Small Business Visit: Savvy Support Inc.

Posted Sept. 27, 2005

Freeing up some of your time -- that is what Certified Virtual Assistant Jill Jensen is aiming to do. Virtual assistance is a new concept in this region and you may be scratching your head wondering exactly what it is. To sum it up, Jensen works from her own office as a personal assistant to small businesses or individuals struggling to keep up with the responsibilities of work, family and life. Although Jensen isn't in the office with you, she can access your calendar, plan meetings, schedule events, do your bookkeeping and take care of paperwork or responsibilities you don't have the time to handle personally. "People don't even know I don't work in the office with my clients," Jensen said. "Technology allows us to be miles apart and yet operate as if we were at one central location."

Jensen decided to start her business when she realized she had reached the top at her job as an office manager. She decided to take her administrative and leadership skills to strike out on her own. After a lot of research and thought, she decided to start Savvy Support Inc., a small business offering virtual assistance. Jensen completed a 20-week intensive training program through AssistU to receive her certification and started Savvy Support Inc. in January of this year. She is currently one of only two virtual assistants in the state of Kansas and the only one in Wichita. Her bubbly personality, professional attitude and hard-work ethic make her the perfect fit for working with small businesses.   

Long-term relationships and partnerships with clients is the Savvy Support goal. "I'm someone to brainstorm with you, do research for you," she said. "I'm not just a regular secretarial service; I want to help people grow their businesses. I always work with my clients' best interests in mind and am always on the lookout for new and better ways to improve their business." Jensen claims the only way she can be successful is to make sure her clients are successful.   

Currently Jensen works with a diverse set of clients who appreciate her services.  "Having Jill Jensen of Savvy Support Inc. on board has helped me immensely," said Jacki Watkins, owner of JW's Massage Therapy. "I transitioned from one business to another with Jill's help in doing research, running ads, paying the bills, keeping the books, giving me guidance in the selling process and helping start the new business." Jensen points out that you can have her do as little as 10 hours a month of work or as many hours as you need. By allowing her to assist you in your day-to-day duties, your time is freed up to focus on growing your business, spending time with your family or just working a more balanced schedule. "There are only so many hours in the day," said Kristy Vogel, Small Business Programming Manager at the Wichita Chamber. "It's great to have Jill as a resource for professional assistance with projects that come up from time to time, enabling me to be more efficient."

"My clients have to be open to change and ready to take steps to achieve great accomplishments," Jensen said. "This is about me assisting my clients in their drive for success and working together to make your business better, that's my mission." Savvy Support charges by the hour so every minute Jensen works for you is 100 percent productive. Most virtual assistants charge around $30 to $70 per hour; however Jensen is offering a 25 percent discount on her hourly rate for the first five hours of work for Chamber members.

As Jensen builds her small business, she finds her Chamber membership to be a valuable asset. She has attended most of the Chamber events since becoming a member. From Scramblers and Mixers to Small Biz Lunches, she finds the best networking opportunities are at Chamber events. "I give out more business cards and get more response to Savvy Support at the Chamber events than anywhere else," said Jensen.

For more information on Savvy Support Inc., email Jill Jensen at jill@savvysupport.com or visit her website at www.savvysupport.com .