Here’s an interesting article that I spotted today on vadirectory.net/blog - explains a lot about the title ‘Virtual Assistant”.

Interesting discussion at one of the forums I belong to related to the term of title ‘Virtual Assistant’. Some found it hard to explain to people what they do, some wanted the title changed and others were happy to stay with it.

The title isn’t just a title though, it’s a whole industry.  And it’s an industry that birthed in the mid 90s, and is here to stay, still evolving as technology changes, still getting noticed by those out there who have need of our services.

It’s like any industry or service (or product) really. People don’t know you exist till they recognise a need and come looking to find you.

Personally I like the title ‘Virtual Assistant’. There was a time when I didn’t in the early days – it seemed to come hot on the tails of ‘virtual reality’ and I wanted people to know I am ‘real’ and not ‘pretend’.  However I feel it very adequately describes what I do on a daily basis. I Assist my clients on a Virtual basis.

It has nothing to do with being sub-servient, or people not understanding. Our role is to educate the public what a Virtual Assistant is and what we do – just as it’s the role of lawyers, financial planners, mortgage brokers, etc to educate the public on what they do.  There are misconceptions everywhere.

I don’t mind people having that ‘startled-stuck-in-the-headlights’ look. It simply opens doors and provides me the opportunity to explain in more detail what it is I do on a daily basis.  I like that people say ‘what does that mean?’ or ‘what is a Virtual Assistant?’  And the quickest and easiest way to explain it is to ask if they understand how a corporate boss and his PA can work together although in separate rooms or buildings or states or countries when the ‘boss’ may be away on a business trip.  They communicate via phone, email, fax, etc.  Most people say ‘yes’ to that and I then respond ‘well, I work in the same way, except instead of one boss, I have several clients’ and I do all the work in my own office and not theirs. And my particular skill set means I support them with databases, websites, social media, etc.  Other VAs have other service offerings, but all are computer based and operate via the internet in most cases. Simple concept really.

Written by Kathie Thomas - Visit Website

1. What exactly do I need help with?
2. What expertise does the VA need?
3. How much do I have available to spend?
4. How quickly do I need this project done?
5. How long will I need virtual assistance?
6. How often will I need my VA to work?
7. What hours should he or she be available?
8. What days of the week?
9. Is there any specific software he or she needs to have?
10. Is what I need accomplished so specific that I’ll need to incorporate some training time?
11. How will I pay him or her? Visa, MasterCard, Check, Paypal, wire transfer?
12. How do I want to communicate with my VA? Phone, e-mail, snail mail, or a combination?
13. Does my VA really need to be located in a particular time zone, country, part of the country, city?
14. Any other particular qualities you’d like your virtual assistant to have?

What does it cost to have a virtual assistant?

According to the Alliance for Virtual Business: A virtual is far more cost effective than a regular employee. You may pay more per hour than a regular employee, but leave out the FICA, state unemployment taxes, Social Security, health insurance, vacation time, sick time, 401(k), profit sharing, Christmas bonus, holiday pay, and other benefits you need to offer a regular employee, and a virtual’s wage comes out far lower than that of a regular employee.
      We recently tabulated the cost of hiring an in-house assistant for the average business. It breaks down like this:
Cost (based on 1,960 productive hrs/yr) Item
$13.00/hour Employee wage
$   .53/hour Two weeks of vacation time
$   .27/hour One week sick time
$   .48/hour Health insurance
$   .99/hour FICA (7.65% of wages)
$   .42/hour Unemployment insurance (3.25%)
$   .77/hour Desk, chair, computer, supplies
$   .32/hour Holiday pay
$   .06/hour Placing a help wanted ad in the paper
$   .10/hour Your time spent interviewing candidates
$   .03/hour Profile test
$   .08/hour Payroll processing
$  3.06/hour Office rent (based on $500/month rent)
$20.11/hour Total cost
      Your $13/hour employee just became a $20/hour employee plus you have greater liabilities and you still have to manage her and replace her if she doesn’t work out, thus go through that whole process again.
      A virtual assistant should be set up as an independent contractor � never an employee. You don’t want to be held liable later on for her office not being ergonomically friendly or for her developing carpletunnel syndrome. If you use a virtual staffing agency, check with them first to be sure the admin they assign you is set up as a contractor or at least an employee of the agency � not an employee of your company. Hiring the virtual as an independent contractor is also what gets you out of paying all the taxes, health insurance, and so on.
      A virtual can save money in other areas as well. How much does it cost you to maintain office footage, a computer, a phone line or two, a refrigerator, a microwave, a desk, electricity, heat, air conditioning, and parking for your regular employees? With a virtual, you don’t need any of those things - he or she supplies his or her own.
      The fee for a virtual usually depends upon the area of the country where he or she is located and their area(s) of expertise. Virtuals charge between $15 and $75 per hour. But, you only pay for the time he or she actually spends working on your tasks. Others still may agree to a flat fee based upon individual project requirements.

Either way, you come out ahead.

Why You Need to Hire a Virtual Assistant

By Minda Zetlin

Overwhelmed at the office? But not ready to hire new staff? A virtual assistant might be the solution.

