Welcome!

Welcome to YVA! Take your time to read through this site, or use the labels on the right hand side to quickly and conveniently view any information you're looking for at the click of a mouse button. As you may have noticed, this site is regularly updated, so do keep checking back regularly or subscribe to feeds to remain up to date with any changes/additions made to this site.

YVA stands for Your Virtual Assistance. Whether you are a busy professional, a small business, or corporation, a virtual assistant can be a flexible, cost-efficient and 'green' way of calling in support when you need it.

"A Virtual Assistant (VA) is an independent entrepreneur providing administrative, creative and/or technical services. Utilizing advanced technological modes of communication and data delivery, a professional VA assists clients in his/her area of expertise from his/her own office on a contractual basis." (Source: IVAA)

Whether you need someone to type your dictations or dissertations, want someone to research or write for your personal and/or business publications, need public relations representation, or require comprehensive PA/secretarial support, YVA can offer you virtual support through a wide and flexible range of services.

Services that YVA can provide include but are not limited to Administration, Copywriting, Document Scanning/Filing, Editing, Event Management, Executive Assistance, Ghostwriting, Management Support, Personal Assistance, Photography, Research, Transcription, Translations, Travel Booking, Typing, Virtual/Paperless Office Support, Word Processing and Writing. Areas of experience include Business Solutions, Change Management, Consumer Goods, HR, IT, Law, Manufacturing, Marketing, Medical Sector, Press, Professional Services, Publishing, and Public Relations. Skills include Communication Skills, IT Skills (MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook, Lotus Notes, Oracle, SAP), Language Skills (fluent Dutch, fluent English, conversational German, very basic French & Spanish), and Organisational Skills.

YVA always operates with utmost care, confidentiality, discretion and integrity.

YVA does not disclose information on its clients without clients' explicit permission.

If this site leaves you with any questions unanswered, don't hesitate to get in touch!

YVA abides by IVAA's Code Of Ethics and UKAVA's Code Of Conduct

Business Support / Lifestyle Management

Whether you are a corporate client in need of occasional or structural support, or a busy professional requiring occasional or one-off support (for instance to help arrange certain aspects of your private life), YVA can offer you services suited to your specific needs.

Examples of Business Support / Lifestyle Management Support Services that YVA may be able to offer you:

• You are a busy professional who would like to delegate (administrative, practical) tasks in your private life to others, leaving the limited free time that you have for you to enjoy as leisure time; YVA may be able to do these tasks for you, or arrange for someone to do certain tasks for you (such as helping you find a cleaner for your home, call a service to pick up and drop-off your dry-cleaning, arrange for a handyman to execute essential repairs in your home, or book a shopping delivery to stock up your fridge).

• You require services outside 'standard' office hours, for instance because you conduct a lot of your business outside these hours, because you travel a lot (and want someone to answer your calls while you're on an aeroplane, or perhaps want an assistant who adjusts their working times to the ever-changing timezones you're in), or because the nature of your business requires someone to work overnight to process everything generated from the 'past' working day and prepare everything in time for the start of the following day); YVA endeavours to be available truly 24/7.

• You require temporary cover for your PA who called in sick or is on leave; YVA may be available at short notice.

• You require temporary support in addition to the regular support from your PA (e.g. during major business event, for one-off mailshot, or during sudden surge in workload); YVA may be able to 'step in'.

• You require regular support, but not enough to warrant hiring someone permanently and full-time; YVA could provide you with the flexible solution you need.

• You require business support, but do not have the space or budget for an office, desk, PC, et cetera; YVA provides support from a fully equipped home office.

• You are considering hiring permanent support, but don't exactly know yet whether you require someone full-time or part-time, and for what tasks exactly; YVA can cover temporarily, registering time and activities, for you to eventually have better insight prior to recruiting someone permanently.

• You require support on temporary / fixed-term projects (of any kind, personal or professional); YVA can provide this type of ad hoc support.

• You want support on a specific (sensitive) project not to be done by an internal employee (for risk of information leaks); YVA can provide the assistance professionally, without getting personally involved.

