Project Based Support
An experienced pair of hands when you need them, without another permanent hire.
Sometimes you don’t need ongoing support. You need someone capable to step in for a defined period, understand what matters and keep things moving.
I provide short-term business support for independent business owners during planned leave, projects, transitions and other periods when there’s simply more to hold than usual.
We agree on what I’m responsible for, how long you need me and what needs your involvement. Then I get on with it.
When Project Support makes sense
Planned leave
You’re taking a proper holiday, parental leave or some time away and need someone keeping an eye on the things that can’t wait until you return.
A busy period or project
There’s temporarily more happening than your usual capacity can comfortably hold, and you need experienced help to get through it.
A business transition
You’re moving, changing how the business operates, dealing with a team change or going through another period where an extra pair of capable hands would help.
Life happening outside the business
Family responsibilities, health, Defence life or something else needs more of your attention for a while, but the business still needs to function.
The common thread is simple: there’s a reason you need extra support, and there’s an end point.
What I can help with
Depending on what the business needs, I can help with things like:
- inbox triage and keeping important communication moving
- customer or member enquiries
- team and contractor coordination
- supplier and stakeholder follow-up
- keeping track of actions, deadlines and loose ends
- event or project coordination
- making sure the right things reach you and the rest can wait
- being a steady point of contact while you’re unavailable
The exact scope is agreed before we start. I’m there to take responsibility for the things we’ve agreed are mine, not create another stream of questions for you to manage.
We get clear before I step in
Good short-term support needs some context.
Before I step into the business, we’ll make sure I understand what I’m responsible for, who the key people are, what needs your attention and what I can deal with myself.
For new clients, that usually starts with a Business Support Strategy Session. If we’ve already worked together and I know the business, we can decide whether another session is actually necessary.
Then we’ll agree on the scope, timeframe, communication and handover before the support period begins.
What Project Support doesn’t include
Project Support doesn’t include bookkeeping or financial work, content and social media management, specialist technical builds or automation work, or 24/7 availability.
It also isn’t an ongoing VA or operations retainer. If what you really need is permanent support in the business, I’ll help you work out what that role looks like and can connect you with someone through Support Connection.
I love how Amber thinks for me … I can simply tell her the outcome I’m looking for, and she figures out the rest .. with ease, without drama and with finesse.
Investment and availability
Project Support is quoted to scope.
Pricing depends on the length of the support period, what I’m responsible for and how actively I need to be involved.
Light-touch cover starts from $255 per week, with more involved project and operational support quoted separately.
You’ll know the full cost and agreed scope before we begin. I don’t bill you for every six-minute increment or leave you wondering what the final invoice will be.
This is by application only — I cap project work to keep support high-touch and ensure you’re not competing for bandwidth.
Is this the kind of support you need?
Project Support works best when you have an established business, a reasonably clear reason for needing extra capacity and a defined period or outcome.
You don’t need everything beautifully documented before I arrive, but there does need to be enough structure and communication for me to make sensible decisions without constantly handing them back to you.
If you’re looking for indefinite weekly support, someone permanently embedded in the business or a general “whatever comes up” VA arrangement, this isn’t that.
If you’re not sure what you actually need yet, start with a Business Support Strategy Session.
WHY AMBER
I’m not interested in making myself indispensable.
I’m Amber Field, a Business Support Strategist with more than twenty years of experience across executive support, operations, customer and member experience, recruitment, administration, retail leadership and community building.
I can step into complicated situations, understand what matters, build relationships with the people involved and keep work moving without adding unnecessary noise.
But good operations support should not create another hidden dependency.
As I work, I notice where information lives only in somebody’s head, where responsibilities are unclear and where the business would struggle if one person became unavailable. Where it sits within scope, I help make the work easier to understand and hand over.
The goal is not for your business to rely on me instead of relying on you.
The goal is a business with clearer support around it.
frequently asked questions
Can I book you only to monitor my inbox while I’m away?
Potentially, but inbox cover is never only logging in and checking messages. We still need to agree on priorities, tone, escalation, authority and what happens when an email requires action elsewhere in the business. Small scopes are considered against the preparation and responsibility involved.
How far ahead should I enquire?
As early as practical. Project and leave cover require time to understand the business, agree on the scope and prepare a responsible handover. Last-minute support may not be possible, particularly around school holidays or existing client commitments.
Do all new clients need a Strategy Session?
Yes, before I accept operational responsibility inside a business I have not worked with. If we have worked together recently and the relevant knowledge is still current, we can review what has changed rather than automatically repeating the full process.
Can project support become ongoing?
It can be discussed, but it is not automatic. Ongoing Operations Support is limited to one client at a time and must fit my capacity, the business and the working relationship.
Will you work inside our existing systems?
Usually, yes. I work with the relevant tools already used by the business where they are suitable for the engagement. This service does not include rebuilding the technology stack or implementing complex automation.
Are you available after hours or on weekends?
No. Working hours, response expectations and escalation arrangements are agreed before the engagement. If the business genuinely requires round-the-clock coverage, it needs a different staffing model.
Can you manage our social media while we’re away?
No. Social media management and content creation are outside this service. I may coordinate with your existing marketing provider where that is part of the agreed operational scope.
What happens at the end of a project support window?
You receive a clear handover of what happened, what remains open, decisions made and anything that needs your attention. Where useful, I will also identify support or continuity gaps worth addressing before the next busy period or absence.
Ready to hand something over for a while?
Tell me what’s happening, when you need support and what you’d ideally like taken off your plate.
I’ll let you know whether Project Support is the right fit and what I’d suggest from there.