HelpLama

HelpLama is a telecommunications and phone answering business. They supply support agents based in the US, UK, and Australia to businesses all over the world.

The company has been operating since 2016. Their headquarters are in San Francisco, CA, and they specialize in handling all facets of communications for e-commerce businesses, such as web chat, email support, and live call answering.

About HelpLama

HelpLama ReviewThe company is headed up by founder and CEO, Maxim Saini. HelpLama offers a range of virtual receptionist services, and their target customers are e-commerce businesses.

If you run an e-commerce store, you will know how important it is to handle customer inquiries as soon as possible.

Working with HelpLama, you can have someone on the end of the phone or available on web chat 24/7. This will ensure you don’t miss a sale and can resolve customer queries regardless of whether you or your team are working.

They offer something they call a “Zero risk model.” By this, HelpLama is saying they are confident you’ll love their service, and they offer a 100% money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied.

How HelpLama Works

Something that separates HelpLama from most of the other call answering companies is how they train their agents. They have software that you install on your site, and this creates a bot based on your previous chat logs.

They use this bot to test agents and see how they would respond to customer queries you’ve had in the past. Once they’re satisfied the agent understands your business and industry, and is answering queries in a similar manner to how you have been, they assign them to your account.

HelpLama doesn’t have any fixed pricing plans. If you’re interested in working with HelpLama you need to fill out a contact form and one of their sales reps will get back to you.

Once you’ve worked out a plan that you’re happy with, you set the times that their agents will pick up your calls, emails, and webchat, and give them any instructions.

HelpLama Intro Video

Services

HelpLama offers support for all lines of customer communication coming into your e-commerce store. They group their services into four core areas:

  • Customer Support – Their agents can handle all of your customer support channels. From picking up calls and answering emails to manning webchats and more.
  • Live Chat Answering – Webchat is becoming more popular all the time. It’s another communication channel to ensure you’re able to respond to your customers at their convenience.
  • Email Answering – If replying to emails is a bottleneck in your business, you can hand this task over to HelpLama’s agents.
  • Phone Answering – Having a real person available to answer calls 24/7 will ensure you never miss a sale. It’s also good for customer satisfaction and retention.

HelpLama has support agents based in the US, UK, and Australia. So, you can localize your customer support if your business is based in either of these locations.

Plans and Pricing

HelpLama has different pricing plans for email, live chat, and phone services. Plus, there’s different pricing for basic call answering (taking messages), and specialized call handling (agents trained on your products and services).

I pushed one of their agents for some pricing information, like how much they charge per minute or any set monthly plans, but they wouldn’t give me any information without having one of their sales reps call me to put together a custom plan.

(I know the game, but I also appreciate some transparency upfront like you’ll find with rival HelpSquad.)

It’s not a bad thing they work out custom plans, and they also responded right away via their webchat. So, if you’re interested, I’d contact them for a quote.

HelpLama Alternatives

Aside from HelpSquad (linked above), the leading alternative virtual receptionist company is Ruby Receptionists.

They don’t specialize in e-commerce stores, but they do specialize in all forms of call handling on behalf of your business.

Your Turn

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

Read More

Insolvo

Insolvo is an online marketplace connecting freelancers with clients all over the world.

Their headquarters is based in Seychelles, and the freelancers using their platform are based all over the globe.

About Insolvo

insolvo reviewInsolvo is a freelance marketplace that provides a platform for freelancers to connect with clients. They cover a wide range of skills and can take just about any task that can be completed remotely off your hands.

They say that whether you’re a business owner, employee, student, or even an “ordinary person”, you can outsource any tasks you don’t want–or don’t have time–to do yourself.

Like most freelancing sites there are various tests freelancers can take to verify their skills. They’re assigned a rating, and as such, you can expect to pay more for higher-rated or more experienced freelancers.

Insolvo has an interesting mission that’s worth a mention. They say their goal is to help people in “small towns” that can’t find reliable work locally earn a living online.

How Insolvo Works

After you register for an account, you can start posting jobs. Applications and bids will start coming in from freelancers that want to carry out your work.

When you choose a freelancer to work with, you can communicate with them directly while they complete your tasks. Once the work is complete and you’re happy, you can release the funds to pay them.

Insolvo Services

Insolvo is keen for you to post any kind of task you need help with. They say they can handle everything from web development to ordering flowers for delivery, so about as broad of scope as it gets.

To give you a general idea, here are the main categories they group their services into:

  • Digital marketing – Ads, social media marketing, website promotion, and more.
  • Basic help – Audio transcriptions, online research, and more.
  • Design – Website design, banner and logo designs, image editing, and more.
  • Content – Blog content, sales copy, editing, proofreading, and more.
  • Website help – Anything to do with website maintenance.
  • Other – Generating ideas, local tasks, just about anything that can be completed remotely.

Insolvo Plans and Pricing

From a freelancer side, there is a monthly subscription fee to be able to bid for jobs. From the side of a customer, you set the price for your tasks and pay the amount you agree with the freelancer.

While you can set any price you want for the tasks you post, Insolvo does give some pricing guidelines. Here are some of their estimates to give you an idea of what to expect:

  • 10,000 characters of copywriting – $25
  • Website SEO audit – $55
  • Social media profile design – $25
  • Transcribing audio to text – $10 per 10 mins

Insolvo Pricing

Insolvo Alternatives

Some of the highly-rated alternatives to Insolvo include FreeeUp, Fiverr, and Upwork. Both have been in operation for several years and have large pools of freelancers to tap into.

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

As it doesn’t cost anything to post jobs to these platforms, it might make sense to get quotes from more than one platform.

Your Turn

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

Read More

Assign Your Task

Assign Your Task is a virtual assistant company providing services to small and medium-sized businesses all over the globe.

The company has been operating since 2015, and all of their virtual assistants are based in their offices in Mumbai, India.

About Assign Your Task

assign your task reviewThe company is run by Prachi Khupsare.

When asked what separates them from their competitors, Assign Your Task told me they have virtual assistants with MBAs, professional engineers, and medical professionals on their staff.

They list some of their areas of specialization as graphic design, app development, and medical and general transcription services.

However, like most virtual assistant companies, they are willing to take on just about any tasks you can send them.

When you sign up for one of their plans you are assigned a dedicated assistant, or multiple assistants if needed. You can communicate with your assistant directly, and you’ll also have a point of contact in the US.

How Assign Your Task Works

When you sign up for one of their plans, a member of their team will discuss your requirements and do some research into your business and your competitors.

They will get back to you with a plan of action and proposed workflows. Then, they’ll outline a timeline to give you an idea of how long they think it will take to complete all your tasks.

You can then communicate with the virtual assistant(s) working on your tasks in real-time and make any changes as your working relationship develops.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMrelG5uh4U

Services

Assign Your Task’s assistants can take just about any task off your hands that they can complete remotely.

