Virtual Assistant Trade

With Virtual Assistance being a relatively new field, there isn't a lot of history to be found.  Most industry leaders agree that the term "virtual assistant" was coined somewhere around 1995.  Many of the original VAs started out with basic secretarial service/administrative assistant businesses and expanded them into Virtual Assistance as more and more technology was developed. 

Virtual Assistance is an appealing industry because it allows professionals the flexibility to work from home or off-site while challenging them, allowing them to earn money, and allowing them to flex their entrepreneurial muscle.  The original Virtual Assistants all seem to have similar characteristics:

1. They wanted to find something that's different, unique from what others were doing;
   
2. They all wanted to be their own bosses;
   
3. They all wanted to do something that they enjoy;
   
4. They wanted to be home for their kids, parents, etc.;
   
5. They had experience in the administrative field;
   
6. They were willing to learn new, emerging technologies and take advantage of new forms of communication and information, such as the Internet.

These characteristics really aren't that different from today's Virtual Assistants, are they?

Fastest Growing Group
One of the fastest growing groups of Americans who are interested in the Virtual Assistant arena are military spouses.  Because of the portability of their "offices," military spouses who are subject to moves and relocations are especially attracted to it.  Instead of having to switch jobs or quit a job and start over from scratch in a new city/state, military spouses can just "pick up" their computer and start over with the same clients in a new location.  It's much easier than "traditional" forms of employment.

International Business
While America seems to have the largest population of Virtual Assistants, other countries are quickly picking up on the trend.  Virtual Assistants can now be found internationally, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and more.

Trend for Fees
According to the IVAA (http://www.ivaa.org), fees charged by Virtual Assistants have increased three-fold since 1995.  This fact alone makes Virtual Assistance an attractive field for people from all walks of life to look into for themselves. 

Code of Ethics for Virtual Assistants to Follow
Now that the Virtual Assistance industry has begun growing so quickly and is becoming more and more recognized in the business world as a "viable" administrative option, virtual assistance organizations are growing rapidly and codes of ethics or standards of conduct are beginning to be formed.  Organizations such as AssistU.com and IVAA.org list their standards on their site.

Growth Trend
No matter where you look for information about the growth trend in the Virtual Assistance trend, you are bound to find only positive growth trends.  This trade is here to stay - and to grow - as more and more people come to accept business partners who they can't "see" and aren't in their offices.  As the world view of business changes, VAs are becoming more indispensable because of their changing outlooks, services and knowledge bases.

Recommended Resource

The Five Key Steps to Your Successful Virtual Assistant Business  - This book covers everything from what are virtual assistants to services you can offer as a VA. It also goes into detail about starting, operating, and growing a profitable and successful virtual assistant business, pricing your services and more.