Course Overview - The Virtual Business Owners Training program, is a primer (introductory) course for individuals who are considering self employment as a career option.  A Virtual Business Owner typically works from his or her home office, offering products and/or business support services to other companies or professionals over the Internet.  A Virtual Business Owner can earn a traditional hourly rate of between $35-$250 per hour performing tasks ranging from basic administrative support to technical telephone interpretation. Virtual Business Owners doing business with the federal government or corporations typically earn a negotiated long-term or short-term contracted dollar amount (research on doing business with the federal government).

Virtual Business Owners typically do business with dispersed clients located in other cities, states or even other countries. Due to the nature of the virtual working relationship, there is a 99.9% chance that a Virtual Business Owner will never meet their client face-to-face, nor will they ever step foot inside the clients office.

Students enrolled in this four-part course will learn the basics of starting, growing, and managing an online virtual business in cyberspace, to include: learning how to develop a business or action plan, attract customers, establish fee or rate schedules, and how to communicate with clients in the virtual environment using affordable technology tools.

Process: Self-paced and Instructor led
Using Interactive PowerPoint slides, eWorkbooks, and Online Resource Materials
 

Course Modules:
Starting a Virtual Business 101
Promoting the Virtual Model Concept
Communicating in the Virtual Environment
Marketing your Virtual Company


Expected Outcomes:

• Participants will be able to conduct a self-analysis to determine skill sets, strengths, and weaknesses
• Identify and set clear personal, family, and financial goals
• Set financial limits and develop a personal budget
• Understand new work trends developing in the global marketplace
• Learn how to work collaboratively across time and space as virtual team members (essential for working with a global client-base, vendors, suppliers, and future alliances)
• Gain insight and hands on experience, promoting the virtual model concept
• Learn terminologies frequently used in the global marketplace
• Identify their life’s purpose, skills, and abilities
• Establish a niche and identify potential markets
• Package and promote services and / or products
• Form collaborative alliance partnerships with industry colleagues, clients, and vendors
• Pitch creative story ideas regarding their virtual business and / or industry to media outlets
• Move from the idea to implementation phase
• Develop a marketable business or action plan
• Market their virtual business to online and off-line markets
• Setup and manage business accounts
• Setup and maintain a recordkeeping / accounting system
• Conduct a self assessment and financial analysis
• Set reasonable and attainable company goals
• Design professional business collateral materials and a basic online website virtual office to showcase talents and expertise
• Deliver presentations comfortably before live and virtual audiences
• Communicate effectively in cyberspace using various collaboration tools
• Formulate competitive rates for products and services

Course Prerequisites:

• General knowledge of how to operate a computer
• Internet access is a MUST (see computer requirements below)
• Conduct online research: locating information and resources
• Present your business idea / concept into written word format
• Ability to design and setup a working in-home office
• Possess the ability to work alone and/or as part of a distance learning group

To ensure the best online learning experience possible, please ensure that your computer meets at least the minimum technology requirements:

PC User: Windows Client - RECOMMENDED
Pentium IV® or later
Windows XP® or later
512 MB (RAM)
60 MB free disk space
Display Resolution: 1024 x 768 or higher
Internet Connection: Broadband Cable or DSL
Soundcard with speakers and microphone or headset with microphone
Web Browsers: Netscape, IE, Firefox, Opera or later
Plug-ins: Acrobat Acrobat, Flash, Real Media, Windows Media
Internet Access: High speed DSL or Cable Modem


PC User: Windows Client - Minimum
Windows 98/ME/2000
Pentium III 500 MHz processor
128 MB RAM
20 MB free disk space
Display Resolution: 800 x 600 or higher
Soundcard with speakers and microphone or headset with microphone
Web Browsers: Netscape, IE, Firefox, Opera or later
Plug-ins: Acrobat Acrobat, Flash, Real Media, Windows Media 
Internet Access: 28.8 kbps - 56 kbps dialup 


Mac User:
Mac OS 9.1/9.2, Mac OS X 10.1.5, 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4
G3 233 MHz
64 MB RAM (OS 9.x), 128 MB RAM (OS X 10.1.5, 10.2, and 10.3), and 256 MB (OS X 10.4)
20 MB free disk space
28.8 kbps Internet connection
Speakers and microphone or headset with microphone