To give you a better idea of the areas they specialize in, Assign Your Task group the core roles and skillsets of their assistants as follows:

Roles:

  • Personal assistant – Handling day-to-day tasks, email management, and more.
  • Customer care assistant – Handling customer inquiries, handling payments, and more.
  • Executive assistant – Call answering, calendar management, and more.
  • Recruitment assistant – Posting recruitment ads, screening CVs, and more.

Skills:

  • Internet marketing – SEO, social media marketing, and more.
  • Website and graphic design – Website design tasks, social media integration, UX changes, and more.
  • Software and app development – Custom software development, mobile applications, and more.
  • Transcripts and presentations – Dictating your notes into online documents, video and audio editing, and more.

Assign Your Task Plans and Pricing

Assign Your Task currently have 4 different pricing plans to choose from. A full-time assistant costs just $4.75 per hour, which is a very competitive rate. While you can get started with just 20 hours per month for $7.75 per hour.

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

  • $155 per month for 20 hours ($7.75 per hour)
  • $260 per month for 40 hours ($6.50 per hour)
  • $420 per month for 80 hours ($5.25 per hour)
  • $760 per month for 160 hours ($4.75 per hour)

Assign Your Task Pricing

At all levels, these are very affordable rates, even compared with other Indian virtual assistant companies.

Assign Your Task don’t advertise a free trial period. They do state that they will not charge you for the time you spend training your assistant in your processes though.

Assign Your Task Alternatives

There is no shortage of highly rated virtual assistant companies utilizing VAs based in India to choose from. Assign Your Task is among the most competitive on rates.

Tasks Expert Wing Assistant TaskVirtual eLuminous
Customer Rating
Established 2017 2018 2016 2002
Hourly Rate $4.50-$9.50 $6.878.75 $6.24-15 $7.00
Minimum Package $95 for 10 hours $699 for 80 hours Pay as you go for $15 $140 for 20 hours
Dedicated Assistant
Best For Business Owners
Entrepreneurs
Professionals
Small & Medium Business Owners, IT Services, Marketing Agencies, SaaS Data Entry, Digital Marketing, Website design & development, Administrative Work, Customer Service Development
Real Estate
E-Commerce
Marketing
Team Access
Free Trial *For limited range of services
Special Offer 10 hours free w/ code VAA10 N/A Free Trial $10 for 10 hours. Valid for 1 month. 20% off first month (mention VAA)
Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More

However, companies like My Tasker have great reputations and offer free trials, so it’s worth checking them out as well.

Your Turn

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

Read More

My Outsourced Content Writing Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

After blogging for the last 10 years, I feel like I finally have a decent process in place for outsourcing content creation.

I still write a lot of my own stuff (like this article), but over time I’ve realized I don’t need to write every word of every article that gets published on my sites.

There are other writers that are better, faster, and cheaper than I am!

Content creation is critically important to my businesses. Depending on the site, 65-85% of the traffic comes from organic search.

(And Google tends to rank pages, or articles, instead of homepages.)

So how do I go about outsourcing content that finds its way to the first page of Google?

Here’s my general process.

outsourced content writing

Figuring out What Keywords to Target

The first step is figuring out what to write about. I do this in a number of ways:

  • Suggested search terms in Google auto-complete. Type in seed keywords and then hit the space bar. Then try it again going through the alphabet letter by letter.
  • Site search results in Google Analytics for queries on my own site (what are people typing in but not finding great results for?).
  • AnswerThePublic.com. (Punch in your topic and watch all the related queries pop up.)
  • Competitive site research in ahrefs.com (a premium tool but well worth it).
  • Customer questions.

One thing to keep in mind is to NOT simply create content for the sake of maintaining some sort of arbitrary publishing schedule.

A friend of mine put it this way: “if you’re going to spend time creating something, you better have a plan in place for how it’s going to generate traffic (and income).”

Sad to say, but I’ve written hundreds of articles that almost no one read. Doing the keyword research upfront, and creating content with intention, helps avoid that.

Estimating Search Volume and Competitiveness

Before I decide to create an article targeting a specific keyword or phrase, I want to know if that keyword or phrase is something people are actually searching for.

You can get this metric from ahrefs, the Google Keyword Planner inside your AdWords account, or from a free tool like the What’s My Serp Everywhere browser extension.

For me, keywords that are searched 500 times a month or more are generally worth going after, but for certain “buyer intent” keywords I’ll go lower.

Perhaps the more important consideration is competitiveness of the keyword. Ahrefs will give you an estimate of how hard it is to rank for that keyword.

The lower the number the better, and I’ll prioritize articles that have higher search volume metrics and a KD or keyword difficulty score under 10.

Research and Outlining

If I have a general knowledge on the topic, I’ll create the outline myself. Normally this involves writing down the common questions the article should answer.

If it’s something I don’t know much about, I’ll assign it to Fancy Hands for research. I let the assistant know they can spend up to 3 tasks (about an hour) on the research. (If you’re on the “Professional” plan, that’s about $15 worth of research.)

They deliver this back to me in a Google Doc, which I pass along to my writer. For certain routine articles, I can just add the outline/research doc to a certain folder in Dropbox, which will automatically trigger an email to him thanks to IFTTT.

Getting the Content Written

The next step is for the writer to draft the article. I provide the outline and research, along with the keyword to target and the desired word count.

I have a few writers I work with. A couple I connected with through my network but the other I found on FreeeUp. For the sake of reference, they charge anywhere from $12 to $100 per 1000 words.

Related: Here of some of our top-rated content writing services.

Formatting

When they’re done, my writer will add the content to WordPress in draft form.

Then, my assistant (from OkayRelax) goes in and formats the article based on our process, adds images, and adds the title, meta description, and categories.

Final Review

Before hitting “publish”, I give the article one final review. This includes editing for voice, proofreading for any typos, and occasionally adding internal links to related content.

This follows the 10/80/10 rule of outsourcing I’ve discussed before. I do the 10% of work upfront in the form of keyword discovery and research, Fancy Hands, the writers, and my assistant do the 80% in the middle, and I do the final 10% review before publishing at the end.

Following this process, I’ve landed several new “first page of Google” articles in the last 12 months, worth thousands of visitors every month.

Your Turn

I’m sure this will evolve over time, but I’m feeling pretty solid about this outsourced content process and wanted to share.

How do you tackle content marketing? Are you writing everything yourself? Do you have a similar process in place?

Let me know in the comments below.

Read More

Fiverr Alternatives: The Top 49 Sites Like Fiverr to Find Freelancers

Looking for other sites like Fiverr?

With millions of freelancers available for hire, Fiverr is the one of the largest freelance marketplaces in the world. But there are still plenty of alternatives.

With more and more businesses opting to outsource tasks to freelancers instead of hiring full-time staff, the global talent pool has become bigger and easier to access.

If you’re looking to outsource some of your company’s tasks, the list below should help you narrow down your choices and help you find the type of service that best fits your needs.

Freelance Marketplaces Like Fiverr

These general freelance platforms offer just about any type of freelance talent across different industries and niches.

