Posted by Marie on April 14, 2010
When you buy a $10 pair of shoes, what do you expect from it? What about from a $100 printer or $1000 car?
I’m often asked about the standard $10-an-hour pay offering by those advertising for assistants on Craigslist. I must assume that these entrepreneurs get responses because otherwise, they would stop asking.
For my part, I usually respond to this inquiry by saying—they probably got what they paid for.
There probably is a reason that the ad answers are willing to settle for this wage. The bottom line is, they accept $10 an hour because (for whatever reason) they are not able to get someone to pay them more than that.
Even if there are extenuating circumstances, I feel that the small business runner would be taking a big risk. Once a good assistant begins to realize that he/she is being underpaid and is able to command a higher price elsewhere, then the entrepreneur will either have to step up and match the demand or be willing to start all over with someone new and of perhaps a lower quality.
When you own a business, I know that business is you. And you deserve an administrative professional who is capable, experienced, and trustworthy. Not someone purchased at a bargain basement rate.
Posted by Marie on April 26, 2009
Detour Services doesn’t just handle assignments only within a client’s business. Earlier this year, I received a pretty large project involving a parent’s WWII photographs.
This collection consisted of hundreds of photos, and my client wanted to get them organized, researched, and eventually donated to a place where they would be used and appreciated.
Luckily, there was writing on the backs of a fair number of the photos. As for the rest, I researched the patches and insignia on the sleeves of the pictured soldiers to get an idea of the timelines and locations.
After some pretty intensive effort from all parties, the collection is now ordered and in an album. A donation point has been identified with everything ready to go.
Do you have what seems like an overwhelming task sitting in a box somewhere? Why not give me a call and get that weight off of your mind?
Posted by Marie on March 31, 2009
It is so handy to have an on-hand personal assistant at conventions and trade shows.
Conventions are rich networking opportunities but no one wants to leave a booth unmanned for fear of losing sales. An assistant gives an entrepreneur just that much more flexibility.
It doesn’t matter if there’s a meeting to take or a lunch run to complete, a trade show assistant provides options and opportunities.
If you are looking for a trustworthy and hard working assistant for your 2009 conferences, why not give us a call to figure out the details?
Posted by Marie on March 3, 2009
Money Ning has an article today titled “19 Ways Laziness is Costing You Money.” If you take a look, you’ll see how disorganization and procrastination can really reduce your income and affect your savings.
Unnecessary expenditures, such as late fees, can really hurt a business’s bottom line these days. A healthy cash flow is even more important since credit remains tough to come by.
For those who keep letting money seep away from them despite the best of intentions, there are a number of ways that a personal assistant or business assistant can help.
Perhaps all you need is one email reminder each week about what’s due and what’s coming up. For the truly sidetracked, outsourcing all accounts payable functions may actually prove cost-effective.
Of course, tasking someone else to stay on hold with the cable or credit card company is an easy one to make. Let your assistant get you a changed rate or another tier of service. Paying a monthly fee for something you don’t use is like paying a full-time employee to surf the internet.
Times are tough. Make sure each cent you spend is out there working hard for you.
Posted by Marie on January 4, 2009
Are you ready to face the next twelve months? Detour Services is ready to help. Just let us know if you need to get your finances in order. Or perhaps you want a filing system that actually works. Are you tired of losing your items?
Drop me a note today!
