This is a very broad question with a simple answer. It’s going to depend on what specialty services you plan on providing your customers. If you are just starting out you will need to think about what services you want to offer and go from there.

To give you a few ideas of what is meant by a broad topic with a simple answer; look at the different possibilities of software dependant on your specialty. Remember these are just examples and the software you need is going to vary depending on what you choose to offer as services.

One example could be a VA that wants to specialize in graphics. You will need an image editing software such as PhotoShop (http://photoshop.s0ftware-now.com/index.html).

Another example is a VA that will be offering transcription services. You will need software that allows you to play digital audio (MP3 files) if you wish to transcribe these types of files. If you wish to transcribe other files such as audio recorded onto micro or macro cassette tapes, a machine with a foot pedal will be needed.

If you are a VA that would like to specialize in website updating using FrontPage then you will need to have Microsoft FrontPage installed on your computer. You can purchase the software from a place like Amazon.com.

Those are just a few examples of the broad range of different software that could possibly be needed. Again, it’s simply going to depend on the services you choose to specialize in.

Virtual Assistant Report

While it isn’t a requirement to go through an official training program in order to start a VA business, if you are interested you can. Do a Google search for Virtual Assistant training and you will find page after page of places that offer training. Just to name a few places available that provide VA training – Virtual Assistance U (http://www.virtualassistanceu.com/) or Virtual Assistant Training (http://www.vatraining.com/). These are the first two sites listed in Google, at this time.

It can be beneficial to go through a training program because you will be mentored / coached, be given learning material, etc. This is also all stuff that you can seek out on your own and don’t necessarily need a VA training program to provide it to you.

The decision to go through VA training isn’t one that someone can make for you, it’s going to be personal preference and whether or not you feel a training program would benefit you and your business.

To be honest, a lot of the qualities you will need to be a successful VA are not things that can even be taught to you. You’ll need to be determined and determination has to come from within, it’s certainly not a skill that can be taught. Perseverance is another quality you’ll need to be a successful VA and again that isn’t something that can be taught to you.

If you opt to go the no training route, you will still need to make sure that you are setting aside a certain amount of time to be brushing up on your skills and learning all the new things that come up with the advances of technology on a regular basis. It’s still always going to be a ‘learning’ industry whether you go through training or not. A training course can only teach you so many things. So you really need to think long and hard about whether or not you will benefit from a VA training program.

Instantly access your guide to starting a VA business.

A Virtual Assistant business can be the perfect way for a mom to stay at home with her kids but feel like she is providing to the family finances. A VA business is often times the easiest way for a mom to become a work at home mom. And I don’t mean easiest as in an easy way to make a buck because it’s going to require a lot of patience, hard work, determination and perseverance. There’s no such thing as a quick buck.

Chances are that if you have been working outside the home in corporate America in an office setting of some sort, you probably have some skill(s) that you can offer virtually or at least a skill(s) that will be beneficial in starting your own Virtual Assistant business.

Confused by that statement? Let’s look at it a little deeper, for example let’s say you worked as a bookkeeper. Bookkeeping is a highly specialized skill that many people are willing to pay someone to do for them. Many small businesses or work at home moms are in need of bookkeepers and it’s a skill they are willing to pay for to not have to deal with it themselves. This would be the perfect opportunity for you to offer your services as a Virtual Assistant.

Another example could be if you worked as a medical transcriptionist or legal transcriptionist. Again these are specialized skills that can provide you the foot in the door you need to start your own VA business.

What about the mom that hasn’t been working in a long time but is interested in starting her own VA business? The old saying where there’s a will there’s a way comes to mind. There are some basic type skills you can start out offering such as customer service. More than likely you know how to check email, reply to emails, make phone calls, etc. That’s pretty basic stuff and not surprisingly many small business owners outsource this stuff because it’s so time consuming.

Another option would be to look for an internship opportunity so that you can have someone take you under their wing and train in an area of specialty so that you can offer that as a service to your customers.

You’ll need to keep in mind that although a Virtual Assistant business is a great way for a mom to work from home, even possibly one of the easier ways; it’s time consuming and will require a lot of sweat equity on your part. It’s not something you can just throw up a website and expect the money to come rolling in tomorrow. It doesn’t work that way.

