Virtual Assistant Offers a Unique Blend of Business Support to Small Businesses, Independent Professionals & Non-Profits

Client: Linda D'Angelo

Address: Advanced Administrative Services, LLC
PO Box 781
Carnegie, PA  15106

Website: www.AdvancedAdministrativeServices.com

Industry: Virtual Assistant

Year Founded: 2008

SBDC Assistance: Provided assistance with business plan, assistance with marketing materials, positioning, ongoing general management assistance

Linda D’Angelo’s 20 years in corporate America provided her with a toolbox full of marketable skills including data management, Microsoft Office expertise and desktop publishing.  These skills, coupled with Linda’s desire to create a better work-life balance for herself, positioned her to start Advanced Administrative Services in 2008, which offers virtual administrative and business support services to a wide range of businesses.

Linda contacted the SBDC in 2008 and began working with her business consultant to complete her business plan and to identify her strengths in an industry that is growing quickly in terms of competition.  After completing extensive research in her field, Linda concluded that she has a real competitive advantage in terms of professionalism, level of education and corporate experience that she can offer her clients.  Fueled by her desire to further differentiate herself from her competition, Linda sought out and obtained her certification as a Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) in Excel, Word, Access and PowerPoint.

“The virtual assistant industry has grown by leaps and bounds and many small businesses are seeing the benefits of working with a virtual assistant”, said Linda.  “However, only 22% of virtual assistants have a four-year degree and only 1% has an M.B.A.  I believe that my education, experience and resourcefulness are real assets to businesses who want to benefit from additional assistance without the expense of full-time staff.  In this economy, partnering with a virtual assistant can be a smart move.”

Linda has chosen to provide a wide array of services ranging from basic administrative services to higher level support services that include data management, presentation preparation and market research. This allows Linda and her team to be a single source of assistance to her clients. Additionally, due to an increasing interest in social media marketing, she has targeted Twitter, Facebook, and blogging as her next area of focus.

Assistance

Linda came to the SBDC initially for assistance with completing her business plan.  Upon completion, she worked with her consultant in a variety of areas including reviewing marketing materials, client correspondence and Linda’s business website for areas of improvement.

Results

In the first half of 2009, Linda has secured both domestic and international clients.  Her ability to understand the client’s needs has resulted in turning small projects into long-term partnerships.  Also, by making customer satisfaction a priority, Advanced Administrative Services has maintained a 100% customer retention rate.  Linda has a very positive outlook regarding her niche in the virtual assistant market and is confident that Advanced Administrative Services will experience business success in the remainder of 2009 and beyond.

If you would like more information on how the Duquesne University SBDC can assist you with your business, please contact us by: form, phone 412.396.6233, or email duqsbdc@duq.edu