INTRODUCTION...4
The Wave of the Future: Why Go Virtual?...4
Frequently Asked Questions...5
GETTING STARTED...8
Do you have what it takes to create a virtual corporation?...8
QUIZ: Are You VC Material?...14
You’re ready for business—is your business ready for you?...17
The Importance of Being Earnest—Er, Organized...19
Goal setting: where will you be in five years?...21
Yes, You Can: Why No Goal is Too Lofty...25
Your business, your way: determining your virtual potential...25
Essential Equipment for the Home Office...31
Home Office Feng Shui: A Crash Course in Arrangement...35
Marking Your Territory...37
Cyber Space: Home Office Computer Considerations...38
Insurance: Do You Need It?...41
BE A MAGICIAN...43
Why you must look bigger than you are...43
Creating the illusion: How to give your small business a big presence...44
Where do you live and work? The importance of your physical address...45
There is no “I†in “teamâ€...46
Multiple identities: creating “departments†(without hiring staff)...48
Paper or plastic: why you need to accept credit cards...49
What’s that ringing in your ears? Phone services for virtual entrepreneurs...51
The Skinny on Expansion: Fitting In to Your Virtual Skin...54
Company Logos: You Need One...55
How to Be a Consummate Professional...58
Keep ‘Em Coming: Earning Repeat Business...60
Elastic Options: Choosing Services That Grow with Your Company...62
HELP WANTED...64
Going it Alone: How to Clone Yourself Online...64
Virtual Assistants: The Magic of Telecommuting and Distance Employment...66
Virtual Employees: Telecommuting to a Home Office Near You...67
Contractors and Freelancers: Why You Need Them, How to Find Them...69
Wording Your Job Advertisement...71
Virtual Temp Services: Who You Need, When You Need Them...72
Paying with Virtual Money...73
LEGAL MUMBO-JUMBO...75
Typecasting: What Will Your Business Be?...75
Online Sales Tax: To Charge or Not to Charge?...80
Uncle Sam Wants You! Tax Tips for the One-Person Show...82
Why You Need a (Virtual) Accountant...84
The Golden Years: Retirement Planning for the VC Owner...85
Micro-Management: Legal Handling of Your Scattered Employees...87
TOOLS OF THE TRADE...90
Your Web Site: Like a Building, Only…Not...90
Naming Your Domain...91
Selecting a Web Host: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly...93
Professionalism: The Total Package...98
What the Heck is a Blog, And Why Should I Get One?...102
Plastering Your Web Site: Internet Advertising Techniques...104
Autoresponders are Your Friends...113
How to Use Them...114
Where to Get Them...116
The Great Divide: Conquering Isolation in a Virtual Environment...117
How to Streamline Your Virtual Corporation for Maximum Profits...120
Save Money...121
Spend Money...122
Make Money...124
Info Dump: Tips, Tricks and Tidbits for the Virtual Corporation...125
Time Management: How to Get Things Done When You’re Not...125
Living by the Clock...125
Child Care for the Virtual Corporation Owner...128
CONCLUSION...130
RESOURCES...131