Smith.ai

Posted by Mica Harvey / Virtual Receptionist Services

Smith is virtual call answering service for small business and individuals. They answer your inbound calls, take messages, arrange appointments, and more, so you don’t have to.

The company was founded in 2015, their headquarters are in Palo Alto, CA, and their team is spread across the US.

VAA Exclusive: Use code VAA100 for $100 off your first month of service!

About Smith.ai

The company was founded by Aaron Lee and Justin Maxwell. Aaron is a former CTO at The Home Depot and one of the founding engineers on Google Video and led YouTube monetization.

Justin was the design lead for Google’s Android Auto, and has designed products for Apple, Mint, Sony, and plenty of other startups.

They started Smith because they are passionate about helping small businesses and startups. Justin said they had the idea for Smith, “After repeatedly hearing that existing options simply weren’t what our customers wanted.”

Where Smith separates themselves from a lot of the other virtual receptionist services is in their billing. They charge per-call, not per-minute.

VAA Exclusive: Use code VAA100 for $100 off your first month of service!

This model will offer greater value to businesses that receive fewer calls with longer duration. Don’t worry about spam or unwanted calls either, these do not count towards your monthly quota of calls.

Smith.ai Services

Their receptionists handle just about anything they can from the end of a phone line. Most commonly their services include:

  • Call answering
  • Taking bookings and scheduling appointments
  • Live call transferring
  • Delivering voicemails via SMS or email
  • Providing you with instant call summaries
  • Setting up custom voicemails
  • CRM integration with many popular CRMs
  • Spanish speaking callbacks
  • Zapier-parseable email format for Zapier integration
  • Call screening

Smith not only take inbound calls, they can make outbound calls on your behalf too. You can leave it to their receptionists to book appointments, return calls, find out information, or carry out cold calling.

Smith.ai Plans and Pricing

Smith charge per call, not per-minute like most virtual receptionist services. They currently have three monthly plans as follows:

  • Starter – $60 per month – 10 receptionist calls and 1 live transfer phone number.
  • Basic – $150 per month – 30 receptionist calls and 2 live transfer phone numbers.
  • Pro – $450 per month – 100 receptionist calls and 5 live transfer phone numbers.
  • Custom – If none of the above meets your needs they are open to putting together a custom plan if you contact them.

VAA Exclusive: Use code VAA100 for $100 off your first month of service!

All of their packages also include:

  • US-based receptionists available during business hours of 9am to 9pm EST/ 6am to 6pm PST.
  • Daily and instant summaries of calls taken via text or email as and when you want it.
  • Live transfer of priority calls.
  • Voicemails transcribed and sent to you via email or SMS.
  • Spam and sales calls are blocked without charge.
  • Call screening and prioritization of calls.

They offer a free 30-day/10-call trial if you want to test their services. You can even keep your number if you decide not to continue with them.

Smith.ai Alternatives

Gabbyville and Vicky Virtual are two highly rated virtual receptionist companies worth seeking a quote from.

Like a lot of virtual receptionist companies, they both operate on a pay-per-minute model however, so your decision may be swayed depending on which model offers the most value to your business.

Your Turn

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

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Equivity

Posted by Mica Harvey / Bookkeeping Services, Content Writing Services, Dedicated Virtual Assistants, Graphic and Web Design Services, Legal Assistants, Project-Based Virtual Assistants, Task-Based Virtual Assistants, Technical Assistants, US Virtual Assistants, Video Editing Services, Virtual Assistant Companies, Virtual Assistant Resources, Virtual Employees, Virtual Receptionist Services

Equivity offers virtual assistants who provide administrative, marketing, and paralegal services. Clients work with a dedicated virtual assistant or team of virtual assistants.  Each virtual assistant has specialized experience in their area of expertise and holds a bachelor’s degree.  In addition to being US-based, Equivity’s virtual assistants are direct employees instead of independent contractors. This allows for better client service capabilities, increased accountability, and the ability to create and manage customized virtual assistant teams.  Client Experience Managers provide an additional level of support to ensure all clients’ needs are met. 

About Equivity

equivity reviewEquivity’s team of experts works together under the leadership and guidance of Equivity co-founders, Eric Wall, a partner at an international law firm, and Heidi Hodges, a marketing professional. As busy working parents with limited time, Heidi and Eric were inspired in 2014 to launch Equivity as a service to help other professionals and business owners achieve their goals and bring more balance to their lives. Within a few years, the business has grown exponentially and Equivity has introduced services to specifically target the marketing needs of businesses and paralegal support needs of law firms, as well as administrative and personal assistant support.

Equivity Services

Equivity offers administrative, marketing, and paralegal services.  

Administrative services include executive assistant services, bookkeeping services, project management, and chief-of-staff support. Equivity can provide a virtual assistant for a single executive, or a team of virtual assistants to support management or to handle overflow work.

Equivity’s marketing services include both strategy and execution of digital campaigns. Equivity marketing strategists can develop a marketing plan for a company as a whole or a unifying message for campaigns.  Clients who need digital marketing campaigns executed can hire virtual marketing assistants who can assist with email marketing, pay-per-click marketing campaigns, social media management, and content creation.  Clients can choose either service or use both.

