Official Blog
Built in the cloud. Engineered for your enterprise.
Going Google across the 50 States: Google Apps eliminates geographical challenges for New Jersey-based virtual assistant agency
Monday, August 23, 2010
Editor’s note:
Over the past couple of months, thousands of businesses have added their Gone Google story to our community map and even more have used the
Go Google cloud calculator
to test drive life in the cloud. To highlight some of these companies’ Gone Google stories, we decided to talk to
Google Apps
customers across the United States. Check back each week to see which state we visit next. To learn more about other organizations that have gone Google and share your story, visit our
community map
.
This week we’ll hear from Sarah Leah Gootnick, founder of Secretary in Israel, based in New Jersey and Israel.
Secretary in Israel
and
Virtual Assistant
Israel match college-educated, American virtual assistants living in Israel with business owners from across the United States and abroad.
"The idea for Secretary in Israel came about when an entrepreneurial friend of mine in San Francisco told me how overwhelmed he was with all the administrative work for his IT business. He struggled to find a talented assistant within his price range locally. I introduced him to my friend who had just moved from the US to Israel. Not long after, he called to tell me that she was the best assistant he had had in years, and he encouraged me to start a business to provide this same service to other entrepreneurs.
As a result of his encouragement, we started Secretary in Israel approximately two and half years ago. At the time, we were in an unusual situation: our virtual assistants, all of whom are American college graduates, were living in Israel, and our client base of successful entrepreneurs were spread throughout the United States and abroad (including the UK, Australia, and Thailand). With our team located thousands of miles from our clients, we were, as you might say, “geographically challenged”.
However, with the help of Google Apps, geographical distance became irrelevant. Our virtual assistants all use Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Calendar, which enable us to work with our clients and seamlessly integrate into their businesses as if we were sitting in the rooms next to them.
One particular benefit that our virtual assistants and clients love is the ability to edit docs and spreadsheets simultaneously. Gone are the days of worrying about who has the right version of a document and whether the hours of changes you’ve just made were put into the right version or not. With Apps, the document or spreadsheet is always current, and our team and clients can rest assured that important edits were entered in the right version.
Google Apps also allows our virtual assistants to work so seamlessly with their clients and their clients’ business associates that most people don’t realize our assistants aren’t in the same office. One of our clients told us that when people finally do meet him at his office, they often ask, “Where’s Hilary? She was so lovely on the phone. I’d like to meet her!” It’s at that point that he says with a smile, “Oh. She’s not here at the moment. She’s in Israel!”
Because of the collaborative focus of Google Apps, we’re able to run a business that provides a great service to successful entrepreneurs in the United States and abroad as well as career opportunities for professional, Americans in Israel."
Posted by Ashley Chandler, Google Apps team
Labels
#innovationupgrade
#InspireGirls
#moregoogleapps
#SysAdminDay
#tbt
#throwbackthursday
#top10trust
100% web
50states
ad contest
add-ons
admin
Admin console
admin sdk
AirPlay
Android
Android for Work
Android for Work Live
Android Marshmellow
Android Nougat
Android security
Android security tips
Apps Adventures
apps script
apptuesday
Armed Forces Day
Asia Pacific
Atmosphere Live
Audi
Audi Connect
audit
Australia
big data
Big Query
bigquery
Boston
browser
Chomebox for Meetings
Chrome
Chrome Device Management
Chrome digital signage
Chrome for Business
Chrome for Work
Chrome Frame
Chrome OS
Chromebit
Chromebooks
Chromebooks for Business
Chromebooks for Education
Chromebooks for Work
Chromebox for digital signage
Chromebox for meetings
Chromebox for signage
Chromeboxes
Chromecast
City 24/7
Classroom
Clearing Kosovo
Cloud
cloud computing
cloud computing gonegoogle
cloud computing gonegoogle Google Apps
cloud computing gonegoogle Google Apps google docs small business success story
cloud computing gonegoogle Google Apps google docs small business success story switch
