Greetings from Virtual Writing & Communications Solutions!  I'm pleased to present here a series of articles relating to the definitions and uses of the Virtual Assistant industry in today's business and professional worlds.

It's fairly rural where I live, so it's understandable that no one here has ever heard the term, virtual assistant.  But even the current web presence of this intimately internet-connected field is relatively small - though it's also growing at a breathtaking rate! 

Virtual Assistants are revolutionizing the working world.  I hope you enjoy reading about my take(s) on this wonderful, sensible phenomenon!

I invite you to visit my business website, as well, at http://www.asthemoonclimbs.com.

Business owners and managers of all kinds must deal with a dizzying array of organizational challenges, all centered around establishing or strengthening the business' sustainability. Today's leaders must be 'all things to all people', and it can be a daunting challenge.

In the business world, as executives and managers constantly juggle planning, production, PR, finances and reporting, they must also constantly configure the delegation of tasks. And then when they hire staff, leaders find themselves spending a lot of time worrying about how to manage them.

If you have employees, you must regularly check to ensure their workflow is structured properly, their production levels are up to par, their work ethics are in order. You pay wages/salaries, benefits, taxes, rent and utilities and all office bills. You endure a costly and often stressful interview/hire process when one of your employees quits.

If you're just starting out and working alone, at least for the time being you're probably having a great time exploring your business idea. Perhaps you've already seen some success, and the thrill hasn't worn off one bit. But you do wonder if you're losing too much sleep, and your partner is beginning to complain about the long hours you keep.

Whether you already have employees, or just want to unburden some of your solo work, take a serious look at working with a Virtual Assistant. 

Here's why.

• Virtual Assistants work from a remote location, often their home office. This means: no facilities costs for you; no costs for office equipment; no wages, benefits or taxes (Virtual Assistants do business by independent contract); no missed work because of inclement weather or traffic problems.


• Virtual Assistants provide a huge variety of services, but most of them offer basic services in administration. You can see the services offered at the VA's website. If you need general office skills – phone answering, typing, copying, email management, correspondence, etc. – you'll have many VAs to choose from.  The magic of cyber space has made this possible. What areas of your operation could be 'outsourced,' even though you always assumed they had to be in-house?


• Virtual Assistants often specialize in something. If you need financial assistance, many focus on bookkeeping. If you’re looking for website development or marketing help, VA sites again are the place to go. If you need an all-round executive or personal assistant, a VA is there for you. If you want research, design or even project management, you can find them among VAs. There are dozens of other specialties as well. 


• Virtual Assistants contract by the hour or by the job, with all conditions set up in advance. You are charged for time actually spent on your work, only. Most VAs use time tracking software to keep their billing accurate. No more paying for coffee breaks!


• And yes, there’s one other reason: VAs are usually at home, in comfortable environs, doing what they love to do. They tend to be well-adjusted people. This translates into no more employee worries for you! You can find a VA who smoothly, professionally takes care of business because it truly is in his/her own interest to give you top notch service. 

Maybe you’re starting to see why a Virtual Assistant may be just the solution for you. You will save time, money and hassle; and very likely you’ll receive higher quality product.  You can agree to a short or long term contract, or simply go week to week. Many VAs serve the same clients year after year; others will complete a time-bound project for you. The variety is immense.

And speaking of immensity, I’ll do the next article on how to decide which Virtual Assistant(s) to contact, since the Google listings may boggle the mind ...

 See You Online!
        

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