Undullify

Posted by Mica Harvey / Graphic and Web Design Services

Undullify is a company providing graphic design support by way of improving your pre-existing visual content, or by creating brand new graphics for their clients.

The company has been in operation since October 2014 and is based in Australia.

About Undullify

The company was founded by a group of graphic designers and their headquarters is in Melbourne, Australia. Their designers are based all over the globe, to service clients worldwide. 

On their website, Undullify is keen to point out that, “Undullify is not a graphic design agency, and we are not meant to be used as a replacement for a full-time in-house designer.”

The target customers for Undullify are small to medium-sized businesses and nonprofits who do not warrant having their own full-time graphic designer but require day-to-day graphics like flyers, Facebook ads, or social media images.

 

Undullify Services

If you have any branding or graphics you want to be tweaked, improved on, or maybe you have a vision for some graphics you want to be created. Undullify is happy to take on the task as long as it takes 30 minutes or less; that is the maximum time allocated per task. This isn’t a hard limit though, and they’ll work on designs that take longer on a case-by-case basis.

When you sign up, you’ll have the opportunity to share a few details about your brand and what design style you’re looking for. Using this, Undullify will match you with your own dedicated graphic designer. You’ll work with the same designer in the future if you’re happy with the work, or try someone else if the fit wasn’t quite right.

Undullify’s business model is aimed at a larger volume of smaller jobs. This is what sets them apart from companies like 99designs who specialize in larger one-off design tasks like rebranding.

To request a design task, all you have to do is fill out a form on Undullify’s website to get the process started. After you receive the design work you can ask for any revisions, or accept the job. There’s no limit on the number of revisions you can ask for, so you’ll always get the design that you want.

Undullify Plans and Pricing

Pricing starts at $149 a month for unlimited small graphic design tasks. This comes with unlimited revisions, a 3 business day turnaround, and a dedicated designer, and design support and advice.

If the speed of execution is an issue, Undullify has you covered with the Monthly Entrepreneur Unlimited plan, which cuts that turnaround time down to just 1 business day for an extra $100 a month.

Unlimited graphic design tasks for $149 a month — very clear value proposition!

Both of these plans are “throttled” by a 1 request at a time limitation and you can only submit requests relating to one brand. You can submit multiple design requests at a time (which will sit in a queue) if that suits your workflows better.

If you work with several brands or businesses, you might consider Undullify’s Agency option. This package allows you and your team to submit design requests for unlimited brands and promise 1 business day priority turnaround times.

If you have a specific requirement in mind, there’s a flexible option of asking Undullify to create a Custom Plan tailored specifically to you.

You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel your plan at any time, with no extra charge

Undullify Alternatives

The nearest competitors to Undullify that I can think of are UnicornGO and Design Pickle, which offer similar “unlimited designs” packages, but often at a much higher price point

Fiverr is another place I’ve turned to in the past for graphic design support, but the quality can be spotty. (And being such a subjective art, design services are one of the toughest tasks to outsource.)

Your Turn

Have you worked with Undullify? If so, please share your experience below and help others with their decision.

 

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Horkey HandBook Virtual Assistant Finder

Posted by Mica Harvey / Education, Freelance Virtual Assistants, US Virtual Assistants, Virtual Assistant Resources

The Virtual Assistant Finder is a free service by Gina Horkey of HorkeyHandBook.com to help entrepreneurs and small business owners get in touch with qualified VA help – folks that she has trained personally through her online education system. A former VA and freelance writer herself, Gina began training others to become virtual assistants in 2014. Most recently, she has partnered with an accredited university to bring her training to students in the traditional online college experience as well!

The complimentary VA Finder service came about as a way for her to connect her “graduates” with clients in need of their services. Nothing fills Gina’s “bucket” more than helping both sides win in business by finding and supporting each other!

About Virtual Assistant Finder

Gina launched the Virtual Assistant Finder in late 2016 and has already helped place hundreds of qualified VAs with clients around the world (though predominantly in North America).

 

How it Works

All you have to do is fill out a short questionnaire asking you to describe your business and the role you envision for your assistant. When I tested the service for a recent hire, it asked if I’d ever worked with a VA before, how many hours a week I projected this role to be, my expected budget, and the skills and qualities I was looking for in an ideal candidate.

