The term virtual assistant sound a bit like a robot, but is actually an online version of a type of job or work that has existed for many years. The idea of a virtual office was born by offering secretarial other office functions like mail delivery and fax collection to individuals who wanted their own office , but didn't need or couldn't afford to have one all the time. It was an ideal arrangement for both sides.
A virtual assistant is really the same thing offering any service that an individual might need online, as a sort of secretarial function. In theory it could cover just about anything, ranging from word processing to artwork to transcribing interviews . The term is broad enough to allow anyone who feels that have a skill they can offer to market themselves as a virtual assistant. Start off by identifying where you can help meet need or add value to someone.
Think in terms of market, both individual or big companies. It may well be that you have a skill that could in some way help them. The advantage from their point of view is that you are a fixed cost, specific to a type of work or specific job that they can easily quantify. Its often much easier from a company's point of view to deal with things on a case by case basis, because its much more easily measurable, even if it might be more expensive in the long run than by hiring someone themselves. Identify your skill by anything you have done at work , at home , for a non profit – could be a language, a computer skill, cookery, anything at all really. Then think about who might benefit from that skill. Then go out and market yourself. Research online and see who needs you-someone does !
Almost every day new supposed opportunities appear online, I guess the old equivalent of stuffing envelopes. Part of the problem is that there are so many suppose opportunities that actually knowing which ones are real and worth spending time investigating, and which ones are not worth spending the time on. It probably does not need saying that any scheme that asks you for money up front should be regarded with greats suspicion, the problem is that these other schemes , even if free, can take up a lot of time that could be usefully spent elsewhere.The solution sometime sis to go to discussion boards and groups by doing a search for the name of the scheme and discussion group. This will bring up any relevant issues that you might want to be aware of.
Good Luck

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