Portland, Maine, gets busy when summer visitors arrive. A virtual assistant helps you handle the season without carrying the cost all year.
Virtual Assistant gives Portland businesses a dedicated virtual assistant from $240 a month, working Eastern time. You choose the role and the hours, and a US account manager matches you within 1 to 3 business days.
Why Portland businesses hire a virtual assistant
Restaurants, tourism, lobster and food businesses, healthcare and financial firms all do well here. Remote workers have moved in as well. Seasonal swings can make a full-time office hire hard to justify.
The roles Portland businesses should hire first
Customer Service Assistant
Hospitality firms can answer guests during the peak season.
You leave the support queue. Routine questions are handled for you, and only the unusual ones reach you, with a summary attached.
- Summarize and pass on anything unusual
- Answer live chat during your coverage hours
- Make outbound follow-up calls
- Write FAQ and help center articles
Customer service assistant packages start at $240 a month for 20 hours. Hire a customer service assistant for your Portland business.
E-commerce Assistant
Food brands can hand off online orders and listings.
Accounts stay healthy. Buyer messages and account health get regular attention, so problems get caught early.
- Write product listings with SEO titles and descriptions
- Update inventory counts
- Monitor account health
- Report on sales and inventory
E-commerce assistant packages start at $260 a month for 20 hours. Hire an e-commerce assistant for your Portland business.
Bookkeeping Assistant
Seasonal firms can keep a clear view of cash flow.
You always know where you stand. Current books and a monthly report show your profit, your cash and what you are owed, without waiting for tax season.
- Reconcile bank and credit card accounts
- Follow up on collections
- Keep a sales tax tracking spreadsheet
- Prepare a monthly profit and loss report
Tax returns and tax advice stay with your CPA or enrolled agent. Bookkeeping assistant packages start at $320 a month for 20 hours. Hire a bookkeeping assistant for your Portland business.
What it costs in Portland
You pay the same clear price wherever you are, and you see the exact total before you order. Skilled VA prices for the roles above:
- Customer Service Assistant: $240 for 20 hours, $456 for 40 hours or $864 for 80 hours a month
- E-commerce Assistant: $260 for 20 hours, $494 for 40 hours or $936 for 80 hours a month
- Bookkeeping Assistant: $320 for 20 hours, $608 for 40 hours or $1,152 for 80 hours a month
Senior Specialists, with 5+ years in the field, cost 35% more. US-Based Specialists, who live and work in the United States, cost 90% more. If you would rather not commit to a monthly package, pay-as-you-go hours start at $14.40 an hour and stay valid for 90 days.
Why hire your Portland assistant from Virtual Assistant
Your assistant works remotely and keeps Eastern time business hours, so your day and theirs line up. You get a person who learns your business, with a team behind them when something needs fixing.
- Cover the hours you need: Add evening and weekend coverage or a US business phone number, or choose a full-time shift.
- One person across channels: Listings, orders and customer messages stay with someone who knows your whole store.
- Works alongside your CPA: Your CPA or enrolled agent gets exactly what they need, with the books kept ready all year.
- A US account manager: One person matches you, runs your kickoff call and stays your contact if anything needs fixing.
- Free replacement: If your assistant is not the right fit, we match you with a different one at no extra cost.
- Clear prices, no lock-in: See your exact price before you order. Month-to-month packages can be cancelled any time, and unused hours roll over within your package limit.
A virtual assistant or an in-house hire?
An in-house hire makes sense when the job needs someone physically on site. For work done on a screen or a phone, a virtual assistant usually costs far less, because you pay only for working hours, with no recruiting, desk, equipment or payroll taxes to arrange. You can also start with 20 hours a month and grow, instead of committing to a full-time salary before you know how much work there is.
How to get started this week
- Build your package: choose a role, your hours and an experience level, and see your price straight away
- Pay your itemized invoice by card or crypto
- Your US account manager matches you within 1 to 3 business days and runs your kickoff call
- Your assistant starts on a written checklist of your first tasks for your Portland business
Towns and districts we serve around Portland
Your assistant works remotely, so you get the same service in Portland and nearby, including South Portland, Westbrook, Scarborough, Falmouth, Old Port and Cape Elizabeth. If your town or district is not listed here, we still serve it. Just enter it on the order form.
More for Maine businesses
See virtual assistant services and prices in Portland or our guide to hiring in Maine.