They are basically one-stop shops for outsourcing where you can find virtual assistants, writers, designers, developers, and tons more.

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

FreeeUp

FreeeUp is an up-and-coming marketplace that prides itself for hiring only the “top 1%” of freelancers the market has to offer.

freeeup homepage

What makes FreeeUp different from its competitors is that it (theoretically) spares you the hassle of going through dozens of resumes and conducting interviews because they’ve already taken care of both.

After you submit your requirements, FreeeUp introduces you to a pre-vetted freelancer. Those candidates have already gone through a rigorous screening process and FreeeUp believes they’ll be a match for your needs.

Like Fiverr, FreeeUp prides itself on speed, though it’s not quite as fast as Fiverr’s a la cart system. Still, you can post your request on FreeeUp, get introduced to a qualified candidate, and start working with a new remote team member in less than 24 hours.

Our full FreeeUp review | Visit FreeeUp

OnlineJobs.ph

OnlineJobs.ph is a Filipino job board that caters exclusively to remote online work opportunities.

Onlinejob Homepage

What makes this service a great option is its powerful filtering system. Technically a resume database, the site allows you to filter by skills required, desired salary, the date the listing was posted, and skill level.

Unlike other freelance marketplaces, this platform is subscription-based which means you have to pay for a nominal fee for you to be allowed to get in contact with a freelancer.

Our full OnlineJobs.ph review | Visit OnlineJobs.ph

Upwork

Upwork is the world’s largest marketplace for freelance workers. It’s free to post your job and you’ll likely have a dozen qualified candidates bidding for your work within 24 hours.

Back when it was called Elance, I actually had great luck in finding long-term VA hires through this site.

Our full Upwork review | Visit Upwork

FlexJobs

FlexJobs is a leading job board for both work-from-home and telecommuting jobs.

FlexJobs Homepage

The platform offers a wide variety of opportunities both from big and small companies, as well as those seeking virtual workers.

The marketplace is best-suited for full or part-time remote jobs. As an employer, you’d post your job(s) and wait for applications to come in.

Workers pay a nominal membership fee for access to the listings. Because of that, you can generally expect a more motivated and driven pool that takes their job search seriously.

Our full FlexJobs review | Visit FlexJobs

Guru

Guru is considered to be one of the original freelance sites, having been around since as early as 1997.

It works pretty much the same as other freelance marketplaces, including Upwork. You create a job posting and receive bids from several freelancers that match the skillset you’re looking for.

What sets it apart is the rewards program. Each dollar you spend earns a corresponding Guru Loyalty Dollar which you can use for future projects.

Our full Guru review | Visit Guru.com

Freelancer.com

Freelancer.com is considered by many as one of the world’s largest freelance marketplaces, with over 7 million users.

Formerly known as GetAFreelancer.com, the site follows a similar model to Upwork. Employers create job postings and workers bid on them.

One key difference is that the site limits the number of jobs freelancers can bid on under a free membership. With that cap in place, freelancers tend to only go for jobs they’re confident they’re qualified for.

(On Upwork, freelancers might take more of a shotgun approach.)

Our full Freelancer.com review | Visit Freelancer.com

DynamiteJobs.co

Founded in 2017, Dynamite Jobs is a relatively new freelance marketplace.

Like FreeeUp, workers are pre-vetted for their skills. The site tends to attract a younger, more entrepreneurial crowd seeking location-independent job opportunities with potential for learning and growth.

Our full Dynamite Jobs review | Visit Dynamite Jobs

WeWorkRemotely

We Work Remotely is the remote jobs board created by 37signals, the software company behind the popular Basecamp project management tool.

The site caters to employers and employees with a tech-industry focus. Job categories include customer support, design, programming, marketing, and more.

The service is free for job seekers but charges employers $299 per job posting, which will remain active on the site for 30 days.

Visit We Work Remotely

People Per Hour

People Per Hour is a London-based company founded in 2007 is similar to Fiverr. Freelancers post their respective gigs using a format like:

“I can do ___ in ___ hours for $___.”

Prices for gigs are a bit higher than Fiverr, with most virtual assistant gigs priced between $10 and $20 per hour.

If you’re having a hard time finding an off-the-shelf gig that matches your requirements, you can also post the exact help you’re looking for.

Our full People Per Hour review | Visit People Per Hour

XPlace

XPlace is one of the largest and oldest freelance marketplaces today, having been around since 2004.

Like its other competitors, XPlace offers a platform for business owners and freelancers to connect. What sets them apart is the hundreds of categories you can choose from. Each one clearly organized, making profile searches easier than usual.

The platform also differentiates itself from its competitors by operating on a monthly membership model which allows them NOT to take any cut from every project completed.

Our full XPlace review | Visit XPlace

Hubstaff Talent

Initially created to provide time tracking software for remote teams, Hubstaff eventually ventured into the staffing solutions business and uses the “pre-vetted” freelancer model (like FreeeUp).

This means that hiring a freelancer is quick and easy because the platform takes care of all the filtering and interviewing on your behalf.

Just send them your requirements and they’ll send you back a pre-vetted freelancer that matches your requirements.

Our full Hubstaff Talent review | Visit Hubstaff Talent

Twago

Twago, short for TeamWork Across Global Offices, is considered one of the biggest freelance platforms in Europe. It uses the same model as Upwork and other marketplaces where a business owner posts a job and gets sent several candidates to interview.

The platform caters to businesses of any size and provides support for a variety of areas like mobile design apps, translation services, and website development among others.

Our full Twago review | Visit Twago

Outsourcely

Outsourcely is a virtual assistant company that makes it easy for business owners to connect with freelancers.

After creating a strong presence in the Philippines, the company’s talent pool as seen a lot of growth since and now have around 250,000 fully pre-vetted remote workers in their database.

The platform uses the “search and hire” model and is totally free of charge for freelancers. Clients pay for a fixed monthly subscription ranging from $9-99 per month. The company doesn’t take a cut from transactions and is simply in it to play matchmaker.

Our full Outsourcely review | Visit Outsourcely

Hire My Mom

HireMyMom.com is an online outsourcing service founded in 2007. Unlike other freelance marketplaces and job boards, Hire My Mom–as you might guess from the name–specializes in matching your business with qualified work-from-home moms.

The site caters to businesses of any size that are looking for help in areas such as bookkeeping, online research, graphic design, and more.

The company doesn’t take a cut of the contract price like other outsourcing sites do, helping moms keep whatever they earn. Instead, the site charges the moms a membership fee to access the gigs.

Our full Hire My Mom review | Visit HireMyMom.com

Speedlancer

Speedlancer prides itself as the first freelancing platform to use the power of crowdsourcing for speed.

Established in 2014, what sets the company apart from your usual freelance marketplaces is the promised 4-hour turnaround time on all projects.

This 4-hour promise is applicable even for projects with multiple tasks, something you’ll rarely find in an outsourcing platform.