Paralegal services are designed for attorneys at both law firms and working in-house at corporations. Equivity’s paralegals have experience in a wide range of practice areas including litigation, contracts, corporate, immigration, real estate, bankruptcy, and intellectual property.

Clients can also create custom plans that combine administrative, marketing, and/or paralegal services.

How Equivity Works

Prospective clients contact Equivity either via Equivity’s website or phone.  An Equivity representative obtains information regarding the prospective client’s needs, including details of the role, desired skills, projected time required per month, and time zone.  Based on his information, Equivity sends the prospective client a bio of a matching virtual assistant, typically within a business day.  If the prospective client agrees that the virtual assistant is a match, they sign up for the appropriate plan on Equivity’s website.  A client experience manager then makes the introduction to the virtual assistant, providing the virtual assistant’s contact information via email.  The client schedules a complimentary kickoff call with the virtual assistant and work begins.

Interview with Eric Wall, Co-Founder & CEO of Equivity

Equivity Plans and Pricing

Equivity’s prices differ according to the services offered.  Equivity’s administrative services are offered at the following pricing:

Equivity’s marketing virtual assistant are priced at the following rates:

Equivity’s marketing strategist services are offered at the following rates:

Equivity’s paralegals and legal secretaries services are offered at the following rates:

As is normal practice, the more hours you purchase, the lower the hourly rate.  There are no long-term contracts, and flexibility when you can use the hours.

Equivity Alternatives

There are several worthy competitors to Equivity in the American virtual assistant realm. Time ETC, Boldly and eaHELP are the best alternative options for Equivity. If you are looking for less pricier options, please check out OnlineJobs.ph or MyTasker.

Your Turn

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

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20four7VA

Posted by Mica Harvey / Bookkeeping Services, Content Writing Services, Customer Service, Dedicated Virtual Assistants, Graphic and Web Design Services, India Virtual Assistants, Legal Assistants, Philippines Virtual Assistants, Project-Based Virtual Assistants, Recruiting Services, SMS Virtual Assistants, Task-Based Virtual Assistants, Technical Assistants, Video Editing Services, Virtual Assistant Companies, Virtual Assistant Resources, Virtual Employees, Virtual Receptionist Services

20four7VA (EconMobile LLC dba 20four7VA) is an American-owned virtual staffing agency licensed and insured in Maryland, USA. Their staff and virtual assistants (VAs) are based all over the world and work remotely. Read on for a detailed 20four7VA review.

20four7VA was established as a subsidiary of EconMobile LLC in 2013 by Tim vanVonno, who wanted to bring his knowledge of overseas staffing to small- and medium-sized businesses. The company is built around the promise of providing on-demand, cost-effective remote worker support to highly mobile, modern businesses. 

20four7VA’s talent pool consists of virtual assistants specializing in a wide range of tasks including general administrative tasks, operations tasks, marketing tasks, technical tasks, sales and lead generation tasks, eCommerce support, graphic design, social media management, web development, podcast support, telehealth support, construction support, real estate support, and many more.

Note: Although many outsourcing companies have similar names, 20four7VA is a distinct entity from 247VirtualAssistant and Virtual Helper 24/7.

VAA exclusive offer: Use code VAA to waive your one-time $99 setup fee. Book a Consultation now!

About 20four7VA

Virtual staffing solution 20four7va review

The company sources home-based remote professionals and virtual assistants all over the world, which means that their virtual assistants are able to work with clients from all over the globe and in their own timezone.

20four7VA’s President & CEO, Catherine vanVonno, explained it this way: “We recognize the challenge of effectively managing a business and we are very eager to help. Our mission is to help entrepreneurs grow and stabilize their businesses through cost-effective, highly scalable remote staffing solutions that bring career opportunities to people who live in countries where local, financially rewarding jobs are scarce.”

20four7VA Intro Video

20four7VA Services

20four7VA has a global pool of virtual assistants ready to handle any business task. Currently, their VAs are grouped into:

They also provide specialized business support for businesses in the following industries

  • eCommerce
  • Podcast
  • Telehealth
  • Construction
  • Real Estate
  • Delivery and Logistics

Lastly, they also have two specialized services: IT Services and Call Center VA Services.

What separates 20four7VA from a lot of other virtual assistant companies is that they are a full-service staffing agency. This means that they provide their clients with recruitment, training support, payroll processing, and time-monitoring functions on top of the standard matching service provided by other staffing agencies.

On top of that, 20four7VA is essentially a free service until the client selects their virtual assistant. They will match you with VAs without asking for money upfront. They have a “no upfront fees, no lump sums” guarantee, so potential clients have nothing to lose. Their service also comes with a two-week paid trial where clients can easily switch out VAs if they feel like they made the wrong hire decision. Once the client engages a virtual assistant, it’s a “pay as you go” service. Should you feel the need to cancel the service, you will only have to provide the company with a seven-day cancellation notice following the two-week trial period. If you’re looking for a risk-free virtual staffing service, this is it.

How 20four7VA Works

STEP 1: Fill out the consultation form to help 20four7VA understand your business. Based on this consultation, 20four7VA will draft the job posting and send it to you for review and approval.

STEP 2: The company will match you with the right VA. They will search their database or actively source applicants and send you the profile packets of qualified VA candidates whose skills match your job requirements. They use an exclusive VA Matching Framework to ensure that clients get the best candidates for the job. 