Instantly access your guide to starting a VA business.

Well, I decided to bring my love of business writing and my love of handcrafting together and pull together a directory of women who create and sell their own products.  And so, Womenpreneurs’s “Handcrafting Women of the Web” was born.

I’m not going to talk your ears (eyes) off…I just want to say if you enjoy handcrafting and/or purchasing handcrafted products, this is the directory for you.

If you appreciate the hard work that went into this guide, please make a donation of $1.00.

Presented by Womenpreneurs, a division of neosoul.essentials, llc:

Click the title to download the directory:

Handcrafting Women of the Web

]]> http://womenpreneurs.info/handcrafting-women-of-the-web/feed/ http://womenpreneurs.info/handcrafting-women-of-the-web/ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Womenpreneurs/~3/455415272/ http://womenpreneurs.info/capture-the-eye/#comments Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:16:54 +0000 CeeCee http://womenpreneurs.info/?p=416 ShareThis

I just finished taking pictures and rewriting copy for my store website -neosoul.essentials.  I must say, I had a great time making the products, taking just the right pictures then fooling around with the pictures in
Photoshop.  I love working with photography and have a ton of pictures to show for it.

Pictures, especially photographs of real people in real situations, give such a great look and
interest to a website.  Clip art is fun, where appropriate, but if you really want a professional look to your webbie, use photographs.

If your website is dragging a little, or you feel like you want to include some current pictures for the upcoming holidays, why not check out istockphoto?

I can’t say enough about istockphoto.com.

I truly believe they’ve got an image for every single website.  (Of course, I’ve got the “adult filter” on, so they might have even more stuff that I haven’t seen.)

Do you need pictures of  African-American families?  How about business women/entrepreneurs?
Or herbs/spices for your recipe or cooking site?  You’ll find it all here, and at a very reasonable price!  Prices begin at $1.00 for an extra small photo, which is usually sufficient for website or newsletter use.  You could spend all day just browsing some of the amazing photographs they have for sale.

Note:  Be sure to read the conditions of use before you begin your project.

To your continued success!

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A press release has a strict format - any deviance from this format may cause seasoned press release readers to overlook your press release because it is too wordy or cluttered. The format of a press release is as follows:

When and Where: Most press releases begin with a line that names the date and the location of the news that is taking place.

Headline: the headline of the press release is one line that will be the hook for your press release. Try to write a title that is attention grabbing so that the reader is pulled into reading the entire press release. If you want your press release to be picked up by newspapers or other websites, your title has to stand out.

Summary: The summary of a press release is a short synopsis of what the rest of the press release is all about. It should summarize the content of the press release in one sentence.

Body of the Press Release: This is where the “meat” of your story lies. Keep your sentences short and to the point. It is also helpful to use quotations from people involved in the news story. These quotations tend to personalize the news and get people interested.

Boiler Plate/Contact Information: In this area of the press release, include your contact information and an “about company” profile. This is called a boiler plate because you can cut and paste it for every press release you write.

Free places to submit your press releases:

http://www.pr9.net
http://www.prlog.org
http://www.prweb.com
http://www.pr.com/promote-your-business
http://www.express-press-release.com
http://www.theopenpress.com

More information on Press Releases:

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Press-Release
http://www.prweb.com/pressreleasetips.php
http://www.ereleases.com/howtowrite.htm

It’s called:
“Blogger’s Ultimate Guide: Make $2000 to $3000 Using ONE Simple Blog On Any Kind Of Niche!”

It covers what you need to start making sense of profitable blogging including:

- How you can make money blogging
- What is a blog
- What types of blogs you can start
- Blogging software…and they’re free
- Understanding the various components of a blog from blogrolls to posts to sidebars
- Choosing a topic for your blog
- How to earn money with your blog
- Getting websites to link to your blog (for more traffic and search engine reputation)
- How to track your blog traffic
- How to interpret your blog traffic statistics for maximum results

You can grab the guide at absolutely no charge HERE

This guide is simple, easy to follow and gives you step by step information from the beginning to end.  I highly recommended it for those who have never blogged before, or even are currently blogging and looking for ways to make money from their blog.

