Why hire a VA?
I am good at what I do. That means you can delegate tasks to me and be assured that it will be done when you need it. This then frees you to do what’s important – getting on with your life or adding value to your business. Hiring a VA is also great when you need some work completed, but there is not enough to justify hiring a full time employee. Critically, it is also much easier to hire a VA than to go through the lengthy hiring process to onboard a new employee, and it’s also much easier to stop as well.
Why is the hourly rate so high?
My rates may seem high initially but that’s because it is the only price you pay. I cover my own equipment, overheads and insurance. You also don’t need to pay pension contributions, national insurance, holiday & sick pay, HR, and employee benefits such as health insurance. In addition, you only pay for the hours you need, so no cost is “wasted”.
How does the process work?
After your initial contact, we’ll have a discovery call where we will discuss what support you need, when you need it and for how long. I will then send through a contract detailing what we’ve agreed for you to sign. Once everything is signed, I can begin!
For retainer packages, the monthly hours are not carried forward to the next month. I will send you a reminder if you have any leftover hours towards the end of the month, or if you have used up the agreed hours and need more.
How does payment work?
For first time customers, I require a 50% deposit before I start work. After the task is complete, I will issue you an invoice which will require payment within 7 days.
For retainer packages, I require the payment at the start of the month. The hours are reserved for a calendar month from the billing date.
My preferred method of payment is via bank transfer, which I will share in my booking form and invoice. If this doesn’t work for you, we can discuss other payment methods during our discovery call.
How do you track the hours?
I use a software called Toggl Track, which will allow me to log hours against tasks. I round to the nearest 15 minutes when invoicing.
What if you are sick or go on holiday?
I will try to minimise the impact to you. Where possible, I will continue with my tasks so that you won’t be able to tell the difference. However, if I think I cannot maintain the level of support you require, I will discuss with you (at no cost to you of course!) on how best to support you during this period. I will refund any hours that you do not use as a result of my absence on any package.
What if I want to stop?
I appreciate that sometimes things don’t work out, or you no longer need my services. For Ad-hoc, Proofreading or Project packages, there is no notice period to stop my work, but I will invoice you for any hours already worked. I will then refund any unused hours that you have already paid for.
For retainer packages, as you pay upfront for the month ahead to reserve my hours, I will be unable to offer a refund as my hours are already reserved. I will work with you so you can make the most out of those hours in your last month with me.