Bio

Turnaround times and efficiency are what makes Erin Dawson and her business Dawson Documents– Virtual Assistant leaders in the administration field.  Based in Perth, Western Australia, Dawson Documents- Virtual Assistant provide administration services worldwide.  Having a Diploma in Business and over ten years administrative support experience Erin is passionate about helping small businesses grow.  Erin enjoys using her excellent communication skills and superb attention to detail to support and encourage like-minded entrepreneurial women, particularly Work-At-Home-Mums (WAHMs), through her application of sound business administration support to achieve their business goals.

Erin believes that having the passion to do what she does best shows through in all of her work, onto her clients and their customers.  She is vibrant, fresh and young – qualities that allow her to bring new ideas to her clients and ensure she is flexible enough to meet their quality and turnaround time needs.  Her passion for business extends to her newly launched Letters from Santa business, which she manages in tandem with Dawson Documents- Virtual Assistant.

What is your business name and your website url?

Dawson Documents – Virtual Assistant.  http://www.dawsonsocuments.com.au

How long have you been in business?

Almost 2 years

What made you decide to start your own business?

I was at home after just having my son and was asked to do some work for someone. I had come from an Admin and HR background so could do the work no problem. I then looked more into it and saw there was a profession for what I was doing. It was called Virtual Assistant, and here I am.

What strategies do you use to keep yourself motivated?

My clients keep me motivated. I have different projects and work coming through all the time so it keeps it interesting. Working around my kids, at home is also a huge motivator.

Do you have a current product or promotion running?

For January, all new clients that come on board with Dawson Documents, book 1 hour, get 1 hour free.

What makes your business/products unique?

The fact that I can assist a business from my home office. It is easy for the client, I reduce their stress and costs and increase their productivity. The client is just paying for the work completed and time it takes. No leave, sick or holiday pay. It’s just so simple.

How do you keep the balance between family and work?

You just do. It all seems to fall into place and work fantastically for us. I work around the kids and other activities we have planned, and it just works. Of course, prioritising comes into it sometimes and having a supportive husband also helps.

Do you have any advice for new WAHMs?

I would say, “Follow your dream”. If you have an idea, go with it and see how it goes. You might surprise yourself! You will never know unless you try, and if it fails, then don’t give up. There is more than one way to do everything!

Now I knew that this lady had been working as an office assistant in a construction company. Her eyes lit up as I gently suggested that she explore working at home as a virtual assistant. Of course, she had a lot of questions and rightfully so. It’s no joke to venture into a home business after years of employment.

Since this situation is becoming more and more common with the current economic downturn, I thought I’d share the questions my friend asked and some quick answers to them:

What is a virtual assistant?

A virtual assistant or VA is a self-employed, home-based entrepreneur who assists other businesses, often in administrative work. In other words, a VA is an office assistant who never has to step into her client’s office! In addition, most business owners have particular tasks that they will turn over to their virtual assistants, and these can go beyond basic office or business administration.

What skills do I need to become a VA?

The basic skills a VA needs are office and business administration skills. A VA also needs to be highly organised, communicate effectively and pay careful attention to detail. Some clients look for additional technical skills, such as writing, marketing, social media, blog or website maintenance, and multimedia production – even podcasting!

The skill set you’ll need as a VA depends on the type of clients you want to work with. Find out what they NEED and build your skills to respond effectively.

What kinds of work does a VA do?

VAs commonly do office-related stuff, such as:

• responding to emails
• making travel arrangements
• sending out faxes
• researching and compiling information
• business writing
• typing up notes or transcribing audios

In addition, VAs nowadays are often expected to:

• write and publish or schedule blog posts
• work with autoresponders
• rewrite private label rights content
• optimize a website for search engines
• create a slideshow presentation
• update websites
• set up social networking profiles/pages
• create videos and publish them online

Is being a VA a good option for Mums?

Oh yes! A lot of work at home Mums I know are VAs and they make good incomes from the comfort of their home, without having to leave their children in the care of others. Virtual assistance is a home business, which means it’s flexible. You decide how many hours a day you want to work, on which days, what type of work you want to do, and even whom you will work with.

On the other hand, if you have small children, remember that occasionally you will need to be on the phone or webchat with a client, supplier or other associate. In this case you’ll need somebody else looking after your small children so you can have some quiet and be able to focus on the call or chat.

How much money can I make as a VA?

The hourly rate of VAs depends on several factors. These include their skills and experience, whether they specialize in certain services or a particular industry, and any certifications they may have (those who are certified by recognized institutions charge higher fees). VA fees vary widely, ranging anywhere from around $15 to $70 per hour. So you can see, it’s entirely possible for a VA to make a full-time income working at home.

Ok, I’m interested. Where do I begin?

You can try and figure everything out yourself, of course. But better yet, get the guidance of experienced VAs who have successful virtual assistance businesses. Two such VAs are Jen Houck and Nell Taliercio who have a combined experience of over 5 years in virtual assistance. They share their success stories and step-by-step tips in the Just Add Sweat Guide To Becoming A Virtual Assistant.

The guide includes:

• an audio course on everything from setting up your VA business, to marketing your services and finding and keeping clients
• a workbook to get you into action
• 5 videos teaching essential Internet skills

…and more.

This is the guide that will get your VA business up and running in no time. Who knows? Becoming a virtual assistant may be the next perfect “job” for you.