Smart To Finish

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

Smart To Finish is a US-based virtual assistant company based in Gilbert, Arizona. They have a team of 14 “Delegation Divas” and provide a range of virtual assistant services.

The company started operations in 2004 and they work with individuals and businesses of all sizes across the country.

About Smart To Finish

smart to finish reviewThe company is headed up by founder, current CEO, and Chief Delegation Diva, Amber Miller.

Amber said she decided to leave the corporate world and start Smart To Finish in 2004 because she wanted to run her own business and offer “top-notch online support to busy coaches and internet entrepreneurs.”

She’s since built a team of experienced “Delegation Diva’s” with a broad range of skills equipped to help all types and sizes of businesses outsource some of their workloads.

Smart To Finish list all of their Divas’ experience, skill sets, and other personal information on their site. This isn’t typical of a virtual assistant provider, but it’s a nice touch. It not only adds a face to the assistant you’ll be working with but gives you a better understanding of their skills.

When asked what separates Smart To Finish from other virtual assistant companies, Amber said:

“We can honestly say our honesty, loyalty, and genuine interest in the success of your business! Just ask our clients!”

How Smart To Finish Works

If you’re interested in working with Smart To Finish, it starts with a free 30-minute phone consultation.

This helps them better understand you, your business, and how they can best help you. A member of their team will formulate a plan, give you a quote, and assign a dedicated assistant to work with you.

From there you can communicate directly with your diva to get your tasks done. There are no long-term contracts or minimum requirements. But they say that both parties get the most out of the working relationship if there’s at least 10 hours of work per month.

Services

To give you a better idea of the areas their Divas specialize in, they group their services into the following 7 core areas:

  • Online Business Manager – Day-to-day business tasks, calendar management, personal assistant services, and more.
  • Infusionsoft Support – All aspects of using Infusionsoft software.
  • Product Launch Support – Pre-launch planning, setting up opt-in and sales pages, connecting funnels, and more.
  • WordPress & More – WordPress support, SEO, content production using Divi and LeadPages, and more.
  • Simplero Support – Membership space creation, newsletter and marketing emails, billing, and more.
  • White Label Virtual Assistant Services – A wide range of white label services, contact them for a custom solution.
  • Graphic Design Services – Web design, logos, blog graphics, infographics, and more.

As you can see, Smart To Finish offers the usual range of virtual assistance support — while specializing in some software tools that might prove valuable to your business.

Plans and Pricing

Smart To Finish doesn’t have any set monthly pricing plans. They do say that their hourly rates range from $40-$60, however, depending on your individual requirements.

If you want a quote, they ask that you schedule a free 30-minute phone consultation. This gives them a chance to discuss your requirements and put together a custom plan for you.

Smart To Finish Alternatives

If you want to check out other US-based virtual assistant providers in the same price range, I recommend checking out Boldly and BELAY.

If you’re working to a slightly tighter budget, I recommend checking out Time ETC. They’ve earned a solid reputation in this space, though perhaps without the software-specific expertise offered by Smart to Finish.

Prialto Time Etc MyTasker Boldly
Customer Rating
Established 2009 2007 2012 2012
Hourly Rate $27 $24-27 $7.50-14 $59
Minimum Package $1500 for 55+ hours $270 for 10 hours $140 for 10 hours $2360 for 40 hours
Dedicated Assistant
Minimum VA Experience Extensive in-house training 5 years In-house training 7 years
Team Access
Rollover Hours *does not charge overage
Free Trial
Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More

*Specialist services are available for an additional charge.

Your Turn

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

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Sunshine Communications

Posted by Mica Harvey / Virtual Receptionist Services

Sunshine Communications is a telecommunications and phone answering business based in Coral Gables, FL. They provide a range of call answering services in both English and Spanish, 24/7, 365 days a year.

The company has been in business since 1975. All of their agents work remotely across the US, and they specialize in working with businesses in the legal, medical, real estate, and home services industries.

About Sunshine Communications

Sunshine Communication ReviewThe company is headed up by the owner, Andrew Gross, and Managing Partner, Peter Gross.

Sunshine Communications provides a range of virtual telecommunication services centered around 24-hour live call answering. Their agents can take messages, forward calls, handle your customer service, and more.

Plus, they’re using scripts and information you provide them, so your customers assume they’re talking to one of your employees.

When asked what sets them apart from the other virtual receptionist services out there, Sunshine Communications said, “Our agents will be trained on your business and your industry – even down to the specific scripts you want to use”.

How Sunshine1.com Works

Working with a virtual receptionist company is a lot more cost-efficient than employing a receptionist. You’re only charged for the minutes they’re on the phone, you don’t have to pay employee benefits, worry about sick time, and so on.

If you see a need for extra phone coverage in your business, Sunshine Communications offers a free trial. It’s a great way to see if it’s a model that works for you with almost no risk at all.

To get started with Sunshine Communications you need to fill out a form with some basic information about your business.

