Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Virtual Assistant?

A Virtual Assistant (or VA) is an independent business owner providing administrative, creative and/or technical services usually to other independent entrepreneurs and solo and small business practices. VAs keep up-to-date on the latest technologies that offer enhanced ways of completing administrative tasks. They work on a contractual basis, and long-lasting collaboration is the standard. It is estimated that there are about 8,000 virtual assistants worldwide.

Virtual Assistants generally have extensive experience within a variety of office skills which help entrepreneurs begin and grow their businesses, while others provide specialized or niche services, for example: Marketing Graphic Design or Real Estate Promotion. Typically five+ years of administrative experience in an office is expected (within such positions as Office Manager, Executive Assistant, Secretary, Paralegal, Legal Secretary, Real Estate Assistant, etc.) (Definition from Wikipedia- online as of May 2009)

How is Marketing Defined?

Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. (Approved by the American Marketing Association, October 2007)

Why Should I Give You My Administrative Tasks or a Specific Project?

Our time is 100% productive. You don't have to pay for standard employee benefits, unemployment taxes and down-time or or conform to state/federal mandates. You don't have to provide office space, computer equipment or employee training. More importantly, you can be assured that you have an experienced administrative assistant, comfortable in running with the ball; in order to get your projects completed with minor supervision.

Why Shouldn't I "Outsource" my Project Work to another country with cheaper rates?

“Outsourcing’” to those in countries outside of the U.S. has become popular with large corporations for work such as: Customer Service, I/T Services, Engineering, and many other disciplines. There is no comparison between outsourcing project work and the professional services we offer. Our goal is to be of value by creating a collaborative partnership with you on a retained and ongoing basis, as opposed to producing on-call, task-oriented project work. We value clients that expect a high level of effective communication and customer service and desire long term relationships. We provide services that contribute to your growth and development. We also encourage your support of the U.S. economy.

How Do I Get the Work to You?

Modes of communication and data delivery of documents include: Phone or Conference Calls; E-mails and/or Attachments such as .pdf's (portable document files); Fax Transmissions, Courier/Overnite Delivery Services of CDs containing your Outline Documents, Photos or CDs; or Standard Mail Service.

How Much Time Do I Need to Organize Work on My Project?

Notify us every time you anticipate an upcoming project. We want to ensure our availability and schedule your project in a timely manner. If necessary, we will have a highly-skilled, contract associate work with us to fulfill your specific needs in order to meet your timeline. If the timeline is 'rush-oriented', additional hourly rates may apply to that specific job. We encourage you to make a habit of planning ahead.

How Soon Can I Expect my Project to be Completed?

We will provide your project to you within the agreed upon time-frame, which will be determined upon consultation, and will be subject to your honoring your pre-payment agreement. Within most cases, your word processing projects can be delivered within 2-5 days and your more comprehensive, graphic design-oriented projects can be delivered based upon an agreed time-frame.

What if I am not Satisfied with the Project Results?

We anticipate that you will be very satisfied with the final product based on our specific Agreement; however; if the final product is not to your satisfaction or requires some ‘tweaking’, please communicate your concerns and we will provide you with the additional services needed to bring that final product in-line with our Agreement. Our mutually satisfactory relationship is very important to us!