Our full Speedlancer review | Visit Speedlancer.com

Cloudpeeps

Established in 2015, CloudPeeps aims to provide clients and freelancers a platform where they can connect and begin a working relationship.

The platform works in a similar fashion to Upwork where you post a job, receive bids from “peeps,” then connect and hire the best one that matches your requirements.

Visit Cloudpeeps.com

PartTimerz

PartTimerz is a Sarajevo-based freelance marketplace operating globally. The site caters to small businesses and startups by connecting them to the professional freelancers who can help them with their needs.

Like Upwork and other freelance platforms, PartTimerz allows freelancers to bid on job listings posted by business owners. The site covers a wide variety of skills that include software development, writing, translation, marketing, and administration among others.

Visit PartTimerz.com

Workana

Workana is a freelance marketplace launched in 2012 aims to help business owners find freelancers that can help them in certain areas of their businesses.

With over a million freelancers in its pool and more than 20,000 projects per month, the platform is considered one of the biggest marketplaces today. (Especially popular in Brazil and South America.)

Like your typical freelance marketplace, the platform works by having clients post a job listing that freelancers will bid on. The client may then reach out to the freelancer of his choice to work out all the details before they begin working together.

Creating an account, posting jobs, receiving bids, and speaking with freelancers is free. The only fees clients need to pay is a service cost that represents a value equivalent to 4.5% of the total project value.

Our full Workana review | Visit Workana.com

Fiverr Alternatives for Graphic Design

Niche marketplaces are freelance marketplaces that focus on a specific area of expertise such as graphic design, copywriting, or bookkeeping–to name a few.

What makes these services a viable option for business owners is that being focused on a certain skill ensures that there’s quality control, getting you the best bang for your every buck.

A friend of mine said for businesses in growth mode, it often makes sense to hire a specialized agency before hiring a dedicated freelancer or even a part-time employee. His argument was that the agencies have already done the legwork to vet their team members and have proven processes in place to work with companies like yours.

Design Pickle

Design Pickle is a cloud-based company offering personalized graphic design and support services to small and medium-sized business.

Design Pickle Homepage

What sets them apart is the 24-hour turnaround time they offer for some of their projects which is really helpful especially for businesses that are on the rush but doesn’t have the time and patience to do it on their own.

The system works by connecting the client and the freelancer via email where designers will ask questions about the project and ask for images and other files they will need to come up with a design.

You should then get a design done within 24-hours. If you’re not satisfied with the results, however, Design Pickle will continue to work with you until you’re happy.

Clients will have to subscribe to start enjoying their services. Since there are no contracts involved, clients can also cancel anytime they wish to do so.

Our full Design Pickle review | Visit Design Pickle

Delesign

Delesign is another subscription-based graphic design service founded in April of 2018 that’s based in San Jose, California but whose freelancers are located in the Philippines.

Delesign Homepage

Like Design Pickle, the company offers a 24 to 48-hour turn around time on projects that are open to revisions should you not be satisfied.

The service works by allowing its clients to fill out a short questionnaire where they’ll be asked about their company, the project they need help with, and the timezone that works best for them.

The company then assigns the best designer on their roster that suits your requirements and begins working with you.

Our full Delesign review | Visit Delesign

Fiverr Alternatives for Content Writing

Copywriter Today

Founded in 2014, Copywriter Today is a content creation service located in Cleveland, Ohio that aims to provide bloggers and small businesses with top-quality written content on an ongoing basis.

Copywriter Today Homepage

The company prides itself for its “unlimited” writing service.

After signing up, all you need to do to get an article done is to submit a content request. Depending on the length of the content, you’ll receive the finished product back in as little as 48 hours.

Each monthly plan comes with a corresponding number of words, turnaround times, and a couple of other services like proofreading and editing, giving you more value for your money.

Our full Copywriter Today review | Visit Copywriter Today

HireWriters

As the name implies, this company, which began in 2012, helps connect clients with writers from all over the world.

Hire Writers Homepage

This on-demand content creation service offers some very affordable pricing.

Our full HireWriters review | Visit HireWriters

TextBroker

TextBroker is a content-writing marketplace that began in 2005 and has since expanded its international presence with more than 80,000 writers in its network to date.

What separates TextBroker from other virtual assistant and freelance marketplaces is that you don’t have to make a decision on who to hire. Just submit your job requirements and it will be done and sent back to you the way you wanted it.

With TextBroker, articles are priced based on the length and quality. Writers are rated based on skill and writing style, which determines the type of jobs or projects they’re eligible to work on.

Our full TextBroker review | Visit TextBroker

Fiverr Alternatives for Bookkeeping

Bench

Established in 2002, Bench is a remote bookkeeping service. They specialize in providing tax-ready financials for small businesses across the United States and Canada.

Though the tech-savvy bookkeeping service’s clients are mostly located in the US and Canada, their bookkeepers are well-versed and knowledgeable in accounting practices and laws in other countries, making them a top option for businesses outside of the United States as well.

Through their highly-intuitive software and app, the company makes it easy for clients to connect with bookkeepers. This is a popular option to take time-consuming tasks like preparing tax returns and balancing your books off your plate.

Our full Bench review | Visit Bench

Bean Ninjas

Bean Ninjas is an online bookkeeping and accounting services company established in 2015. They cater to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses using the accounting software Xero.

The company provides you with your own team leader who will serve as your point of contact, and a dedicated assistant who will work on your account.

These individuals will also help train you and convert your current accounting software over to Xero for a smoother transition.

Our full Bean Ninjas review | Visit Bean Ninjas

Fiverr Alternatives for Virtual Receptionists

Ruby Receptionists

Ruby Receptionists or “Call Ruby” is a virtual answering service for small businesses founded in 2003 and located in Portland, Oregon.

Ruby Receptionists Homepage

The company helps by answering and forwarding calls, taking messages, and answering FAQs on your behalf. All you need to do is customize your “scripts” and let them know about your guidelines. Ruby Receptionists will take care of the rest.

They can even provide you with your own toll-free number, make outbound calls, confirm appointments, and relay information on your behalf to make your company sound more legit and trust-worthy.

Each plan they offer is priced based on the number of receptionist minutes per month as well as the number of users. They also come with a 21-day money back guarantee.

Our full Ruby review | Visit Ruby

Gabbyville

Gabbyville is another virtual receptionist service founded in 2013 to help businesses of any size that don’t have the budget to do it in-house.

From accountants and CPAs to lawyers and physicians, Gabbyville’s helpful receptionists help businesses at a much lower price than it would cost hiring someone in-office.

Unlike its competitors, Gabbyville is HIPAA compliant and is on-call 14 hours a day.

Our full Gabbyville review | Visit Gabbyville

Fiverr Alternatives for Technical and Marketing Help

TopTal

If you’re specifically looking for remote engineers and developers, TopTal is one of your better options. The service specializes in connecting clients with the “top 3%” of talent the industry has to offer.

(That’s where the name comes from; Top Talent.)

