Virtual PA ... How did I manage without one |
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Page 2 of 2 The Return of the PAIt seems we’re coming around full circle. People are starting torealise that being self-sufficient is great in an emergency, but doingyour own admin stops you doing the important work like selling andcustomer-facing work – in short, generating income. I realised thiswhen I met an experienced PA and started receiving some help for thefirst time a few years ago. I didn’t realise how much I needed helpuntil I had it – perhaps this is true for you too?When you analyse it, people first look for help with handling telephonecalls - a real person to take messages whilst you’re doing “real work.”In reality, always a different person, not understanding your business(or you), just taking messages and not adding value ... these are allreasons why business people are increasingly looking to PersonalAssistants again. The problem is full time PAs are expensive. Salaries, employment costs,office equipment - not to mention management hassle – are off-putting.The solution, at least in part, is technology ... the baddy, turnedhero. Fast internet, voice over IP telephony, cheap PCs andprinter/scanner/copiers and low cost collaboration mean your PA doesn’thave to sit outside your office door anymore! Looking for a PA today ... try a different lens. Virtual PAs Have Arrived!Modern technology allows most of the traditional PA activities to beconducted over the internet. Apart from making refreshments andwelcoming guests, practically everything else can be done remotely. AndI mean remotely, in fact, from anywhere-to-anywhere in the world at noextra cost.My PA can do an astonishing array of things “virtually” ... more than I would have imagined:
And, if all you really need to employ someone for is tea andhandshakes, it’s the best argument I’ve heard for self-sufficiency thisCentury! You can leave the rest to your virtual PA. About The Author Denis Pelych is a professional Management Consultant specialising in e-business technology and practice. He spent many years with IBM Consulting Group and went on to establish The National B2B Centre at Warwick University. He is now a Director of Viretec Consulting and Virtual HQ Solutions,and both businesses help people to exploit IT and the internet to the full.<< More Articles |
