Has anyone combined being a personal assistant with a virtual assistant? I want to do both. I'd like to have local clients I provide personal assistance to such as running errands, purchasing gifts, etc. but also provide virtual administrative tasks such as scheduling, typing, preparing presentations, organizing, etc.

Does anyone out there do both and how do you handle this? How do you market yourself?

Thank you.

__________________
Sandy
www.eliteadminforyou.com

I'm interested in the same thing. I'm thinking about including some concierge services. I hope you get a response to your question

__________________
Élite Assistants LLC
www.eliteassistants.net (Site Under Construction)

I'm also interested in this, seeing as the VA concept is still almost completely new out here, most people like to be able to see who they're working with. I'd really appreciate any information on this.

I'm note sure that providing concierge services would be worthwhile. If 3 hours is spent running errands that's 3 hours you're not working on projects and are unavailable to other clients. Even if you get calls on cell, it's hard to discuss things in the middle of a mall and you don't have the project in front of you. Also, I suspect that most clients would expect to pay little for running errands and once they received the invoice for time + mileage they'd have a heart attack.

Been there, done that, and personally I wouldn't do it again. Just my two pennyworth.

Lynne

__________________
The Wordpro Wizard
www.wordprowizard.com

Thanks Lynne for that li'l bit of info. I guess the key would be to see if your clients are willing to pay your desired rates for concierge services and see if that would be a worthwhile trade-off for your time away from other clients.

Then again, if you have a blackberry and your clients are email savvy, they could always just fire off an email and you'd be able to deal with it even in a noisy mall. Granted, some of the work they need you to do would still have to wait until after you've returned to your work desk.

I am hoping to do some concierge services, but I would restrict them to those that I can do from my home office - booking restaurants, hotels, travel, order flowers, gifts etc. I really don't want to be running around shopping for the wife's aniversary present or the girlfriend's birthday present (already did both for the same guy). It's the sort of task it would be nice to do for a change instead of typing or bookeeping all day.

I love all the responses so far. It's good to hear both viewpoints. I like what shadowcat says about providing these services from her home office.

__________________
Sandy
www.eliteadminforyou.com

Sorry, I should have made my post clearer. I do all types of concierge work from my office, I just won't do the running errands/go-fetchum thing.

Lynne

__________________
The Wordpro Wizard
www.wordprowizard.com

I had thought about doing this too, but like some people mentioned I didn't think it would be an effective use of my time. I wouldn't expect people would be willng to pay as much for some to run errands as they would for typical VA tasks, and that would cost me money.

I am currently in a job where I am a triple threat..
Executive Assistant/ Office Manager/Personal Assistant.

I can tell you that the Personal Assistant activities are the WORST!

I wanted to get away from it but the non running around items like the shopping, and appointment setting is a good idea to incorporate.
With gas prices there is NO way I would do it. But then again, I work with an out of control, ego driven, young professional. So my life pretty much sucks when I have anything personal to do for my manager.

This is something that I have thought about also, and I think would really hate to do all the things I hate doing in my own life, for someone else! However that being said, taking on personal aspects for people that you can do from your home i.e flowers, taxis, restaurant bookings etc - I feel I would take on that. I've seen some sights that categorise they assistance - maybe you could market your services in that way

Laura

Laura said:

Originally Posted by Laura

...I think would really hate to do all the things I hate doing in my own life, for someone else!

That's it in a nutshell for me!!

Lezly

My business name is: Virtual Personal Assistant :: VA.Brackneys.Com
I consider myself to be a Virtual PERSONAL Assistant - meaning that I help clients in all aspects of their life be it business or personal- such as; scheduling the kids dental or doctor's appointment. Online tutoring, gift ideas for mom, uncle etc... Business & office work. Writing memos, building web sites etc. Shoot I'm even great at giving dinner ideas, and have tons of recipes.

So as long as it does not require my physical presents I can pretty much help to get it done. But this is just my definition of a PERSONAL Virtual Assistant.

Rebecca Brackney, VPA
Virtual Personal Assistant

Excellent response Rebecca. Thanks for providing examples.

__________________
Sandy
www.eliteadminforyou.com

your welcome - I'm hoping to be as helpful as everyone else has been to me! (:
You guys have so many great ideas posted.
Rebecca