While secretaries and administrative assistants have been around for years, the term ?virtual assistant? is a relatively new term that has become popular along side the Internet. What is a virtual assistant? Also called a VA, a virtual assistant is the online equivalent of an office administrative assistant.
As independent contractors, virtual assistants work for their clients off-site, performing a variety of administrative tasks. Common duties include data entry, web design and maintenance, bookkeeping, word processing and transcription. While many virtual assistants offer basic office skills like these, others specialize in areas like accounting, research, mailings, marketing and public relations.
Because virtual assistants work off-site, often from their own home offices, businesses that hire them do not incur additional overhead expenses, payroll taxes or benefit payments. Instead, the business gains the experience and expertise of the virtual assistant while only paying for the services performed. This set-up can be particularly valuable to the small business owner or nonprofit that can't afford to hire additional staff. It can also be ideal for firms that need to fill employment gaps during peak times, maternity leaves and vacations.
How does it work? Once a virtual assistant has been selected, the hiring firm and the VA outline their terms. This is typically done via e-mail or telephone (e.g., virtually). The hiring firm spells out the work to be performed, standards of performance and the needed deadline. The virtual assistant quotes a price, or an hourly rate, for the work and her payment terms. Prices and rates vary based on the type of work, level of expertise required and the deadline. More complex projects or those that are needed right away will likely be more costly than simple tasks. Once an agreement has been made, the VA gets to work, contacting the hiring firm as needed with questions. Once the project has been submitted and approved by the hiring firm, the virtual assistant paid. This can also be done virtually through online payment systems like PayPal.
How can you find a virtual assistant? There are a number of professional virtual assistant associations accessible online including the International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA), the International Association of Virtual Office Assistants (IAVOA) and the International Association of Virtual Assistants (IAVA). In addition to offering certification programs for virtual assistants, these associations often include online directories where you can search for virtual assistants. A simple Google search of the term ?virtual assistant? will also yield millions of results.
The key is finding someone: (1) who can perform the needed tasks on time; (2) who will communicate clearly and on a timely basis; (3) that will maintain your privacy and confidentiality; and (4) with whom you will enjoy working.
If you can accomplish these four goals with a virtual assistant, she can become a valuable part of your virtual team.
She is a professional nanny, unmarried, living in central Florida. She was just offered a job watching three children for $13 an hour. For a nanny, that is pretty good money.
On the verge of accepting this position, a neighbor has offered her $11 an hour to watch her two children.
My sister is very interested in the $11 an hour job, as she would not need to drive to work at all, as opposed to the $13 an hour job which is a 45 minute commute.
So where is the dilemma?
I have cautioned my sister that she would be very foolish to accept the closer, $11 an hour job. Why? This really has nothing to do with the $2 an hour difference, and everything to do with the Cost of Working. You see, the neighbor who wants to hire my sister has decided that she "needs a break" from being a full-time stay-at-home-mom. She plans to get a job to ease the stresses in her life, and to provide a diversion.
There is nothing wrong with that, except she will probably have to pay for the opportunity to work.
What's that? Paying to work instead of getting paid to work?
Yes. Many mothers do indeed pay for the opportunity to work each day, instead of getting paid to work.
How?
They have not factored in the cost of working.
There are many hidden costs and expenses we must pay in order to have a job outside the home. Many are taken for granted, like transportation and work clothing expenses. Once we sit down and examine how much we are spending to be able to go to work, we sometimes will find that it is just not worth it.
Work Related Expenses --Gasoline --Car Payment --Car Maintenance and Repair --Child Care --Taxes --Clothing --Dining Out: Lunch --Dining Out: Convenience Dinner Foods --Miscellaneous: Fundraisers and Gifts for Coworkers, Occasional Office Supplies, etc
What are you paying for the privilege of working?
Could your transportation expenses be reduced or eliminated if you were a stay at home mom? Could you condense down to one vehicle, or purchase an older model as your second car? How much are you really spending to get to work each day?
100% of Child Care expenses fall on the second working parent. Why? Because if Mom is a stay at home mom, there are no child care expenses. This expense cannot be divided between two working parents when examining the cost of working.
Many two income households fall into a high income tax bracket. Some households would benefit greatly by reducing their income, pushing them into a much lower bracket. When calculating your cost of working, if your income pushes you into a higher tax bracket, you need to factor the entire increase (not just your percentage) into your income. If you were not working, you would not have this expense.
Clothing, dining out, and miscellaneous expenses are a constant source of frustration for working mothers. Pantyhose rip, getting up a half hour earlier to pack a lunch is not an option, and saying no to your coworker's child's gift wrap fundraiser is out of the question. Five dollars here and ten dollars there can eat a hole in your income faster than you can blink.
My sister's neighbor never factored the cost of working into to her situation. She was getting a retail position, paying $15 an hour. Based on taxes and child care expenses alone, the neighbor would probably be going into debt to afford her job. She rationalizes it with the fact that her husband works, and is incorrectly putting half of the child care expenses burden on his plate.
My guess is that her job will not last past a month or two, when the reality of more expenses and less income truly hits home. Then my sister will be out of a job.
There is nothing wrong with choosing to work outside the home, if you can financially afford it. Many mothers earn significant income and can easily cover these expenses. Many mothers have older children who do not need child care.
But many mothers think that they are working because they have to, when in reality, if they examined their cost of working, they might find that it would be less expensive to stay home.
Both Dana Blozis & Rayven Perkins are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Dana Blozis has sinced written about articles on various topics from Writing, Interview Questions and Online Marketing. With 20 years of professional experience and a degree in business administration, Dana Blozis is the owner and president of Virtually Yourz, a Seattle-based virtual assistant firm. Virtually Yourz specializes in writing, editing and marketing services for. Dana Blozis's top article generates over 1900 views. to your Favourites.
Rayven Perkins has sinced written about articles on various topics from Herpes Cure, Surrogacy and Pregnancy and Family Planning. Rayven Perkins is an expert at saving money at home. She has spent 7 years finding and implementing unique cost-cutting tips that allow her family to live comfortably as a one-income family. Her site. Rayven Perkins's top article generates over 450000 views. to your Favourites.