The rates include how much and how often you are paying your virtual assistant.For example, your virtual assistant might charge you a monthly flat rate or they might ask you to pay per hour. This needs to be covered in your contract so there\u2019s no confusion about what the payment plan will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You also need to discuss how payment will work with your virtual assistant. Will you be paying for everything in advance? Will you be paying at the end of every week depending on how much work is done? Have this conversation with your virtual assistant prior to hiring so you can both come to a comfortable agreement on how payment will work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that some virtual assistants take full payment in advance because they\u2019ve worked with clients who have received work and then left the VA high and dry. Usually, these virtual assistants have a website and a reputable background so you don\u2019t have to worry about them running off with your money.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Non-solicitation
<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the worst things that can happen is when your virtual assistant, who knows the ins and outs of your business, emails your clients soliciting them for work. Solicitation is a poor reflection of your business and creates an uncomfortable environment for everyone involved. Put down a non-solicitation agreement in your contract to ensure that your virtual assistant isn\u2019t going to try to contact your clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the worst things that can happen is when your virtual assistant, who knows the ins and outs of your business, emails your clients soliciting them for work. Solicitation is a poor reflection of your business and creates an uncomfortable environment for everyone involved. Put down a non-solicitation agreement in your contract to ensure that your virtual assistant isn\u2019t going to try to contact your clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Non-compete
<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hand in hand with the non-solicitation is an agreement to not compete with your business. Your virtual assistant is someone who is extremely familiar with the details of your business. You don\u2019t want them to take your trade secrets and create a competing business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you can draft a non-compete, it\u2019s not reasonable for you to say that they can never compete with your business. After all, they are gaining experience that can help them grow as a business owner. Your non-compete may say that it lasts 5-7 years, but usually it doesn\u2019t last longer than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Non-disclosure
<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Some virtual assistants work with several business owners. Having a non-disclosure in place makes sure that your virtual assistant isn\u2019t sharing your secrets with other business owners. For example, if you discuss a business idea with your virtual assistant, you don\u2019t want them selling that idea to a competitor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might also sell courses, digital products, or infoproducts. Your nondisclosure prevents your virtual assistant from telling others what\u2019s inside your paid products, especially if they\u2019ve seen the product themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work Expectations
<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Virtual assistants are rarely working on your business full-time unless you\u2019re paying them full-time wages. They\u2019ll usually spend a few hours on your business per week and then supplement their income with other methods. However, you\u2019re still entitled to have expectations about how many hours they\u2019ll be working and what days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This should include whether you expect your virtual assistant to work federal holidays or weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deliverability is also important to note. How long will it take your virtual assistant to perform the tasks that you need completed? How many days should the turnaround time be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Termination
<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As uncomfortable as it is to have to fire someone, sometimes you may need to part ways with the virtual assistant. Sometimes, it\u2019s because the virtual assistant has been lagging behind but sometimes your business no longer needs their services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your contract should state what terms you\u2019re allowed to terminate the contract on and who gets to terminate the contract. You should also state how much notice in advance will be given and what happens to all payments. Will payments be forfeited? Will there be a refund?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a contract with your virtual assistant helps set boundaries for the relationship. It also sets the expectation between the business and the virtual assistant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Struggling to come up with your contract? Download our template below!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Now that you\u2019re getting close to hiring a virtual assistant, you have to consider the legalities around hiring a virtual assistant. Most importantly, you\u2019ll need your contract, W-9, and any other papers your company wants your virtual assistant to sign. In today\u2019s blog post, we\u2019ll go over the importance of each document. General Contract You can incorporate everything, including the non-compete and the nondisclosure agreements, into your general contract, though some businesses decide to keep them separate. Before drafting up your legal contract with your virtual assistant, be sure to differentiate between whether your VA is an employee or an independent contractor. This post will cover hiring an independent contractor. Your general contract should include the following: Rates The rates include how much and how often you are paying your virtual assistant.For example, your virtual assistant might charge you a monthly flat rate or they might ask you to pay per hour. This needs to be covered in your contract so there\u2019s no confusion about what the payment plan will be. You also need to discuss how payment will work with your virtual assistant. Will you be paying for everything in advance? Will you be paying at the end of every week depending on how much work is done? Have this conversation with your virtual assistant prior to hiring so you can both come to a comfortable agreement on how payment will work. Note that some virtual assistants take full payment in advance because they\u2019ve worked with clients who have received work and then left the VA high and dry. Usually, these virtual assistants have a website and a reputable background so you don\u2019t have to worry about them running off with your money. Non-solicitation One of the worst things that can happen is when your virtual assistant, who knows the ins and outs of your business, emails your clients soliciting them for work. Solicitation is a poor reflection of your business and creates an uncomfortable environment for everyone involved. Put down a non-solicitation agreement in your contract to ensure that your virtual assistant isn\u2019t going to try to contact your clients. One of the worst things that can happen is when your virtual assistant, who knows the ins and outs of your business, emails your clients soliciting them for work. Solicitation is a poor reflection of your business and creates an uncomfortable environment for everyone involved. Put down a non-solicitation agreement in your contract to ensure that your virtual assistant isn\u2019t going to try to contact your clients. Non-compete Hand in hand with the non-solicitation is an agreement to not compete with your business. Your virtual assistant is someone who is extremely familiar with the details of your business. You don\u2019t want them to take your trade secrets and create a competing business. While you can draft a non-compete, it\u2019s not reasonable for you to say that they can never compete with your business. After all, they are gaining experience that can help them grow as a business owner. Your non-compete may say that it lasts 5-7 years, but usually it doesn\u2019t last longer than that. Non-disclosure Some virtual assistants work with several business owners. Having a non-disclosure in place makes sure that your virtual assistant isn\u2019t sharing your secrets with other business owners. For example, if you discuss a business idea with your virtual assistant, you don\u2019t want them selling that idea to a competitor. You might also sell courses, digital products, or infoproducts. Your nondisclosure prevents your virtual assistant from telling others what\u2019s inside your paid products, especially if they\u2019ve seen the product themselves. Work Expectations Virtual assistants are rarely working on your business full-time unless you\u2019re paying them full-time wages. They\u2019ll usually spend a few hours on your business per week and then supplement their income with other methods. However, you\u2019re still entitled to have expectations about how many hours they\u2019ll be working and what days. This should include whether you expect your virtual assistant to work federal holidays or weekends. Deliverability is also important to note. How long will it take your virtual assistant to perform the tasks that you need completed? How many days should the turnaround time be? Termination As uncomfortable as it is to have to fire someone, sometimes you may need to part ways with the virtual assistant. Sometimes, it\u2019s because the virtual assistant has been lagging behind but sometimes your business no longer needs their services. Your contract should state what terms you\u2019re allowed to terminate the contract on and who gets to terminate the contract. You should also state how much notice in advance will be given and what happens to all payments. Will payments be forfeited? Will there be a refund? Having a contract with your virtual assistant helps set boundaries for the relationship. It also sets the expectation between the business and the virtual assistant. Struggling to come up with your contract? Download our template below!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2468,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[51,35,38,20],"tags":[33,21,22,39,23],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n