Toptal Homepage

Established in 2010, TopTal’s network has been continuously expanding and now has more software engineers and designers scattered all over the world.

The marketplace offers pre-qualified professionals categorized based on the following skillsets:

  • Front-end Developers
  • Back-end Developers
  • Quality Assurance
  • Designers

Like other freelance marketplaces, hiring and working with a remote worker in TopTal is easy. All you need to do is send a request detailing your requirements and the company will send you the best freelancer that matches your description.

Our full TopTal review | Visit TopTal

Codeable

If you’re looking for help with anything related to WordPress, Codeable is one of the best services you can use.

The Denmark-based on-demand service for WordPress tasks was established in 2013 and has more than a hundred WordPress experts in its pool.

From fixing bugs, developing custom plugins, and migrating sites, Codeable pretty much does it all for you as long as it has anything to do with WordPress.

The process starts with a client submitting a detailed task brief which will garner lots of bids from various experts. Unlike other freelance sites, however, Codeable removes price from the equation so you can pick based a developer based on work history, feedback, and area of expertise.

Our full Codeable review | Visit Codeable

Credo

Credo matches you with qualified SEO and digital marketing agencies.

The company, whose name is short for “credible,” uses a similar approach with that of FreeeUp and other marketplaces that offer pre-vetted professionals. That eliminates–or at least shortens–an often tedious hiring process.

Credo’s pool of qualified agencies can help small business with SEO, PPC, Content Marketing, Link Building, Online Reputation Management, and more.

Visit Credo

Crew

If you’re looking for some web design and development help, Crew.co is a great service to consider.

Founded in 2012, the company provides its clients with a platform where they can connect with designers and developers from different parts of the world.

What makes Crew a reliable option is the way they make things easy for clients. By sending you three pre-vetted freelancers they manually picked based on your requirements, you are spared from the tedious hiring and vetting process while also getting someone of top quality.

Crew specializes in programming and graphic design projects and can help your company with app development, e-commerce support, logo design, and branding among others.

Our full Crew review | Visit Codeable

Gigster

Gigster is an on-demand software development platform. It helps companies by providing teams of experts who can write or create the software they have in mind.

The service operates on a fixed price and fixed scope basis. This covers the entire life cycle of a client’s digital initiatives, which means they’ll be working with you from the planning to the testing stage.

The Gigster talent network is made up of designers, developers, and project managers from all over the world. The company prides itself on ensuring top quality and quick delivery.

Our full Gigster Review | Visit Gigster

Gun.io

Gun.io aims to connect freelance software developers with businesses in need or professional software development services.

Their talent pool is composed of US-based team leaders and developers who specialize in the following services:

  • iOS apps
  • Android apps
  • Web applications
  • SAAS products
  • UX strategy
  • Scripting
  • Desktop programs
  • Project management
  • MVP development

Working with Gun.io is simple. You just provide the scope of your project and the budget you’re working with one of their team leaders who will then create a plan and handpick team members who will work on your project.

Our full Gun.io review | Visit Gun.io

Yeeply

Yeeply markets itself as a company that provides a platform for businesses to find the best professionals for their mobile applications and tech projects.

The company uses a similar model to that of Gun.io and Gigster where you’ll be assigned a team of pre-vetted professionals that matches your requirement using a matching algorithm. You will then receive one or more proposals, then sign a contract once you’ve made up your mind.

Visit Yeeply

Fiverr Alternatives for Local Hires

As exciting as remote work is, there are businesses that still require help onsite. Though they may be relatively new, local hire is slowly emerging as an option business owners can count on should they require additional sets of hands both at home and in the office.

Handy

Formerly known as Handybook, Handy is an online platform that connects individuals with independent service professionals who can do all sorts of hands-on tasks around the home.

Handy Homepage

From a regular cleaning task to something that requires certain expertise like furniture assembly, Handy has a professional within its vast talent pool that will match your requirement.

Just tell them what you need and you will be emailed back with details about the available professionals and prices you can choose from. It will then be all up to you whether you’ll accept, decline, or change your details.

Our full Handy review | Visit Handy

TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit is a marketplace between people who are looking to get some of their stuff done and people willing to do it for a given price.

Founded in 2008, the platform is a pioneer in the peer-to-peer commerce space.

Unlike Upwork, TaskRabbit focuses on in-person tasks and gigs. For example, you can find professionals to clean your house, pick up stuff from the office, or any other errand or task you don’t have time to do.

Just send them your requirements so TaskRabbits can bid on them and help you decide which one matches your needs best.

Our full TaskRabbit review | Visit TaskRabbit

Thumbtack

Thumbtack is another online platform similar to Handy that helps you find professionals for tasks around the house.

Thumbtack Homepage

Founded in 2008, the company makes it easier for you to find the professional you’re looking for. Just tell them what you need and you’ll receive free estimates so you can compare and make a hiring decision faster and easier.

With Thumbtack, you can find the nearest professional in your area who can help you house cleaning, massage therapy, event catering, handyman, and appliance repair services, just to name a few.

Visit Thumbtack

Bidvine

Bidvine is a local professional hiring platform in the UK. The site helps you find professional services covering industries like Health, Events, and Home Improvement among others.

Like most of its competitors, Bidvine sends out details of a client’s requirements to matching professionals. This allows you to receive a couple of bids to assess and compare.

Visit Bidvine

Wonolo

Wonolo is an on-demand staffing marketplace. The company aims to connect your business with temporary workers called “Wonoloers” who can help.

It works by allowing clients or “Requestors” to post jobs which Wonoloers can review and decide if it’s something they’re willing to do.

The company provides businesses a wide range of skills like general labor, food production, event staffing, washing and cleaning, merchandising, and more.

Visit Wonolo

Virtual Assistant Companies

Virtual assistant companies are firms that provide outsourcing services.

While most of them are located in countries like the Philippines and India, there’s also been a rise in the growth of similar companies both in the US and the UK.

The biggest advantages of working with a virtual assistant company instead of searching for a freelancer on Fiverr are:

  • Recruiting and screening — the company has already done this for you!
  • Backups and replacements — important should your VA ever leave or quit!
  • Multiple skills under one roof.

Time Etc

This UK and US-based virtual assistant company was established in 2007 and has since expanded and penetrated the US market.

The company prides itself on having completed more than a million tasks and projects and for working with big names like Apple, Facebook, IBM, and AOL.

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

Each plan they offer comes with a set number of hours per month as well as a few other perks like a dedicated US assistant and unused hours rollover among others.

Our full Time Etc review | Visit Time Etc

My Tasker

My Tasker is one of the biggest names in the virtual assistant industry.

My Tasker Homepage

Established in 2012, the India-based company has been continually growing and has achieved much success since as a standalone platform.

The company assigns a qualified VA based on the requirements you sent. Their VAs are highly-skilled and are well-versed in different tasks like general admin, appointment setting, and other back-office tasks to name a few.

Each pricing plan comes with a corresponding number of hours you can avail for 30 days.

