conclude
micro business plan
12.
Getting further help
Chap.
8, 9, Appendex
Course
Links
Associations
International Virtual Assistants
Association
www.ivaa.org
International Association of Virtual Office
Assistants (IAVOA
www.IAVOA.com
http://staffcentrix.com
Training
Programs
AssistU
http://www.assistu.com
Virtual
Tools
Efax
http://www.efax.com
PayPal
(for accepting credit card payments
http://www.paypal.com