Q. Okay, I've placed my order. How do I get my products?

Your products are instantly downloadable once you submit your payment (unless you paid by e-check; in that case, the products become available once all the funds have cleared which can take up to 10 days). When you checkout, you will be directed to a web page where you can download the items you purchased. Easy peasy! (You are given ample time—5 attempts within 120 hours—to download your product, but please note, you MUST download them to your computer before your links expire.)

Q. Help! I did not follow the directions by downloading the forms to my computer. My computer has since crashed and now my links have expired.

We will happily resend your download links if your order was placed in the last 30 days. Exceptions to this policy will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Q. I ordered an item that came in a zip file. How do I open that?

Most operating systems and office suites open zip files easily, some even automatically. However, if you are having problems, you can also use a free utility like 7Zip to open and download zip files. If you are on a Mac platform, visit this page for assistance. I promise, it's not difficult at all. And remember, as an administrative expert, it's your business to figure these things out. ;)

Q. Having no credit cards at the moment, what are my payment options?

You may pay by debit or credit card or e-check via PayPal. Sorry, no money orders or hardcopy checks are accepted. Paying by debit or credit card is instantaneous. Upon checkout, you will immediately receive an email with links to your product download page. (PayPal purchases may sometimes take up to 30 minutes before the transaction completes. Please do not attempt to re-run your transaction.)

Q. I don't have a PayPal account. Can I still pay by debit or credit card?

Absolutely. You do not need a PayPal account to pay by debit or credit card. Once you have selected all your products, click the button to checkout. On the screen that comes up, simply click the link where it says "Don't have a PayPal account?" This will take you a screen to type in your debit or credit card details. Simple as that!

Q. If I pay by e-check, how long before I receive my products?

If you pay by e-check, it can take up to 10 business days for your e-check to clear at my end. You will automatically be sent access to your download links as soon as that occurs.

Q. Can I pay by e-check if I don't have a PayPal account?

You will need a PayPal account to pay by e-check.

Q. How much do the Virtual Assistant business forms cost in U.S. dollars?

All of my products are listed in U.S. dollars. Upon checkout, PayPal calculates the currency conversion automatically. If you'd like to calculate in advance what your particular exchange rate will be, you can use a free tool such as XE Currency Converter.

Q. Do you have a payment plan option? I would love to get The Whole Shebang complete set (SET-03), but don't have the money right now.

The quick answer is no, I don't offer payment plans. But let me explain why so you understand. Here's the difficulty with payment plans... while it seems like a nice additional way to give service and access to more folks, instead it creates a lot more problems and work that we would need to charge extra for in order to make it cost-effective and worthwhile to deal with.

See, some people will make the first payment and then skip out on the rest. And then we have to go chasing after those folks to honor the agreements they made to pay, which is both time-consuming and disappointing. And frankly, I don't like being in the collection business. Others will forget they are on a payment plan, then call up upset that a payment was taken out of their account when they weren't expecting it and expect us to deal with that somehow. It's just a big ol' can of worms that we simply don't want to deal with, to be absolutely honest with you.

I created this organization and these products as a way to help people build better businesses and I think the prices are extremely fair and doable. Skeezy Internet marketers are charging thousands of dollars for the same kind of information you get with my products, and mine are often even BETTER and MORE than what you get from those folks. The best way to keep the spirit of positivity and helpfulness that is my underlying intention is to make sure I don't create work and situations that are less than ideal (and you should do that in your business as well). Plus, it's a much better situation for you to simply make the investment all at once rather than having installments niggling at you every month. I feel it's a much fairer exchange of value for both of us.

Q. Is it possible to get a sample before I purchase? I hate to spend money until I can see what I'm getting.

Yes! Below are links to some of our free business tools that will give you a sample of the kind of quality and value you get with our products:

ACA Pricing Calculator
ACA Intro to Business Formations
ACA Get Those Clients Now!

