Las Olas Technologies is a provider of IT strategy, CRM, Internet Marketing & Web portal services to mid-market & enterprise companies. Founder Jeff Mendelson has been building & growing Las Olas Tech for the last 7 years, working with select developers worldwide. Given that he’s a one man show, he found himself overburdened, & unable to focus on seeking & signing new business due to the mounting time drain of administrative responsibilities. Enter our Virtual Project Manager, Tami.
“I had worked with Virtual Assistants in the past - you name a company, I’ve tried them, including English speakers in the Philippines and South America. Though they were able to handle the basic tasks I assigned, their lack of business experience (and the culture gap) limited them from really helping me to manage or grow my business. I needed someone who would be able to support me in taking my business to the next level.” – Jeff Mendelson
As Jeff’s business grew, he found himself spending more and more time on the administrative work needed to keep the machine running – a real waste of his talent and his time. He called us, and we instantly saw a need we could not only meet, but champion and really own. We matched Jeff up with Tami, an experienced Virtual Project Manager with a great sense of humor and an enchanting Australian accent. Jeff and Tami instantly clicked on the phone, and Tami rolled up her sleeves and got to work.
As with all new client-VA pairs, we began with a training call to learn more about how exactly Jeff spends his time, which technologies he utilizes, how his day progresses and which tasks Tami could take off his hands. Jeff was working with clients and programmers around the globe and was constantly communicating with all parties via email making sure everything was handled properly. Tami swiftly assumed the responsibility of Virtual Project Manager, freeing this entire array of tasks from Jeff’s daily to-do list. For each client, Tami now manages client requests – she knows who Jeff works with, which developer has which expertise, what their relationship, skills and rates are, and she assigns “open tickets” to the programmers as appropriate. Jeff no longer has to think about incoming, outgoing or updated open issues – Tami is simply on it. She keeps everything organized and everyone happy. Jeff no longer had to serve as a constant liaison (that's his Virtual Project Manager's job) and can now focus on building the SEO strategy he enjoys, and it is his core business in the first place!
Through managing web development, SEO and marketing projects, Tami has earned a true understanding of Las Olas Tech’s capabilities and business offerings. Given her knowledge, she can now research potential business opportunities for the company and frequently serves as the initial point of contact in pitching and reaching out to new business. When Jeff recently traveled to speak at a conference overseas, he told us he felt a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Tami managed the details of travel, documentation, and making sure he had the technology required on the ground to address his audience. Not only did he travel comfortably and hassle-free, he was able to confidently network and build up potential business knowing that Tami would be there to see the project through to fruition, manage all the details and make sure nothing fell through the cracks.
With Tami being “the guy behind the guy” Jeff knows now that the sky is the limit and is able to expand his business the way he had envisioned 7 years ago.
“VAs that I have dealt with in the past tended toward being reactionary. They could execute tasks, but in a robotic, reactive manner. With Tami, I feel that I have a true partner in my business and that she is able to anticipate deadlines, potential issues and what might happen down the line. She is proactive, not reactive, and that’s what I appreciate.” – Jeff Mendelson