The Virtual Assistant Bookkeeper

Keeping the books organized is a major battle for most small businesses.

Sure, the business receives money from clients and pays for equipment, but as far as the bookkeeping goes, it may be a drawer in the office with tons of paper receipts. The virtual assistant bookkeeper sorts through these papers to sort out the books.

Someone has to do record keeping. In a small online business,
that person is the owner. If he or she does not have time during
the day, it will be after he or she has dealt with other issues.

It is time to record some numbers. That makes for a long day – every day.

The Market

More than one business has ended up bankrupt because of bad
bookkeeping. One day, the owner looks up and sees that he or she has sucked the resources dry. Not keeping accurate records can lead to problems with the IRS and no one wants that.

When a business owner doesn’t possess a certain expertise, he or she can hire someone to do it for him or her. For small businesses, hiring a bookkeeper is not just interviewing and choosing one from many. An employer has to pay for health insurance and other particulars for each employee and that means money he or she does not have.

Another solution is a virtual assistant like you.

With a virtual assistant, businesses don’t pay for space, insurance or sick time. They only have to pay for services rendered. In today’s economy, that is a smart business move.

You might say that a virtual assistant bookkeeper is a hot commodity.
You provide a needed service for small and large businesses.
Keeping on top of business accounts is easy for someone with the knowledge.

Some of the services you might offer are:

• Payroll
• Reconciling accounts
• Daily record keeping
• Entering transactions in the proper ledgers
• Month-end statements
• Software bookkeeping management

or even backing up the business records.

Think of all of the time and energy you will save each business owner!

Clients can depend on you to record receipts and let them know how
much cash they have on hand. Bookkeepers invoice account holders
for work to be done and finished jobs.

There are a number of ways to conduct your business.

Local clients can mail their receipts to you for your expert help.
All of the information can be organized using bookkeeping software
and sent as an attachment to your clients. For online clients,
you can reconcile the software that they use with their account records.

A virtual assistant bookkeeper can feel good about the job that he or she does for businesses. Staying ahead in financial matters is at the crux of business success. Your management of the books gives them one less thing to worry about.

Jan Tallent
Tallent Agency Virtual Assitance

p.s. No business is too small to need some help, at least now and then. This is why a Virtual Assistant can be so helpful to even the smallest business.

The Virtual Assistant Transcriptionist

Audio and video media are becoming commonplace in online business. It is easier to record this way for later use. Businesses will need the services of a virtual assistant to turn the recorded media into print.

Medical professionals have used Dictaphone and dictating services for a long time. Doctors later have their notes transcribed for patient and hospital records. The same goes for legal proceedings. It is more convenient to use a recording device and later create a written copy.

The Market

Online businesses have found ways to market their products with audio and video. Tutorials, how-tos and interviews are uploaded to websites for viewing and hearing. But, we all know that sometimes you can’t always understand what is being said. That requires the need for a transcribed record of the recording.

Just like movies , audio and video can be translated into other languages to increase your marketing efforts. Many business owners would like to do that but they don’t know how to transcribe or translate. They need the help of a professional like a virtual assistant well versed in transcription and translation.

Transcribing recordings is not as easy as you might think. As a virtual assistant transcriptionist your clients will not have to struggle with this issue. Using your transcription software, you will be able to handle all sorts of recordings for them using the format that they choose for the written copy.

Some of your services can include:

• Medical Transcription
• Legal Transcription
• Video Transcription
• Podcast Transcription
• Transcription Translation
• Audio transcription for business meetings

Clients can email their work to you as audio or video files according to what file extensions you accept. They may even want to mail CDs or tapes for non-rush jobs. Depending on their needs, you can provide verbatim transcription or cleaned-up transcription that is grammatically correct.

For the virtual assistant transcriptionist who is also fluent in another language, you can offer translation services to your clients. This gives them the opportunity to expand their customer base with products for non-English speaking customers. Each area of transcription can become a sub-niche if you want to specialize further. Medical or legal transcription alone can turn into a lucrative business.

Transcription services are one area that a virtual assistant can specialize in as a business idea. As more and more online businesses use other media as marketing tools, they will need the skill of a transcriptionist and even a translator for their work.

Jan Tallent
Tallent Agency Virtual Assistance

p.s. I attended Rolla Institute in Rolla, MO and took a course in Computerized Medical Office Technology. With this course I was given extensive training IN medical transcriptions, which I must admit was the hardest but also most rewarding class I have ever undertaken!

5 Tips for Working with a Virtual Assistant

There can be a learning curve when you first start working with a virtual assistant. Use these tips to get your relationship off on the right foot.

You finally found a virtual assistant who seems to be perfect for your business. You’re ready to get started, but what do you do first? There can be a lot of uncertainty and unless you have a plan in place, you may not be able to take advantage of everything your VA has to offer.

By applying each of these tips from the beginning, you can position yourself for success with your virtual assistant.

1. Take Time to Think Through Tasks

It can be frustrating for both clients and VAs where there seems to be no clear plan for assigning work. Instead of sending miscellaneous e-mails as you think of things, take some time to make a list of all of the areas you want your new virtual assistant to be involved. Compile information on each area and schedule a time to talk with the VA to provide details on the tasks and make sure you are on the same page.

2. Ask the VA for Advice

If you’re unsure what direction to take with new projects you want to outsource to your VA, or don’t know the best way to send the VA detailed information, ask! Your VA has likely been in this situation before and can provide some valuable advice to help you get started.

3. Provide Clear, Concise and Complete Information

Once you start sending off information to your VA to take over, be sure to send everything you can think of — too much information is always better than not enough. Give the virtual assistant a chance to read everything through and ask for clarification, if needed. And keep in mind that the first couple of months of the new relationship will not be perfect as you and your VA get used to working together.

4. Keep Lines of Communication Open

Being accessible to your virtual assistant is key. Just as you expect them to be responsive to your calls and e-mails, afford them the same courtesy. Open and easy communication is the only way to ensure you and your VA begin to build a mutually beneficial relationship.

5. Be Open Minded

Give your virtual assistant opportunities to make suggestions and offer new solutions you may not have considered. Your VA has a lot of experience beyond what you may know about, and if you give him/her a chance to contribute, you can benefit in ways beyond what you expected.

Clients – What have you learned in working with VAs?

Virtual Assistants – What would you add to this list to help clients working with a VA for the first time get off on the right foot?

By Alyssa Gregory on 04-Aug-2009
Virtual Assistant Hub