A member of their team will contact you shortly after and talk you through the best pricing plan, how their service works, and how they will onboard you.

You can then set a schedule to forward your calls when you want their agents to handle them and manage your account through their online portal.

Services

Sunshine Communications has a team of phone agents available to take your calls 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can use them to:

  • Handle your customer service queries
  • Take calls when you’re busy or not available
  • Take messages and forward on any important ones
  • Break into Spanish speaking markets if you don’t have bilingual team members

Plans and Pricing

Sunshine Communications currently has four pricing plans. You can get started with them for $39.95 a month for 40 minutes, which works out at around $1 per minute.

If you anticipate using 400+ minutes a month you can secure a rate of $0.81 per minute which is very competitive for US-based virtual receptionists.

A complete list of their pricing plans at the time of publishing is as follows:

  • Silver – $39.95 for 40 minutes (Approx $1 per minute).
  • Gold – $95 for 100 minutes (Approx $0.95 per minute).
  • Platinum – $170 for 200 minutes (Approx $0.85 per minute).
  • Diamond – $325 for 400 minutes (Approx $0.81 per minute).

Sunshine Communications Pricing

Sunshine Communications Alternatives

Two alternative US-based virtual receptionist companies are Gabbyville and Ruby Receptionists. Both offer free trials, although their entry plans start a bit higher than Sunshine.

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 Sunshine Communications? If so, please leave a review below to help others with their decision.

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Virtual Ministry Assistants

Posted by Mica Harvey / US Virtual Assistants

Virtual Ministry Assistants is a US-based virtual assistant company. They provide experienced, virtual administrative support to churches and ministries across the US.

The company has been operating since 2015. Their headquarters is based in Brentwood, TN, and all of their virtual assistants work remotely across the US.

About Virtual Ministry Assistants

Virtual Ministry Assistants ReviewThe company was founded by current company president Mark DeVries.

Mark has spent most of his life being involved with the church. He served as an Associate Pastor for Youth and Their Families at a church in Nashville, Tennessee for 28 years.

He’s now an author, speaker, and has started a number of businesses aimed at helping ministries. Mark started Virtual Ministry Assistants as a spin off of Ministry Architects to provide churches and ministries a cost-effective alternative to hiring a part-time or full-time employee.

When asked what sets them apart from other virtual assistant companies, Virtual Ministry Assistants said:

“We love the church. Our virtual assistants serve in the local church and have the administrative and technical skill sets necessary not only to accomplish tasks, but also to add value.”

When outsourcing, finding a VA with the skills and experience to integrate quickly into your business is key to your success. If you’re managing a church or ministry it’s worth considering Virtual Ministry Assistants for this reason.

How Virtual Ministry Assistants Works

If you’re interested in working with Virtual Ministry Assistants, they ask that you first provide them with as much detail as possible about the tasks you’re looking to outsource.

A member of their team will call you after reading your brief to ask any questions and discuss any of the details if needed.

On the back of this call, they will give you a quote. Virtual Ministry Assistants do not hire out assistants on an hourly rate. Instead, they formulate a flat monthly fee for the duration of the work based on a client’s individual requirements.

As soon as you give them the go-ahead, they will choose the best-suited assistant from their team and introduce you to them. From there you can communicate directly with your assistant to get your tasks completed.

Services

Virtual Ministry Assistants have assistants experienced in working with churches and ministries. So, they’re ready to tackle any tasks you have that can be completed remotely.

To give you an idea of the types of tasks they commonly handle for their clients here’s the main categories they group their services into: 

  • Staff Assistant Services – Call and text management, scheduling appointments, attending staff meetings, project management, and more.
  • Communication Services – Managing church communications channels, database management, worship planning, publications, and more.
  • Financial Services – Handling accounts payable and receivable, reconciling financial statements, vendor file maintenance, preparing budgets, monthly financials, and more.
  • Executive Assistant Services – Ministry travel planning, personal assistant tasks, ad hoc tasks, and more.

Plans and Pricing

Virtual Ministry Assistants do not have any set pricing plans. Neither do they operate with hourly rates for the work their assistants complete.

They work out a custom monthly rate on a case-by-case basis after taking into account all your requirements and the skill sets needed. There is also a one-off startup fee to be paid with your first month’s invoice.

There are no long-term contracts or commitments. You will be billed monthly and can cancel within any month and part ways at the end of the month.

Virtual Ministry Assistants Alternatives

There aren’t many virtual assistant providers specializing in providing support to ministries. (Though BELAY has some roots in this area as well.)

So, if you’re running a church or ministry, it’s worth speaking to Virtual Ministry Assistants as it’s their area of expertise.

However, there’s no shortage of alternative virtual assistant companies to choose from that can also provide skilled support staff. If you’re sticking to US-based staff, I recommend checking out Time ETC and Boldly for quotes.

