Provide office services from your home as a freelancer
Freelancers, or virtual assistants, provide the services that many businesses, particularly small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and companies in the early stages of their development, need, but cannot always afford with a full-time salary. By paying for these services as and when they need them, they are effectively sharing the payroll with the freelancer’s other clients. It is an arrangement that suits everyone involved and from which everyone benefits.
Some of the services that a hired freelancer can perform remotely are ones that might otherwise have been beyond the means of a small business owner. Not all entrepreneurs can afford to hire a personal assistant, for example, but by outsourcing the work of a personal assistant it is sometimes possible for such services to be provided on demand, saving both on salary bill and on retention expenses. unproductive of employees during periods of relative inactivity. By using resources like People per Hour, where freelancers can offer their services and companies can seek help, a match can be quickly established.
The International Association of Virtual Assistants even operates its own membership directory as a useful tool for companies seeking help.
Focus on building your business
Other functions that can be similarly delegated to a third-party service provider include accounting, web design, search engine optimization, graphics and images, market research to gather information on customer trends, and content design and management. In fact, entire swaths of the operational part of the business can be put in the hands of the virtual assistant, leaving the entrepreneur free to concentrate on the task of growing the company.
In terms of getting started in the business as a virtual assistant or freelance, the first step would be to identify an area, or areas, in which you specialize, or for which there is a demand that still seems unsatisfied. Next, and just as important, is to establish a presence and build a high profile on the web that will allow potential customers to find you and see what you have to offer them. A good way to do this would be to create a blog and keep it updated with fresh and interesting content. It is also worth adding to your portfolio by creating a Facebook page associated with the service you offer.
Freelancing offers the freedom to work as you wish and without being committed or in debt to a specific employer. It works for both parties, which is why its popularity is increasing in the US and elsewhere.