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If you are currently an office assistant or administrator but are interested in working from home, becoming a virtual assistant may be right for you. This allows you to work from the comfort of your home, avoid commuting, and workplace attire while still earning a respectable income.

Virtual assistance is a relatively new profession. A virtual assistant handles administrative duties over the Internet for businesses that do not necessarily need a full time secretary in the office. Since all of the virtual assistance is handled over the Internet the employer may actually be some distance away from the assistant.

A virtual assistant’s normal duties may include secretarial work, file organization, logistics coordinating, project managing, and meeting scheduling, travel planning, you may be called upon to do less traditional administrative work such a writing proposals, doing market research, sending out newsletters, updating websites, or making appointments. You may also be involved in editing, proofreading, copywriting, desktop publishing, and mailings. You may also be responsible for billing, transcribing, book keeping, data entry, and reminder services.

A virtual assistant essentially is his or her own micro business owner. They market themselves and develop relationships with one or more virtual clients. Through the innovative technologies surrounding email, fax, and phones virtual assistance can provide support for multiple clients around the world with out ever having to leave their homes.

Many people working in the administrative field are turning to virtual assisting because it gives them independence and more control over their careers. They are able to create their own schedules. This allows them to stay home and focus on their families. In addition, virtual assistants can keep doing the job they love, while avoiding the corporate structure that suppresses their creative desires.

Many small businesses employ virtual assistants instead of traditional administrative assistants for a couple of reasons. Their businesses may not be large enough to require a full time worker, but the owner may be unable to handle all of the duties themselves. A virtual assistant allows them o obtain help when they need it and allows them to dedicate more time to their growing business. In addition, because all support is given online, the employer does not need to have physical room for an employee.

The schedule of a virtual assistant varies based on the business they are working for. Some assistants work on an on call status, while others create their own schedules. In all cases, you are working remotely and at your own pace.

Virtual assistants earn anywhere from $20 to $45 an hour. However, if you have a previous employment history with specialized expertise you may be able to make as much as $100 per hour. Your pay rate will directly related to your administrative experience.

If virtual assistance sounds like the perfect job for you there are several training options for you. You can go through the International Virtual Assistance Association to obtain official certification or take virtual assistant classes through a website named AssistU. Once your training is complete there are several job sites available to help match you skills with an appropriate employer.

Keep in mind, that like with most jobs, how successful you are at your virtual assisting career depends on how much you put into it. If you invest the appropriate time and dedication to your virtual profession you can have a fully functioning, successful business in just a few months. However, experts warn that any small business can take three to five years to come into its own. Remember the amount of time it takes to build your virtual business lies completely in your hands.

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