No matter what type of business you’re establishing, whether it’s a real estate company, a retail store, or even an online-based business, you’re in danger of feeling burned out at some point, and most times you will feel overwhelmed by all the nitty-gritty details–from responding to inquiries via phone or e-mail to scheduling meetings–that you’ll find that you barely have enough time to pay attention to the fundamentals of your business, such as product conceptualization and your business strategy. Now you may not like the idea of someone else doing the work you’re so familiar with, but even you have to admit that you need to increase your staff if you feel like you’re already struggling under the avalanche of work. Think about it: If you had an assistant, your schedule would become easier to manage and you can start focusing more on growing your business.

If you’re already thinking about the hassle of having to interview and screen possible candidates for the job, then you might want to think twice about that and consider getting a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant (VA) is practically a must-have in businesses these days, since VAs offer solutions for businesses and, in a nutshell, make the lives of many business owners easier with their expertise.

A virtual assistant can work full-time, but without the benefits, taxes, social security, and health insurance typically given to full-time employees. A virtual assistant is actually more of an entrepreneur rather than an employee, because a VA provides a service to you. VAs are normally paid by the hour or per task, and because most times, they’re needed only for a few hours of work, they can take on as many jobs as possible and work with different business owners simultaneously.

A virtual assistant has the edge over both temps and full-time employees. Temps can be extremely costly to train and hire. Temps also look for a more permanent position and will therefore not suit your needs if you’re really only looking for someone to work for a few hours each day or even each week. As for full-time employees, that will entail more investment from you in every way, providing equipment and office space for them as well as giving all the employment benefits; it is said that when you hire an employee, you’re not just paying for his or her salary–you pay double or triple that in all other expenses including the benefits. A virtual assistant won’t require you to face all these additional details, and many of them can work at a rate of at least $15; the more experienced VAs can charge well over $30 an hour.

By the very title of the position, you might already know that virtual assistants work virtually, that is, over the phone, via fax, and the Internet, mainly using instant messaging software such as Yahoo! Messenger and Skype, which both allow for real-time communication and webcam use for face-to-face interaction. VAs are highly proficient in using computer software and generally have extensive background in different industries and positions, and will therefore be able to bring their skills to work for your benefit. A virtual assistant will be able to provide you with many services, from word processing, Internet marketing, to bookkeeping, among many other tasks. Apart from all these, you can also train your VA to do more work related to your business, elevating his or her position to one that is more actively engaged in your company’s work, yet without lending additional burden to you.

Today, many virtual assistants have their resumes and portfolios available online. You can find the perfect virtual assistant by looking up “virtual assistant” in search engines or by making use of the services provided by staffing websites such as SimpleBackOffice (www.simplebackoffice.com). SimpleBackOffice has an extensive database of virtual assistants trained to meet the needs of any company and perform multiple administrative duties. You will be matched with the virtual assistant whose skills you require and who meets your criteria. Once you’ve found the right virtual assistant, you can then discuss rates and payment options; most will accept deposits via Paypal, direct electronic bank deposits, or money transfers through services such as Xoom or Western Union.

Remember that it is always best to have a trial period first for the virtual assistant you hire to find out if he or she is someone you can truly work with and get a handle for the procedure you will be following. The idea behind getting a virtual assistant is to be able to work smoothly and effortless with someone you can trust, even if you two are working together over electronic lines rather than face to face.