Virtual Bilingual PA services

[miaviv]

I'm completely bilingual and thinking of setting myself up as a

bilingual secretary/PA online to help businesses and individuals with

their French and English correspondence, translations etc.  I'm

just doing a little market research at the moment and wondered whether

anyone reading this post might need these services, have any ideas for

me to get going etc.  Any pointers and advice would be much

appreciated.

Thanks

[Rob Roy]

http://www.iceni-it.co.uk/becoming_a_va.htm

This link might help you - Iceni posts on this site as well, but I was thinking about being a Virtual Assistant when I moved to France and found their site very helpful. If you put Virtual Assistant into Google you get loads of help come up - but you have probably done that already [:)]

[miaviv]

Thanks for the site information.  Did you actually set yourself up

as a Virtual Assistant or did the idea not appeal after the research

?  I'm still keen but unsure how well it would go down in France,

seeing as the French are so very far behind the UK in business

initiatives and they can be very mistrusting of anything differing from

the norm.

[Rob Roy]

I was a medical secretary in the UK, and researched into doing that as a VA, but never went ahead with it for all sorts of reasons, some of  them at the time purely financial - but maybe one day I still might!

I would think you could do well with UK clients - people moving over here and especially if you found businesses in either country that deal with France/England on an occasional basis, so don't maybe have many bilingual staff.

[Just Katie]

Does anyone use a good VA in France and are they found to be helpful.  I am fed up of my French bank and mortgage.  They keep writing to me and I keep sending them money but I could be sending them funds for their christmas bash for all I know.  I would certainly use one if the rates were favourable.  [;-)]

I could ask Twinkle but she is always too busy.

[Iceni]

There are several websites for established VA businesses e.g. www.aukva.co.uk. I know that this is primarily aimed at the UK but it may give you some pointers particularly as regards the transcription market. There are not so many websites around for those about to or just started. Forum rules do not allow me to promote one that falls into the latter category.

John

not

[Iceni]

JK

PM en-route.

John

[Just Katie]

Thanks John but I did not receive your PM

[Iceni]

JK

Have tried to PM again.

John

[Just Katie]

Cheers Jon,

It really makes me wonder how businesses in France which are run by Brits with very little English function.  I mean, on top of all the paperwork etc., what would you do if the computer broke?  I would sit there sucking my thumb if that happened here in UK.[blink]

[hoverfrog]

you fix it and then restore from the back-up.

You do back-up, don't you???

:)

Seriously, though, if your livelihood depends on your computer(s) then you look after your hardware, software, data and internet connection. You wouldn't be a taxi-driver and neglect to maintain your car, would you!

[Iceni]

[quote user="hoverfrog"]

You wouldn't be a taxi-driver and neglect to maintain your car, would you!

[/quote]

Of course not, they drive mini-cabs.

John

not

[Iceni]

[quote user="Just Katie"]

Cheers Jon,

It really makes me wonder how businesses in France which are run by Brits with very little English function.  I mean, on top of all the paperwork etc., what would you do if the computer broke?  I would sit there sucking my thumb if that happened here in UK.[blink]

[/quote]

Luckily computers don't break very often. Di runs 2 at a time anyway, both reasonably new and backs up often. There are the usual probs with software incompatability mostly because Di tends to use newer MS  products but clients don't. Overall the daily challenges don't differ much to those experienced back in Essex except of course BT with all its difficulties was more reliable than  FT.

John

not

[Carly]

Hello,

Please excuse some blatant brain-picking and piggy-backing…

I’ve been a VA since 2002 (since 2004 working in France). I’ve existed, thus far, on the one contract, which keeps me busy two or three days per week. But, as I’d like to be busier, I’m considering setting myself up with a website and looking for new clients. I wonder, though: can I make this pay? If I could just pick up a couple of extra days per week, I would be quite content. I’d really like to make this project work, but before hurling myself wholeheartedly into setting up, I’d like to know whether other France-based VAs manage to pick up a reasonable amount of work? (Primarily focussing on the English-speaking market).

Any advice would be very gratefully received!

Carly