STEP 3: Interview your VA candidates. They will set up a video interview with your chosen virtual assistant candidates. They’ll also facilitate the interview to ensure efficient communication between you and the applicants. If needed, the client can also ask the candidates to do a test task. If it takes 30 minutes or less to complete, the VA candidate will do it for free.

STEP 4: Your VA is ready to work. Once you set up your payment subscription, your new VA will be ready to start the next business day. They’ll also take care of onboarding the VA to make sure that you can communicate and share files with them easily.

Interview with Catherine vanVonno

20four7VA Plans and Pricing

20four7VA offers various pricing packages depending on 5 factors:

  1. VA skill specialization
  2. VA level of expertise
  3. Contracted hours per week (i.e. the number of hours the VA works for you each week).
  4. Bilingual requirement (a surcharge applies if the role requires proficiency in a language other than English)
  5. Regional requirement (a surcharge applies if you require a Virtual Assistant based in Latin America or the Caribbean)

Clients can engage VAs between 10 hours/week to40 hours/week). The hourly rate decreases as the contracted hours/week increase. For example, an Entry Level Admin VA hired at 10 hours/week is billed out at $7.50/hour, while the same VA hired at 40 hours/week is billed out at $5.00/hour. The hourly rate differential moving from 10 hours/week to full-time decreases in this example by $2.50/hour.

Here’s an overview of their Entry Level, 10 hours/week pricing packages:

Administrative Virtual Assistant

  • Price starts at $75/week (10 hours/week, Entry Level Administrative VA)

From managing calendars and keeping track of appointments to handling correspondence and answering emails, an Administrative VA can help free up the client’s time so they can focus on the core functions of growing their business.

Business Support Virtual Assistant

  • Price starts at $90/week (10 hours/week, Entry Level Business Support VA)

From streamlining business operations to handling essential tasks, a Business Support VA can manage everything from lead generation to preparing reports to assisting with basic bookkeeping. By handling these time-consuming duties, a Business Support VA allows clients to focus on strategic growth and core business functions.

Marketing Virtual Assistant

  • Price starts at $105/week (10 hours/week, Entry Level Marketing VA)

These VAs support companies by handling tasks like social media management, content creation, market research, and email campaign coordination. They help keep brands active and consistent across channels, letting businesses focus on overall strategy while knowing the day-to-day marketing efforts are in good hands.

Technical Virtual Assistant

  • Price starts at $120/week (10 hours/week, Entry Level Technical VA)

A Technical VA specializes in supporting SEO efforts, analyzing data, generating reports, and assisting with digital advertising. They manage tasks like keyword research, monitoring analytics, and coordinating ad campaigns. With a Technical VA, businesses can enhance their digital presence and make data-driven decisions without getting bogged down in the details.

After a 2-week trial period, the company charges a one-time set-up fee of $99. This will only be charged if the client is satisfied with the VA they have chosen and proceeds past the trial period.

VAA exclusive offer: Use code VAA to waive your one-time $99 setup fee. Book a Consultation now!

20four7VA Alternatives

For eCommerce support, you might also consider a company with a similar model called FreeeUp. On the general VA side of things, your best bet at a similar price point is going to be a service like TaskBullet or MyTasker.

I recommend getting a quote from two or three companies to compare their responsiveness and enthusiasm for your business and to get a sense of how well you think they will handle your tasks. 

Your Turn

Have you worked with 20four7VA? If so, please leave a review of your experience below to help others with their decision.

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MyTimeIn

Posted by Mica Harvey / Resources/Tools

MyTimeIn is a next-generation remote productivity platform that helps business owners and managers increase the overall productivity of remote employees.

This software provides a suite of tools that enable you to track time, monitor what your virtual assistants/employees are working on, track attendance, see screenshots of their workflow, and much more.

The company and MyTimeIn’s support staff are based in California, U.S.

About MyTimeIn

The software powering MyTimeIn has been through various iterations over the past 10 years to get to the polished product that it is today.

When the team behind MyTimeIn started developing this software, they said they wanted to answer one simple question; “Are you here?”

By this, they mean, asking or checking if a remote worker is where they should be and are doing the work they should be.

Hiring a team of virtual assistants all over the globe comes with some huge benefits. The two biggest advantages are; being able to find someone with the exact skill sets you need, and saving the expense that comes with hiring someone in-house and/or leveraging lower hourly rates.

It also comes with some drawbacks though. The most obvious one is that you’re not able to see what they’re working on and ‘manage’ them closely.

MyTimeIn built its software platform to bridge this gap. It has a number of features that enable you to monitor exactly what your team members are doing.

This allows you to provide better training, identify tasks that are taking longer than expected, and ultimately check your virtual employees are doing exactly what they say they’re doing.

How MyTimeIn Works

If you want to see how MyTimeIn works, you can schedule a time to see a demo of the software.

To get started using the software, you need to first sign up for one of their pricing plans. Then you can download the software (both OSX and Windows are supported). You will also need to have your remote staff install the MyTimeIn app.

MyTimeIn then starts collecting all the data it needs from your remote staff member’s computers and provides you with all the data through a central dashboard.

You can choose which metrics and types of tracking are most applicable to you, and make adjustments based on the information you’re receiving.