Once you submit your information, Gina shares the opportunity with her network of vetted VAs and they’ll pitch you directly.

I ended up getting 4 or 5 responses, interviewed 2 candidates, and hired one. From what I could tell, the candidates included mostly work from home moms.

Services

Gina’s VA grads are primarily based in the US and Canada and are trained in social media, administrative tasks, and generally what it’s like to work with clients remotely. She has dedicated classes on becoming a freelance writer, email management, project management, social media management, and even co-created a program, niching down to helping clients with their Pinterest marketing needs, which is actually the role I was hiring for.

One advantage that I see is that each person in Gina’s talent pool has made a proactive investment in their business – both in time and resources to get started, grow, and scale over time.

If you’re looking for someone with that kind of specialist training, I think it’s a pretty compelling value proposition, especially at the current price point – FREE!.

Plans and Pricing

The recruiting service is complimentary, as her primary profit sector is through her #FullyBookedVA system.

After you make your hiring decision, you’ll pay your VA directly. (Mine invoiced me through PayPal.)

The interesting thing — and I liked this — was neither candidate I interviewed quoted me in terms of an hourly rate. Instead, they offered package pricing based on what I was looking for.

That made it an easier decision because in this case, I was trying to buy a result, not someone’s time. I don’t care how long it takes for them to get it done!

Horkey HandBook Virtual Assistant Finder Alternatives

At the end of the day, you’re still getting a freelancer, and you’ll certainly be able to cast a wider net on a global platform like Fiverr.

What I think sets VA Finder apart is it’s just a more selective candidate pool to draw from. You know each person who sees your job posting has gone through specific training and made an investment in their education.

Aside from the recruiting services mentioned above, your other options are to try a specialist writing service like Copywriter Today or to go with one of the larger VA companies like MyTasker or Time Etc.

Your Turn

Have you worked with Horkey Handbook? If so, please share your experience below and help others with their decision.

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FlexClip

Posted by Mica Harvey / Video Editing Services

FlexClip is an online video editor that’s designed to make video creation and editing easy for anyone with any amount of video editing experience.

Their headquarters and all of their staff are based in China. The platform is self-service for the most part, although if you get stuck you can reach out to their support for help.

About FlexClip

The company started operations in 2006 and is headed up by Lin Xiao, the current CEO. Recognizing a gap in the market for an online video editor that’s easy to use, the team behind FlexClip set out to make an editor that anyone can use.

You can get started using their editor for free, you don’t even need to sign up for an account. This really is software for those with little to no graphic design skills, FlexClip does just about everything for you.

Within minutes you can be changing elements, adding your own text, and picking music from their library of templates, and making your own video.

This software is for anyone that doesn’t have the budget to pay an editor to make videos. Or, maybe someone who just wants to see what creativity they can muster.

Either way, FlexClip will do all of the heavy lifting for you while you make a video of your own.

How FlexClip Works

To get started, you can either sign up for an account or simply start using their video editor. You should be aware, if you don’t sign up for an account you will not be able to export or save your work.

You will get popup boxes showing you around the first time you use FlexClip. It’s really very intuitive and easy to get to grips with though.

You can either start with one of FlexClip’s templates or start creating a video from scratch. From there, it’s just a matter of selecting the element you want to use, such as text, media, music, etc., and putting together sections of your video.

FlexClip Services

FlexClip is an online video editor. They supply the tech, templates, stock footage, and music; it’s up to you how you use it and what types of videos you make.

That said, FlexClip is better suited to some types of videos over others. To give you an idea, some of the template categories they have includes:

  • Real estate video
  • Education videos
  • Tutorial videos
  • Birthday videos
  • Social media videos

FlexClip Plans and Pricing

FlexClip currently has four monthly pricing plans. As you’ll see, the higher the plan, the more features you have access to.

Most importantly, the higher the plan, the better the quality you’re able to download videos in.

