A Virtual Assistant has to be amazing. He/she has to perform tasks that are easier done in the office but instead are done in the home office and make sure they are done expeditiously and perfectly.

Listed below are seven (7) habits a Virtual Assistant can do to show his/her client that he/she is amazing and the best independent contractor they will ever hire. These habits should be ingrained into the Virtual Assistant so they are done without thought.

1. Punctuality: Meeting deadlines - ahead of time - all the time. Once your client understands and sees that you are very on top of each project assigned by providing the finished product ahead of schedule, the client will go to you first with new projects. This habit needs to be maintained all of the time. Remember, you are only as good as your last project done.

2. Communication: Virtual Assistants need to be in constant contact with the client to keep them informed of the status of projects being worked on. Many times Virtual Assistants do not keep the client informed as much as the client wants to be informed. If you are new to the client, the client may want to be kept up to date more than usual. To possibly prevent any confusion in communication, advise the client you will update them on projects every week. If the client wants more frequent updates, this will give them the opportunity to state their frequency of need for updates. This update frequency will vary depending on project and client.

3. Positive Attitude: This is very important. You cannot have the client think they hired someone with a "bad" attitude. This makes it uncomfortable for both involved and makes the client feel the work will not be done the way it should be. The client can always say they decided not to hire you because of some reason but actually it is because of your attitude. After all, the more positive you are, the happier the client.

4. Honesty/Integrity: You need to portray to your client that you maintain a high standard of honesty and integrity. This can be done by the quality of your work and in the discussions you have with your client in regards to the details of the work.

5. Initiative: If you feel there is a better way to do something, discuss your idea with the client and advise them as to why you feel your idea is better - in a good way, of course. Present examples to make your idea more favorable.

6. Self-Motivated: When you work from home, you have to be self motivated. No one is going to wake you up and tell you to get going. You need to be able to get up, think ahead and accomplish something that you know needs to be done before being told to do it. The more self motivated you are, the better your business will be.

7. Over Deliver: There is an old saying, "always under promise and over deliver", if you really want to WOW your client. This will show the client that you are willing to go the extra mile.

All of these habits are important and make for a great reputation. Once you show the client you can do the job and do it well, the client will see just how amazing you are. The more beneficial the Virtual Assistant makes themselves, the more the client will ask themselves, "Why didn't I hire a Virtual Assistant sooner?"