Prialto Time Etc MyTasker Boldly
Customer Rating
Established 2009 2007 2012 2012
Hourly Rate $27 $24-27 $7.50-14 $59
Minimum Package $1500 for 55+ hours $270 for 10 hours $140 for 10 hours $2360 for 40 hours
Dedicated Assistant
Minimum VA Experience Extensive in-house training 5 years In-house training 7 years
Team Access
Rollover Hours *does not charge overage
Free Trial
Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More

*Specialist services are available for an additional charge.

Your Turn

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

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Zeerk

Posted by Mica Harvey / Content Writing Services, Freelance Virtual Assistants, Graphic and Web Design Services

Zeerk is an online platform where freelancers can post what Zeerk calls “micro freelance jobs.” These are basically gigs and services offered by freelancers ranging between $3-$200.

The company has been operating since 2010 and their headquarters are based in Dallas, TX.

About Zeerk

Zeerk ReviewZeerk has been through a series of ownership changes since it launched in 2010, and they don’t give away much about the team running the platform.

This isn’t an issue, however, as Zeerk works a little differently to other freelancing sites. As a buyer, you don’t create a job listing and wait for proposals to bid on your job. On Zeerk, freelancers post the jobs they’re offering, and you choose which you want to buy.

(This is similar to Fiverr.)

It’s a quicker way to find a freelancer with the skills needed to carry out your tasks, and less effort on your part. The downside is that you may not find someone offering a job you want, and there’s less flexibility when choosing someone to work with.

You can communicate freely with freelancers through a chat system though. So, you should be able to work out a deal with someone capable of doing your tasks.

How Zeerk Works

If you’re a buyer, there is a simple 4-step process from finding a freelancer to receiving a finished task as follows:

  1. Browse the available micro jobs by category or by searching with keywords.
  2. When you’ve found someone offering a service you want, supply as much detail about your task as you see necessary.
  3. Exchange files and information needed to complete the work via Zeerk’s built-in conversation and transaction management system.
  4. When you’re happy with the finished work you can mark the job complete and the funds will be transferred to the seller.

From a seller perspective, all you have to do is register an account and create your job listing. You can set your own price and turnaround time for your services.

Services

Zeerk is an open marketplace where anyone can join and offer their services. So, as you’d expect, there’s a gig for just about anything that can be completed remotely.

To give you a general idea of what to expect, some of their top categories are:

Plans and Pricing

It’s free to post a job as a seller and to browse the platform as a buyer.

Zeerk makes money by taking a 10% commission from the seller when a job is completed.

This means, if a seller is advertising their services at $100, you pay the full $100 as a buyer. The seller then collects $90 after Zeerk takes their cut.

Zeerk Pricing

Zeerk Alternatives

It’s hard to ignore the similarities between Zeerk and Fiverr. The interface of the site, layout of the job descriptions, and functionality are almost identical.

Therefore, if you like how the platform works but can’t find the freelancer or gig you’re looking for, you should hop over to Fiverr and look there too.

FreeeUp Upwork Fiverr OnlineJobs
Established 2015 1999 2010 2008
Location Worldwide, w/ concentration in USA and Philippines Worldwide Worldwide Philippines
Customer Rating
Size of Talent Pool Thousands 12 million 830,000 250,000
Hourly Rate $5-75+ $3-100+ $3-100+ $3-20+
Platform Fee 15% 5-20% 20% + processing fee $69 a month
Worker Tracking
(optional)
Pre-Screened Freelancers
(w/ Fiverr Pro)
Best For Quick hires, e-commerce One-off projects Smaller jobs Affordable full-time help
Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More

For an alternative marketplace with more flexibility, I recommend checking out Upwork. You can post a job there, vet the applications, and select the best freelancer to carry out your task.

Your Turn

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

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We Work Remotely

Posted by Mica Harvey / US Virtual Assistants, Virtual Employees

We Work Remotely is an online job posting site that connects job seekers with remote work and employers with skilled professionals looking for remote work.

The company started operations in 2011. Back then, they were one of the first job boards dedicated to remote work. They’ve grown steadily since to become one of, if not the, biggest online job posting platforms.

About We Work Remotely

We Work Remotely ReviewWe Work Remotely (WWR) says they are “The world’s largest platform for finding and listing remote jobs”.

They get more than 230,000 unique visitors a month searching for remote jobs and post more than 500 new positions every month. So, whether you’re looking for a remote position or have a role to fill, WWR has the platform and audience to get you a huge amount of exposure.

How We Work Remotely Works

The platform is free for job seekers and charges a fixed price per 30-days to post a job listing.

To post a job, you simply fill out a job listing form. You’ll need the following basic information:

  • Job title
  • Category
  • Job type (Full/Part-time)
  • Your company information
  • Instructions on how candidates can apply
  • Job description

If you’re new to posting jobs, there’s a skill to creating a good listing. I recommend checking out some of the other listings to get an idea of how much/little information you should include.

Once you’ve created your listing, you can preview it. This allows you to see what the visitors to WWR will see.

The final step is to fill out your payment details for your job listing to go live.

