April 29, 2006
Contact: Terry L. Green, MVA, GVA
May 19, 2006
Tel: (740) 862-9425
Fax: (740) 862-9425
E-mail: Terry@MyFastype.com
Ohio-Based Virtual Assistant Celebrates Inaugural International Virtual
Assistants Day: May 19, 2006
Baltimore, OH -- May 19, 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
fulfill
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 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
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
www.oivac.com.
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