Be sure to also read the testimonials from hundreds of your colleagues who have purchased our products and been ecstatically surprised at the wealth of value they receive for the price.

Q. Do you have a refund policy if I buy something and the product does not meet my expectation?

All sales are final. No refunds will be given once an order has been fulfilled. Because here's the thing… since these are e-products, there's no way to "un-deliver" and return them once they are in your possession. Instead, I go to great lengths to describe the products in the descriptions so you can make an informed purchase.

There are also hundreds of testimonials from fellow Administrative Consultants and virtual assistants who are thrilled with the quality of my products. I'm not an Internet Marketer who rolled out of bed yesterday and decided out of the blue that I'm an expert on this stuff without any background or experience. I'm a well-known, successful veteran and thought leader in this industry (having been in business for 15+ years now) with an administrative career spanning 25+ years. I know what I'm talking about.

I care deeply about this profession and helping others achieve the same kind of success. I care about creating resources and learning materials that are of the best and highest quality. I don't put my name on anything I am not proud of and I constantly make improvements to my products based on user feedback. For all those reasons, I think you will be very happy with your purchases, but ultimately that's your decision to make. I'm not here to twist anyone's arm or bargain with the value of the information and learning I provide in my products.

Q. I'm interested in purchasing an individual form, but I noticed it's part of a bundle. Would it be possible to purchase the agreement separately from the bundle?

As of April 21, 2012, we no longer offer individual products other than those select items that are listed on our store page. You have the option of purchasing Just the Essentials (SET-01 for $97) or The Full Shebang (SET-03 for $497). Please see the set descriptions for a full listing of all the individual products and free bonuses you get with each set.

Q. Your forms are AWESOME!!! I'm shocked that you don't charge more. Why don't you?

I wanted to keep the basics very affordable because I know that most people in our industry start their businesses very under-capitalized. However, the more advanced, "intensive" stuff, if you will—my premium guides—are priced more in keeping with the value of the business knowledge and education in them. They are worth every penny and more.

Q. I live outside of the United States. Are your contract templates okay to use for those of us who don't live or work in the U.S.?

Absolutely! My forms are beneficial to all Administrative Consultants/Virtual Assistants no matter what country they're in. This is because they cover principles of working and doing business with clients that are universal, as well as important concepts and terms that are specific to the administrative expert/client relationship.

What may or may not be universal is some of the legal language or formatting they should be in specific to your country or location. While my contract templates are very thorough and comprehensive, as with any legal document and template, it is always advised that you consult with an attorney so that he or she can review and fine-tune your final draft. The templates can save you money in this case because the attorney is not drafting them from scratch.

Q. Why do I need to have clients sign a contract in order to work with me?

Naturally, you never "have" to do anything you don't choose to. However, it's never in your best interest as a business owner to work without a signed contract in place (not to mention at least some partial, if not full, upfront payment).

Business is business only when there is a fair and equitable exchange of benefits and interests. The client pays for work to be conducted or executed on his or her behalf in exchange for a fee that you determine will fairly compensate you for the value of your time, skill, knowledge and expertise. If everyone were mindreaders and always remembered exactly what they promised to do, we could simply do business on a handshake and a promise and we wouldn't need contracts.

But that's not reality. And it's you as the business owner who has a greater burden of risk and liability in this exchange. This is why we use contracts in business: to formalize in writing all the expectations and terms of the relationship so that everyone knows what their obligations and considerations to each other are, as well as their rights and recourse. It just helps keep everyone honest and on the same page. In case anyone's memory fails them, a written agreement is there to remind and legally uphold those promises and understandings made to each other. In a worst case scenario, a written agreement is easier to legally enforce than an oral agreement.

Q. I live in Australia. I purchased your contract templates, but I'm not familiar with the term d/b/a. What does it mean?

Thanks so much for this question! Although we work in a global marketplace, it's not always easy to know whether certain terms are consistent or understandable in different countries. So thank you for bringing that to my attention.

