The term "Virtual Assistant" has been around for a few years, but most people are still unfamiliar with what a virtual assistant actually does. Virtual Assistants ("VA") are an amalgamation of the support staff most professionals have available to them in a corporate office environment: Executive Assistant, Secretary, Word Processor, File Clerk, Copy Clerk, Personnel/HR Department, Accounting Department, IT Department and more. In short, a VA is what you need to get things done, efficiently and effectively!

VAs are small business owners like many of you. But they are not an employee of your company. VAs DO become an integral part of your business --- they learn about your company and they learn about your individual preferences and habits. Because they learn so much about you, it is important that you find a VA who is a good match for you, personally and professionally.

VAs take pride in their work and their job is to help you succeed. Because they too are living their professional dream, I find most VAs are extremely happy and positive people. Unlike someone who is unhappily locked in a job they hate, most VAs have a great sense of humor and are flexible in their availability. The more they learn about you and your business, the more valued their assistance will be. As small business owners, they define THEIR success by YOUR satisfaction with their services.

In general, VAs tend to be very well educated, with experience in a wide range of areas including office management, marketing, client interaction and computer systems/software. It is this broad band of knowledge that makes them valuable to you and your business. They perform such tasks as internet research, invoicing and collection of bills, travel arrangements, event planning and preparation, planning and execution of marketing strategies, establishing and maintaining websites, Blogs and newsletters, transcription and word processing, handling telephones, mail and e-mail tasks when you are unavailable, and numerous other tasks; they free you to spend time building your business. And they are often organizational wizards!

Generally you and your VA will communicate via e-mail, telephone, fax, digital recording/cassette tape, overnight mail or instant messaging services. As you and your VA work together, you will develop the methods of communication and operation which work best for you. As with all forms of communication, it takes time for the lines to open up. So it is important for you and your VA to exchange information openly and without undue sensitivity. Once you have established an ongoing relationship, much of the communication will be intuitive.

Since VAs are not your employees, you do not pay for their benefits. Health insurance, vacation and sick days are their own responsibility. You also have no need to maintain an office full of equipment which is rarely used. Your VA will have her own equipment. Unlike hiring through a temporary service, you will not need to provide your VA with a desk, computer, etc., for the majority of the work done. Some people like to have their VA do an on-site visit once or twice a month to help with filing or mailings. But any large table will generally work well for those projects --- even a kitchen table.

We hope you will give us an opportunity to assist you. What have you got to lose? You may just gain the additional time you need to call that prospective client you met last week.