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Nor is the phenomenon confined to the U.S., but seems to be international as BBC News reported in September 2000:

While there is no doubt of the growing demand for virtual assistants, it seems increasing numbers of people are keen to get out of the office and work from home.

New research by recruitment agency Kelly Services predicts that by 2020 one-quarter of all UK workers will be based at home, with half doing some form of teleworking at one time or another.

Presumably a substantial number of those will be VAs.

An American in Paris, Connecticut native Patricia Zraidi (pictured above) decided not to return to the corporate world after her two sons Nezar and Samir started school.

Instead, Zraidi launched La Parisienne Business Center in Ivry Sur seine just southeast of the French capitol where she has lived with her Moroccan husband Mohamed and their children since 1999, according to the family's website.

Zraidi told Elite Office Support for a profile in the company's Worldwide Listing of Virtual Assistants:

I officially "opened the doors" in October of 2003 when I launched my website. My first client came two months later and Voila! - I was in business.

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