In earlier articles, we’ve focused on finding legitimate home-based work on the Internet. Now we’ll talk about creating a home-based career as a virtual assistant — an individual working from home, providing administrative, Web design, bookkeeping and similar services to small businesses or independent professionals via e-mail, phone and fax.

This is a topic that’s dear to our hearts. Christine Durst — the co-author of this column — is credited with creating the industry.  We’ve also played a leading role in leading role in building the industry by launching the nonprofit International Virtual Assistants Association in 1999 (transferred to its members shortly afterward). And, in that same year, our training company Staffcentrix, a Military Spouse Virtual Assistant (MSVA) Program, became available at more than 50 base family centers internationally.

Today, there are thousands of “VAs” working from their homes around the globe, many of them military spouses. Search engines also tell the story: Five years ago, a search for “virtual assistant” produced less than 100 hits. Today, the phrase produces more than 1 million returns.

How do I become a VA?

In a nutshell, there are three ways to become a VA:

(1) Hang out a shingle (e.g., your website) and start passing out business cards today. 

(2) Enroll in marketable skills courses — administrative skills, commercial website design, bookkeeping, etc. — at a community or other college, and go “live” afterwards.

(3) Take virtual assistant training either online or in a physical classroom and, if your underlying or core expertise is market-ready, launch when you’re done.

The first option can work if you know the Net pretty well and have solid, in-demand skills — in addition to those mentioned above, real estate-related expertise is also much in demand — and you (or a partner) are prepared to do the necessary marketing.

The second option — taking skills-related courses — might suit you if your skills are rusty, or if you’ve been out of the workforce for awhile want to get back into the flow of things. On the negative side, this option can be expensive. Be financially prepared if you choose to go back to school.

Choice number three — specific VA training — will usually focus on how to launch and grow a virtual services business, rather than teach you the skills that you would offer to your clients. The cost can range from zero (if you’re an active-duty military spouse, see http://www.msvas.com/MSVATraining.htm for a list of bases where free training is available) to thousands of dollars. Some community colleges offer VA certificate programs -- Google and mousework will find them -- which, when combined with some courses in a marketable skill, can make a cost-effective solution.

Independent Research is a Must

Regardless of which path you take, be sure to do your homework — and thinking — before you take the plunge. (Self-employment is most certainly not for everyone, and succeeding in business is hard work.) There are a number of books now devoted to virtual assistance — you’ll find several of them at Amazon, if your public library doesn’t have them — and for a modest investment you can reap valuable benefits, not the least of which is how to grow and sustain the business and harness it to your family’s goals to make it a “win” for everyone under your roof.

Copyright 2007 Christine Durst and Michael Haaren