FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is The Admin Commons?
For everyone The Admin Commons is a curated marketplace that connects experienced administrative professionals with leaders and organizations seeking reliable administrative support.
As a marketplace, The Admin Commons provides the infrastructure for discovery, communication, and secure payments, while working relationships are formed directly between clients and administrative professionals.
Can anyone join?
For everyone Anyone can create a free account and browse the platform.
To list your services as an administrative professional, you'll submit your listing for review. Our team reviews each listing to ensure it meets the platform's professional standards before it goes live — typically within 24–48 hours.
Clients can also create a free account and browse. To post a project, your listing is submitted for review and approval before it goes live.
How do I join?
For everyone Anyone can create a free account and browse the platform.
To list your services as an Administrative Professional, you'll submit your listing for review. We check that your services, experience, rates, and availability are specific and clearly stated. Listings are usually reviewed within two business days.
Clients can also create a free account and browse. To post a project, you'll submit it for review. We check that the scope is specific, the terms are stated, and the work is real and paid.
Every listing and every project is reviewed before going live. The entries below cover exactly what we check, and what we don't.
Is The Admin Commons an agency?
For everyone The Admin Commons is a marketplace rather than an agency. We connect clients and administrative professionals and provide the tools for you to work together, but agreements are made directly between the two of you.
The platform facilitates communication and payment and doesn't manage employment relationships.
How do I request access?
For everyone Creating an account is free and open to everyone. Simply sign up directly through the platform.
Once you have an account, you can browse listings right away. When you're ready to post a listing, whether as an administrative professional offering services or a client posting a project, you'll submit it for review. Our team typically reviews listings within 24 to 48 hours and will notify you once approved.
What do you check when you review my listing?
For administrative professionals Before your listing goes live, we check that:
- Your services are specific and clearly described. "Calendar and inbox management" is stronger than "administrative support"
- Your relevant experience is stated concretely, including the kinds of roles, organizations, or work you've supported
- Your rates and availability are stated openly, with no hidden terms
- Your profile is complete and professionally presented
- The listing doesn't solicit contact or payment outside the platform
- Nothing in the listing misrepresents experience, credentials, or capacity
If something doesn't meet the standard, we send it back with notes rather than rejecting it.
What does "reviewed" actually mean?
For everyone It means a person reads every listing and every project before it publishes. It's also worth being clear about what we don't do.
- We don't run background checks or credit checks on anyone.
- We don't independently verify employment history, references, or certifications.
- Our review is based on the listing itself. We don't look at outside profiles, portfolios, or websites unless the listing includes them, and we don't contact references.
- We don't screen Clients individually at registration. We review the projects they post.
- Deciding whether a particular Administrative Professional is right for your specific work is up to you. We don't make that call.
Review is a floor, not a guarantee. It removes the noise so the people you find here are worth your time to evaluate. The evaluation is still yours to do.
Can I browse before signing up?
For everyone The Admin Commons is a private, curated community, so you'll create a free account before browsing. Signing up takes a minute and is open to everyone. It's simply how we keep the space members-only. Once you're in, you can browse listings right away. You only need to be approved if you want to post a service, respond to a project, or complete a transaction.
What does the review process involve?
For everyone Every listing is reviewed by our team before it goes live. We're looking for clear, professional listings from people who take the work seriously. Accurate descriptions of services or needs, relevant experience, and the professionalism we hold everyone to. It's not a barrier. It's how we keep the standard consistent for everyone in the community.
How do payments work?
For everyone All payments are processed securely through Stripe within the platform.
Here's the flow from start to finish. A client and an administrative professional agree on scope and price through the platform. Either the client requests a quote on a service listing, or an administrative professional responds to a posted project with an offer. Once the client accepts the offer, they pay for it at checkout. That payment is held securely and released to the administrative professional once the work has been delivered and accepted. Keeping payment on the platform gives both sides a clear record and a layer of protection.
The Admin Commons earns a 10% commission on completed transactions, which keeps the platform running and the community curated.
When do I pay-before or after the work is done?
For clients You pay up front, when you accept the offer. After you and the administrative professional agree on scope and price, you complete payment at checkout, before the work begins.
Your payment isn't handed straight to the administrative professional, though. It's held securely through the platform and released to them once the work has been delivered and you've accepted it. If a delivery isn't marked complete within the platform's delivery window, the transaction is automatically canceled and you're refunded. That structure protects both sides. The administrative professional knows the funds are committed before they start, and you know the money isn't released until the work is done.
What fees does The Admin Commons charge?
For everyone The platform earns a small commission on transactions processed through Stripe Connect. This is the only fee, and it's shown transparently before any transaction.
What happens if I'm not satisfied with an administrative professional's work?
For clients When work is delivered, you don't have to accept it as-is. If it doesn't match what you agreed on, you can request changes before the transaction is completed, and the administrative professional can revise and re-deliver. Payment isn't released until you accept the delivered work, so you're not paying out for something that isn't right.
We also recommend agreeing on clear scope, deliverables, and check-in points at the start. It prevents most problems before they happen. Because The Admin Commons is a connection platform and not a party to the agreement, the working relationship is between you and the administrative professional directly, but the platform's structure is built to keep that relationship fair.
How are disputes handled?
For everyone The Admin Commons provides the communication and payment infrastructure, but service agreements are made directly between clients and administrative professionals.
If issues arise, both parties are encouraged to resolve them directly through the platform's messaging system. Payment records and agreed terms remain documented within the system.
What if an administrative professional isn't responsive?
For clients Every member is reviewed before joining, and responsiveness is part of the professionalism we look for. Before you've agreed to work together, there's no obligation. If someone you've reached out to isn't replying, you're free to request a quote from others.
Once you've paid for an offer, you're still protected. If the administrative professional doesn't deliver within the platform's delivery window, the transaction is automatically canceled and you're refunded in full. And if you experience a member who's consistently unresponsive, let us know. It factors into their standing in the community.
Can I hire an administrative professional directly, off the platform?
For clients Yes. If you and your administrative professional decide to work together directly outside of The Admin Commons within 12 months of your first introduction through our platform, this is considered a Conversion.
If this happens, both the client and the administrative professional agree to notify The Admin Commons in writing within 5 business days. A one-time Conversion Fee of $750 is due when the direct working relationship begins.
This policy applies to any employment, independent contractor, consulting, or other direct working arrangement established outside of The Admin Commons during the 12-month period.
Can Clients post projects?
For clients Yes. Approved clients can either browse administrative professional profiles directly or post a project outlining their needs and receive responses from administrative professionals in the community.
Can administrative professionals respond to projects?
For administrative professionals Yes. Administrative professionals can publish their own service listings and respond to posted projects that match their expertise.
Why is the platform curated?
For everyone The Admin Commons was built to prioritize professionalism, integrity, and trust.
The listing review process helps maintain consistent standards across the community and supports long-term working relationships rather than high-volume, anonymous transactions.