Huge corporations have scads of people to help them present a professional, on-top-of-it-all image. Unfortunately, many small and medium size firms simply don't have this advantage. When it's time to play with the big boys and boost a company's image, a virtual assistant can make a huge difference without costing a small fortune in the process. When a virtual assistant is put on retainer for any company, the benefits that can come out of the arrangement will be noticeable. Well-trained, professional virtual assistants can make even the smallest firm appear "bigger" by helping out with such tasks as: Basic office administration - A virtual assistant can improve a company's image almost instantly by lending a hand with basic administrative duties. Some assisting firms are skilled at helping in such areas as appointment setting, organisation and more. Business support - Virtual assistants exist to take on tasks that others within a company do not have the time or the skills to tackle. When they take on important, but often time consuming, jobs, on-staff employees are freed up to handle other, more pressing business. The end result is better performance all the way around and a more professional image. Virtual assistants can help with support in such areas as presentation creation, e-mail filtering, transcription, database creation and more. Bookkeeping - Virtual assistants can take this task off the shoulders of clients. Bookkeeping services may include such things as payroll, credit control, invoicing and VAT returns. Event planning - When special events are a part of doing business, planning them out can be quite tedious. There are virtual assistants who specialise in taking on this task and making sure the resulting function shines. Virtual assistants can bring a lot of benefits to companies they work for. Making the choice to outsource certain tasks to an assistant rather than hiring in-house help can be very wise for a number of reasons. Some of the benefits of going this route rather than adding more personnel within a firm include: Reduction of administrative needs - When virtual assistants are used instead of actual employees, the paperwork and management involved is greatly reduced. Virtual assistants won't need annual reviews, payroll reports and so on. Cost reduction - Virtual assistants might not work for free, but they tend to be much more affordable than full-time employees. When a virtual assistant is hired, there is no need to worry about such things as payroll taxes, vacation pay and other benefits. Basically, companies get the benefits of business support without the "hidden costs" of hiring workers. Image improvement - When companies have the behind-the-scenes support they need, they tend to function more professionally. This can help even a one-person operation appear "bigger" in the eyes of clients or customers. When a professional image is required, it isn't always necessary to hire full-time help to achieve the goal. Outsourcing certain tasks to a virtual assistant can give companies of any size the boost they need to make the right impression with clients.

Kerry Anne Orr is an author, speaker, virtual assistant and expert in business organisation. She is the founder / owner of Bizpro Ltd, the UK's only franchised virtual assistant business, which specialises in assisting consultants, coaches and trainers with their business. Kerry is also the founder of the Virtual Assistants Club on Ecademy. For more information on Bizpro or Kerry, please contact info@bizpro-ltd.com or visit www.bizpro-ltd.com