Hey there! We noticed that a lot of you are still curious about what it’s like to work with a VA agency. We get asked some questions pretty often, so we’ve decided to start a new series of blog posts all about these VA FAQs!
If you’ve been considering working with a VA but wondering how they would fit into your established workflows and processes, we hope this helps you! We’ll be rounding up some common questions to give you a better understanding of how VA agencies work. So without further ado, let’s get started!
FAQ #1: How Can I Communicate With My VA?
You'll likely be using something more advanced than the ol' cups and strings.
Communicating with a VA agency isn’t all that different from talking to your team online. Most VA agencies are flexible, so they can meet you wherever you are, whether your team uses Slack, Messenger, Whatsapp, or project management and productivity software like Trello or Asana.
More often than not, VA agencies will have their own platforms for internal communication. Now, this won’t interfere with how you get in touch with your VAs. They will usually invite you onto the platform they use, or have an efficient relay system in place to pass on all your instructions.
The bottom line is, a reputable company has the organization, experience, and processes in place to work seamlessly alongside yours and make communication as smooth as possible.
FAQ #2: What Is The Turnaround Time for Tasks?
Time can fly or it can crawl. It's all a matter of perspective.
This one is a bit tricky. The nature of the task will ultimately affect how long it takes to deliver the finished product, but VA agencies usually have established timelines for more common tasks, such as social media or video content creation, video editing, or market research.
Most tasks shouldn’t take more than a day or two to complete, as VA agencies strive to minimize working time while maximizing output quality. But keep in mind that the scope and complexity of a task will contribute to the turnaround time.
If a task is urgent, communication is key! We suggest hammering down the deadline with your VAs first to make sure they prioritize it. Likewise, if you have multiple tasks going on simultaneously, let your VAs know which one you need to be completed first.
FAQ #3: How will I be billed?
Get that checkbook ready.
The billing system for VA agencies varies because they often cater to businesses of all sizes. Make sure to consider this when scouting for agencies to work with.
Some companies use fixed-rate billing, which is what’s commonly used for in-house staff. This means that, regardless of the actual time spent on any given project, they are guaranteed the same amount of pay.
Most, but not all, VA agencies, like TopVA, use what’s called productive hours. The general rule here is that you will only be billed for productive hours—the time that your VAs spend working on your requirements, and nothing else! You don’t pay for breaks, sick leave, or anything else besides the hours they spend working on your tasks.
Closing Statements
Time to wrap this up.
And that concludes the first entry into our new series of VA FAQ blog posts! We hope we cleared up a few things for you and made the idea of working with a VA a little less intimidating.
So with that in mind, if you or anyone you know could use a little help keeping their small or medium-sized business running, feel free to reach out to us via our website!
And stay tuned for the next VA FAQ blog post!
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