Simply put, a virtual assistant (VA) is someone who provides various services to entrepreneurs or businesses from a remote location. The most common task for a virtual assistant is administrative support, but they may also assist with any other elements such as: social media management, digital marketing, graphic design, research or data entry bookkeeping and recruitment, search engine optimization (SEO), based on the requirements of a business. By taking on recurring tasks, they free up time for small business owners and managers.
As technological advancements in the 1990s brought reliable internet to more homes, it became an advantage to businesses since there was no need to bring an employee into the office to get work done. This led to the first virtual assistants.
Since virtual assistants work on their own from a remote location, businesses can save extra expenses related to their location and equipment costs. Furthermore, the assistants can hit the ground running with minimal or no training, thereby enabling companies to save time and effort.
In fact, saving time, effort and cost are the major reasons why businesses surge towards getting virtual assistants onboard. By outsourcing their internal processes, companies can spend more time focusing on the important aspects of their business, while the Vas do the heavy lifting.