Virtual assistant FAQs
Straight answers to the questions business owners ask us most about hiring a Filipino virtual assistant: cost, hiring, hours, security and contracts.
Quick answer
Desk & VA recruits full-time Filipino virtual assistants who work from our supervised offices in Dumaguete City or from home. Plans start at US$49 a week, and most clients go from first call to first day in about three weeks.
Getting started
The basics of hiring an office-based Filipino virtual assistant with Desk & VA.
A managed virtual assistant works full-time for your business from a professional office, rather than from home. Desk & VA recruits your VA and provides their workstation, internet, IT support and on-site supervisor. You direct the work day to day. See how it works.
English is an official language in the Philippines, most VAs are university graduates, and Western business practices are widely understood. A full-time Filipino VA typically costs a fraction of a local hire, and the time difference suits businesses in Australia, New Zealand and the US.
Most office-based tasks: admin, inbox and calendar management, customer support, data entry, bookkeeping, legal and real estate admin, social media and more. See all virtual assistant services, or read the tasks to hand over first.
We place virtual assistants with businesses in Australia, New Zealand and the US, from businesses hiring their first VA to firms building a team.
An office-based VA works from our offices in Dumaguete City, with backed-up internet and power, on-site IT support and a supervisor. A work-from-home VA works from their own home: we recruit them and check their home setup, then you manage them directly. Compare the plans.
Pricing and fees
What a virtual assistant costs, and what each plan includes.
A full-time, office-based general VA costs about US$6 an hour all-in on our Signature plan, where salary, equipment, payroll and HR are included. On Core, where you pay the salary directly, the workstation and salary come to about US$3.80 an hour, and you provide the equipment. Figures are indicative and vary by role, salary and hours. See full pricing or read our VA cost guide.
On Core you pay US$49 a week for your VA’s workstation, pay their salary directly and provide their equipment. On Signature you pay one weekly fee of US$249 that covers the salary of a general VA, all equipment, payroll, HR and supervision, with nothing else to buy. Specialist roles are priced on enquiry.
The Core workstation fee covers your VA’s workstation in our serviced office, backed-up internet and power, on-site IT and supervisor support, time and performance tools, access to common office amenities, monthly team-building events and our VA community.
On Core, recruitment is US$499 for a general VA and US$899 for a specialist role. Signature has no recruitment fee for general roles, and specialist roles are priced on enquiry. If we can’t find your match, your recruitment fee is refunded in full.
We recruit a work-from-home VA for a one-off fee of US$1,999, check their home setup, then hand the working relationship over to you with no ongoing fees.
No. All prices are in US dollars and exclude GST. GST is added where it applies, including for Australian businesses.
Yes. Pay six months in advance and save 10%. If you move an existing VA from another provider to our Core plan, your first four weeks of workstation fees are free under our Love us or leave us offer.
Hiring your VA
How recruitment works, from your first call to your VA’s first day.
We aim to send your shortlist within about two weeks of your Strategy Call. Most clients interview and choose within a week, and their VA starts soon after, so it usually takes around three weeks from first call to first day. See the five steps.
Yes. We advertise, screen and reference-check candidates, then you interview your shortlist and choose. You make every hiring decision.
A general VA handles everyday admin and support work. A specialist role needs a specific professional skill, such as a graphic designer, website designer, accountant or paralegal. We confirm which applies on your Strategy Call, before you commit.
Usually, yes. Tell us what you need on a free Strategy Call and we’ll let you know whether it’s a good fit for an office-based VA.
Yes. Most clients start with one role and add more once their first VA is settled. Each new VA follows the same recruitment process, and they can work from the same office.
Yes. If you move your VA to our Core plan, our Love us or leave us offer makes your first four weeks of workstation fees free, and your 6-month minimum term starts after that. Check your current provider’s contract first, as any transfer or hire-away fees they charge are your responsibility.
Working with your VA
Hours, communication and the tools your VA uses.
Your VA works your business hours. Our Talay office is open 24 hours, 7 days a week, so we can also cover US time zones, evenings, weekends and overnight shifts.
Directly, every day, using the tools your business already uses, such as email, chat apps, video calls and your phone system. Your VA works for you, not for a middle manager.
Yes. Your VA can make and answer calls on your phone system during your business hours. We assess spoken English during screening, and you interview your shortlist before choosing.
Yes. Tell us which systems you use, such as your CRM, practice management or property management software, and we’ll screen candidates for experience with them. Your VA works in your accounts, with the access you give them.
A workstation in our office is included in the weekly fee. You provide your VA’s computer equipment, and we can help you buy it locally. On Signature, all equipment is included.
Offices and security
Where your VA works, and how we protect your business.
We have two offices in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines. The Downtown office is on the 3rd Floor of the Ground Zero Building, San Juan Street, Poblacion 6. The Talay office is on the Mezzanine of Elle Properties, San Jose Romero Road, Talay. See our offices.
More than 150 in total: about 130 at our Downtown office and 22 at our Talay office. We plan to add more than 500 new workstations as we grow.
Each office runs a primary, secondary and satellite backup connection, so one outage doesn’t take your VA offline.
Your VA works from our professional offices rather than a shared home, and we handle personal information under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Philippine Data Privacy Act of 2012. You control what your VA can access in your systems, and we recommend two-factor authentication and a shared password manager. See how we protect your data.
Contracts and guarantees
Minimum terms, notice and what happens if things don’t work out.
Yes, six months on the Core and Signature plans. That is about half the 12-month term most providers require. The Work from home plan has no minimum term.
30 days for 1 to 5 workstations, 45 days for 6 to 15, and 60 days for 16 or more. Read our terms of service.
If your VA resigns or isn’t performing within 120 days, we recruit a replacement at no extra recruitment fee, provided your account is up to date. Signature clients get free replacement at any time.
If we can’t find your match, your recruitment fee is refunded in full.
Questions about a specific role?
Each role page answers the questions we hear most for that kind of work.
Executive and admin
Inbox, calendar, travel, documents and follow-ups for business owners and teams.
Learn more General roleCustomer support
Email, live chat and phone support in your business hours, or after hours from our 24/7 office.
Learn more General roleLegal admin
Client intake, file management, diary and billing support for law firms. Paralegals available as a specialist role.
Learn more General roleReal estate
Listings, CRM updates, scheduling, vendor reports and property management admin.
Learn more General roleBookkeeping and accounting
Bills, invoices, reconciliations and reports in Xero or MYOB. Accountants available as a specialist role.
Learn more General roleNDIS provider admin
Rostering, enquiries, service agreements, invoicing and claims for NDIS businesses.
Learn more Specialist roleGraphic designer
Social graphics, ads, presentations and brand templates. A specialist role.
Learn more Specialist roleWebsite designer
Page builds, updates, maintenance and online stores. A specialist role.
Learn moreStill have a question?
Book a free 30-minute Strategy Call. We’ll answer your questions, scope the role and give you a clear cost.