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Commute becomes walk through the living room for Front Royal resident
The rising cost of gas had one Front Royal commuter considering other employment alternatives.
Leisa Good, after spending time researching work-at-home business opportunities, found the right fit for her --- Gemstone Business Solutions, a virtual assistance opportunity that has Good commuting to her home computer versus driving her normal 137-mile roundtrip work schedule.
Before embarking on her work-at-home journey, Good was an administrative assistant for a medical society that was leaving her little time for her family and friends. It was those shortcomings that had Good in search of a new alternative. "While I was working and commuting I was able to stash away about three month's salary for living expenses. I also made certain that I had all of my equipment and advertising rearing to go.
I had a few clients, and I knew where I could possibly find more," Good said. "Because I had such a long day commuting, I did most of my networking on social networks." Good had a taste of working for herself when she and her husband owned and managed a rental property business. It was through that experience that she decided that working on her own, as her own boss, was the best decision.
Although working from home is a great idea, she said it does not come without fault. Many work-at-home companies are available on the Internet, but at a cost that can often pan out to be nothing more than a scam. "Usually if it is too good to be true, it is. Luckily I have become wise over the years. I did my homework on the forums with people who were actually victims of some of these scams," said Good.
Working from home does not require any special knowledge or know-how. According to Good all it takes is an understanding of how to make the Internet work for you with patience and motivation. "Seriously, you can become a consultant in almost any field, Google search it. I was in the administrative field so virtual assistance made sense for me," Good said.
Through her experience working for herself from home she has been able to launch a website dedicated to her business. "Not one project or client is ever alike. I am so much more than a cyber-secretary to my clients, who to date are almost all virtual," Good said. Virtual assistance is a growing field in today's society and offers small businesses a chance to gain some administrative support, or whatever else they may be in need of.
Since most of the business is handled online, over the phone, by e-mail or fax Good said she has only met with a few of her customers, who range from businesses in Virginia to clients in Maryland, Florida, Wyoming, Utah and California. "I strive to enhance and improve the online presence of a business. If you can write the right message on your Web site to the right target market, you will never be without profits," said Good. "My costs are no different than any business owner. I have to charge enough to cover my time, expertise, and operational costs.
Luckily I don't have to factor rental space or gas expenses to the client," said Good. "I do use sub-contractors when needed and do try to pay them a handsome percentage on the project." In the future, Good hopes to educate others on the many opportunities available to them when they decide to work from home. She said that in five years she would like to be "educating more companies and businesses about the benefits of using a virtual assistant. I would also like to set up training for women, and men, wishing to get into the exciting world of virtual assistance.
I have a real passion for helping others succeed." Good can be contacted online at www.GemstoneBusinessSolutions.com.
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