Local Virtual Assistant Celebrates International Virtual Assistants Day

May 5, 2008 - PRLog -- BETHLEHEM, PA – For most professionals Friday, May 16, 2008 will be an ordinary workday – but not for Lynne Walls, a virtual assistant who lives and works from her home office in Bethlehem. She along with 62 other colleagues in the area will be celebrating the third annual International Virtual Assistants Day (IVAD).

Proposed by the online advocacy group, Alliance for Virtual Businesses (A4VB), IVAD is now officially registered with Chases Calendar of Events, the recognized authority of special days, weeks and months.  International VA Day will be held annually on the third Friday of May.  The celebration of International Virtual Assistants Day coincides with a three-day assembly sponsored by the Online International Virtual Assistants Convention (OIVAC) running from May 15 – 17, 2008. Virtual Assistants worldwide will display the free IVAD logo and creed on their websites.

“This day of observance not only allows us to celebrate individual accomplishments, but also affords us the chance to pat the backs of our colleagues as well,” says Walls, whose company specializes in organizing processes for small businesses and developing operations and training manuals. Walls, a former Customer Service Manager, originally conceived the idea for her business in January 2007.  She started a new career in order to utilize all of her office management skills and to have more flexible hours.

Virtual Assistants or VAs are independent entrepreneurs who work remotely and use the latest technology to deliver professional administrative, creative, managerial, technical, business back-office and/or personal support services to busy professionals.  Clients only pay for the time actually spent working on projects and often retain a fixed amount of hours per month for service.

Services could include everything from general secretarial and word processing services to desktop publishing, website creation and marketing. Projects are often handled over the phone, by fax, e-mail and even instant messaging. Most attractive is the fact that VAs are also responsible for their own space, equipment, taxes, training, healthcare, insurance - overhead costs that make hiring an employee expensive.

Since 1996 more than 5,000 professionals around the world have become VAs.  According to a study conducted by Brenner Books in conjunction with A4VB in 2004, the United States accounts for the largest number of  VAs followed by Canada, Australia and Great Britain.

“This will be a very special day for everyone involved in the VA industry because it will allow us to bring together all VA organizations and their memberships under one umbrella,” says Alliance for Virtual Businesses founder Sharon Williams.  “VAs are making important contributions to the growth and stability of small businesses everywhere, and the establishment of International VA Day simply acknowledges all of those virtual professionals who work so hard to honor our creed:  Dedication, Experience, Expertise and Determination to Succeed (DEEDS).”  

About No Worries Virtual Assistance
Launched in 2007, No Worries Virtual Assistance specializes in organizing small businesses through the development and documentation of business processes.  Visit the website at www.noworriesvirtualassistance.com.
 
About Alliance for Virtual Businesses
Established in June 2003 the Alliance for Virtual Businesses™ is a volunteer-directed organization, whose primary mission is to promote the growth of free enterprise between virtual assistants, entrepreneurs, small businesses, corporations, associations and other business entities. At the web site client-related case studies, industry-related demographics, and a wealth of other types of information are available to facilitate learning about our industry. Visit the website at Www.allianceforvirtualbiz.com.

About Online International Virtual Assistants Convention
The OIVAC is an online, interactive, "live" yet virtual environment convention of Virtual Assistants, traveling Pathways to Successful VA Practices. Visit the website at www.oivac.com.