For small businesses that are drowning in paperwork or administrative tasks, the traditional choice has been to hire a part-time or full-time assistant, or else slog through unassisted. But in these work-from-home days of the Internet, there’s a third option: hiring a virtual assistant.

Though the profession is relatively new and definitions vary, virtual assistants provide administrative or other services from their own offices, over Internet, phone, or fax. Virtual assistants (VAs) can provide a wide range of services, including not only administrative tasks such as clerical work, correspondence, and making travel arrangements, but also Web-based marketing, bookkeeping, writing, and any number of other tasks. VAs are small businesses themselves; some are one-person shops who may mostly handle administrative duties, others work with a staff of VAs to provide a wider range of services and greater availability than is possible for a single person.

For Wendy Battles, a health and lifestyle coach with a company named Healthy Endeavors, hiring a virtual assistant meant finally being able to market her business the way she wanted to. “As the business grew, I had more and more tasks,” she says. “I spend a lot of time with clients, but I also need to do marketing. And I’d wanted to launch new tele-seminars and develop more courses.”

Now two virtual assistants help Battles with Internet marketing tasks. They disseminate her weekly two-minute audio tips, improve her site’s shopping cart and search engine optimization, and write pitches. The Internet marketing work she never seems to have time for is finally getting done. And, though a Web developer might also have been able to improve her SEO and shopping cart, working with a VA has a different quality, she notes. “A Web developer wouldn’t do some of the stuff my assistant does,” she says. “Plus a Web developer might not always be available or have the same mentality about getting things done that a virtual assistant does.”

What to expect from a VA

Ready to consider hiring a virtual assistant? Here’s what to expect if you do:

1. Don’t expect to have to make a big commitment. Some VAs work on a fee-for-project basis. Others work on an hourly basis whenever you need them. But many prefer a monthly retainer for ongoing work. “That way, we get to know the clients and share in their successes,” says Sue Kramer Harrawood, marketing director for the International Virtual Assistants Association, and a VA herself, whose company is Peace of Mind Virtual Assistance. But just because you pay a retainer doesn’t mean you’re committed to a lot of work or expense — many VAs allow for a commitment as small as five hours per month. Whatever you decide, it may be a good idea to plan for extra work — perhaps double the usual amount — during your first month, as the VA gets to know you and your requirements.

2. Expect to pay $25 per hour for a truly novice VA, to $65 per hour for a more experienced or highly skilled one. At least, within the United States, those are the going rates. Many VAs from other countries, notably India, will work for $5 an hour, or less. “You can cut overhead dramatically, but I’ve been looking for offshore VAs for 10 years, and have only found one who reached my standards,” says Jennifer Goodwin, owner of internetGIRLfriday.com, a VA firm that employees other VAs to help serve its clients. Technological challenges and a language barrier can also be an issue when working offshore, Goodwin notes.

3. Consider looking for a VA who specializes in your industry. “Some VAs are specifically trained and licensed to work with real estate or insurance,” Kramer Harrawood says. Others may specialize in copy writing. Depending on the type of work you need, seeking out a VA who knows your industry may be well worth the effort.

4. Check out the VA carefully before you hire. A prospective VA should expect that you will want to have a detailed interview, and also check references with current or former clients. And, if the VA will be handling sensitive or valuable materials, you can take it a step further. “If you feel you want to do a background check, or look for a VA who’s bonded, then do it,” Goodwin declares. “There are plenty of them out there.”

5. Remember that the VA is a small business owner, not an employee. “A lot of people who hire VAs think of them as employees, and they have that mindset that the VA has to come into the office and do whatever they say,” Goodwin notes. “Actually, it’s more of an equal partnership.”

6. Expect more efficiency than you would with in-house staff. “Usually someone on staff has a lot of downtime, because there are breaks, conversations with co-workers and so on,” Goodwin says. “There are studies that show a VA who doesn’t have these distractions can get through an eight-hour day’s worth of work in four hours.”

7. Think of the VA as a partner in your business. “Sometimes there’s a great benefit for a client to creating a strategic alliance with the VA,” Goodwin says. “A lot of VAs send out newsletters, and feature their clients in their newsletters. And let’s say a company like mine has a client who’s a florist. I may want to send flowers to my other clients. And my other clients may want to send flowers to the people in their lives as well. Sometimes you can both make more money if you look at it as being in business together.”

It is administrative or creative services provided by a contract professional that works directly with a client by email, phone and fax from his/her own office. These professionals provide an alternative choice for businesses that need office support staff on a less than full time basis.

It is an idea that is increasing in popularity because it makes sense. As a small business owner, your energies are probably best spent on expanding your customer base and sales, not getting caught up in administrative tasks.

Virtual Office Assistance can provide a wide range of services:

* Bookkeeping
* Web Design and Maintenance
* Newsletters
* Email Campaigns
* Graphic Design
* Internet Research

Virtual Office Assistance can save your business money, improve efficiency and offer specific skills that might not be needed on a full-time basis.