What is a Virtual Assistant?

NOTE: Virtual Assistants: You are free to use this definition on your website if used in its entirety and without alteration. Just be sure you include the attribution link at the end.

Our Virtual Assistant definition encompasses the spirit our profession was originally founded upon, and reinforces to anyone reading it, whether that's a new Virtual Assistant or prospective client, who we are, what we do and what our qualifications are.

Virtual Assistants who use our definition tell the business world they belong to an elite class of Virtual Assistants with the highest of professional qualifications and standards.

Virtual Assistant Definition

A Virtual Assistant (or VA) is a solopreneur who specializes in providing ongoing, one-on-one, collaborative-style administrative support.

Like other professional service providers, Virtual Assistants operate remotely from their own places of business and utilize today's technology to deliver their services and communicate with clients.

Virtual Assistants are first and foremost administrative experts. Virtual Assistants sometimes offer additional, separate specialties that fall under creative and/or technical services.

Virtual Assistants come from a variety of business backgrounds, but the single-most important qualification the industry expects of its peers is at least five (5) years administrative experience earned in the real (non-virtual) business world working in upper-level capacities such as administrative assistant, executive assistant, secretary, legal assistant, paralegal, legal secretary, real estate assistant, office manager/supervisor, etc.

From this level of experience, a Virtual Assistant is expected to possess the skill sets, training and business knowledge which are the hallmark of a truly qualified Virtual Assistant.

Virtual Assistant Definition from the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce

IMPORTANT NOTE: This definition is copyrighted. We give Virtual Assistants license to use our definition. However, license to use DOES NOT MEAN license to alter or edit. This definition MAY NOT be changed or edited in any way, and if you are going to use it, it must be unaltered and used in its entirety. No part of it may be changed! Our definition is for the benefit of individual VAs. VA organizations may use our definition, however, they MUST attribute the VACOC as the originating author with a link back to our site, and they MAY NOT edit it in any way whatsoever. Our Virtual Assistant definition is the highest standard in the industry, and it's important to us that our message remain intact. THIS IS NOT NEGOTIABLE. (Sorry to have to be so strong about this. Unfortunately, the thieves and plagiarizers force us to do so.)

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