FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Angie Hodges
May 19, 2006 Tel: 410-346-6881
Fax: 877-876-1919
E-mail: angie@angieassist.net

Local Virtual Assistant Celebrates Inaugural
International Virtual Assistants Day: May 19, 2006

Westminster, Md – Ten years ago if any one had told Westminster resident, Angie Hodges, that the nascent industry that she has
been working so hard to promote would finally receive its own day of recognition, she probably would not have believed it. Hodges is a
virtual assistant, and she along with more than 5,000 other virtual professionals working worldwide will celebrate the first International
Virtual Assistants Day (IVAD) on May 19, 2006.

Proposed by the online advocacy group, Alliance for Virtual Businesses (A4VB), IVAD is now officially registered with Chases Calendar of Events,
the recognized authority of special days, weeks and months. IVAD will appear in the 2007 edition and will be held annually on the third Friday of May.
The inaugural celebration of International Virtual Assistants Day coincides with a three-day assembly sponsored by the Online International Virtual
Assistants Convention (OIVAC) running from May 18 – 20, 2006. Virtual Assistants worldwide will display the free IVAD logo and creed on their websites.
“This day of observance not only allows us to celebrate individual accomplishments, but also affords us the chance to pat the backs of
our colleagues as well,” says Hodges, whose company specializes in providing businesses administrative support.
Hodges, with 19 years of corporate experience managing accounting and purchasing functions, originally conceived the idea for her business in
March of 2005. She started a new career in an effort to more effectively utilize her time, both professionally and personally. “When I commuted,
I normally worked approximately 50 hours per week at the office, plus spent an average of 90 minutes per day in the car. I would then spend a few
additional hours per week working from home.” Entrepreneurship is time consuming however. “So far, I believe I’ve only reclaimed the 90 minutes
per day I used to spend driving, but it’s a start.”

Virtual Assistants or VAs are independent entrepreneurs who work remotely and use the latest technology to deliver professional administrative,
creative, managerial, technical, business back-office and/or personal support services to busy professionals. Clients only pay for the time actually
spent working on projects and often retain a fixed amount of hours per month for service.

Celebrating First International VA Day

Typical services could include everything from general secretarial and word processing services to desktop publishing, website creation and marketing.
Projects are often handled over the phone, by fax, e-mail and even instant messaging. Most attractive is the fact that VAs are also responsible for their
own taxes, training, healthcare, insurance - overhead costs that make hiring an employee expensive.
Since 1996 more than 5,000 professionals around the world have become VAs. More than 90 percent of them are highly-skilled working mothers who
choose to start their own businesses in order to achieve a better work/life balance. According to a study conducted by Brenner Books in conjunction
with A4VB in 2004, the United States accounts for the largest number of VAs followed by Canada, Australia and Great Britain.

“This will be a very special day for everyone involved in the VA industry because it will allow us to bring together all VA organizations and their
memberships under one umbrella,” says Alliance for Virtual Businesses founder Sharon Williams. “VAs are making important contributions to the
growth and stability of small businesses everywhere and the establishment of IVAD simply acknowledges all of those virtual professionals who work
so hard to honor our creed: Dedication, Experience, Expertise and Determination to Succeed (DEEDS).”
About Angie Assist Virtual Purchasing and Business Support
Launched in 2005, Angie Assist specializes in supporting small businesses by assisting with accounting and billing, writing professional content for
websites and other promotional material, managing customer service duties and many other administrative needs. In an attempt to save money and
grow, many small business owners try to manage all aspects of their business alone. “I remind them that one common denominator shared by most
successful organizations is they tend to have more than one person doing the work.” Angie Assist also provides professional purchasing support
for larger businesses. “I locate items, negotiate favorable pricing and shipping terms, and help them keep their costs down.”
Visit the website at www.angieassist.net.

About Alliance for Virtual Businesses
Established in June 2003 the Alliance for Virtual Businesses™ is volunteer-directed organization, whose primary mission is to promote the
growth of free enterprise between virtual assistants, entrepreneurs, small businesses, corporations, associations and other business entities.
At the web site client-related case studies, industry-related demographics, and a wealth of other types of information are available to facilitate
learning about our industry. Visit the website at www.allianceforvirtualbiz.com.

About Online International Virtual Assistants Convention
The OIVAC is an online, interactive, "live" yet virtual environment convention of Virtual Assistants, traveling Pathways to Successful VA Practices.
Visit the website at www.oivac.com.