As a trailing military spouse, Victoria M. Parham quit her job and started anew umpteen times when her husband got transferred to a new base.

In the summer of 2000, they were living in Maryland, preparing to transfer to Alaska.

That time, though, things were different.

Parham, tired of having no control over her career, had opened a small online business two years earlier that uses home-office technology to perform administrative, office or creative work for clients anywhere.

With a computer, printer, fax machine, scanner, pager and telephone, she had worked hard to build a clientele for Virtual Support Services LLC that could follow her virtually anywhere she moved.

The Alaska move was a test of whether the virtual-assistant business really worked. The trip was "an eye-opener," she said. "It told me, one, this is how we're going to be working and you are right on target and, two, it works!"

Résumé

Title: Founder, president and chief technology officer of Virtual Support Services LLC, www.vsscyberoffice.com , in Emporia, (888) 580-8167 Business: Virtual training, consulting, administrative and office support Age: 37 Graduate: Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, Newark, N.J. Hometown: Newark, N.J. Moved many times as a trailing military spouse. Settled in Emporia in May 2004. Places she has lived: New Jersey, Maryland, Alaska, Texas, Virginia, Indiana, Georgia, Colorado, Germany, Korea Family: Husband André Parham, 40, who retired from the Army as a sergeant first class in October 2004; daughter Victoria, 15 Hobby: Web surfing, singing and reading. "I love every business magazine on the face of the earth." Quote: "Think big, dream big and always allow your purpose to be your passion"

On the journey, "for 22 days, five hours and 30 minutes, I worked with my clients from the back seat of the family SUV," she said. "A laptop, cell phone, pager, printer and Web camera -- that's all the equipment I worked with."

With her husband behind the wheel, she teleconferenced with clients, answered e-mails, prepared packages to be shipped, paid bills, submitted invoices and worked with Web designers, among other tasks.

Sharon Williams, chairwoman of The Alliance for Virtual Businesses in Maryland, an industry association, said Parham's Alaska experience inspired other virtual assistants.

"It was very encouraging to a lot of other virtual assistants who are home-based and who stay at home, that here's an individual who traveled thousands of miles and still ran her practice virtually. If she can do it, I can do it," Williams said some of an estimated 5,000 virtual assistants worldwide told her.

The industry, created about 1997, is projected to become a $130 billion industry by 2008, according to George Washington University in Washington.

Parham's many virtual clients include a scientific research firm in New Jersey and a celebrity public speaker in Washington. "I actually managed her life," she said of the latter. "I did things like schedule all her travel, manage all her e-mails [about 500 to 1,000 a week] and scheduled speaking engagements. She's still my client. When I got her, her e-mail box was so full she was losing out on speaking opportunities."

Virtual assistants -- whether providing office support, training or consulting or doing research, graphics, Web design, language translation, technical writing, whatever -- free up their clients to do more important things, like expanding their business.

On large corporate projects, Parham pulls together ad hoc project teams using her database of 100 to 200 other cyberspace professionals.

In June 2002, Parham's business turned a corner.

Through an agreement with the Department of Defense, she rolled out a virtual-training course.

"I train military spouses how to start, manage and grow their own online business," she said. "Close to 500, 600 have actually gone through the training."

As part of the contract, Parham provides marketing brochures, and the base inserts them into welcome packets that spouses receive when they arrive, whether at a base in New Jersey or Japan.

The spouse registers to take the free certificate course at www.vsscyberoffice.com/vbo. Anybody else can take it for $199 at www.vsscyberoffice.com/vlearning.

In addition to training, consulting work rounds out Parham's business, and she still has clients for whom she provides support services.

Williams, the virtual-business alliance chairwoman, said Parham's expansion into training was impressive.

"She walked the walk," said Williams, also a master virtual assistant and president of a cyberbusiness, The 24 Hour Secretary.

Parham, now living in Emporia, said Virtual Support Services is meeting its financial targets. "We're doing well," she said. "We're in the six figures. I'm definitely eating a steak every once in a while."

Still, running it has not been without challenges.

Challenge 1: With government and corporate budgets being tight, the contracts she gets are short term, a year at a time. "We're looking for long-term contracting opportunities," she said.

Challenge 2: Being available whenever her clients, who might be anywhere in the world, need to have work done. To keep from constantly being on the phone with clients, Parham equipped her Web site with searchable online self-help tools. Now, clients can get answers 24/7, freeing up telephone time and averting work or sleep disruptions.

Challenge 3: Saying no to clients who would clash with her work style or disrupt her work flow. A client who is a micromanager, for example, may want to constantly call and e-mail to discuss their project, requiring excessive time expenditures.

"When you first start out, you work with anybody," Parham said. Now, "I kind of hand-pick my clients. You have to learn how to say no to certain projects that may end up giving you more of a headache than pleasure."

Challenge 4: Staying on top of rapidly evolving technology. Parham started out with a 486 computer and a 14-inch monitor. Today, her business equipment includes five top-of-the-line computer systems, a 52-inch monitor, videotaping equipment, DVD players and CD burners all hooked up to a wireless network. She can work anywhere, even on the beach.

What's next?

Parham's husband, André, 40, born in nearby Jarrat, is on board now as chief virtual-sales officer. Now retired from the military, he is in charge of overseeing projects and making sure they run smoothly.

Together, said Parham, "we are looking to blossom into a full-fledged virtual-training company working with larger international corporations and additional government agencies. We are looking to go overseas into the international realm"