FAQs
Everything people ask before handing over their admin
Costs, hours, security and how the work actually runs — answered plainly. If your question isn't here, ask it on a free 20-minute call.
Ask on a free callUK based, EnfieldFully insuredICO registeredUK GDPR compliantNo long tie-ins
Getting started
- How do I start working with Wise Resolutions?
- Send an enquiry through the contact form and we'll arrange a free 20-minute consultation. On that call we go through the tasks that are eating your week, agree a scope and hours, and set up secure access. Most clients have their first task handed over within a week.
- Is there a minimum commitment?
- No long tie-in. You can book ad-hoc hours as needed or take a monthly retainer for a set number of hours; retainers can be scaled up or down month to month.
- What happens on the free consultation?
- Twenty minutes, no pitch. We map the recurring admin, identify what can be handed over first, and give you an honest answer on hours — including if the answer is that you don't need a VA yet.
- How quickly can work start?
- Typically within a week of the consultation, once scope is agreed and access is set up. Urgent one-off jobs can sometimes be picked up sooner depending on diary availability.
Pricing and hours
- How much does a virtual assistant cost?
- Rates start at £35 per hour, with fixed monthly packages for regular work. Every rate is published on the pricing page — there is no bespoke quoting dance.
- How is time recorded and billed?
- Work is logged as it is done and you receive a timed breakdown with the invoice, so you can see exactly what each hour covered. You pay for worked time only.
- Do you charge for evenings and weekends?
- Standard hours are Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm UK. Evening and weekend work is available by prior arrangement at a premium rate, agreed in advance before anything is booked.
- Are there any hidden costs?
- No. There are no employer National Insurance contributions, no pension costs, no holiday or sick pay, no recruitment fees and no equipment or software to provide.
- How many hours will I actually need?
- Most small businesses start between four and twelve hours a month and adjust after the first invoice. The ROI calculator gives you a starting estimate based on the hours you currently lose to admin.
How the work runs
- What tasks can be handed over?
- Inbox and diary management, invoicing and credit control, bookkeeping admin, CRM and data entry, travel and event coordination, document production and reporting, and scheduled social media support. Each has its own service page setting out exactly what is included.
- Which tools do you work in?
- Yours. Work happens inside your existing email, calendar, accounting and CRM systems rather than a separate portal, so nothing has to be migrated and nothing is locked away if we stop.
- How do we communicate?
- Whatever suits you — a shared channel, scheduled check-ins, or a simple weekly summary. Turnaround expectations are agreed in the scope so nothing depends on guesswork.
- Will you speak to my clients?
- Yes, where that is part of the agreed scope — chasing invoices, confirming appointments, handling routine enquiries — using your tone and your templates, with anything sensitive escalated to you.
- What happens during holidays?
- Planned leave is flagged well in advance and recurring work is brought forward or rescheduled around it, so nothing lands unannounced.
Security and confidentiality
- How is my data protected?
- Wise Resolutions is ICO registered, fully insured and works to UK GDPR. Access is granted through delegated permissions or a shared password-manager vault rather than emailed credentials, and can be revoked instantly.
- Do you sign an NDA?
- Yes — a confidentiality agreement is available on request and is signed before any access is granted, covering what is confidential, how it is handled and what happens at the end of the engagement.
- Do I have to share passwords?
- No, and you shouldn't. Mailboxes, calendars and most business systems support delegated access; for anything else a password manager shares the credential without ever revealing it.
- Where is my data held?
- In your own systems, in the UK. No client data is exported into third-party tools without your agreement.
Comparing options
- Is a virtual assistant cheaper than employing someone?
- Below roughly a day a week, almost always — you carry no employer on-costs and pay only for worked time. Once you consistently need full-time cover, employing becomes the better economics. The full comparison is on the VA vs employee page.
- Why not use an agency?
- Agencies win on guaranteed same-day cover and large volumes. An independent VA gives you the same person every time, with the fee going to worked hours rather than an account-management layer.
- Why not hire offshore for less?
- Offshore support is excellent for high-volume, rules-based tasks with no client contact. For client-facing, judgement-based work, UK hours and UK context usually cost less overall once briefing and rework are counted.
- Do you offer on-site support?
- No. All work is remote, which is what keeps the rate at £35 per hour with no travel or overhead. For post, reception or stock, a local temp is the right answer.
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Where to go next
Still have a question?
Twenty minutes, no pitch — just a clear answer on whether this would help.
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