A complete list of FlexClip’s pricing plans at the time of publishing are:

  1. Free – This plan is limited to 480p downloads, 1 stock video, a maximum of 12 projects, and a video length of up to 1 minute.
  2. Basic – *$8.99/mo – This plan enables you to download in 720 HD, up to 50 projects, a video length of up to 3 minutes, and some other features.
  3. Plus – *$15.99/mo – This plan enables you to download in 1080p full-HD, up to 200 projects, a video length of up to 10 minutes, and some other features.
  4. Business – *$29.99/mo – This plan includes everything in the Plus plan, plus up to 1,000 projects, a video length of up to 30 minutes, and some other features.

*These prices are for when you pay month-on-month. If you sign up for an annual plan and pay monthly, you can save up to 50%.

Click here for 40% off – FlexClip is having a super sale until April 23, 2021

FlexClip offers a 7-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied for any reason after committing to a plan within 7 days, you can reach out to their support and ask for a refund.

FlexClip Alternatives

If you’re struggling to create videos yourself, you should consider checking out a done-for-you video editing service. Vidchops and Video Husky are two highly rated companies I recommend taking a look at.

For alternative self-service video editing platforms, you should check out ClipChamp. They offer a similar video editor as FlexClip you can try for free.

Your Turn

Have you worked with FlexClip? If so, please share a quick review of your experience below to help others with their decision.

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AnswerConnect

Posted by Mica Harvey / 24/7 Answering Service, 24/7 Chat Support, After Hours Call Service, Answering Service for Small Business, Customer Service, Dedicated Virtual Assistants, Legal Assistants, Live Answering Service, Live Receptionist Service, SMS Virtual Assistants, UK/Europe Virtual Assistants, US Virtual Assistants, Virtual Assistant Resources, Virtual Employees, Virtual Receptionist, Virtual Receptionist Services

AnswerConnect is a live answering service based in Portland, US. They provide virtual receptionist services so you always have someone available 24/7 to answer your calls, respond to live chat messages, and schedule appointments.

AnswerConnect helps you maximize your ROI by capturing more leads, improving your customer service and giving you more time off the phone.

The company started operations in 2002, and currently serves businesses across the US, Canada and the UK.

About AnswerConnect

AnswerConnect is the premier people-powered live call answering service. They provide a wide range of virtual receptionist services, all aimed at helping businesses stay human without spending all day on the phone. They work with businesses of all sizes across a range of industries throughout the US, UK and Canada.. 

 

How AnswerConnect Works

To get started with AnswerConnect, all you have to do is choose which services you’re interested in. They recognize that each business is unique, so they try to book a consultation with you to discuss the best plan for your unique business needs.

You can request a toll-free number to use as your dedicated line to their receptionists. Alternatively, you can forward your existing number so all calls to your business. Each account comes with access to their mobile and desktop app where you set your instructions, keep track of your minutes used, and contact their team if you have any questions.

AnswerConnect Services

AnswerConnect offers a range of virtual receptionist services which include the following core services:

  • Inbound call answering – Their receptionists answer your business calls using scripts developed by you.
  • Out-of-hours call answering – Want to answer your own calls during office hours? Set up out-of-hours call answering and their receptionists will pick up when you finish for the day.
  • Call forwarding – Set your calls to forward to their receptionists at specific times or when you’re busy.
  • Appointment scheduling – Their receptionists can set appointments on behalf of your callers to keep your calendar running like clockwork.
  • Live chat services – With an easy-to-integrate live chat widget, their receptionists can engage with your website visitors just as they do your callers.

Free Live Demo

AnswerConnect knows every business is unique. That’s why they offer a free consultation to learn more about your business and suggest the best plan for your objectives.

You can also book a free live demo to hear how they would answer representing your business!

AnswerConnect Plans and Pricing

AnswerConnect has a wide variety of pricing plans. Some of their plans come with a one-off set-up fee of $49.99. At time of publishing, the prices are below:

To see all of AnswerConnect’s pricing plans, click here.

All of their plans run monthly and there are no long-term contracts, so you can cancel anytime. 

Not only that, but the first 30 calls under 30 seconds are free. This means you won’t be charged for any misdials or spam calls.

AnswerConnect Alternatives

If you like to try services before you commit to a plan, Gabbyville and Ruby Receptionists are two highly-rated virtual receptionist companies that both offer free trials.

