FAQ

Hi, I'm Sherri. I appreciate your interest in working with me. Below you will find answers to my most frequently asked questions.

What is your cancellation policy?

If a client terminates a project, prior to the start date, the client agrees to pay a kill-fee of $300. If the kill-fee is less than the initial payment the client made, the client will receive a refund for the excess amount.
If a client terminates or reschedules a Consultation less than 24 hours before the Consultation is to begin, there will be a fee of $15.

Do you work with businesses that are only located in Ohio?

No, I work with businesses throughout the United States.

How do I pay you?

You can purchase most services, and workshops directly through my website. You can purchase all courses through my website.
If I've provided a custom quote for a service, I will also provide a link to pay by credit card.

Will I receive updates about my project?

During our initial consultation, we will determine the time frame you'd like to be updated about the service I am providing for you.

Will my intellectual property be secure?

The client owns the intellectual property rights for every service I provide because they pay for the service. The contract that is signed with each client contains a confidentiality clause and a non-compete agreement.

What is your shipping policy?

Physical products, such as self-defense products will be shipped within 3 business days after they're purchased; excluding Holidays.
Physical products, such as merchandise are based on the manufacturers policy. (i.e. Printify)
Digital products are available for immediate download and will not be shipped.

What are your office hours?

Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm excluding New Year's Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas eve, Christmas Day, Day after Christmas, New Year's Eve.
I'm located in Adams County, Ohio and office hours are based on EST.

What is your OPT-IN policy?

Every customer who purchases a service, course, workshop, product, or merchandise is automatically opted-in to receive emails from me so that I can communicate with them about their purchase and/or shipping.
For customers who sign-up for my newsletter, they will only receive content related to the topic they want to hear about. My intent is not to spam or overwhelm anyone's inbox.
Customers are able to opt-out at any time.

What is your refund policy?

For digital downloads, all sales are final and returns are not available because they're available immediately upon purchase for download.
For physical products, such as self-defense products, all sales are final and returns are not available because these are the last of my inventory products from Damsel in Defense. I'm no longer a representative for that company.
For physical products, such as merchandise, it's based upon the policies of the merchant, such as Printify and Spreadshop.
For courses, all sales are final and returns are not available because they're available immediately upon for purchase to begin.
Review the contract for services and workshops regarding refunds.

How can I contact you?

Click the Contact Me link on my website to send me an email. It's my primary form of communication so that I can stay on-track and focused while performing services for clients.
I respond to emails by the end of business each day.
You can also purchase a consultation. Once its purchased, a link will be immediately emailed to you to schedule an appointment that's convenient for you.

Do you accept rush projects?

Projects on a tight deadline can generally be completed within 24-72 hours; depending on the scope of the project.
Rush projects will include an additional fee equaling 30% of the original cost of the project.
Rush projects that require me to work through the weekend or a Holiday, will include an additional fee equaling 50% of the original cost of the project.

Do you accept monthly or recurring projects?

Yes, I provide monthly services, services that recur quarterly or once a year. During our initial consultation, after you've purchased a service, we can discuss the time-frame you need for on-going services so I can carve out that recurring time on my schedule for you.

What is your revision process?

Services that require revisions have two revisions included within the price of the service.
Additional revisions can be requested for an additional fee.
If revision requests aren't received within 5 business days of the project submission to the client, it will be assumed the project is satisfactory and no revisions are necessary.
Additional fees will apply if revisions are requested after the 5-day window has closed.

What's the difference between copywriting and content writing?

Copywriting is a delivery of words made by strategy that result in an action being taken by the reader, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter and/or sharing content. It's ideal for website, sales funnels, blogs, newsletters, brochures, ads, products, services, workshops, and courses.
Content writing is a delivery of words to create a connection with the reader and invoke feelings through storytelling. It's ideal for engaging an audience, positioning a business or its owner as an industry leader and growing an audience.

What small businesses do you work with?

