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Boldly Alternatives: Top Virtual Assistant Services

Sep 19
5 min
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At a glance

Business owners, entrepreneurs, and high performers are increasingly turning to virtual assistants for support. A lot of virtual assistant companies are now surging, offering different services, and Boldly is one of the most popular virtual assistant service providers in the market.  

Choosing the right virtual assistant service provider can make all the difference between feeling overwhelmed and achieving your goals efficiently. While Boldly is a popular choice among many, there are other virtual assistant service providers out there who can also tailor your specific needs and fit more to your budget.

In this article, we will highlight three top virtual assistant service alternatives to Boldly that can help you find a perfect match for your needs and preferences.

What Is a Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant is a remote professional who provides administrative, technical, or creative support to businesses or entrepreneurs, often from their own home or office.  

They can handle a wide range of tasks, including scheduling appointments, managing emails, bookkeeping, social media management, and customer service.  

Virtual assistants are frequently independent contractors or with virtual assistant services providers, offering businesses flexible and affordable support that aligns with their specific requirements.

What is Boldly?

Boldly is a premium staffing company that focuses on providing highly skilled, remote executive assistants and support professionals to businesses and entrepreneurs.  

Founded in 2012 with the aim of connecting talented individuals with organisations seeking reliable and efficient assistance, Boldly emphasises a personalised approach to match clients with the right professionals based on their specific needs.

Boldly sets itself apart by employing a team of U.S.-based professionals, carefully vetted for their expertise in various fields, to ensure exceptional quality of service.

Boldly ensures that clients receive top-tier support while allowing professionals the flexibility to manage their work-life balance. This enhances productivity for businesses and also empowers skilled workers to thrive in a remote work environment.

The Top 3 Boldly Alternatives: The Best Virtual Assistant Services in 2024

The Top 3 Boldly Alternatives: The Best Virtual Assistant Services in 2024

HireHarbour: Overview

HireHarbour is a virtual assistant company in the UK that specialises in providing comprehensive administrative and marketing support to businesses and entrepreneurs.

HireHarbour offers fractional service options, ranging from full-time to part-time support, to cater to the specific needs of each client.

HireHarbour specialises in finding the perfect virtual assistant for each business and high-performing individual. They carefully select assistants with the right skills to match the client's specific needs and preferences.  

Virtual Executive Assistant for Ambitious Businesses and Executives

Their personalised approach ensures businesses get the best possible support, tailored to their needs. With a focus on quality and expertise, HireHarbour is a reliable partner for businesses seeking dedicated virtual assistants.

HireHarbour: Services Offered

HireHarbour specialises in offering administrative support to ambitious, high-performing individuals and businesses. They also have strong expertise in marketing, providing valuable assistance in that area when needed.

They provide business support, tailored to meet your specific needs, including but not limited to:

  • Data entry          
  • Data cleaning  
  • Event planning
  • Vendor selection
  • Email campaigns  
  • Market expansion
  • Team coordination
  • Event coordination
  • Competitor analysis  
  • Research assistance
  • Content management  
  • Expense management
  • Invoicing and payments  
  • Recruitment assistance
  • Publication and media schedule
  • Social media content scheduling
  • Travel arrangements for speaking engagements

They also provide personal life support, to handle your personal errands, such as:

  • Event planning  
  • Travel planning  
  • Health and wellness  
  • Calendar management    
  • Household management  
  • Investment management  
  • Bill payments and budgeting  

Although HireHarbour focuses on providing administrative support, their executive assistants can also access their team of specialists for more specialised tasks. This means they can provide a comprehensive range of services to meet your specific requirements.

