Released on: December 1, 2007, 12:51 pm

Press Release Author: Tawnya Sutherland

Industry: Small Business

Press Release Summary: Announcement of holiday contest promoting the Virtual
Assistance industry

Press Release Body: One year ago this month, VANetworking.com, home of the Virtual
Assistant Networking Association (affectionately called "VANA" by members)
celebrated the registration of its 3000th member with a special contest. Valuable
prizes were awarded each day in December for the first annual VA Advent Calendar
Contest. VANA's founder, Tawnya Sutherland, is thrilled to announce that as of this
writing there are more than 7,500 registered members which means an even bigger
celebration is in store for 2007!

How did VANA's membership more than double in one year? Because the VA industry is
exploding! With a recent article published in 'Readers Digest', a segment on ABC's
'The Today Show', and lots of other media attention, more people are being attracted
to the industry and more business owners are becoming aware of Virtual Assistance.
If you are a Virtual Assistant - a highly skilled professional providing
administrative support and other specialized services to businesses, entrepreneurs
and executives - here's your opportunity to join this VA family for advice,
mentoring, and camaraderie. As the forum theme goes, "Hey, Hey, The VA Gang's All
Here," and they are! Supporting one another and working hard to promote the Virtual
Assistant Industry.

Sutherland states, "One downside working virtually from home is that you now miss
those office coffee breaks to brainstorm, network and just brag about your son's
latest sport accomplishment with your fellow office colleagues. Networking with
others of like mind keeps many of us of sound mind allowing us not to go stir crazy
working all by ourselves with little human interaction. By joining online networking
groups, this void can be filled through forum interaction and online interactive
webinars. A good example of this is our VANA Deck the Offices virtual holiday party
being held December 13th in our webinar room. We will be playing networking games,
having contests, giving away prizes and truly just enjoying each other's company in
a festive way."

Considering becoming a Virtual Assistant? Now is the perfect time to join VANA - the
global meeting place for aspiring and successful VAs. As a member you'll have access
to over 74,000 posts, expert advice on work-related topics, weekly VA chats, monthly
contests, the VANA Newsletter, discounts on products and services, and placement on
a growing listing of VAs in 14 countries in the VA Service Directory, and just in
time for the holidays - access to the VANA Shop. And it's all for free!

All members old and new will be eligible to win great prizes in this year's VA
Advent Calendar Contest. Prizes are valued at over $5,000 and are all perfectly
suited for virtual assistants - both new to the VA industry and seasoned veterans
alike.

How do you play? A different prize will be drawn daily during the Advent season
(December 1- 25) and all members who have posted within 30 days will be entered into
the draw. It's that simple!

Prizes include:

-'The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Thriving Business' ebook by Yvonne Weld - value
$49.95
-Get Clients NOW! book and 1 hour of consultation (donated by University of VAs)-
value $90
-VAinsider membership - value $295
-Free enrollment in the Virtual Assistant Training Program (VATP) - value $1200
-Full scholarship for Virtual Assistant University (VAU) - value $1500
-Many more ebooks and business building products coveted by VAs everywhere!!!

Patty Dost, owner of 'www.TimeIsOfTheEsCents.com', is a volunteer at VANA and, in
her role as volunteer, she is gathering prizes for this year's contest. "I love
volunteering at VANA and this type of thing, I just adore." says Dost, "Not only
does my business grow thanks to the advice and information I receive as a member,
but I get to gather prizes that will make a different VA happy every day in
December!"

If you have a product or service you wish to introduce to the VA community this is a
great low-cost advertising opportunity. You can email Patty at
resources@vanetworking.com for details.

If you are a business owner who would like to learn more about the VA industry,
where better to look? You can't beat VANA (VANetworking.com) when it comes to
resources and the vast pool of professionals from which to draw.


Tawnya Sutherland, founder of Virtual Assistant Networking Association (VANA)
http://www.vanetworking.com and author of the Virtual Assistant Startup System
(VBSS), is a Certified Internet Marketing Specialist sharing her expertise to help
aspiring and successful VAs turn website clicks into cash for them.

Web Site: http://www.vanetworking.com

Contact Details: Tawnya Sutherland
http://www.VANetworking.com
media@vanetworking.com
604-542-9664