MyTimeIn Services

The types of tracking MyTimeIn performs fall under three main categories:

  • Screenshot tracking
  • Website tracking
  • Process tracking

Through tracking these actions, you can build an accurate picture of what your employees are working on and how much they’re getting done.

You can even find out key bits of information. Such as the devices they’re using, their ISP, and what they’re looking at on their screens. All of this information helps you better understand exactly how productive they are.

MyTimeIn Plans and Pricing

MyTimeIn has a simple pricing structure. You can either pay for a month-to-month plan or commit to an annual plan at a discounted monthly rate.

Both options unlock all of the features, and are priced as follows:

  • Basic – $29.99/mo for a month-to-month plan.
  • Business – $12.00/mo for a month-to-month plan.

MyTimeIn also offers an Enterprise plan if you want to commit to a two-year agreement at an additional discount. They’re open to discussing a plan that will work for you if you reach out to them.

MyTimeIn Alternatives

There are other time tracking and remote productivity platforms on the market that provide a similar range of features as MyTimeIn. We recommend checking out DeskTime and WorkPuls for alternative softwares.

Your Turn

Have you used the MyTimeIn platform with your business? If so, please leave a review below to help others with their decision.

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VA Staffer

Posted by Mica Harvey / Dedicated Virtual Assistants, Philippines Virtual Assistants, Virtual Assistant Companies, Virtual Employees

VA Staffer is a Digital Marketing and Virtual Assistant Company with the majority of it’s team in their Makati City (Metro Manila) office, Philippines. The marketing, project success and consulting is operated in the USA, and VA Staffer has also expanded recently into South America, India and the Caribbean for specific skillsets.

They have a very diverse team that offers a wide range of services to entrepreneurs, small businesses and CEOs. That talent pool is backed up with built-in Project Management Tools to deliver results.

VAA Tested_smallerThey opened their doors to the general public in November 2013 immediately after Typhoon Haiyan devastated much of the country, and local job opportunities were scarce, even for qualified candidates. At that time, founder Jeff “J” Hunter and his team decided that bringing on more clients would help empower college grads with amazing technology skills in the Philippines.

In return for a reliable, rewarding career opportunity, the new virtual assistants promised to provide superior services to their clients.

VAA Exclusive! Use code VAApromo for $150 off your signup fee!

About VA Staffer

VA staffer reviewVA Staffer has virtual assistants who work from home offices as well as their office in Makati and report directly to their clients.

The team uses ActiveCollab software for communication and project management, and aims to build a long-term win-win relationship with clients. This set-up provides for work tracking (screenshot monitoring) and accountability.

With VA Staffer, you’re assigned a dedicated VA based on your job requirements, but have access to rest of the team for specialized skills as the need arises. This set-up is somewhat rare among VA companies in the Philippines, where most just aim for a dedicated relationship and ask you to hire out other skills and jobs separately.

VA Staffer Review

VA Staffer Services

The company provides 100% manual and personalized SEO, Marketing, Website Design, Social Media Management and a variety of other virtual assistant services for start-ups, entrepreneurs, authors, and real estate agents.

Your virtual staff can also help with data entry, lead generation, online research, link-building, book promotion, reputation management, ecommerce solutions, and more.

Data Entry / Lead Generation

  • Online research
  • Lead generation
  • Managing your customer or contact database
  • SEO tasks

Administrative Assistant

  • Social media management
  • Transcription
  • Managing your calendar and travel arrangement
  • Email triage and follow-up

Web and Graphic Design and Web Development

This in-house team specializes in:

  • Website redesigns
  • Book covers and infographics
  • Social media graphics
  • WordPress and web development

Marketing Automation / Sales Funnel Assistant

At the high end of VA Staffer’s service offerings are their marketing automation and sales funnel pros. This is a rare skill to find in an assistant, and that’s why it commands a premium rate.

These highly trained assistants can:

  • Set up your email or marketing automation software (like Infusionsoft, ActiveCampaign, Hubspot, and others)
  • Do advanced website and CRM automation
  • Create lead magnets and sales funnels

The real pride of the company comes from the founding principal that entrepreneurship is the best method to solve global poverty.

VA Staffer Intro Video

VA Staffer Plans and Pricing

With some recent changes, VA Staffer has gone decidedly upmarket with their pricing and range of services. How it works is you have a $497 onboarding fee, and minimum $298 a month retainer.

 

The $298 retainer is applied to any work you need done over the course of the month, and you have access to an array of specialists based on what you need done.

The off-the-shelf plans are:

  • 20, 50 or 100 hours starts at $298 per month
  • 20 – 40 hours per week (80-160 per month) starts at $800 per month

It’s a very flexible and scalable system that can adapt with your business and growth.

VAA Exclusive! Use code VAApromo for $150 off your signup fee!

va staffer office

Why VA Staffer?

One thing that sets VA Staffer apart is their on-site recruiting and hiring process. When I spoke with Jeff, he explained that he personally flies to Manila 3-4x per year to screen the brightest talent in the Philippines and conduct face-to-face interviews.

Out of an applicant pool of 30 people, he might hire 1 or 2. The candidates must have a college education, and great communication skills.

Jeff explains, “The key to our success is the longevity of our staff. We offer great benefits to our employees and wages much higher than the average outsourcing company. That builds pride and creates a great connection between the staff and our clients.”

