history of virtual assistance

8/8/2019 History of Virtual Assistance

1/20

Where and how it all started


2/20

` Secretarial services predate Virtual Assistance by

more than a few years (it's estimated that they began

somewhere between the 50s and 70s, possibly even

earlier). Although the latter is an evolution of the

former, it is important to understand that the concepts

are uniquely distinct from one another. Virtual

Assistance is an intentional brand of ongoing right-

hand administrative support whereas a secretarial

service is focused on one-time or occasionalpiecemeal project work.


3/20

` Advent (approximate) of secretarial services.


4/20

` Association of Business Support Services

International (ABSSI; formerly known as the

National Association ofSecretarial Services) is

founded.


5/20

` Stacy Brice begins working virtually as a full-time

home-based contractor with an international client

base providing administrative support, travel

planning and personal assistance.


6/20

` Brice begins working with life coach ThomasLeonard. During a telephone conversation withBrice, Leonard coins the term "Virtual Assistant"which further sparks an idea already germinating

in Brice's mind. Brice begins working out hervision of a profession of administrative experts--Virtual Assistance--and creating a model distinctfrom secretarial services. She borrows the term

Leonard coined to name this new profession.


7/20

` The Virtual Assistance profession is formalized in

February with the opening of Brices AssistU.Also

in February, the first ever article on Virtual

Assistance appears in TheS

ecretary featuringStacy Brice (originally interviewed November

1996) and Lora Davidek.


8/20

` AssistU launches the "Daily Assistant," the first-

ever ezine for Virtual Assistants which runs five

days a week to more than 10,000 subscribers

(most of whom were not VAs) until publishing isdiscontinued in 2000.


9/20

` Global Association of Virtual Assistants (GAVA), a

members site run by Amy Sarai and Julie Hewitt that

also provides RFPs to the public, opens with the

backing of Thomas Leonard. From Stacy Brice: "GAVA

runs great guns for a year or two until fizzling out in

2000 due to lack of interest by both Leonard and the

site owners. GAVA's only lasting legacy is the

article 101 Ways to Use a VA" by Amy Sarai." Site

owners Sarai and Hewitt also start VA4U.comas adirectory of VAs (which is now owned by someone in

the U.K).


10/20

` Christine Durst and Michael Haaren establish

Staffcentrix in Spring. In later years, Durst claims

that she "founded" the industry.

` AssistU adds Virtual Assistant certification to itsprogram.

` Durst and Haaren form the International Virtual

AssistantsAssociation (IVAA).


11/20

` Janet Jordan (deceased January 2006)

opens Virtual AssistanceUniversity (VAU).

` Fred (deceased August 2006) and Shirley Gandee

form the International Association ofVirtualOfficeAssistants (IAVOA), and A Virtual Solution

(AVS; now a web-hosting reseller) is established.

IVAA begins certifying VAs.


12/20

` Virtual Assistant Certification appears on the

scene, formed by the allied founders of VAU,

IAVOA and AVS. IVAA separates from

StaffC

entrix.S

tacy Brice nominated for FastCompany's Fast 50.


13/20

` Stacy Brice speaks at ABSSI conference in

Virginia, encountering resistance to the new idea

of Virtual Assistance and its relationship-based

business model.` Janice Byer and Elayne Whitfield form

the Canadian Virtual Assistant Connection

(CVAC).


14/20

` Michelle Jamison, Carol Ford and Laura Sandham

formCanadian Virtual Assistant Networking

(CVAN).

` Mary-Lou Ashton forms Canada-based VirtualAssistant Training Program (VATP).


15/20

` Kathy Zengolewicz, Jackie Eastwick and Mary Motzform theDelaware Valley Virtual AssistantsAssociation (DVVVA).

` ABSSI dissolves; domain ownership is assumed by

Nina Feldman who repoints it to her web site.Business Support Services business owners begincalling themselves Virtual Assistants, although theirbusiness models predominately remain unchanged assecretarial services (mainly local clients and

project/piecework for anyone willing to pay),presumably to jump on the Virtual Assistantbandwagon given the loss of their own group.


16/20

` Margaret McKillen forms the Association of Virtual

Assistants of Ireland (AVA Ireland), defunct as of

2009.

` Caroline Nelson forms the Southeastern VirtualAssistant Group (SEVAG).


17/20

` Danielle Keister forms Gritty VA (now a blog), a

movement intended to instill standards of

excellence in the Virtual Assistant community and

promote increased awareness of the VirtualAssistance industry in the mainstream

marketplace.


18/20

` Caroline Melville forms Scottish Virtual

Assistants (SVA).


19/20

` Scottish Virtual Assistants changes to Societyof

Virtual Assistants (SVA).

` Gritty VA evolves into the Virtual Assistance

ChamberofCommerce (VACOC), founded byDanielle Keister.


20/20

NOTE: Facts will be added on an ongoing basis to this History

ofVirtual Assistance

Source:http://www.virtualassistantnetworking.com/history.htm

history of virtual assistance

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