FAQS

1. What is a Virtual Assistant?

According to US-based vanetworking.com “A Virtual Assistant (VA) is a highly-skilled, independent professional who remotely provides administrative, technical and/or creative business support services”. A VA may use an alternative descriptive (often creative) term to describe themsleves & their role (I compiled a list of more than 50) as the services provided are very varied & often need specialist skills & experience. Therefore, anyone providing services &/or support to other business owners may refer to themselves as a VA, but for support outside of core admin & secretarial work, the provider will likely use a different title – Chaos Tamer anyone? Also remember that Virtual Assistants are all business owners too, so we’re never ‘just an admin‘!

2. Are there men Virtual Assistants?

Yes! Granted not so many as female Vas (as in employed Executive Assistant roles), but we do have some committed blokes amongst us & professionals who identify as another gender. According to the 2021 UK SVA report, 97.7% of Vas are female, 2.1% are male, with 0.2% identifying as other.

3. What services does a Virtual Assistant provide?

The term Virtual Assistant covers a wide range of skilled & experienced professionals delivering many different services. One VA may support clients with admin & secretarial tasks, whilst others specialise in social media management, digital marketing, website development, copywriting, graphic design, project management, SEO & analytics, email marketing, online stores, launch strategies etc. Download my guide of 150 Tasks You Can Delegate to a Virtual Support Professional for more ideas of how a Virtual Assistant can support business owners & entrepreneurs.

4. What are the benefits of using a Virtual Assistant?

Outsourcing the tasks that you either don’t like to do, find difficult or just too time-consuming will free-up your time to work on your business & not get bogged-down by all the operational necessities. Doing what you love in your business & delegating the rest is a smarter way to run a successful business. VA support is a valid business expence & we work very flexibly, provide our own equipment & don’t require holiday or sick pay. Hiring a Virtual Assistant can be a much better alternative to employing a worker. I encourage you to try it for a few hours per month!

5. What kind of business owner hires a Virtual Assistant?

Ambitious business owners & entrepreneurs will contract a VA & the size of the operation doesn’t matter. I’ve worked with coaches & consultants operating from their back bedroom; CEOs of large organisations (who prefers the confidentiality of an independent VA); leaders of admin stretched third sector enterprises; non-exetutive directors & semi-retired professionals; holistic therapists; financial advisors; trainers & online retailers.

6. What happens after I’ve spoken with a Virtual Assistant?

After your consultation with a VA, you will receive a written summary of the discussion & proposal. Should you wish to hire the Virtual Assistant, you will then be sent a Client Contract & Confidentiality Agreement to sign & return. A good VA will also consider signing any non-disclosure that you provide. Please don’t take advantage of our obliging VA nature to book more 121 calls without actually contracting paid support & assistance. Alternatively, you may find further calls are chargeable, or be offered as a paid Power Hour of one-off strategic support.

7. Can I afford a Virtual Assistant?

Yes, you can! A Virtual Assistant is a valid business expense. If you can make more per hour/month than the VA charges, then you can afford a VA. Some Virtual Assistants charge by the hour, or part hour, many others offer block bookings & packages, but either-way, you can budget for the support. If you want to increase your productivity, grow your business & achieve your goals, whether monetary, or an improved work/life balance, you will benefit from the assistance of a VA.

8. What will a Virtual Assistant charge?

That depends upon the skills & experience of the VA & the support you require. As Virtual Assistant is an-all encompassing description for online support professionals, some very specialist services will come at a higher price than more general admin assistance. We all know that the cheapest won’t necessarily be the best. Your needs are unique so you will need to do some research, ask your contacts for their experience & be prepared to speak to more than one VA before making a decision.

9. Will you charge for responding to my emails & our phone conversations?

After the initial free consultation, time taken to read & respond to emails, or for client phone calls, will be logged as chargeable time. If you are on a block booking, then these actions will fall within the support hours, if paying ad-hoc, then the time will be logged & recorded on your timesheet. Remember that any time taken to complete your work has to be scheduled alongside other clients’ tasks & answering a phone call may disrupt focus being given elsewhere.

10. What do I need to start working with a Virtual Assistant?

A VA will provide their own essential equipment such as PC, phone, printer/scanner, insurance, office software & other apps etc. If you need the VA to use a specialist application particular to your business or sector, then you should provide this & any necessary training. Otherwise, you just need a trusting attitude, the ability to delegate, a little time to onboard the VA & patience whilst they get to grips with necessary tasks required by you & your business. You will then be rewarded with invaluable support & a great professional relationship.

