| > | | | | As one entrepreneur puts it, As a busy |
| Running a business? Things going well? Love the | | | | photographer, especially at this time of year, I |
| idea of a PA but don’t want the | | | | just don’t have the time to deal with the |
| commitment or think you can’t afford | | | | nuances of office administration. Having a Virtual |
| one? WRONG! | | | | Assistant has enabled me to capitalise on ever |
| This article is about a Virtual Assistant and | | | | increasing demands within the marketplace and |
| explains why smart businesses, particularly sole | | | | spend more time with my family. |
| traders and SMEs are turning to freelance | | | | Virtual Assistants are office professionals offering |
| secretaries to help maximise profits, portray a | | | | a range of traditional secretarial and PA services, |
| more human face in a world of ever increasing | | | | using the latest technology from call minding, |
| technology and achieve that work / life balance | | | | through diary management , sending out invoices |
| we all dream of. | | | | and audio transcription to more specialised |
| In today’s competitive market, thriving | | | | services such as payroll. Working virtually with the |
| businesses understand that flexibility and | | | | aid of phones and computers is as easy as having |
| reputation are everything. Who knows | | | | a secretary by your side. They are available for |
| what’s around the corner or who might | | | | ad-hoc, project-specific or regular work and |
| call? If an opportunity arises, are you in a position | | | | usually cost less than an office temp. More |
| to seize it and do it well? When things get busy, | | | | importantly, because they’re small business |
| will there be enough hours in the day? For many | | | | owners themselves, they care passionately about |
| entrepreneurs, business success is all they | | | | the level of service they’re providing |
| dreamed it would be when it arrives, but | | | | — your success is integral to theirs after all |
| it’s sometimes accompanied by a shift in | | | | and it’s their reputation at stake! |
| the work / life balance in the wrong direction, | | | | I never worry about missing an important |
| presenting a different set of challenges. | | | | business call — no-one leaves a message |
| If you could delegate the paperwork, have a real | | | | on an answering machine and waits for someone |
| person instead of an answering machine represent | | | | to get back to them these days. With the |
| you when you’re not there and enhance | | | | competition and pace of life being what it is, they |
| your professional image, would you? If this | | | | just try someone else. |
| someone was a flexible, commitment-free, | | | | If you now know how a Virtual Office Assistant |
| intelligent and reliable office professional that | | | | can make a difference to you and your business, |
| needed neither office nor equipment and | | | | he is some advice on choosing one. Virtual |
| understood your business needs because | | | | Assistants are professionals. They must have |
| they’re business owners themselves, | | | | Professional Indemnity insurance and ideally, |
| would you? If they could let you do what you do | | | | membership of a professional organisation such as |
| best and took care of the rest, would you? Just | | | | the International Association of Virtual Assistants |
| think what you could do with the time they give | | | | or Society for Virtual Assistants giving them |
| you, not to mention the peace of mind. | | | | access to a network of other professional VAs |
| Welcome to life with a Virtual Assistant. | | | | across the country. |