To start with, what is a “Virtual Secretary“?

A virtual secretary is a person who works for a client, but from a distant region. For example, you could run a small organization located in Cincinnati, and your virtual secretary works from his / her apartment in Tucson. Or perhaps someplace outside the US … possibly, in Pakistan or India.

A virtual secretary (or “Virtual Executive Assistant“) can correspond with her employer in several ways: by email, by instant messaging service (like ICQ, Skype, or Yahoo! IM or a variety of similar services) or by phone. In addition, services such as Skype make it possible to converse in real time by typing, speech (by means of a headset), as well as visually by means of a webcam… and without cost (with the exception of the small price to obtain a webcam and headset).

A virtual secretary (occasionally known as a virtual assistant, virtual executive assistant, or virtual office assistant) will be able to carry out pretty much any kind of work as someone working for you in the next room, for example:

human resources, letters, data processing, personal assistant chores, concierge services, taking phone calls, manage freelancers, procedure documentation, phone support, handling reports & spreadsheets, bookkeeping, arranging meetings, past due invoice followup, handling support by email, administrative responsibilities, email management, order processing, mailings, order placement, marketing, research, planning events, eMail processing, word processing, travel arrangements, Instant Message support, data entry, making appointments, schedule management, letter preparation, customer follow-up, transcription tasks

Wow… now that makes for one very long list!

But what about brewing coffee or fetching your laundry? Sorry… than won’t happen. If you really want an employee to brew coffee, you’re out of luck (LOL).

Needless to say, if making coffee and fetching your laundry are absolutely necessary activities you desire someone else to do, then you can just acquire somebody nearby. But why would you NOT just look for somebody nearby at the outset? Just what exactly is the benefit of employing a VA at any rate?

Well, there are many.

For one thing, she will provide her own computer, workdesk, furniture, workplace equipment, utilities, and communications apparatus. You’ll not need to buy those things , nor will you need additional working space for the virtual secretary.

For another, the VA is probably prepared to settle for a less compensate, considering that she would not have the expense or the hassle of commuting both to and from a standard “job.” It spares her time, expense, and aggravation! Hence ultimately, she comes out ahead, even when she’s earning less.

Hey, what person would not be happy with such set up?

But undoubtedly the strongest gain to using the services of a virtual secretary is to enable you to benefit from something referred to as “Arbitrage.” Arbitrage, simply put, is the act of taking advantage of a price differential between two markets. By way of example, suppose you are located someplace like New York City, where the living expense is quite high (in comparison to most other cities) and your VA lives in a town in Nebraska, where the living expense is a much lower. Because $10 where she lives will purchase two times as much goods and services as 10 dollars in New York (and the may even be a conservative estimate), your VA will, once again, be in a position to accept less in comparison to what you would have to pay a local employee.

But what happens if the virtual secretary is working from another country altogether… for example, in Pakistan, the Philippines, Romania, India, Russia, or any other nation where English is a common (if not primary) language?

Now this is when the benefits genuinely take effect! The American dollar goes a great deal farther in a number of other countries compared to in America. For instance, in the Philippines $50 buys a month’s worth of food. How much does $50 buy in your area? Where I live, you visit the local grocery, buy two bags of groceries, give the cashier two twenties and a 10, she hands back a a few coins!

“But… ” as you’re always hearing on Television “wait… there’s more!”

Benefiting from arbitrage is merely your first step. You’ll also be able to avoid the cost… never mind the bother… of payroll taxes, worker’s compensation, tons of IRS forms, providing health insurance, social security taxes, retirement contributions, and all the plethora of legal prerequisites associated with labor compliance laws. And, you don’t even need to use an accountant to do all that stuff!

Are you persuaded yet?

If you run a business, and are caught in a “Catch 22″ of seriously requiring help, and yet you’re not able to find the money for it… a virtual secretary could quite possibly be just the ticket!

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