HOME
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The
2-Second Commute
Based on the
highly-successful Virtual Assistant training programs Chris Durst and
Michael Haaren developed
for the US Armed Forces and the US Department of State, The 2-Second Commute:
Join the Exploding Ranks of Freelance Virtual Assistants brings
you the knowledge without
the classroom!
Training program
participants have billed over $30
MILLION since our training programs started in 2002. Now YOU can learn from Chris & Mike,
too, and start your own successful VA business!
2-SECOND
COMMUTE
CHAPTERS
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1
Why
Become a Virtual
Assistant?
- personal & professional reasons to
explore this
industry
Chapter 2
Exploring
Virtual
Assistance
- virtual assistance defined
- industry demographics
- services, fees, and trends
- why businesses work with VAs
- international outlook
Chapter 3
Reality
Checks &
Self-Assessments
- exploring important considerations -
motives,
lifestyle,
family, children, etc.
- entrepreneurial self-assessment
- VA readiness self-assessment
- Spouse With a Mouse™ - from our
Department of State
and US
Armed Forces training programs, a special section to help your
"significant other" understand what it will be like to have a business
in the house.
Developing
a "Service
Menu" That You Can Live and Grow With
- inventory your values, interests, and
skills to
determine
your most marketable skills
Chapter 5
Estimating
Costs and
Setting Fees
- projecting your costs, picking your
"salary", setting
your hour, and our special formula for calculating a reasonable
baseline fee
- comprehensive fee survey (see what other
VAs are
charging)
- getting paid -contracts, credit cards,
invoices,
retainers, etc.
Chapter 6
Setting
Up Your
Business and Your Office
- naming and registering your business
- forms of business ownership
- permits and licenses
- insurance
- home office setup
Chapter 7
Building
a Healthy
Foundation for Your Business
- defining your ideal client, interviewing
clients,
partnering with clients
- the art of virtual communications
- SWOT analysis - discovering your
Strengths,
Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and Threats
- the benefits of "niche marketing" -
identifying your
target
market
Chapter 8
Let
the Marketing
Begin!
- image is everything
- talking about what you "do"
- marketing and email
- your Web site - your "global billboard"
- press releases
- harvesting the local "business crop"
- leveraging the media
- guest lecturing
- our 5 favorite marketing techniques
- the Strategic Marketing Plan - your
blueprint for
building
a successful business through effective marketing
Chapter 9
Pulling
It All
Together and
Keeping It There
- a collection of tips, tool, techniques,
and pointers
for
making your business a success
Chapter 10
The
VA Toolbox:
Resources and Information
- VA trade groups, email lists,
certifications and
training
programs
- specialized resources for homeschoolers,
"trailing
spouses", work at home parents, and people with disabilities
- resources and other information for the
"frugal VA"
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Work from home as a
Podcaster
/ Internet Radio Show Host
[Contributing Expert: Kelly
McCausey]
 The niche in a nutshell:
Podcasting is a new
way of sharing audio and video that has swung wide the doors of media
for John and Jane Q. Public. Basically, a podcast is any rich media
file that has been delivered via an RSS feed. They take a variety of
forms delivering internet radio and television entertainment and news,
audio and video tutorials, and all kinds of citizen media. Podcasting
is of particular interest to small business owners since it provides a
new way of connecting with a target market.
Top 5 Services Provided in this Niche
- Topical Internet Radio Show
- Business Learning & Interviews
- Entertainment Programs
- Tutorials
- Rebroadcast of Traditional Media
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Top 5 Hiring Markets
- Self
- Podcast Production
- Voice Overs and Professional Audio
Imaging
- Business Sponsorship
- Network Association
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Pay Range for this Niche
- Sponsorship
income for a podcast will vary greatly according to the topic and
target market and listener’s reach. It is common to see a program
receive anywhere between $250 and $5000 in sponsor support for a
program.
- Self designed podcasters often
earn from related services rather than directly from the program.
- Podcast production pay ranges from
$25 to $100 an hour.
- Voice/Audio Imaging pay ranges
from $50 to 250 an hour.
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Recommended Skillsets
- Strong verbal communication skills.
- Audio production experience or
willingness to learn simple audio programs like Audacity or Adobe
Audition.
- Familiarity or willingness to
learn about RSS and creating a podcast friendly feed.
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Niche
Overview
Podcasting for
Entrepreneurs and Small Business 
Podcasting
to break out of the Rat Race is best approached
as part of an overall business plan. A
podcast should be part of a larger picture rather than seen as a way to
make
money on its own, at least initially.
The main reason being that it is extremely challenging to market and
pull in the kind of listener numbers you need to profit directly from
sponsorship dollars. That being true,
podcasting is still a great way to make money on the internet.
I
have come to see my own podcast as the ‘Cornerstone’ of my
business. It supports and promotes
everything else that I do. On it’s own it contributes very little by
way of
dollars but without it, I may not ever have developed and profited from
so many
other related projects.
I
believe that most small business entrepreneurs should be
podcasting at some level.
A
Podcast Connects
You with Your Target Market
A
business cannot succeed if you aren’t able to put your
marketing messages before your target market.
Everything you do that can grab the attention of potential customers
and
clients is a good thing so podcasting wins favor on that mark
alone.
The
fact is that there are many thousands of internet users
seeking out interesting and entertaining content every minute and in
particular, they are seeking audio and video content that they can
stuff onto
an mp3 player and take with them.
We’ve
had the ability to share media online for many years –
but never before has it been so easy to deliver our media right into
the eyes
and ears of the most interested consumers possible.
Should
you be
Podcasting?
If
you have a message to share, why not start to share it
via a podcast as well as the other more traditional means that you’ve
been
using. If it helps you to connect with
more of your target market it will be worth it.
There
are perhaps a few people who are not well suited to
podcasting. Some are interesting in
writing but clam up when faced with a microphone. I think that
most overcome the fear of public
speaking but a few may never really embrace verbal
communication.
If
you have a nervous stammer or an unusual verbal trait
that makes listening to you awkward, you don’t necessarily have to give
up on
podcasting, you can hire voice talent to assist you with your audios.
Perhaps
most important in podcasting is that you have
something of interest to share on a regular basis. The worst sin
in podcasting is to bore your
listener!
Podcasting
as a
Service
There
are large numbers of entrepreneurs who want to podcast
and see the value in it, yet they have no interest in learning the
technology
or mastering audio production software.
This has opened doors for a new service industry. If you are good
with technology and have an
ear for excellent sound production you can provide services to
podcasters and
make a decent wage at it.
Podcasters
often also need a variety of support
services like web design, graphic design, website hosting, blog
customization, feed
management, etc.
Recommended Reading
- Promoting Your Podcast – Jason Van
Orden
- The Business Podcasting Bible –
Paul Colligan & Alex Mandossian
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Tools of the Trade
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Organizations & Associations
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Resource Links
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 About
Kelly McCausey
Kelly
McCausey has been podcasting since she first heard the term in late
2004 and had been hosting her program; Work at Home Moms Talk Radio (http://www.wahmtalkradio.com),
as an internet radio show for a year prior to that. She owns the
Mom’s Radio Network and has coached dozens of fellow home based
podcasters through launching their own programs.
Kelly
is also an Internet Business Coach (http://www.kellymccausey.com)
and has authored several information products that teach internet
marketing principles and encourage entrepreneurs.
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