Many businesses are faced with the mounting workloads in the midst of continued layoffs and hiring freezes. Firms are running leaner than ever and remaining employees are often left responsible for double the work, leading to decreased productivity and lower morale. To tackle this challenge, many small businesses are turning to AskSunday -- a virtual assistant firm.

While many virtual assistant firms offer support with only the most basic types of administrative tasks or are priced too high, AskSunday's Dedicated Assistant service delivers a truly dedicated and skilled individual at a very attractive monthly fee. Employers also understand that the cost savings go beyond salaries, as companies no longer have to pay benefits or employee taxes, provide office equipment and technical support, or even pay for lunch breaks.

According to Peter Gould, VP of Operations at AskSunday, "Our Dedicated Assistants get to know the companies they support and can be trained to take on a wide variety of specialized tasks." He added, "Our clients use their AskSunday assistants to perform a number of critical activities to support the business, just as if they were a staff employee. For small businesses, this can free up the principals to focus on key strategic issues that will allow them to grow their businesses, not just survive the current economic situation."

AskSunday Dedicated Assistants are helping hundreds of businesses with a number of important ongoing tasks, such as lead generation and contact information validation, social media management (updates on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.), Internet research and data collection, Excel spreadsheet data analysis, initial screening interviews, PowerPoint presentation creation, supplier identification and verification, voice and click-to-chat customer service, phone answering and managing ongoing processes.

Here are some specific examples of tasks performed by AskSunday Dedicated Assistants:

Real Estate Agents use their AskSunday Dedicated Assistants to research public records, follow up on and qualify leads, manage appointments with clients and brokers, place advertisements, submit and update MLS listings, update website content, and manage social media efforts.

Insurance Agents and Financial Planners use their AskSunday Dedicated Assistants to qualify new client leads, handle continuous processes performed on a weekly and monthly basis, excel data entry and analysis, coordinate and book travel plans or special events like hospitality suite receptions, send invitations and maintain an RSVP list, and maintain/manage all social media website accounts.

eBay Sellers use their AskSunday Dedicated Assistants to manage online postings, provide customer service support via voice, click-to-chat, and email, and to process and fulfill orders.

An AskSunday dedicated virtual personal assistant will get to know your working style, your needs, and how you want your work performed. Dedicated Assistants will help you gain perspective and clarity by taking on-going tasks off your to-do list so you can focus on the big picture.

Hiring your AskSunday Dedicated Assistant is a simple on-line process. First you decide on the number of hours per month you'd like your Dedicated Assistant to work for you -- from 20 to 60 hours. Then enter your details into AskSunday's secure portal. Shortly thereafter, you'll be called by an AskSunday manager who will determine your specific needs and then match you with a capable Dedicated Assistant.

Next, your new Dedicated Assistant will call to introduce themselves and to get started on your first task for them. From then on, you can easily contact your new "DA" via phone, email, text, IM etc. anytime between 10:30AM EST to 7:30PM EST. The productive working relationship that can be built with an AskSunday Dedicated Personal Assistant can be invaluable to long term success of your business.

To learn more or to sign up for your own AskSunday Dedicated Assistant click here.