Virtual assistant (VA) services provide professional support to their clients in calling, prospecting, administering, financial and client service functions from a remote, on-site office and usually from another country. Typical VA services include administrative and accountancy support, telephone and communication support, information technology support and other sales, merchandising and support services. A virtual assistant can perform a wide range of administrative and secretarial functions, including secretarial support for businesses or individuals, transcription, data entry, answering phone calls and mail orders. Most virtual office assistants (VA's) work from home or from a temporary site, setting up a temporary office or a virtual cubicle and supervise daily business operations. Some VA's may also work as independent contractors.
With virtual assistant services, businesses and
individuals are provided with the administrative, technical, and secretarial
support that may be required for smooth and effective running of business
operations. These services help companies and private individuals reduce costs
and maximize the productivity of the business. A VA provider can offer a full
range of administrative and secretarial support services, which can improve
efficiency of business operations. Many virtual assistants are skilled,
professional virtual assistants who possess knowledge in a specific area and
are experienced in performing tasks delegated to them. Most virtual office
assistants start out by working as independent contractors and establish their
own virtual office for which they provide administrative support. As their
business grows, they can also hire additional virtual office assistants and
expand their business, thereby increasing their earnings and profits.
In contrast to the traditional concept of "office
space utilization," virtual assistant services allow a business owner to
effectively control the number of employees working from the same location. By
delegating various tasks to the virtual assistant, a business owner saves on
the cost of traditional office space rental, which costs a business owner
thousands of dollars per month. The business owner can set his or her own
working hours, work from home, and control the technology used. Since a VA
offers administrative support as well as secretarial and technical support,
virtual assistant services allows a business owner to increase profitability
without incurring increased operational costs. They also allow a business owner
to control the pace of operations.