11. Do you have any accreditation?

There is currently no official accreditation for Virtual Assistants in the UK. However, before starting their business, most VAs have many years experience (& perhaps qualifications) from their previous employed work. There are a number of VA trainers & training courses that some VAs will have undertaken, with the most credible approved by the UK Society of Virtual Assistants. UK SVA also have a directory of VAs who are required to fulfil certain professional operating criteria to be included.

12. What training have you completed to be a Virtual Assistant?

More than 10 years ago, as a new VA, I trained with VACT, the Virtual Assistant Coaching & Training Company & have continued to access other courses provided by VACT & also other providers. There are a number of VA trainers providing courses, coaching & mentoring, but not all VAs have completed these, or deem them necessary. Most Virtual Assistants have many years experience in their particular line of work, gained from time employed, so don’t necessarily need a VA course, but may have benefitted from training on how to run a successful business. Not having taken training does not make a difference to whether a VA is competent to provide the services they offer to clients.

13. How do I know what skills & experience a VA has?

A Virtual Assistant is a business owner so when sourcing a suitable VA, it’s not appropriate to ask for a CV. However, during the initial consulation, the VA should be able to demonstrate their experience & provide examples of how they have assisted clients. Check out their Linkedin profile for details of previous employment & experience & any testimonials received.

14. Do you have any references?

I have testimonials from clients that I have assisted during the past decade & these can be viewed on my website & Linkedin profile. A new VA should have some recommendations from colleagues, previous employers or other people they have worked with or for. A credible VA should also be able to connect you with one of their current or past clients so you can obtain feedback to determine their standard of work.

15. How did you become a Virtual Assistant?

Personally, my hubby & I had a dream to live abroad, in Portugal, before we retired, so as far back as the turn of the century, I’d explored ways to earn a living in a foreign country & being a VA was one option. When I was made redundant at the beginning of 2010, this fourth redundancy in ten years was one too many! I was still living in the UK, but instead of looking for another employed role, I setup as a Virtual Assistant. After finishing employed work on the Friday, I had a consultation with a new client on the Monday!

16. How long have you been a Virtual Assistant?

I officialy started as a Virtual Assistant in May 2010, so have been working as a VA for more than ten years now. Initially trading from the UK, I did undertake onsite work, but since Autumn 2017, I’ve been working 100% remotely assisting clients from homes in Portugal & Spain. Being a VA enables me to choose where I live & technology has advanced so much in a decade that it’s now far easier to support clients online.

17. What’s the difference between an employee & a Virtual Assistant?

A Virtual Assistant is a self-employed freelancer & will work flexible hours for a number of different clients. A VA is responsible for their own income & expenses, to submit accounts & tax returns, pay their own National Insurance & pension contributions & provide their own equipment. The client doesn’t have to pay a VA for their holidays or periods of sickness. A Virtual Assistant is a valid business expense & notice to terminate any working agreement by the client or VA, is dependent upon the contract between you. When employing someone, there are certain regulations to abide-by, a wage or salary needs to be paid, you will need to cover the worker’s holidays & sickness, also provide pension options & it may be very difficut to terminate any employment contract. An employee will also work set hours each week or month, whilst a VA is much more flexible.

18. Do you have insurance?

Yes, I have Professional Indemnity insurance. All professional VAs will have valid insurance cover, including Public Liability, if they plan to work onsite. UK VAs will also be registered with the ICO for GDPR & any other bodies appropriate to the sector in which they offer support, money laundering for example. I continue to register with the ICO to demonstrate to clients that I adhere to GDPR in all aspects of my work.

19. Will I need to sign a contract?

Yes, I & any credible VA will issue a Client Contract or Agreement stating the terms of work, e.g. rate charged, travel & other expences, invoice & payment terms, hours & days worked, contact details, insurance liability, force majure & mutual notice period required to terminate the contract. A VA may also issue a Confidentiality & Data Processing Agreement.

20. What are your payment terms?

Depending upon the work agreed, payment terms may be up-front on a retainer, a proportion up-front for project work with monthly invoices, or the remainder at project end, or possibly two-weekly or monthly invoices for ad-hoc tasks. The terms may be different between individual Virtual Assistants & will be agreed between the client & VA when the contract is signed.

