Great point Kate, though I'm certain of my 5,000+ posts here there are any number of typos to be held against me

P.S. - this post today was actually inspired by a CLIENT, believe it or not - for whom I am building a site. He lists ALL of these services and then some and yet - Hamid and I are the ones making it look like he can actually do all that he claims he can. The nerve of some people never ceases to amaze [/QUOTE]

I'm trying to juggle shutting down a construction company, 4 kids, finding some type of income and learning about becoming a VA. I love data entry and working on the computer in general. What would you suggest I do to get into the right niche? Any ideas? Toni from Louisiana

Hi Tess and everyone else. I found Tess’s post most helpful because she included a lot of the “big words” that are involved in those skills. It makes it very easy to see whether you have that skill or not. If you understand what she’s saying, then you might be ok. If it seems she’s talking Greek, think twice about offering it – or make it clear about what you can offer.

I’d like to add Access database development to the pot. It can seem easy to build simple tables, queries, forms and reports – and that may sometimes be all you need. But it can get complicated real fast. I think the difference lies in what the client is looking for.

If they just ask you to compile a report from some data they have, then you can use whatever tools you want to build that report (including Access).

But if they see “database development” on a list of services, they may ask for a database to be built for their own use. And that is a ton of work. There’s the design work, consultations, security, data design and integrity, relational tables (as opposed to simple tables), table relationships, normalization, SQL, VBA programming in modules/macros/objects/forms, multiple-user issues, training, setup, implementation, maintenance, version issues, etc, etc, etc – many things to think and worry about. Not to mention all the different computer and server configurations out there – you’d need to make sure it works on their computer(s) and that they have the proper versions of the software as well (and if they later upgrade to a higher version, your database may stop working properly). If they don’t want to buy Access, then you would need to develop it “stand-alone” and that means different expensive software you would need (and that could involve operating system upgrades on their part). Plus all the changes and updates the client will inevitably have – they often do not really know exactly what they need or want in the beginning (or can’t explain it, or think it’s obvious), but start to see it once you have given them a taste. You need to try to think ahead to what they might be forgetting to ask for, given what you know about their specs. There is so much extra work to do when you build a database for someone else to use. You need to charge a LOT more.

It’s like building websites (and many other things) – there’s the easier wizard/template way that will get you to a certain point. And if that's all that's needed, that's ok. But if you need more, you'll need extra training or to call in a professional. And the professional will probably just start over from scratch because it's usually easier than working with someone else's database.

Of course, I can only speak from my experience. I did database development and programming for 10 years and I have no desire to offer it as a VA service. Far too much work. I definitely commend those of you that do do it, as you have probably found a way to make it work. All that said, I love working with Access. It’s my favourite tool to use. I would certainly plan to advertise a service for data collection and reporting – or some such other term.

Sorry for the very long-winded post and run-on sentences and bad grammar.

Deb

p.s. I think this long post should count as 2 don’t you? I need to get my post count up.

Oh Tess bless you! I actually have clients who do this in thier businesses. Promoting and advertising products or services they don't actually have or do. I am a firm believer in quality not quantity. It is better to niche your self and become the best in your field then spread yourself too thin. I have extensive experience in the veterinary field and this is one of my main target markets and it does very well.

I think there are posers in any field. The ones that scare me are the ones that actually think they know what they are doing. Mine are people that think because they have succeeded at balancing their own checkbook they are now qualified bookkeepers or because they have prepared their own taxes using TurboTax they now are qualified to do it for others.

I've been doing this for 14 years and let me tell you, it's not that easy and it's not that simple. Laws change on a regular basis and unless you keep up with them and understand them you shouldn't be handling other peoples finances. I spend hundreds of dollars a year keeping up with tax law changes and continuing my education as I'm sure anybody who excels in their field does and frankly it just PO's me to no end when I see people taking advantage of other people by trying to provide them services they aren't qualified to provide.

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Rebecka Melson ~ Virtual Business Services

Hello everyone, I'm laughing and cringing at the same time when reading this thread. It reminds me of the "early days" in my business when I took on an assignment that I was totally unqualified to handle. It was doing some financial reporting (that I had no experience with) and I was so anxious to land the new client. Totally backfired on me. Lesson learned!!! Needless to say, that person never called me again.

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Virtual Assistant 3.0

Good points, be careful with what you promise and ensure you can always deliver. I guess also to make sure we choose our words carefully - ie database management when all we really mean is input data

You are very right, Tess.

Many thanks, also for the links provided, because even if one has an English degree, one shouldnt sit on his/her oars as languages are dynamic. They grow -expand, contract, assimilate, get urbanised, reflect contemporary tones, etc everyday (for instance, I can still remember when you could introduce someone as your partner in Britain and think nothing of it; because everyone understood he/she was your business partner. These days, heaven help you if you arent explicit?!)

Very well spoken and with a straightforward bit of professiona advice.

Thanks for starting this thread Tess and for other who have contributed. I have just gone back to my own site and amended some of my services so that I do not give the wrong impression.

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Vicky
www.c-vas.eu