HireHarbour Pros
  • Has a client base of ambitious individuals, including best-selling authors, investors, and tech entrepreneurs. Even though they're a start-up company, they've managed to attract and impress prominent clients.
  • HireHarbour provides ongoing training for their virtual assistants. Their virtual assistants get thorough training and ongoing training, so they're always up-to-date and can offer excellent support to their clients.
  • The founder sets rigorous standards. The founders of HireHarbour have a strong background in investment banking and private equity. Their experience has instilled in them a commitment to high standards and excellence. They apply this same rigorous approach to their services, aiming to find the best possible candidates for their clients.
  • Customised services to meet your particular needs. HireHarbour values personalised service and aims to build long-term relationships with their clients, ensuring customer satisfaction.
HireHarbour Cons
  • A startup company founded in 2023. However, it is important to note that despite being a new company, they've already placed executive assistants for clients from top-tier firms like Morgan Stanley, Blackstone, and McKinsey.
HireHarbour's personalised approach ensures that you get the best possible support, tailored to your needs
Belay: Overview

Belay Company is a virtual staffing solutions provider that focuses on helping businesses delegate tasks by connecting them with skilled professionals who specialise in various fields such as administrative, accounting, and marketing.  

Founded in 2010, Belay aims to empower organisations by alleviating the burden of day-to-day operations, allowing leaders to focus on strategic growth.  

The company recruits top-tier talent from across the United States, ensuring that clients receive dedicated support tailored to their specific needs.  

Belay: Services Offered

Belay offers a wide range of services designed to support busy professionals and organisations, enabling them to focus on their core activities while delegating essential tasks.

Belay offers customised virtual assistant services to meet your needs, such as:

  • Personal tasks
  • Financial tasks
  • Marketing tasks
  • Operational tasks
  • Administrative tasks

They also have a customisable outsourced financial team, which can be an ideal solution for you and your growing organisation, such as:

  • Controller
  • Tax support
  • Bookkeeping
  • CFO services
  • Accounting clerks
  • Full-service payroll

Belay also provides marketing support services, such as:

  • Content
  • Analysis
  • Brand development
Belay: Pros
  • Has a rigorous recruitment process. Belay claims to have an exhaustive recruiting process that handles all the interviews, assessments, and references, so you can hire the help you need right away and more reliable virtual assistants.
  • Intentionally matched to their virtual assistant. According to Belay's website, they match you with your virtual assistant based on your exact needs and working style, resulting in a 93% first-match success rate.
  • Has long experience with remote work. Belay has been in the virtual assistant industry for years and has established a good record, giving them deep experience in managing remote teams effectively.
Belay: Cons
  • Belay’s services can be more expensive compared to other virtual assistant services. While Belay offers high-quality services, they may come at a higher cost, making it not suitable for those who have a limited budget.

Pineapple: Overview

Pineapple is a US-based virtual assistant company seeking trained BPO professionals based in the Philippines.  

Pineapple was founded in 2019 by Dr. Mark Carnett, a family physician who has been using virtual assistants in his practice since 2015.

They help their clients improve workflow, save time, and remove the burden of administrative, back-office tasks.

Pineapple: Services Offered

They provide business virtual assistant solutions for small businesses, multimedia, legal, and real estate professionals, including:

  • Posting
  • Web design
  • Clerical tasks
  • Graphic design
  • Lead generation
  • Managing emails
  • Digital marketing
  • Secretarial tasks    
  • Curating content
  • Managing listings
  • Video and audio editing
  • Customer service tasks
  • Legal document drafting
  • Scheduling appointments
  • Handling back-office tasks
Pineapple Pros
  • Offers cost-effective hourly rates. Pineapple offers competitive pricing at $8 per hour, making it a budget-friendly option for businesses of all sizes.
  • The hours of virtual assistant are tracked. During Pineapple's vetting process, virtual assistants are required to undergo and pass computer security or technical audits. They use online time tracking software to track and monitor all of their virtual assistants' activities. Their clients will also have to log in to access this.
Pineapple: Cons
  • There's no written or formal contract. Without a contract, it can be difficult to ensure the protection of your rights or to resolve issues when they arise.

Conclusion

The Verdict

All these Boldly alternatives are great, but your decision will still come down to your personal needs and preferences.

If you need legal and real estate virtual assistants, Pineapple is the ideal option. However, if you need business, personal, and specialist support, HireHarbour and Belay should be your choices, but if you need a more cost-effective option, then HireHarbour is the best choice.  

If you want more Boldly altenatives, you can read our previous article post on "Virtual Assistant Services: Top 3 in 2024.

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