Ruby Receptionists Gabbyville DaVinci 1-888-GoAnswer
Customer Rating not rated not rated
Established 2003 2013 2006 2003
Minimum Monthly Cost $299 for 100 minutes $229 for 150 minutes $99 for 50 minutes $110 for 100 minutes
Price per Minute $2.99 $1.53 $2.00 $1.10
Set-Up Fee $99 $95 $75
Trial 14-Day Free Trial 14-Day Free Trial 30-Day Risk-Free
Learn more Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More

Your Turn

Have you worked with AnswerConnect? If so, please share your experience below and help others with their decision.

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Compose.ly

Posted by Mica Harvey / Content Writing Services

Compose.ly is a content writing platform that connects clients with freelance writers based in the US.

The company has been in operation since 2017, and its head office is based in Seattle, WA.

About Compose.ly

The company is made up of marketing experts, developers, creatives, and most importantly, skilled content writers.

They offer many types and styles of content, including blog posts, newsletters, press releases, white papers, and product descriptions.

Compose.ly points out that its writers are skilled in producing SEO-friendly content. They understand that almost all their client work is going to be published online and because of that, they take care of the on-page SEO for you. Compose.ly’s writers are also experienced in creating content across a wide variety of industries, including:

  • Medical and healthcare
  • Technology and SaaS
  • Finance, business, and real estate
  • Legal
  • Manufacturing

Major brands that use or have used Compose.ly’s writing services include Mailchimp, WebMD, Avvo, Calendly, and Redbubble, among others.

When you sign up for a plan and order a piece of content, a member of Compose.ly’s team will manually assign your project to the writer best suited for it. This determination is based on your content project’s needs (e.g., the topic it’s about, its industry/niche) as well as the writer’s background and expertise. 

Compose.ly’s goal is ultimately to match clients’ projects with the most qualified writers, thereby saving clients from the headaches of recruiting and vetting freelance writers. To that end, the platform has built up a rigorously vetted team of writers with experience across a variety of industries.

Looking through some of its writers, I see why Compose.ly’s price point is on the higher side; some of the platform’s writers have considerable experience and have been featured in large publications.

The turnaround time depends on the content plan used but typically ranges between three and five business days.  To communicate any additional project details, you can message your assigned writer through Compose.ly’s in-app chat feature.

Services

When ordering content from Compose.ly, you can choose from the following types:

  • Blog post/article
  • Newsletter
  • Press release
  • White paper
  • Website article
  • Product description

You then choose how many words you want the piece to be. The length of content starts at 200 words for a product description and 500 words for a blog post. It can go up to a whopping 10,000 words for white papers.

Once a writer submits a draft, you can leave detailed comments and request up to two revisions using Compose.ly’s Self-Service plan. The premium content plans, Managed Service, and Content Blocks may offer more flexibility in terms of edits and revisions. You can also contact a member of Compose.ly’s customer support team during business hours via phone, live chat, or email if there is an issue you can’t resolve with the writer.

Plans and Pricing

Compose.ly offers three content plans to match different users’ needs:

  • Self-Service – Self-Service is ideal for users who have ad hoc content needs or prefer to take a hands-on approach when managing their content projects. This plan does not include Compose.ly’s in-house editing services, but clients can request two revisions with each project. There is no monthly subscription fee for this plan. 
  • Managed Service – Managed Service is best for businesses with consistent and ongoing content needs. Compose.ly’s in-house editors’ review content projects ordered under this plan and a client success manager is assigned to each client to help facilitate communication and project delivery. This plan operates with a monthly subscription fee based on the number of words and the complexity of content needed per month.
  • Projects & Content Blocks – Compose.ly’s third pricing plan functions almost exactly like Managed Service, albeit without a monthly subscription fee. Clients can purchase projects or “blocks” with a minimum of 10,000 words. This plan includes Compose.ly’s in-house editing services as well as a client success manager. It’s ideal for any business tackling a big one-time project, e.g., creating two ebooks per quarter, or revamping one’s website and needing landing page copy.

To give you an example of Compose.ly’s pricing, its Self-Service plan offers the following prices:

  • A 500-word blog post is $74.95.
  • A 3,000-word blog post is $449.95.

Why would you need a 3,000-word blog post? Authoritative in-depth content tends to rank better in Google’s search results. Most of the articles I publish these days are at least 1,500 words, which would be $225 with Compose.ly, and many are double that length.

