The global crisis of the past decade has redefined the industry of administration staff to a thriving global home based business, challenging the concept of "in-house" vs "home based" assistant and employers reaping the rewards.
Secretaries no longer "simply" type correspondence for "the boss.” Now, they often write that correspondence—as well as plan meetings, organize data using spreadsheet and database management software, interact with clients, vendors, and the general public, supervise the office and other staff, handle purchasing, and even train other workers.
Today, secretaries (also known as administrative assistants, office coordinators, executive assistants, office managers) are using computers, the Internet, and other advanced office technologies to perform vital "information management" functions in the modern office.
The future is bright for computer-literate, well-educated, administrative professionals with industry moving rapidly towards Virtual Assistants.
The "VA" Virtual Assistant was founded in 1995 in the US to meet the ever-changing business and family requirement. Women, who had been employed as administrative professionals, were leaving the workforce to start families and not returning due the high cost of childcare, and the desire to spend quality time with their children.
Technology had evolved so rapidly in the last 20 years, that most homes had a computer, to which administrative professionals could work from home to meet the corporate industry's urgent demand for administrative tasks to be completed such as data entry and word processing.
Corporate America and Mothers united to join forces to achieve a common goal and objective, that of "Free Enterprise.” The driving demand for skilled administrative assistants was the catalysts that spawned a new service industry in the marketplace.
Employers embraced the idea of hiring a virtual assistant who could provide all of the services of an in-house assistant, without any of the former high overhead associated costs of an employee such as employee tax, benefits, and superannuation.
Enterprising women could setup a small home based business working hours to suit their lifestyle, whilst providing all the skills and experiences of an in-house assistant. Virtual Assistants are accessible through technology and not restricted by time zones. As a home based operation, the "va" is able to provide affordable rates for their services.
More recently, the global economic crisis has put the virtual administrative assistants in the spotlight, due to workplace retrenchments on the rise, and virtual assistants utilized as a more cost effective business solution.
Most virtual assistants reside in the US, but the number of virtual assistants is growing world wide most noticeably in places such as the U.K, Australia, Canada, Europe, India and most recently Asia due to demand for highly skilled and affordable assistants.
As demand has grown, so has the unethical opportunist with scams on search engines offering data entry and word processing jobs, that do not exist or un-skilled "va"s not accredited with associations or valid websites. The professional virtual assistant will have a professional website outlining their services, history, and privacy policy with valid contact details.
As a relatively new industry, the virtual assistant is the way of the future, by removing the need to travel, therefore a more 'Green Approach', combined with the motivation and passion to achieve financial and personal freedom and finally flexible hours to meet the needs of their family.
The way I see it, working with a virtual assistant is a WIN WIN outcome, company’s save on financial resources, yet nurture a continually growing global service industry.
Secretaries no longer "simply" type correspondence for "the boss.” Now, they often write that correspondence—as well as plan meetings, organize data using spreadsheet and database management software, interact with clients, vendors, and the general public, supervise the office and other staff, handle purchasing, and even train other workers.
Today, secretaries (also known as administrative assistants, office coordinators, executive assistants, office managers) are using computers, the Internet, and other advanced office technologies to perform vital "information management" functions in the modern office.
The future is bright for computer-literate, well-educated, administrative professionals with industry moving rapidly towards Virtual Assistants.
The "VA" Virtual Assistant was founded in 1995 in the US to meet the ever-changing business and family requirement. Women, who had been employed as administrative professionals, were leaving the workforce to start families and not returning due the high cost of childcare, and the desire to spend quality time with their children.
Technology had evolved so rapidly in the last 20 years, that most homes had a computer, to which administrative professionals could work from home to meet the corporate industry's urgent demand for administrative tasks to be completed such as data entry and word processing.
Corporate America and Mothers united to join forces to achieve a common goal and objective, that of "Free Enterprise.” The driving demand for skilled administrative assistants was the catalysts that spawned a new service industry in the marketplace.
Employers embraced the idea of hiring a virtual assistant who could provide all of the services of an in-house assistant, without any of the former high overhead associated costs of an employee such as employee tax, benefits, and superannuation.
Enterprising women could setup a small home based business working hours to suit their lifestyle, whilst providing all the skills and experiences of an in-house assistant. Virtual Assistants are accessible through technology and not restricted by time zones. As a home based operation, the "va" is able to provide affordable rates for their services.
More recently, the global economic crisis has put the virtual administrative assistants in the spotlight, due to workplace retrenchments on the rise, and virtual assistants utilized as a more cost effective business solution.
Most virtual assistants reside in the US, but the number of virtual assistants is growing world wide most noticeably in places such as the U.K, Australia, Canada, Europe, India and most recently Asia due to demand for highly skilled and affordable assistants.
As demand has grown, so has the unethical opportunist with scams on search engines offering data entry and word processing jobs, that do not exist or un-skilled "va"s not accredited with associations or valid websites. The professional virtual assistant will have a professional website outlining their services, history, and privacy policy with valid contact details.
As a relatively new industry, the virtual assistant is the way of the future, by removing the need to travel, therefore a more 'Green Approach', combined with the motivation and passion to achieve financial and personal freedom and finally flexible hours to meet the needs of their family.
The way I see it, working with a virtual assistant is a WIN WIN outcome, company’s save on financial resources, yet nurture a continually growing global service industry.
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