Local Virtual Assistant Celebrates Inaugural International Virtual Assistants Day: May 19, 2006
Inaugural celebration of International Virtual Assistants Day to be held on May 19, 2006. IVAD coincides with a three-day assembly sponsored by the Online International Virtual Assistants Convention (OIVAC) running from May 18 – 20, 2006. Virtual Assistants worldwide will display the free IVAD logo and creed on their websites.
Baltimore, OH (PRWEB) May 2, 2006
Ten years ago if any one had told Baltimore resident, Terry L. Green, that the nascent industry she has been working so hard to promote would finally receive its own day of recognition; she probably would not have believed it. Green is a virtual assistant, and she along with more than 5,000 other virtual professionals working worldwide will celebrate the first International Virtual Assistants Day (IVAD) on May 19, 2006.
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. IVAD will appear in the 2007 edition and will be held annually on the third Friday of May. The inaugural celebration of International Virtual Assistants Day coincides with a three-day assembly sponsored by the Online International Virtual Assistants Convention (OIVAC) running from May 18 – 20, 2006. 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 Green, whose company specializes in working with professional speakers, authors and coaches in the areas of executive and administrative assistance.
Green, a former executive assistant, originally conceived the idea for her business in October 1991. She started a new career in order to have the opportunity to be at home with her then teenage children, and fulfil a lifelong dream of having her own business and being able to do what she loved to do on her own terms, without the constraints and limitations of the corporate world. Now, almost 15 years later, what started out as a sole proprietorship serving only the local community is now Fastype VA Services, Inc., serving clients worldwide.
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 pay only for the time actually spent working on their projects, and often retain a fixed amount of hours per month for service.
Typical 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, email and even instant messaging. Most attractive is the fact that VAs are also responsible for their own 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. More than 90 percent of them are highly-skilled working mothers who choose to start their own businesses in order to achieve a better work/life balance. 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 IVAD simply acknowledges all of those virtual professionals who work so hard to honor our creed: Dedication, Experience, Expertise and Determination to Succeed (DEEDS).”
About Fastype
Launched in 1991, Fastype specializes in working with professional speakers, authors and coaches in the areas of executive assistance; database and shopping cart management; event listing, registration and follow-up; assembling and mailing presentation packages; preparing speech handouts; article submission; proofing/editing services; ezine maintenance and distribution; blog maintenance, design and formatting of ebooks, special reports and tips sheets... and so much more. Typical clients are internationally known speakers, life and business coaches, writers and authors, and a variety of small business owners. Visit the website at http://www. MyFastype. com (http://www. MyFastype. 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 website 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 http://www. allianceforvirtualbiz. com (http://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 http://www. oivac. com (http://www. oivac. com).
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