| The term virtual assistant is popping up more and | | | | scheduling. Secretaries, who work onsite in a |
| more these days as the internet has become a | | | | building, generally work a set number of hours |
| means of income for those who are looking to | | | | during the day and a certain number of days a |
| work from home. Virtual assistant is simply a | | | | week. VA's can have a more flexible schedule to |
| term used to describe a person who provides | | | | work with. In most cases, the VA can decide |
| secretarial type support through online means. | | | | their own hours; working around their own |
| A virtual assistant, or VA, is someone who helps | | | | schedules. This can include evening and weekend |
| small business owners with various tasks that are | | | | hours as well. |
| needed to help the business run smoothly. The | | | | Virtual assistants are considered self-employed or |
| small everyday duties are usually outsourced to | | | | independent contractors. There are no health |
| virtual assistants as the small business owners find | | | | benefits offered to them from the companies or |
| they don't have the time or, in some cases, the | | | | clients they work for. Also, they provide their |
| resources necessary to perform them by | | | | own equipment to work with. They use their own |
| themselves. | | | | computer, internet connection, software |
| AVA takes those tasks and provides the support | | | | programs, printers, etc. Secretaries use what the |
| that's needed to get them done for the business | | | | company provides for them. |
| owners, who then have their time freed up to do | | | | VA's also do not have taxes taken out of the |
| other more important tasks. Small businesses rely | | | | payments received from the businesses or clients. |
| on the VA's, so they can spend more time to | | | | They can be paid by check, money order, credit |
| market their business and bring in more sales or | | | | card or even through an online account like PayPal. |
| income. | | | | Secretaries are paid through a paycheck from |
| Virtual assistants are different from those who | | | | companies and have taxes, etc. taken out of the |
| provide secretarial support in an office building | | | | gross payment amount. |
| environment. The VA's do some of the same | | | | Because of the flexibility that a Virtual assistant |
| type of tasks only in a virtual or online | | | | can have by working from their home office; |
| environment. Virtual assistants work out of their | | | | more people with secretarial experience are |
| own home offices and rarely, if ever, step into a | | | | leaving the commute to a worksite to provide |
| company's business site. | | | | their support from home. They can benefit from |
| Virtual assistants also differ from secretaries as | | | | that flexibility by working with several clients to |
| they can work for more than one business or | | | | bring in their share for the family income. The |
| client. Secretaries generally provide support for | | | | drawbacks of needing to use their own equipment |
| one company only. Virtual assistants can have | | | | and not having taxes taken out of their |
| several clients at once that they provide help for | | | | payments, doesn't suede their decision to work |
| and each client will have different duties that the | | | | from home. The flexibility, in most cases, |
| VA takes care of for them. | | | | overrides those drawbacks. This will help the VA |
| Another way secretaries differ from VA's is the | | | | industry to boom for many years to come. |