Administrative and clerical tasks are the bane of every industry. No matter how small or large your business is, you will eventually find yourself with stacks of paperwork that need your attention. And when will you find the time? If you are busy seeing your clients during the day, then the paperwork waits until the evenings and weekends. This can make for some very long days and total exhaustion. Hiring a virtual assistant is becoming the best option for many professionals.

Virtual assistants are administrative professionals who, for a variety of reasons, have chosen to work from home offices. Virtual assistance is an industry that is swiftly nudging its way into the outsourcing arena. There are currently about 2,000 virtual assistants worldwide, and this number is growing daily. There are virtual assistance accreditation schools, chat groups, professional organizations, and annual conferences. As a virtual assistant, these administrative professionals are independent contractors who provide office support remotely, using current computer technology and the Internet.

Let’s look at the differences between hiring staff and working with a virtual assistant:

When you hire support staff, you will need to provide some amount of training. You also will provide a space for that person, and supplies needed to do the job. In addition, your staff expenses will include taxes, insurance, vacation and sick pay, raises, overtime pay, and usually a pension or some type of retirement plan. You will also be paying that person for idle and non-productive time; you will be expected to do annual performance reviews; and you are expected to manage and supervise.

In comparison, when you hire a virtual assistant, you are hiring someone who already specializes in the type of work that you do, so you automatically eliminate the need for training. Virtual assistants work from their own offices and use their own supplies and office equipment. Virtual assistants pay their own taxes and insurance. And best of all, you only pay a virtual assistant for the hours worked.

Virtual assistants are flexible enough to be able to work only the hours that you will need them, on an as-needed basis. Some businesses contract for a certain amount of hours a month and are assured of having those hours reserved for them. Other people hire a virtual assistant on an occasional basis, perhaps if they have a project, mailing, or campaign coming up and need the extra assistance.

You can go on the Internet and find an unlimited number of people who provide office support services; the difference is that virtual assistants have not only the administrative background, but also the training in how to use that background in a global marketplace. Working with a virtual assistant gives you the benefits of having your own personal assistant without the extra costs and associated managerial headaches. Most virtual assistants are very flexible and will do whatever is needed to fulfill your administrative needs. For a lot of businesses, it is the most practical and cost-effective way to get the administrative work done.

Healthcare professionals who find themselves in the position of having an overflowing to-do box and wondering what to do about it, may be well advised to consider hiring a Virtual Assistant.