In answer to the question, d/b/a means "doing business as." It is used to denote a sole proprietor's business trade name rather than his or her personal name (e.g., Jane Doe d/b/a Jane's Administrative Partnering) or one or more of a parent entity's business trade names (Smith Companies, Inc., d/b/a/ John Smith Administrative Consulting).

Some countries use "trading as" for the same purpose. The contract templates in my store are based on U.S. business terminology so if you operate in a different country, you'll want to simply replace any regional terms with those for your location. And as always, have your own attorney check any legal documents before you use them in your business. Other than that, they will save you LOADS of time and money rather than drafting from scratch.

Q. On the business plan template I am having a hard time coming up with the replacement word for "we" and "our" since it is only "I" who will be doing all the work for now. My mentor stated it is not acceptable to put "I" in its place, that I need to put my business name; however, that is so redundant! Any ideas? Thanks.

I have to disagree with your mentor on this one. The fact is most of us in boutique firms and solo practices are not completing business plans for the purpose of getting loans or attracting investors (if you think you're going to fund your business that way, you're going to be for a very lengthy, exhausting, rude awakening). First and foremost, the point of going through the business planning process is to gain clarity and consciousness about our goals and objectives for our businesses and how to best achieve them. It's what we learn and gain insight from by going through the process that is the important thing. Therefore, it matters not a whit whether you use "we" or "us" or "I." In fact, if you are an "I' and specifically not a "we" and your business plan is for your purposes, not for loans or investors, I would say use "I" to speak to your potential clients and personalize your message.

Q. I purchased a set of your awesome forms and have a question. Can you clarify what this means: "Any waiver by either party of a breach or violation of provision of this Agreement by the other party shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach by either party. No waiver shall be binding unless executed in writing."

Great to see you reading so thoroughly! What this basically means is that if one party breaches (violates) a part of the contract and that breach is waived (allowed or "forgiven") by the other party, that doesn't mean that if they breach another part of the contract, that breach will also automatically be waived or forgiven. It means that each breach is handled independently, and if a waiver is given, it won't be legal or enforceable unless it's put in writing. It also means that just because you waived one breach, you are not obligated to waive it again or allow it to continue if it's an ongoing breach.

Q. I recently purchased your entire startup package for Administrative Consultants and I'm finding it so useful. Thank you. I do have a quick question regarding one of the forms: It's the customizable confidentiality agreement. I can understand why a prospective client would expect me to sign a confidentiality agreement, but how do I explain to them that I need one as well? I read the contract, but I still don't understand exactly what it is I'm asking them to hold in confidence. Can you break it down for me in clear, easy to understand language? This would go a long way in helping me to help my clients understand what I'm asking of them.

If you're new, you might not want or need to use it right now. You might not have developed your processes and programs to the extent that they become valuable intellectual capital. But eventually you will if you're in business for any length of time.

Intellectual capital can be your unique processes, systems, tools,diagnostics... all kinds of things that you develop yourself, that make your service unique. Many businesses find it important to protect that intellectual property. When that's the case, you want to make sure clients understand that any of the proprietary information, processes, tools, etc., that they become privy to through your work together are intellectual property that they may not share with others or coopt or adapt for their own use. And that's because you have a right to keep those things private for use just with your own clients and not make them public information, and you have the right to earn money from those things however you see fit.

Here's one example... let's say you come up with your own signature database system that you use with clients. And say you allow clients the use of this while they are a client. Since this proprietary and original database is part of your intellectual property and proprietary systems, you obviously do not want everyone to have access to it. The client also does not have the right to sell your system or make use of it for their own personal gain. They also don't get to use it if they no longer are a client, if that's what you deem. You, as the owner of the system, are the only one with the right to say who gets to use it, how, when, etc. It's proprietary intellectual property that you alone own and control however you see fit.

That's why you would have them sign that kind of confidentiality/NDA agreement. It's for the same reasons that they might ask you to sign one as well. You are both businesses with intellectual property and proprietary information. ;)