Virtual Assistant Jobs eBook review

Review of The Little White eBook of Virtual Assistant jobs

By Debra Turner, Telecommuting product reviewer for WorkAtHomeTruth.com

his review of the virtual assistant jobs ebook from Little White Ebook takes the form of a question and answer session between Mr. Work@Home (Paul) and our Telecommuting Product reviewer, Debra Turner.

UPDATE: THIS BOOK IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE

We recently tried to contact the company about their books, but they did not respond. Their website is down and this book is no longer available. You might consider taking a look at our review of one of the top home job resources available online instead - InYourPJs. Click here for our review of Sylvie Charrier's classic book about working from home - InYourPJs (You Can Work In Your Pajamas).

Virtual Assistant Jobs eBook Q & A

Mr. Work@Home: Why would it be better for someone to buy this book than trying to find all of these companies on their own online.

Debra Turner: Well, I've done that online searching thing -- it takes weeks -- what amounts to seemingly countless hours and hours on end -- just to search for and locate and verify LEGITIMATE companies that hire virtual assistants (or any other online workers, for that matter).

Overall Vote:	(4.5 out of 5.0)
Price:	$29.95.
Better Business Bureau:	0 complaints (clean record)
RipOffReport.com:	0 complaints (clean record)
Compatible:	PC / Mac (requires internet connection to access some of the sites listed).
Click here to learn more about The Little White eBook of Virtual Assistant Jobs

And, particularly if you are new to the VA world, how do you even know WHO or WHAT to search for -- never mind the HOW, WHERE and WHY.

But believe it or not, what's even worse than that is the research -- which could subsequently require more weeks (even more countless hours and hours on end) just to adequately research a few individual companies -- not to mention virtually thousands of them to be found online. Then you are plagued with worrying about whether or not your research results are reliable.

Pretty ugly, huh? And that's only one area of concern!

OK, now I may have to repeat myself from a previous review. I really loved Michelle's first book -- and my sentiments about spending the money for this one are exactly the same: Is this book worth $ _____ ? Well, I don't know about that -- I guess that all depends upon how you can answer this question: "What's it worth to re-enact the scenario just described?" ... Or, how about this one: "What's my time (and lots of it) worth?" And while you're putting all this time into your research, how much food is being put upon your family's table? Now ... you tell me ... Is it worth the _____ measly bucks to bypass the nightmare I just illustrated?

Okay, okay -- so maybe eliminating what could represent anywhere from weeks to months of just the research makes the book well worth the money. But what about all that "other" stuff?

Aren't there lots of other things to be considered and resolved...like setting up your own home office? Is this "my own business" -- and if so, what all does that involve? Isn't there a lot of "legal-ese" type of stuff that goes along with that? Is this really for me, and do I have the skills that it takes to succeed as a VA? What are those skills? And don't you need to advertise or market your own business somehow? What reliable resources are available to me? And, hey -- just exactly what IS a Virtual Assistant, anyway? This is really kind of scary -- I wish I knew more about it...

Well, guess what? In my opinion, the reader will now be in possession of a resource worth well more than its weight in gold. It's my solid belief that this eBook will empower anyone with all the knowledge that will be needed to succeed in this endeavor -- whether raw beginner or seasoned veteran.

Target Expertise for this Virtual Assistant Jobs eBook

Mr. Work@Home: What level of expertise in telecommuting would this book be most appropriate for -- just beginner, all levels, etc.

Debra Turner: I find that this publication actually offers great value to any and all levels of expertise.

For the newbie, I particularly liked the common-sense approach to all areas of concern. And I think that the fact that all of the material is presented in a very readable step-by-step format will be greatly appreciated.

I discovered that a particularly valuable nuance contained within this author's presentation style is that not only does she direct the reader with "WHAT" -- but, something that I consider equally important (especially for those new to the field) is that she also sensibly justifies "WHAT to do" with "WHY you are doing it".

I felt that the first three sections were the most crucial to someone who might be vacillating between "Should I -- or shouldn't I?" These chapters, "Should You Become a Virtual Professional?", followed by "Is Virtual Work Really for You?" and "Skills Needed to Become a Virtual Assistant," contain sufficient information for anyone to finalize their decision "To be or not to be," so to speak.

I LIKED THIS SECTION A LOT: "Skills Checklist for Virtual Assistants" -- "If you're not sure about what skills you have to offer, we've created a skills checklist on the next page to help you assess your marketability."

This page is very comprehensive, and I was pleased and surprised to find so many items (things I always took for granted -- never even considering them to be specific skills!) listed under three categories: "Software and Technology Skills", "Office Skills and Specialties", and "Internet Skills and Specialties". My feeling is that this section will be especially helpful to those newer to the field, inasmuch as it helps to identify skills possessed by the reader that perhaps the reader never even thought of as being marketable skills.

Little White eBook of Virtual Assistant Jobs - "Idiot Proof"

Mr. Work@Home: How easy is this virtual assistant jobs eBook to use. Pluses & Minuses about that. what makes it easy to use. what makes it hard to use.

Debra Turner: Nothing about it is hard to use -- this eBook is positively idiot-proof. (I know that to be a fact -- because it was super-duper easy for me!). It is very basic and down-to-earth -- the Table of Contents outlines exactly what it is that the reader will find in each and every section, in an orderly fashion. Everything about the book is right to the point -- no fuss, no muss -- beginning at the beginning for newbies, adding more and more information throughout the eBook -- teaching Newbie as we go.

