A Virtual Assistant is generally an entrepreneur who offers a number of administrative and other services to its clients. They are usually self-employed sole traders who work alone or with teams of sub-contractors. They mostly only operate on a remote basis.
We are slightly different in that we offer both remote or in-situ administrative support. Everyone that works for us, is employed (unless on a work experience placement) and on the National Living Wage.
The UK Society of Virtual Assistants has created a short video showing the most common tasks VAs undertake.
Though this is by no means extensive, it will give you a flavour. Have a look at our Services page to find out how we can help you.
Concierge Services differ from VA Services as they are for the benefit of any individual (rather than specifically business owners) living busy lives. Whether it’s arranging an MOT or supporting or arranging for a regular cleaning service, we are here for you. As you will see from our Services page, those living in Berkshire may also benefit from laundry pick-up and delivery support.
As part of this service, we will also be able to support those who are not computer literate and deal with any of the now ubiquitously “online” services. This will be particularly directed at supporting the senior citizens who struggle with the requirements of the digital era we now live in.
A Community Interest Company (CIC) sits halfway between a Charity and a Business. Ours is limited by Shares so it is closer to the business end of the spectrum. However, a minimum of 65% of any profits we make, will be donated to Graft Thames Valley, who are our partners.
All the work we do has the double value of helping our clients as well as helping our students (individuals who have been long-term unemployed due to illness or other barriers) who are keen to reenter mainstream employment but are uncertain about how to do this, or have skills gaps for the career they hope to develop for themselves.
Thank you so much.
There are many things you can do to help, depending on the time you have available, and your skillset. Here are a few ideas.
- Donate to us: Training is very expensive in terms of time taken away from our core business activity. Without additional funding, the growth of the business, and hence the possibility of getting more trainees back into work, will be slower as our clients' priorities must always come first. Every donation will help us to grow. Visit our GoFundMe page.
- Become a Director: we are looking for Directors to join us on our currently quarterly online meetings and help us grow.
- We are hoping to franchise in 5 years as we firmly believe that our business model is replicable in every county of the United Kingdom, but we will need help to get there.
- We are also hoping to become accredited training providers to be able to offer our own apprenticeships. We need help to get there.
- As a small start-up small business with no HR or Legal department. We would welcome any advice should complex matters arise.
- Volunteer for us: we are fully equipped for remote support so you would not need to be in the office with us. The kind of help we need most is in supporting our neurodiverse students. For some the training process, which involves learning forms of appropriate communication in the world of work as well as specific skills, can be more troubling than for others, and a friendly person to talk to to help them through the obstacles is invaluable. This role can take a lot of our time, but it is among the most worthwhile aspects of our work.
Any support you can give us, is most gratefully received. Please contact us to start a conversation with us.
Another good question.
At Time Gained our mission is to make our clients' lives easier. To do that we ensure that working with us is as convenient and flexible as possible.
It is for this reason that our contracts are both easy to draw up and terminate. We are also unique in that we charge by the minute and break down our invoices into different "task" areas to ensure that invoicing is accurate and informative.
Moreover, as a CIC (Community Interest Company) a minimum of 65% of any profits we make, will be donated to Graft Thames Valley, who are our partners.
All the work we do has the double value of helping our clients and individuals who have been long-term unemployed due to illness or other barriers and who are keen to reenter mainstream employment but are uncertain about how to do this, or have skills gaps for the career they hope to develop for themselves.
Depending on turnover, we offer anywhere between 10% and 20% discounts to Charities and Social Enterprises.
Contact us to find out more.
Ad-Hoc Contracts
Our base rate is £27.50 ph.
We charge by the minute and separate the types of tasks we perform for you on the invoice so you will be able to keep track of how we spend your time.
Retainer Contracts
Those who would like to have a set cost each month, for CashFlow purposes, will benefit from small discounts according to the number of hours agreed in the contract.
Contact us to find out more.
There is no real “industry standard” at the moment, though The UK Society of Virtual Assistants does give accreditation to those VAs who comply with the following:
- Have their T&Cs easily accessible on their website (NB: check for added costs and charges as some do not make these clear on their website but should always list them in their T&Cs).
- Have registered with the ICO as Data Controllers. Our Data Controller is Anna Aprea - ICO Registration Number ZB123440
- Have an up to date Privacy Policy on their website listing the Personal Data they collect from you and on what grounds.
- Have taken out suitable Professional Indemnity Insurance.
To this list, we would also add that VAs should demonstrate that they have taken as many precautions as possible against Cyber Threats.
Ultimately however, little is more telling than that undefinable "gut feeling" one gets by looking at a VA's website and speaking to them over the phone or in person.
NB: The UK Society of Virtual Assistants’ accreditation is not widely known in the industry, so making sure you know what guarantees a VA should offer remains important as there are excellent VAs out there who are not members. We submitted our application for accreditation in September 2021 and expect to hear back from them before the end of November.
No. We are a registered company in our own right.
If you are concerned about the IR35 legislation, contact us or read 10 things to know about IR35 which is a useful blog from KoffeeKlatch which should reassure you.
Firstly, well done for taking the first step. We know how hard it is.
Delegating doesn't come naturally to everyone, but it is essential to growth. Many talk about it. Brendon Burchard, a US "high-performance coach", is one we quite like. In his blog on avoiding burnout, he says "delegate as much as possible so you can focus on your top priorities". He includes in this, the importance of a good work-life balance which is everything we believe in.
That said, we believe knowing what to outsource is often a skill in itself. The general advice is to outsource:
- Tasks you have no expertise in
- Tasks that are time consuming and repetitive
- Tasks that you don't like doing
This requires you to think about what you are aspiring to achieve, what you need to get there, and what impediments are in your way (including personal!).
The UK Society of Virtual Assistants has produced a useful guide to "Working with a VA" that we find quite helpful. But ultimately, what to delegate is a very subjective question.
As you can imagine, we know a lot on the subject so feel free to contact us for a commitment-free conversation.