I have spent the past week checking out some really great work from bloggers and webmasters. Sadly, amongst all of the really good and valuable information on the best of these sites, I have had to wade through countless typos, misspelled words, misused grammar and more that takes away from the professionalism and legitimate business feel of the sites.

Whether it seems fair or not, most well educated people will notice the “uhohs” and often leave that blog or site and look elsewhere for whatever brought them to this or that blog or web site to begin with.

I am one of those visitors. I love to read more than I love to breathe and hate to have to stop and reread and decipher or mentally fix a word or phrase or sentence to get onto the next morsel.

This is why I decided to focus my Virtual Assistance business on the thing most important to ME as a reader and web site or blog visitor, which is correct spelling, grammar and using the right instance of a word. For example, the biggest “uhohs” I find are:

it’s and its

their and there and they’re

your and you’re

aren’t and isn’t or are and is

then and than

being mixed up and used at the wrong time in the wrong way.

That is where I can come in to help you present the best of YOU and your writing ability so that you can concentrate on doing just that.

Out of curiosity, I have been checking out at least ten business sites and ten blogs per day. At least 7 of the 10 could use my Proofreading and Editing Services.

I have finally gotten up the nerve to write TO the blogger or webmaster and since there is always something good about the document I am reading or I would not continue reading after the first couple of “uhohs’, I offer a good comment or feedback on the quality or content of the writing and then mention that as a proofreader & editor I have some tips I can offer on how to fix a few typos, errors, etc. and invite her or him to get back to me and give my email address.

Needless to say, most do not reply. Strangely, or at least it seems so to me, of the ones who do get back to me, most have said something along the lines of “oh, it’s okay, my visitors do not mind or I do not care”! Okay, this is fine if they want to feel that way but seriously, most of your visitors who even notice, DO CARE! And, I, for one, want visitors that are able to read at a level that they would spot, at least, my most glaring errors and let me know about them so that I can fix them before more see them!

I have even seen this in professional forums and business groups I belong to – and, especially for those who ASK for feedback and constructive criticism, it amazes me that they do not really seem to care about the quality or their content past their ability to write something interesting or informative.

Please, just take the little bit of time it would take you to read over what you are posting for the internet world to see and if you cannot find any errors, why not ask 3 friends or net buddies to read it over for you and see if they might spot something you have missed, or, better yet, take advantage of the fact that I am right here, at my home office, waiting to help you with your document clean-up and want to assist you in putting your very best work to its very best showing!

I have had quite a few people tell me they would love to use a proofreader & editor but cannot AFFORD one. I understand the money crunch we are almost all feeling but seriously, can you afford NOT to make sure your work is seen at its best?

By using a Virtual Assistant to do your Proofreading and Editing you only have to pay as the service is used and this can be quite affordable, especially when compared to that sale or those sales that you are seriously losing out on with a sloppy or not-so-perfect document representing you and your business.

Check out my reasonable rates or get in touch with me to Schedule a Project or discuss the possibility of my working for you on a retainer. With this option, you can pay ahead and as you update your blog and/or your web site, you can send me the finished document(s) as you get it or them done and I can get it all cleaned up and polished and back to you in a very reasonable amount of time.

To date, I have ebooks, print books, sales pages, reports, web pages, blogs, articles, a screen play and more in my portfolio with savvy and smart clients who know how important this service was to them and can be to you, too!

Jan Tallent
Tallent Agency Virtual Assistance

p.s.

Calling all writers, bloggers, webmasters, etc: if you know people who need transcriptions, proofing or editing PLEASE pass my name to them.

It is a really nice and thoughtful way to let them know how much you appreciate their work and want them to show it to its best abilities.

For the potential Virtual Assistant

The life of a freelance worker before the Internet was very different from what it is today. In the past, any freelancer would need great mobility or spend hours on the phone, either asking for work or finding out WHO to contact for this endeavor. In order to get around to pitch yourself to potential customers, you would require boundless energy and an ability to deal with being told “no” face to face or over the phone. So much of freelancing is about speculation, after all. You could try to sell yourself a hundred times and could be told “no” a hundred times. Although the Internet offers no guarantees of acceptance, it does make things a bit more equal for the freelancer.

