FAQ
No. Our packages begin with a three-month minimum commitment for you to establish a relationship with your VA. After three months, you move to a monthly rolling contract. This means we can change things easily if you need to alter your contract or decide you no longer need our services.
While we’re versatile, there are a few limitations. We don’t engage in illegal, exploitative, or dangerous tasks. We also avoid sending bulk emails (spam).
Absolutely, you can specify the skills and expertise you’re looking for in your virtual assistant during the discovery call. We’ll strive to find a virtual assistant who meets your requirements.
Yes, your virtual assistant can handle social media management tasks, including content creation, scheduling posts, and engaging with your audience.
You can communicate with your virtual assistant through your preferred methods, such as email, SLACK, voice notes, or phone calls. We adapt to your communication style to make the process seamless.
Because relationships are so important for a successful result, you will have a dedicated virtual assistant for all ongoing support. This is someone that will know you, know the business and know how you like to do things. This is the same no matter which plans you use.
We start by holding a discovery call to make sure we fully understand your challenges and what support you need. Because we know our virtual assistants so well, we’re familiar with their strengths, work preferences and ideal type of client. With this information in hand, we’re taking your needs and our virtual assistants’ skills and pairing you up.
A typical discovery call takes around 20 minutes – we will send you a proposal and details of your potential virtual assistant within 48 hours.
Not a problem. In this case, the best solution is to use a branded email so your virtual assistant can send and receive emails from your domain instead of their @timpi.co.uk address.
Our virtual assistants have experience across various industries, including finance, marketing, healthcare, technology, and more. We carefully match you with a virtual assistant who has relevant expertise in your industry.
If you need services beyond your plan, simply let your virtual assistant know. They’ll provide you with information on how those services can be accommodated and any associated costs.
For security, we recommend using secure methods to share login credentials, such as encrypted password managers or secure file-sharing platforms.
Yes, if you would prefer them to. All our virtual assistants are registered with the ICO and have signed NDAs with Timpi. They can sign an individual NDA if you need them to.
Yes. All our virtual assistants hold individual professional indemnity insurance. However, by working with us, you are in contract with Timpi and not the individual virtual assistants. We hold professional indemnity insurance with AXA which covers all work on your account, as well as extensive Cyber Security Insurance.
We take security very seriously and recommend using secure methods to share login credentials, such as encrypted password managers or secure file-sharing platforms. We use LastPass and can help set you up with this if you need help.
Other than your contact details, which we need to provide our service, we do not store any of your personal information. We ask you to invite your virtual assistant to your existing platforms such as your company CRM, Dropbox or Google Drive, using the company domain email provided or their @timpi email address.
We act as a ‘data processor’ for you and you are the ‘data controller’. Your VA will follow all your data protection policies. You have full control over permissions and can revoke access at any time. We carry out monthly audits to ensure no information is stored on the devices of the virtual assistants.
How do you handle data in compliance with international data protection regulations other than GDPR?
We align with data protection regulations relevant to your jurisdiction. Your virtual assistant acts as a “data processor,” while you remain the “data controller,” giving you control over permissions.
We take data security seriously. Your virtual assistant is bound by confidentiality agreements and follows your data protection policies. We avoid storing personal information beyond what’s necessary.
We maintain a high level of cybersecurity. Our virtual assistants follow best practices, and we have comprehensive cyber security insurance to safeguard against potential risks.
You can read our privacy policy here.
You can read our terms and conditions here.
No, we believe in transparent pricing. The fees associated with your chosen plan are clearly communicated, and there are no hidden charges.
Certainly, if you exceed your prepaid hours, you can purchase additional hours as needed to accommodate your workload. Any additional hours will be prorated and on the same rate card pre-agreed.
Yes, you can easily upgrade or downgrade your plan as needed. Just let us know a month in advance, and we’ll adjust your subscription accordingly.
We use a time recording system and will keep you updated so you can keep track of your usage.
