Tana Woodward starts work most mornings setting her boss's appointment calendar, cleaning out his e-mail inbox and prepping him for his early meetings.
Ms. Woodward is an office administrator and her daily tasks are no different than many others in her line of work except for a few small distinctions. Ms. Woodward actually owns her own business and works out of her Prince George, B.C. home. Her boss? He's more like a client, and he is an executive director of a large association in Hawaii.
Widespread use of the Internet and new technologies are having a dramatic effect on how office services are being delivered to small businesses. Entrepreneurs, reluctant to take on overhead and expense of a large support staff, are turning to people like Ms. Woodward to run their offices off-site.
She is a virtual assistant (VA), an independent contractor, who provides administrative, technical, creative, or consulting services to other businesses, usually from a home office.
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VAs like Ms. Woodward support their clients via the Internet, phone, fax and email, eliminating the need for onerous commutes and meetings.
Downsizing and outsourcing have remade the workplace landscape with more and more jobs leaving the traditional office environment. At first glance, this appears to be a bad sign for administrative assistants and secretaries whose jobs are being reduced. But for those with an entrepreneurial flair and a desire to run their own business, it has had the opposite effect and they have been able to capitalize on the demand for their services.
"Right now, there's just so many new businesses starting. If you look at the stats, there are so many self-employed people out there. And when you are starting out a business, you can't afford to hire any one full-time, or even part-time for that matter," said Ms. Woodward, who has worked with more than 30 clients in the three years since she began as a virtual assistant.
"Hiring a VA is ideal, because you are getting the expertise, you are getting someone with experience as an administrative assistant, but you are not having to hire them on a full-time or permanent basis," she added.
Lethbridge, Alta. businesswoman Karrie Flatla, owner of snap! virtual assistance inc. (www.snap-va.com), was looking for a business venture that allowed her to use her office management skills from a home setting. As a new mom, Ms. Flatla is excited about the possibilities her new business promises.
"The corporate environment was a bit restrictive," said Ms. Flatla.
She feels her experience working for large companies can be a benefit to small and medium businesses who may be unable to tackle issues that she has dealt with times before.
She envisions working as a partner with her clients to help them reach their goals. This type of relationship was often missing working for a larger corporation.
"It was all about the status quo," she said. "What is needed in small and medium businesses is more flexibility."
Offices often find themselves without people well-versed in specific software, said Ms. Woodward. She was hired recently by the University of Northern British Columbia to work on some database work on Excel spreadsheets for that very reason.
Her Hawaiian client found her on the Internet. Distance was no object, and with the time-difference from British Columbia to Hawaii, it actually became a benefit. Utilizing software that allows her to access his personal computer, Ms. Woodward can prepare his calendar and have it ready before he arrives at work.
"This is one of the cool things about being a VA," explained Ms. Woodward. "[With the three-hour time difference] He hasn't even got to his office yet. And I'll have all his stuff organized. He doesn't have enough work to hire someone full time. It works great that way."
Ms Woodward was awarded the Northern B.C. Business & Industry Technology Implementer of the Year for E-Business recently in recognition of her efforts in building her business through the Internet.
Rates vary, but in Canada, a VA may charge $35 per hour or more depending on skill level, experience, and the client's needs. Ms. Woodward says that is cheaper than using conventional hired help when benefits and overhead are factored in.
There are various associations that cover the virtual assistant field, such as Canadian Virtual Assistance Connection (www.cvac.ca), and The Canadian Virtual Assistant Network (www.canadianva.net) to name only two. Administrators with many years experience may not feel they need training, says Ms. Woodward. But for those who need some experience or training there are several certification programs available on-line. The there are ample organizations that offer training such as the certification offered by Virtual Assistant Certification (www.vacertification.com). In addition, Red Deer College in Alberta recently launched Canada's first VA certificate program.
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