If you’re a candidate looking for work, you can search for available positions by category or keyword to narrow down your search. You can then click a listing to see the job description and how to apply.

Services

We Work Remotely is a job posting platform for remote work. They enable businesses to post jobs for remote positions they have available and help job seekers find their ideal positions.

That’s the extent of the services they offer; pretty straightforward.

There’s a bias toward tech-related jobs and full-time work, but softer skills and part-time or contract work are also on the site.

Plans and Pricing

It costs $299 per month to post a job on We Work Remotely.

For this, you get a standard listing that’ll be live for 30 days.

If you want to make your listing stand out from the crowd, however, you’ll need to buy one of the following options:

  • Good – $59 – Your ad will be highlighted in yellow, shared in the WWR slack channel and on social media, and sent out to their mailing list.
  • Better – $89 – You get all of the pros of the Good add-on, with the addition of being able to display your company logo.
  • Best – $139 – You get all of the pros of the Better add-on, with the addition of being given a featured email placement and pinned for 7 days on the front page.

We Work Remotely Pricing

WWR says that using the Better add-on gives an ad 2x the visibility, and the Best add-on gives 4x the visibility. So, it does seem like it’s worth the extra bucks if reaching a wider audience is your goal.

For what it’s worth, browsing the front page it does look like most advertisers are opting for one of the above options.

We Work Remotely Alternatives

For an alternative online job board, you might want to consider posting your job on Dynamite Jobs. Their basic listing is free, so you don’t have much to lose.

Depending on the role you’re hiring for, you might check out a site like Hire My Mom, which as you might guess is more geared toward work-from-home moms.

Otherwise, you could post your job on large freelance marketplaces like Upwork and Freeeup to try and expand your reach.

Your Turn

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

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TeleDirect

Posted by Mica Harvey / Virtual Receptionist Services

TeleDirect is a telecommunications company offering a range of inbound and outbound call handling services. All of their phone agents are based in their offices in Sacramento, California.

The company was founded way back in 1961! As you’d expect, they’ve been through some rebranding over the years. TeleDirect currently has more than 400 employees, and they are open for business 24/7 365 days a year.

About TeleDirect

teledirect reviewThe company is headed up Chairman, Celia Puff, and CEO/CFO, Smitha Baliga.

If you feel like you’re missing out on sales or could be providing better customer service if you had a receptionist available 24/7, virtual receptionist services might be the solution.

TeleDirect has a team of more than 400 phone agents available to take inbound calls and make outbound calls around the clock. You can forward your calls to their team for a fraction of what it would cost to hire and train a receptionist of your own.

You provide scripts and all the information an agent needs to handle your calls in a professional and helpful manner, then simply forward your calls.

How TeleDirect Works

To start working with TeleDirect you need to contact them via a form on their site and a member of their team will either call or email you to discuss your requirements.

Once you’ve signed up and been given access to their client portal, you can buy a bundle of minutes to be used when agents take or make calls on your behalf.

Agents will pick up your calls for the times you’ve specified, make sales calls as per your instructions, managed your web chat, and handle any other tasks you’ve outlined. You can keep an eye on your call logs, messages, and other information via the client portal.

Services

TeleDirect provides a range of inbound and outbound call services. Anything you’d expect from an in-house receptionist, with the added benefit of having access to a pool of agents.

They group their core services into the following categories:

  • Live call answering – Answering calls on behalf of you or your business when you’re not able to.
  • Message taking – Their agents will answer calls and pass on messages to you so you’re kept up-to-date.
  • Customer support – You can provide scripts, FAQs and other information their agents will need to provide customer support for your business.
  • Lead capture – You can task agents in their outbound team to follow up on leads and carry out sales tasks.
  • Email and web chat – In addition to live calls, TeleDirect’s agents can also manage webchat and email.

TeleDirect specializes in support for the healthcare, insurance, and financial services industries.

Plans and Pricing

TeleDirect sells prepaid packages of minutes with rates starting at $1.10 per minute and going as low as $0.75 per minute if you buy their largest bundle.

A complete list of their pricing plans at the time of publishing is as follows:

  • Plan A – 1,000 minutes for $1,100 ($1.10 per minute)
  • Plan B – 3,000 minutes for $2,970 ($0.99 cents per minute)
  • Plan C – 6,000 minutes for $5,580 ($0.93 cents per minute)
  • Plan D – 10,000 minutes for $8,800 ($0.88 cents per minute)
  • Plan E – 20,000 minutes for $15,000 ($0.75 cents per minute)

There are no monthly subscriptions, annual contracts, and it’s worth noting that unused minutes never expire.

Your account will stay active as long as you have unused minutes. You can cancel at any time and are entitled to a refund of up to 80% of your unused minutes.

TeleDirect Alternatives

Alternative virtual receptionist companies based in the US include GabbyVille, Ruby Receptionists, and Vicky Virtual.