Compose.ly Alternatives

While there are lots of Virtual Assistant companies that also offer content writing services, MyTasker and Copywriter Today seem to be the best other options to check out!

Another all-American writing service that comes to mind is Scripted, though they’re noticeably pricier per-article.

Your Turn

Have you tried Compose.ly? If so, please leave a review of your experience below to help others with their decision.

 

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Conversational

Posted by Mica Harvey / Virtual Receptionist Services

Conversational is the industry leader in providing friendly and professional live virtual receptionists and call answering services. Ensure your company never misses another call and take advantage of our 30-day free trial today.

Conversational has been in operation since 2014, under the umbrella of our parent company Dwarven Holdings. So, you can be assured Conversational brings a wealth of knowledge in each industry it serves and employs the best in customer service.

Virtual receptionist services are gaining in popularity, they offer businesses the luxury of having their phone calls handled by trained professionals without having to manage staff in-house. This type of service benefits small, medium, and enterprise businesses alike. Offering a less costly solution to your customer service face. Allowing you to eliminate the headaches of staff management and ensure your callers are taken care of.

Services

Conversational handles all telephone-based tasks, including; incoming/outgoing calls, scheduling, and calendar management, as well as customized call handling and message delivery via text and email.

When questioned about their specific areas of specialization, the reply from Conversational was simply ‘friendliness’. Friendliness certainly goes a long way when customers are dealing with a receptionist, it was interesting to see them use that word. Combine this with one of the best pricing options among their competitors, as well as their ability to book within your current calendar, and the decision is easy. No other virtual reception services compare and offer flexibility like Conversational.

Conversational offers full or part-time receptionists, ensuring you’re covered where you need it the most. You control when you activate your reception services to ensure you are keeping your costs low and are getting the best value of our services for your needs.

How it Works

Once you sign up through Conversational’s website you are sent a “Welcome” email containing all the information you need to get started. This allows you access to their automated client details form to complete regarding your business details and call handling information.

Once you have completed and submitted this form Conversational gets busy creating your account and reaches out regarding any clarifications required.

Don’t have a business number? No problem! Conversational has you covered. Each account is assigned with a Toll-Free or local number for you to either forward your existing business line to or use for your new line and marketing aspects.

Plans and Pricing

Conversational offers three base plans to suit your business volumes. You can view these online and should your business require a custom plan unique from these base plans, Conversational would be happy to work with you doing just that. All plans come with our basic services such as:

  • Live Call Answering
  • General Inquiries & Basic Customer Service
  • Call Routing
  • Customized Call Handling
  • Detailed Message Taking
  • Set Temporary Call Instructions
  • Professional Image
  • Voicemail Messages Delivered by Email
  • Take Your Business on the Go with Text Messaging
  • Customized Greetings and Hold Music
  • 100% North American Speaking Receptionists
  • Custom VoIP Solutions
  • Free Local Phone Number
  • Call Screening
  • Complete Client Call Reporting
  • Flexible Monthly Billing

All plans come with a 30 day free trial, which lowers the barrier of entry for anyone looking to try a virtual receptionist for the first time. This activates on the date of your signup and covers all incoming call services up to 1000 minutes.
Should your business require scheduling services you are also charged an additional $79/month for those. Ensuring you are placed with a reception pool comfortable with your calendar and ready to action all those booking call needs.
Why wait any longer….with Conversational, you have nothing to lose but those phone calls.

Conversational Alternatives

Some of Conversational’s biggest competitors include Ruby Receptionists, Davinci Virtual Office Solutions, and Gabbyville.

Your Turn

Have you worked with Conversational? If so, please leave a brief review of your experience below to help others with their decision.

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Your Resume Girl

Posted by Mica Harvey / Content Writing Services, Recruiting Services, Resources/Tools, Resume Building Services

Your Resume Girl is a career development, coaching, and resume writing service. If you need help landing your dream job, changing your career, or seeking higher-paying employment, Your Resume Girl can help.

Based in Florida, U.S. company founder Michelle da Alba has been helping job seekers and working professionals land their dream jobs and earn more for around 3 years.

About Your Resume Girl

Read Your Resume Girl Review

The company started operations in 2017 and is headed up by founder Michelle da Alba.