Our full My Tasker review | Visit My Tasker

Boldly (formerly Worldwide101)

Boldly is a premium subscription staffing company founded in 2009.

Boldly Homepage

What separates the company from its competitors is the quality and experience their virtual assistants bring to the table. They only hire VAs with a minimum of 7 years of executive assistant experience (most of them have 10 to 15 years under their belt).

The experience requirement is such because their clients are mostly founders and executives of large companies.

Their approach is highly-personalized, going as far as having clients speak with an assistant who matches their requirement even before they sign up which aligns perfectly with their vision of becoming the “go-to” company when it comes to reliable and quality remote workers.

Our full Boldly review | Visit Boldly

BELAY

Formerly known as eaHELP, BELAY is a virtual staffing solutions company established in 2010.

Exclusively employing US-based assistants, the company began helping churches and pastors outsource their administrative tasks but has since expanded in a big way.

Their services fall under three main categories:

  • Virtual Assistants
  • Web Maintenance
  • Bookkeeping

The company provides a relationship manager who will help you get in touch with an assistant that best fits your requirements, helping make the hiring process faster and easier.

Our full BELAY review | Visit BELAY

Fancy Hands

Fancy Hands is a New York-based virtual assistant company that helps customers complete one-time tasks they don’t have the bandwidth to perform.

I use the service for online research, flight check-ins, proofreading, and responding to simple customer emails.

Fancy Hands Homepage

From online research, conference call setups, to restaurant reservations, Fancy Hands has US-based, native English-speaking assistants ready to serve you.

By simply submitting your requests via email, text, or via the mobile app, a qualified assistant can claim and work on it in 20 minutes or less which is a huge plus for customers on the go.

Our full Fancy Hands review | Visit Fancy Hands

OkayRelax

OkayRelax is a task-based virtual assistant company founded in 2015 that aims to help busy people save time by performing some of their time-consuming tasks on their behalf.

OkayRelax Homepage

Unlike its competitors though, OkayRelax uses a hybrid approach between a task-based service and a dedicated virtual assistant service.

The service handles a variety of tasks and has become a crucial part of my team. I rely on my assistant for several weekly recurring tasks.

Our full OkayRelax review | Visit OkayRelax

Uassist

Uassist.ME is a virtual assistant company established in 2009 that has offices in Miami and El Salvador. The company began with the idea of providing remote administrative services to businesses in the US and across the globe.

Uassist ME Homepage

The company has continuously grown over the years with their services expanding to cover other tasks like SEO, Social Media Marketing, and Telemarketing to name a few.

They’ve also included real estate among the services they offer as well as web development, graphic design, and content writing.

Our full Uassist review | Visit Uassist

Zirtual

Zirtual is a virtual assistant company established in 2010 with the purpose of providing virtual assistant and personal concierge services to customers from around the world.

The company prides itself for employing US-based, college-educated virtual assistants that are ready to perform various tasks that may include travel reservations, scheduling of meetings, online research, making/receiving calls, and responding to emails just to name a few.

The service comes with an “epic guarantee” that you’ll be satisfied with their work because they have a seven-step hiring process that includes personality tests and thorough background checks, all designed to ensure that clients are getting top quality work done for them when they need it.

Our full Zirtual review | Visit Zirtual

TaskVirtual

Task Virtual is an India-based virtual assistant company and is a relative newcomer to the virtual assistant services industry.

The company offers a wide range of services performed by highly-skilled and pre-vetted assistants at very competitive rates.

Their target customers are entrepreneurs and business owners who are looking for additional hands but don’t have the budget to employ in-house staff.

Task Virtual offers several payment plans with their Personal Assistance Services priced in task bundles, with each task being classified as 10 to 15 jobs. They also offer Business Assistance Services which are priced in hours.

Our full TaskVirtual review | Visit TaskVirtual

Please check here for our full directory of virtual assistant companies.

Final Thoughts

Truth be told, this list just scratches the surface of alternatives to Fiverr for hiring freelancers. And new platforms are popping up all the time.

You’ve definitely got options when it comes to outsourcing. All you really need to do is identify which marketplace or company suits you best.

Read More

Giggrabbers

Giggrabbers is an online platform that connects freelancers and virtual assistants with customers all over the world.

The company is based in New York, US. The freelancers using their platform are based all over the globe, with most of them being based in the US, UK, Canada, and India.

About Giggrabbers

Giggrabbers ReviewThe company was founded by current CEO Alex Griffith. Alex started Giggrabbers to help individuals and businesses find skilled freelancers to help them lighten their workload at an affordable rate.

You can post a job on their platform, and freelancers will see it and send you a proposal to carry out the work. Or, you can use their “Create a freelance team” tool to help you build a team of freelancers based on your requirements.

In essence, Giggrabbers is an online marketplace connecting freelancers with clients. Both freelancers and clients can sign up for free, then their AI does the work matching up your requirements with the skillsets of their freelancers.

How Giggrabbers Works

Giggrabbers have made using their platform as simple and as quick as possible.

There are three steps taking you from signing up to working with a freelancer as follows:

  1. Sign up for an account and post your project.
  2. Review proposals from freelancers and select the one you want to work with.
  3. Review the finished work and sign off on it when you’re happy.

Services

With a pool of willing freelancers hungry for work, it’s likely you’ll receive proposals for any tasks you post on the Giggrabbers marketplace. Seeing as it’s free to post jobs, it makes sense to post any jobs you have and review the proposals that come in.

To give you a general idea of the areas they specialize in, Giggrabbers group most of their services under the following categories:

  • Graphic design
  • Website development
  • Mobile app development
  • Search engine optimization
  • Content marketing
  • Photography and video
  • Social media marketing
  • Admin support

Giggrabbers Plans and Pricing

It’s free to create an account and post projects.

When you select a proposal from a freelancer and agree to a price, Giggrabbers take 9.5% of the total price of the project from the freelancer.

Giggrabbers Alternatives

If you’re looking for alternative options, Giggrabbers’ marketplace operates similarly to Upwork, Fiverr, and FreeeUp.

Fiverr is the least expensive of the bunch if you’re on a tight budget, but better suited to shorter one-off projects.

Upwork has a huge pool of freelancers, while FreeeUp describes a more curated experience, claiming to only accept “the top 1%” of workers.

Your Turn

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

Read More

KPMG Spark

KPMG Spark is an online bookkeeping service helping small to medium-sized businesses manage their day-to-day bookkeeping and finances.

The company has been in business since 2013. Their headquarters is based in Utah, where their operational staff work, and they have some bookkeeping staff based remotely.

About KPMG Spark

KPMG Spark ReviewThe company is headed up by Zach Olson, Managing Director, and Austin Miller, Director of Marketing. Their target customers are small to medium-sized businesses that have monthly expenses up to $250,000.

KPMG Spark say one of the things that separate them from their competitors is the proprietary software they use. They also offer separate pricing plans for cash and accrual accounting, and give every client a dedicated bookkeeper and assign an account manager.

