One of the great wonders of the digital revolution is the ability to share information and advice, while enjoying the help and experience of an expert without paying for the privilege. Whether you’re trying to plan a garden, design an interior, run a business, learn a language, or almost anything else, virtual help is at hand online. But which are the best virtual service providers? We take a look.

VIRTUAL GARDEN DESIGNERS

Growveg.com - This innovative online garden planner helps novice gardeners to draw out their garden and decide how best to plant it. The Garden Planner software shows how much space plants require and how to group them for maximum success, removing the need to look up planting distances and crop families. Meanwhile, growing advice is just one click away. And it all costs just £15 a year. www.growveg.com

Bed in a Box - Brainchild of Jane Hamblin of Land Army Designs, who has designed over 150 gardens in the last ten years, Bed in a Box supplies novice gardeners with one of five boxes, costing £55 each. These contain a mixture of shrubs and perennials and bulbs, designed for a minimum space of 5m x 5m, as well as planting plans, weed suppressant templates, full planting instructions and a notebook and pencil. All the experience of a garden design at a fraction of the cost. www.bedinabox.net

VIRTUAL INTERIOR DESIGNERS

Love House Design – Email your brief, attaching a photo of the room you’d like to design, as well as dimensions and any other relevant information. You’ll receive a portfolio of samples, swatches, paint colours, mood boards, drawings, suppliers, tips, ideas and how-to-guides for a fraction of the cost of a real interior designer. Prices start from £175 for a design scheme for one room, or you can order a how-to kit with lots of useful information for just £25. www.lovehousedesign.com

Google Sketchup – Aimed at everyone, including those outside design or architectural professions, Google Sketchup has been built to make design accessible to all and is explained comprehensively via a number of video tutorials. With the help of this virtual design service, you can design your own furniture and home by creating accurate 3D designs and architectural drawings online. sketchup.google.com

VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS

Tailored Time – Runs a Virtual PA service, particularly useful for smaller businesses or those working from home. Its services include a Remote Receptionist, Diary Management, Audio Typing, for those recorded work templates you don't have time to type up yourself, and PA and Admin support, which can cover everything from file management and project research to office relocation and travel bookings. www.tailoredtime.com

Moneypenny – A telephone answering service, ideal if you're a small business owner looking to work smarter, a company needing back-up for your existing in-house team, or an organisation investigating a fully-outsourced switchboard function. The company can also have a prestigious mailing address and telephone number and you can have access to meeting rooms across UK as and when needed. www.moneypenny.co.uk

VIRTUAL LAWYERS

Clickdocs – Create legal documents on this user-friendly site, which offers a number of free documents. Search for documents by topic or keyword, choose the document from its range, fill out payment details and print out your form from your own PC. Who needs a lawyer? www.clickdocs.co.uk

CompactLaw – One of the leading portals in the UK offering legal documents and services for English law. Formed in 1996, it has expanded and refined its work, offering an extensive range of direct legal services that use the internet to reduce time and costs. Subjects covered include employment, business, housing and wills. www.compactlaw.co.uk

VIRTUAL FITNESS TRAINERS

ThinQ Fitness – Offers access to a variety of different fitness trainers via online videos. From yoga, pilates, core toning exercises and tai chi to bike fit and fight fit aerobic classes, you can be sure to vary your exercise routine, doing as little or as much as you like, without paying for gym membership. Register for free access and you can also join the forum to discuss your fitness goals with trainers and other members. www.thinqfitness.com

Virtual Fitness – Gain access to your own personal exercise and nutrition plan, plus a huge library of exercise demos, fitness tips, workout charts and more. Users can work at home or in the gym as all of its exercise programmes are customised to each individual’s goals, fitness level, medical history, available equipment and time constraints. Enjoy 24/7 email access to your trainer and a weekly email update on the progress of your training program, as well as complete nutritional analysis and healthy eating program. From £3.79 for six months. www.virtual-fitness.co.uk

VIRTUAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS

MYLO - An innovative and completely free to use website, MYLO helps to support teenagers learning French, Spanish, German and Mandarin Chinese, but can also be hugely helpful to any adult trying to learn a new language. With practice materials, online dictionaries, phrase books, background information and plenty of hints and tips, learners have everything they need to learn a new language, without paying for a teacher. mylo.dcsf.gov.uk

Live Mocha – Join the world’s largest online language learning community to enjoy free and paid online language courses in 35 languages. The site works by enabling people from around the world to help each other with language learning. By building a community in which people can learn and practice new languages together, learning a language becomes more accessible, affordable and engaging. www.livemocha.com

Emily Jenkinson

10 February 2011