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

Each offers different services and pricing models, so it’s worth getting a quote to see how they compare to TeleDirect. Both Ruby Receptionists and Gabbyville offer 14-day free trials, so you can try before committing to a plan with both of those companies.

Your Turn

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

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WordAgents

Posted by Mica Harvey / Content Writing Services

WordAgents is a premium content creation company based in Brightwaters, NY. They provide a wide range of content writing services to individuals and businesses of all sizes.

The company has been in business since 2011. Their headquarters is located in Brightwaters, NY, and all of their writers are native English speakers based in the US.

About WordAgents

wordagents reviewThe company is headed up by the owner, Vincent D’Eletto.

WordAgents describes their service as a “full-service content solution that is flexible to your specific needs and wants.”

They say they have a team of more than 30 American writers. All are native English speakers and have been writing for the web for at least 1 year.

How WordAgents Works

They’re a premium content provider offering a bespoke service. You can’t order content and pay a fixed price per word like a lot of content writing services. WordAgents look at each content request and work out a quote based on the individual requirements.

To get started, you need to send them as much information as you can for the writing work you want to be carried out.

A member of their team will get back to you within 24-hours with a quote for the job. If you’re happy to proceed they will give you an estimated timeline for the work to be completed and hand it over to a writer to work on.

Each piece of content they produce is approved by a project manager and passed through a quality assurance team before finding its way to you.

They also say that their relationship with their clients doesn’t end when the completed article is delivered. They check in periodically to find out how the content is performing and if there’s anything else they can do to help.

WordAgents Services

WordAgents list the types of content they offer as:

  • Blog Posts
  • Product Reviews
  • Product Descriptions
  • Website Content
  • Managed Solutions
  • Press Releases

That covers most of the web content needs most businesses have. If you feel like you have a project that doesn’t fit within any of those categories, I’m sure they’ll still want to hear from you.

They guarantee that any orders up to 10,000 words will be completed within 7 business days. Smaller articles are usually turned around within 48 hours.

Word Agents Plans and Pricing

WordAgents doesn’t provide any cost per word or monthly subscription plans like some other content writing companies. They handle each project on a case-by-case basis and will work out a price based on the specific needs of the project.

It’s free to request a quote, so there’s no harm in reaching out to them if you’re interested in knowing how much they’d charge for a project you have.

They do say that they offer discounts for orders of 30,000 words or more. For the sake of reference, that would be about 60 articles the length of this post.

WordAgents Alternatives

If you’re looking for ongoing content, I recommend checking out Copywriter Today and Simple Creative Marketing. Both offer a monthly subscription service, so you can keep the content flowing.

For one-off outsourced content writing projects, check out Scripted or Textbroker. Both offer a range of pricing plans depending on the type and word count of your content needs.

Copywriter Today Fiverr HireWriters Textbroker
Customer Rating not yet rated
Established 2014 2010 2012 2005
Minimum Cost (500 words) $265 per month $5 $5 $7.50
Type of Service Subscription A la carte articles Pre-screened writers; varying quality Pre-screened writers; varying quality
Best for Agencies, ongoing content needs One off, quick work Inexpensive filler content Connecting with reliable writers
Notes First article free Check Fiverr Pro for better quality 25% bonus on first deposit Pricing is per-word
Learn more Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More

Your Turn

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

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CrewBloom

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

CrewBloom provides outsourcing services to small to medium-sized businesses. The company has been operational since 2016 with headquarters based in New York.

About CrewBloom

CrewBloom is a remote staffing agency based in New York. They connect the top 2% of outsourced, global professionals to businesses looking for affordable ways to scale. Services they outsource are sales, customer support, virtual assistance, and marketing. They source their talent from countries in Southeast Asia, South Africa, and South America. What sets them apart from their competitors is their rigorous screening and interview process to weed out the marginal talent from the top performers. 

How CrewBloom Works

If you’re interested in working with CrewBloom, book a consultation call with their growth experts. This gives them a chance to learn more about you and your business and if their service would be a great fit for you.

If you decide to move forward with CrewBloom’s service, you will be assigned a dedicated Success Manager to ensure the success of the partnership and help you in overseeing your remote workforce. In addition, you will be given free access to their time-tracking system for full transparency about their contractors’ working hours and productivity.

CrewBloom Services

CrewBloom’s core services are focused on sales, customer service, and administrative support outsourcing. CrewBloom’s major clients are in the software industry, but other clients they work with are in the following industries:

  • Internet
  • Telecommunications
  • Insurance
  • Real Estate
  • Logistics
  • E-commerce
  • Medical

If your business is in any of these industries, CrewBloom has experienced assistants that will be able to pick up your tasks quickly.

What CrewBloom’s clients are saying

CrewBloom Plans and Pricing

CrewBloom has a simple pricing structure ranging from $10-$15/hour depending on the hire that you are looking for.

There are no contracts, sign-up fees, and other hidden charges that are commonly charged by recruitment agencies. When I was talking to a member of their team about pricing, they also told me they offer discounted rates for volume hires, in addition to providing additional free trainees who can join the trial period.

