I am not going to tell you that “all the cool kids are doing it!” But some of the busy executives are. The trend for Virtual Assistants or VA’s as it is known is growing; this business innovation was made popular with the book “The World is Flat” by Thomas L. Friedman.
A virtual assistant is an independent contractor providing administrative, technical, or sometimes creative assistance to clients, usually to other independent entrepreneurs, solo and small business practices, such as that of a lawyer or realtor. VA’s work from their own office (hence “virtual”), thus making it a fairly popular (and growing) profession.
What Have You Done For Me Lately?
The role of a VA can vary depending upon your specific needs and their utility. And, can be varied as the work they perform. I have utilized the services of VA’s in Hungary and Spain. Alina was from Romania, Swapna and Kumar from India. Typically, the support is administrative, but I have had tasks as varied as complex Excel spreadsheets created, business plans researched, data entry for accounting completed, entire directories of professionals contacted for Online Surveys, Web Page Design, Logo Design and complicated Business Analysis performed on a business startup. Results vary in both quality and value, just like any other subcontractor relationship you need to define your parameters extremely clearly.