How About A Virtual Assistant For Your Life?

NEW YORK (WLNY) -- When busy lives lead to out-of-control to-do lists, wouldn't it be nice to have a personal assistant to lighten the load?

As TV 10-55's Carolina Bermudez reported Friday, you don't even need to be rich or famous to get that helping hand. You can hire one online for cheap.

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"Right now, I'm working full time and in school, and so it takes up most of my time," said Edith Poku of the Upper West Side. "So being able to delegate some of these things to somebody else that I know can take care of it would be really helpful."

Indeed, more everyday people are turning to online virtual assistants, like Joanna Cohen.

Cohen works for Virtual Assistant provider Zirtual.com, and though she lives and works in Brooklyn, her two clients are in California.

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"I do research, I do travel arrangements, and I manage their calendars and their schedules," Cohen said.

She charges anywhere from $6 to $20 an hour.

Virtual assistants work remotely to take care of any tasks, from answering your e-mail to making hair appointments or dinner reservations.

"It's people in any walk of life in any situation," Cohen said. "It's not just that top exec who has all the money in the world."

Spa owner Olya Piccirillo said her business leaves her little time to keep her personal life in order.

"Pay my bills, run errands, dry cleaning, make appointments," Piccirillo said.

She said a virtual assistant is exactly what she needs.

"I could accomplish much more," Piccirillo said. "I would have more time on my hands, so I could do things I enjoy more."

Experts recommend hiring a virtual assistant through a reputable company that does background checks for you.

Experts also said you should always develop a trusting relationship with your assistant before handing over your credit card information or passwords.

Many providers partner up with other companies to take care of jobs such as deliveries and pet care, which cannot be handled online.

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