Moving Up! Virtual Assistance in the News

by Erin Banister

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

I’ve come across three recent articles in very reputable magazines condoning the Virtual Assistance Industry:

The Chicago Tribune - Technology Links Virtual Businesses: Advances spur rise in collaborative work
A good article on the benefits of administrative outsourcing and how it works from a technology standpoint.

“Christine Durst, who founded the association [IVAA.org] in the late 1990s, estimates about 1.5 million virtual businesses exist worldwide, including 35,000 entrepreneurs who call themselves virtual assistants. Most work out of their homes, said Durst, who’s also co-founder of Staffcentrix, a Woodstock, Conn.-based firm providing training and development to virtual professionals.

The number of virtual assistants, those entrepreneurs who provide business support and services remotely, has been climbing about 10 percent a year, Durst said. They generally include administrative assistants, graphic artists, researchers, software programmers, editors, bookkeepers, marketing consultants and more.

Virtual professionals can be less expensive than full-time, on-site employees because clients pay by the hour and don’t cover benefits or provide office space, Kramer said. The going rate for virtual assistants ranges from $30 to $70 an hour, though fees vary by skill, experience and location, she said.”

Inc.com - Get Help Running Your Business, Virtually

Author Rebecca Morgan offers a knowledgeable piece on the VA industry - where to find one, what to expect, and how much it can cost. Good advice includes:

“From the paradigm of shared space, some struggle to envision the type of work a VA can do. Berg suggests that you jot down the 10 most important administrative functions not getting done. The VA can help you define a process for how that work can be completed long distance. Once the client tastes success, other potential VA-provided services become apparent.

Not every VA is a good fit for your business, just as you may not be a good fit for every VA. The interview process is important for both of you. Matching styles, matching needs and skill sets, and having a mutual willingness to change the relationship over time as you gain experience working will make the difference between a VA that makes your business better, and one that doesn’t.”

Wall Street Journal - Office Work Moves Out of the Office
This article from the Wall Street Start-up Journal discusses the question “I’m starting up a virtual-office administrative-assistance business. What is the climate like for this? Good? Developing? Oversaturated?”

“Virtual assistants are typically self-employed workers who handle administrative work for other businesses from a home computer. Some are generalists, who carry out whatever chores a business may need done. Others specialize in an area such as Web design or legal transcription. Most set their own rates, charging an hourly fee between $25 and $70, depending on their experience and the complexity of the task. Clients who put them on retainer often get a better rate.

The number of people calling themselves virtual assistants has blossomed from a few hundred in the mid-1990s, when the industry first defined itself, to more than 5,000 world-wide today, according to the Alliance of Virtual Businesses, one of the many trade groups representing the industry. Most live in the U.S., though the profession is quickly growing in other countries.

Most VAs today are hired by other small-business owners who don’t want to be bogged down in administrative work, says Sharon Williams, president of the alliance. But the industry is trying to sell itself to larger companies looking to cut costs. One nagging problem: “In a lot of industries, people aren’t comfortable releasing confidential information” to an outsider, Ms. Williams says. Moreover, many companies still don’t know exactly what a virtual assistant is.”

All in all, some pretty good information - and I’m willing to bet it’s because of all the hullaballo with the OIVAC convention. I’m not one to complain - we’re getting this much more close to mainstream!

No tags for this post.