Lastly, a full refund will be given to you if you are unhappy with their service during the trial period. This is how confident they are about the caliber of talent they have in their pool.

CrewBloom Alternatives

With no shortage of VA companies in the Philippines to choose from, I recommend starting with ClearDesk, OnlineJobs.ph and FreeeUp if you’re looking for other quotes.

Both are well-established, have a good deal of positive feedback, and have comparable hourly rates to CrewBloom.

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.

Your Turn

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

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The 17 Best Virtual Personal Assistant Services

Posted by Mica Harvey / News

With the gig economy in full swing, almost every task you can get your hands can now be outsourced.

From the more complicated ones like web development to the simplest tasks like email management, technology has come a long way in allowing things to be done virtually.

While some businesses require a more specialized skills, most entrepreneurs (and other busy people!) could benefit from a personal assistant.

The good news is there are a handful of options to find a competent and effective virtual personal assistant.

Before we jump right in, it would be best for us to define what a virtual personal assistant does and how they can help you.

best virtual personal assistant services

What is a Virtual Personal Assistant?

It goes without saying that the life of a business owner can be a very hectic one. Not only is their day filled with operations-related to-do lists but they also have family-related concerns to keep in mind.

How do their schedules look like?

What time is their kid’s recital?

When’s the next interview?

Have the groceries been taken care of?

Is today’s client meeting pushing through?

It’s hard to navigate these daily tasks without help. This is where virtual personal assistants come in.

A virtual assistant or a virtual personal assistant is an independent contractor who offers administrative services to clients remotely. They usually handle clerical tasks that aim to help business owners lighten their load so they can focus on growing their business.

Some of these tasks may include:

  • bookkeeping
  • updating social media
  • basic data entry
  • helping with travel arrangements
  • managing email
  • and more

Think Beyond Alexa. This is Real Human Support

For most people, the first thing that comes to mind when talking about virtual assistants is Amazon’s very own virtual assistant AI technology called Alexa.

Initially used in the Amazon Echo smart speakers, Alexa is capable of performing many things through voice command. It can play music, provide weather and traffic updates, set alarms and even make to-do lists.

It even has a Business version that allows people to use Alexa to schedule meeting rooms, join conference calls, and other custom skills designed by third-party vendors.

While Alexa does a good job of performing such simple tasks, you and I can both agree that it lacks the human element to do more advanced tasks.

If you want to take full advantage of what a virtual personal assistant has to offer, you’ll need real human support.

Fortunately, there are a handful of personal assistant services you can rely on. The best choice will depend on the kind of assistance you’ll need.

What Tasks Does a Virtual Personal Assistant Do?

A virtual personal assistant has a lot to offer. As mentioned, most of the tasks they perform are clerical in nature, though much of it depends on the kind of tasks you need help with–and how fast you need them done.

Some virtual assistants can function as your own personal secretary who’s dedicated to you and you alone. There are also personal assistants that you can hire on-demand to help you with one-time tasks.

You can also rely on the power of AI and other human-powered personal assistant apps to help you with tasks that require a “quick fix.”

If you need help with an errand or some very specific task, there are virtual concierge services that are available to do such.

The 5 Different Types of Personal Assistant Services

Nowadays, a virtual personal assistant can also come in other forms. Apart from independent contractors, personal assistants now also come in the form of application programs and/or artificial intelligence that can understand voice commands and perform tasks for users.

There are several options you can choose from when it comes to virtual personal assistants.

The 5 main types of personal assistant services I’ll cover here are:

  1. Dedicated, remote executive assistants
  2. On-demand, task-based assistants
  3. Artificial intelligence apps
  4. Human-powered personal assistant apps
  5. Personal concierge services

You just need to figure out which option is best for you. Read on to explore each.

1. Dedicated, Remote Executive Assistants

This is the most common type of virtual assistant business owners looks for.

These personal assistants function more like a personal secretary or remote team member who’s in charge of anything you assign them.

As you can imagine, having a dedicated resource is extremely valuable because you know that they’ll always be there when you need them.

Below are some of the popular and well-rated virtual assistant companies that provide such services.

ClearDesk

ClearDesk promises that you will love your Virtual Assistant! Packages start at $500 per month for 30 hours with a VA that has a minimum 3 years of experience – highly rated and reliable! Free consultation call and 7-day free trial!

Our full ClearDesk review | Visit ClearDesk

Time Etc

Founded by Barnaby Lashbrooke, this US and UK-based company has been making life easier since 2007.

time etc assistant

The company only employs assistants with at least 5 years of experience and accepts just roughly 2% of applicants.

