Unlike most Virtual Assistant setups where one VA works with multiple clients on a transactional-based relationship, a DDA works solely for you, builds a long-term relationship with you, supports you, and grows with you as your business grows.
Dedicated Distant Assistants don’t do other client tasks while working with you. They are present during the hours you need them, and they focus on you and your business’ administrative tasks so you can do more high-level work.
If you find yourself constantly working late or on the weekend, missing deadlines, or late for meetings, or doing work that drains your energy rather than work you like doing, these are all great indicators you would benefit from a DDA.
There are essential jobs you might not have the passion to do, like administrative or accounting tasks. Hiring a Dedicated Distant Assistant alleviates the work, letting you focus on the things you love about the business, or pushing your business to the next level.
It is important to understand if you have the financial ability to support hiring someone for at least six months to a year. If you have been in business for more than five years and doing six figures annually, you have the ability to hire a Dedicated Distant Assistant.
If you are still uncertain, reach out to us and schedule a free consultation via our Inquiry Page. We will be happy to address your questions and concerns.
We work with fast-growing US-based Digital Marketing Agencies that have at least 10 employees and have been in the industry for at least 3 years. These people love what they do but they do not have enough time and they badly need Assistants to support them.
Our DDAs are trained in Personal Assistance, Project Coordination, and Customer Service. All our DDAs are trained in documenting the step-by-step process of the tasks you are training them on. You’ll find this very beneficial if you’re building or updating your systems and processes.
You can choose to start your DDA for a minimum of 20 hours per week (part-time commitment) and then build up to 40 hours per week (full-time commitment).
No, we don’t require a minimum commitment. You may cancel your subscription anytime, just give us 2 weeks’ notice for us to be able to find a new position for your DDA.
Often, when someone hires a Dedicated Distant Assistant, they assume they will be able to answer their phones, manage their calendar and e-mails, build websites, do graphic design, etc. all at the same time. But it is not possible for one human being to have the capability or skill set for every one of those tasks.
Hiring assistants
We specialize in hiring assistants who have training in project management. If you have tasks like new graphics for your page banner, they can utilize our Integrated Services Program (ISP). You have to option to get ISP when you hire a Dedicated Distant Assistant. This allows your assistant to focus on their tasks better.
The Integrated Services Program, or ISP, is a program specific to Bottleneck.
One DDA can’t do it all (Golden Goose Theory). With ISP, you can pursue projects outside your DDA’s scope. We train DDAs to coordinate with Bottleneck’s internal specialists in web, design, and video editing, ensuring expert results through a single point of contact.
You can avail of ISP through our ISP Subscriptions package. Your allowable ISP hours are dependent upon whether you are full-time or part-time. For more information, visit our Integrated Services Program page.
Most of the Dedicated Distant Assistants at Bottleneck hail from the Philippines, where English is a second language. Almost all subjects in schools and universities are taught in English, particularly in higher education.
Our applicants go through a three-tiered vetting process which includes a language comprehension test, to make sure their verbal and written communication, as well as their comprehension, meets our exceptional standards.
Yes, they can. We recommend providing a script and ensuring your assistant understands your company’s mission and vision. This empowers your Dedicated Distant Assistant to handle calls with the same tone, professionalism, and voice that you would.
Yes. After our internal interviews and screening, we will introduce them to you during the introductory call. You can interview and give them a short task to ensure they can perform the job to your standards.
If you do not feel the person is the right fit, or think they are not performing up to your standards, we will line up another candidate for you.
Yes, you dictate the work hours for your DDA. Our assistants are used to working on graveyard shifts, usually morning in their clients’ time zone.
If you selected the full-time subscription, your DDA will be working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Should you opt for a part-time subscription, you can discuss with your DDA whether you prefer them to work at the start of your workday or the second half of it.
After your consultation with us and you decide to hire a DDA, the sourcing process would take around 2 weeks to be able to find candidates that fit your needs.
Once you are able to interview the candidates and decide whom to hire, allow at least 2 days for payment processing, signing of Memorandum of Understanding, and training of your DDA.
All our applicants undergo rigorous screening and reference checks before we pair them with our clients. You can have your DDA sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) during the onboarding.
Your DDA can also utilize tools such as VPNs and Password Managers like LastPass.com, in order to beef up information security from external threats.
