As president of the Long Island chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, Doug Silverman doesn't have an office — nor does he have a secretary, a fax machine or even a computer.

Assisting from a distance

Even so, he's able to send out mass mails, coordinate monthly dinner parties, update lists and keep nearly 1,200 members up to date on what's going on.

He acknowledges, though, that all this would be impossible without Linda Selden, his “virtual'' personal assistant.

“She does the work of three or four people,'' Silverman said. “Administrative work, updating our website and member lists, mailing, coordinating our monthly dinner meetings.''

If you always wanted a personal assistant but never got one, finally, here's someone you can afford to boss around — a virtual personal assistant.

A virtual assistant, whether hired for personal-, business- or corporate-office use, is someone you'll probably never meet.

For as little as $7 (Dh26) an hour, they're hired to perform tasks that can be carried out from a different location using a phone, fax or a computer.

Turn the job over

Planning a destination wedding and need to research hotels in a hurry?

You can get a virtual concierge to book rooms, map travel plans and tell you the best place to get a spa treatment.

Hate paying bills? Get a virtual bookkeeper and turn that time-killer over to him or her.

If you're preparing to move and need to know the primo preschools in your new neighbourhood for your prodigy, a virtual assistant can do that too.

“Virtual assistants are the wave of the future for personal use and for businesses,'' Selden says.

Works both ways

Selden lives in Greenlawn, Canada, and is the incoming president of the International Virtual Assistants Association, which has more than 1,000 members worldwide.

“It eliminates the expense of an employee. It also offers flexibility for the entrepreneur or virtual assistant.''

Not surprisingly, most virtual assistants live in other countries and work for companies that specialise in outsourcing.

Suvidh Marwaha, sales director of Tasks EveryDay, which is based in India, says his company charges $6.98 (Dh26) per hour for a basic assistant with a bachelor's degree.

If you want someone “smarter'', with an advanced degree, it'll cost you $14 (Dh51) per hour.

According to Marwaha, about 40 per cent of Tasks EveryDay clients are seeking help with their personal to-do lists.

Among the more common requests: ordering supplies, groceries, online shopping, comparing prices and planning vacations.

“A virtual assistant could research electricians in your area, then set up the appointment and tell you when to be home,'' Marwaha says.

Generally, the biggest request from personal clients come for a job search. Virtual assistants can redo their resumes, research the type of job they want, set up the interview and tell them when to show up.

In the United States, Selden says, virtual assistants are more often freelance entrepreneurs who charge $45 (Dh165) to $75 (Dh275) an hour for their expertise.

The association's website lists more than 20 categories of specialisation, including real estate, concierge, bookkeeping and accounting, administrative, editing and proofreading, web-page design, legal and paralegal services.

Selden says that business is brisk enough for her to have two in-house staffers — and her own virtual bookkeeper, web designer and general assistant — who manage the needs of her nine clients. Trust, she says, is paramount.

“I have three clients for whom I'm a signer on their bank accounts,'' says Selden, who has been in the business since 1999. “Ethics are so important.''

Remember when you hire:

DO

  • Ask for an estimate.
  • Set parameters for your budget if necessary.
  • Expect to pay a deposit up front and full payment before the project is delivered (unless you have an established relationship).
  • Be flexible and listen to recommendations about how things can be done.
  • Expect to pay expenses (filing, entry fees) if you pay by the hour.
  • Request a written contract before the work begins. II Ask for references.
  • Sign a confidentiality agreement.

DON'T

  • Give out personal financial information, other than payment information or details pertinent to the task.
  • Continually change the terms of the agreement, especially if you're paying by the hour.
  • Accept miscellaneous expenses without an explanation (these should be written in the contract).
  • Assume that every virtual assistant specialises in everything. Ask about his or her speciality. If it's not what you need, look for someone who matches your criteria.