Frequently Asked Questions

Virtual Assistants are by definition independent contractors who work for clients using their own equipment, and operate from their own home based office. Because I am a business owner myself, I can provide a service that is both specialised and varied, and the benefits of partnering with Virtual By Traci includes: Scalable Solutions: they can scale up when you get busy, or scale back when things slow down Flexible Services: most VAs are not bound by traditional work hours and can be available at times that suit everyone. This may mean that urgent tasks can be attended to in a much more responsive fashion (even on weekends or out of standard hours if it’s possible) Well Connected: even though VAs are self-employed, it doesn’t mean that they are working alone. In fact, many will have a wide network of collaborative VAs to tap into for services outside your VAs scope.

I provide my services so that they are flexibly structured around my clients and other commitments. This is something we discuss in detail, and agree on before moving forward.

Depending on the task/s being covered, we can decide on either: Hourly rate – time is tracked using a software app that allows me to provide you with a ‘to the minute’ report, and I charge only for the time spent on the task/s, or Outcomes based package – this is a great way to go when we have a good indication of the regular work outcomes required, and the way it works is on a flat rate based on the agreed weekly, fortnightly or monthly outcomes, or Pre-paid package – this is where you purchase a block of time and pay in advance. Time is tracked, and a report is provided for your records.

The simple answer is that you save on overheads and only pay for the hours you need. It’s true that, when comparing the hourly rates between VAs and an employee's, hiring a member of staff may seem much more cost effective at first glance. But what a lot of people often forget is that on top of an employee’s hourly rate are overheads. If you calculate the added costs of having an employee and the benefits you are required to pay in addition to their wage, you’ll find that having staff members is a much higher expense to your business than engaging a VA. A VAs hourly rate is a true reflection of the amount owed for work done with no hidden costs. Also worth mentioning is that we don’t have to stick to conventional hours, we don’t have to fill in an entire shift and we can adapt to either an increased or decreased workload, depending on the needs of our clients. There’s no ‘wasted’ time spent on office distractions and no meal breaks to cover. We are responsible for our own upskilling and training, in our own time and can adapt to use any platform, program or software that their client already utilises. Being self-employed means that overheads do not come at the expense of the client. We are responsible for our own taxes, superannuation, holiday and sick pay. There’s no overtime to calculate or fringe benefits and we provide all our own equipment and supplies.