Posts Tagged "Online"

Virtual Secretary ? A New Age Online Assistance?

Posted by admin on Feb 26, 2010 in Articles | 0 comments

As the global economy melts, business enterprises are looking towards the internet for more effective and cost competitive solutions for their business. In the present times, virtual assistance is a highly sought after service on the web. And one of its emerging forms is virtual secretarial services.

Now, what is a virtual secretary?

It is not a computer or robot that is programmed to deliver secretarial services. Rather, a virtual secretary is just like any other regular office secretary, just that they are not present in your company premises and work for your through the internet. Unlike traditional employees, they communicate with you online and complete all their tasks and duties from there itself. They work from offshore locations, manage their own clients and work on contract basis.

Virtual secretaries generally have considerable experience of the industry and would have worked with many clients before. In fact, because all their work happens on the web, they are guaranteed to be tech-savvy. This means you would not have to spend much time making them familiar with your online tasks. Rather, they might give you a tip or two about how to enhance proceedings on the web.

Benefits of working with a Virtual Secretary

Reduce Workload & Save Time

Just like a regular office assistant, virtual secretaries give you a helping hand with all your work. They can complete all the routine peripheral tasks of your business and leave you with more time to concentrate on the core objectives. They can make appointments, fix up meetings, reply to emails, answer calls on your behalf and do a whole lot of other things that would lighten your work load considerably. In fact, they can also help you with special projects and be available whenever you need them. Moreover, they charge much less that what it would cost you to hire a regular secretary for your office.

No Overhead Expenses

Apart from relieving executives from a lot of extra work, virtual secretaries also help them escape the expenses of extra office equipment and additional office space. Moreover, all the costs related to the internet, their conveyance would be their part of the expense.

Cost Effective

Since virtual secretaries work online, you only have to pay for the amount of time they work. You can pay them on hourly basis or probably pay a flat rate for particular projects. But anyways, you wouldn’t have to pay for idle hours spend at office. In fact, you wouldn’t even have to pay employee taxes or fringe benefits.

Hiring Virtual Secretaries

When you post an ad on the internet mentioning your requirements for a virtual secretary, chances are that you will be overwhelmed with the kind of responses you get. however it is important to make sure that you hire a professional and experienced person for the job. It is advisable to choose a well established KPO firm that provides virtual secretaries for your business. Thus, you can be sure that you would get a professional and highly experienced person to carry out your business endeavors.

Benefits And Disadvantages Of Online Travel Agencies

Posted by admin on Jan 26, 2010 in Articles | 0 comments

Once upon a time…

Before the dawn of the information super highway, brick-and-mortar travel agencies were the key to booking travel arrangements and finding deals on airfare. These agencies helped travelers plan trips and book flights, hotel and car rental reservations, and other travel necessities. But as the Internet started to dominate all areas of commerce, travelers began to turn to online travel agencies instead of the brick-and-mortars. These “virtual” agencies offered all the travel planning options and discounts conventional travel agencies offered without requiring travelers to leave their home. No longer did travelers need to make appointments and meet face-to-face with a travel agent just to make travel arrangements. There was now a convenient online solution to booking travel arrangements and finding discounts on airfare.

Reality Check

Online travel agencies haven’t completely decimated the conventional brick-and-mortar shops. Traditional travel agencies still do a great deal of business with travelers and are one viable solution to booking travel arrangements. However, as busy as our lives can be, online travel agencies do offer a quick and convenient solution to finding airline tickets without taking you away from home, or even work – and the brick-and-mortar shops realize this. Some conventional agencies are also hitting the web and establishing travel websites to cater to those individuals looking to quickly search for and book flights. So even though online travel agencies haven’t completely decimated the conventional travel agency industry, they have established a viable and convenient alternative to booking vacations, business trips, and other travel plans.

Life Still Exists in the Brick-and-Mortars

Conventional travel agencies still command a large portion of the travel booking industry. Their face-to-face service is what keeps them in business and, depending on the needs of the traveler, a more realistic solution to booking travel arrangements. When you book your travel plans through a brick-and-mortar travel agency, you’re working with real people and if you’re a frequent traveler, it’s nice to have a “favored agent” to turn to for travel information and advice. With an online travel agency, you’re simply interacting with a virtual interface that allows you to search for and book your own travel plans without ever speaking with a live person. Many people prefer face-to-face interaction and would never even dream about using a travel website to book their travel plans. There is still something to be said about personal service and the conventional travel agencies are capitalizing on it by offering personalized services and conveniences to travelers.

So Where do We Go from Here?

As you can see, there are benefits and disadvantage to both conventional and online travel agencies. Each one offers its own experience and features that make it unique from the other and in favor with different people. When it comes to selecting the best option for you, you merely need to ask yourself “What am I looking for in a travel agency?” The best way to answer this question is to check out a few online travel agencies, compare them to some brick-and-mortars, and see which ones have the savings, products, and services you desire.