Virtual Assistance (typically abbreviated to VA ), is a service which caters for and provides professional, administrative, technical, or creative (social) assistance to clients from a home office. It usually works for other small businesses and consultancy groups. It is estimated that there are as few as 5,000-8,000 or as many as 35,000 Virtual Assistants worldwide; the profession is growing in centralized economies with "fly-in, fly-out" (FIFO) staffing practices.

Common modes of communication and data delivery include the Internet, e-mail and phone call conferences, online work spaces, and fax machine. Professionals in this business work on a contractual basis and a long-lasting cooperation is standard. Typically 5 years of administrative experience in an office is expected at such positions as executive assistant, office manager/supervisor, secretary, legal assistant, paralegal, legal secretary, real estate assistant, et cetera .

Virtual assistance may also refer to an automated Conversational agent or so-called Chatterbot.

Worker classifications

• The traditional employee is managed and directed by the employer they work for. They are paid a salary with employment taxes deducted by the employer. Work is directed, managed and supervised by the employer.

• A temp worker is an employee of a staffing agency who goes on-site to employer (customer) premises. They are paid by the staffing agency they work for, while their on-site work and activities are managed, directed and supervised by the employer, who is a customer of the staffing agency

• A virtual assistant is an independently contracted business owner, not an employee. They work out of their own offices, manage the work from their clients and how it is carried out, set their own rates, as well as operating standards and policies, and pay their own self-employment taxes.

• Virtual assistants help small businesses expand their business instead of dealing with administration duties. Virtual assistants are cost effective because you only pay them when they work. Since they are independent contractors they are tax deductible.

Why Virtual Assistance is Good for Your Business

Business owners and managers of all kinds must deal with a dizzying array of organizational challenges, all centered on establishing the business’ sustainability. In the business world, as you constantly juggle planning, production, PR, finances and reporting, you must also constantly configure the delegation of tasks. And then there’s the ever-present pressure of staff oversight. If you have employees, you must regularly check to ensure their work is structured properly, their production levels are up to par, and their work ethics are in order. You pay wages/salaries, benefits, taxes, rent and utilities and all office bills. You endure a costly and stressful interview and hire process when one of your employees quits. If you’re just starting out and working alone, at least for the time being, you probably are having a great time exploring your business idea. Perhaps you’ve already seen some success, and the thrill hasn’t worn off one bit. But you do wonder if you’re losing too much sleep, and your partner is beginning to complain. Whether you already have employees, or just want to unburden some of your solo work, take a serious look at working with a Virtual Assistant. Here’s why. Virtual Assistants work from a remote location (probably their home office). This means: no facilities costs for you; no cost for office equipment; no wages, benefits or taxes (Virtual Assistants do business by contract); no missed work because of inclement weather or traffic problems. Virtual Assistants provide a huge variety of services, with each business also specializing in some way. Most of the time, a Virtual Assistant offers a basic service in administration. You can see the services offered at the VA’s website. If you need general office skills – phone answering, typing, copying, email management, correspondence, etc. – or marketing, writing or website help, you’ll have many VAs to choose from. Virtual Assistants contract by the hour or by the job, with all conditions set up in advance. You are charged for time actually spent of your work, only. Most VA’s use time tracking software to keep their billing accurate. No more paying for coffee breaks! Virtual Assistants, as noted, often specialize in something. If you need financial assistance, many focus on bookkeeping. If you’re looking for website development or marketing help, VA sites again are the place to go. If you want research, design or even project management, you can find them among VAs. And yes, there’s one other reason: VAs are at home, in comfortable environs, doing what they love to do. In other words, they tend to be well-adjusted people. To put it bluntly, no more employee headaches! Find a VA who smoothly, professionally takes care of business because it truly is in his/her own interest to do so. Maybe you’re starting to see why a Virtual Assistant may be just the solution for you. You will save time, money and hassle; and very likely you’ll receive higher quality product. You can agree to a short or long term contract, or simply go week to week. Many VA’s serve the same clients year after year; others will simply complete a time-bound project for you. The variety is immense.