Fancy Hands vs HireHarbour: Which Is Better?

When it comes to delegating tasks, do you find yourself torn between choosing the right virtual assistant service provider that suits your needs? With so many options available, it can be difficult to decide which service will deliver the best results for you.

Outsourcing tasks to virtual assistants has become a popular solution for individuals and businesses looking to streamline their operations. However, with numerous companies such as Fancy Hands and HireHarbour in the market, picking the right one can be hard.

Both Fancy Hands and HireHarbour offer virtual assistant services, but which one will truly stand out as the better option for you? In this article, we are going to delve into a detailed comparison to help you decide between these two virtual assistant companies.

What Is a Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant is a professional individual who provides administrative, technical, or creative assistance to clients remotely from their own location.  

They can perform tasks such as email management, scheduling appointments, social media management, data entry, content creation, and more.  

They work on a freelance basis or as part of a virtual assistant company and communicate with clients through email, phone calls, and video conferencing.  

Virtual assistants offer flexible and cost-effective solutions for businesses and entrepreneurs who need help with various tasks but may not require a full-time employee.

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Fancy Hands: A Brief Overview

Fancy Hands is a virtual assistant agency that connects individuals and businesses with a team of assistants to help with various tasks.  

Founded in 2010 by Ted Roden, Fancy Hands offers a task-based service model where users can delegate tasks such as scheduling appointments, making phone calls, conducting online research, and more.  

With a team of assistants based in the United States and its user-friendly platform and quick turnaround times, Fancy Hands has established itself as a reliable, fast and cost-efficient virtual assistant service in the market.

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HireHarbour: A Brief Overview

HireHarbour is a professional virtual assistant service provider that focuses on connecting businesses with skilled virtual assistants to help them accomplish their tasks efficiently.

HireHarbour makes it a priority to match each business with a virtual assistant who has the specific skills and expertise required for the task at hand. A great aspect of HireHarbour is its personalised approach, which ensures that businesses receive top-notch support and assistance tailored to their specific needs.

With a focus on quality, expertise, and personalised service, HireHarbour is a trusted partner for businesses looking to delegate their tasks to dedicated virtual assistants.

Fancy Hands vs. HireHarbour: Detailed Comparison

Service Model

Fancy Hands

Fancy Hands operates on a task-based model, where users buy a certain number of "task credits" that they can then use to make requests for specific tasks. When you submit a job, an available assistant will take it up.  

This model ensures that tasks are completed quickly because many virtual assistants can take on the task at any time. Users can request help on demand without hiring or committing to a full-time or dedicated assistant.

HireHarbour

HireHarbour take pride in providing top-tier assistance on a fractional basis to business owners, executives, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, personal brands, and other high performers.

With this fractional model, their client can fully customise their virtual executive assistant's schedule to meet their specific needs and preferences without the limitations of a full-timer or the required commitment of a part-timer.

Winner: HireHarbour

In terms of the service models they provide, HireHarbour wins. Although both of them provide flexibility, more complex or specialised tasks may not be well-suited to the Fancy Hands task-based model.

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Services Offered

Fancy Hands

They provide a variety of services to assist individuals and businesses with their tasks, striving to make everyday tasks easier and more manageable for their clients.

For business owners, entreprenuers and executives, they provide services such as:

• Calling

• Research

• Concierge

• Data entry

• Purchases

• Scheduling

• Expense reports

• Creating target lists

• Finding contact info

For individuals who require assistance with personal tasks, they offer services such as:  

• Concierge

• Waiting on hold

• Personal to-dos

• Travel itineraries

• Doctor's appointments

• Activity and event planning

• Home service provider vetting

• Gift suggestions and purchases

HireHarbour

HireHarbour specialises in providing administrative support to high-performing individuals and businesses, with additional marketing expertise for those who need it.

They offer a wide range of services that can be tailored to match your requirements, such as:

• Event planning

• Expense tracking

• Customer support

• Email management

• Meeting preparation

• Copywriting support

• Travel arrangements

• Information research

• Social media support

• Shopping and errands

• Shopping and errands

• Calendar management

• Graphic design support

• Bespoke creative services  

• Home management support

• Support for health and fitness

While their main focus is to provide administrative support, their virtual executive assistants can connect with HireHarbour's in-house specialist team to handle specialised tasks you need help with.

Winner: HireHarbour

When it comes to the services offered, HireHarbour wins. Both offer administrative and personal support, but HireHarbour can also help with more specialised tasks as their virtual executive assistants can communicate with their specialist marketing team, such as copywriters, graphic designers, and social strategists.

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Cost-Efficiency

Fancy Hands

According to their website, their plans range from $35 per month for 3 tasks, $55 per month for 5 tasks, and $125 per month for 15 tasks. The tasks that you're going to submit should be completed in a short amount of time, around 20 minutes each, and if a task requires more time, it may require multiple credits.

HireHarbour

HireHarbour offers fractional plans with prices ranging from $350 for 20 hours of support per month, $1,100 for 80 hours of support per month, and $1800 for 160 hours of support per month, implying an hourly rate of approximately $15.  

Take note that these prices are for an annual subscription. If you want to subscribe from month to month, the monthly roll is roughly 15% higher. You also have the option to hire someone full-time or on a fractional basis.  

Winner: Fancy Hands

In terms of cost-efficiency, Fancy Hands is the winner. They provide quick and low-cost assistance for your tasks, and you can roll over and accumulate any unused requests from previous months, as long as you're a member.

However, if you have a higher volume of simple tasks, Fancy Hands can become less cost-efficient as you would need to upgrade to higher plans.

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Fancy Hands Pros and Cons

Pros

• Tasks are quick to finish. You can get tasks done quickly, making it a great option for time-sensitive requests.

• Great choice for users who don't need constant or recurring assistance. Perfect for individuals who need help with occasional tasks rather than ongoing support. 

Cons

• The monthly subscription fee may increase. If tasks are difficult and require a lot of credit, your monthly fee may increase.

• Possibilities for Inconsistency. There is no guarantee that the same virtual assistant will be assigned to each task request, and since each task is carried out by a different assistant, the quality or style of the work may differ from time to time.

HireHarbour Pros and Cons

Pros

• Expertise and high standards from the founders. The three co-founders of HireHarbour have a solid background in investment banking and private equity, and they bring the same meticulous approach and focus on quality that are done in those industries and hire the best candidates.

• Your demands and preferences are fully taken into consideration when providing services. To keep their customers satisfied and coming back, young companies like HireHarbour focus more on providing personalised services.  

• Philippines-based talent pool. Filipino professionals are culturally compatible and have a strong work ethic. They can easily work with people from other countries and different time zones.  

• Ongoing training for EAs. HireHarbour fully trains and assesses its virtual executive assistants, ensuring they continue to learn new skills and utilise the most up-to-date tools and practices. They also hold training sessions weekly that cover a range of specialised topics.

Cons

• New company. When compared to its competitors, HireHarbour lacks a long history and solid reputation. That being said, HireHarbour has already placed virtual executive assistants for founders who have worked at Morgan Stanley, Blackstone, McKinsey, and other firms.

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