One of the first things I did to jump start my new business was volunteer. Besides reaping the benefits of doing your little part in making the world a better place, you get the added bonus of learning new skills. Before you have paid clients, you need to spend your scheduled working hours at your computer learning or marketing. Volunteering for an established organization will give you real world experience, hopefully some awesome testimonials (people are eternally grateful for the free help) that you can post to your website. How else do you expect to provide experience and testimonials if you do not yet have paying clients? Of course, you could ask those you worked with at your last corporate position, but for the virtual industry, testimonials from your volunteer exposure (actually working in the virtual industry) may even look better on your website.
Top 10 Reasons to Volunteer:
- Giving back to your community
- Gaining real-world experience and much needed skills
- Discipline to complete tasks on time (Always remember: Under Promise; Over Deliver!)
- Motivation to always proceed forward with your goals and objectives
- Building trusted relationships with others in your field
- Gaining exposure and building your “expert” status
- Learning what type of work you really enjoy doing … finding your “niche”
- Going the extra mile, building credibility to potential clients
- Truly being appreciated for the hard work you provide
- A solid sense of personal achievement when you see the results of your labor
Not only do you have benefits, but the organization does too. The majority of Virtual Assistant professional organizations are run by volunteers. These organizations exist to help each other with tips and tricks of the trade. Using volunteers keeps the costs associated with the group manageable for all, usually free or low cost. Another important function of the professional groups are to share our vast, collective knowledge base with others. If you are looking for an opportunity to volunteer, check out your favorite groups’ listings. It’s a win-win for all!