Interview with the VA Staffer Founder

VA Staffer Alternatives

Before you make your decision, you might want to check out the rest of the field of Filipino VA companies.

OnlineJobs.ph Wing Assistant FreeUp Online VA Team
Customer Rating
Established 2009 2018 2015 2014
Hourly Rate $3-8 $6.878.75 $5-20 $7+
Minimum Package $69 to post a job $699 for 80 hours Free to post a job 20 hrs for $250
Dedicated Assistant
Best For Full-time hires Small & Medium Business Owners, IT Services, Marketing Agencies, SaaS Quick pre-vetted hires in e-commerce and marketing Small & Medium businesses
Team Access
Rollover Hours
Free Trial *For limited range of services
Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More

*Dedicated option available.

Online VA Team is a top virtual assistant company that can help leverage your organization by outsourcing your workforce and taking care of managing your teammates and HR needs. Based out of the US, their VAs work remotely from the Philippines but will work across any time zone. They only hire college-educated assistants and put all their candidates through 3 rounds of interviews – so you’re sure to find a good fit. Online VA Team specializes in building teams for small to medium size companies needing administrative and customer service positions filled at a substantial cost savings. Online VA Team Entry Level Plan – $250 per month for up to 5 hours a week Monday to Friday. Small Business Plan – $1,195 per agent per month for dedicated staffing Monday to Friday.

Task Bullet and Carve operate similar models, though perhaps without the full project management tracking capabilities and access a team.

Your Turn

Have you worked with VA Staffer? If so, please leave a quick review of your experience below.

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Canada’s Virtual Assistant

Posted by Mica Harvey / Canadian Virtual Assistants

Canada’s Virtual Assistant is as the name suggests, a virtual assistant company based in Canada.

The company is headquartered in Alberta, Canada, and their virtual assistants are based in Canada.

About Canada’s Virtual Assistant

Canada's Virtual AssistantCanada’s Virtual Assistant (CVA) is a premier virtual assistant company based in Alberta, Canada, offering high-end support to business owners and executives. Founded in 2018, CVA is committed to providing expert services tailored to the specific needs of busy professionals. All of their virtual assistants are based in Canada, ensuring seamless communication and cultural alignment with North American clients.

Canada’s Virtual Assistant’s Mission Statement

“At CVA, our mission is to handle your time-consuming tasks with efficiency and expertise, so you can focus on what truly matters—your customers, your growth, and your peace of mind.

That’s a message that will resonate with any busy business owner. If you’re currently struggling to keep on top of your day-to-day tasks or are looking for ways to scale up your business, Canada’s Virtual Assistant is waiting to hear from you.

If you’re in the US, there are some advantages to hiring a Canadian virtual assistant. Generally speaking, the culture and working practices are very similar, and there are not going to be any of the language barriers you may encounter hiring further overseas.”

How Canada’s Virtual Assistant Works

They start with a personalized consultation call to understand your business needs. After scheduling a consultation through their online calendar, they’ll match you with the right assistant. You’ll have the opportunity to meet your assistant, ask questions, and ensure the match aligns with your goals before moving forward. Then they hold a kickoff meeting to onboard you and get the work going, and touchpoints are scheduled as needed to keep things on track!

In addition, the owner Owner, Megan Gillam, will meet with you monthly to check in, discuss any changes required, and continue to build the relationship with CVA. Depending on the tasks you hire CVA for, she may even be the one working on your account!

Their team is available Monday to Friday, from 8 AM to 5 PM MST (with some exceptions), and offer flexible communication methods on your preferred platform.

Canada’s Virtual Assistant Services

CVA offers a wide range of services, including:

  • Administrative Support: Streamlining your day-to-day operations.
  • Project Management: Managing timelines, deliverables, and team coordination.
  • Executive Assistant Services: High-level support for C-Suite executives, including calendar management, meeting coordination, and more.
  • Process and Implementation Support: Assisting with system setup, process documentation, and operational efficiencies.

In addition to these core services, we also offer one-off services such as:

  • Document Formatting
  • Email Inbox Cleanout
  • Task Delegation Consultation

Industries They Serve:

They specialize in providing services to industries such as construction, coaching, education, marketing, and consulting, with experience in managing the specific needs of these fields.

Canada’s Virtual Assistant Pricing

All of their packages start at $45/hr, (at time of publishing) reflecting the high-quality service and expertise we provide. They’ve offer tailored packages to suit your needs:

  • Custom Package (Pay-as-you-go): $50/hr
  • Monthly Packages: Available upon consultation to meet your specific business requirements.

For those who need quick solutions, they also provide one-off services at competitive rates, ensuring that even smaller tasks, like email cleanouts or document formatting, are handled with professionalism and care.

They provide flexible pricing options:

  • Pay as you go
  • Monthly Retainers
  • Project Based
  • One off task

Canada’s Virtual Assistant Alternatives

An alternative Canada-based virtual assistant company to check out is Virtual Assistant Canada.

Virtual Assistant Canada operates on a different business model, pricing their services by type rather than selling hourly bundles. It’s worth getting a quote and seeing if they specialize in the tasks you’re looking to outsource.

