A Bird’s-Eye View on Virtual Assistance

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.