And consistent with what I have previously discovered the authorÔs common-sense approach to be, the text progresses into more complicated concepts for the more advanced user, with the unique quality of never leaving Newbie behind -- rather, maintaining an interesting level of material, rapport and communication which are appropriate for all levels of expertise throughout.

Favorite parts of the Little White eBook of Virtual Assistant Jobs

Mr. Work@Home: What are some of your favorite parts of the Little White eBook of Virtual Assistant Jobs?

Debra Turner:Every time I thought I had just completed my "favorite" section, I was pleasantly blind-sided by the next -- each one being progressively better and better!

I think this is the most significant statement in the entire book: "If you want to start a virtual assisting business, creating a sound business plan, having enough in savings to pay for living costs until you begin earning a steady income and aggressively marketing your services to various industries are all important to your success. But once you establish yourself, there are many opportunities to be had in this profession."

Also, in my opinion the sections called "Drawbacks of Becoming a Virtual Professional" and "Is Virtual Work Really for You?" contain the soundest advice in the entire book, particularly if you are the sort who tends to err on the side of caution ... (like me). In fact, my feeling is that the info in these sections should perhaps be plastered all over the cover.

I really liked these sections for newbies, too: "Setting Up a Home Office" and "Keeping Your Home Office Paperwork Organized"...There were many helpful common-sense suggestions in here that I had never even considered until reading about it here...including several ideas that I immediately implemented in my own home office).

"Getting Legal: Setting Up a Basic Business Structure" -- Addresses (and actually simplifies) the chief concerns that one will face when setting oneself up as a business. Also included is the link to the Small Business Administration for further information.

There's also a surprisingly useful section called "Planning Your Virtual Career - as a Business" -- "Setting up an informal business plan is essential to your success..."

Again, this section directs the reader by addressing areas that may not have even been among his or her considerations before. Things like setting your fees, your website and hosting, business cards are detailed here.

Now, for the seasoned professional, here is the coup de gras, the icing on the cake:

"Companies that Hire Virtual Assistants" -- Is a great grouping of in excess of 60 well-researched legitimate companies including many staffing firms that specialize in virtual jobs, as well as businesses that farm out their administrative tasks to a group of administrative professionals. These companies are subdivided by specialties, I.e., Virtual Assistants, Captioners and Transcriptionists, etc.

Each page -- devoted to one specific company -- is divided into left and right sides. On the left, you'll find vital statistical information such as the following: Job Page, Main Page, Payment Terms, Applying for Jobs, Company Profile.

On the right-hand side of the page, you'll see more miscellaneous data: Project Types, Other Places on the Web; LinkedIn Profile, MyBlogLog.com Name.

An especially helpful section for people seeking virtual assistant jobs

Mr. Work@Home: What were you surprised to find in the book that made it especially helpful (if there is something).

Debra Turner: "A Fill-in-the-Blank Business Plan for Virtual Assistants" -- What a great idea!!! -- and hands-down, my absolute favorite section of the entire eBook! This 10-page section is exactly that: Pretty much a do-it-yourself business plan -- a written document created by the reader which describes, in detail, what is desired and how it is to be accomplished. With the guidance of this comprehensive and in-depth questionnaire-type outline, the reader ultimately is enabled to render a written explanation of his or her "plan of action" for success.

The author recommends that the reader print this section out and keep it handy while going through the rest of the eBook, because further marketing ideas and strategies -- as well as specific companies that hire people for contract administrative work -- are provided later in the book. I wholeheartedly concur.

I consider this to be a highly beneficial tool for anyone contemplating becoming a VA. Not only that -- I can see the value that it represents for even the seasoned professional, a sort of review -- or refresher course, if you will.

Clarifying hourly rates for Virtual Assistant Jobs

Debra Turner: The book states that Virtual professionals Ð including assistants, transcribers and captioners, often make a healthy hourly rate from $15.00 to $75.00 per hour. However, as somebody new to the freelance world, finding the clients can be hard and you'll want to be diligent in your initial efforts to find work.

Then it goes on to say The average virtual assistant earns $20.00-$25.00 per hour and works at least 20-30 hours a week. If you specialize in transcription or captioning, rates go as high as $75.00 an hour. You can choose to be paid weekly, bi-weekly, per project, or you can work with clients on a retainer.

I think these salary figures need more clarification, especially the ones at the upper end of the salary spectrum.

Mr. Work@Home: I checked close to a dozen resources and the lower range of $20.00 seems to be an accurate average based on those resources. On the very lowest end $12.00/hour was mentioned frequently. To get into the higher end of the salary range requires extensive experience and/or very specialized skills.

Debra Turner: Another seemingly inconsistent part of the book is a section where they state that "Currently, there are 3,000 to 5,000 virtual assistants working worldwide. The number keeps getting bigger as more companies take advantage of the services offered by those who want to work from home."

But it seems that this statement a little later in the book would contradict that one: "Because of the heavy competition online, you may have to start out with low pay for each project you do as a novice virtual assistant."

Final comments about the Little White eBook of Virtual Assistant Jobs

Debra Turner: Aside from the minor issues listed above, this is a terrific addition to any Virtual Assistant's library as it not only gives them a blueprint to success, but also concrete information on specific companies that use Virtual Assistants on a regular basis.

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