Virtual Personal Assistant: New service from for the support of SMEs

Mastercard created the new digital service Virtual Personal Assistant, aiming to support, guide and strengthen small and medium enterprises in Greece and Cyprus. All small and medium-sized businesses with a Mastercard® corporate card have free, unlimited and exclusive access to a “digital personal assistant”, enjoying a wide range of support and consulting services, for all aspects of their activities and business needs.

The Virtual Personal Assistant service is available from July 1, 2020, and aims to support small and medium enterprises through three pillars, offering:

  • Basic Secretarial Support Services
  • Daily Facilitation Services
  • Ongoing information about Covid-19

The first pillar of the Virtual Personal Assistant provides small and medium-sized enterprises with basic secretarial support services, which are necessary for the organization and management of their obligations. The service offers solutions in finding places to hold meetings, organizing couriers for products and supplies, as well as the complete organization of business trips. In addition, the service offers suggestions for finding partners who can serve the legal, accounting, and insurance needs of businesses.

The second pillar supports and facilitates the wider set of processes related to the daily operation of a small and medium enterprise. Through the Virtual Personal Assistant, small and medium-sized businesses have the ability to organize corporate meals, make reservations at major upcoming events such as theatrical performances, concerts and sporting events, and have instant and easy access to online ordering services, gifts, flowers or food.

At the same time, it provides suggestions for the development of corporate social responsibility programs, charitable actions, as well as volunteering, to support socially vulnerable groups.

Finally, the service’s third pillar provides updates on all information on Covid-19, including government measures to support small and medium-sized enterprises.

To activate the Virtual Personal Assistant service, Mastercard corporate cardholders need the first six digits of their Mastercard® card, the cardholder’s name, and their contact information. The service is available from Monday to Friday from 09:30 to 18:30, while companies can receive all the necessary information by phone at +357 22 222524, and online, at [email protected]

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.