I have people ask me what I do for a living and when I tell them I am a Virtual Assistant (VA) they look at me and say, “Oh great, That is awesome” even though the look on their face tells me they have no idea what a VA is. I thought I would clear the air and explain what a VA is.
A VA is a person who works remotely, usually out of their home, providing support to other entrepreneurs, business or even individuals. A VA may offer office support, accounting services, social media support, party planning, travel arrangements, enter data, make forms, make phone calls and the list goes on and on.
A VA is an entrepreneur, they own their own business and offer a service(s). When you hire a VA you will not have to pay payroll taxes, vacation pay, sick pay or other benefits. You also will not have to find office space or office equipment. This makes hiring a VA an attractive option for companies that do not need or want a full-time assistant.
You can hire a VA for a specific project, a specified number of hours a day/week/month or a block of hours each day. Most VA’s have a contract that explains the services to be done, the amount that is going to be charged, and any other terms of the project. The contract will be agreed upon and signed by both the VA and the company hiring the VA, normally before any work will be preformed.
I hope that helps to explain what a VA is. If you have any questions or comments I would love to hear from you.
Next week I will am going to talk about what a VA can do for you.