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Virtual Business/Virtual Assistance

June 2011

 Welcome to ICA's section on, and for, the innovative world of virtual business.

ICA is keen to promote the use of virtual assistants by businesses and to assist where we can in addressing policy issues of concern to them.

More info?
Want more info on connecting with a VA and what a VA can do for your business? Send an email to va@contractworld.com.au

Survey update, February 2012

What motivates VAs? This latest survey said 81 per cent were chasing increased flexibility in their working lives. Here's the survey.

Definition

"A virtual assistant (VA) is a highly-skilled, independent professional entrepreneur who provides remote administrative, technical and/or creative business support services to clients locally, nationally or globally."

The Virtual Business Show

Listen to Lyn Prowse-Bishop's latest take on the news that affects small businesses and independent contractors through her regular podcasts. Or flip through the 'calendar' for Lyn's earlier podcasts on topics as diverse as sham contracting, business tax through to how to get and keep clients!

Press Releases

Australian Alliance for Virtual Businesses Chapter Launches 1st Industry Survey

Alliance for Virtual Businesses Australian Chapter (A4VBAU) conducts first national comprehensive study of the Australian Virtual Assistant industry to document its development, growth and impact on small businesses, entrepreneurs and solopreneurs.

Read more...

Alliance For Virtual Businesses Launches Virtual Assistants Chapter In Australia

On Friday 20 May 2011, International Virtual Assistants Day, Sharon Williams, founder of the Alliance for Virtual Businesses (A4VB) located in the USA, announced the opening of its Australian Chapter, A4VBAU.

Read more...

Articles of Interest

Taming the Tech
by Lyn Prowse-Bishop

It seems that managers and executives are busier than they've ever been, working longer hours, burning out faster, and complaining they have no time. And this seems to correlate with advances in technology. But isn't tech supposed to make our lives easier? So what's going on?

Read more...


[Updated 3 October 2011]

ACTU Targeting Job Security
by Lyn Prowse-Bishop

At the end of September, the ACTU unveiled their national campaign on non-permanent employment---Secure Jobs, Better Future---which includes a mix of changes to workplace and tax laws and enterprise agreements to prevent contract, labour-hire and casual employment arrangements "unless they are absolutely necessary and offer genuine benefits to workers and employers".

Read more...


Credit Card Scam
by Kathie Thomas

I've been the victim of a very sick scam. I really don't understand why or what. But I wanted to share it with you so you can be wary, in case it happens to you.

Read more...


Can Your Business Survive A Recession? [First published in August 2008]
by Lyn Prowse-Bishop

In the current economic climate many business owners begin to worry how they're going to survive what's being touted as the next global recession. Generally there are two options: cut expenses or increase your revenue/productivity.

Read more...


6 Tips for Checking Out Your VA
by Lyn Prowse-Bishop

You don't need me to tell you, purchasing online carries inherent risks and caveat emptor applies there as anywhere else---perhaps even more so. So what about people who legitimately practice online---whose businesses rely on it? Like virtual assistants? How can you be sure the VA you partner with is legitimate?

Read more...


5 Top Ways to Use a VA
by Kathie Thomas

All small business owners know how tough it can be, trying to wear every hat in their business and keep balance at the same time. That's why they need support and who better than a Virtual Assistant - their own personal support?

Read more...


Virtual Assistants: What are the Benefits for You?
by Lyn Prowse-Bishop

What do you do if you're a sole operator or independent professional/executive in need of professional, confidential admin support, but don't want to go to the expense and hassle involved in hiring your own staff?

What if you don't have the space for staff, or necessary expertise to complete a particular job?

Your best office support staff member goes off on maternity leave and you think your only alternative is to hire an expensive and unmotivated temp?

Read more...


What's in a Name?
by Lyn Prowse-Bishop

There has been lots of discussion of late on various Virtual Assistant (VA) lists around the world about what VAs should be calling themselves.

Basically, the problem appears to be that after the term 'virtual assistant' was hijacked by outsourcing companies from cheap labour countries like China and India after the publication of Tim Ferris' The 4 Hour Work Week, and the apparently wanton bandying about of the term on freelancing sites like Elance and Guru.com, a kind of confusion seems to have descended - apparently - amongst the ranks of potential clients so that when a professional VA answers the question "What do you do?" with "I'm a VA/virtual assistant", s/he is being lumped in so to speak with the cheaper operators. This can lead to difficulties when the time comes to negotiate a contract with the client, who supposedly is operating under the misconception from what they may have heard/read about what a virtual assistant actually is.

Read more...


Cloud Storage Security
by Lyn Prowse-Bishop

Do you have your data in the clouds? Many people are starting to use 'the cloud' for data storage with services like Dropbox but recent reports about potential security issues with the service may have you wondering if it's all such a great idea. I can't go into the details of the issue in a short article---suffice to say that the keys that encrypt your data on the Dropbox servers are actually held by Dropbox meaning that potentially Dropbox employees could access the key and decrypt your data. If you use Apple or Google data storage, Skype or Twitter then you're already falling under similar privacy policies so not much has changed in my mind with the revelations about the Dropbox service.

Read more...


Virtual Assistants: Location No Barrier!
by Lyn Prowse-Bishop

When Greg Cole, Research Director and US Principal Investigator of the Global Ring Network for Advanced Applications Development (GLORIAD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Tennessee, decided he needed an extra assistant, he resolved to look for a Virtual Assistant. But this VA needed to be different from the two assistants he already had - specifically, they needed to be located in Australia to take advantage of the time difference.

"As I spend a lot of my time out of hours responding to emails and writing proposals and reports," said Greg, "I needed a VA who would have the work completed after the end of my business day, ready for me next day to proofread and send out. It's truly a 24 hour operation."

Read more...