Your Questions Answered

An independent contractor who provides administrative services to clients while operating outside a client’s office. A virtual assistant typically operates from a home office but can access necessary systems and documents such as shared calendars, mailboxes, remotely via the cloud/internet.

We use a time tracking app called Toggl Track. 

Toggl allows us to track our daily activity against each client/task separately. 

Toggl allows us to create filtered reports for each individual client. A copy of the time tracking report can be provided at any time. 

Find out more about Toggl.

No. We supply and use our own IT devices and office equipment. 

However, if there is a specific system needed for your business or an additional software licence required to enable us to support you effectively, you will need to purchase this directly. 

There are several options for document sharing: 

• Shared drive/shared folder access
• Secure sharing of access information to your files/folders
• Secure file transfer
• Direct email

We would recommend shared drive/folder access. This way, you can feel assured that the documents remain on your own systems and you are always in control of who has access to what.

When choosing the right way to share documents with us, please consider what Data Processing and if there is any personal information held on the document. 

Payment terms are dependent on the type of support:

Retainer hours are paid in advance. To ensure a consistent and continuous delivery of service, renewal invoices are sent when there is a small % of hours remaining on the currently time package. Retainer renewal invoices require  payment on receipt.

Express support time is tracked over the month. Tracked time is invoiced at month end with a 7 day payment term. 

Project packages require 50% payment upfront and the balance on completion with a 7 day payment term.

Our contact working hours are 9:00am and 5:00pm Monday to Friday,  unless otherwise specified in the Booking.

Availability outside these hours will be considered by agreement in advance and will incur out of hours charges.

We may choose to work outside of normal office hours, however, this is to our own discretion and does not automatically invite client contact/communication.

We aren’t available over the weekend or on Bank and Public Holiday.

There are different ways to share documents with us.  

We recommend using shared folders through systems such as Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive or Dropbox. You will ‘own’ that folder and will always be in control of the access. 

Documents can be emailed to us. If the document contains any personal data, we recommend the document is protected with a password. The password we use will be agreed in advance though our Data Processing Form, which is completed as part of your onboarding process, if Data Processing is part of your VA support agreement.

I’m pleased to tell you that Streamline VA Services, and our associates, is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for Data Processing

You can also use an external document transfer systems such as We Transfer.

We predominantly work virtually from our home offices.

If there is a need to attend a meeting away from our office or visit your offices, please speak to us.

Our Privacy Policy will tell you about how gather, use, disclose and manage data.  

Safeguarding information is very important to us. We have various processes in place to protect data including regularly updating our software, IT antivirus protection, password protected systems and regular data back-ups. If our support provision involves sharing of your client/customer data, we will ask you to competed a Data Protection Form as part of our introduction and onboarding process. The form asks about use of systems, your own privacy policy, document sharing and password protection. 

As required by the Data Protection Regulations 2018, Streamline VA Services is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) – ICO Registration ZA249979.

We will always endeavour to deliver services according to the timetable described in the booking. We will let you know if we expect that deadlines may not be met. 

Where work is undertaken by retainer and no deadline is specified in the booking, we ask that you specify your priorities and deadlines within the number of hours/amounts of work you have purchased. 

Where work is undertaken on an ad-hoc contract basis, we cannot offer any guarantees of our availability. We will do our utmost to complete work, however, priority will always be given to our retainer clients.