Time etc
Time etc is a bootstrapped, UK-headquartered subscription platform founded in 2007 that matches time-poor entrepreneurs, SMBs, and licensed professionals with a curated bench of 500+ US-based freelance virtual assistants for administrative, executive, and industry-specific tasks.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Time etc does
Time etc, operating through the UK-incorporated entity Time etc USA Limited and headquartered in Birmingham, is a subscription-based virtual assistant services platform founded in 2007 by Barnaby Lashbrooke. The company connects time-poor entrepreneurs, SMBs, and licensed professionals (doctors, therapists, lawyers, accountants, financial advisors, real estate agents, e-commerce operators, influencers, and business coaches) with a curated bench of 500+ freelance, US-based virtual assistants who perform administrative, executive, project management, and industry-specific back-office tasks. Underlying technology consists of a cloud-based matching and task management portal (lite.timeetc.com), a free interactive 'Get Started Wizard' for personalised task suggestions, AWS-hosted infrastructure with GDPR-compliant encryption, and integrations with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Stripe, PayPal, Dropbox, Slack, and Zoom. Proprietary features include a VA matching system with account-manager support, a brief/task management workflow with satisfaction guarantees, and contractual exclusivity clauses that impose a 50% transfer fee and 9-month notice on direct assistant engagement.
The business model is recurring subscription plus usage-based overage, billed monthly in advance via card or PayPal, with no long-term contracts and the ability to scale hours up or down and cancel any time. A free first-task trial with no credit card required drives top-of-funnel conversion, and customer acquisition is layered across direct website sales, a phone-based consultative channel (1-800-297-8540), a client 'Refer a Friend' program, and a $500-per-sale affiliate program via AWIN. Marketing is anchored by founder-led thought leadership (Forbes column, TedX talk, the book 'The Hard Work Myth') and supported by content, PR, podcasts, client testimonials, and conference appearances by advisor Penni Pike (formerly Sir Richard Branson's EA for 31 years). The company is bootstrapped with no external funding, operating with a small UK core team supplemented by the freelance assistant bench, and serves clients primarily in the USA and UK with a stated global delivery capability. Cumulative scale metrics include 22,000+ clients served and 2.16M+ hours saved since inception.
Time etc firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Time etc
- Legal name
- Time etc USA Limited
- Website
- https://timeetc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Time etc is a bootstrapped, UK-headquartered subscription platform founded in 2007 that matches time-poor entrepreneurs, SMBs, and licensed professionals with a curated bench of 500+ US-based freelance virtual assistants for administrative, executive, and industry-specific tasks.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Time etc industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Virtual Assistant Services
- NAICS
- Office Administrative Services (5611)
- SIC
- Services-Help Supply Services (7363)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Errand Running & Task Assistance (HSACAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Household Management & Lifestyle Administration (HSACAIAC)
Keywords
Where Time etc is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Time etc business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Monthly Subscription Plans: Core revenue stream from monthly subscription charges that provide clients with an allocated amount of assistant time per month. Clients can add additional time at hourly rates. Bills are charged monthly on the Billday. Payment is taken in advance by credit/debit card or PayPal.
- Additional Time Purchases: Hourly charges for time spent beyond the monthly allocation. Calculated according to standard daily fee rates and agreed with client through the website.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Subscription-based monthly plans with allocated time hours |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free trial - first task completed at no charge |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Time etc product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Time etc is a subscription-based virtual assistant service that matches time-poor entrepreneurs, professionals, and small businesses with experienced US-based remote freelance assistants. Clients delegate administrative, executive, and specialized industry tasks (email, scheduling, billing, social media, project management) and pay a monthly subscription for an allocated amount of assistant time, with additional hours billed at hourly rates. The company has served 22,000+ clients since 2007 and maintains a network of 500+ vetted freelance assistants.
Product overview
Time etc is a virtual assistant services platform offering a subscription-based model that connects time-poor entrepreneurs with experienced US-based virtual assistants. The core service provides remote personal assistant support for administrative, executive, and specialized business tasks, with clients paying a monthly subscription for access to assistance. The offering includes a core Virtual Assistant Service as the main product, supplemented by specialized service modules for Executive Assistants, Project Management, and HR & Recruitment. The company also provides industry-specific verticals serving Healthcare/Medical Professionals, Therapists and Counselors, Legal Professionals, E-commerce Businesses, Real Estate Agents, Financial Advisors, Accountants and CPAs, Influencers, and Business Coaches. Access to the service is through a web-based client portal at lite.timeetc.com, with a free Task Ideas Wizard tool to help prospects discover potential use cases. The company also published the book "The Hard Work Myth" by founder Barnaby Lashbrooke.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Virtual Assistant Service Subscription-based service matching entrepreneurs, professionals, and small businesses with experienced US-based remote virtual assistants who handle email, scheduling, admin, content marketing, social media, and personal tasks.
- Executive Assistant Service Virtual executive assistant services providing diary management, travel coordination, customer enquiries, and professional administrative support for business leaders and senior executives.
- Project Management Virtual Assistants Dedicated virtual project management services coordinating, tracking, and managing client projects across industries, including scheduling, task coordination, stakeholder communication, and budget monitoring.