Some of the tasks Time Etc virtual assistants can handle include:

  • customer service
  • administrative assistance
  • sales and lead generation
  • marketing support and writing
  • recruiting
  • accounting and bookkeeping

Our full Time Etc review | Visit Time Etc

BELAY

Formerly known as eaHelp, BELAY jumped into the scene in 2010, initially helping churches and pastors outsource their bookkeeping and administrative work. The company has expanded since and is now catering to both small and large businesses nationwide.

belay solutions homepage

BELAY employs US-based assistants, and has earned endorsements from author Michael Hyatt and several Fortune 500 companies.

Our full BELAY review | Visit BELAY

Boldly

Founded in 2012, the company formerly known as Worldwide 101 is a premium subscription staffing company with clients and team members in North America and Europe.

What sets Boldly apart from its competitors is that it caters specifically to demanding founders and executives by providing them a highly-skilled remote staff.

Boldly Homepage

Unlike other providers whose virtual assistants are considered contractors, Boldly’s US-based staff are actual employees, making sure that each of their staff will work with you for the long term.

Our full Boldly review | Visit Boldly

Uassist

Established in 2009, Uassist.ME is a virtual assistant company that provides remote administrative services to clients in the US and around the world.

Uassist ME Homepage

The company has offices in both Miami and El Salvador, making it a “nearshoring” option rather than “offshoring” because of this location and timezone close to the US.

Our full Uassist review | Visit Uassist

My Tasker

My Tasker is an India-based company that began in 2012. This is one of the top-rated overseas virtual personal assistant options.

My Tasker Homepage

The company has since grown and now has over 100 professional virtual assistants under its fold providing services like customer support, online research, and much more.

Our full My Tasker review | Visit My Tasker

2. On-Demand, Task-Based Assistants

There are also virtual assistant services that offer task-based and on-demand assistants.

This is an excellent option for business owners looking for help with quick, one-off assignments such as travel planning or online research — at a lower cost than the dedicated options above.

These services are usually offered through a monthly description that comes with a set number of requests. If you have an urgent need for a specific task and you’re not willing to pay a dedicated assistant for it, this is your best choice.

Fancy Hands

Fancy Hands is a virtual assistant company founded in 2010. Based in New York, what sets the company apart is its use of US-based, native-English speaking assistants.

Fancy Hands Homepage

Unlike a dedicated part-time virtual assistant, Fancy Hands is more of a time-saving tool for small one-time tasks. Tasks are limited to 20 minutes, but you can approve assistants to spend multiple task credits on one project.

You can use the service for tasks like restaurant reservations, online research, and conference call setup, just to name a few. I tend to use Fancy Hands for flight check-ins, online research, and proofreading articles.

Our full Fancy Hands review | Visit Fancy Hands

Okay Relax

Similar to Fancy Hands, OkayRelax is a task-based virtual assistant company founded in 2015 in Florida.

The company’s mission is to help people save time by setting up mini-projects of up to 30 minutes. Unlike most competitors in this space, OkayRelax does give you the option to upgrade to a dedicated assistant (for a price).

OkayRelax Homepage

I’ve been an OkayRelax customer for years, and my virtual personal assistant has become an integrated part of several ongoing processes.

Our full OkayRelax review | Visit OkayRelax

Efficise

Established in 2012, Efficise is a Pakistan-based virtual assistant company whose goal is to help people around the world improve their efficiency and productivity.

Much like Fancy Hands, the company employs virtual assistants who can help clients complete quick, one-off assignments. Because of the workers’ location, the price is much lower.

Our full Efficise review | Visit Efficise

3. Artificial Intelligence Apps

While hiring a personal assistant can do wonders for your business, it can get pricey too.

If you don’t have to spend a lot of money, you might take a look at these next two categories: AI and human-powered personal assistant apps.

Many of these apps are free of charge and may even come pre-installed in the mobile device you use.

Not only are they able to perform simple voice commands, but most of them can also do more advanced tasks like controlling your appliances, managing your calendar, requesting an uber, and connect to other apps like Skype and WhatsApp.

Still, there are some serious limitations here where a real human assistant might make more sense.

Google Assistant

Google Assistant is a popular app that comes with your phone, speaker, laptop, and other similar devices and connects to smart home devices to help make your life easier.

Cortana

Cortana is Microsoft’s answer to Google Assistant and is designed to learn from your commands so you can personalize your experience. Dubbed by Microsoft as its “digital agent,” Cortana is available on Microsoft devices, including Windows phones and operating systems.

Alexa

Amazon’s Alexa functions similarly to that of Google Assistant. This voice-controlled assistant has the power to connect your entire life through simple voice commands. It allows you to control your home through its smart home features, check the weather, and play your favorite music among others.

4. Human-Powered Personal Assistant Apps

Some apps combine the power of AI and human support. These are generally fairly affordable, and can be a great way to get stuff off your plate.

Delegate

Dubbed as the ‘Chief of Stuff,” Delegate combines advanced AI technology with humans who care by allowing you to text and record what you need so a human virtual assistant can fulfill them for you.

The app aims to let you take your life back by making it more balanced, meaningful and productive.

