Hello,

As I stated in one of my other posts, my niece had a job where she used her laptop and managed someone's emails and business calendar, etc. In asking her about it, she said it's called a "Personal Assistant", and I added "Remote". Isn't a VA and a Personal Assistant the same? Except of course all VA's would be working from home or some other remote location. A Personal Assistant could work from a company's business office, or they could work remotely, if the business owner so desired. I just want to know the best way to find a VA position that will yield real results. Any suggestions or advice?

Thank you!

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Michelle

Hi Michelle -

You are basically correct. There are many names for what we do, as well as what a corporate Exec. Asst. does. I think it's really just somewhat a matter of semantics.

In my mind - and according to my set of semantics - here's how I categorize.

VA = Someone who is remote that can provide both personal assistant services, office managment services, administrative support services, etc.
Personal Assistant = Someone who provides a services that are geared toward the busy executive/entrepreneurs personal needs, either remotely or at the employer's location. These typically include concierge type services - such as; pick up dry cleaning, order flowers or purchase gifts for a family member, help with coordinating activities for the kids, handle personal insurance matters, pay personal bills, reconcile personal bank accounts, etc. (Things that have little or nothing to do with the business, but still free up an executive's time so they can focus on their business.)

I don't necessarily see that a VA and PA are the same at all, unless a VA happens to add that as part of his or her listing of services.

I hope that helps some.

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Pam Blackman - The Process Coach
Get more done in less time by streamlining!

Hi Pam,

Thank you for your thoughts. So to you, a VA would be a remote Administrative Assistant in some cases, or remote Bookkeeper, etc. In your opinion, how does a VA manage an office? I can see for instance having a phone dedicated to a specific business (or a separate line to that one business, and separate lines to any others you work with) and answering calls, taking messages, receiving and responding to emails, bills being mailed to their remote location and they enter them and send out checks, etc. OK, I guess I answered my own question here. It seems a VA situation would benefit a small business the most? I'm unfamiliar with using software to manage a calendar and/or appointments if that would be desired, but I guess anything that can be done with you physically sitting in someone's office, can be accomplished somehow in your own home office (or elsewhere) with the right software and tools. Are there actually classes that anyone knows of specifically geared toward being a VA and all tools that we might find handy? It would be helpful to also have the good old "business simulations", geared toward a VA, as I had in accounting classes - where you'd get to see and be involved in the full circle of operations and what a VA would be doing/could be doing.

In my current situation, I am hooked up to the company I work for through their server. Before that happened, we used "LogMeIn" so I could access the computer I used when I did go in to the office. So I actually have very limited experience in how all of this would work because right now everything is basically being handled for me as far as connections and access.

Thank you again for your thoughts. Have a nice day today!!

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Michelle

I definitely think a personal assistant is a little different than a VA, mostly by virtue of the type of tasks (admin vs personal), but there definitely va's who offer personal assistant type of services!

And definitely it's all about having the right tools and the right mindset. Once you realize almost anything can be done remotely (well, except for making the office coffee, lol) you see the true potential of being a virtual assistant.

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Laurie
Halo Blog and My Blog About Being a WAHM

Hi Laurie,

Thanks for your thoughts. Yes it seems the coffee thing may be an "In to the Future" event, LOL.

Thanks again; have a good one!!

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Michelle

I agree with you Michelle that you pretty much answered your own question. To answer many of your other questions I recommend you puruse these forums because a lot of the information you seek is within the forums. There are also books, training, associations, an actual VA University called AssistU, certifications, etc.

It is as Laurie said - anything you can do in an office you can do virtually...but you have to have the entrepreneur mindset - want to run your own business - and you need to learn and obtain the right tools and resources to do that.

Best of luck in your ventures and your plans!

Pam

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Pam Blackman - The Process Coach
Get more done in less time by streamlining!