Virtual assistant referral code

[brainwane]

Assistant/admin services: I've been using Aim2Assist's hourly-rate virtual assistant service for about a year now and it has been FABULOUS. I found out about them via this post by Heidi Waterhouse (Heidi, THANK YOU). I use a password manager and email to have an assistant (US-based, 100% English fluent) do a ton of stuff for me, like:

1. Take W-9 forms from my subcontractors and, yearly, issue 1099 forms to them
   
2. Book a flight/hotel room along these lines, under this price, and figuring out which would be best for my loyalty point stuff
   
3. Check with these six people and schedule a recurring half-hour weekly call at a time we can all make it, including sending out the calendar invitation
   
4. Call this doctor to ask for a refill on this prescription to be sent to this pharmacy
   
5. Buy these objects from these shopping sites and have them sent to these addresses (this way I don't have to make a zillion accounts myself on those sites)
   
6. Research these services (insurance, moving, etc.) in these areas, find a few reasonable providers, and get quotes for what I need so I can compare
   
7. Put these receipts in the right format, add them up, etc. to submit them for expense reimbursement
   

Even the process of delegating these things is helpful to me, because I end up breaking down the process, step by step, and seeing how finite and manageable each task actually is. In a few cases, I've decided to do it myself because writing out "here's what I need you to do" made it easy for me to do it!

I worked with one person (who is great) for most of a year, and then that person smoothly transitioned my work onto a different assistant, who is also great.

If you are a middle-class North American person for whom this "argh there's too much" post resonates, and ESPECIALLY if there is anything entrepreneurial about the kinds of bank/legal/paperwork/etc. you have to deal with, I think you should try Aim2Assist.

There's a 30% off discount right now for new clients, the sign-up bonus being for the first 30 days you work with them. Use the code ASSIST and mention me (Sumana Harihareswara) to help me also get a referral bonus.

Comments

[cuddyclothes]

Wow! I'll have to check this out.

Virtual assistant

[brainwane]

They're pretty neat! I am glad to help pass the recommendation along.

[cahn]

This looks AMAZING. I am not yet at the point where this probably makes the most sense for me (although extrapolating, in another couple of years let's talk again...) but I am seriously considering getting at least a trial run for my sister, who is dealing with chronic illness. Turns out that comes with a LOT of messing around with insurance and a whole set of doctors and appointments, and she also juggles all the medical appointments for her kids (one of whom is doing a lot of early intervention stuff right now). Did I mention her illness is almost certainly stress-related? *sigh* Anyway... something like this would be amazing for her. Thank you!

[jesse_the_k]

Managing a chronic illness is indeed A Lot: your sister might find this essay on the Second Shift for the Sick by amandaw reassuring.

Second Shift for the Sick

[brainwane]

Thank you for this link.

assistant re: chronic illness chores

[brainwane]

This sounds like it could be a lovely gift, yeah - they do gift vouchers, and I see "Coordinate and schedule medical appointments" is literally listed in their types of tasks. My best wishes to her!

[momijizukamori]

Oooh, thank you for the rec! I have been wanting something like this to deal with all the fiddly high-social-interaction tasks I just cannot manage (if I have to make a phone call for something, 90% of the time I will not do it until the consequences are borderline-dire), but hadn't had the brain power to sit and research if such a thing existed.

virtual assistant & phone calls

[brainwane]

TOTALLY. They also have a moneyback guarantee for the first few weeks, so I hope that helps you try it.