Frequently Asked Questions Answering Your Most Concerned Questions These FAQs are provided to answer the many questions that have been asked and will help you to understand who Assistant Services is and how the services are provided in terms of meeting your business needs.
Who is Assistant Services & Associates?
Assistant Services & Associates offers office secretarial and administrative support services with the ability to handle your core and non-core support needs via email, fax, telephone, etc. Support services who function as a virtual assistant are often the CEOs of their own companies. They become the long- or short-term "growth partners" of their clients, handling such tasks as: - Administrative Support
- Bookkeeping
- Scheduling
- Client and Vendor Contact
- Event planning
or other more-specialized areas such as database maintenance, human resources, web site maintenance, payroll and market research.
How Do I Find a Qualified Virtual Asistant?
You've come to the right place! Assistant Services & Associates provides professional office support services to meet all your secretarial, clerical and administrative office needs with over 20 years of qualified experience. Assistant Services & Associates is working to form alliances with many of the top service providers in the field whether in a virtual environment, or if there needs to be a face-to-face meeting to better familiarize the business and build stronger working relationships. So whatever service you are looking for, look no further. And if my company can't deliver the service(s) you are looking for, I am confident that I can find someone who is qualified to do so.
If I Prefer the Services of a Virtual Assistant, How Do I Know If a Virtual Assistant, is Any Good?
Should you prefer to work solely with a virtual assistant for whatever reasons you may have, there are several ways to gauge the professionalism of a virtual assistant. For example:
Many will offer an initial hour or two of services at no charge. Test them with a short project and evaluate the results.
Spend time on their web site. Check for typos and bad grammar; look for accomplishments, participation in outsourcing professions and published articles if any:
(1) Does the VA belong to a professional group, such as the International Virtual Assistant's Association?
(2) Does the VA possess any professional certifications or awards?
(3) Ask for client references and check them.
(4) Call the VA and conduct a phone interview.
What Do Virtual Assistants Do?
Virtual assistants offers a wide range of services that are designed to cater to specific needs. Here's a sampling: - Academic Writing
- Accounting Services
- AudioVisual Production
- Business Coaching
- Business Plan Writing
- Business Writing
- Collection Services
- Competitive Research
- Concierge Services
- Database Management
- Desktop Publishing
- Document OCR/Scanning
- Editing/Proofreading
- Entertainment Industry
- Event Planning
- Expertise in "Foreign" Markets
- File Conversion
- Fundraising
- General Transcription
- Govt. Procurement Expertise
- Grant Proposals
- Graphic Design
- Graphic Scanning
- Growth Advisory Services
- HR Expertise
- Insurance Broker/Agent Support
- Internet Research
- Interpreting
- Import/Export Support
- Intranet Development/Management
- Legal Secretarial Support
- Legal Transcription
- Litigation Support
- Live Phone Answering for Clients
- Mailing Services
- Marketing/Advertising
- Market Research
- Medical Transcription
- Multilingual
- Multimedia Presentation
- Non-profit Support Services
- Office Management
- Paralegal Services
- Payroll Services
- Phone-in Transcription
- Private Investigation Support
- Programming
- Public Relations
- Realtor Support
- Resume Writing
- Spreadsheets
- Statements/Billing
- Systems Management
- Technical Writing/Editing
- Translating Services
- Voice Services (Greetings, Events)
- Voicemail for Clients
- Web Site Design
- Word Processing
What's the Difference Between a Virtual Assistant and a Local Business Support Service?
If a company wants to get a project done, either a local business support service (LBSS) provider specializing in the type of work needed to get the job done, will do just as well. Whereas a virtual assistant can perform on the same level as a LBSS and can serve as growth partners to their clients just in a virtual realm.
However, as a growth partner to their clients, virtual assistants make a point of learning their clients' businesses, and will often recommend sit-down meetings with the client. While the LBSS may have a thorough understanding of the project and will probably not require a sit down meeting, the virtual assistant understands the project AND how it fits into the big picture - what other aspects of the business it touches, how its success or failure will affect your bottom line and the future of your business. In other words, both the virtual assistant and local business support service has their finger on the pulse of "the business" not just "the project" and they have operating similarities.
What Are the Benefits of Hiring An Virtual Assistant as Opposed to An Employee or Temp?
The benefits are numerous, ranging from the obvious - no salaries, employee taxes, benefits or insurance, no OSHA issues or jeopardy of lawsuits - to the less obvious: instant marketing support across time zones and countries, an inexpensive "foreign presence," fewer management issues, etc. But Assistant Services & Associates is a Los Angeles based company with the goal of keeping outsourcing local and nationally, with the ability to provide services to the UK only when requested.
How Are HR Managers Using Virtual Assistants to Support Teleworkers?
Advances in technology and changes in corporate policy are enabling growing numbers of employees to take their work home. (There are approximately more than 23.5 million telecommuters or teleworkers today in the US alone, according to the International Telework Association and Council in Washington.)
This increasingly popular arrangement allows employees the freedom to better balance their career and home life. However, for the HR manager the trend toward telecommuting poses a new set of problems, chief among them providing top-notch administrative support to permit the telecommuter to focus on core tasks rather than time-consuming administrative chores.
Every telecommuter's work habits are unique. Their hours may be "non-traditional" due to personal scheduling or the location of their clients. Some are highly-organized while others need someone to keep them on track. Others require specialized support and some just the basics. An administrative assistant "back at the office" is not always able to provide adequate support to the telecommuter's unique situation.
