Assistant Services & Associates is currently offering service plans to businesses and startups who require a specific number of services on a long term basis.  Monthly rates and retainer fee rates do apply.  Nonprofit organizations are also welcome to inquire about service plans outside of the normal nonprofit program that Assistant Services & Associates currently offers.  For more information, send email to officeservices@asstservices.com.

 

With some updated software database programs, Assistant Services & Associates has decided to individualize the service making it more accessible to clients who may find it beneficial to their needs. 

 

Effective January 1, 2010 the Database Services is also an individual service, but can be part of any service plan.  This service includes your standard features:

How to utilize this service:  if a the database is already established and all that is required is regular updates based on your specific needs, including monthly maintenance as the database grows, the cost is $150 per month.  No extra charge for direct requests to individuals on the database to update their information.  For new databases being setup for the first time, an additional $45 setup fee is required.  For a one-time database project on existing databases, the cost of $50 with no direct requests to for address updates, or $95 for new databases (includes $45 setup fee).  Existing databases must be in good form and must be received in good form.  Database information cannot be more than six months out of date.  For more information call Assistant Services & Associates at 323 604-2922.

 

In the efforts of continuing to provide excellent services, Assistant Services & Associates has taken some time in updating its current software applications.  Among these updates includes the Office 2010 Professional Plus.  This software application brings news highlights of new features, programs, and a higher quality of service which in turns improves the capabilities of the services that can be offered and how they are received.  The new features have been incorporated to better demonstrate the quality of the services.  Clients can expect to see a faster turnaround time with sharp, high end results.

 

Consulting services have become the primary focus of business with the secretarial and administrative services secondary.  The purpose of the consulting services is to sit down with business professionals to discuss their need to utilize the services that are offered by contracting out certain tasks and/or functions of their daily business processes.  The goal will be to use a checklist to first determine if outsourcing (or contracting out) would be beneficial and cost effective to their business and if it would be a good fit.  Identify areas of secretarial and adminstrative functions that would make a difference in outsourcing to free up in-house staff needed to take on more important duties.  Determine time frame of services to be rendered and their current operating budget. 

 

If it has been determined that outsourcing would not work to their benefit, it then becomes the duty of Assistant Services & Associates to assist them in maximizing the full potential use of their current staff based on job descriptions put in place. 

 

A workshop presentation is currently being developed to act as a module tool to educate business professionals on the concept of outsourcing, how it is applied to daily processes, and the industries it represents, and to increase the awareness of effective outsourcing.  More information will be provided as time progresses. 

 

Consulting sessions start at $150 for two hours or $375 for an entire day.  Consulting retainers are available at $1,000 for 30-90 days starting from the first day of consultancy.  If consulting services in this area are needed beyond the 90-day period a plan can be devised to meet your needs. Billing will be done at the end of the consulting period.  To receive more information or to ask questions, send email to officeservices@asstservices.com. 

 

The web site will undergo a complete update in the weeks to come.  This will include service updates, changes to pricing and fee structure, and bulletin updates.  The Real Estate section will be updated accordingly to include any new and updated information.  For the time being, until the website is officially updated, you may visit asstservices.tripod.com. This is the original site often used as a backup and it remains available with current and updated information.  Stay tuned!

 

One of the reasons the Policies & Procedures was developed was to ensure all clients were receiving the same type of services at a level that would demonstrat quality assurance with a high level of client satisfaction.  This meant incorporating practices that would ensure business stability, improved client satisfaction, and build on current and new client relationships. 

 

Following the Policies & Procedures is instrumental in how services are being and have been rendered and how payments are being collected.

 

To enforce the Policies & Procedures is key as it is an indication that Assistant Services & Associates is doing its job in:

 

1.  Providing the services requested and meeting the needs of the clients

2.  Billing clients in a timely fashion

3.  Communicating with the client if and when problems arise

4.  Using collection practices according to the law to collect on late payments

5.  Using collection practices according to the law to collect on accounts that have never been paid

 

In accordance with the Policies & Procedures how payments are received will be given more attention to ensure they are received in a timely fashion.  The Fraud & Detection Policy has been updated to include new information to how suspicions of fraud and identity theft are identified and handled in accordance with the law.

 

Attention will be given to the extreme use of the Confidentiality Agreement and its importance when obtaining new clients, and there will be greater emphasis on how new clients are received and what procedures are used for contracting with them.

 

The Policies & Procedures and Fraud Detection Policy 2010 will be available for reviewing by request only to help answer any questions about how the services are rendered in May 2010.  To request a copy, send your name, title, company name and complete address to:

 

 

Indicate "Policies & Procedures and Fraud Detection Policy 2010" in your request.

 

The release date of the resource guide, "Outsourcing: The Guide to What You Should Know Before Choosing to Outsource" has been pushed to July 2010 to allow time for completion, printing, copying, binding and proper marketing. 

 

What's in the 3rd Edition of the new resource guide?  You will read new information on how outsourcing trends have changed over the years, what practices are being incorporated, how consulting services are being used prior to contracting out, updated information on how to select a resource to contract with, the decision process and parties to be involved, and much, much more.

 

This resource guide was originally developed to bring attention to the methodology of outsourcing and to advocate for the better quality of how businesses outsourced and who they contracted with, but as time passed and with the crash of the economy in 2008 more attention is being drawn towards more businesses sending projects offshore and businesses who have decided to backshore due to financial instability of the resources they contracted with.  

 

Too, with the downturn of the economy in nearly a two year period it became quite evident that businesses had to change they way they conducted business focusing on the bottom line of every dollar coming in and going out, thus turning their attention to the benefits of contracting with resources who can perform specific services at a fraction of the cost of a salaried employee.  Basically, this resource guide is a positive How-To reference guide helping businesses understand the concept of outsourcing and what it is they should know going into a relationship with someone who they will be outsourcing certain tasks and/or functions of their daily business processes.

 

 

This year the resource guide will sell at the increased rate of $35.  The shipping charge has currently been waived as of April 3, 2010.  You can pre-order a copy now using your credit card by clicking on the link below.  You will see Assistant Services & Associates on your statement.

 

 

To pre-order by mail, send your check* or money order payable to Assistant Services & Associates to:

 

 

 

Effective January 1, 2010 it will be enforced that all new clients be required to request services using one or both of the following methods:

To ensure this procedure is being followed in accordance of the Policies & Procedures, no exceptions will be made at this time.

 

From time to time, Assistant Services & Associates sends out announcements, bulletins and an occassional newsletter keeping partners and clients up-to-date with what's going on.  If you are not currently on the mailing list, or your information is outdated, send an email to officeservices@asstservices.com.  Indicate your preference of snail mail or electronic mail and be sure to include a valid email address, or provide your current information to be updated.