Michelle is the “Girl” behind Your Resume Girl. She has an assistant helping out with some of the day-to-day operations of the business, however, it’s Michelle you’ll be working with directly when you sign up for coaching.

Michelle has 20+ years of experience working for billion-dollar organizations and has hired and trained more than 100 employees for Fortune 500 companies.

She took that knowledge and experience and started Your Resume Girl to help job seekers land their dream jobs. Michelle is an expert in crafting personalized, strategic resumes, and coaching people to success in job interviews.

Her target clients are professionals in mid-level management roles to director and executive level and has the capability to work with a wide variety of industries.

She works remotely with clients, so you can contact Michelle regardless of where you’re based. Currently, most of her clients are from the U.S., Mexico, and Central and South America.

Michelle told me that 90% of her clients get a job within 6 weeks of following her coaching and implementing her strategies. She also said most of her clients end up making $10k more than they were making in their previous job, or the offers being presented.

One caveat; Michelle also pointed out that you should prepare yourself for a lot of homework when working with her. But that’s to be expected, and the hard work will pay off when you secure that dream job you’ve been chasing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPUOGbnxJA8

How Your Resume Girl Works

To get started, you can reach out to Michelle via the contact form on her site or through her Facebook page. She will get back to you and arrange a time for a consultation to find out exactly what you’re looking for.

Your Resume Girl Services

Michelle helps clients through every step of their job-seeking process. She will help you write your resume in a strategic and tailored way, and coach you on a 1-on-1 basis in the areas you need support.

She groups her services into the following three core areas:

  1. Strategic Writing – This includes putting together your resume using industry-specific keywords and other tips she’s developed over the years to increase your chance of getting a call back.
  2. Job Search Training – Michelle will help formulate a search strategy to help you find your dream job. This includes writing cover letters, LinkedIn training, strategy hacks, and more.
  3. Career Coaching – This includes mock interviews, coaching you on interview techniques, advice on how to negotiate offers, and more.

Plans and Pricing

Pricing varies depending on how much time Michelle will need to spend with you. Michelle will arrange a time to discuss your requirements, after which she will send you a custom proposal.

To give you an idea, she did tell me that minimum packages typically cost around $350-$600. But again, this is dependent on how much work is required.

Michelle spends anywhere from 5-8 hours on the low end perfecting a resume. With this numbering being as high as 10-12 hours for a director-level position.

All-inclusive job search packages are usually in the $1,200-$3,000 range. Michelle said she will typically spend around 20 hours personally working with clients with this package. She also sticks with clients for a job search timeframe of 3 months.

Your Resume Girl Alternatives

There are a number of content writing services and virtual assistant companies that may have the expertise to help write your resume.

Not many can match the personal 1-on-1 service Michelle offers with Your Resume Girl though.

Michelle told me that this is where she sees her business offering more value to her clients. She spends a lot of time with each client formulating personalized strategies and said this results in a higher success rate.

Your Turn

Have you worked with Michelle at Your Resume Girl? If so, please leave a review below to help others with their decision.

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Virtually Yours

Posted by Mica Harvey / Australia Virtual Assistants, Bookkeeping Services, Content Writing Services, Customer Service, Freelance Virtual Assistants, Graphic and Web Design Services, Legal Assistants, Project-Based Virtual Assistants, Task-Based Virtual Assistants, Virtual Assistant Companies, Virtual Assistant Resources, Virtual Receptionist Services

Virtually Yours is an Australian-based virtual assistant network providing training and support for virtual assistants and business owners in Australia.

The owner, Rosie Shilo is located in Melbourne, AU. Most of the VAs and businesses joining the membership program are also based in Australia.

About Virtually Yours

The company started operations in 2004 and is headed up by founder Rosie Shilo.

Rosie started Virtually Yours because she wanted to create a safe and knowledgeable community for Australian VAs and business owners to connect.

To do this, she created a membership community on the backend of Virtually Yours. Here, VAs and businesses can connect. Rosie also shares training materials and works with members.

If you’re a VA, you’ll get access to training resources and information to help you develop your skills and learn how to find new clients. As a business owner, you can post jobs and connect with VAs looking for clients. It’s a win-win.