cloud datastore
cloud platform
Cloud Platform Live
cloud print
cloud series
cloud services
cloud sql
collaboration
Colorado
Connectors
contacts
Control Panel
customer
customer love
Customer story
Customer support
Customer testimonial
data centers
data processing amendment
data protection
Developer
developers
Digital Learning Day
Docs
documents
DPA
Drawings
Drive for Education
drive sharing
Earth
earth and maps
EC
education
Education on Air
EMC
EMM
Energy
enterprise
EU
events
FedEx
Fedex.com
Finance
Firebase
Forms
franchises
GAFE
Gartner
GE
geo
Global Partner Summit
gmail
Gone Google
gonegoogle
Google AdWords
Google App Engine
Google Apps
Google Apps Blog
Google Apps for Business
Google Apps for Education
Google Apps for Government
Google Apps for Work
Google Apps Marketplace
Google Apps Reseller
Google Apps Script
Google Apps Vault
Google BigQuery
Google Calendar
Google Calendar app
Google Certified Teachers
Google Chrome
Google Chromebases
Google Classroom
Google Cloud Datastore
Google Cloud DNS
Google Cloud Platform
google cloud storage
Google Cloud Vision API
google commerce search
Google Compute Engine
Google Doc
Google Docs
Google Domains
Google Draw
Google Drive
Google Drive for Work
Google Earth
Google Earth Engine
Google Earth Enterprise
Google Earth Images
Google Earth Pro
Google Email Security and Archiving
Google Enterprise
Google Enterprise Search
Google Expeditions
Google for Education
Google for Education Partner Program
Google for Education Training Center
Google for Entrepreneurs
Google for Work
Google for Work and Google for Education Partner Program
Google for Work partner program
Google Forms
Google Green
google groups
Google Hangout
Google Hangouts
Google I/O
Google Keep
Google Maps
Google Maps API
Google Maps APIs
Google Maps Coordinate
Google Maps Engine
Google Maps Engine Pro
Google Maps Engine public data program
Google Maps for Business
Google Maps for Work
Google Maps Gallery
Google Maps Tracks API
Google Message Continuity
google message security
Google Mobile Device Management
Google My Maps
Google My Maps Pro
Google Places API
Google Play
google play for education
Google Prediction API
Google Research tool
Google Science Fair
Google Search Appliance
Google Security Key
Google Sheets
Google Site Search
google sites
Google Slides API
Google Smart Lock
Google spreadsheets
Google Springboard
google storage
Google Storage for Developers
Google Translate
Google Vault
Google Video
Google Wave
google+
Google+ api
Google+ Communities
googlenew
government
GSA
GSA 7.0
GSA for Commerce
guest post
HALO Trust
Hangout on Air
Hangouts on Air
HEAT
hints and tips
HIPAA
Inbox
Inbox by Gmail
innovation
international trade
Internet Explorer
intranet
io2011
iOS
iPad
IT
K-12
Kubernetes
large business
MAM
manufacturing
Mapping a better world
marketplace
marketplace highlights
mashups
MCCs
MDM
medium business
migration
mobile
mobile management
model contract clauses
moms
Mother's Day
mpstaffpick
MyHEAT
NAVMAN
new features
news
Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition
non-profit
noteworthy
offline
OpenID Connect
Parters
partner
Partner Showcase
partners
Place Summaries
Postini
privacy
product ideas
productivity
Quickoffice
Receptionist's Day
reports
Reseller
retail
RSA
Safer Internet Day
SBW2013
SBW2014
sbweek
SCCs
Search
Security
Security Key
small business
Small Business Week
Small businesses
SMB
spam and security trends
Startups
success story
support
switch
System Admin
T Dispatch
Teamwork 2015
Thanksgiving
Transport and Logistics
Trust
UK
university
University of Calgary
Updates
utilities
Veteran Owned Businesses
Veterans Day
Veterans Day 2013
Veterans Day 2014
viewpoint
VNX
wallet
webinar
webmaster
Winter
women in tech
Women's History Month
Work Resolutions
World Bank
Archive
2016
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
2015
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
2014
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
2013
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
2012
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
2011
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
2010
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
2009
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
2008
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
2007
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
2006
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
Feed
Google
on
Follow @gsuite
Useful Links
G Suite
Gmail
Hangouts
Calendar
Google+
Google Drive
Google Maps
Google Cloud Platform
