FAQ
What is a VA?
VAs are professional, self-employed people who provide services remotely. They offer services that would normally be done by a personal assistant in the offices, for example; admin support, call minding, message taking, diary management, filtering emails, bookkeeping, marketing, project support, typing, internet research, cold calling, etc. VAs have their own offices and equipment and are generally highly professional entrepreneurs.
Virtual assistants typically charge an hourly rate and some charge a monthly retainer. When setting their fees, virtual assistants need to take account of factors such as administrative costs and other expenses, tax, National Insurance (NI), holiday pay, and the number of days they expect to work each month because they aren’t employed by you it’s not YOUR job!
What are the advantages of using a VA?
Using a VA means you can concentrate on the business rather than the paperwork and admin. You get more time to do what you do best, without having to supervise, train or worry about staff.
VAs are flexible and available outside of normal hours. They have no minimum hour commitment and are only paid for the hours they work. This means you can keep control.
There are no recruitment or agency fees to pay. There are no additional tax, national insurance or employee benefits to worry about. If you do not employ anyone else other than the VA you may not need employer’s liability insurance, or pay someone to supervise your staff. You do not need to find workspace or equipment for a VA.
Do I need a VA?
VAs are not suitable for everyone, but if you answer yes to most of the following questions you should at least consider it.
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Do I spend too much time on administration when I should be talking to clients or building up business?
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Do I lose business because calls go to voicemail when I am out of the office?
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Do I spend valuable time on repetitive, mundane tasks that someone else could do more effectively and more cheaply?
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Do I want to avoid taking on staff, but need help with routine tasks?
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Is my office too small for more staff?
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Do I want to pay for resources as and when I use them to expand my business?
how much will a VA cost?
Our rates start from £30 and are cheaper if you sign up for one of our retainer packages, please see here for more information.
Isn't that a lot more than it would be if I was to employ someone?
Perhaps on the face of it yes but:
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you don’t have to worry about paying my sick pay if I’m poorly (if I don’t do the job I don’t get paid!)
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you don’t have to worry about paying my National Insurance because I pay my own!
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you don’t have to worry about paying taxes because again I pay my own!
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you don’t have to worry about getting me a desk, or a computer, or stationery… I have my own
So if you look at it like that… nope it’s in fact A LOT CHEAPER to hire me than a part-time/full-time employee.
Where are you based?
We are based in London, England. We do a lot our work virtually for clients all over the world however if you are local and would like to meet up then we can totally make that happen.
Can I book you for one single job?
Of course! Contracted clients do take precedent so if you want to guarantee time every month then this is the way to do so, however, ‘odd jobs’ are very much welcomed… feel free to get in touch and we can give you an estimated turnaround.
How do I pay?
All work, under a retainer or ad-hoc work, is paid upfront for the estimated duration.
Want to chat?
Feel free to get in touch for a free 15-minute consultation. You can email us directly HERE