How KPMG Spark Works

To get started, you can schedule a live demo to see their software in action or book a consultation call to discuss your bookkeeping requirements.

When you sign up for one of their plans, a member of their team will help you integrate your bank accounts into their software. You’ll also be introduced to the bookkeeper that’ll be handling your account.

Once you’re all set up, you’ll be able to update and categorize your transactions in real-time. From here, you can leave the day-to-day bookkeeping tasks to your bookkeeper. You can run reports yourself to check your financials at any time.

Services

KPMG Spark handles all the day-to-day bookkeeping tasks any small to medium-sized businesses face. This includes:

  • Recording expenses
  • Tracking mileage
  • Live bank data
  • Tax preparation
  • Invoicing and payments
  • Payroll

You can rest assured that they are handling all aspects of the bookkeeping for your business. Meaning you can focus on other areas of your business.

Plans and Pricing

KPMG Spark is fairly flexible with their plans. The amount you pay per month depends on the number of bank accounts you have. As well as whether you’re operating on a cash or accrual basis, and any extra services you add on.

To give you an idea, here is the monthly cost for basic cash accounting for each of their pricing tiers:

  • Starter – 1-5 bank accounts for $195 per month.
  • Essential – 5-10 bank accounts for $295 per month.
  • Enterprise – 10+ bank accounts for $395 per month.

The extra services you can add to each plan are:

  • Tax Prep – $125 per month.
  • Payroll Facilitation – $100 per month.
  • KPMG Consulting – $1,000 per month.

KPMG Spark Pricing

So, for example, if you have 10+ bank accounts and want to include tax prep, payroll facilitation, and KPMG consulting, you’ll pay $1,620 per month.

There are no contracts, so you can change your plan or cancel at any time. And, as they point out, you can deduct accounting fees on your annual return, so that’s an extra little incentive.

KPMG Spark Alternatives

Two alternative online bookkeeping companies worth checking out are Bench and Bean Ninjas. Bean Ninjas use Xero accounting software if you’re already familiar with this software.

Bench offers a free trial so you can to try before you buy.

Your Turn

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

Read More

iWorker

iWorker is a virtual assistant company headquartered in New Mexico, U.S. Their virtual assistants work remotely from Venezuela and other South American countries.

Their mission is to find and hire workers from impoverished countries, and give them a chance to work with business owners around the world.

The company started operations in 2013, and are able to offer very competitive rates due to sourcing workers from these economic locations. But are they any good?

Read on to see if iWorker might be a good fit for your business.

About iWorker

iWorker ReviewiWorker was co-founded by John Miles, Eric Tanaka, and Enrique Yervez. Before forming iWorker, both John and Eric had a number of years’ experience hiring virtual assistants to grow their own businesses.

They got to know many Venezuelan immigrants while living in Argentina. After learning of their struggles to find work, they decided to start iWorker and focus on hiring Venezuelan workers. They have since expanded to hiring virtual assistants from other economically challenged countries.

iWorker says their motivation was to provide professionals in impoverished countries, “dignified work, thereby generating opportunities for them to improve their lives, support their families, and grow their local economies.”

It’s certainly a noble cause, and if they can provide excellent service to clients at a great rate, it’s a win-win.

How iWorker Works

To get started with iWorker, send them a message via their contact page outlining the kinds of tasks you want to outsource. They will then send you a couple of bios for assistants they think are best suited to you.

Per the company: “Every remote professional on our team goes through a rigorous interview process, helping you to avoid false starts and misfires by trying to find a reliable worker on your own.”

If you want to move forward, you can interview the candidates to ensure they are a good fit for you and your business. Once you’ve decided on an assistant you want to work with, you can communicate directly with them going forward.

Payments are all processed by iWorker, and the pricing couldn’t be any simpler.

You pay a flat rate of $5.95 for every hour your assistant works. There are no minimum monthly plans, no contracts, and you even get your first 3 hours free.

Services

iWorkers’ virtual assistants are ready to handle any tasks you can send them to complete remotely. They group their areas of expertise into the following areas:

  • eCommerce – Order processing, customer service, managing your Shopify store, and more.
  • Direct Sales – Phone sales, email outreach, competitors research, and more.
  • WordPress & Web Development – Modifying and managing WordPress sites, plugins, content, and more.
  • Customer Service – Responding to customer queries, managing social media, and more.
  • Personal Assistance – Managing your diary, making travel bookings, and more.

Plans and Pricing

iWorker do not currently have any set pricing plans or set hourly commitments. Instead, you pay for the number of hours your assistant works for you. Their hourly rate is currently $5.95 per hour.

They offer a 3-hour free trial, so you can test their services before deciding if they are the right fit for your business.

iWorker Alternatives

There are some other highly-rated virtual assistant companies providing assistants based in South American countries. Uassist.me and Virtual Latinos are two companies worth considering, although their rates are not as competitive as iWorker’s.

One big advantage of all these options is the time zones are a little closer to home for US-based businesses.

If budget is your main driving force, I recommend looking further overseas. If you’re looking for full-time help, you might consider recruiting via OnlineJobs.ph, the largest job board in the Philippines.

Your Turn

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

Read More

100 Ninjas

100Ninjas is a US-based virtual assistant company that has been in business since 2015.

They are a 100% virtual company, providing US-based virtual assistants to help busy clients lighten their workload and free up more of their time.

About 100Ninjas

100 Ninjas ReviewThe company was founded by Monica Rawicz. Monica worked as a freelance graphic designer for a number of years, before moving into the virtual assistant space managing remote support teams.

Driven by her passion for helping other busy business owners free up more of their time, Monica founded 100Ninjas. Over the last four years, she’s built up a team of skilled remote workers called “ninjas” across the US.

Their services cover everything from personal assistance and administration work, to managing your social media accounts, writing blog content, and doing online research. Basically, you can request any tasks that can be completed remotely from your ninja.

How 100Ninjas Works

100Ninjas says they “take a very personalized approach when matching our clients to our ninjas.”

When you sign up for one of their plans, a client support specialist will contact you to ensure they have a good understanding of you and your business.

Once they have a clear understanding of what you’re looking for in a VA, they will match you with one of their VA’s best suited to you and your business.

From there, you communicate directly with your assistant to get your tasks completed.

Services

With good communication, the 100Ninjas virtual assistants will be able to take just about any task that can be completed remotely off your hands.

To give you a better idea of the types of tasks they specialize in, here are the main categories they group their services around:

  • Executive Admin Support – Inbox management, tracking expenses, data entry and transcription services, event planning and organization, and more.
  • Personal Assistance – Scheduling appointments, buying gifts, finding services, etc.
  • Social Media Management – Managing your social media accounts, accelerating crowdfunding campaigns, email campaigns, and more.
  • Research – Analyzing and comparing competitors’ services, market trends, event and conference tracking, and more.
  • Travel Management – Making and booking your travel plans, itinerary planning, handling international paperwork, and more.

