International Virtual Assistant Day (IVAD)

Virtual Assistants Celebrate International Virtual Assistant Day (IVAD) on May 16, 2008

"IVAD acknowledges the importance of the industry's contributions to the stability and growth of the small business community."

Being fairly new to the world of virtual assistance, I had no idea that there was a day set aside for the hardworking Virtual Assistant. Since I have not set up a steady client base as yet, I wonder if I should send myself flowers or take myself to lunch? You know, something that says "I appreciate me." : )

For those of you not familiar with what a Virtual Assistant (VA) is, let me give you a little insight.

From Wikipedia:

"A Virtual Assistant (or simply VA), is an independent contractor providing administrative, technical, or sometimes creative assistance to clients--usually to other independent entrepreneurs and solo and small business practices, such as that of a lawyer or realtor. Virtual assistants work from their own office (hence "virtual"), thus making it a fairly popular (and growing) profession. It is estimated that there are about 40,000-50,000 virtual assistants worldwide. Common modes of communication and data delivery include the Internet, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and fax machine. Although the occupation gives a degree of independence, work is on a contractual basis, and a long-lasting cooperation is standard. Typically 5 years of administrative experience in an office is expected at such positions as executive assistant, secretary, legal assistant, paralegal, legal secretary, real estate assistant, office manager, etc."

A VA is not a traditional employee or a temp. We set our own rates, and are responsible for our own insurance and self-employment taxes. We set our own hours and the convenience of that is that if, for some reason, can't sleep, you can get up in the middle of the night and work. I like that! Working from home is very convenient, although I have found that self-imposed rules have to be set.

• I am up by 6:00 to 6:30 every day; there's no excuse for sleeping in.
• Try to keep a regular schedule (most of the time). That means between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., I am at work. I think time management is important to keeping a sense of normalcy after being in the 9-5 work field for 20+ years.
• Keep in touch with the outside world; networking and contacts are very important.
• Be efficient. Client's appreciate a job well done, in a timely and accurate manner. A satisfied client will come back time and again.

If you're interested in hiring a VA, or becoming a VA, I recommend the following resource to research the possibilities. http://vanetworknews.com/va-organisations/