I'm Not A Number, I am Free Man!

All of you probably know that this is a quote from a famous song. To tell you the truth this has become a thing like a moto for me from some time now.

What is it like to be a freelancer?

It is not hard to imagine that its not a bad idea to have a walk in the park while most of the people are sweating in the offices. It's also not a bad idea to have a unplanned trip to South Africa or as far as your imagination may lead you.You are FREE in all possible meanings of this word, out of the boundries.

Me personally - I have never imagined that something like that is possible, because the life that I am living now is making me really happy, I work, I earn enough for living and I do have spare time for all the things that I love, and I can make my schedule.

Now put off the pink glasses. This isn't a fairy tale or a cruise to Hawai. It is a hard work, however it really pays off.

In the times like now having the background of the terrible economical crisis this is one of the solutions for a young and ambitious people, who does not want to be humiliated by the system or by their boss.For me this was the best solution.

Don't forget however that freelancing is not a full-time job with a 9 till 5 business hours. It is a business, Yes indeed. You are beginning your new private business and in order to be successfull you need tones of ambition, hard working and tenacity.

So are you ready to stay up in the middle of the night? Are you ready to be available 24/7. On top of this you also might not get paid. These are some additional extras that come with every business.

Epecially the Odesk system is a provides a pretty strong support and protection for both parties.

But someone said if something was easy - anyone could have done it! So it is a challenge, but it is worth takin it.

Good Luck

First of all, what is a virtual assistant (VA)? I like to explain it as a word processor gone wild. A VA is someone who works with clients, providing them with top quality support services without having to be physically present at a clients office. VA services are becoming more and more popular thanks to today’s technology such as email, the Internet, online instant messaging, fax, phone, and overnight delivery. Gone are the days of offices needing their support staff in the same building.

If you have a secretarial background or other support staff expertise and a love for computers and all the technology it offers, then here are ten very good reasons why you should start your own VA business this year.

1. Make An Income You Can Live On

It was reported by virtual assistant trade organizations that the average full-time VA working in the US would gross about $39,452 annually. Now that isn’t a bad income!
That is the type of money you can live on, even if you are a single mom.

2. The Need For VA’s Is Only Going To Get Greater

According to the George Washington University forecast of emerging technology, Virtual Assisting will become a  $130 Billion Industry by 2008. Thanks to our growing technology, and the fact that it’s easier to just source out work to a VA due to the fact that a business doesn’t have to pay for any benefits when they out-source, this type of service will only get bigger and more in demand.

3. Are you feeling unfulfilled, unchallenged, and unmotivated?  Is your current corporate job beginning to feel like a real drag?

Are you dreading getting dressed up, driving your commute to work, and working with a boss who is ungrateful and unappreciative? Do you love some parts of your job and despise other parts and wish you could do the parts you love more? Then becoming a VA might be something you need to look into.

4. Want to continue your professional working life without having to leave home?
Want the flexibility to work from home and have a better balance between work and life?

Maybe you’re thinking of having kids, or have had your first baby. You so want to continue your career, but you also want to spend more time with your children. Take a good hard look at the world of a VA. This type of home business will continue to give you the satisfaction of a career, while also offering you the ability to be there for your kids doctor appointments, their first step, school field trips, and running them around to after school events.

5. Gain the ability to work with people you want to work with.

Do you tend to click with certain types of people more than others? With a VA business, you can decide who you want your clients to be. Authors, salespeople, consultants, coaches, executives, entrepreneurs, and small business owners are just a few of the types of people you could work with.

6. The ability to do more than just one thing.

Looking for a little variety in your business? Don’t want to get stuck doing the same thing over and over again? Here is a list of just some of the things you can do as a VA.

Administration
Writing services (technical or creative)
Business/employee communications
Proofreading and editing, research (online or traditional)
Word-processing
Spreadsheets
Data entry
Database management
Message management
Scheduling
Bill paying
Simple website design
Newsletter distribution
Bulk mailing
Reminder services
Event planning
Special projects
Concierge services
Secretarial services
Research
Data processing/data management
Desktop publishing
Transcription services
Mail and email services
Telephone/fax services
Internet services
Bookkeeping
Purchasing services
Writing/editing services
Marketing services
Personal services
Santa letters
Proposal Writer

7. The ability to Niche yourself.

Choose just a few of the ideas above and take it one step further. Niche yourself. You might already possess knowledge in a certain area. You can contact those businesses you are already familiar with and work with them. Maybe in the past you had worked as support staff for a marketing company. If marketing is your thing, you can let businesses know that you can not only be their VA and take care of all their typing and database applications, but that you can also use your expertise to help them market their business.

