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A new paradigm
Whether you’re mobility-limited or simply need to stay close to home in order to supervise an aging parent or other family member, you may have come to recognize that your best (or only) option is to work from home.

The truth about making a living in the Information Age today in America is that one need not possess expertise in anything. A large and essential part of education consists not in knowing everything, but in knowing where to find it. If you let yourself be guided by what you would like to be doing all day, you will indubitably arrive at an idea for an occupation in which the line between earning what you need to and living how you want to is almost indistinct.

At your beck lies a communication network so vast, instantaneous, and so easy to use that not taking advantage of it is downright silly. The telephone awaits your voice, the Internet your fingertips; and now, if you don’t know where to find what you need, there’s even someone who will do it for you.

Let’s say you handle the first year of a small, home-based business with no problems, but inevitably comes the moment you’ve been dreading: you need more time to expand your customer base, diversify your products, and schmooze with suppliers. The problem is that there’s too much work for one person, and hiring help is not in your business growth plan. Or perhaps your home business life has simply become too exhausting, and you’re ready to hand off some of the more tedious parts to someone who can handle it. You require experienced, quality help, lots of it, and right away.

What they do
Enter Virtual Assistants (VA), sort of. They never really come through your door, and you’ll probably never meet them face to face. Think of them as an answering service that additionally provides a plethora of administrative services to you and your clients.

VAs provide a wide range of support, much like an executive assistant does, and typically you’ll need only one. They are not typists or accountants or clerks; they exist to cover all these functions or locate them for you. They are defined by their versatility.

They will understand the system you’re currently using and enhance, organize, and maximize it at your bidding. Short of making your coffee, they’ll kick off your day with a reminder list, info you requested, calls, messages, appointments—in short, everything you can visualize that needs doing but you don’t have time to organize personally.

Got a great idea, but you’re not a writer? They’ll find you one in your field. Need to have some folks gather somewhere for a conference? They’ll set up the venue and even arrange for the sushi. Need help with your business? They’ll hook you up with a specialist, a consultant, a marketing advisor, sales help, research, marketing, planning, resumes, and term papers—whatever you need. They’ll not only handle your customers but present and maintain your business face to the world. They can receive and send out orders, field questions, send faxes and emails, set up voicemail, handle conference calls with dozens of participants, and find you, wherever you may be, when it’s ready to start. If it’s an office function you can think of, they can probably provide it, all for a monthly rate.

What do you gain?
You may now structure your life and your business in a much more personal way. Someone else is handling the necessities, leaving you time to be creative. You can custom-design options geared to your particular business that put you at the wheel of a business vehicle you could not hope to build alone, let alone drive. You achieve that desired balance between living and work that you couldn’t achieve alone.

What do you save?
The costs you would normally expect to pay to accommodate an employee are completely circumvented: supervision, office equipment, payroll service and taxes, labor laws, office space and associated costs, training expense, providing benefits (the list goes on). These items all add up to tremendous financial savings.

Another Option
If you don’t have your own business but feel you can help others with theirs, here is a great new opportunity for you: becoming a home-based virtual assistant is a hot new job market. You can start by contacting a VA agency that will help you get properly trained and teach you what to expect from calls for your services.

Where is it?
The IVAA (International Virtual Assistants Association) is a non-profit group existing specifically to answer your questions and help you understand how this new field can be just the ticket to becoming a player in the world of economic competition and survival. They educate and certify the assistants, so you know you’re getting the straight story here.

Web sites that may be helpful:
http://www.eworkingwomen.com/experts/va.html
http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/businessideas/article71516.html