Virtual Assistants in Vancouver Receive Training at Virtual Offices

July 4, 2010 - PRLog -- As unemployment rates rise, now about 8% in the Vancouver area, individuals are starting their own businesses and looking for ways to cut expenses. Many moms are now opting to stay home with their children and find a way to add to the family budget working from home as virtual assistants. Some small business owners are reducing costs by using virtual offices and assistants instead of hiring a part-time assistant and renting office space.

What is a virtual office and a virtual assistant? A virtual office business in Vancouver is The Network Hub located at 422 Richards Street. The Network Hub is equipped with all the resources required to start and run a successful company. They offer mailbox rental service, phone answering services, faxing services in variety of packages. Minna Van of The Network Hub states, "At The Network Hub, we believe in taking care of the details so you can focus on your customer and your company's growth."
Virtual Assistants provide a variety of support services to business owners from their own office or a virtual office. These shared, pay-as-you go professionals are also called virtual office professionals. They’re not employees, they're entrepreneurs themselves, so not only do they really understand the business owner’s challenges, they don't come with all the extra costs in money and time that come with hiring an employee.

Virtual Assistants (Vas) in the Vancouver area receive additional support and training in a variety of ways. The Canadian Virtual Assistant Connection (CVAC) provides a venue for VAs to network, share knowledge and skills, plan events and obtain valuable support from other VAs in various stages of business development Many are also members of an online group of Virtual Assistants at FindVirtual.com which now has over 1,050 members.

To provide additional training to Virtual Assistants in the Vancouver area, The Network Hub is sponsoring a 3-hour Virtual Assistant Workshop on August 6, 2010 hosted by Sue and Joel Canfield of Chief Virtual Officer. This workshop is designed to help Virtual Assistants grow their business. It's not skills training but business coaching. ”As virtual assistants we spend so much time focusing on the success of our clients that we sometimes neglect the need to nurture and network for our businesses.  I always try to take the time to connect and attend a workshop relevant to my industry as I always find the information from my peers to incredibly valuable!" - Renee Shupe, The Redhead VA. Details and registration for the workshop can be found at Event Brite: http://vancouvervaworkshop.eventbrite.com/

Today’s new style of work based around technology and collaboration will continue to foster more coworking, virtual offices and virtual assistants. The coworking and virtual assistant industries will continue to grow and work together. Virtual office professionals working from virtual offices will help business owners get more done, save time, money, effort, and frustration, and help grow their business.

"Disclosure: Sue Canfield operates Chief Virtual Officer. She coaches Virtual Assistants and will be presenting at the August 6, 2010 Workshop at The Network Hub.”