Virtual Assistants do Virtually Everything Virtually!

You may have heard the term “Virtual Assistant” but what do they actually do and how can they help you and your business?

Today's technology allows a Virtual Assistant to provide you and your staff with office support and specialized services and to get you the help you need, when you need help, without hiring an employee.

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org) defines a Virtual Assistant (typically abbreviated to VA, also called virtual office assistant) as an entrepreneur who provides professional administrative, technical, or creative (social) assistance to clients from a home office.

Virtual Assistants normally work from a home office utilizing today’s technology to deliver their services and communicate with clients. With Virtual Assistants working from home the client is saved from the worry of providing additional office space and equipment for a temporary solution.

Wondering how a Virtual Assistant works virtually?
Virtual Assistants support their clients over the Internet, via email and fax. The tools that the VA uses depend on how technology savvy the client might be, and the level of trust established with the client.
Occasionally, items need to be physically exchanged and that is accomplished via US mail, being picked up, or dropped off. However VA’s can usually manage a majority of services using just the Internet and a fax machine. VA’s use remote access tools such as PC Anywhere, LogMeIn, and GoToMyPC which are used for sharing applications and data. Conference calls or online meetings typically utilize NetMeeting, WebEx, or Skype-making location a non-issue for those working remotely.

Why use a Virtual Assistant?
More than ever before businesses are utilizing VA’s because office managers and administrators are under budget restraints or need to cut costs but cannot afford to sacrifice the services provided.

Professional VA’s are increasingly popular since they are able to handle:

• Bookkeeping
• Documentation
• Transcriptions
• Medical Coding
• Social Media Support
• Graphic and Web Design services
• Other office tasks.

This allows business owners and executives to spend additional time with their clients, on revenue generating tasks, or simply taking some much needed time off for themselves!

Many businesses believe that keeping these services in-house will save them money, when in fact; outsourcing certain tasks could help increase productivity in the practice.

Business owners and executives often spend 4-10 hours per week completing tasks that do not generate revenue. Outsourcing some of these tasks could actually save them money when their own “hourly wage” is taken into consideration. Time spent doing administrative tasks could be better spent on revenue producing activities or improving and increasing customer satisfaction. Many times companies are already outsourcing to other professionals such as financial advisors, specialists, human resources, telephone answering services and more.

With a Virtual Assistance, help is only a phone call or click away!