Virtual assistant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Virtual Assistant (or simply
VA), is an independent contractor
providing administrative, technical, or
sometimes creative assistance to
clients--usually to other independent
entrepreneurs and solo and small business
practices, such as that of a lawyer or realtor.
Virtual assistants work from their own office (hence
"virtual"), thus making it a fairly popular (and
growing) profession.
It is estimated that there are about
40,000-50,000 virtual assistants worldwide.
Common modes of communication and data delivery
include the Internet, File Transfer Protocol
(FTP), and fax machine. Although the occupation
gives a degree of independence, work is
on a contractual basis, and a long-lasting
cooperation is standard. Typically 5 years
of administrative experience in an office is
expected at such positions as executive
assistant, secretary, legal assistant, paralegal,
legal secretary, real estate assistant, office
manager, etc.
The use of virtual assistants was popularized by serial entrepreneur Timothy Ferriss, and has been written about extensively in blogs like Lifehacker[1] and The Upwardly Mobile[2].


