Editor’s note: This article was first published in December 2010, during the Spanish economic crisis. Its references to unemployment, cost-cutting “in times of crisis” and the service being “innovative” reflect that moment.
This innovative idea for cutting a business’s costs is currently giving unemployed people the chance to earn some extra money, or even a full salary if they offer their services to several companies. You can settle for being just a virtual assistant, or you can set up your own virtual assistance company (read 4 business ideas related to new technologies).
What are the advantages for a company of having a virtual secretary or virtual assistant? They’re very clear. In times of crisis, companies try to cut costs, and many self-employed people (autónomos, as Spain’s freelancers are called) can’t afford to hire a full-time secretary to answer their calls.
That’s why this service offers a person who takes the company’s calls and then emails the company with the message or the matter in question. As we were saying, you can do this on your own to earn extra income, or you can create your own business specialising in virtual assistance.
The companies currently working in this sector usually charge clients a “flat rate”: for an agreed monthly fee, they get the virtual assistance they’ve contracted. You can include services such as administration, accounting and so on.
Over time, a high percentage of companies will outsource these services, since businesses tend toward outsourcing to cut costs. Be a pioneer and innovate with this business idea.
Further reading
- Business ideas related to body care and fitness
- Business ideas related to leisure and tourism
- How to be a successful businessperson
- How to find business ideas
Featured image: Panelxf, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