21. Do I have to pay up-front, before the VA starts my work?

Yes, it’s very likely that clients are on a retainer or block booking with payment for the agreed monthly hours paid up-front before any work begins. However, VAs operate their businesses differently so payment terms will not be the same for all & some may invoice at month-end.

22. What are your business hours?

My core hours of business are 8.30am – 4.30pm UK time Monday to Friday. However, I can be available to work outside these hours by prior agreement. Depending upon the client’s work, I may be able to choose when it’s completed to suit my particular schedule. Other VAs may wish to work evenings or weekends & this will all be agreed at the outset & when the contract is signed. Alternatively, you may wish to contract a VA in a different time-zone.

23. Does a Virtual Assistant work weekends?

Some VAs are setting-up in business around other commitments, so will prefer, or only be available at weekends &/or working 5-9 in the evenings. Other VAs want to work during usual office hours so will likely charge a premium for any tasks outside these core hours. You will need to liaise with, or negotiate this with your VA.

24. How many hours work do I need to give my VA?

Some VAs are happy to work on a ad-hoc basis & may charge by a proportion of an hour, e.g. in 15 minute intervals, so you don’t have to provide your VA with lots of hours. However, in order to manage their workload from a number of clients, many VAs provide retainers or block bookings which includes support up-to a certain number of hours per month e.g. 10 or 20 hours each month. Knowing the cost for support also helps the client to budget each month. Discuss these details at your initial consultation.

25. Do you charge for replying to my emails, phone calls or our meetings?

Any time taken by a VA communicating with clients is likely to be charged as, working with one client is time that cannot be spent working with another. If you pay a retainer, then time taken replying to emails, phone calls & meetings will be included in the monthly cost. A VA may offer a periodic update, feedback, or strategy call without charge.

26. What happens if I want urgent work completing?

As your VA may be working on urgent work for another client,they may not have the capacity to complete super urgent requests. You will need to communicate & discuss your requirements & expecations with your VA who may be prepapred to work extra or out of hours for you, but likely at an additional cost.

27. Why do you want to work with me?

Only after an initial consultation will you & a VA know whether you are a good fit & mutually want to work together. Just as you may feel the VA is not right for you or your business, a VA may decline to take you on as a client. An open & honest conversation to discuss anticipated work, hours, charges & expectations is necessary to decide whether support will begin.

28. Do you have an interest in my sector?

It’s highly likely that a Virtual Assistant will have an interest in your sector & they will have the necessary knowledge & experience in order to be able to support you well. However, depending upon the tasks required (which can be similar across industries), a VA without knowledge of your sector may well be perfectly capable of assisting & supporting you.

29. Will my VA undertake personal tasks for me?

This depends upon the support the VA provides & what you have both agreed. If you know you will need support with personal tasks, then make this clear on the initial consulation. Some VAs specialise in concierge services, whilst others won’t entertain this. If you have a good relationship with your VA & require some assistance with personal tasks, then ask, but don’t be surprised if the VA declines. A good VA however, will be able to provide the details of colleagues providing personal support.

30. How do you ensure you work professionally?

All Virtual Assistants should work professionally as being a great VA is their livelihood! Before you contract a VA, check if they have a website, are adequately insured & registered with necessary agencies (e.g. for GDPR or money laundering), have a comprehensive Linkedin profile, are seen to be professional across other social media posts, have great testimonials & provide suitable contracts & agreements.

31. How do you ensure you keep my information secure?

Ask your VA exactly what security measures they have in place, e.g. virus protection, encrypted hard-drive, a VPN, password manager, backup facilities, if their equipment is for their sole-use etc. If you require extra security or encryption for your business or sector, then explain this during your initial consulation with the VA.

32. What backup provision do you have in case of tech & wifi problems?

I have two different computers, save files to the cloud, have separate daily online backup, can use my phone as a Wifi hotspot, have identified suitable venues with Wifi, use a VPN & have a number of computer professionals to contact in the event of any tech issues.

33. How many other clients do you have?

I have a number of clients on my books, but not all require weekly support. With more than a decade of experience assisting clients, I’m experienced in managing my workload to fulfil all demands. Clients on monthly retainers are prioritised, whilst regular communication ensure expectations are managed. I also have a large network of other VAs so can source additional support should this be required.

