Part Time Virtual Assistant Needed for Busy Entrepreneur (10-15 hrs/wk)

About my Company
Cruise Planners / Travel Adventures 365 is a small travel agency specializing in providing cruise vacations, land vacations, golf vacations, tours, excursions, custom vacations, and much more. The company specializing in group vacations. Groups range in size from 5 to over 100 people traveling together. My mission is to help my clients take out the complexity of planning a group vacation and to have their best vacation experience.
 
About 18 months ago, I purchased a travel franchise, Cruise Planners. Many of the systems that we’ll work with come from Cruise Planners. While my current business is to provide travel services to my clients, longer term I want to establish a Bed & Breakfast and offer custom tour packages. To do this, I need some help with some back-office and administrative tasks. While the technology provide by Cruise Planners is great there are some limitations as I grow this business.
 
My Websites:
 
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About Me
While I am actively building and growing my business, I do have a full time job as VP, Chief of Staff for a multi-billion dollar Fintech company. Because my day job is demanding, I do have limitations of how often I can respond to customers during the day. I am also married and very active in my community. Five years ago, I started playing golf and I try to play as much as I can. Because I am well connected with the local golf community, I now offer golf travel because I was receiving so many different requests for golf travel.

I started this business because I am passionate about travel. Since I was a little girl, I dreamed of traveling the world and I have worked very hard to make that happen. To date, I have traveled to 38 of the 50 United States. I have traveled to Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, Central America, Canada and the Middle East…..and I'm not done.

Values I Require  
The business cannot thrive without us working as a team on one accord. As such, we are
rooted in the following values:
• Love What You Do
• Demonstrate Exceptional Self-Discipline & Work Ethic
• Treat Everyone with Kindness and Respect
• Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
• Have a Natural Curiosity and Be Willing to Learn Something New Everyday
• Don't be Afraid to Ask Questions
• Demonstrate Trust
• Always Consider the Customer Experience
• Be Flexible
• Open and Responsive Communications

Application Process

This is a very important hiring decision for me. I have taken a lot of effort to explain it thoroughly so we can both determine if it will be a good fit.

After reading the below, if you are interested please send the following via email to
---------- to provide all of the required items will result in immediate disqualification.
• Please submit a resume or CV.
• Shoot a 1 minute or less video of yourself explaining why you would be a fit for the role and include it with your submission.
• Along with the video, submit a cover letter about why you are interested in the position in 400 words. Also include any applicable links to social media sites, LinkedIn or other online profile, personal website, DISC results or any other information you feel would be helpful.

General Job Description
I am looking for more than just a virtual assistant to complete administrative tasks, social media tasks, and coordinating events. Below are examples of the tasks and activities that you will provide:

Administrative Tasks

You will respond to customer inquiries via email and or text/SMS. Typical customer inquiries may include:
a. Resending travel invoices
b. Confirming payment information
c. Resetting passwords to MyTrips customer portal
d. Scheduling client follow-up calls with me via Google Calendar
e. Adding a traveler or removing a traveler from an existing reservation.
f. Sending credit card authorization forms to collect payments for customers
g. Responding to customer web chat inquiries
h. Monitoring supplier commissions reports to determine which commission has been paid versus which has not. Create follow-up list for me to track down payments.
i. Advanced: Answering client calls directly when I'm unavailable. All calls currently come through Google Voice.

Social Media
You will create, manage and optimize social media platforms: 3 Facebook Pages, Instagram and Twitter based upon my target marketing segments.

a. Create and post new travel promotions (land, cruise, golf)
b. Respond to client social media comments
c. Social Media Platforms include - ---------- and Facebook Pages are tools used for posting content.
d. Advanced: Research and create blog posts based upon topics of choice. Topics will be related to the travel industry.
e. Advanced: Creation and management of Facebook Groups

Event Management
On occasion, I provide online webinars or participate in trade shows to promote my business. You will provide support by:

a. Create online events using tools like Eventbrite and ---------- . Monitor participants.
b. Socialize events via social media, the website and/or emails to pertinent customers
c. Post-event follow up emails and text messages to clients
d. Schedule client follow up appointments
e. Advanced: Follow up phone calls to clients confirming details that they provided at the tradeshow event.
f. Order supplier brochures

Group Travel Management
As I continue to grow my groups business, you'll provide support by:

a. Use RegisWeb to create sub-web pages on my website so that clients can get information about the trip and pre-register
b. Use TravelJoy to create credit card authorizations and send links to pre-registered clients.
c. Research cruise trips for clients and submit ideas to me for review.
d. Advanced: research land or golf trips for clients and submit ideas to me for review
e. Advanced: Process payments with the appropriate suppliers.

Skills Required
The following skills are required for the job:

• 2+ years' experience as a Virtual Assistant and/or Project Manager serving entrepreneurs and/or business owners
• Ideal but not required but has experience in the travel industry
• Strong written and verbal communication skills needed since you will actively serve as a company representative
• Has social media marketing background
• Proactive thinker and learner
• Highly organized and detail oriented
• Ability to multi-task
• Disciplined and self-motivated
• Fluent in the following technologies:
? Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
? Google Drive
? Webmail (email)


Technology and Communication Platforms We Will Use
**Note: I am open to exploring alternative recommendations but these are the current solutions:

• Updating or Accessing Client Information - CP Maxx
• Managing Group Travel - CP Maxx, Travel Joy
• Website management/updating - CP Maxx
• Social Media Updates - Hootsuite, FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter
• Creating and Managing Blog Posts - Wordpress
• Password Management - Dashlane
• General Communications - Email, Skype, and/or Google Voice
• Scheduling Meetings - Google Calendar
• Responding to Client Calls, Text Messages - Google Voice
• Responding to Client Emails - CP Webmail
• File Management - Google Drive
• Collecting Credit Card Authorizations - TravelJoy
• Establishing Group Travel Sub-Website - RegisWeb via CPMaxx
• Establishing Online Web Event - EventBrite
• Establishing Online Webinar / Conference Call - Myconferencemeetings.con
• Ordering Brochures: Supplier Sites (varies)



How We Will Communicate

In order for this to work well, effective communications will be critical. I am proposing the following but I am open to suggestions.
• Weekly video meetings or conference call for approximately one hour to plan the week (Sunday mornings (8am Eastern Standard Time) work best for me but I can be flexible)
• Day to day communication primarily via email/text/calls as needed
• Weekly list of upcoming activities to focus on for the week. **Please note that flexiblity is required here. Some weeks inquiries from customers will be higher than other weeks. Customer inquiries will also take priority
• Weekly written report to be provided of work accomplished

Time Commitment
• 10 - 15 hours per week, Monday through Friday, but may increase depending on anticipated group travel activities (e.g. final payment due dates or upcoming travel dates)
• Ideally I would like for you to work on Eastern Standard Time, but we can discuss which times of day work best for you.

Training
This is a newly created position and as such, the tools used and skills needed will continue to
evolve. To facilitate this, we will develop a plan for you to complete various online trainings to
improve and expand your skills set. Examples include:
• CPMaxx
• Google Doc protocols
• Email management protocols

Thank you for taking the time to review this detailed description! I hope that this has provided
you with enough detail to thoughtfully consider if such a position is possibly the right fit for you.
If it is, I look forward to hearing from you soon.