Last Updated February 2022 by Crystallace
Hey Girl !
I know, I know here comes the lawyer again reminding you about the importance of having contracts. Today we are talking about the virtual assistant agreement.
Are you overwhelmed with running your blog or business? If you’re like me you’re probably trying to do this side hustle thing while working a full time job. If you didn’t know I still work as a lawyer and until my blog starts earning full time income to replace that, it will still be my hobby turned side-hustle.
For the most part I am able to handle it but there are tasks that I do need help with from time to time, like social media, and for that I turn to virtual assistant for help.
BTW, are you following me on socials? Let’s keep in touch! I’m on Pinterest, IG, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok
Why you need to have a virtual assistant agreement
If you’re thinking about doing the same, go for it! But before you do you’ll want to make sure you have a complete virtual assistant agreement with the important things that I am going to talk about in this blog post.
If you want to know more about what a virtual assistant is and how they can help you check out these blog posts.
In the meantime, Be sure to Pin đź“Ś this post so that you will have it for later.
As you venture into the world of hiring a virtual assistant there are some things you must do to protect yourself and your business. The job of a virtual assistant is mostly service-based, which means the virtual assistant will be providing a service in exchange for compensation.
The best way to ensure that both you and your business are protected during this process of working with a virtual assistant is to have a virtual assistant agreement.
The best virtual assistant agreement will provide a list of services to be rendered, deadlines for each project or task, and agreed rate of pay for each task or a flat rate price based on services to be rendered.
Below you’ll find a list of things that must be included in your virtual assistant agreement so that you and your hire are on the same page during this process. Having a good virtual assistant agreement will help your business continue to run smoothly.
What Your Virtual Assistant Agreement Should Include
Rate of Pay
The first thing you must have in your virtual assistant agreement is how you’ll be rendering payment. Virtual assistants get paid in different ways. A virtual assistant may charge an hourly rate while others charge a project rate. Whether you’re paying a flat rate or an hourly rate, it’s important to have a detailed list of the agreed-upon rate within your virtual assistant agreement.
Additionally you will want to go into detail about payment form, methods, and tax rates.
Timeline for Services and Payment
Next, you’ll want to have a timeline that features when your VA will be paid for services and when the services are expected to be completed. These details can be worked out beforehand during your interview/consultation period and written into virtual assistant agreement terms. You’ll need to be specific about when you will render payment and any deposits that you discuss.
From my experience as a business and contracts lawyer, this is where most disputes come from. The disagreement is not typically about the work, it’s about when the work is suppose to be completed.
This is important for both VA and business owner for two reasons. 1) The VA may want to complete the project within a certain timeframe to allow them time to take on new clients or maybe even free their schedule for a family vacation. 2) The business owner needs to be able to manage their expectations.
Termination
As with most service businesses, there’s a risk that your VA may change their mind about the project, I have had this happen to me. This may come out of nowhere, so you must have a termination provision in your agreement to cover these kinds of incidents.
Important details that you’ll want to be sure you have in your Virtual Assistant Agreement
Who may cancel the agreement and how
Will cancellation be accepted via written or verbal communication? Is termination unilateral?
How much notice is required
You’ll want to include whether you have a right to terminate the agreement within “x” amount of days or weeks. Will you extend that right to the virtual assistant?
How is payment handled upon termination
Include how much, if any, of a refund you are entitled to if the contract is canceled by the virtual assistant.
Include a Confidential and NDA Paragraph
We’re all working in a virtual world, so it’s more difficult to learn to trust a virtual assistant. Having a confidential and non-disclosure agreement (NDA) paragraph will help make it easier to trust that your virtual assistant will not disclose sensitive business data or trade secrets to someone else.
Regardless of how honest of a person they may appear to be, this is business and business requires everything to be detailed in an agreement for legal protections, should you need them later on.
These are just the most basic, yet important, parts of a virtual assistant agreement
That must be including in writing. You’ll want to think about every possible outcome that could happen because in the world of business you’ll run into a variety of awesome people and not-so-great people, this agreement will serve as a legally binding contract to protect you both from any future disastrous financial and legal harm.
If I hire a virtual assistant shouldn’t they have their own virtual assistant agreement?
They should but it has been my experience that most of them don’t, which is why I was compelled to draft one. Also, you don’t know where they may have gotten that from. A lot of people gravitate towards free stuff on the internet and honestly, it’s trash. There is a lot of “free” stuff out there on the internet, don’t fall victim for it.
I swear on my attorney’s license my very first case as a lawyer was trying to get a judge NOT TO THROW OUT a contract that my client had downloaded off some website for free.
“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” – Your Grandparents
People put things on the internet and you have no idea who wrote them, where they came from, or who they were intended for.
When it comes to a contract for your business, be smart about where you get them from.
So where can I find a virtual assistant contract template
Luckily, I’ve written this Virtual Assistant Agreement with the savvy business owner in mind and it’s the exact same one I use when I am looking to hire help. This lawyer approved Virtual Assistant Agreement is easy to use and fully customizable to your brand or business.
It covers all of the important things plus a BONUS NDA clause so that you don’t have to use a separate NDA form.
Make the investment in your business today. You would be protecting your business and letting your VA know that you take your business serious.
Have any questions? Shoot me an email or let me know in the comments?
Check out these other blog posts:
The Ultimate Guide for Hiring a Virtual Assistant
Where You Can Find a Virtual Assistant for Hire
5 Ways a Virtual Assistant Can Make You More Productive
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