FAQs
Virtual assistant
General
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As one of our core values, work-life balance is incredibly important to us. And, as most of our VAs are mums, the majority of our team work within school hours (9am-3pm), Monday to Friday.
Different 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.
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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.
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Our VAs know their way around a heap of different systems, and they’re quick learners too. If we haven’t used yours before, no worries — we’ll get our fastest learner onto it and they’ll master it in no time.
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We understand the importance of maintaining data security for the safety of not only you, but your customers as well.
All of our clients’ login details are stored securely in a password vault app (Keeper Security), because we know that saving passwords directly on devices or in an internet browser – even when Google Chrome asks us really nicely if we’d like to – is a big no no.
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At Offsiters, there are no lock-in contracts, just a 2 hour minimum. From there, you can scale services as needed. We do just ask for 14 days notice to discontinue services with us.
Phone Support
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Our friendly phone support team are available to take calls from 9am-2pm, Monday to Friday.
To ensure nothing is missed outside these times, we setup a customised call flow 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.
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Yes, your dedicated VA will manage your calls daily from right here in Australia (as much as we wish we were answering from the Bahamas!).
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Our monthly phone support fee is $40+GST*. This includes a local phone number and customisable call-flow system.
The time spent taking and making calls is charged at the standard hourly support rate.
*1300 and 1800 numbers are available at $50+GST per month.
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Your dedicated VA answers your calls between 9am–2pm, giving your clients a consistent point of contact. If any calls are missed, they’re returned the same day.
We also set up a customised after-hours and missed call flow to handle urgent calls and offer alternative contact options—so nothing slips through the cracks.
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Yes, we are able to port any existing local, 1300, 1800 or mobile number.
This number would still remain yours and is able to be ported back to you at any stage.
Please note: 1300, 1800 and mobile numbers incur a slightly higher monthly fee.
Admin Support
Billing
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Yes, we have a standard two hour minimum agreement per week for all clients.
This is a minimum weekly commitment rather than a flat rate, as we customise our support to meet your specific needs, and every business is different!
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In the spirit of transparency, we invoice weekly, so you always know where you stand with your expenses. The amounts are simply deducted on the due date by our Australian-based automatic payment system Pinch Payments, so you don’t have to worry about paying invoices either. It’s just a more efficient way to do things, and that’s what we’re all about.
Do we pass on the fees for this, I hear you ask? No. We cover the bank fees, as we acknowledge that it's just as helpful for us as it is for you.
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At Offsiters, 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. The rest is completely up to you.
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When it comes to on-going admin support with us, we understand that every business is different, so instead of using a “one size fits all” approach, we tailor our service to suit your specific needs.
Onboarding
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After your initial enquiry, our standard onboarding process also includes a Zoom session, so we can meet you and help you get started.
During this session, we’ll take you through all the necessary bits and pieces to kick us off.
Having said that, if Zoom is not your thing, no stress, we’ll get setup in a way that works for you.
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The first two weeks are dedicated to all things setup!
Your onboarding specialist will review your systems and processes, then provide you with recommendations.
They will also setup your on-going (daily/weekly/monthly) tasks in our task management system, so when week three rolls around we’re ready to hit the ground running.
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There are a few factors that affect how long your onboarding specialist will need for your initial setup—like the complexity of your business, how long you’ve been established, and how quickly you're able to respond to our requests.
Generally, the setup phase takes around 2–6 weeks. During this time, your hours are likely to be a little higher, as your onboarding specialist works through the setup tasks and your VA gets up to speed.
We’ll start your day-to-day tasks in week 3, so it’s important we cover as much ground as possible in the first two weeks. This ensures your onboarding specialist has what they need to manage the handover efficiently.
HOT TIP: Block out a bit of admin time in your schedule for those first two weeks—in advance! Staying responsive helps everything run smoothly and can save you money in the long run.
Day-to-day
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You get the best of both worlds here! You will work with a dedicated VA, supported by an experienced team who handle training, troubleshooting and other ad-hoc assistance.
Our experienced in-house graphic designer can also assist with any design tasks you might dream up too.
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Great question! Because your VA will be managing multiple clients, it's essential that we make sure they know exactly what they need to do each and every day.
We do this by using a task management system called ClickUp, where all of your VA's daily/weekly/monthly tasks are scheduled and linked to processes.
They simply login each day and work their way through the list checking off tasks and tracking time as they go. They can also add any ad-hoc tasks that pop up here too.
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Our ongoing support includes three communication checks per day. The first is around 9am, the second around 12pm, and the last around 2-3pm. We’ve found this to be the most efficient approach to provide our clients with consistent coverage throughout the day.
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Generally speaking, emails and SMS will be responded to during whichever communication check comes next.
If the enquiry is more complex and/or requires consultation with the practitioner, then it may take up to 24hrs. Often, we’ll send an acknowledgement if we know if might take a little longer than usual.
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If your VA takes leave, you can choose to either pause services or have a capable replacement step in. If you need some time off, you can either choose to pause, or we’ll just do the minimum while you’re away, so there’s no backlog to get through when you return. The choice is yours. Annual limits do apply.