There are many sites on the Internet that offer the opportunity for freelancers to pitch to potential customers on specific jobs – a searchable database means that you can even check for jobs that match up perfectly with your own specific skills and abilities. You can name your price and tell the customer how quickly you can turn a job around. The days of having to get out there, pound the pavement and then be told “sorry, we’re not interested” are more or less over. Not to mention that the Internet provides a truly monumental research tool for the jobs that require a bit of extra knowledge. The internet is nothing less than a launch pad from which to set your career in motion.

For the potential CLIENT

Outsourcing Using the Internet

Sometimes in business, as skilled as you may be, there are things that you are unable to do. A customer will come through with a very specific task and, although you will be able to do most of it, there may be a part of the job that poses you problems and prevents you from completing the task. In this respect, it may often seem that you will have to turn down the opportunity. But that is not necessarily the case. With the Internet at your fingertips, you have ready access to a skills base that means you can complete on that job even if some of the work is outside your own skill or time reach. Welcome to outsourcing or using a Virtual Assisant.

Thinking of it as a non-Internet situation for the moment, imagine that you are an interior decorator who specialises in hanging wallpaper, painting and plastering. It may just be that a job comes through that involves all of that, plus laying a hardwood floor. You’re good, but you’re not experienced in laying down floors. With the use of some contacts, you could pay for the services of a person who is capable and experienced in that part of the job. By paying them to take those duties on, you can accept the job and move forward.

There are many workers out there who do business via the Internet, and to contact them all you need to do is pick up the phone. If you cannot complete a job all by yourself, but it will pay well, there is no need to give up. Just log on, find a contact and get the job done.

Jan Tallent
Tallent Agency Virtual Assistance

Jan Tallent is the owner of Tallent Agency Virtual Assistance for 11 years, a marketing and small business online newsletter for going on 10 years, an internet marketer for my own digital products PLUS tangible products and an avid social networker . I also have an eBay store so stay pretty busy 10 to 12 hours per day, mostly on my computer and the net.

I am concentrating my VA biz on proofreading , editing and transcriptions as these are my favorite assignments to take on and where my strengths lie. If you are in need of these or any of my other Virtual Assistance services, send me a message and we can Talk about and schedule your project or projects .

Today I would like to share with you a great post by Michelle Mangen, one of my online connections.

Understanding Differences with Virtual Assistants

Frequently I am asked during consultations with new clients why there are so many “variations” between Virtual Assistants, especially with pricing .

If you own a brick and mortar business compare employees you currently have and have had in the past. When you interview a candidate what makes you chose one person over another? Why do they not all ask for the same pay?

Some of the criteria used to determine which employee to hire was probably one of the items on this list:

* past experience/skills
* education
* cost of living (geographical)
* belief in themselves (confidence)
* Personality

The same holds true for Virtual Assistants. Like any service industry no one mandates what can and should be charged.

I know Virtual Assistants who charge $20/hr for bookkeeping and others who charge $65/hr for setting up a Facebook Fan Page.

As with a true brick and mortar company you can’t always hire one person to do all things. The same holds true when hiring Virtual Assistants. Maybe you interview a VA who cannot help you with email management or handling your Aweber newsletters.

Many Virtual Assistants can do much more than what may be listed on their website. When in doubt – ask. If you believe your VA can’t perform a specific task ask if she can refer someone she can trust.

At the end of the day hiring a Virtual Assistant is very similar to hiring an employee. We are all different, yet our goal is the same … to assist you in growing your business and alleviating any stress and anxiety you may feel with running certain aspects of your business.

I welcome any questions you may have in regards to services you may be seeking but have not yet asked me about.

To YOUR success,

Michelle Mangen
The VirtualAssistant.com

P.S. I have been networking with Michelle and her specialties are bookkeeping and dealing with aWeber. Feel feel to visit her site and if you decide to try her services, please mention that Jan Tallent referred you.