New Book Teaches You to Invest in Yourself in 2007

Recent trends indicate that the rise of microbusinesses comes as corporate giants shed workers and fight for revenue. "Entrepreneurial Freedom" provides everything you need to consider whether starting a small business is right for you, and the steps necessary to get it off the ground and take it to the next level.

Arnold, MO and New Cumberland, PA (PRWEB) December 30, 2006 -- A recent article in USA Today entitled Microbusinesses Find Huge Benefits in Outsourcing (http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/2006-12-10-micros-usat_x.htm ) stated that a new kind of entrepreneurship has been exploding since the late 1990s. One in which its owners are opting to grow by leaps and bounds -- without employees. How is this possible? The answer is as innovative as the technology upon which it thrives, and that is outsourcing. As the nearly 20 million microbusiness owners in this country already know, the sky is the limit as to the potential. While large corporations are rapidly becoming an idea of the past, microbusinesses are skyrocketing. According to the USA Today article, "the rise of microbusinesses comes as corporate giants shed workers and fight for revenue. 'The big guy is going away,' says marketer Seth Godin, author of this year's "Small is the New Big." And these microbusinesses are assuming its place as millions of people across the country and even the world are realizing their ability to acquire wealth by utilizing their own talent and skills working for themselves in both retail and service industries. The majority of these operations begin as part-time ventures by people who long for the independence, freedom and control that entrepreneurship offers. Thus they "test the waters" of entrepreneurship, and as confidence and stability increase in their businesses, many of these business owners transition into full-time entrepreneurs.

This trend is being understood in every level of the corporate world, from the top executive to the bottom of the corporate ladder. People are looking for viable options to this current climate. In a world plagued with hype and "too good to be true" offers, how does the average person weigh these options?

In their book entitled "Entrepreneurial Freedom: How To Start and Grow a Profitable Virtual Assistance Practice," co-authors Jeannine Clontz of Accurate Business Service and Lauren Hidden of the Hidden Helper, LLC have combined their many years of experience as virtual assistants into a powerful "how-to" book that walks its reader, step-by-step, through the process of establishing and growing a successful virtual assistance practice.

Virtual Assistance is defined by the International Virtual Assistance Association (IVAA) as "an independent entrepreneur providing administrative, creative and/or technical services. Utilizing advanced technological modes of communication and data delivery, a professional VA assists clients in his/her area of expertise from his/her own office on a contractual basis." (www.ivaa.org)

Both Clontz and Hidden assert that "very few jobs prepare you for running your own business, and the leap from employee to entrepreneur is huge." Yet, there are two skill sets that are essential in starting any type of business and they are "entrepreneurial 'know-how' and the specific skills required for your business services." One major component of entrepreneurial know-how is business funding. Regardless of the countless alluring advertisements that promise phenomenal returns with "little or no money down," the truth of the matter is that it really does take money to make money. Whether you're starting as a small home-based operation or seeking to begin with retail space and employees, some level of capital investment will be required. The authors of Entrepreneurial Freedom teach not only how to determine how much capital you will need for a virtual assistance business, but also suggest many creative ways in which individuals can secure financing and even begin operating a practice on the bare bones minimum. Not only does the book draw on the experience of its authors, but it also includes quotes and excerpts from a wide range of virtual assistant practices from secretarial, bookkeeping, web design and consulting services to name a few.

The success and rapid expansion of microbusinesses such as virtual assistance practices is due to the technological advancements we have achieved in the 21st Century. Unlike business start-ups of yesteryears, technology today affords us the opportunity to have vendors, suppliers and even customers worldwide as many of us begin and end our work day without ever leaving home.

For more information, to purchase a copy, or schedule an interview with the authors, please visit www.entrepreneurialfreedom.com, or call 888-547-6392. Join author, Jeannine Clontz, in January 2007 for two book signings in St. Louis, MO. January 13, 2007, at 2:00 p.m. at Borders Creve Coeur (Olive @ Ballas) and January 27, 2007, at 2:00 p.m. at Borders Sunset Hills (Lindbergh @ Watson).

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