34. Are you working on your own projects?

As I work flexibly with clients, I choose the clients & hours that I wish to work. Like any business owner, I also need time to work on my business, to revise my goals, the support I provide, whether to upskill & take any appropriate training etc. Any personal projects will not be in competition with my clients, nor affect my productivity when undertaking client tasks.

35. What’s your turnaround time?

I respond to communication & requests from clients within 24 hours, however completing short-notice work may not be possible within this timescale. A discussion with the client to ascertain their requirements & expectations will be undertaken & a solution offered.

36. What tools do you use in your VA business?

Many! I use both Microsoft & Google email & office applications; OneDrive & Dropbox for file storage; Backblaze for daily online backups; Nord VPN; various email marketing tools & social media schedulers; Trello; OneNote; Shift; Canva; Capsule & I’m familiar with building & maintaining WordPress websites & using Divi. I love to learn new applications so am always adding to my skillset, or will do-so for a client.

37. Where are you located?

I’m a UK citizen, currently tax resident in Spain & therefore operating as a Spanish Autonomo. My invoices show both the Euro & GBP totals & I have bank accounts in the UK & Spain.

38. Do you have an office?

I work from my home office & do have pets, so there may be background noise from the dogs or parrot. Other VAs may work from separate or serviced office space & some do work onsite at their clients. The VA role is flexible so we all operate differently, but always professionally.

39. I work from home so can I still hire a Virtual Assistant?

Yes! I assist clients who work out of their home-office &, when in England, did work onsite there too. So long as the client isn’t operating illegally, then a VA can work with anyone, no-matter the size of their operation. In-fact, solopreneurs who are wanting to grow their business, or side-hustlers setting-up whilst working full-time, can really benefit from the flexible & pro-active assistance of a VA.

40. How long will it take to begin working with a VA?

If the VA has capacity, then work can begin as soon as the initial consulation has taken place & the contracts have been signed. It may take a little time for the VA to become used to a client’s work & the relationship to develop, especially if the client is too busy to handover, or just not used to delegating. More communication may be necessary at the outset, but things should then run much more smoothly without constant contact.

41. Can I hire more than one Virtual Assistant?

Of-course. Virtual Assistants have different skills, so depending upon your requirements, more than one VA may be necessary to complete all tasks. Better still, if the client contracts an Online Business Manager, the OBM can recruit & manage a virtual team.

42. I’m very disorganised so how will you keep me in check?

This will depend upon your business, but a pro-active VA will communicate regularly, by the method on which you have agreed, to remind & chase you to complete necessary tasks or keep to deadlines etc. Appropriate task management tools may also be implemented.

43. How do I know the VA is actually doing the work allocated?

It can be hard to trust, but you can be sure the VA is completing the work as requested. Daily updates can be requested, or use a project management tool which indicates progress of any work. If you are seeing real results following the assistance of a VA, then the work is being achieved. You are not necessarily paying for the VA’s time, but for their skills & experience, for your workload to be allieviated & improvement or results achieved in the areas you desire.

44. How do I know the time charged for is the time worked?

Many Virtual Assistants use a time-tracker so will include a report with the invoice. Alternatively, if you buy a block booking of hours, the VA will undertake & complete work within the time allocated. Remember that a VA may be able to complete a task quicker than it takes you, but also that some percieved simple work can actually be very time-consuming, research for example. You are buying peace of mind that the tasks that you don’t want, or cannot do, are efficiently completed.

45. How do you keep in touch with your clients?

I ask how my clients like to be contacted & also stress that email is not the best way for them to contact me for urgent requests as, in such cases, text or phone call is better. There are so many ways of keeping in-touch, with different apps available, therefore preferred communication methods will be agreed at the consultation. By open & honest conversations, the client & VA will ascertain what’s working best, or not.

46. How will I discuss my projects with a VA?

How would you like to discuss your projects with a VA? Whether by phone, on a video call, to include screen-sharing, or shared online project management tool, your VA will do their utmost to comply with your request & keep you updated accordingly. An efficient OBM will manage your projects & team.

