Virtual Assistance is a wide
range of services provided remotely by people called Virtual Assistants. They work remotely from a home office, which
can be within the same city, or it can be as remote as being in a different
country on the other side of the world. This is, of
course, being made possible by the
internet and other technological advancements.
2 Kinds of Virtual Assistant.
Most of the time, virtual
assistants are self-employed or freelance
workers. And since they are not employees
of a company, but are merely contractors, companies are not required to pay for
taxes related to one's employment, and
pay for insurances and provide other benefits.
They are allowed to work for multiple clients. There are also instances where in Virtual
Assistants are being hired by the companies, so there are dedicated to the said
company, they won’t be allowed to get other projects from other clients, but
they get to enjoy the perks of being employed.
What can Virtual Assistants do?
Most people, when they hear the
term, Virtual Assistant, they would immediately think of an online secretary. In theory, a virtual assistant can almost do
just anything, just like any staff,
except shake your hand or be physically present in your location.
Virtual Assistance is not only
limited to Administrative Services, it also includes Creative and Technical
Services. Under Administrative are tasks
like Responding to Emails and Setting up Email Lists, Bookkeeping, Appointment
Setting, Research, Content Writing, Customer Support, Marketing Campaigns, Data
Compilation, Lead Generation, Preparing Presentations, Social Media Management
and so much more. Under Creative Services,
are tasks that would include Photo and Video Editing and Animations. While Programming, Website Design and Management, Computer-Aided Technical
Drafts are examples of Technical Services.
The Advantages of Hiring Virtual Assistants.
Most companies or employers hire Virtual
Assistants for two main reasons. The first
main reason is, it is cost effective. Employers
can actually hire Virtual Assistants for only a couple of hours per day or to
perform certain tasks or complete certain projects. Employers also have
the option to hire Virtual Assistants from cities or other countries where
rates per hour or cost of services are cheaper.
The second reason is
convenience. Employers don’t have to
deal with logistical concerns that they usually face in hiring regular
employees, like the office space, office supplies,
and other equipment. Hiring and
discharging process is easier. Plus one
virtual assistant can sometimes even do more than just one or two functions.
