My mobile phone is a big part of my life. I sleep with it, I eat with it, I work with it… The only thing I’m not capable of doing is bathe with it.  I never turn it off, and signs of it going low on battery or of breaking down makes me want to smoke ten packs of reds in one sitting. I’ve learned to live with it as if it’s my own flesh and blood and I cannot live without it.  Trust me, if you take it away, I will freak out in a terrible way and my brain will lapse so bad that you will have the joy of comparing me to Amy Winehouse on drug withdrawal.

I am similar to my clients in this sense.  I understand their need for control with regards to their work; in a way, I am like their Blackberry or iPhone.  My purpose as a VA is to get my clients connected to the world–balanced, in-tune, updated–and I make sure I do it to the best of my abilities.  I am responsible in making their lives easier by lightening their work loads, by providing a flexible and mobile work access, and by being available for them when they most need me.

Sometimes, a businessman just needs an employee who doesn’t get paid only to periodically fetch him coffee.  Sometimes they need a little more… and maybe little less than that.  Employers need someone who can do serious work for them without the hassle of controlling his employee’s over-breaks; they need someone smart enough who can handle big tasks without paying for benefits, overtime, plans, etc.

That’s the role of Virtual Assistants—to provide a practical solution for entrepreneurs and small businesses.  The defining factor of being a virtual assistant is being able to work and contribute to the success of a client’s business through experience-honed skills, rather than just a vague knowledge of processes.

VAs are undoubtedly more cost-efficient than hiring regular employees.