There are currently more than 190 virtual assistants signed up as members, so it’s a large and ever-growing community.

Virtually Yours is aimed at VAs and businesses located in Australia. So, I do have to point out it’s going to be a lot more relevant if you’re based in Australia.

However, Rosie is an expert in the VA field having published books on the topic and mentored VAs. I can imagine there is value for VAs based anywhere in the world, so it might be worth checking out Virtually Yours is you’re a VA looking for training resources.

How Virtually Yours Works

Virtually Yours operates on a membership model. To get started, you need to sign up for one of their membership plans.

This will give you a login to access the members-only area. From here, you can browse the forums, post job listings, and start to find a VA or a business to work with.

For the most part, professional relationships between VAs and businesses are handled independently. Virtually Yours only provides the platform for professionals to connect, they do not oversee any contractual agreements.

Virtually Yours Services

When you sign up for one of the monthly membership plans, you gain access to a number of resources and perks depending on your membership level.

A complete list of all the services you can use as a member includes:

  • Access to forums and private Facebook group – You can meet and connect with other VAs and businesses in these private membership areas.
  • Business listings – As a business owner, you can list your business to attract leads.
  • Jobleads – You can place a job lead to the network of VAs within the Virtually Yours ecosystem.
  • Promotional opportunities – Premium members are given opportunities to guest blog and appear on the VY podcast, webinars, and social channels.
  • 1-on-1 mentoring with Rosie – You can book mentoring sessions with company founder Rosie for $120 AUS (approx $87 USD at the time of publishing).

Plans and Pricing

Virtually Yours have three different pricing plans as follows:

  1. Listing – $9.90/mo, this plan gives you access to some of their resources and you can add your business to their VA directory.
  2. Inspire – $33/mo, this plan gives you access to the VYVA community, webinars, guest blogging opportunities, and more.
  3. Connect – $55/mo, this plan gives you access to the entire VYVA ecosystem. As well as featured listings, opportunities to guest on the VY podcast, and more.

If you sign up for any of these plans annually, you’ll receive one month free.

Virtually Yours Alternatives

Virtually Yours is a little unique in the way they provide a platform for both helping VAs and businesses connect independently. You also have to keep in mind that they are targeting Australian VAs and businesses.

However, if you’re looking for alternative VA networks I recommend checking out The International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA) and Outsource School.

As a VA; the IVAA is a non-profit organization providing tools and resources to help VA develop their skills and further their professional development.

As a business owner; Outsource School is a membership platform providing detailed training materials and a community for businesses looking to hire and train VAs.

Your Turn

Have you joined Virtually Yours? If so, please leave a review below to help others with their decision.

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Reps Direct

Posted by Mica Harvey / Virtual Receptionist Services

Reps Direct is virtual employee company specializing in providing virtual employees to handle contact center needs like call answering, appointment setting and confirmation, and order processing. The company is headquartered in the US, while most of the virtual receptionists work from Managua, Nicaragua and Tijuana, Mexico.

About Reps Direct

reps direct reviewThe company was founded by Scott Kacmarski in response to seeing other virtual assistant providers either charging too much, or not delivering enough. He decided to start his own virtual receptionist agency and offer more value to the company’s clients.

The company has been operating since 2015. Their target customers are small to medium sized businesses looking to outsource their contact center tasks at an affordable rate. When I asked Scott what the company’s goal is, he said “to be a customized solution for your virtual employee needs, not just a generic answering service.”

He went on to add that they assign reps to each client, building up a good understanding of the business over time and becoming a valuable part of the team.

Services

The core of Reps Direct services include telephone call answering, handling text messaging, replying to emails and live chat. If you are a small business and the volume of calls and inquires are starting to build up, outsourcing the receptionist type tasks to a virtual assistant is a cost-effective way of getting on top of things.

These type of services also have the added benefit of giving small companies a much bigger appearance.

Being greeted by a dedicated receptionist when calling a company always helps give a good first impression. While Reps Direct does not offer a complete virtual assistant solution to all the ad-hoc tasks a business owner would typically outsource, they do offer a dedicated solution to a particular area of a business.

Plans and Pricing

Reps Direct have three different plans. Their Basic Package starts at $4.99 per week. You get a free phone number, call answering, call transferring, and message taking. Each minute you use is billed out at $1.25/minute. 

