Jan 12
31
What is a Virtual Assistant? No, Really What is it?
In the past week alone, I can not tell you how many times I’ve gotten that dazed and confused look upon someone’s face when I said that I was a Certified Virtual Assistant. They do try to act like they know what I am talking about, but I know that look all to well. lol I guess you can say that it is a look that is a cross between “I must be an idiot, and okay virtual got it, I think.” lol
In today’s day and age you would think that the title of Virtual Assistant would be quite well known but that isn’t quite so. If you are online a lot then you’ve probably at least passed by the subject, wording, or read an article or two along the way, and most likely you already know and understand what a VA is and what one can do for you, but most people that are not in our virtual reality haven’t the faintest idea, yet we’ve been in the news, have huge Networks, and continue to make our marks. So let’s just say I am writing this article, which is humorous, but is also geared to a little bit of education on the subject.
Don’t get me wrong, just like anything else in life there are some things that people do not pay attention to, don’t know about, and simply don’t understand enough about it to make an adequate assumption on the subject. We certainly can’t fault people for not knowing, but we could educate them to a degree and shed some light on the subject at hand. 
So what EXACTLY is a Virtual Assistant? Yes – for the folks that picked up on virtual in between dazed and confused, you are correct. VA’s work virtually from their home offices, or an office that is in a totally different location than you/they are in, naturally it could even be in a different state or country. Okay so what is the assistant part? VA’s (short for Virtual Assistant) work independently, thus they are Independent Contractors, that “assist” you virtually to get a specific job/jobs done. These jobs could range from simple typing of letters to social media management and everything in between.
So what’s the big deal? Well – This is a loaded question, but one that can not be ignored. There are a few big deals to talk about. Firstly – VA’s get paid by the job only. So there is no overhead costs associated with a full-time employee. There are no sick days to pay for, no vacation days to pay for, no lunch hours, no bonuses, (unless you’d like to give one that is. ) If you hire a VA for 10 hours a month, she/he will get paid for those 10 hours a month and nothing more. So in reality this is a big deal; since, an employer does not have to dish out a tremendous amount of money to get some much needed help.
Secondly – Because Virtual Assistants work virtually they are usually more skilled than the average full-time assistant in an office based setting. That is not to say that office workers and full-time employees do not possess many skills; however, Virtual Assistant’s usually have a broad range of skills necessary to do numerous jobs quickly and efficiently. Remember that this is VA’s bread and butter, so they are driven to know more so that they can earn more. There is really no routine in this job. Therefore, unlike a full-time employee they may not be doing the same things everyday.
In essence when you take the saving money into consideration by not hiring full-time employees with all the perks, and the skill-set that a Virtual Assistant normally would have, you are looking at a win-win situation for both the VA and the employer who hires one.
So there you have it, the nuts and bolts of what a Virtual Assistant actually is, now it’s your turn to spread it to the masses.
See YOU at the Top!
Ellen Levinas, MVA, CMA
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