Join our team

Welcome to "A Clayton's Secretary"®
(The Secretary you need when you haven't got a Secretary!®)
Virtual Assistant Network

If you experience problems with the form at any time,
please contact our office via the Contact Form.

Can't wait to join our team?

There are 3 steps:  Fill out the application form, email your resume, pay your subscription fee
(6 months for $110.00, 12 months for $187.00 or overseas member $70.00 for 12 months,
plus a once-only joining fee of $27.50AUD
.
Or we now have a monthly subscription fee of $20 per month)

We have members in 17 countries so you can join too!

To find out about our criteria for joining, click here or read our FAQs here.

We know there are discussions via various chat forums about work at home 'opportunities'.
This is not a 'get rich quick scheme' or a scam, and there is work involved. But if you have the skills and abilities, suitable equipment and software at home, then there is no reason why you couldn't be working at home like the rest of our team. Joining our free chat forum is probably the quickest and easiest way to find out the kind of work members get, how many hours they work, and how they manage with a family at home. Why not check all the links below to get real information about this industry of Virtual Assistants? If in doubt and worried about a possible scam, just search for our network name on the search engines and you will find lots of web references, listings with directories and many virtual assistants linked to us.

Our longest term member has been with us for over 10 years now and many members have been with us for at least 5 years. We are here to stay and would love to have you join us.

Please note: We are not an employment agency and cannot guarantee work.
We are a membership based industry group designed to help you establish your business and one of our member benefits includes introducing you to clients. We do get a lot of job requests and jobleads will give you an example of the types of jobs that come through on a regular basis.
This blog post might help you also:

"Should I be paying someone to get work?"

IF YOU ARE STILL CONCERNED, why not join our chat forum so you can mix and mingle with our members? The forum is free and will give you opportunity to learn more about our industry.

 

Are you a returning member?
You may not need to resubmit a form and resume if your details are still current.
You can go here to pay your subscription fee to renew your membership.

Looking for training too? We have a training just for you! Click here.

In 2008 all new (Australian) members received a year's subscription to Business Mums Magazine.
Periodically we get offerings from other organisations for members too.

What is a Virtual Assistant?
A term for home-based secretary, administrative support, and others who supply remote or virtual office type assistance. No need for clients to provide office space, equipment or software - we have our own!  Work is carried out 'virtually' from your office, no matter where you are!   If you have seriously been thinking about working from home, then perhaps now is the time to do something about it!

To find out about our criteria for joining, click here

Want to join now? You choose your own hours and the type of work you would like to do.
There are 3 steps:  Fill out the application form, email your resume, pay your subscription fee (6 months for $110.00,
12 months for $187.00 or overseas member $70.00 for 12 months, plus a once-only joining fee of $27.50AUD)

Why do you need to send a resume? Because we need to verify your background experience to be a member of our team. We don't send resumes to clients and are well aware that you're a business owner - so are we all. But for eligibility of membership, we need to see proof of your experience.

Need training? If you're not sure that you're ready yet, then participating in an education and coaching program for Virtual Assistants may be what you need. Personal coaching/mentoring is available with VA senior, Kathie M. Thomas, AFAIOP, MVA, ASO. 
If interested in details, click here.

Team Testimonials

"I have been a member of A Clayton's Secretary for several years now and I have always found Kathie to be a dedicated and very knowledgeable person who is a leader in her field. I am always amazed at the many endeavours Kathie undertakes yet still finds time to be a Virtual Mentor as well as a great support to me and the other team members. Kathie is a great moderator of our online group and I have also come to consider her a "virtual friend". Among her passions are writing, public speaking, blogging and Kathie is also now a VA Coach. Should you at any time require any of the services Kathie provides you won't be disappointed!"

Monika Newman, Owner, Monika Newman

"Its been a pleasure being a member of Kathie's ACS Network for nearly 10 years now. She is a great inspiration to myself and all members of the VA network in Australia and internationally. As members we rely on her for support and professional advice in helping us grow our VA business. I wish her continued success in the future."

Mary Jordon, Owner, Xpress Online Secretarial Services

I just wanted to say how much the jobsleads group has contributed to the phenomenal start my business has had.  I have had some great leads as a result of this group, with many of them becoming regular clients for me, and after just 2 ½ months of operation, I have enough work now to justify putting my daughter into daycare for 3 full days a week, with the possibility of having to increase that in the not-too-distant future.

So, just a personal thank you for a great service that you offer to your subscribers, I am so grateful to you.

Kindest regards,
Lia...

Lia Harman | Virtual Assistant , www.virtual.espire.com.au

Is this a scam? We get asked this question periodically, so here's the answer:

If you use the search engines for our business name, and for Virtual Assistants in general, you'll find thousands of references. Our network has been in operation since 1996 and the business name has been in use since 1994 - it is a registered business in Australia. The owner and founder of this group, Kathie M. Thomas, can also be easily found on the web, as a speaker, trainer and author. You can also contact any of the members on our web pages to verify the validity - scams don't usually make it easy for you to contact anyone, except for a non-descript or free email address and little information on their websites, rarely with an address, fax number, phone number or similar. We do require a subscription fee - the explanation is below.

Do I have to be in Australia?

No, our head office is in Melbourne, Australia but our members are currently in 17 countries and we get job requests from clients all over the world. Check our locations page to see where we are currently.

What do I get for my membership fee? We get asked this question too, so here's the answer:

We are an industry based network. Your subscription fee covers your membership plus all the benefits linked below, i.e. listing on our database, a web page listing so clients can find you, referrals to clients (you keep all the money you earn - we don't ask for any of it), education, training, coaching and mentoring services are available to members, benefit from all advertising programs already in place, 24/7 support from other members and our head office via a chat forum, discounts on web hosting, website design and other services made available to our members. A welcome email is sent explaining how it all works and a membership pack is also sent out. We get clients contacting this office via phone, contact form or email almost every day of the week. Please visit Membership Benefits for a full list of everything you have access to as a member of our team.

Please note: ALL members of this network have a minimum of 5 years' secretarial or administrative skills, have experience in the areas they promote on their pages and are not entry-level typists fresh from school or college. Each has worked in the corporate world in many different fields, including: medical, legal, human resources, real estate, engineering, etc. It is important that you meet the same criteria. All are self-employed business operator VAs who are also responsible for their own furniture, equipment, software, taxes, insurances and all other overheads required in providing services support to clients. As a member of our team, you are not an employee, but a business owner/operator. Therefore we are not employing you, but providing industry based information to help you in your business and direct client contacts.

Our Mission: To be the household name for secretarial services and office support virtually. To make office and secretarial service support within easy reach of all businesses throughout the world.  Service provided with: integrity, dignity, loyalty, confidentiality, competence and trust.

Click on each heading below for detailed information.

"A Clayton's Secretary"®, ABN 76 809 078 624
The secretary you need when you haven't got a secretary! ®
Melbourne +613 9754 8310, Fax:  +613 9754 6330, Tollfree: 1800 033 355
PO Box 2044, Belgrave LPO, Victoria, 3160, Australia
Updated: November 27, 2009   Copyright © 1996-2009.  All rights reserved.
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