I recently interviewed the COO (Osama, as you will see from other comments) and I think you guys might be interested to hear some of the ‘behind the scenes’ info, as well as their philosophy and how they got started. It’s quite a story. You can listen at http://bit.ly/acqzdD. Thanks!

I like having a more personal, ongoing relationship with my clients rather than competing for one-off quick jobs; I have met every one of my clients and it’s just as important that I like them as much as they like me – plus I can gain a better understanding of how they like things done in person rather than on Skype or by email.

I agree in that you do usually get what you pay for, plus it’s also worth remembering that a lot of VA’s also specialise (usually based on what they did before they went freelance) some are very au fait with new technology, and others prefer using more traditional mediums.

My advice would be to try and find a balance between price and expertise and to give them as much information as possible!

An enjoyable article…

@munropaservices

Then go on to mention “…try utilizing virtual assistants in the U.S., UK, Europe and Australia. I believe you’ll find that the tasks are handled much more professionally…”

Then you go on to welcome the VA from the Caribbean and Canada.

Surely some of those people are offshore, as far as your concerned? So who is it you have a problem with exactly?

To suggest that only ‘Westernised’ countries can offer a professional service is quite prejudiced.

Wishing you all the best, Tarique Naseem (NOT a Virtual Assistant).

Self advertising no less, with an undercurrent of prejudice me thinks…

Everyone, I read all your comments with great interest, I thank you for posting them. Two things I’d like to add (and basically build on what Mary has said):

1. The Personal Plan’s business model – $69/Month for (upto) 8 basic tasks/day, 24 hours a day is the best on demand task execution service you’ll find. Not just because it’s unique, new, innovative and very cheap but because it’s good too. Our assistants make an effort to build trust and relationships with their clients even if they interact with them for just 15 minutes a day – and they do a pretty good job out of it too. It’s not easy to do – given the number of clients and tasks we handle every day- but we’ve had many many happy experiences with very satisfied clients. So no, we’re different not just because we’re cheap, we’re different because we’re good as well.

2. We do provide an all encompassing VA service where we keep an individual’s needs in mind. If someone needs more attention for longer projects – they can opt for our Dedicated Package (for as little as $4.5/hour). All they need to choose are the number of hours (per day or per week) and the working hours for their assistant.

Our Aides are no doubt smart, intelligent and dynamic people with strong communication skills – they’re not less in terms of ability compared to any individual out there. It’s a fact that none of our aides are native English speakers – and that’s fine – but they can be naturally educated in culture through extensive interaction with clients. And thats exactly what happens, all we make sure we do is bring a willingness to learn and a motivation to deliver to the table.

I do think there’s plenty of room out there for everyone – Personal Outsourcing is only taking off the ground and it’s helped by increased connectivity and new technologies available to anyone willing to do more in their time. TimeSvr is just adding a new dimension to the concept of Virtual Assistance.

There are a handful of ‘pioneers’ for this industry worldwide but I wouldn’t include the businesses mentioned here as being in that category.

With respect to virtual assistant services being provided and their costs, obviously there are going to be various grades of support provided and clients (business owners) need to work out what’s best for them. Often what is cheapest isn’t the best option – especially if things have to be micro-managed (your time is better off spent doing what you do best) or fixed up later on, which has often been the case for some clients I’ve heard from after the fact.

I manage a team of VAs located in 17 countries via my site and I invite you to come and check us out sometime.

Wishing you all the best…

And my apologies, I didn’t mean to exclude any global professional VA option out, just wanted to mention some of the ones I am most connected to – nice to ‘virtually’ meet you.

Wishing you all the best of continued success! ;)

I think TimeSvr is probably a great service for those who just need the occasional task completed. Will they be invested in your success? No. You will just get the task that you requested completed. There is a role for that. I’m sure they do a great job and that they have happy clients.

It’s not better, worse – just an entirely different service than what many VAs and VBMs do.

With that being said, I think the tasks you provided were quite elementary and even the packages displayed on the TimeSvr site referenced “Unlimited SIMPLE Tasks”.

Now, if you are looking for a VA to set-up and design a Facebook Fan Page, help set-up, manage and optimize your social media presence, or set-up a You Tube channel to syndicate your videos or create an Auto-responder series in Aweber, or set-up a WordPress Blog, the skills, knowledge and experience will likely need to be at a much higher level than what you would receive via Timesvr (in my humble opinion). As a result, you will naturally pay a higher rate to receive these types of specialized services.

Our Marketplace at VAClassroom is full of multi-dimensional Virtual Assistants who have tapped into many “in-demand” niches and offering specialized services that so many entrepreneurs desperately need.

I personally think a distinction needs to be made here between a personal assistant (as offered by TimeSVR.com) and a Virtual Assistant or Virtual Marketing Assistant that brings another degree for skills and specializations to the table.

Just a few thoughts – great post!

Though TimeSvr’s based in Singapore, it’s not clear where aides are located; they may indeed be distributed across the globe. So, it’s unfair to make assumptions about relative geographic issues – this didn’t figure in my assessment of their work, though it maybe a factor in the quality.

Like any industry – the reality for VAs in Europe and North America is that they have to compete with literate, educated and largely cheaper South Asian and Chinese workforces. Indeed, I’m fluent in Urdu and English, so cultural barriers are less acute for me.

I don’t accept that European or North American VAs are automatically ‘better’, but that it’s up to each company or VA to demonstrate their value to their clients.

That said, I’m looking at another company that draws attention to its US-based aides; it’ll be interesting to compare, but I’m also wary of making sweeping cultural judgements on the relationship between nationality and quality!

As stated by someone else VAs establish long-term business relationships with their clients. An on-going relationship leads to understanding of a client’s needs. It’s the same relationship that you would have with an Administrative Assistant if you working with that individual in the office. You can’t expect them to understand your needs and requirements if you don’t work with them on a regular basis.

I’ve worked in both the corporate world and on my own as a Virtual Assistant and continue to do so. Most of my clients have been with me since day one. This is the one thing that was missing from the message. Do you continue to use the same individuals with the service provider? Or each time you make a request are you starting with someone new?

You get out of a working relationship what you put it; cheap = little. Wait a minute, what you had was not a relationship, was it.

That is the key, Imran. Virtual Assistants work in a supportive professional relationship with their clients. VAs learn about you as you work together, and come to anticipate your needs. This leads to less time spent on both your part and your VAs part – you save time & money and get great value. There is no “Throw your request into a barrel and see who comes up and out with results that may or may not be helpful.”

You expressed it quite well in your comment, “the suggestions lacked range and depth. This could perhaps have been mitigated by a little back-and-forth conversation between myself and Irfan to narrow down my requirements.”

Best wishes for your success,
Carolyn Baker Meyer, Virtual Assistant, USA