47. What sort of work can I give to a Virtual Assistant?

More-or-less anything that doesn’t require your own input or presence. Virtual Assistants are skilled in many areas &, as business owners themsleves, are able to take on a myriad of tasks. Begin by the work that you don’t like to do, don’t have the necessary skills to complete, or that doesn’t directly bring in more revenue. It’s likely that you will delegate more & more work to your VA as you realise the benefit their support brings.

48. How do I share files with my VA?

Your VA will use whichever online filing system you currently use, or if you don’t have one, will be able to help your set-up a suitable system. In addition to MS Office 365’s OneDrive & the Drive connected to Google accounts, there are many file-sharing options such as Dropbox & Box. Emailing files backwards & forwards is not really the best option, but for sending particularly large files, then online applications such as WeTranser & WeSendIt are useful.

49. How can I share sensitive information with my VA?

There are various encryption options, whilst password managers allow you to share passwords & enable logins without the VA being able to see the details. You can provide your Virtual Assistant with access to any online storage system that you currently use in your business, usually with different levels of access & permissions.

50. Can I divert my phone to a Virtual Assistant?

Most Virtual Assistants don’t commit to answering a client’s calls due to supporting a number of different clients at the same time. However, there are dedicated call handling companies who can do this for you & will even send the message to your VA for action. Your VA will likely be able to recommend a call handling provider.

51. Do you work alone, or as part of a team?

Some VAs work alone, but with trusted associate colleagues who are able to step-in when necessary, e.g. when the lead VA is on holiday or sick. This is the model I use. Other Virtual Assistants run agencies so have a team of Vas who distribute the work between them. You will likely be allocated your own VA contact, but have the reassurance of continuity of support. The difference in these two models may be reflected in the prices charged.

52. Will you sub-contract my work to another VA?

Possibly, but only with your prior consent. If I don’t have the capacity or the skills to support you, then I will recommend you receive assistance from one of my associates. I will always be the lead VA & manage the work & relationship between you & my associate, but guarantee that you will receive the best possible support.

53. How much notice will I have to give to cancel my VA?

This will be determined by the terms in the contract you signed & agreed-to with the VA. My terms state 3 months notice of cancellation must be given by either party.

54. What should I do if if I don’t ‘get-on’ with my Virtual Assistant?

Speak to your VA & be honest with the difficulties experienced &, if a resolution cannot be found, you will both agree to part ways. The Virtual Assistant will likely be able to provide details of other VAs in their network who may suit you better. The VA may not want to continue working with you & we understand that not all business relationships work out.

55. What happens to my support if my VA takes a holiday or goes off sick?

A competent VA will ensure there is backup available, likely from an associate, to cover in the event of both planned & unexpected absences. Ask if your Virtual Assistant has any backup when you speak for the first time. If the VA is taking a planned holiday, then you may wish to manage without support until their return & that decision is unique to you & your Virtual Assistant.

56. Can I have a copy of your CV?

A Virtual Assistant is an independent business owner so isn’t ‘applying’ for a job. Therefore, it’s unlikely the VA will provide a traditional CV, but they may have a professional profile or portfolio. The best place to discover more about the VA’s skills & experience is via their Linkedin profile. Client testimonials can often be found here &/or on the VA’s website. If you feel the need to, then ask to be connected to an existing or previous client to obtain feedback too.

57. What do you love to to most & what would you never do again, given the choice?

I love email & diary management, thriving on ongoing work, seeing a client’s business grow & notice the difference my support makes. I hate tele-sales & cold-calling so will not accept this work from a client.

58. How do you ensure you’re always at the top of your game?

I follow the VA sector & conversations so being aware of anything new which will imporve the support I provide to clients. I also follow other sectors, receiving updates of pertinenent news & often take courses to upskill, or explore new apps. Frequent communication with clients enables me to question how they feel about my assistance & any recommendations to improve.

59. What do you do in a typical work week?

Manage clients’ inboxes & diary to schedule their calls & meetings; update websites & blogs; produce newsletters & updates to send via email marketing; produce & schedule social media posts; monitor stats & metrics; undertake online research; data input; record expenses; chase payment; create & amend literature & presentations; organise filing systems…

60. How do you like to spend your spare time?

I like to relax by reading or listening to audio books, by knitting or dressmaking & sewing. I chill out whilst walking my dogs & love to swim. I’m taking Spanish lessons & can also be found vegging in front of a film or binging on a favourite TV series. I’m partial to a glass of wine & cold beer in summer, especially if enjoyed with friends.