Local Virtual Assistant Celebrates Inaugural International Virtual Assistants Day: May 19, 2006
Janet Barclay of Organized Assistant, along with several local and thousands of international colleagues will be celebrating the first annual International Virtual Assistants Day on Friday, May 19, 2006.
HAMILTON, ON (PRWEB) May 17, 2006
For most professionals Friday, May 19, 2006 will be an ordinary workday – but not for Janet Barclay, a virtual assistant who lives and works from her home office in Hamilton, Ontario. She along with four other colleagues in the area will be celebrating the first annual International Virtual Assistants Day (IVAD).
Proposed by the online advocacy group, Alliance for Virtual Businesses (A4VB), IVAD is now officially registered with Chase’s 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 gives us an opportunity to pat the backs of our colleagues as well," says Barclay, whose company provides home-based business owners with the expertise of an administrative assistant, without the commitment and expense of hiring and making space for a full-time or part-time employee.
Barclay, who has previously worked as a secretary, customer service representative, computer instructor and employment counsellor, originally conceived the idea for her business in June 2002. She started a new career in order to support entrepreneurs and other individuals who are overwhelmed by the demands and technology of the 21st century.
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.
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, 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 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 Organized Assistant
Launched in 2002, Organized Assistant specializes in newsletter and website development for coaching and organizing professionals but has worked on a wide variety of projects with many types of business. For more information, visit www. organizedassistant. 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. For more information, visit 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. For more information, visit www. oivac. com.
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