If anyone has feedback, I would truely appreciate hearing it. I'm not sure about the repeated acronyms (JAO) and (VA)...
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For further information contact: (left aligned)
<My contact info here> (left aligned)

New Resource for Jackson Area Small Businesses

Clarklake, Michigan - April, 2008. In the slowing Michigan economy, Jackson area small businesses now have another resource for reducing their operating costs. An administrative outsourcing firm, Jackson Administrative Outsourcing (JAO) has opened in Jackson County providing actual back-office services (as opposed to administrative laborers) performed at their offsite location.

Jackson Administrative Outsourcing is one of hundreds emerging in the fairly new profession of virtual assistants (VA), across the country. While Oakland County supports at least 14 established VA’s, JAO is the only in Jackson County. VA’s have become a popular option as small businesses realize the benefits of outsourcing business administration to an experienced professional, instead of hiring full-time or temporary workers. Other emerging entrepreneurs are often unable to afford the expense of an employee at all, and so find the flexibility of hiring a VA invaluable because their time is free to focus on the core operations of their business.

Joe Hadzima with the MIT Sloan School of Management estimated the total cost of employee ownership is almost 2.7 times the actual salary. Outsourcing your back-office functions to a VA requires only a flat hourly or project rate: no taxes, no benefits, no insurance, no hidden costs. Professional virtual assistants, such as JAO, also offer productivity reporting and confidentiality agreements so business owners are protected and assured the highest level of service.

Jackson Administrative Outsourcing officially launched a new website revealing services such as bookkeeping, project management, purchasing and procurement, material planning, word processing, and internet marketing services. Sarah Bernstein is the owner and founder of JAO, boasting 11 years in administrative and professional account management experience. To contact JAO, visit <website>, or call <phone>

__________________
Sarah Bernstein
Jackson Administrative Outsourcing
www.jacksonao.com

Congrats on prepping for your first release!

I'm not sure about the acronyms either, not that I think there's anything wrong with using them, but hopefully one of our professional writers/editors will pop in here with a more official opinion on that for you!

This sentence is confusing me: "An administrative outsourcing firm, Jackson Administrative Outsourcing (JAO) has opened in Jackson County providing actual back-office services (as opposed to administrative laborers) performed at their offsite location." and I can't quite put my finger on WHY exactly... I just feel like I'm puzzling over it.

All in all I think it's a really great start and I love that you found an 'expert' to paraphrase with supporting stats and info - very nice touch.

__________________

Quote:

Other emerging entrepreneurs are often unable to afford the expense of an employee at all, and so find the flexibility of hiring a VA invaluable because their time is free to focus on the core operations of their business.

Did you mean to say "find the flexibility of hiring a VA invaluable"?

Thanks ladies... here's draft 2 - I highlighted the changes I made. Dawn you didn't really suggest a change but there really shouldn't be anything that a reader stumbles over so I just tried to reword that section anyway.

New Resource for Jackson Area Small Businesses

Clarklake, Michigan - April, 2008. In the slowing Michigan economy, Jackson area small businesses now have another resource for reducing their operating costs. Jackson Administrative Outsourcing (JAO), is an administrative outsourcing firm, which has opened in Jackson County providing back-office services performed at their offsite location.

Jackson Administrative Outsourcing is one of hundreds emerging in the fairly new profession of virtual assistants (VA), across the country. While Oakland County supports at least 14 established VA’s, JAO is the only in Jackson County. VA’s have become a popular option as small businesses realize the benefits of outsourcing business administration to an experienced professional, instead of hiring full-time or temporary workers. Other emerging entrepreneurs are often unable to afford the expense of an employee at all. They find the flexibility of hiring a VA invaluable, because their time is free to focus on the core operations of their business.

Joe Hadzima with the MIT Sloan School of Management estimated the total cost of employee ownership is almost 2.7 times the actual salary. Outsourcing your back-office functions to a VA requires only a flat hourly or project rate: no taxes, no benefits, no insurance, no hidden costs. Professional virtual assistants, such as JAO, also offer productivity reporting and confidentiality agreements so business owners are protected and assured the highest level of service.

Jackson Administrative Outsourcing officially launched a new website revealing services such as bookkeeping, project management, purchasing and procurement, material planning, word processing, and internet marketing services. Sarah Bernstein is the owner and founder of JAO, boasting 11 years in administrative and professional account management experience. To contact JAO, visit www.JacksonAO.com, or call [no phone numbers on site].

__________________
Sarah Bernstein
Jackson Administrative Outsourcing
www.jacksonao.com