What Is a Virtual Assistant?

If your workday has left you feeling overwhelmed, frazzled, inadequate; if you’ve lost your passion, need more than twenty-four hours in the day and are on a tight budget you may need a virtual assistant to relieve the stress and allow you to add some spark to your business day.

Sometimes referred to as a VA or virtual office assistant, these self‑employed professionals work from a remote location to provide all levels of professional service from administrative support to graphic and web design. Virtual assistants can often be found filling such positions as executive assistant, office manager/supervisor, legal or real estate assistant, information technology and customer support.

Planning a special project? You might want to consider hiring a virtual assistant to provide support in the areas of marketing, accounting, content writing, social media and topic or information research. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) even makes it possible to have your VA answer your business line from another location.

There are economic benefits to hiring a virtual assistant.

Since a virtual assistant is hired as an independent contractor or freelance professional you won’t be encumbered by the usual expenses associated with an employee. You will not suffer the annoyances connected to costs such as FICA, unemployment tax or holiday, vacation and sick pay.

Consider a few of the other savings associated with engaging a virtual assistant:

• You avoid typical office costs like equipment and office supplies,
• You pay only for the time worked or services rendered and not for the idle hours associated with a 40 hour work week,
• You’re able to exercise the option of setting a spending cap when you contract a virtual assistant for a specific project.

Added pluses associated with employing a virtual assistant:

• There are no geographic limits when searching for a highly skilled virtual assistant; locate proficient and talented professionals anywhere for projects requiring obscure or niche skills,

• A workforce of one or more virtual assistants allows you to maintain flexibility while meeting the demands of your business’s workflow cycle,
• You gain more time to pursue your personal life or focus on other areas of your business.

With a virtual assistant you get a skilled competent professional you’ll feel comfortable delegating business tasks to and that can free you up to enjoy your business and personal life again.