We send you your timesheets every month (or more often if you’d prefer). We will also let you know when you’ve used 75% of your minimum commitment before asking if you would like your VA to work beyond this or stick to your pre-agreed hours.
We like to keep things simple which is why we are a pre-paid service. We will bill you upfront at the start of each month via GoCardless direct debit. If you’ve used any extra hours, we will add these to your next invoice.
Because of the way we operate, we don’t block out time for clients. Instead, we manage our time depending on the upcoming deadlines. So long as you have agreed on a timeframe for a piece of work, you can rest assured that your virtual assistant will deliver to your expectations. We keep you updated and let you know if there are any issues with the timings.
If you’ve used all of your hours but still have more work, then you can set a new maximum time limit for your virtual assistant to work. This extra time is charged to the minute – so use 33 minutes above your regular commitment, and that’s all we’ll charge you for.
We currently don’t offer a trial period, but we provide comprehensive information and a detailed discovery call to ensure a good match between you and your virtual assistant. In addition, our packages have a 3-month minimum commitment that turns into monthly rolling. So if you realise our services aren’t for you or that you need to upgrade, it can be arranged easily.
You can roll over 10% of unused hours from your prepaid plan to the next month upon request. We recommend optimising your plan to match your usage. However, it is unlikely that you won’t use the hours as you will work closely with your VA and they will keep you updated on your allowance regularly.
If you wish to cancel, please contact us directly. We’ll guide you through the cancellation process and address any questions you may have.
No. Your fee will depend on your needs and the hours you commit to, not the number of VAs you work with.
Certainly, project management is within our capabilities. Your virtual assistant can assist in organising, planning, and coordinating projects.
Absolutely, your virtual assistant can handle travel arrangements, bookings, and related logistics, making your travel hassle-free.
All our VAs are incredibly experienced and have worked with different platforms and integrated with a range of businesses. As with any new employee, you will need to on-board them into your business. This will mean they can learn about your business and support you in the best way as quickly as possible.
Yes of course. We will always tell you about planned holidays in advance so that we can ensure a smooth handover.
Once you’ve been matched with a VA, we will arrange a kick-off call at a convenient time for you both. This is your initial chat to define the tasks and responsibilities you wish to give your VA.
We recommend you use this call to set up your new VA on your business systems and emails. Doing this means your VA will be ready to start working for you as soon as the call is finished. Our kick-off call checklist will help you prepare for this important call and can be found here.
We will always inform you in advance about planned holidays. We also offer the option of holiday cover for those who need to keep the party going all day, every day. Holiday cover is not automatically arranged, please get in contact with us to learn more.
We encourage continuous learning. Our virtual assistants proactively stay updated on industry trends, tools, and technologies to provide you with the best support.
It can take a while to get used to delegating your work. We recommend you start by listing the tasks that take a long time and those you don’t enjoy doing. You can then review this list and identify the tasks you can hand over to your VA. It’s essential that you communicate clearly and regularly with your VA. Over time, they can suggest tasks they can complete for you, making the delegation process even easier!
In case of unavailability, we have backup support available to ensure that your tasks are still managed efficiently.
Because of the way in which we match our clients with their virtual assistants, it’s rare to find a relationship that doesn’t work. But, because we’re only human, there’s always a chance that you won’t hit it off. In which case, we’ll get onto the case straight away. Call us and we’ll find a way to settle the issue.
We want you to love working with us – and will never make you work with a virtual assistant you wouldn’t personally choose to work with.
Our VAs are incredibly experienced, have worked with various software and platforms, and have integrated with a range of businesses. They’re also very tech-savvy and will quickly learn to use software they’re not familiar with. As with any new employee, you will need to invest time onboarding your new VA into your business and how you work. Doing this will mean they quickly start supporting you and adjusting to your business software.
