Assistants not really at virtual celebration.Byline: By HENRYK ZIENTEK Business Reporter A HUDDERSFIELD Huddersfield, city (1991 pop. 147,825), Kirklees metropolitan district, N central England, on the Colne River. Its textile industry, including cotton, woolen, and rayon goods, is important. Other products are machinery, iron goods, chemicals, and dyed fabrics. woman is among an army of "unseen" helpers celebrating their role in the smooth running of Britain's businesses. Sarah Gathercole and colleagues at Mosaic Virtual Office Ltd took part in the third annual International Virtual Assistants' Day, a celebration of the work done by agencies providing secretarial support and telephone answering services to small and medium-sized firms. Yesterday's eventwas run by the Alliance for Virtual Businesses, an umbrella body for so-called virtual assistants - independent entrepreneurs who work remotely and use the latest technology to deliver professional administrative support services support services Psychology Non-health care-related ancillary services–eg, transportation, financial aid, support groups, homemaker services, respite services, and other services to busy professionals. Clients pay only for the time spent on their work, which can range from general secretarial and word processing word processing, use of a computer program or a dedicated hardware and software package to write, edit, format, and print a document. Text is most commonly entered using a keyboard similar to a typewriter's, although handwritten input (see pen-based computer) and services to desktop publishing desktop publishing, system for producing printed materials that consists of a personal computer or computer workstation, a high-resolution printer (usually a laser printer), and a computer program that allows the user to select from a variety of type fonts and sizes, , bookkeeping and telephone answering. Virtual assistants are also responsible for their own workspace, equipment, taxes and training, overheads that make hiring an employee expensive. Longwood-based Mosaic offers a service to small and medium-size businesses that don't have their own in-house secretaries and administrators. Jobs range from stuffing letters into envelopes, telephone answering, support for training courses or permanent "front office" services. Director and proprietor proprietor n. the owner of anything, but particularly the owner of a business operated by that individual. PROPRIETOR. The owner. (q.v.) Ms Gathercole has more than 18 years' experienceinse cretarial and administrative work, in roles ranging from office junior to conferencemanager, in both the public and private sectors. She is a member of the Institute of Qualified and Professional Secretaries. The team, which includes virtual receptionists Jane Furness, Angela Haigh and JackieNichols, have previous experience in banking, retailing and education. Sharon Williams, founder of the Alliance for Virtual Businesses, said: "Virtual assistants are making important contributions to the growth and stability of small businesses everywhere. "The establishment of International Virtual Assistants' Day simply acknowledges all of those virtual professionals who work so hard." CAPTION(S): HELPING OUT: Sarah Gathercole (second right), of Mosaic, with colleagues (from left) Angela Haigh, Jackie Nichols and Jane Furness |
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