If you want to open up more options, there is no shortage of Virtual Assistant companies in the US to choose from. Time ETC and ClearDesk are two of the highest-rated US-based Virtual Assistant companies to start with.

Your Turn

Have you worked with Canada’s Virtual Assistant? If so, please leave a review below to help others with their decision.

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eLuminous Technologies

Posted by Mica Harvey / India Virtual Assistants, Virtual Assistant Companies

eLuminous Technologies is a professional virtual assistant company. The company is a partnership firm co-founded by Sandeep Aher and have been operating since 2002. 

Being in business for over 18 years makes eLuminous Technologies one of the more established virtual assistant companies in the industry.

Holiday promotion – 160 hours free – Sign up now!

BOOK A FREE CONSULTATION CALL!

About eLuminous Technologies

eluminous technologies review

The company is based in India, where they operate out of a huge facility with a team of over 200+ staff. They work around the clock to accommodate all the timezones of their clients, offering services during EST, PST, GMT and AEST timezones.

As you would expect with a company of this size, eLuminous have a large pool of skills within their 200+ staff. They have split into several different departments, and aim to match clients up with the most suitable assistant or team.

Their target customers range from MNCs, Fortune 500 companies, to managers and CEOs of large organizations. eLuminous Technologies find that most of their clients work in industries like Pharma, Automotive Dealers, Property Management, Real Estate, Jewelry, IT .

eLuminous Leadership Team Interview and Office Tour

This video gives you a behind-the-scenes look at eLuminous’ virtual assistant office setup, their leadership team, and even a little glimpse into their company culture.

I thought it was a cool way to share what it’s like over there, and to see something a little different from the super-polished stock-photo-laden marketing videos you typically see.

eLuminous Services

eLuminous breaks down their services into five main categories, and have a separate department for each of the following:

  1. Administrative Virtual Assistants
  2. Virtual Personal Assistants
  3. Project Management
  4. Real Estate Assistants
  5. Internet Marketing

So depending on the client’s business requirements, they can assign the Virtual Assistant specializing in that area.

Their key competency is saving the client’s valuable productive time and let them focus on what is important for them. Their stats with other clients indicate that on an average their one Virtual Assistant can save at least 2 hours’ of productive time for their client, which is a big plus. This definitely adds to productivity and let your key employees focus on what is more crucial for them.

Their virtual assistant services cover all the day-to-day business tasks you would expect. As I always advise, you should provide a detailed list of the tasks you’re looking to outsource and check they have experience with each task before committing to a price plan. 

Here is a detailed task list that eLuminous Virtual Assistant ‘scan do for you:

  • Scheduling meetings and coordination
  • Preparing MOMs and meeting agendas
  • Logistics arrangement
  • Calendar Management
  • Reminding you of important events
  • Transport coordination
  • Travel arrangements
  • Expense management
  • Customer service
  • Interview scheduling
  • Invoicing and PO creations
  • Email management

BOOK A FREE CONSULTATION CALL!

eLuminous Plans and Pricing

For their virtual assistant service, eLuminous Technologies has many packages to help you on many levels!

They have a free 3-hour trial period, which is always a great way to see how a business performs and shows they are confident in their services!

  1. Free trial period (3 hours) *Exclusive for VAA clients only
  2. Part-Time Assistant – 80 hours per month for $720 ($9 per hour) 
  3. Full-Time Assistant – 160 hours per month for $1440 ($9 per hour)

Based on my conversation with Sandeep, it sounded like their preference was to work with clients on the 160-hour engagement. He also indicated the clients that see the best results are the ones that have clearly-defined goals and outcomes in mind.

When paying for a package you are purchasing a number of hours per month. The hours will be used up as your tasks are completed, and you can keep an eye on the progress.

VAA Exclusive: Mention Virtual Assistant Assistant for 20% off your first month of service!

 

eLuminous Contract 

For its clients, eLuminous has a minimum of 6 months contract period.

eLuminous Guarantee 

No questions asked refunds (on unused hours) are guaranteed if things do not work for any reason. If you find that eLuminous VA is not a fit for what you are looking for, we will refund the amount (against unused hours) without a single question asked.

eLuminous Technologies Alternatives

When I asked eLuminous what sets them apart from their competitors, they cited their 15-day money-back guarantee, quality of service and flexible payment options. Sandeep also told me they really try and take a consultative approach in learning about your business so they make suggestions and become a valuable partner.

The virtual assistant marketplace is a competitive and crowded one. If you’re looking at virtual assistant companies in India, My Tasker or VA Talks might be worth a look, though neither have the 18+ year track record of eLuminous.

That said, they offer similar pricing and it probably makes sense to reach out to at least a couple different companies to see who impresses you and who seems like a good fit for your requirements.

Your Turn

Have you worked with eLuminous Technologies? If so please leave a comment below to help others with making an informed decision.

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My Virtual Assistant

Posted by Mica Harvey / Task-Based Virtual Assistants, UK/Europe Virtual Assistants, US Virtual Assistants, Virtual Assistant Companies

My Virtual Assistant is a virtual assistant company providing virtual assistant services to small and medium-sized businesses all over the world.

The company’s headquarters is in London. They also have offices in Johannesburg and are planning to open an office in the U.S. All of their virtual assistants are based in the UK and the U.S.

