What is a Virtual Assistant?

A Virtual Assistant (VA) is a highly-trained entrepreneur and an independent contractor - a talented professional with strong administrative and organizational skills who partners with other business owners and individuals to provide high quality one time or ongoing, collaborative-style business support services. Virtual Assistants operate remotely from their own places of business and work closely with their clients by utilizing today's state of the art technology such as internet, email, voice mail, fax, and other online collaboration tools to deliver a full range of services and to communicate with their clients and meet the needs of businesses all over the world. Virtual Assistants are administrative experts mostly, but there are also many with other skills, such as, Graphics, Event Planning, Database Creation & Management, Social Networking, etc.
A Virtual Assistant (VA) could manage many things for your business: a personal or executive assistant; a secretary; a marketing executive; an administration coordinator; a copywriter; an editor; a proofreader; a bookkeeper; a project manager; a public relations assistant. Your Virtual Assistant is more likely a combination of a few of these professions, all rolled into one efficient, loyal and dedicated professional VA. Virtual Assistants are in the business of offering right hand administrative expertise in helping you to succeed in your business.
The odds are you may never meet your VA because they are nowhere near you! In an age where technology has made the world a much smaller place and where more professionals are working from their homes or in satellite offices, the former 'Assistant' has become 'Virtual' and we are as close as your fingertips. A Virtual Assistant is NOT an employee. When you work with a VA you should look at it like hiring any other type of contractor; an accountant, a website designer, or a consultant. In order for the client/VA relationship to be successful, the client has to have faith and trust in the VA and their skills. If the client can’t hand tasks off to the VA and relax in the comfortable mindset that everything is in order, then the relationship will be a disaster. Virtual Assistants are business owners and they understand what is important when it comes to supporting business needs. A VA, if trusted and relied on, will become a business partner - a key player in the success of your company. A VA will learn all about your business and after working together on a regular basis will begin to anticipate your needs. Because a VA is self-employed, they have a vested interest in the success of your business. The better you do with their help, the more that adds to their success. There's a real incentive to help you achieve your business goals. When any business addresses it's office support needs, it considers employing full time, part time, job-share or temporary staff to fill requirements. Regardless of the level of service, with all these scenarios there are substantial set up costs i.e. office space; office equipment; training and so on. What if there was a more cost-effective and time saving way for you to get the same, customized, flexible and personal level of service without having to bare the above costs at all? Virtual Assistants are freelancers who work from their own office, using their own desk, phone, computer and software. They pay their own expenses; pay to keep their skills training current and they handle their own taxation responsibilities. No more paying for lunch breaks, idle chit chat, quiet days, sick days, holidays, and personal phone calls. Virtual Assistants are dedicated, driven, highly skilled administrative professionals. They assist business owners by allowing them to be flexible with their employment needs while at the same time concentrating on generating revenue instead of being bogged down with administrative tasks. A Virtual Assistant can offer a helping hand to neglected areas of your business. YOU can focus on what YOU do best, running a successful and profitable business.