What is a Virtual Assistant? A Virtual Assistant is an independent, self-employed professional who can provide administrative support off-site via the internet, e-mail, telephone, fax or post. A Virtual Assistant has all the skills and abilities of a PA, Office Manager or Secretary as well as other more specialist skills such as website design and database management. A VA can ensure that a small home-based business, or an individual abroad, or indeed anyone, can have the same administrative support as a large corporation, without the added expenses of a permanent employee. If you need extra administrative support only occasionally, or for a few hours a week, then a Virtual Assistant could be perfect for your needs. A Virtual Assistant could also be your administrative answer if you need cover for employees who are absent, you don’t want the cost or commitment involved when taking on a permanent employee or temps, you have seasonal projects which require extra staff. Benefits of using a Virtual Assistant A VA can offer a full range of administrative services which you can use on an ‘as and when’ basis, only paying for the services you actually use. No expensive equipment to buy or office overheads to pay. When people start up their own business, usually they handle the administration themselves, but as the business grows, so does the administration, until the time spent undertaking these tasks outstrips the time spent on generating income. A VA can help with these tasks as and when you need one. Cost comparisons Taking the following into account, a VA is very cost effective: With A VA you only pay for the services you use, you do not have to pay a wage for your secretary to twiddle their thumbs during quiet periods. No expensive office equipment to buy, or extra office space to find. No sick pay or holiday pay, lunch hours, cigarette breaks or toilet breaks to pay for. No PAYE, tax or National Insurance to pay. No benefits such as private health care, pensions, etc to pay for No legal responsibilities, such as minimum wage, redundancy pay, employee tribunals etc. No recruitment or staff training costs. Who am I? Abigail Raven was a PA/Secretary/Office Manager for 10 years for a variety of companies including London-based banking and finance institutions until her redundancy when she decided to set up her own VA company. Abigail has experience in a large variety of assignments