About My Virtual Assistant

The company started operations in 2018 and is currently headed up by CEO Wes Thomson. When I spoke with a representative from My Virtual Assistant, they told me they were only working with a select group of clients pre-COVID referred by word-of-mouth.

However, during the pandemic, they decided to change their business model. They redesigned their website and started actively marketing for new clients.

An area where My Virtual Assistant differs from a lot of VA companies is their pricing model. You can sign up for as little as $39 per month and will have access to a dedicated assistant.

This buys you 16 credits, which is 2 hours of an assistant’s time as their currency is 2 credits = 15 minutes of time. Additional credits are $3/ea.

“Our belief is that everyone should be able to access the benefits of having an assistant and that this shouldn’t come at a large monthly price,” they told me explaining why their entry price is just $39/mo.

My Virtual Assistant offers a 7-day free trial in which you will receive 2 hours of time to use. So, you can try their service before committing.

How My Virtual Assistant Works

My Virtual Assistant advertises that you can “Get started in less than 5 minutes”.

There are 3 steps to their onboarding process:

  1. Signing up – You can create an account and start your 7-day free trial (credit card/payment details are required).
  2. Access their portal – You’ll gain instant access to their client portal where you can start sending tasks to your assistant.
  3. Receive completed work – Your assistant will send back completed tasks and communicate with you through the portal.

My Virtual Assistant Services

With Virtual Assistant Services saying, “There is no task too large or complex”, you should be able to give them any task that can be completed remotely.

To give you a better idea, they list the following as tasks they commonly handle:

  • Reservation tasks
  • Travel arrangements
  • Diary management
  • Invoicing
  • Scheduling
  • Expenses management
  • Lifestyle tasks
  • Social media management

Looking at that list of tasks, it looks like they handle more of the executive assistant and Personal Assistant types of tasks.

They did tell me, however, that they have “technical centers”. This is basically groups of assistants specializing in different areas, and they will always find the right assistant to carry out work.

My Virtual Assistant Plans and Pricing

My Virtual Assistant operates on a credit system. Credits cost $3 each, and two credits represent 15 minutes of time.

Therefore, an hourly rate for their assistants is $24/hr.

You can pay as little as $39/mo for 16 credits (3 bonus credits), then buy more for $3 each as and when you need them.

The interesting thing about using credits is that My Virtual Assistant has set a number of tasks as requiring a set number of credits.

For example, managing social media accounts costs 4 credits to set up, plus 2 credits per post. They do add that it may cost more depending on the complexity of the task, but it does give you a rough idea of how much certain tasks are going to cost.

My Virtual Assistant offers a 7-day free trial. You get 2 hours of assistant time to use within the 7 days (that’s 8 credits), and then have to either cancel or start paying a monthly fee.

My Virtual Assistant Alternatives

At $24 an hour utilizing assistants based in the UK and the U.S., My Virtual Assistant is in the same ballpark as companies like Time ETC and Zirtual.

Both of these companies operate on a similar business model, and both have a good deal of customer feedback.

Your Turn

Have you worked with My Virtual Assistant? If so, please leave a review below to help others with their decision.

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Hubstaff

Posted by Mica Harvey / Dedicated Virtual Assistants, Freelance Virtual Assistants, Project-Based Virtual Assistants, Resources/Tools, Virtual Assistant Resources, Virtual Employees

Hubstaff is a time tracking software built for remote teams. The company was founded in 2012 and their fully remote team is “based” out of Indianapolis, Indiana.

Hubstaff offers several productivity monitoring features like an app and URL tracking, optional screenshots, and customizable reports. It’s designed to give you insight into how your remote team is spending their time so you can help them be more efficient.

VAA Exclusive: Use referral code VAA15 for 30% off your first 2 months of service!

Now I’m not big on the over-the-shoulder nature of these tracking programs, and have only ever looked at the Elance screen reports a handful of times. The best way to make sure your virtual assistants are working? Have some deliverable. If it’s not getting done, then you have a problem — otherwise, why bother with the micromanaging?

If you’re interested, Hubstaff comes with a 14-day free trial so you can check it out and see how you like it.

Hubstaff Intro Video


Note: The video says the software is “100% free.” There is a free plan but the features and functionality are quite limited.

VAA Exclusive: Use referral code VAA15 for 30% off your first 2 months of service!

Hubstaff Features 

Hubstaff includes a wide range of team management features with time tracking at its core. Its productivity monitoring capabilities help you focus on doing work instead of tracking it, eliminating the need to ask team members what they’ve worked on.

Interview with Hubstaff Co-Founder


VAA Exclusive: Use referral code VAA15 for 30% off your first 2 months of service!

How Hubstaff Works

Using Hubstaff is as simple as choosing a task to work on and then tracking time to it. Once you’ve set up your projects in your organization, they will automatically appear on the time tracker so you can start working right away.

You’ll be able to see the total hours tracked by your team, the average activity rate between team members, and how much you have spent on projects on the dashboard. You can customize it to show other statistics.

The tracked time is automatically converted into online timesheets, which you can quickly review and approve. This saves your team a lot of time on manually preparing them, with the added benefit of being more accurate and easier to organize than paper-based or spreadsheet-type timesheets.

Payroll is automatically processed once timesheets are approved. Hubstaff will automatically calculate the payment amount based on each team member’s hourly rate and the total time they have worked.

