FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about The Middle

  • A personal assistant handles all of the "little things" in your life. They tackle all of the small tasks that can get in the way of true productivity, including (but not limited to) running errands, scheduling meetings and appointments, booking travel, or researching personal and household needs.

  • If you're here and considering it, you are. Hiring a personal assistant for as little as a few hours per week is easy with The Middle. Whether you’re looking for a New York personal assistant, a personal assistant in Los Angeles, or a Chicago-based personal assistant, we can help! We have no minimums or set plans.

  • Many personal assistant agencies may focus on celebrity clientele, but personal assistants are not just for celebrities and CEOs! If you're busy, and find yourself spending time on the little things instead of focusing on your business, your family, or other matters that require exclusively you, then you could use a personal assistant.

  • We work with all sorts of clients in a variety of industries, including consultants, entrepreneurs, screenwriters, media executives, marketing experts, artists, lawyers, project managers, and small business owners. We are here for anyone who is busy and wants to relieve the pressure of their never ending to-do list.

  • This means our personal assistants aren’t freelancers who do one errand for you and are never seen again. They also aren't on-call, 24/7 career assistants that sit at a desk all day. Our personal assistants are part-time, but we aim to establish long-term working relationships between our clients and PAs. Some weeks you may have several hours of work to unload, some weeks you may have only a few, and that’s OK! Our personal assistants are comfortable with a flexible schedule.

general

  • A personal assistant handles all of the "little things" in your life. They tackle all of the small tasks that can get in the way of true productivity, including (but not limited to) running errands, scheduling meetings, booking travel, or purchasing gifts.

  • A virtual assistant handles all of the administrative details of your life that are taken care of online. They tackle the digital tasks that can get in the way of true productivity, including (but not limited to) organizing your inbox, scheduling meetings, booking travel, or purchasing gifts online.

    All of The Middle’s assistants can work both in-person or remotely, depending on your needs. They will always be located in your city (Los Angeles & NYC), even if the work is 100% remote.

  • A personal shopper can either do all of your shopping for you, or accompany you on your shopping trips to give advice (and, of course, carry the bags!). Personal assistants can act as personal shoppers by doing your grocery shopping, picking up items and dropping off returns, and purchasing gifts.

  • At this time, we do not place full-time positions. The positions we place are generally between 5 and 25 hours per week.

  • No, The Middle does not have set plans or a minimum hours requirement. Because our personal assistants are part-time, they are comfortable with working only a few hours, and are flexible as your needs fluctuate each week. When you fill out our Client Questionnaire, please provide an estimated number of hours per week you expect to work with your PA so we can match you with candidates who have the right availability.

Personal assistant services

  • Most personal assistants charge $30-$45/hr. We don’t recommend offering less than $25/hr, and more experienced or specialized personal assistants may ask for $40+/hr.

  • You only pay The Middle a one-time placement fee for our services provided prior to hire. You do not pay The Middle for your personal assistant's hours. Your personal assistant should bill those directly. Learn more about our services pricing.

  • Your personal assistant will bill you directly. It's common to submit an invoice every 2 weeks, but it is ultimately between you and your personal assistant how often they will submit their invoice, and how you will pay.

  • Reimbursable expenses should be tracked on your personal assistant's invoice and submitted with their hours. You should not expect your personal assistant to pay for expensive personal items up front.

  • All personal assistants with The Middle are based in your city (Los Angeles or NYC), and can be available for in-person or remote support. Our assistants are happy to work entirely remote, if that is what works best for you! The hourly rate is generally $30-$50/hr.

    Virtual assistants on other platforms will charge you a monthly flat fee with a minimum and maximum number of hours. “Virtual” (remote) personal assistants with The Middle have no minimum hours requirement.

  • Our personal assistants can grocery shop, or run other errands for you. Most personal assistants are looking for a minimum of $30/hr for these tasks plus mileage. Driving done on the job should be reimbursed at the current standard mileage rate.

personal assistant payments

  • You will receive candidates and be able to interview candidates free of charge. We want you to feel confident in your choice!

    Once you have interviewed your candidates and are ready to hire your favorite, we charge a one-time placement fee of $750. You are not obligated to hire a candidate that we refer to you, and if at any time prior to hire, you decide not to hire a candidate through The Middle, no placement fee is due.

    If you decide to hire a candidate, and the candidate accepts your offer and a formal introduction is made by The Middle, you must start working with your assistant within 1 week of the hiring date. If you do not start within 1 week, we cannot guarantee that the candidate will remain available to start, and the full placement fee will be due.

    For our full replacement policy, please see our Client Terms of Service.