Magic

Much like Delegate, Magic is a personal assistant on-demand app that allows you to accomplish tasks by simply texting what you need.

Magic then sends you a team of skilled human assistants who will make sure to get your requests done 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The app charges you $0.50 per minute assistants spend working on your tasks. Some users complain that this can add up fast, but $30 an hour isn’t out of line for US-based support.

Wing

Wing is a new app that combines artificial intelligence, human assistants, and “a myriad of partnerships around the world” to provide you with the best personal assistant service.

All you need to do is send them a message and tell them whatever you need and their team of assistants and technologies will figure out how to best handle it.

The best part? Wing starts at just $9.99 a month.

5. Concierge Services

The beauty of a concierge service is that you’re able to get help for just about anything, anytime. Think like the concierge desk in a fancy hotel.

Another example of this kind of service would be your credit card’s concierge service, which can help you in a variety of ways. They can help you with restaurant reservations, event bookings, gift-buying, appointment-setting, and more.

Whether it’s a personal errand, an information request, or setting travel arrangements, you can rely on a virtual concierge service to deliver 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Here are a couple of the popular nationwide options.

One Concierge

One Concierge is considered a global leader in concierge, VIP event access, and lifestyle management services in more than a hundred countries.

This US-based luxury personal assistant company offers a range of high-end concierge services and operates on a membership model.

Founded in 2008, One Concierge handles common requests like personal errands, event coordination, and travel arrangements.

Maestro Personal Assistants

Maestro Personal Assistants prides itself on its “branded” personal assistance and concierge programs that are simple yet powerful and effective.

What makes them so effective is that they introduce your customers to your own personal assistant, one that carries your company name. This personal assistant will then fulfill any request your customers will send them.

Final Thoughts

Gone are the days when we have to do everything manually. With technology on our side, we can do pretty much everything without leaving the comfort of our homes.

Virtual personal assistants now exist to make our lives easier and more productive. Whether you require a dedicated assistant or someone who can do tasks on-demand, there’s a personal assistant service that can cater to your needs.

The information provided should give you more than enough information to pick and hire the best personal assistant solution that’s right for you.

The choice is yours so make it count!

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Pebbled

Posted by Mica Harvey / Graphic and Web Design Services

Pebbled.io is a subscription-based design service company offering unlimited graphic and web designs and revisions for a flat monthly fee.

The company started operating out of Australia in 2016. They’ve since grown to a team of 20+, with most of their designers working remotely all over the world.

About Pebbled.io

pebbled reviewThe company is headed up by founder Troy Wilson. Troy started Pebbled to deliver affordable graphic design services to individuals and businesses of all sizes, stating:

“Pebbled thinks about design and web design mockups a little differently. We don’t think you should have to chase a gaggle of different freelancers or pay a truckload of money for sexy designs. So we’ve wedged ourselves somewhere in the middle. Into the sweet spot!”

They hit that “sweet spot” by offering three flat rates for unlimited designs per month. The caveat, of course, is that you can only order a certain number of designs at a time depending on your plan.

How Pebbled Works

When you sign up for one of their monthly plans, you’ll be given access to Intercom, their communication tool. Pebbled uses Dropbox to share files, and will ask you to fill out a questionnaire to help them understand your business.

You can then start sending tasks and communicating with their designers to get your graphics, logos, and other design work completed.

Pebbled says they turn around the majority of tasks in 2-3 business days and will carry out revisions in 1-2 business days. This means if you sign up for their $99 per month plan, you can expect to receive around 8 completed designs per month.

Pebbled.io Services

Pebbled have a team of 20 or so designers, so they’re able to cover a wide range of design skills and styles.

The most commonly requested design tasks are:

  • Logos
  • Business cards and stationary
  • Book covers
  • Web and mobile design
  • Banner ads
  • Infographics
  • Social media designs
  • Blog and web graphics

Pebbled Plans and Pricing

Pebbled currently has three different monthly pricing plans ranging from $99 to $599 a month.

All of their plans offer unlimited submissions per month, with the main difference being how many jobs you can submit simultaneously.

Here’s what you get per pricing tier:

  • Core – $99 per month – 1 simultaneous task at a time.
  • Plus – $299 per month – 2 simultaneous tasks at a time.
  • Enterprise – $599 per month – 4 simultaneous tasks at a time.

Pebbled Pricing

The price point of $99 a month is unbeatable for unlimited graphic design tasks.

You also unlock some additional design features the higher tier you opt for. There are quite a lot of task options, so you’d need to check their pricing details to see which specific jobs fall under each tier.

The company offers a 15-day money back guarantee and discounts for startups and non-profits.

Pebbled Alternatives

Design Pickle and Delesign are two alternative companies that both operate on a similar subscription-based model, though both are considerably more expensive than Pebbled’s “Core” plan.

If you don’t think you can keep your task queue busy all month to get value from a monthly subscription, you might be better off finding a designer on Fiverr or Upwork for tasks as and when you have them.

Your Turn

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

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