8. Use the equipment you already have.

If you’re reading this article, then there’s a good chance you already have a computer, a printer, and fax capabilities. Why not start putting that equipment to good use and make some money?

9. The choice between working full-time or part-time.

Maybe you don’t want to work full time, but you need to do something to call your own. That’s great! You’ll be your own boss; you can decide how much or how little you want to work.

10. Being able to say you love the way you make money.

If just the thought of working with your computer and current technology makes you giddy, why not make money doing something you love? Grab hold of the opportunity to make as much money as you’d like and the ability to work from your home.  You have the opportunity to decide who you want to work with, the type of work you want to do or not do, and your niche area. If this sounds like the perfect opportunity for you visit *** to learn more about starting your own Virtual Assistant Business.

Internet owes the credit of presenting world as a global village. It has brought the entire planet earth to our rooms. Gone are the days when an event in A corner of the world remained unknown to those in the Z area, when we had to perspire in long queues and take an off from the days work to get our bills deposited, when long distance calls were the only mode to communicate with those dwelling thousands of miles away, when exams would not just commence without the invigilators around and businesses across the seas were a cumbersome task. Now from payments or investments to education or exams, everything is possible through Internet while relaxing on your couch. Thus Internet has changed our lifestyles, altered our parameters and has given us new horizons to achieve.


The foremost worldwide use of the Internet is in acquiring information. The task is well accomplished with the aid of remarkable search engines such as Goggle, Yahoo and others. These search engines display the requisite details the moment you enter the topic of research in the box and click on the search button. The variety of search engines that exist nowadays on the World Wide Web have information regarding any and every field of study like medicine, astronomy, philosophy, mythology and so forth. You can play and even gain knowledge about popular casino games, their rules and strategies via Internet.  Along with the home page and other linked chapters of the site what flashes on screen are different types of advertisements from various sources? For instance “Click here and you will be a millionaire”, “ensure your investments in safe hands through…” etc. Well, these are all marketing techniques that many companies opt for.

So, besides education, Internet is also a wonderful hub to business. Numerous companies market themselves globally through the channel of Internet. Though not all the companies receive loads of contracts yet most often they are not left barehanded. But advertising online is not as simple as it seems. The Interactive Advertising Bureau devises certain norms or standards, to be followed by all the Internet advertising companies. In 2004, IAB had created rules for the pop-ups that appear on screen. Similarly laws are also formulated for e-mail advertising like unsolicited commercial e-mail must not be sent etc.

Internet is an upcoming mode for the sale and purchase of stocks and for making investments too. The Dot-com bubble signifies a surge in the stocks and investments pertaining to internet. Amazon.com, eBay and other big companies have the onus of incredible gush in the Dot-com bubble. The bubble blew more due to increase in stocks and share prices. However, this tremendous upsurge had an undesired downfall when the companies overestimated their potential and their expenses superseded their incomes. In the Internet world, this came to be known as bursting of the Dot-com bubble.

The money so earned through e-business, can be invested in e-shopping. While chilling out at home you can take a look at the spectrum of items available online. From beach sandals to laptops and mobile phones, everything is available on the net for sale. Internet also brings at your doorstep numerous auctions where you can display your items and take home many others. 

But the internet security i.e. viruses etc. remain an issue of concern for the users as well as for the internet authorities. Though there are anti-virus software and their updates yet pop-ups, spam’s etc. fetch virus with them. Moreover, banking through internet has the risk of theft. Thieves catch your Wifi (wireless local area network) by presenting some phony networks.  The user gets confused and avails this network to manipulate their accounts. Thieves trace these networks and the entire information gets stolen. So users are requested to be very particular about the network to which you connect, avoid checking you account through wireless Wifi network, and close the browser window once you are through with your online payments etc. and last but not the least use ambiguous passwords to ensure safety.