• You are an independent professional who would like occasional assistance on preparation and/or finishing of your projects, so you can remain focused on your core business; YVA's preparation could involve research for or drafting of your copy, while finishing could involve proofing, editing, and formatting.

Based on your requirements, YVA can offer you services charged per hour, per day or per activity (see Rates section), but is open to negotiations on fixed-price projects.

Minuting

Most minute-taking services can be offered by YVA as part of the transcription services (you provide YVA with an audio or video recording of your meeting, teleconference, or videoconference, which YVA transcribes for you), but sometimes you may wish for someone to attend and minute your conference as and when it happens. Using an external service like YVA to do this for you, means that all attendees can focus on content on providing input, rather than be distracted by the administration. On such occasions, you can request for YVA to attend your meeting via telephone or web-based video link, or, on occasions, possibly even in person.

Transcription

YVA can transcribe virtually any kind of audio or video recording for you - lectures, memoirs, dictation, correspondence, interviews, notes, conversations, broadcasts, podcasts, et cetera - and provide them to you in whichever format you wish, and of course in total confidence.

In addition to basic transcription services, YVA can offer to operate as the (named or anonymous) shadow author of your publication(s).

(Note that YVA can not reproduce any materials to which neither YVA nor YVA's clients hold the copyright, but in such cases YVA could of course try on your behalf to seek permission from the copyright owner.)

Word Processing

Whether you have handwritten manuscripts, collated notes, or previously printed hardcopy, YVA can process virtually any such kind of material into whichever (electronic or printed) format you wish, and of course in total confidence. In many cases, you might not even need to part with your valuable paper originals.

If the originals supplied are typed or printed (just missing an 'electronic', 'editable' format), or in a non-editable digital format (e.g. pdf, tiff), YVA may be able to save you costs by - rather than re-typing - scanning your documents using OCR (optical character recognition) - in which case you will only be charged for scanning and editing, instead of word processing.

(Note that YVA can not reproduce any materials to which neither YVA nor YVA's clients hold the copyright, but in such cases YVA could of course try on your behalf to seek permission from the copyright owner.)

Copywriting

Advertisements, advertorials, blogs, correspondence, editorials, fiction, formal documents (contracts), manuals, non-fiction, press releases, reports, user guides... if you wish, YVA can draft/write anything on your behalf, based on your notes/instructions, or directions for research (in which case YVA can also provide you with the appropriate research).

In addition to basic transcription services, YVA can offer to operate as the (named or anonymous) shadow author of your publication(s).

Document Proofing

You have already written your essay, dissertation, manuscript or report, but you would like to have YVA to take a critical look - at the grammar, spelling, lay-out, presentation, style... or any aspect of the document as you wish. YVA's document proofing service is just that, nothing more; YVA will proofread your document, and return it to you (in digital format) with proposed corrections and remarks, without actually making those changes to your document. In the end, you decide which of the suggested changes to make, and whether you want to do that yourself or if you wish for YVA to edit your document.

Document Editing

As document proofing, only this time YVA will effectively be editing your document. If the document concerned has previously been proofed by YVA, you will only be charged for the editing, but you can of course always choose to skip the separate 'proofreading' step altogether, as YVA will inform you on any changes made to your document.

Another form of document editing YVA can offer you, is to perform an 'update' of a (dated) document of yours, either by your instruction or independently (e.g. checking and amending out-of-date content, sources et cetera, and/or adding any additional content).

Document Formatting, Styling & Design

Perhaps you have existing products that you wish to be reformatted to a new style/design, or, you wish to have your own personal/corporate house style designed and/or templates created for future materials (business cards, brochures, headed paper, Microsoft Office templates, manuals, reports, et cetera). YVA will be happily be of assistance.

Exampe: A freelance trainer had provided Company X with a successful training programme, accompanied by a training manual custom-made to Company X's house style, including Company X's name and logo. Next, he was asked provide the same training to Company Y. YVA reproduced the training manual, removing all reference to Company X, customising it to match to Company Y.

MS PowerPoint Presentation Creation, Proofing & Editing

As document creation, proofing and editing, only applied to Microsoft PowerPoint presentations.

