What can you tell me about this industry, and who’s utilizing it?
As part of the growing area of business process outsourcing, Virtual Assistance has become a significant part of that industry in the last 10+ years. As organizations look for high-quality, cost-effective solutions to grow, they are turning to “virtual” professionals as an alternative to the cost and commitment of hiring on-site staff.
Just about anyone can use a virtual assistant – businesses, organizations, entrepreneurs, executives, students, nonprofits. The list is endless. Learn more
What’s the difference between working with a VA and hiring an employee?
A VA can do almost anything that an on-site employee would do, except we work remotely from our own offices. Additionally, like any service provider, VAs work with more than one client at a time, and usually partner with clients for a set number of hours per week or month. It’s a very high- quality, cost-efficient solution to get the professional business support you need. You’re adding skilled, focused, professional assistance to your team, but only when you need it.
How do you support my business if I don’t see you every day?
The key to working with VAs is simple – communication. By being clear about what you need, you can leave the rest to your VA while you focus on realizing the full potential of your business. Thanks to the tools available for real-time communication and information transfer, you aren’t more than a click away from your VA.
VAs, in turn, provide progress reports, ask questions, and take the initiative to use their resources to get the job done. After all, their practices depend on providing quality business solutions in order to grow their businesses to their full potential.
Are you part of my daily operations?
That’s up to the client. While we are available on a project-by-project basis, we strive to develop a relationship that allows us to regularly help you with your increasing workload. Like on-site staff, we want to be a partner in your success.
What services does Rescue Desk provide?
Our role is to take on tasks that are supportive in scope and nature. Our primary services include providing support in the areas of communications, marketing, creative projects and executive assistance.
If there is something you need that we’re not completely confident we can do or if it’s not part of our service listing, we will share that with you … and help you find someone who can!
Do you take on every project or assignment?
Sadly, no. In order to fulfill our mission of providing a valuable business solution by offering executive business support, we work with a limited number of clients at a single time. Our primary goal isn’t to grow our client list, it’s to provide the best service possible to those we serve. In addition, if there’s work to be done that we’re not completely confident we can do successfully (i.e., if it’s not part of the service listing), we won’t accept the project.
How much do Virtual Assistants charge?
It varies and depends on the services the VA offers and the market he or she serves. VAs generally charge from $30-$50 an hour. Some charge per project, while others are on a flat hourly rate. It’s common to find discounted rates if you have a weekly or monthly retainer arrangement.
Who are your ideal clients?
We love working with people – whether a soloist, small business owner or an executive leading a small staff – who are creative, have a positive energy, and are open to working in a virtual world. We are dedicated to cultivating long-lasting, peer-to-peer partnerships and working with clients who want to share ideas and come up with solutions together.
We certainly don’t shy away from someone who may need our help, but Rescue Desk tends to be well-equipped to work with sole proprietors, “micro” businesses, and other small organizations with small, dedicated staffs.
I see you’re based in Madison, Wis. Do you only work with clients in the surrounding area?
While our primary market is south central Wisconsin and stretches throughout the state, it certainly isn’t our only market. Like any VA, we are equipped with the tools to stay in touch and work with clients just about anywhere.
How do you support me if you’re not familiar with my industry?
That’s easy – we ask! VAs are a bright and insatiably curious bunch, and we don’t hesitate to do research, ask questions and learn about each client’s challenges and goals. Remember, VAs generally have years of business-related experience and are seasoned professionals when it comes to finding and using our resources. We aren’t much different than someone you’d hire on-site, in that it’s part of our job to learn yours. The biggest difference is we simply do it from a distance, and we work only when you need us to.
In addition, VAs generally work with only a handful of great clients at a time so we can dedicate as much time as necessary to learning your business and offering the support you need.