A Virtual Office – that’s going to work.
(NC)-What’s an office? A cubicle or small enclosed room on the umpteenth floor of a downtown high-rise, right? Not necessarily. More and more rat-racers and commuters are choosing to opt out of the old paradigm, shed the business suit and set up shop in their homes.
Some people are selling their services as actual “virtual offices,” offering remote administrative assistance, communications, web and tech help and more. Others work a couple of days a week, freelance when projects come in or run a full-time home-based business. You don’t have to buy a water cooler or install an elevator in your house to make your home office a reality, but you do have put some thought into your set-up.
No matter how strong your business plan, you need the right equipment to succeed. Advances in computer and communications technology have come hand in hand with price drops, so this isn’t going to hurt your wallet as much as you might think. A full computer with all the fixings goes for as much today as just a monitor a few years ago.
A good way to save cash and space is to opt for a multi-function centre which features a laser printer, copier, PC/high-speed fax, and scanner, all in one.
With your office set up and your equipment in place, now you can practice your phone-answering voice: “Me Incorporated. How can we help you today?”
Credit: www.newscanada.com
A Long Time Coming!
Like all young men and women at some point in their life we dream up what we are going to be when we grow up. Some of us move on to the careers of our choice. Others like me, drempt of someday owning their own business. Being their own boss. And then there is the odd one who never seems to grow up!
I recall as a young boy dreaming of my own pizza stand just down from my parents house. The place where my grandparents ( John and Jessie Clarke), had their vegetable cedar to. I had it all figured out in my mind. The building was to be about 8 feet by 8 feet in size and I would perpare my pizzas and chicken and chips for all my great customers. But this was all in my head. Looking back at it now, it was my first of many to come business ideas.
Then, I grew up and finished high school and continued my education into the college system. Resume after resume, small job after small job, jack of all trades but master of none, I managed to keep the wolf away from the door.
Later in life, I married my best friend, Debbie. Her support with my business ideas was slow at first, but she could see the potential in me. Joining my side, she has been there picking me up when I fell down. I love her very much for supporting me in all of our ups and downs.
And then one day it all came to me. Here I am in my middle 40′s with a background in computers, a background in bookkeeping, a background in office and administration as well as a background in customer service and retail… why not! Why not take all this and put it under one roof.
Marsh Virtual Office & Associates is a combination of years of experience and education all into one business venture. It is a combination of three business ideas, bookkeeping, administration and computers. Through hard work, long hours but most important with the support of my wife, Debbie and my three girls, it is all coming together, slowly but surely.
Guy Marsh
March 13, 2011
Virtual Assistant .vs Employee!
Busy? Need an Assistant? Hire a Virtual Assistant!
Thanks to the technology advancements, a Virtual Assistant could save you tens of thousands of dollars if you are planning to hire a new employee or rather I would say a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant is a person who can help you with whatever you need to get done from a remote location through internet and phone. If you are thinking about hiring a full time employee, I would say think again because virtual assistants can come in handy.
Due to the significant difference in salary and other costs related to hiring a regular full time employee, more and more businesses are starting to hire virtual assistants. In most of the cases you will only be paying less than half the salary of what you would be paying for a regular employee and also there are several other ways in which you could save money. Some examples are costs related to health and medical benefits, vacation pay, holiday pay, travel allowances, food allowances, office supply expenses etc.
Providing health and medical benefits have been a nightmare to many companies now since the cost for providing these benefits went up 22% compared to 7 years ago. In order to survive, many companies are reducing the benefits provided to the family members of the employee or charging the employees a significant additional amount to cover their family members. The beauty in hiring a virtual assistant is that you don’t even have to worry about any of these costs.
On an average, an employer spends anywhere from $4000-$7000 as additional benefit expense on a regular employee who makes $40,000 a year. This would cover the salary of a virtual assistant for 4-5 months depending on their location, qualification and skills. There are many virtual assistants who offer their service in the range of $15 to $25 per hour. This could vary a little bit depending upon your requirements.
For a regular employee making $40,000 an year, an employer is spending an additional $4000-$7000 on various benefits depending on the type of office they are in. This would pretty much cover 4- 5 month’s salary for the virtual assistant depending on the location they are working from. (sooperarticles.com)
Take a look at the Cost Comparison link from our website. http://www.marshvirtualoffice.com/docs/c_comparison.pdf
Hello Everyone!
Welcome to our Virtual Assistant Blog for Marsh Virtual Office & Associates. This is our first posting. We hope you enjoy reading our blog as much as we enjoy writing it to you. If there is something you like to see, or any comments about our blog, please don’t hestitate to contact us.
You might ask, what is a Virtual Assistant? Will a Virtual Assistant (VA) is an independent entrepreneur providing administrative, creative and/or technical services. Utilizing advanced technological modes of communication and data delivery, a professional VA assists clients in his/her area of expertise from his/her own office on a contractual basis.