Hubstaff Tasks 

Hubstaff Tasks is a project management tool built to streamline collaboration in remote teams. It has a Kanban-style interface that lets you organize tasks with cards, boards, and visual elements like checklists and colored labels.

With its Sprints feature, teams can assign tasks to different sprints — current, future, or backlog. This is designed to help you with prioritizing the right tasks so you can finish projects more efficiently.

Hubstaff Tasks also has automated workflows, daily stand-ups, and a roadmaps feature. It integrates with Hubstaff so you can track time to your projects as well.

Hubstaff Talent

Hubstaff Talent is a free resource for companies looking to find remote talent across the globe, with no fees, no markups, no middlemen. Companies can use the Hubstaff database to find and hire the highest quality freelancers from around the world.

You can find all sorts of freelance talent, but the pool is skewed toward developers, digital marketers, and creatives.

Hubstaff Alternatives

The biggest alternatives to Hubstaff both in terms of virtual staffing and the tracking tool are the freelance platforms of Elance and oDesk, mentioned above, as well as the Philippines-specific jobs board, OnlineJobs.ph.

Your Turn

Have you found a virtual assistant or other remote team members through Hubstaff? If so, please leave a quick review of your experience below to help others with their hiring decision.

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Acelerar

Posted by Mica Harvey / Dedicated Virtual Assistants, India Virtual Assistants, Virtual Assistant Companies

Acelerar is a virtual assistant service company based in Noida, India. The company has been in operation since 2010 and provides virtual assistants round the clock to support clients around the world in their respective time zones.

About Acelerar

Established in 2010, Acelerar has built a stellar reputation over more than a decade, providing high-quality virtual assistant services to over 1000 clients worldwide. With a team of 100+ skilled professionals, their collective experience spans over 50 years. They are ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001 certified for both quality management and data security, ensuring that your business is in the safest hands. Acelerar is trusted by Fortune 1000 companies and small businesses alike, offering top-notch services at competitive rates.

Acelerar Services

With Acelerar, you can tap into a highly skilled and cost-effective workforce while avoiding the complexities of managing in-house staff.

  • Administration assistance
  • Data entry
  • Customer service
  • List building and lead generation
  • Online research
  • Recruitment
  • Back office support
  • Real estate services
  • Ad-hoc tasks

Acelerar Plans and Pricing

Despite being the trusted choice of Fortune 1000 companies, Acelerar offers competitively priced packages that fit businesses of all sizes, including SMEs and solo entrepreneurs. 

  • 20 hours per month: $180 USD ($9/hr)
  • 40 hours per month: $320 USD ($8/hr) 
  • 80 hours per month: $560 USD ($7/hr) 
  • 160 hours per month: $960 USD ($6/hr) 

Perks Included with Every Package 

When you hire with Acelerar, you not only gain valuable business support but also enjoy a range of additional benefits: 

  • More Time for What Matters: Focus on growing your business or spending time with family while we handle the rest. 
  • Qualified Assistants: All our VAs are thoroughly screened, interviewed, and hold relevant degrees. 
  • No Hidden Costs: What you see is what you get—no surprises. 
  • Zero Stress: Enjoy a hassle-free outsourcing experience. 
  • No Minimum Lock-In: Flexible plans with no long-term commitments. 
  • Time Zone Flexibility: Your VA works in your preferred time zone. 

Activate Your Free Trial Today! 

Ready to experience the Acelerar advantage? Get in touch with them today and activate your free trial. Let them help you scale your business without the stress of in-house hiring!

FAQS – *From Acelerar

  1. What types of services can I outsource to your offshore team and how long it takes to hire them? 

You can outsource a wide range of back-office functions, including data entry, customer support, accounting, HR, IT support, and more. Our teams are trained to handle various tasks as per your requirements.  

It takes anywhere between 1-2 weeks depending upon your requirements. 

  1. How do you ensure the security and confidentiality of my data? 

 
We are ISO 9001 and ISMS certified company. We have strict security measures in place, including secure networks, encrypted communication, and robust access controls. Our teams also sign non-disclosure agreements to protect your data. 

  1. What is the cost advantage of outsourcing offshore?

Outsourcing offshore often provides cost savings of up to 50-70% compared to hiring onshore staff. It allows you to access highly skilled professionals at a lower cost. 

  1. Can I scale my offshore team up or down as needed? 

Yes, you can easily scale your offshore team based on your business needs. We offer flexibility in team size and composition. 

  1. Do I need to provide training for the offshore team? 

Our offshore teams are typically trained and experienced in their respective fields. However, we can customize training to align with your specific processes and preferences. 

  1. How do you ensure communication and collaboration with my in-house team? 

Each team is assigned a SPOC and a Customer Success Manager for smooth communication. We use various communication tools and project management software to facilitate seamless collaboration. Regular meetings and updates are also part of our process to ensure alignment. 

  1. What is the contract and billing structure for your services? 

Our contract and billing structures are flexible and can be customized to suit your needs. We offer both hourly and fixed-rate pricing options.

Acelerar Alternatives

Among other virtual assistant companies in India, MyTasker or Ask Sunday might be worth a look. Their range of services offered are similar though their pricing packages are both slightly more expensive.

Your Turn

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

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