Are we witnessing a virtual revolution? As social technology proliferates at lightning speed so must business models. However, small companies tend to adapt faster than larger firms.
But four years ago, he turned to the Internet to look for ways to reduce overhead costs for his Rockville-based Total Medical Systems. He now has just three employees on the company payroll but as many as 50 contractors working for him, some of them known as “virtual assistants.”
The term, around since the Internet became widely available, encompasses anyone who telecommutes and does administrative tasks for other businesses, usually on a contractual basis. Most do tasks such as document preparation, paperwork and accounting. Some have niche areas, such as bilingual translation or creative services.
In the current economy, Jane Weizmann, a senior consultant at Arlington-based human resources consultant Watson Wyatt, said she’s seeing more businesses with a “part-time cadre or network of people” who telecommute and bring different skill sets to projects as needed.
“It’s a lot less expensive than having resources on staff, sitting on the bench and waiting,” she said.
Virtual assistants allow companies to save on real estate and equipment, as well as on benefits, which can add 35 percent to a base salary, Weizmann said.
If small business can adapt so can bigger businesses. The issue is one of innovation. Who will pursue and use innovation to their advantage? Will you?
Davinci Virtual is leading the virtual revolution offering any and all businesses, regardless of size, solutions to reduce cost and optimise performance. The choice is you.
