Two years ago when Maria Thompson got pregnant with her third child, she left her job as a paralegal to get ready to be with her baby. Thompson looked into doing word processing from home. When she started researching opportunities, she found that she could offer more services as a “virtual assistant.”
So Thompson taught herself web design and desktop publishing and started Advantage Business Services. She’s done work for local real estate agents (designing brochures, doing bulk mailings) and other work-at-home moms (helping them set up their own websites). Thompson charges $25 to $75 per hour, depending on the work.
Start-up costs were $200 for supplies, a business license, and permits. She already owned a PC. Salary potential: Up to $60,000, full-time.
How Thompson spread the word: she joined several associations for virtual assistants, which list her business in their online directories. She also swaps ad space with other work-at-home moms’ sites.
Photo by MSDesigns.
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