- HR and Recruitment Virtual Assistants Virtual recruitment and HR assistants handling job postings, candidate screening, employee onboarding, record management, policy creation, and compliance tracking.
- Industry-Specific Virtual Assistant Services Verticalized virtual assistant offerings serving doctors/physicians, therapists/counselors, lawyers/attorneys, ecommerce businesses, real estate agents, financial advisors/planners, accountants/CPAs, influencers, and business coaches with assistants trained in industry-specific workflows (HIPAA-aware medical admin, legal docketing, real estate transaction management, ecommerce platform operations, accounting software, social media and community management).
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 90% cost savings compared to hiring an assistant full-time
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Time etc
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments11 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Time etc technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Time etc partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core infrastructure, support and key acquisition channel.
- Amazon Web Servicescore infrastructureAWS used for hosting and file storage. Data backed up to Amazon S3 cloud storage service. EU-US Privacy Shield certification for data transfers.
- Googlecore infrastructureGoogle used for analytics and documents. EU-US Privacy Shield certification for data transfers.
- Microsoftcore infrastructureMicrosoft used for email services. EU-US Privacy Shield certification for data transfers.
- Stripecore infrastructureStripe used for payment processing. EU-US Privacy Shield certification for data transfers.
- PayPalcore infrastructurePayPal used for payment processing. EU-US Privacy Shield certification for data transfers.
- Dropboxcore infrastructureDropbox used for storage of information. EU-US Privacy Shield certification for data transfers.
- SlacksupportSlack used for internal team communication. EU-US Privacy Shield certification for data transfers.
- ZoomsupportZoom used for communicating via video calls. EU-US Privacy Shield certification for data transfers.
- AWINkey acquisition channelAWIN affiliate network used to operate the affiliate program, paying $500 per sale. Instant tracking and fast payouts for affiliates.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Time etc competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BELAY: BELAY is a US-based virtual assistant and bookkeeping/staffing services company targeting entrepreneurs and small businesses — directly overlapping with Time etc's core offering of subscription-based remote admin support for time-poor founders.
- Prialto: Prialto provides managed virtual assistant teams for executives and entrepreneurs with a focus on dedicated, US-based assistants — very similar subscription-based model and target customer profile as Time etc.
- Boldly: Boldly (formerly eaHelp) offers subscription-based US-based virtual executive assistant services to entrepreneurs and professionals, with premium positioning and vetted assistant networks directly comparable to Time etc.
- Worldwide101 (Reachdesk): Worldwide101 provides dedicated virtual assistants specializing in admin, marketing, and project management for entrepreneurs and SMBs — a subscription-based VA service with overlapping target customer and use cases as Time etc.
- Wishup: Wishup is an India-based virtual assistant services company offering dedicated remote assistants to entrepreneurs and professionals — overlapping subscription-based model and SMB target market, though it leverages an offshore talent pool rather than US-based.
- 1840 & Company: 1840 & Company provides remote talent including virtual assistants to SMBs and entrepreneurs, with a global talent pool and subscription/hourly pricing — comparable offerings and customer profile to Time etc.
- WoodBows: WoodBows provides virtual assistant services to businesses and entrepreneurs, offering dedicated remote assistants for admin and operational tasks — closely comparable subscription VA service targeting SMBs.
- Fancy Hands: Fancy Hands is a US-based virtual assistant service offering on-demand task-based support to individuals and small businesses — comparable task delegation model and customer base to Time etc, though more focused on ad-hoc requests than ongoing dedicated relationships.
Broad incumbents
- Upwork: Upwork is the largest freelance marketplace where buyers can directly hire virtual assistants on hourly or fixed-price contracts — overlapping customer use case (VA work for SMBs) but a platform/marketplace model vs. Time etc's managed service approach.
- Fiverr: Fiverr is a global freelance marketplace that serves buyers seeking virtual assistant and admin support — competing for the same end-customer dollar but as an open marketplace rather than a curated, dedicated-VA service like Time etc.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Time etc social profiles
Digital presenceTime etc financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Time etc leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Time etc funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Time etc M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Time etc
What does Time etc do?
Time etc is a subscription-based virtual assistant service that matches time-poor entrepreneurs, professionals, and small businesses with experienced US-based remote freelance assistants. Clients delegate administrative, executive, and specialized industry tasks (email, scheduling, billing, social media, project management) and pay a monthly subscription for an allocated amount of assistant time, with additional hours billed at hourly rates. The company has served 22,000+ clients since 2007 and maintains a network of 500+ vetted freelance assistants.
Is Time etc a public or private company?
Time etc is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Time etc founded?
Time etc was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Time etc based?
Time etc is headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Time etc make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Monthly Subscription Plans are the primary driver. The others are additional Time Purchases.
Who are Time etc's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BELAY, Prialto, Boldly, Worldwide101 (Reachdesk), Wishup, 1840 & Company, WoodBows and Fancy Hands. Broad incumbents are Upwork and Fiverr.
Does Time etc have an API?
No public API is recorded for Time etc.
What industry is Time etc in?
Time etc's product category is Virtual Assistant Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSACAIAB, Errand Running & Task Assistance, with a secondary code of HSACAIAC, Household Management & Lifestyle Administration. Its NAICS code is 5611 and its SIC code is 7363.