First of all, what is a “Virtual Secretary“?
A virtual secretary is someone who will work for a business owner, but from a distant location. For example, you might have a small (or not so small) organization located in Cincinnati, and your virtual secretary works from his / her home in Seattle. Or possibly a place outside the US … for instance, in Romania or the Philippines.
A virtual secretary (or “Virtual Executive Assistant“) might connect with her employer in numerous ways: by email, by instant messaging service (such as Skype, Yahoo! Instant Messaging, or ICQ or a variety of similar services) or even by telephone. In addition, services like Skype make it possible to communicate in real time by typing, speech (by means of a pair of headphones), and even visually using a webcam… and the service is free of charge (with the exception of the small price to purchase a pair of headphones and webcam).
A virtual secretary (often known as a virtual office assistant or virtual assistant) may perform pretty much any project as an assistant helping you in the same building, for instance:
schedule management, email processing, sending letters, handling email support, research, human resources, travel arrangements, follow-up on past due invoices, handling orders, data processing, transcription, preparing letters, planning events, placing orders, arranging meetings for you, mailing, managing your email, data entry, procedure documentation, live instant message support, administrative duties , taking phone calls, word processing, concierge services, marketing, personal assistant duties, manage freelancers, appointment setup, bookkeeping, phone support, reports and spreadsheets, follow-up with customers
Whoa… now that’s one very long list!
But what about brewing coffee or picking up your laundry? I’m sorry… the answer is no. If you want an assistant to make coffee, you’re out of luck .
Of course, if brewing coffee and picking up your laundry will be crucial duties you desire someone else to carry out, then you can just hire someone in the area. But why would you NOT simply get someone in your neighborhood from the get go? Just just what is the benefit of getting a Virtual assistant anyhow?
Well, there are several.
To begin with, she will provide her own computer, workspace, furniture, office supplies, utilities, and communications devices. You’ll never have to invest in those things for her, nor will you need added office space for the virtual secretary.
For another, the VA is most likely prepared to accept a somewhat less compensate, when you consider that she is not going to have the cost or the annoyance of commuting back and forth from a common “job.” It saves her time, money, and annoyance! Which means in the end, she comes out ahead, although the pay is a not a great.
Hey, who would not be content with such situation?
But probably the most important gain to getting a virtual secretary is so that you can enjoy a thing known as “Arbitrage.” Arbitrage, simply put, is the practice of benefiting from price variations between two markets. By way of example, suppose you are located someplace like New York City, where the living expense is extremely high (as opposed to most other cities) and your VA resides on a farm in Iowa, where the living expense is a whole lot lower. Because 10 bucks where she lives and works might pay for two times the amount of items and services as ten bucks in New York (and the actual figure may be 3 or 4 times as much), your VA will, once again, be in a position to take lower pay compared with what you might have to pay someone locally.
But let’s suppose your virtual secretary lives somewhere outside the US… for instance, in India, the Philippines, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, or some other country where English is commonly spoken?
Here is where the advantages genuinely begin to happen! The US dollar stretches substantially farther in numerous other nations as compared to in the United States. As an illustration, in the Philippines fifty dollars will buy a whole month’s of food. How far does $50 go where you live? If you’re like me, you head to the grocery store, purchase a couple of bags of food, give the cashier 2 twenties and a ten, and you get back a some small change!
“But… ” as the Television ads are always stating “wait… there’s more!”
Utilizing arbitrage is just the beginning. You will also avoid the expense… never mind the annoyance… of providing health insurance, payroll taxes, lots of IRS forms, worker’s compensation, ss taxes, retirement contributions, as well as the plethora of legal demands connected with work compliance laws. Hey, you won’t have to get an accountant to do all of that!
Are you convinced yet?
If you’re in business, and are caught up in a “Catch 22″ of seriously needing help, and yet you’re not able to afford it… a virtual secretary may perhaps be just what you need!