Zirtual

Zirtual operates as a provider of virtual assistant services, catering to professionals, entrepreneurs, and small corporate teams primarily in the United States. The company was founded in 2011 by Maren Kate Donovan, Collin Vine, and Erik Jensen. Donovan's journey into the virtual assistant space began with her blog, “Escaping the 9 to 5,” and a social marketing firm she started that utilized offshore assistants and remote students. This experience led to the development of Zirtual's business model at The Founder Institute, a startup incubator, from which the company launched upon her graduation.

The firm's history is marked by a significant event in August 2015 when it abruptly ceased operations and terminated its nearly 500 employees. The shutdown was attributed to an unsustainable burn rate after converting its workforce from independent contractors to employees, which substantially increased operational costs. Within days, Zirtual was acquired by Startups.co, which relaunched the service. Subsequently, in December 2023, Zirtual was acquired by PennSpring Capital.

Zirtual's business model is subscription-based, offering monthly plans that provide a set number of hours of support from a dedicated, US-based, college-educated virtual assistant. Clients, who include executives, entrepreneurs, real estate agents, and financial advisors, delegate tasks to their assistants to free up time for core business activities. Services include administrative support like email management, scheduling, and data entry, as well as marketing support, research, travel arrangements, and bookkeeping. The plans are structured in tiers, starting from a 'Solopreneur' package with 12 monthly hours up to a 'President' plan with 56 hours, with prices ranging from approximately $549 to $2,199 per month. A key feature is that clients work with one dedicated assistant to ensure consistency.

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