| Growing businesses are finding outsourcing is | | | | Business owners only pay a VA for work |
| becoming a regular necessity to keep up with | | | | performed, which is billed hourly. Being responsible |
| increasing demands. Over the past few years, a | | | | for their own taxes, training, health care, |
| new resource has emerged and is gaining | | | | insurance, and overhead costs makes hiring a VA |
| momentum as the word spreads; that is, the | | | | an affordable option. Business owners often find |
| services of a Virtual Assistant (VA) | | | | they are doing many administrative tasks |
| With the advances of technology, it is becoming | | | | themselves, leaving very little time to devote to |
| easier for businesses to outsource some of their | | | | developing their business or planning for future |
| administrative tasks, without the need of having a | | | | growth. By hiring a Virtual Assistant and delegating |
| person in house. No need to provide a desk and | | | | daily routine tasks, you can free up time for |
| computer. A VA is able to provide administrative | | | | higher priorities. |
| support to businesses all over the world. Distance | | | | As an example: |
| is never an issue. VA's communicate with their | | | | You charge $75 per hour for your services. |
| clients by email, telephone, fax, instant messenger | | | | You spend a total of 5 hours on administrative |
| or file transfer. | | | | tasks. |
| So what is a Virtual Assistant? Since 1996, more | | | | $75/hr X 5 hours = $375.00 time value |
| than 5,000 professionals around the world have | | | | Costs of hiring a virtual assistant to handle these |
| become Virtual Assistants. A Virtual Assistant is | | | | tasks. |
| an independent business owner who works from | | | | $40/hr X 5 hours = $200.00 |
| their home office environment. Many have chosen | | | | $375 - $200 = $175 time value saved by enabling |
| to leave the corporate world and start their own | | | | you to devote your time on revenue producing |
| business, giving them freedom to better balance | | | | tasks, which could generate additional profits. |
| family and work time. VA's are highly skilled | | | | The second International Virtual Assistant's Day |
| professionals, who keep up to date with the | | | | was celebrated on May 19, 2007 to recognize this |
| latest software and trends. They provide a wide | | | | new profession. There are about 170 VA's in |
| range of general administrative services but often | | | | Ontario and this number is growing rapidly. Two |
| specialize in areas such as Web Design, Marketing, | | | | associations in Canada provide support to VA's; |
| Strategic Planning, Project Management or Real | | | | the Canadian Virtual Assistant Connection and the |
| Estate Assistance. | | | | Canadian Virtual Assistant Network These |
| Training to become a Virtual Assistant can be | | | | associations provide a Request for Proposal |
| found through several organizations; International | | | | service for businesses looking to hire a VA |
| Virtual Assistant Association, Assist U, | | | | through the association's on-line directory. |
| International Association of Virtual Office | | | | As the Virtual Assistant industry profile increases |
| Assistants, and Red Deer College, to name a few. | | | | through media coverage and word of mouth |
| Through the intensive 2-year curriculum, a VA can | | | | from satisfied clients, the face of outsourcing in |
| obtain Certification or progress even further to | | | | the new millennium is changing. |
| obtain the status of Master Virtual Assistant. | | | | |