6/11/2005 10:34:00 AM|||Virtual Accuracy|||

We haven't yet hit the 24 hour mark and already we have 12 members in VA Rebels. Honestly, we had no idea how much a listserv like this was needed. Ok, I had my sap party for the day!

VA Rebels are virtual assistants who love the industry but are tired of the constant up-hill battle of defending the professionalism of the industry. VA Rebels believe that there need to be distinctions in the following:

Virtual Assistants
Home-Based Secretaries
Telecommuters

Too often the term virtual assistant or VA is lumped as all three of the above, when in actuality they are three distinct entities. Granted a VA might perform secretarial type duties, they are more than a home-based secretary. VAs partner with clients on a monthly basis and basically become their right hand. Virtual Assistants handle administrative tasks, as well as office management, website design, graphic design, desktop publishing and a plethora of other things. The rate for VA can range anywhere from $30/hr on up to $100/hr+, because a VAs skills are EXTREMELY specialized.

A home-based secretary may type a document here or there or perform transcription, but that is usually where the relationship ends. There is typically no monthly contact and no "partnership" type duties involved. Typically the rate for a home-based secretary is $10/hr - $15/hr.

Telecommuters work from their home office for an employer, whereby virtual assistants and home-based secretaries are 1099 contractors.

Again the difference may seem minimal to some, but for a select group we are tired of being lumped together.

(note: this is only one area of issue...stop by VA Rebels for more.)

It's time for our voices to be heard!

B

|||111850141781439268|||Shocked and Surprised