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For years Michelle Murphy had the dream of owning her own business and being her own boss. Not everyone can afford to jump into entrepreneurship with both feet. There are so many options to consider, such as medical benefits and food for the children. It may seem trivial but those little guys do like to eat.

Early 2004 a situation presented itself that seemed like a wonderful compromise. Prophet 21 WorldWide Users Group (WWUG) was seeking an administrative assistant for their Executive Officers. Each of the officers served on a voluntary basis in addition to their full time jobs. Needless to say, there were many duties that were time consuming. Outsourcing the administrative work seemed like the best answer for this group. Murphy jumped at the opportunity. She worked full time at CompuData Incorporated while handling the duties of the WWUG from home on her off hours. This meant many late nights and some weekends, but it was her dream.

Although she was very satisfied with her position at CompuData Incorporated, Murphy began weighing all of her options to determine whether it was time to go full throttle with this new career path. With over 15 years of experience as an administrative assistant, she knew that she had the skills necessary to be a success. But on the other hand, her full time salary and medical benefits had to be considered.

Over time the hours began to increase and the benefits far outweighed fear of beginning a virtual assistant practice. Murphy began to research the field that was nameless until this point. She found a wonderful network of like minded entrepreneurs called VA*s. They were hard working, energetic men and women who created a niche for themselves. Each offers different skill sets and targets different audiences, yet all have one thing in common which is a drive to own their own company.

In May 2004, Murphy took the leap of faith and left her salaried position with CompuData Incorporated. She worked diligently for the WWUG and also gained 2 new clients rather quickly. What seemed like a dream for years was now a wonderful reality.

Michelle Murphy continues to partner with the WWUG and will be assisting them in their annual conference in St. Louis this April. She is looking forward to meeting many of the members individually, as she has only worked with them virtually for well over a year.

If you are considering leaving your full time position for a new and exciting career path, you have to plan wisely. Be sure to do your homework, gather information and most importantly ask questions. The more you plan the more ready you will be for this move.

Michelle Murphy owns and operates Murphy Assistants (http://www.murphyassistants.com) a Virtual Assistant company in Pennsylvania.