VIRTUAL PAs, virtual assistants and freelance secretaries: it seems that the world of office administration is going freelance. But in an industry where building personal relationships is so important, can going it alone really work? Virtual PAs and secretaries are big news. And with the much touted work-life balance issue, freelance work is ideal for many.

“I wanted to run my own business from home and have more flexibility with my family,” explains Lisa Mawdsley, who has set up her own virtual PA business, Mve Ltd. “The advantages are plenty. I am my own boss, I work the hours that fit in with my family, I only take on projects that I want to do and I work from my own office, so no more commuting.”

But Lisa is quick to point out that going freelance requires hard work. She researched heavily into home business opportunities, discovering several scams before finding a website that offers virtual office solutions. And it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme. Marketing, networking and researching to find the right customers takes effort and perseverance.

In addition, freelances must complete their own tax returns, organise their own pension schemes, and be prepared not to receive sick pay or holiday pay. So what may seem like an attractive salary can look less so when compared with extras received by a salaried employee. And freelancing requires motivation — simply showing up doesn’t equal a pay cheque.

What’s more, if you’re thinking about going freelance you should work out how you are going to separate your personal life from work. With a home office, it can be all too easy for friends and family to think of you as permanently on call. And it is the common gripe of home workers that office-bound friends have an annoying habit of assuming that they can call in whenever they like. Freelances use a range of tactics to demarcate their working environment, from renting separate office space to shutting the door.

But home-working is on the increase. And for those who work in London in particular, freedom from commuting can make it all worthwhile.

Perhaps more importantly, however, freedom to arrange your own hours, and absolute flexibility over your working life is what keeps many freelance secretaries and PAs smiling.

Does working from home

beat office life? E-mail:

creme@thetimes.co.uk

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