One very popular and common way of earning income is becoming a freelancer. Literally thousands of people every day choose to become their own boss by working as a freelancer. If you have a skill or talent, your services are highly needed in the internet industry and it is absolutely possible for you to make excellent money by doing what you know and love. Many website owners choose to use a freelancer for a variety of reasons, some reasons could include:

•    Not enough time to do the work themselves
•    They do not have the knowledge to perform the tasks
•    Freelancers are often cheaper than hiring a company (Because of less overhead)
•    Freelancers generally work faster
•    They are too busy with other projects

These are just a few of the reasons that most business and website owners opt for a freelancer instead of a large company. Typically a freelancer is cheaper than that of a larger company for a variety of reasons. One of the biggest reasons is that a freelancer has no overhead costs, generally they work out of their own home and do not have any employees they have to pay. Additionally, by working out of their own home they do not have the type of running expenses that a larger business will have, this means that they can offer clients a more competitive and cheaper price for their services.

Another excellent aspect of being a freelancer is the ability to offer high quality and personalized service to your clients. This alone can be more appealing to a client than the prices you charge. Many large businesses have so many things going on at once, that they cannot always give the personal attention that a client often wants. Additionally, they do not generally work as fast as the client would like them to. A freelancer typically only works one project at a time allowing them to quickly finish their projects in a high quality and timely fashion.

There are freelancers in a large variety of areas and if you possess specific qualities and experience the client wants you will have no troubles in finding work. There are many websites available all over the internet that are dedicated to helping freelancers find work such as scriptlance and rentacoder.

Employers often avoid hiring overly aggressive employees as they drive business away. However employers want and hire assertive employees because assertive behavior projects capability and promotes a healthy productive working environment.  What are these traits and how can you create a healthy balance?

          Assertive behavior can be many things.  It can be standing up for your rights, expressing yourself honestly, courtesly and comfortably as well as observing and respecting the rights of others.

          Assertive behavior promotes equality and a healthy balance in human relationship.  Assertion is based on human – right- especially the right to be treated with respect in all situations.  Every person has the right to be listened to and taken seriously, to say yes or no with conviction, to express his or her opinion, and ask for what he or she wants.

           Assertive behavior is critical to a successful job search and career potent ional because it conveys self-esteem and capability.
 
       Employers hire people who behave confidently and are able to convey their job descriptions comfortably and clearly.  They want employees who strengthen human relations and project competence in the workplace. They hire applicants who demonstrate assertiveness in interviews, resumes, and all communications. To reach your full potential, be assertive and tactful expressing yourself, and respect the rights of others.

             Generally personality types fall into three general categories.  Nonassertive, aggressive and assertive.   Employers avoid hiring nonassertive and aggressive employees because they are often detrimental in the workplace.

             People who are nonassertive have difficulty expressing thoughts or feelings because they lack confidence.  They may become unhappy because they permit others to abuse their rights.  They project their feelings of unhappiness others.

            Aggressive based people often violate the rights of others with domineering, pushy behavior.  Their goal is to dominate because they fear loss of control.  Overly aggressive employees drive business away.   The good employers who you would wish to work for usually identify such trouble and avoid hiring these types.

            Assertive behavior is essential to career success.  Assertive people are confident, express their needs and opinions comfortably, and are sensitive to the needs of others.
The type of employer that you would want to work for usually  search out assertive employees as their behavior projects capability  and promotes a healthy , productive working environment.
 
            What are techniques by which you can develop assertiveness?  Practice expressing your feelings and needs calmly and clearly.  As well continually demonstrate acceptance and respect for others by praising them sincerely and honestly whey they perform or behave well.

             The whole point is to deal with other people in a sincere and truthful way.  Imitate friendships. Express your opinions in meetings or conversations particularly when you strongly believe or are knowledgeable about the topic.  Don’t talk just to be noticed.
Contribute something to each conversation.

              It may help to join a professional or service organization or club.  You can always volunteer.  This is good way to network and build your assertive skills.

             Remember the type of employer that would have a pleasing, easy going workplace without great interpersonal conflicts is the place you want to be.

             Generally the people who do the hiring in such progressive firms recognize the traits of the applicants that they wish to hire.  A balance of assertive behavior without overly aggressive tendencies is preferred.  Groom yourself for those personal traits.