(You can also forward your existing number to Reps Direct, or set it up to only forward during non-business hours as they’re open 24/7.)

This plan is Pay-As-You-Go, with a minimal weekly cost and charges based almost exclusively on how much you use. If you anticipate more than a couple hours worth of call volume each month, it probably makes more sense to look at one of their higher tier options.

reps direct pricing

Their next package is their Reception Package. This costs $199 per month, and you get a free phone number, 225 minutes included, and their call answering, appointment setting and message taking services. There is an additional charge of $.99 per/min for extra minutes used.

Their largest package is their Small Business Package. This plan costs $499 per month, you get all the services of the other packages along with 625 minutes of call time. There is an $.89 charge for additional minutes, and I’d say this plan is aimed at a busy and growing small business.

All packages include a 7-day free trial to test out the service and see if it’s a good fit for your operation.

Reps Direct Alternatives

Ruby Receptionists are probably the most well-known company in this space. Gabbyville and Conversational also offer similar services and are worth looking into.

What sets Reps Direct apart from these alternatives is their starting price. Their packages are very competitively priced. While it’s hard to match all the services on a like-for-like basis, Reps Direct pricing structure is lower than their competitors.

Your Turn

Have you worked with Reps Direct? If so, please leave a review below to help others with their decision.

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Hire My Assistants

Posted by Mica Harvey / Dedicated Virtual Assistants, India Virtual Assistants, Virtual Employees

Hire My Assistants is a virtual assistant company located in Mumbai, India. Their team is comprised of professionals in areas of expertise including administrative services, office assistance, customer service, online services, professional services, web marketing, web design and development.

HMA prides themselves on being a one stop location for all personal assistant services from small businesses to medium sized corporations. Whether personal assistant services are needed for a one-time project or a more lengthy relationship is established, HMA has the capacity to handle both with efficiency and professionalism.

About Hire My Assistants

hire my assistants reviewSagar Khupsare is a veteran of the virtual assistant and business process outsourcing industry, and serves as the leader and driving force behind HMA.

As a fresh and dynamic leader he embraces challenges and looks forward to providing clients with the best the Hire My Assistants team can provide.

Established in the beginning of 2014, Hire My Assistants is a newer establishment when compared to other Indian virtual assistant companies. However, clients take comfort in knowing that the leadership of HMA has had goals of becoming one of the largest virtual assistant service providers. All HMA team members hold years of experience providing excellent customer assistance and high quality services.

Services

Client tasks are assigned specifically to skilled professionals in that area; human resource tasks are assigned to human resource experts and payroll to payroll experts, etc. This ensures that client tasks are handled in the most professional, efficient manner.

Hire My Assistants provides virtual assistant services in the following fields:

  • Accounting & Finance Managers
  • Administrative & Office
  • Chat & Email Customer Service Support
  • Ecommerce Development
  • Executive Secretary
  • Inbound & Outbound Call Center
  • Market Research & Analysis
  • Personal Assistant
  • SEO
  • Website Designing

HMA is always looking to expand their service offerings so stay tuned for additional areas of expertise.

Hire My Assistants Founder Interview

Plans and Pricing

The Hire My Assistants plans and pricing are very straightforward and affordable; and are intended to be so. They purposely make choosing a plan and pricing a simple process.

Being part of the industry for many years, HMA recognizes the value of a cost effective and quality service tailored to meet the needs of each individual enterprise. Given this, their pricing is laid out very simply.

Rates start at roughly $180 a month for 20 hours of support ($8.98 an hour) and go as low as $4.98/hr for a full-time VA ($800 per month).

There is great flexibility in hours to ensure that there are plans to meet the needs of all businesses, and no long-term contracts.

Hire My Assistants Alternatives

The virtual assistant industry in India (and elsewhere) remains a competitive one with companies like 24/7 Virtual Assistant, My Tasker, and VMG BPO all vying for your business.

While Hire My Assistants may lack the marketplace experience and client ranks that other companies boast, Sagar tells me their leadership, quality team, fair pricing and exceptional service set them apart from their competitors.

Have you worked with HMA? If so, please be sure to leave a review below to help others with their decision.

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