Branding yourself is a concept that represents everything about your business or company. It sets your business and products apart from the competition. Only the businesses who communicate the real value of their product in today’s world of high expectations will accomplish everything they want. So, what makes you and your product different?

The main goal of branding yourself is to own a product category. By branding yourself, you are identifying and defining everything from packaging to public relations. Your brand should epitomize the personality of your company.

Since it will have a huge impact on your bottom line, it is very important that you create a solid brand for yourself and your company. When your targeted customer becomes loyal to your brand, price will become less of an issue for your company.

There are many different elements that go into making a successful brand. First, there is relevance. Do your target customers believe that they need your product in their life? Will it make a positive difference in their daily life? Will it make their life easier? Will it make them feel good about themselves?

Another element is differentiation. What makes the benefits of your products or services different from the competition? Next there is brand awareness.  Do your potential customers even know that your company or products exist? Brand awareness will lead to a preference for your brand because it will be the first thing that comes to mind when they think of your product or service.

Lastly there is consistency. If you are inconsistent in your business communications and products, then your potential customers will be confused and it will have a negative impact on your brand identity. This makes it important to define who you and your business are to set yourself apart from the competition.

What happens once you know who you are and you have branded yourself? Once you have defined yourself and your company’s products, then you need to focus on the above issues to help separate yourself from your competition. Your logo should help your potential customers define your product at a glance. Make sure that you create the best image to represent your company and its products. You should create a tag line. A tag line is a sentence or phrase that describes your products or services and helps your customers identify it anywhere.

Careful and controlled branding can result in an increase in sales, more customers, and an ability to increase the value, and thus, the pricing of your products or services.
Phillip Brown, Internet Marketer, Coach and Mentor
Toll Free Telephone: 1-800-990-2024
Official Website: http://www.watch-dog-reports.com
E-mail:pwfonline@yahoo.com

By: Heather Bixler

A lot of online business woman take for granted the benefits a blog has to their business, and a lot of them choose not to use a blog because they simply can’t see the benefit it has to them and their business.

Well in this article you will learn thirteen very important reasons why your business needs a blog!

1. Networking - Blogs are a great way to build relationships and networking with those looking for your services and/or goods.

2. Information - Blogs are also a great way to get information out about the products or services you sell!

3. Fun - Blogging is a great way to build your business while having fun. Really it doesn’t even feel like work!

4. Affordable - Sometimes having a blog can be more affordable to get set up than having a website. 1. Because the Wordpress Blogging platform is free to install on your own hosting and domain, and 2. you don’t need expensive software like Frontpage or Dreamweaver to maintain your blog.

5. Easy Maintenance - Using blogging platforms like Wordpress and the like make it so much easier to add content to your website, through the art of categories and the like, you can easily organize your content and make it easier for your visitors to find what they are looking for and therefore encouraging them to stay and visit for awhile!

6. Friends - While you are networking you can also make friends!

7. Interactive - With blogs you can be more interactive with your visitors by making posts, asking for comments, and then replying to the comments, all through your Wordpress admin dashboard! You can’t do that with a “regular” website!

8. Easy RSS - It is super easy to create an RSS feed with a blog which means more readers for your blogs!

9. Plug Ins - Plug ins add value to your blog by making it possible for you to host podcasts on your blog, and even generate Google sitemaps too! With regular websites you would either need to know alot about javascript, and a whole lot of code mumbo jumbo, but with Plug Ins all you have to do is intall, configure, and have fun! So much easier, and so much more fun!

10. More Search Engine Traffic - With the write Wordpress template and plug ins - your traffic will be streaming in no time at all.

11. Flexibility - With Wordpress you have the flexibility to create posts, pages, and you even have the control over what appears on your home page (like a sticky post or even a specific page) which provides you with the flexibility to either create more of a blogging type website, or a static type website.

12. Community/Partnerships - Wordpress blogs are a great way to create community blogs! So say you have a team of employees, or business partners, Wordpress makes the ability to have multiple authors of the blog seamless, which is a great way for your team to grow their business!

13. Perfect - All around Wordpress is the perfect choice for you and your business, by giving you the opportunity to communicate with your guests and to help build strong relationships that will in turn help you grow your business. No business should be without a blog, period!

Heather Bixler is the owner and Lead Designer at Girly Blog Designz.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com