Frequently Asked Questions

Where is your office located?
How do we contact each other?
Office hours
Do you work on my project right away?
How can you access my email and computer files remotely?
Large file sharing
Time tracking
Project status - How do I know what you are working on?
Confidential work
Is there anything else that I need to know?

Where is your office located?

A virtual assistant works in a remote location which could be a few miles from where you are located or even across the globe.

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How do we contact each other?

This depends upon what is decided by the VA and the client. Everyone is different. Some people like the comfort of talking on the telephone while others don't like to be disturbed while they are working. Then it is more likely that contact is made only if there is a question or a concern. Other people are more comfortable hearing from their VAs every morning at the start of their day and then at the end of the day. Some VAs have a standing appointment weekly for a scheduled telephone conversation to talk about the upcoming week's projects. My work day starts at 9 AM and ends at 5 PM Eastern Standard Time. During this time I check my e-mails/voice mails every hour on the hour. I usually do not answer the phone, unless previously arranged. This is not done to avoid talking to my clients however! I found out that when I work without stopping onstantly, I get more work done and it allows me to work faster too. Stopping and starting continuously throughout the day makes me lose my train of thought which results in a waste of my time resulting in inefficient time management and of course a waste of money. Unless there are questions or concerns, I do not contact my clients by phone. Of course, in case of an emergency I am always available. If clients prefer to have a time set up daily or weekly to go over the work schedule, this certainly can be arranged.

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Office hours

My office hours are Monday to Friday from 10AM to 5PM EST. I do not work holidays or weekends unless arrangements have been made in advance.

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Do you work on my project right away?

Please let us know what you need and we will give you a rate and a time frame for job completion.

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How can you access my email and computer files remotely?

There are many software programs that allow both parties to share folders and access email accounts.

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Large file sharing

Files commonly are sent as attachments, digital scans, faxing, or file sharing programs. If that is impractical due to an abnormal amount of large files then the documents can be sent using regular mail or overnight delivery for urgent matters. If a person doesn’t want to send a mound of paperwork through the mail which will incur a large expense due to the sheer weight of the paperwork there is another alternative. By simply downloading the word documents onto a disc, either CD or DVD, or a flash drive, it is possible to put that in the mail or overnight delivery. Encryption will secure the data and for even more security get a flash drive that comes with its own password. Even if the flash drive gets lost, at least you can take comfort in knowing that no one will know what's inside. We can even arrange for convenient pickups and deliveries at your home or office.

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Time tracking

Through time-tracking software the client is billed for time worked only. Billing is in one minute increments. Upon completion of assignment time is rounded up to the nearest quarter hour.

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Project status - How do I know what you are working on?

Through my software program you are able to check the status whenever you like. Just by logging on and entering your password.

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Confidential work

A “Confidentiality Agreement” will give you the assurance that you need.

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Is there anything else that I need to know?

Please ask for my "comprehensive FAQ list". It provides more details about my Virtual Assistance business.

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