Enter the virtual assistant - not a temp, not an employee, but a self-employed professional secretary/administrative assistant with an extensive background in the support industry who has the ability to cater to the needs of the individual telecommuter and tailor his/her services case-by-case.
How Much Do Professional Virtual Assistants Charge?
Generally, they charge by the hour, at rates ranging from $25-60 an hour, and sometimes higher, depending upon the expertise required. You should expect to pay more, of course, for specialized services such as Web Site Design/Development or Legal Secretarial Assistance. But today many are offering different types of payment options that best meets the budgetary guidelines of business operations.
At first glance this may appear to be a high rate, but let's look at the "real cost" of employees: statistics show that employees actually cost 2 to 2 1/2 times their rate of pay when one factors in cost of recruitment, base salary, employment taxes, mandatory insurance, benefits, space and equipment, and overhead cost of the employee.
And don't forget the variables that are more difficult to price: time lost on socializing, the risk of lawsuits, personality conflicts, absenteeism, etc. You're sure to pay considerably less for a virtual assistant. And when you go the temp agency route, you are expected to pay the agency a certain amount who in turns pays the temp, however, if you chose to hire that temp full time, you are faced with a whole new issue of negotiating the cost of the temp's contract, which the cost can vary temp agency to temp agency.
How Do Virtual Assistants Handle Workflow?
Virtual assistants are well equipped to handle various levels of workflow via email, telephone, fax, diskette/CD transfer, courier services, instant messaging services (such as ICQ), postal service, etc. You will usually find that - though the virtual assistant may be at any physical distance from your office - he or she is just as accessible as the person "down the hall," and often even more familiar with how your business runs. The virtual assistant can operate on the basis that mostly meets your requirements.
Why should I choose a Virtual Assistant? Here are some typical situations:
(1) Resignation of a key employee outsourcing avoids the recruitment/training effort
(2) Employee dishonesty or fraud resulting in termination of employee(s)
(3) Business growth brings transactions volumes that existing staff cant handle
(4) Recognition that outsourcing can improve results (faster collections of receivables, higher level of vendor financing from effective management of payables, etc.)
Whether short-term or long-term, the need of a secretarial and/or administrative asistant to support a project, cover a maternity leave, illness or military service, business restructuring or location startup can be beneficial when cost and immediate need of someone is an important issue. Assistant Services & Associates can fill the void as your virtual assistant and play a major role in meeting deadlines, reducing heavy worloads, and freeing up current in-house staff for availability of other tasks that require their immediate attention, increase managerial duties, and in some case increase development opportunities and increase profit margins.
Requesting Services & New Client Requirements I am a New Client, what Forms do I Need to Complete? All new clients are required to provide the following documentation: Letter on business letterhead identifying the type of business you are, contacts who will involved in the decision process, type(s) of services you are requesting, and the time frame to which services are to be received. This letter can be emailed, faxed, or mailed. A Request for Services form and a Confidentiality Agreement Form must be completed which can be emailed, faxed or mailed to you upon receipt of your written request.
The required forms can be found by going to the Services page, and going to the New Client Requirements section at the bottom of the page. Why do I Need the Confidentiality Agreement Form? For the purpose of protecting the interest of both Assistant Services & Associates (service provider) and you (the client) and information you may disclose information that may not be shared with third party entities unless required to do so by law. This form gaurantees the protection of your privacy when working with Assistant Services & Associates. New clients refusing to complete this form may result in having their requests for services denied. If I Complete all Required Documents, am I still Required to Provide a Letter as Well? Providing a written request on business letterhead that includes all parties involved in the decision process also helps to identify and verify the legitimacy of you and your business. Falsely representing yourself as a business can result in an immediate termination of all services and all outstanding fees will become due at that time. How Long Will it Take for me to Receive a Response After I've Sent my Letter Requesting Services? First of all, that depends on the method you used to send it. If you mailed it, please allow 3-5 days including weekends. If you've faxed it or emailed it, you can receive a response in as early as 24-48 hours of receipt of your letter. If you have not already downloaded the forms from the Services page, this information can be emailed, faxed or mailed to you for completion and must be returned. If you are required to remit a deposit you will receive a separate invoice. Where do I Fax my Forms? The fax number to where you can fax your forms is 323 998-6321. Is a Deposit Needed Once the Request for Services has Been Approved? A deposit is sometimes required depending on the types of services requested and fee involved. Generally a deposit is required for all retainer fees, however, clients renewing their annual retainer for a second year will receive 25% off the cost. Deposits are invoiced and must be received within fourteen (14) days. If services are cancelled within 30 days a portion of all deposits is not refundable. This non-refundable portion depends on the amount of the deposit. If services are cancelled after 30 days, then there is no refund on deposits. What if You do not Have a Service Listed that I am Looking For One of the best things about Assistant Services & Associates is "service flexibility." Don't see a service listed in the Menu of Services? I am more than willing to work with clients to develop the specific service they are looking in order to service their immediate needs. It is believed that this is what builds strong relationships by catering to the needs of the clients. And if for whatever reason the service cannot be developed I will work to refer you to a great resource is able to help you. Are Paypal Payments Accepted? If so, What Email is Used for Sending Paypal Payments? Yes. Paypal payments are accepted. Use asstservices@yahoo.com to make your payments. If you prefer to receive invoices via Paypal please let Assistant Services & Associates know prior to your payment being due and all future invoices will be remitted to you via this service.
Give Assistant Services & Associates a call today!
|