Document Scanning

Do you want to 'go paperless'? For most paperwork, there is no legal requirement to keep paper copies in file, and electronic filing can be the perfect solution for you. Electronic files are generally easier to store and search, and YVA will be happy to help you convert your bulky paper archives into convenient electronic (PDF) archives, after which you decide which actual paperwork you wish YVA to return for you to keep, and which paperwork you wish YVA to shred and dispose of.

Additionally, if you have particular documents that you have only in paper or non-editable electronic format, YVA can scan these documents for you, use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software on them and then apply any necessary editing and formatting to turn them into editable electronic files.

(Note that YVA can not reproduce any materials to which neither YVA nor YVA's clients hold the copyright, but in such cases YVA could of course try on your behalf to seek permission from the copyright owner.)

eBay

Do you have items to sell, but can't find the time to do it? YVA can take up the hassle of preparation, execution en dispatch of your selling your products on eBay! This service can be offered at discounted hourly rates, or at charges relative to sales achieved.

Rates, Hiring & Payment

Hiring
YVA is available to private and corporate clients, though some agencies and companies may not be able to make payments directly to sole traders; in such cases YVA can possibly provide services through an agency or umbrella company (YVA's preferred partner is Parasol Group UK). YVA may, on occasion, request information or documents from first-time clients for purpose of safety and security.

Rates
Rates listed here; these rates only apply to work billed directly (i.e. without involvement from third parties such as agencies or umbrella companies).
Fixed-rate project agreements or other special client-specific or project-specific rates can be negotiated.
YVA promises to always apply the lowest possible charge for services provided.

Payment
Payment for directly billed services can be made via PayPal (preferred) (you don't need to sign up to PayPal to make a payment), bank transfer, cheque (UK only), or Google Checkout. YVA may, on occasion, request partial or complete payment in advance; any remaining amounts due need to be paid immediately upon completion of services provided to ensure YVA's receipt of payment within 10 days of completion. Late payment may incur additional charges. If services are provided through a third party (e.g. agency or umbrella company), this third party's payment terms apply.

Currency

YVA operates from the UK, but can provide services to people/businesses virtually anywhere in the world.

Direct billing is done in clients' currencies whenever possible, based on the standard rates provided by YVA in GBP and exchange rates as listed by XE.com on the date of invoice; alternatively, specially negotiated rates can be agreed directly in accordance with clients' wishes.

When services are billed through third parties (such as agencies or umbrella companies) currencies are applied as determined by the third party.

Language

YVA provides services in English and Dutch, but sources in German, French or Spanish can also be considered (depending on type). When requesting services in English, please advise if your standard is UK English or US English.

Paperless

In the interest of cost-efficiency and environmental impact, YVA operates as 'paperless' as possible. All communication is managed electronically (unless specifically requested otherwise) and all services (including proofing) are provided electronically. However, printing/binding services et cetera can of course always be provided if so requested.

Services

Do you require a service not specifically listed on this site? Don't hesitate to ask about the possibilities!

YVA aims to be as flexible and creative as possible, so much is possible and almost anything is negotiable.

Example: A marketing department of a retail corporation undergoing a huge rebranding operation found itself flooded with letters and e-mails of compliments, complaints, requests, suggestions et cetera. Rather than respond to these with standard (template) replies (which would be the perfect way for any company to signal prospective custumers, suppliers and business partners of their lack of respect and appreciation), YVA made sure that every letter or e-mail was personally answered within days, so that even when the response given was a 'no', the 'rejectee' received a response acknowledging and respecting their time and effort, leaving them in no doubt that their message had actually been read and given consideration. This strategy fitted in perfectly with the corporation's new brand policies regarding customer service.

Style

Do you have a particular house style to be used? Specific templates to be used? If so, please advise when sending your request for a quote or submitting your order.

Do you have a particular house style, but no available style sheet of this? If so, please provide examples of previous documents, publications et cetera; these examples will then be followed.

If no style sheet is present, one will be created and maintained (at no extra charge) with your orders for future reference.

Questions?

Get in touch!

Send your queries via e-mail to info@yvaweb.com, or contact us via phone (+44 (0)20 8144 4207).

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) will be included in this section.