I wonder how many people know what a virtual assistant (VA) is. Almost nobody I run into has ever heard the term. I used to stumble over how to describe it. Now, it's easy for me to explain how businesses everywhere are growing and thriving, in part, because of their virtual assistant(s).
Wikipedia defines a virtual assistant as: "entrepreneurs who provide professional administrative, technical, or creative (social) assistance to clients from a home office. They usually work for other small businesses and consultancy groups. It is estimated that there are as few as 5,000-8,000 or as many as 35,000 Virtual Assistants worldwide; the profession is growing in centralized economies with "fly-in, fly-out" (FIFO) staffing practices.

Common modes of communication and data delivery include the Internet, e-mail and phone call conferences, online work spaces, and fax machine. Professionals in this business work on a contractual basis and a long-lasting cooperation is standard. Typically 5 years of administrative experience in an office is expected at such positions as executive assistant, office manager/supervisor, secretary, legal assistant, paralegal, legal secretary, real estate assistant, et cetera."

That's a pretty good description. I like to define a VA as an essential element of a successful business. The reason why is because every business needs someone with exceptional administrative skills in order to run efficiently; at least every business I've come across. There is large number of business owners who do what they do very well, but lack the administrative mindset necessary to handle that area of their business with proficiency.

I'd like to take the definitions above a step further and describe in a little more detail some of the tasks a VA might help you with in your business. But first, although I don't want to bring a negative comment about today's economy into my discussion, because we already hear about it everywhere we turn; but I will say that I know that it's difficult for many entrepreneurs and small business owners to afford to hire a full- or part-time administrative assistant. A VA typically works on a contract basis, and can be hired to work on a specific project or provide a set number of hours of service per month. You only pay them for the time they work rather than for an eight-hour day. Even though the hourly rate might be more than what you would pay an employee (usually somewhere between $30-50 per hour), you save money because you are not paying taxes and insurance, and for nonproductive time on the job; you only pay for time worked.

Most virtual assistants have worked in administrative positions in regular jobs before becoming entrepreneurs themselves. As a result, they can help you with things such as word processing, spreadsheet development, bookkeeping, PowerPoint presentations, graphics editing, etc. However, in addition, many VA's are specially trained in the area of virtual assistance. They can help you with website maintenance, internet marketing, social media marketing, keyword research, competitor analysis, email marketing, shopping cart setup, auto responder set up, and more. You benefit from working with a professional who takes pride in their work because providing a high quality of service is necessary to the success of their own business.
A VA will often specialize in one or two particular areas. Many companies have an entire team of VA's that work for them, each specializing in a specific area of expertise. You might only need one general VA. Remember that you don't necessarily need to sign a long-term agreement. If having someone help you with an occasional project or task will ultimately help you grow your business faster than you otherwise would, then it's probably worth the time and money to have a good VA on retainer, or at least have an understanding that you can call on them when you need them.

How do you find a VA? A quick search on the Internet will give you a great starting point. Another good way is to talk to other small business owners. Chances are either they have a VA they use, or know someone who does. You can also look for forums to make inquiries on. There are VA networks that provide a pool to choose from.

In short, a virtual assistant is the "new" administrative assistant. With the advancement of the Internet and Internet marketing, it is important that you have someone in your business that is well versed in this area of administrative support. I hope you have found this information helpful. I wish you success in your business!