In comparison, when you hire a virtual assistant, you are hiring someone who already specializes in type of work that you do, so you automatically eliminate 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 hours worked.

Virtual assistants are flexible enough to be able to work only 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 extra assistance.

You can go on Internet and find an unlimited number of people who provide office support services; difference is that virtual assistants have not only administrative background, but also training in how to use that background in a global marketplace. Working with a virtual assistant gives you benefits of having your own personal assistant without 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 most practical and cost-effective way to get administrative work done.

Healthcare professionals who find themselves in 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.

2004 is turning out to be year when free ride is looking like an endangered species. Everyone is getting into act: Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Verizon, and more. The phone company “Yellow Pages” people are growing their internet presence, and all these companies are searching for just right mix of keyword/pay-per-click/paid directory listing model. Already, paid options for website promotion far outnumber old-fashioned search engine placement. Where it will end is anyone’s guess. But what’s for sure is that free ride is nearly over. Exposure on Internet, like exposure in rest of media, has become a commodity. In future, many ways of promoting a webiste will resemble advertising models familiar from non-Internet world. To garner promotional exposure, website owner will need to expend more resources than ever. Whether resources are supplied personally by website owner, or by hired specialists, does not really matter. The new reality is that promotion on Internet is already looking a lot like promotion everywhere else in world. Vital, and valuable.