Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman

19.1. What Is a Virtual Assistant?

Virtual assistants (VAs) are freelancers who generally market their services on the Internet—that's where the virtual part comes from:

• Virtual means they don't need to be where you are to get the job done.

• A VA is a business owner.

• A VA generally is very knowledgeable about the industry that he or she specializes in and familiar with marketing on the Internet.

A VA can do everything from data entry to designing and managing web sites to processing payroll and doing your taxes. Because they're freelancers, you simply buy as much assistance as you need and pay a flat hourly fee or by-project fee. You don't have to worry about paying taxes or unemployment insurance, offering additional benefits, or paying for vacations. All of that is covered by the fees you pay the assistant.

Most virtual assistants specialize in a certain field—writing, editing, Web design, transcription, database management, accounting, you name it. Each assistant typically has specialized training and all the resources required to perform a task better and more efficiently and affordably than you can do it yourself. They can be retained for one-time jobs or become an integral part of your team, devoting a certain number of hours to your business every month.

A VA can be a single business owner and operator or a business that employs the services of other VAs. The larger operations may develop into brick-and-mortar businesses or simply hire other VAs who work out of their own home ...