  • It is our mission to make sure you get the help you need. Once you have hired an assistant, we have a 30-day replacement period from the hiring date. If it turns out to not be the fit you expected within the 30 days, we will facilitate a replacement candidate for free. You must inform The Middle within the 30-day replacement period if employment ends. No replacement will be facilitated if The Middle is informed after the 30-day replacement period.

    For our full replacement policy, please see our Client Terms of Service.

pricing

  • We provide you with candidates within 2 weeks of your consultation (though often within 5-7 days), and interviews are set at your convenience after that. Unlike a traditional agency, we do not recruit specifically for your position, and accordingly do not charge a retainer fee. We have a database of pre-screened, qualified assistants who we match you with. If we do not have any suitable candidates for your role, the process may take longer.

  • Yes! Part-time doesn't mean short-term. We believe in establishing a long-term working relationship. We match you with candidates in your area so that when you need extra help, you’ve got someone you can trust. Much easier than having to hire a new freelancer every time or (worse) doing it yourself!

  • There will always be a learning curve when introducing someone to your preferences, but but we only accept personal assistants who we are confident can easily adapt, are proactive, and are excellent problem-solvers and multitaskers.

  • It is our priority that you are happy with your personal assistant, which is why we take so much care in providing you with your best matches. We are happy to set up as many interviews as you need to feel confident in your choice. In the unlikely event that you are unhappy with your personal assistant, or the employment ends within 30 days of the candidate's start date, The Middle will happily provide you with at least one replacement candidate, at no charge to you.

  • Your personal assistant should track their own hours, down to 15-minute increments. You can request details at your discretion.

  • Reimbursable expenses should be tracked on your personal assistant's invoice and submitted with their hours. You should not expect your personal assistant to pay for expensive personal items up front.

process

  • We are currently assisting the Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago markets, but please let us know if you’re located somewhere else and are looking for a personal assistant! We’d love to know where we should expand to next!

    In Los Angeles, we operate from Playa del Rey, Santa Monica, and Venice to Hollywood, Los Feliz, and DTLA. In New York, we serve Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. We serve the greater Chicago area, including Lincoln Park, and West Loop.

  • We recruit our personal assistants from various job platforms as well as applications from referrals from current candidates, or Gracie’s deep network.

  • We do not conduct background checks as California's "Ban the Box" Assembly Bill 1008 prevents background checks from being conducted before an offer of employment is on the table. Since the candidates are not The Middle’s employees, we are not legally allowed to perform the background check. However, we do conduct reference checks.

    All candidates are pre-interviewed by Gracie personally. Post-interview, they must complete an "eligibility assignment" that assesses how they research, organize and communicate information/online tasks.

  • We do not offer training at this time, but we only accept personal assistants who we are confident can easily adapt, are proactive, and are excellent problem-solvers and multitaskers.

  • We place personal assistants for private individuals and busy professionals rather than for specific industries. Our candidates have varied experiences, so we are able to match you with candidates who have the appropriate experience for your position. Clients of The Middle are in a variety of industries, including (but not limited to) consultants, artists, executives, engineers, interior designers, entrepreneurs, and influencers.

talent

  • We're called The Middle because we're not Craigslist (creepy!) and we're not an agency (what a hassle!). We're somewhere in the middle: an accessible online platform with the personal touch of being matched to your personal assistant. (Also, our founder, Gracie, is a middle child...)

  • Gracie is an experiencd personal and executive assistant and founder of The Middle. Learn more about The Middle.

  • We are different from a traditional agency. Traditional agencies place salaried, full-time assistants and charge thousands of dollars in commission. We place part-time, ongoing personal assistants with no reoccurring commissions. The agency search process can take months, whereas The Middle can take as little as a week. Unlike an agency, our process is seamless, quick, and transparent.

company
for personal assistants

  • If you're a proactive multitasker and can anticipate client needs while being personable and flexible, apply to be one of our personal assistant candidates!

  • The number of hours needed varies by client, and can be anywhere between 5-25 hours per week. Clients will specify how much time they are looking for, and you can specify your min/max when you apply. We’ll match you up accordingly!

  • In Los Angeles, you will need a reliable car to be a personal assistant. Being dependent on public transportation in LA is not suitable for running out for an errand or needing to quickly pick something up.

    In NYC, a car is generally not required.

  • A lot of personal assistant work ends up being remote, but some in-person support is required.

  • It could take a day, a week, a month, a few months…it’s all about when you’re the right fit for a client.

for fun

  • We highly suggest taking a deep breath. Whew! Someone else is handling all of those little annoyances! You could also go to that workout class you've been too busy to get to, spend time with your family (vacay, anyone?), focus on new business leads, or lie on your bed and stare at the ceiling. All are great options.

  • No one says you can't have a great relationship with your personal assistant, but remember: they still work for you and maintaining a professional relationship is absolutely necessary.

  • We don't task and tell!

  • To return your Amazon packages.