FAQs

Virtual assistant

General

  • Good question! One of the main benefits of hiring a virtual assistant is that we’re able to provide much more flexible and customisable support than on-site administration staff.

    This is especially good for small businesses who want regular help, but can’t afford (or don’t really need) the two hour minimum shift, each day, that comes with hiring an employee.

    The flexible nature of Offsiters means we can spread as little as two hours across an entire week, so you get regular support without paying a fortune for it.

    We’re also a great fit for larger businesses requiring ad-hoc, or project-based support. You avoid the overheads of employing another staff member and we enjoy the variety of work this brings to our business.

    At Offsiters, we work around your needs – no matter how big or small.

    I’ll even share a little secret with you… Once we help get your business more streamlined and organised, you’ll actually need less assistance than you think – fact!

  • Well, we don’t wanna toot our own horn or anything… but, we think we provide the perfect mix of personalised service and technical know-how to get the job done.

    Our recruiting, training and varied expertise are what sets us apart from other virtual assistant services.

    Clients regularly tell me that they’ve either had trouble holding on to VAs in the past, or have been disappointed with the lack of handover and continuity when switching from one to another.

    First of all, our strategic recruiting process tests the skills, attention to detail and technical ability of prospective VAs right out of the gate, so we know they’re made of the right stuff before they’re even short-listed for an interview.

    Unlike solo virtual assistants, we carefully match clients with the right VA and take the stress out of re-hiring (if the need arises), by finding and training a replacement, so you don’t have to. You can relax with the peace of mind that when life inevitably happens and things need to change, we’ve got your back.

    Our team of multi-taskers have a long list of professional experience and access to a handy network of helpful people (that don’t charge the earth) such as graphic designers, web designers and IT wizards – so working with us means you have access to all of it.

  • Our fabulously clever task management system (ClickUp) is where all tasks are scheduled and all time is tracked against them. Like a stopwatch, it literally tracks time by the second. The only time hours are rounded up (to the next 15min increment) is when it’s time to send your weekly invoice.

  • All Offsiters sign a privacy and confidentiality agreement when they join us and further emphasis on this topic is incorporated in their initial training. We also provide clients with a signed agreement when they on-board which outlines expectations, examples of breaches and possible consequences if a breach occurs.

  • We sure can! We love learning how to use new programs.

    If your program isn’t listed on our page here – then as part of your onboarding process, we’ll have our fastest learner get acquainted with whichever systems you’d like us to use.

Admin Support

  • We value simplicity and efficiency over all else, so we have one price for all our on-going admin services and just a two hour minimum per week.

    $59+GST per hour.

  • We value simplicity and efficiency over all else, so we have one price for all our on-going admin services and just a two hour minimum per week.

    Generally, once the on-boarding/setup phase is complete, we've found that, on average, 2 to 5 hours per week is about right for most solo practitioners, depending on the client load and exact task delegation. This estimate also includes phone support time making/taking calls.

  • Unlike an employee, working with Offsiters means there is no need to pay for superannuation, sick leave, annual leave or WorkCover! We are contractors, so we invoice you and you just pay us as you would a tradesperson.

    In the interests of maximum transparency, we send invoices weekly. Having said that, we also understand that this quickly becomes a little annoying to manage – we are trying to minimise unnecessary tasks like these after all, not create more work – so, we have a direct debit system setup that automatically deducts the payments for you on the due date.

    Don’t worry, we cover all the associated fees, so you're not out of pocket and invoices are still emailed to you weekly, so you can review them prior to the payment coming out of your account (7 days later). It’s just a more efficient way to do things, and that’s what we’re all about.

  • Work-life balance is incredibly important to us, so our VA’s are available between 9am-3pm, Monday to Friday.

    Timezones are also no problem, as we now have Offsiters in VIC, NSW, QLD and WA, so we’ll find the VA that suits you best.

  • Our ongoing support includes three email checks per day. The first is around 9am, the second around 12pm, and the last around 2-3pm.

    This is the most efficient approach and provides our clients with consistent coverage throughout the day.

  • Depending on the complexity of your practice, how long you've been established, and your response turnaround times, the setup phase typically lasts around 2-6 weeks.

    During this time you can expect an increase from what would be considered "normal" hours due to the setup time and the learning curve involved in getting started.

  • After your initial enquiry, our standard onboarding process involves an intake call, followed by a 1 hour Zoom session.

    During your Zoom session you’ll be introduced to your onboarding specialist (a senior VA who specialises in all things setup) and your dedicated VA (your day-to-day conatct) who will commence your ongoing support.

Phone Support

  • Our friendly phone support team are available to take calls from 9am-12pm, Monday to Friday.

    To ensure nothing is missed outside these times, we setup each client with a customised call flow voicemail system to direct urgent calls (like cancellations), provide alternate contact options and collect voicemails.

    We provide coverage in three different timezones: VIC/NSW/TAS, QLD and WA, with adjustments for daylight savings.

  • Our monthly phone support fee is $40+GST. This includes your local phone number and customisable voicemail system.

    Actual call time is charged at the standard hourly support rate.

  • We have 2-3 friendly phone support agents in each timezone. When a call comes through for a client that isn’t theirs, the call is transferred to the correct VA, if available. If not, a message is taken, and the VA automatically receives a notification to return the call or simply action the request.

    We also create a customised form for each client, so our agents are able to provide consistent responses to any enquiry.

  • Yes, we are able to port any existing Australian landline number.

    Please note: we are unable to port 1300, 1800 or mobile numbers.

    This number would still remain yours and is able to be ported back to you at any stage.

Still have questions?