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FAQ's

See below a list of the most commonly asked questions for our Virtual Assistant Services. If you don’t see the answer you need below, or you would like to learn more, please book onto a discovery call with a member of our team.

We like to keep onboarding simple, friendly, and refreshingly low on corporate jargon.

It starts with a no-obligation consultation where we chat about your organisation, what’s currently taking up your time, and where extra support could make life easier.

If it feels like a good fit, we begin with a one-month trial period at the normal service rate, but with no commitment beyond that first month. It gives both of us the chance to see how the partnership works in practice — without anyone feeling locked in.

During that month we’ll start supporting your priorities while also carrying out a light operational review of your organisation. At the end, you’ll receive a short assessment highlighting opportunities, efficiencies and areas to strengthen your systems — something you can keep whether you continue with us or not.

If everyone’s happy after the trial, we move into our ongoing arrangement with a three-month notice period, giving you consistent support while still keeping things flexible.

The initial consultation is simply a relaxed conversation to get to know each other a little better.

We’ll talk about your organisation, what you’re currently working on, and which parts of the day-to-day running of things are taking up the most time or energy. It also gives us the chance to explain how our Admin & Operations, Comms & Visibility, or Executive & Founder Support services might fit around what you’re doing.

You’re also welcome to ask us anything — about how we work, what support might look like, or whether a Virtual Assistant is the right step for your organisation.

There’s no pressure and no obligation. The aim is simply to explore whether working together would genuinely be helpful. If it feels like a good fit on both sides, we can then talk about starting the one-month trial period.

Usually quite quickly. In most cases we can begin support within one to two weeks, depending on what kind of help you need and how complex your systems are.

The first step is a short onboarding process where we get access to the tools we’ll be using and agree a few initial priorities so we know where to start. Once that’s in place, we begin the one-month trial period, focusing on a few quick wins to take some pressure off straight away.

We know most organisations come to us because things already feel a bit busy (or slightly chaotic), so our aim is to start helping as soon as possible — not months down the line.

Not as much as you might think.

To begin with, we just need a clear idea of your priorities — what’s currently taking up the most time, what you’d like support with, and what success would look like for you.

From there, we may ask for access to the systems we’ll be working in (things like email, calendars, social media platforms, CRMs or shared drives), along with any key documents, processes, or brand guidance that help us understand how your organisation operates.

Don’t worry if everything isn’t perfectly organised — many of the organisations we work with come to us because things are a bit messy behind the scenes. Part of our job is helping to bring a little order to the chaos.

A bit of both.

You’ll usually have a primary Virtual Assistant who becomes your main point of contact and gets to know your organisation, your systems, and how you like things done. This helps build consistency and makes communication much easier.

Behind the scenes, you also benefit from the wider VA Company team. That means if a task requires a different skillset, or if extra capacity is needed, we can bring in additional support without everything grinding to a halt.

In short, you get the consistency of a dedicated VA, with the backup and flexibility of a team — which tends to work best for everyone.

Absolutely.

Our services are built around three main areas — Admin & Operations, Comms & Visibility, and Executive & Founder Support — and you’re free to focus on whichever areas are most useful for your organisation.

Some clients come to us with one very specific need, while others use a mix of support across different areas. During the trial month we’ll usually help prioritise the areas that will make the biggest difference first.

And if our standard service structure doesn’t quite fit, we’re happy to create a more tailored arrangement. Many organisations work a little differently, so we’re always open to shaping support around what you actually need.

In short, the support is flexible and built around your organisation — not the other way around.

Yes — and in many cases it does.

Organisations evolve, priorities shift, and new opportunities appear, so the kind of support you need today might look quite different six months from now. Our model is designed to adapt alongside your organisation, whether that means expanding into new areas of support or refocusing on different priorities.

Many clients start with help in one area and gradually bring in support across others as their organisation grows.

The goal is simply to make sure the support continues to match where you are and where you’re heading — rather than locking you into something that no longer fits.

Yes — that’s very much our focus.

We work primarily with charities, CICs, social enterprises and mission-led organisations. These organisations often face unique challenges: small teams, big ambitions, limited time, and a lot of moving parts.

Because of this, we understand the realities of the sector — from funding cycles and reporting requirements to governance, stakeholder management, and community engagement.

Our aim is to provide practical support that lightens the operational load, so organisations can spend more time focusing on the work that really matters.

It starts with listening.

During the consultation and onboarding process, we spend time learning about why your organisation exists, who you support, and what matters most to you. Understanding your mission helps us make better decisions when we’re representing your organisation or supporting your work behind the scenes.