Sign up for our security program
Sign up for our security program to ensure your business stays protected. At Bottleneck, we prioritize your data through a unique service featuring daily monitoring by our Security Administrator.
Our admin provides direct technical support to your Dedicated Distant Assistants (DDAs), resolving any security or computer issues they encounter. With real-time alerts for malware and cyberattacks, we ensure your team’s devices and connections remain fully shielded against data theft and external threats.
Our step-by-step onboarding process prepares you for your first day with your Dedicated Distant Assistant. By the time you complete it, you will have everything necessary to ensure your new hire performs to your exact standards.
If you cannot personally train your assistant, a team member can guide them through your specific workflows. This deep dive into your work pace ensures your DDA maintains your brand integrity and speaks with your professional voice.
As with any new hire, your assistant will face a learning curve. Spend more time with your DDA to help them quickly adapt to your direction and expectations.
In case your DDA gets sick, we do not offer a temporary replacement for your DDA. In worst-case scenarios where your DDA can no longer work due to health issues, we’ll source a DDA replacement for you.
Inform us immediately if your Dedicated Distant Assistant does not meet your expectations. We will immediately begin sourcing a better fit based on your specific needs.
As a unique Bottleneck service, we train all DDAs to document processes thoroughly. We advise you to record all training sessions so your DDA can produce a complete Workflow Manual of their tasks within 60 days.
Should your DDA leave, we will quickly source a replacement. You can then use the previous assistant’s recorded videos and Workflow Manual to streamline the transition. While you will still provide some training, these resources make the onboarding process significantly faster and easier.
Once you have successfully hired a Dedicated Distant Assistant, we will handle all financial matters for services rendered. We will also assist with attendance or work-related issues.
We provide ongoing training and support to our team as new technology or business-related concepts come up, to ensure your DDA is growing with you. Your DDA also coordinates all Integrated Services Program-related tasks directly with our team.
If you want to raise or lower their hours, provide a bonus, or need more ISP services beyond your allotted hours, this all goes through Bottleneck. We are your DDA’s HR team.
A JRR provides clarity to candidates and ensures that the expectations of the role are well-defined.
Yes, it is possible to combine roles, but it should be done thoughtfully considering the impact on productivity and efficiency.
The Golden Goose Rule guides the evaluation and merging of roles, resulting in enhanced productivity and adaptability.
Combining roles eliminates redundancy, fosters collaboration, and creates flexible positions that can adapt to organizational needs.
Organizations should carefully assess the compatibility of roles, considering the nature of each role and overlapping tasks, to ensure successful consolidation.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average monthly cost* for one desk employee in the US is about $6000/month. The average monthly cost for hiring a Dedicated Distant Assistant is about 26% of that!
You can choose your pricing and terms with a Bottleneck Dedicated Distant Assistant – visit our Pricing page to learn more.
*Costs include payroll taxes, overhead, insurance, software, hardware, and wages.
All our Clients are billed in US Dollars (USD).
We accept PayPal, ACH (bank transfers), and debit/credit cards – but we prefer payments via credit cards.
A payment link will be sent to the client to create an account and subscription to the service. The credit card in the record will be automatically charged monthly for the service subscription purchased.
PayPal or ACH (bank transfer) invoices will be sent out in case the client was not able to create an account and/or had a missed payment/change of card details and technical issues.
Should you wish to cancel your partnership with us, please reach out to [email protected]. We will suspend your subscription, discuss notifying your DDA (it is customary to give a 2-week notice), and alert you to the final day your subscription expires. We will also ask for feedback as this is crucial for improving our services in the future.
We highly recommend that you reward your DDAs if they are performing well. We have bonus options on our payment portal where you can choose from. The full amount would be received by your DDA less a transaction fee of 25 dollars.
Bottleneck has a Paid Time Off Policy (PTO) for our DDAs. Our goal is to reduce unscheduled absences and the need for supervisory oversight. In any case that your DDA gets sick, you are not obliged to pay your DDA however, you are welcome to do so at your discretion. If you decide not to pay the PTO, Bottleneck will still pay your DDA.
During the onboarding, we’ll present a list of US and Philippine Holidays. It’s up to you to approve or not approve of the Holidays. You may opt to provide a list of your company’s Holidays as well.
Your DDA is obliged to file a Leave of Absence form 2-weeks prior to their leave.
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