Your VA will adapt their style to ensure it suits your work style. We’d typically recommend you have a weekly check-in call with your VA and stay in touch throughout the week to confirm tasks and priorities with your VA using your Timpi Slack channel. Your VA will have full access to your systems, so will be completing tasks in the background while you focus on growing your business.
Hiring a VA instead of a new employee gives you much more flexibility and a cost-effective way to get the support you need for your business. Here are some of the most significant benefits of hiring a VA rather than a new employee:
- Working with a VA frees you from worrying about complex contracts and costly legal obligations.
- If your needs change, it’s easy to change your VA support. In contrast, changing an employee’s hours or hiring additional staff can be challenging.
- You only pay for the time your VA spends working on your tasks (to the second!). You won’t be funding coffee breaks, office gossip or quiet patches where your employee is just twiddling their thumbs.
- Holiday pay and sick leave won’t affect you. If your VA can’t work, we’ll arrange for cover without an extra charge.
- Hire a VA, and you won’t need to pay for desk space, laptops, national insurance, or pension contributions. You won’t even need to worry about performance reviews.
- On the rare occasion that your VA isn’t meeting your expectations, we can quickly arrange for you to start working with another VA. There are no uncomfortable conversations, performance management or grievance procedures to worry about.
Our virtual assistants typically have at least 10 years’ experience with the majority having worked at CEO and MD levels in the city. We’re picky when it comes to selecting our VAs – only 2% of applicants are successful!
In order to join our ranks, each candidate sends us their CV, completes an online assessment, shares two glowing references and sends us a video telling us a little about them. If they seem to have what it takes, they then have a full interview with our founder to ensure they fit our ethos and have what it takes to deliver the service our clients expect.
We aim to provide efficient support. There’s no strict limit, but tasks should be reasonable within the allocated time.
Once you’ve got your virtual assistance in place, we’ll be happy to help you with almost any task. If it’s a service we can’t provide ourselves, your virtual assistant will find you someone who can help.
As you’d expect, we have our boundaries.
We will not help with: Illegal, exploitative or dangerous tasks.
Sending bulk emails (spam).
Yes of course. When you work with us, you pay for the time used to support your business or family. We are here to support you, which is why there are no restrictions.
Yes, language translation tasks can be handled by your virtual assistant if it falls within their skill set.
Your virtual assistant is fully remote and will not be able to attend on-site meetings – this is what makes a virtual assistant such an affordable resource. Because we’re remote working experts, your virtual assistant will integrate into your business so quickly that you’ll wonder how you survived without them. For example:
- They could dial into your meetings to take meeting notes
- They could manage webinars on your behalf (even handling all the tech support)
- They can even coordinate those multi-time-zone meetings, confirm attendance from all parties and then circulate a meeting recording to anyone who missed the call.
Need some help? Your virtual assistant is almost guaranteed to find a way to make things happen.
Yes, your virtual assistant can assist with market research, data analysis, and generating insights to support your business decisions.
Certainly, your virtual assistant can make outbound calls, handle follow-ups, and conduct business communications as needed.
Yes, your virtual assistant can handle these services if they fall within their skill set.
Yes, your virtual assistant can handle these services if they fall within their skill set.
Simply, whatever works for you to make your life easier. Whether that be email, WhatsApp, voice notes or an old-fashioned phone call.
You can provide feedback directly to your virtual assistant through your preferred communication channel. We value your input to continually improve.
We prioritise prompt responses. Your virtual assistant strives to respond within a reasonable timeframe, usually within a few hours during business hours.
We love a challenge here at Timpi so no matter how big, small or obscure your task is, just ask! Remember that as well as business support services, we also provide lifestyle support for those life admin tasks you can’t find the time for.
Our team works standard business hours (Monday to Friday) with flexibility if pre-agreed. You can submit your tasks anytime, day or night, and have the confidence that your work will be completed by the agreed deadlines.
Speak with Timpi today
Want to make life easier? Get in touch. We can help you with one-off projects or on an ongoing basis – you call the shots.
