Finding your first clients can be hard,

Freelance sites like Elance offer you clients that are activly looking for someone to do their work for them, so they are a great place to get started.

Sign up at Elance and search over 30,000 jobs today.

for some advice on how to write your profile to attract clients read this earlier post writing your freelance profile and for help with writing a winning proposal click here

vaphilippines:

Due to the present political and economic situations in most countries, more and more people are losing their jobs. Unemployment rate is rising steadily and rapidly which leads people to look for alternative ways to earn money. These people know that investing on a business at this time may prove to be risky especially since majority of business ventures in recent years have turned out to be scams. Hence, they try to look for other legitimate ways to earn a steady income each month. One industry that is touted to be recession proof is the virtual assistance industry. In fact, researchers in the United States claim that virtual assistance is one of the fastest-growing home-based businesses over the last couple of years. You might be thinking, though, what makes this job recession proof?

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Yesterday (29th August) saw the release of The Freelance forecast 2011 a free report produced by dr freelance

http://deardrfreelance.com/2011/08/freelance-forecast-survey-results/

This is the third addition and may not have the biggest representation 470 freelancers and 65 clients but it is an interesting report.

It confirms my suggestion

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You might be the best Designer, Virtual Assistant, or Article Writer out there, but if you don’t have any clients you’re not going to make any money.

Word of mouth has always been the best form of advertising no matter what sort of business you are running, (if a friend tells you they had a lovely meal with great service at a particular restaurant, you are more likely to go there than a restaurant you’ve never heard of.) So right from the start you have to do good work. Over deliver and your clients will tell everyone they know, what a great service you provide.

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This is your Life

I came across this great book that can really get you started with your Virtual Assistant Business. It’s called “Become a Virtual Assistant,the Virtual Assistant Forums Guide to Success”. It goes into detail on everything you need to get started and succeed as a Virtual Assistant. When you buy the eBook you also get 22 FREE worksheets, sample contracts and documents that you can download and adapt for your own Business.

Written by Virtual assistants for virtual assistants this no nonsense guide will take you through the complete process of setting up your business. From discussing what it takes to succeed, to Marketing your business and everything in between, planning your business, determining your services, setting your rates, creating your brand, Bank accounts, contracts and defining who your ideal target market is.

The chapters on taxes and registering your company are for the US, so may not apply to everyone, but reading through them can give you an idea of what you need to look into in your own jurisdiction.

The added usable contracts and business documents, that are specific to the Virtual Assistant, are a great bonus. A lot of time and money can be saved by using them.

For more details and to get your copy of “Become A Virtual Assistant” go to

http://become-a-virtual-assistant.virtualassistantforums.com?affiliate=975

one of the most important and often overlooked aspect of working from home is how to organise your time. I came across this pdf ebook that is full of helpful information to help you manage your time better.

• Find out how you can use your time more effectively so you maximize your income with less work involved!
• Discover a powerful system that will keep your business on track, and help you work faster and better!    
• The top strategies for squeezing more time out of every work day, so you can actually work LESS and still make MORE money!

To get your free copy of Work At Home Success Plan

Click Here

I just found this website which is a fantastic resourse for anyone who uses Microsoft word, It is full of really useful tips and information,

http://www.gmayor.com/index.htm

One of the great things about working form home is that you do not need to spend a fortune to get started

Starting a home business- The basics

• ·        A computer
• ·        An internet connection
• ·        Software for doing the work
• ·        External file storage
• ·        Administration tools

What type of computer do you need to start freelancing?

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Today I moved my office; I managed it with very little stress.

It took me all of 20 minutes and the only stress was in locating an extension lead for my laptop.

I had a ton of work to do and a deadline to meet, but as I looked out the window, the sea was glistening and the trees were still (no wind). I did not want to be cooped up inside all day, so I decided to take my laptop and work outside.

When I took a break and sipped my coffee I thought “yes. This is why I freelance from home.”

Writing your proposal

When submitting a proposal for a job on Elance or any freelance you need to make your proposal stand out from the others, follow the guidelines below and you are sure to increase your chances of writing a winning proposal

Before writing your Elance proposal, make sure you read the job description carefully and check the buyers’ profile. If the buyer includes a sample file look at it.

Never submit a general bid for a project; you must let the buyer know that you are interested in their specific job.

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