Everything Australian small business owners ask us.
Six categories. 22 questions. If yours isn't here, book a free call and we'll answer it in person.
Pricing
How much does a DotVA virtual assistant cost?
Admin VAs from $12/hr (excl GST), specialists from $18/hr, bookkeeping from $25/hr. Most clients spend $1,500-$3,500 per month for a part-time VA at 15-25 hours per week. See the full breakdown at /pricing/.
Are there any hidden fees?
No. You pay an hourly rate for the hours your VA works. We don't bill for our team's management overhead, we don't charge a recruiting fee on top of the deposit, and we don't mark up software or tools. What you see on /pricing/ is what you pay.
Is the $500 deposit refundable?
Yes. If we can’t find you a suitable match, you get every cent back. Once you place a VA, the deposit is credited against your first month’s invoice.
What if I only need someone for a few hours a week?
We can place VAs from 5 hours per week. Below that, the management overhead doesn’t make economic sense. Try our /va-calculator/ to model the scenarios.
Hiring + placement
How do you find your VAs?
We recruit out of Manila and the broader Philippines, where we have an established sourcing pipeline. We screen for English fluency, role-specific skills, and cultural fit with AU small business. Every VA passes a written + verbal assessment before they reach your shortlist.
How long does the placement take?
7-14 days from discovery call to your shortlist. Another 5-7 days for interviews and onboarding. Most clients have a VA working within 3 weeks of the first call.
Can I interview the VA before I commit?
Yes. You meet 3-5 pre-vetted candidates on a 30-minute video call each. You pick. We don’t place anyone you haven’t signed off on.
Does the VA work for me directly or via DotVA?
They work for you. DotVA is the agency that finds them, manages the relationship, runs payroll, and handles HR. You give them the work and the feedback.
Working with your VA
How do I communicate with my VA?
However you already work. Most clients use Slack, WhatsApp, Loom and email. Your VA adapts to your tools, not the other way round.
What hours does the VA work?
We can match AEST/AEDT business hours, hybrid, or async-overnight (you wake up to a done list). Discuss on the discovery call.
What if I don’t know how to manage a remote person?
We help. Onboarding includes a written SOP for your business that you and the VA both follow. We also have a free /guides/managing-a-va-asynchronously/ playbook that walks through the first 30 days.
What if the VA isn’t working out?
Tell us as soon as you sense it. Within 30 days we replace at no cost. Beyond 30 days, we still help but you only pay for the new VA from the date they start.
Security + privacy
Are my customer data and passwords safe?
Yes. We provision every VA with a password manager (1Password Teams seat included), and every shared system uses role-based access. We sign a confidentiality agreement on day one, and your VA does too.
Where is the VA located?
Manila or the broader Philippines. They work from a home office with stable internet (we verify) and access systems via your tools (not via shared computers).
What about the Privacy Act?
DotVA is a small business as defined by the Privacy Act 1988. We act under your direction when handling your customer data, and we sign a data handling addendum that covers Australian Privacy Principles for any client that asks. Talk to us on the discovery call.
Tools + software
What software do your VAs already know?
Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Xero, MYOB, Shopify, HubSpot, Pipedrive, GoHighLevel, Notion, Airtable, Slack, Loom, Canva, ClickUp, Asana, Trello, Calendly, Squarespace, WordPress, Mailchimp, Klaviyo. If you use something different, we train them in onboarding.
Can my VA use AI tools?
Absolutely. Most of our VAs use Claude or ChatGPT daily. We train every VA in safe AI use during onboarding. See /ai-with-vas/ for the full set of playbooks.
Do I need to provide a computer?
No. Your VA has their own workstation. You provide accounts + access for the systems you want them to use.
AI + virtual assistants
How do you use AI with VAs?
AI doesn't replace a VA, it multiplies one. Our VAs use Claude or ChatGPT for first-draft writing, SOP generation, email triage, data extraction, research summaries, meeting notes, and 40+ other workflows. See /ai-with-vas/ for the working playbooks.
Will AI replace virtual assistants?
No, and that's a deliberate position. AI is great at outputs but not judgement, escalation, or ownership. The right pattern is a VA who's fluent in AI, not an AI that thinks it's a VA. See /ai-with-vas/why-we-dont-replace-vas-with-ai/ for our full take.
Does using AI mean lower-quality work?
Often the opposite. AI catches mistakes, drafts faster, and lets the VA focus on the parts that need human judgement. We benchmark output quality with and without AI for every new placement.