We’ll also look at things like your tone of voice, brand guidance, key documents, and the way you normally communicate so we can work in a way that feels consistent with your organisation.

And of course, we ask questions. Quite a lot of them. It’s the best way to make sure the support we provide reflects your values and not just your task list.

We try to keep this as simple and flexible as possible.

Most clients assign tasks in the way that feels most natural to them — whether that’s email, a shared task list, project management tools, or a quick scheduled check-in. During onboarding we’ll agree the approach that works best for you and your team.

For some organisations this might mean sending over tasks as they arise, while others prefer a regular catch-up or a shared workspace where priorities can be tracked.

Our aim is to fit comfortably into the way you already work, while gently introducing structure where it helps things run more smoothly.

Behind the scenes we manage our workflow through Zoho, which helps us organise tasks and keep everything running smoothly on our end.

When working with clients we take a hybrid approach. We’re happy to work within your existing systems — such as shared drives, CRMs or project tools — but we can also introduce simple systems if that makes collaboration easier.

Occasionally systems don’t integrate perfectly or access can be a little tricky. When that happens, we’ll work with you to find a practical solution that works for both sides.

Day-to-day communication is usually kept simple through email, virtual meetings, and the occasional WhatsApp message when something quick needs sorting.

All of our processes operate in line with UK GDPR, and we treat organisational information with care and confidentiality. Our data protection and security policies are available on request.

In most cases, yes.

Many organisations already have systems in place for things like email, document storage, project management, or CRM, and we’re very comfortable working within those. Our aim is to integrate into your existing way of working rather than asking you to change everything.

If your systems are already working well, we’ll simply fit in and support what’s there. If things feel a little less organised, we can also help introduce simple improvements or processes to make things run more smoothly.

Occasionally there may be technical limitations or access restrictions, but when that happens we’ll work with you to find a practical solution that works for both sides.

Each organisation works with a main Virtual Assistant, which helps us understand your priorities and the way your organisation operates.

When multiple tasks come in, we prioritise based on a mix of pre-agreed priorities and any deadlines or urgency you highlight. We do ask clients to flag anything urgent and provide realistic deadlines where possible so we can plan work effectively.

If there’s ever any uncertainty, we’ll simply check in and agree priorities together to keep things running smoothly.

We believe transparency is important, so you’ll always have a clear picture of what’s been done.

Depending on how we’re working together, this might include updates through shared task lists, progress notes within your systems, or brief check-ins during scheduled meetings. The aim is to make it easy for you to see what’s been completed and what’s currently in progress.

If helpful, we can also provide simple summary updates so you can quickly understand where things stand without having to dig through lots of detail.

That’s completely normal — organisations evolve and priorities shift.

If your needs increase or change, we’ll review things together and adjust the support where possible. This might mean focusing on different tasks, bringing in additional support from the wider team, or reshaping how we’re working.

Our aim is to keep things flexible and responsive so the support continues to reflect what your organisation needs.

If at any point you feel the service is no longer the right fit, the agreement can be ended with a three-month notice period, which helps ensure a smooth and responsible transition for both sides.

We take confidentiality very seriously.

All information shared with us is handled with care and stored securely, with our systems and processes operating in line with UK GDPR. Access to information is limited to those who genuinely need it in order to carry out the work.

Our team also has significant experience working with organisations that support children and vulnerable adults, so we understand the importance of handling sensitive information responsibly and with appropriate care.

If required, we’re happy to provide copies of our data protection and GDPR policies, or discuss any specific requirements your organisation may have.

Absolutely.

We are a fully virtual service, which means we support organisations remotely rather than working from a client’s office — even if you happen to be local to us. This allows us to work efficiently and keep support flexible for the organisations we partner with.

The advantage of this approach is that we’re able to work with charities, social enterprises, and mission-led organisations anywhere in the UK, without geography becoming a barrier.

As long as we can communicate through email, virtual meetings, and shared systems, we can work together just as effectively as if we were in the same building. In many cases, it simply means less disruption and more focused support.

Your organisation will usually work with a main Virtual Assistant, which helps build familiarity with your systems and the way you operate.

Like any professional role, our VAs will occasionally take annual leave or short periods of absence, and we plan for this in advance wherever possible. Other absences are managed on a case-by-case basis, much like they would be in any workplace.

If there is a longer period of absence or support is needed urgently, we have members of the wider VA Company team who can step in to ensure continuity where possible.

Our aim is always to maintain consistency for your organisation while making sure support remains reliable and well-managed.

We can help

Contact us
  • Info@vacompany.co.uk
  • London, UK
  • Mon-Fri 9:00AM - 5=3:00PM
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