Plans and Pricing

Rates range from $30-34 an hour and their plans start at 10 hours per month.

When you sign up for a plan, you’ll be assigned a dedicated assistant to work with as well as a client a support specialist.

New clients get the first 2 hours free, and you can cancel at any time.

A complete list of their plans at the time of publishing are:

  • Ninja10 – 10 hours per month for $340 ($34 per hour)
  • Ninja15 – 15 hours per month for $510 ($34 per hour)
  • Ninja25 – 25 hours per month for $850 ($34 per hour)
  • Ninja35 – 35 hours per month for $1,120 ($32 per hour)
  • Ninja50 – 50 hours per month for $1,500 ($30 per hour)

100 Ninjas Pricing

If you don’t see the hourly plan you’re looking for, 100Ninjas are happy to work out something bespoke if you contact them.

100Ninjas Alternatives

Three of the more established US-based virtual assistant companies worth considering are Time Etc, BELAY, and Boldly.

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

Time Etc is the most affordable if budget is a concern, while BELAY and Boldly have a wealth of experience and a deep pool of assistants. So if you’re looking for specific skill sets, you’ve got other options as well.

Your turn

Have you worked with 100Ninjas? If so, please share a quick review of your experience below to help others with their decision.

Read More

Fancy Hands

Fancy Hands is a New York-based virtual assistant company that was founded in 2010. I’ve been a member since 2012, and here’s my review.

What sets Fancy Hands apart from its low priced outsourcing competition is its use of US-based, native-English speaking assistantsfancy hands reviewFor that, they’ve gained a lot of momentum and exposure.

Note: This Fancy Hands review is geared toward those looking to hire an assistant. Click here to learn more about how to become a virtual assistant.

Fancy Hands Services

fancy hands review

Customers primarily use Fancy Hands as a time-saving tool for small one-time tasks, like restaurant reservations, online research, set up conference calls, and quick event planning.

Adding events to your Google Calendar is free, and you can set up a credit card to have on file for your assistant to make purchases for you.

How I Use Fancy Hands

In my case, I mainly rely on Fancy Hands to:

  • Respond to certain customer requests on my behalf. (This is the majority of the work I send.)
  • Proofread articles.
  • Check in for flights.
  • Research products and companies online.

When I was shopping for a used car, I had them scour the classifieds listings on a bunch of different sites and build me a spreadsheet with the available inventory that met my criteria.

TeamWork

If you manage a large team, you can give everyone access to this distributed army of assistants through the Fancy Hands TeamWork platform.

For employers, it’s a nice perk to offer and allows your workers to be more productive on the job. The service is integrated with the web interface, email, phone, and Basecamp project management software.

Incoming Calls

The introduction of the Fancy Hands incoming calls API is big news for anyone struggling with their call volume or already using an outsourced solution like Ruby Receptionists.

With a little bit of set-up, your preferred phone number can ring Fancy Hands and an assistant will answer the call, answer basic questions, and with access to your calendar, set appointments.

How Fancy Hands Works

Fancy Hands virtual assistants are “in the cloud” – a largely part-time, on-demand, and remote workforce that handles tasks as they come in.

Submit your requests via email, the mobile app, or text and they all get dumped into a common task feed. From there, any qualified and available Fancy Hands assistant can claim it and get to work.

One advantage of this team-based approach is 24/7/365 coverage for your requests, whereas a “real” assistant would probably need to take some time off or sleep every now and then.

For example, most of my requests are handled in 20 minutes or less. (I even demo’d this live during a presentation and the response came back just after my 15-minute cutoff!)

The Online Dashboard

Once you create your account, you’ll see a dashboard that keeps track of your requests and some other stats on your profile. As you can see, Fancy Hands has spent over 23 hours on the phone for me!

I’m a pretty happy camper to have not had to make those 476 calls myself.

Fun fact: I actually broke their system — the counter stopped at 1000 requests and hasn’t updated in years!

Longer Requests

Fancy Hands also added the ability to go beyond the regular 20-minute time limit by asking your approval to burn multiple tasks on one request.

For instance, sometimes I’ve gotten a response back that says, we’d love to handle this for you, but it will take 3 tasks instead of one.

OK, that’s fine — I reply back with my approval and they got to work.

Fancy Hands Review

That video is super old, definitely due for an update!

Virtual Assistant Assistant Referral Bonus: If you want to try Fancy Hands, get 50% off your first month when you sign-up through this link.

Fancy Hands Plans and Pricing

Fancy Hands pricing is as follows:

  • Once a Week: 5 requests* a month for $29.99.
  • A Few Times a Week: 15 requests a month for $74.99.
  • Every Day: 30 requests a month for $149.99.

fancy hands pricing 2019

*Each request has a 20-minute maximum duration.

You can save 15% on all plans by pre-paying for a year in advance. The pre-pay option is a great deal but of course is a little risky for first-time outsourcers.

Unused tasks rollover month-to-month. Since the tasks rollover, one strategy would be to buy the Premier plan for a month or two to stockpile your requests, and then downgrade to Basic until you’re running low, effectively reducing your price per request.

Virtual Assistant Assistant Referral Bonus: If you want to try Fancy Hands, get 50% off your first month when you sign-up through this link.

A Dedicated Assistant

One great new addition the company has added is a dedicated assistant option. This means you can delegate to the same assistant every time, rather than have your requests picked up by the first available assistant.

Obviously this leads to better collaboration for ongoing business processes or more open-ended projects.

How it works is you commit to a certain minimum number of hours, which you pre-pay for at the start of the month.

Here are some of the common pricing tiers:

  • 25-49 hours per month = $32/hr
  • 50-74 hours per month = $30/hr
  • 75+ hours per month = $28/hr

If you go over, the extra hours get tacked onto the next bill. (You can work with your assistant to ensure they never go over the hours though.)

Your first month is half off.

This dedicated service is most similar to other US-based virtual assistant operators like Time Etc.

The Fancy Hands App

Unlike many other VA services, Fancy Hands is also accessible through a dedicated mobile app. It has a very slick user interface with nearly all the functionality of their browser-based site.

You can check on view your usage statistics, track existing requests, and submit new ones via text or voice. Very cool.

It also allows you to take pictures that might be helpful to your VA or choose an existing photo from your library.

fancy hands app screenshot

Fancy Hands Alternatives

Wishup is a great alternative with highly competitive prices.

I tested Fancy Hands against a few of their competitors, both in the US and overseas. The trial pitted them against Red Butler, Efficise, and My Tasker (no longer offers a task-based plan). Please click here to read the full review of my test.

I’m still maintaining my subscription and have actually set up a cool automation with Zapier where I can send them tasks automatically based on certain criteria.

One other company worth checking out is OkayRelax. This is the service I use as a lower-priced dedicated assistant option, which I’ve found really reliable for recurring tasks where a login is needed.

Your Turn

If you have any experience with Fancy Hands, please share your review below!

Read More