I have worked with business owners in a variety of industries, such as economic development, orthotic & prosthetic facilities, food & food service, mortgage/title/finance, lawn care/snow removal, home building/remodeling, real estate brokers/agents/investors, property managers, real estate publications, natural product developers, homeopathic providers, physical therapists, rehab/extended care facilities, home health providers, architects, commercial/residential builders, event coordinators, event venues, fitness facilities, physicians, chiropractors, traveling nurses, etc.
I have worked with entrepreneurs with various home-based businesses, such as writers, authors, bloggers, journalists, photographers, campground owners, direct sales representatives, homesteaders, meat processing facilities, home school groups, Etsy shop creatives, artists of many types, woolen textile mills, artisans of many types, private investigators, self-defense instructors, etc.
I have worked with a wide variety of nonprofits, such as women's shelters, men's shelters, genealogy societies, historical societies, children's homes, child trafficking organizations.

What is an Online Business Manager; OBM?

OBM's are utilized by existing business owners through management, strategy, and implementation. They're considered more of an extension of the business owner because they immerse themselves in the owner's mission, goals, and end vision for the company. OBM's are leaders, strategic thinkers, and impact drivers.
As an OBM, I help entrepreneurs start their businesses. I help existing business owners optimize their current businesses and set it up for growth and expansion. I help manage daily tasks, manage monthly or special projects, implement and track budgets, implement and track statistics, analyze profit and loss statements, and make projections. I help business owners determine what makes them money and what improvements can be made in order to expand their bottom line.

What is Virtual Assistant; VA?

VA's are utilized by new and existing business owners due to their skill set of organizing, creating, and automating. They assist the business owner, or one of their team members, through delegable tasks or projects that need to be repeated on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. VA's are operational experts and stay up-to-date on all the new technologies and techniques available for businesses to automate and thrive.
As a VA, I help create tasks and projects that a business owner or their team doesn't have time to do. I help organize those tasks or projects by priority in order to accomplish. I help automate tasks and projects into an optimum workflow. I assist business owners through accomplishing tasks for them on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. I also assist with projects in the same manner.

What are the benefits of hiring Sherri Smith, Sherri Fowler, LLC, owner/founder of SherriFowler.com?

There are several benefits to small business owners when they hire me: (1) My services are a tax deduction to a business owner. Yes, you really can claim the services, workshops, templates, forms, and products you purchase from me as an expense. (2) Every service I provide is on an as-needed basis. The benefit to that is that business owners only pay for the service they need, when they need it. (3) Business owners hire me as an independent contractor. The benefit to that is that when business owners pay me they don't pay me as an employee which means there's no payroll taxes, paid days off, or benefits package. (4) I'm a home-based business. The benefit to that is that my overhead is low which in turn is the reason I'm able to keep my prices low.
All of the above, of course, has not only been a way to benefit my clients, but has also been a way to support myself and my family for over three decades.
Over the years I’ve had thousands of initial conversations with clients that have all been very similar; they thought they were too small of a business to be able to afford to hire an assistant. Yet, they were also struggling to do EVERY THING themselves.
That’s where I come in. Supporting small business owners is the reason I began my business. My desire to help them hasn’t changed in over thirty years. My support services allow the small business owner to focus on the most important tasks of any business, the ones that produce revenue.
My education is in accounting, business, finance, real estate and creative writing. My career choices, creativity, plus my love for numbers, data, research and writing are what make me unique to freelancing.
My passion for entrepreneurship, organization, problem solving, business systems and workflows have helped me serve my clients well while also building a sustainable business that’s been full of long-term clients for over 30 years.
What makes me unique? My background in the Credit Bureau industry; reporting analyst, project management, data specialist, and customer interviews.
My background in the Surveying and Engineering industry; title research, plat map research, deed transfer research, deed restrictions research, will and probate research.
My background in Accounting; investor accounting specialist, investment analyst, researcher, and client interviews.
My background in the Medical field; orthotics and prosthetics, research, bookkeeping, business analyst, billing specialist, marketing coordinator, data analyst, and office management.
My background in the Real Estate industry; leasing specialist, multi-award winning Realtor®, new agent trainer, international broker data analyst, real estate investor, business projections, profit and loss analyst, landlord, investment property management, flipper, marketing, and researcher.
My love for family history took me into the Genealogy field; historic and period research, lineage research, archival and record research, cemetery research, mapping and recording research, and interviews.