Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, absolutely. You don't need an extensive technical or marketing background to start as a VA. Many skills can be learned on the job – from using AI tools to email marketing or social media management, everything can be learned if you're motivated. The most important thing is that you're willing to pick up new things and understand what your clients need; you can then master the specific tasks through online tutorials, training, and just practicing.

Start small and systematically. Make a list of things you need to figure out or arrange and work through them step by step. First, take care of the basics: come up with a business name, register with the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) and arrange necessary things like a VAT number and any standard contracts. Build a simple portfolio or LinkedIn profile to showcase your skills, and possibly collect testimonials from people you've done work for before. Then sign up with Virtual Assistant Nederland to become visible to clients. Spend time weekly on networking and approaching potential clients. By taking consistent small steps, you'll get started without becoming overwhelmed.

In the Netherlands, you need to register as a self-employed entrepreneur with the Chamber of Commerce when you start working professionally as a VA. This is necessary to be able to invoice officially and for tax (VAT payment). Many VAs start as freelancers (zzp'er) – a special permit or education is not required, but a KvK registration is required once you start generating regular income. After registration, you'll also receive a VAT number with which you can charge and pay VAT. It's wise to bring your basic knowledge of accounting and taxes up to date (or hire an accountant) so you meet all obligations.

Important skills for a VA include excellent communication skills, organizational ability, and reliability. You must be able to work independently, be digitally skilled, and think problem-solving. In addition, it's helpful to develop certain hard skills depending on your niche – think of social media management, project management (working with tools like Trello/Asana) or content writing and SEO. The ability to adapt and think proactively with the client is at least as valuable as specific technical knowledge; many clients find communication skills and initiative even more important than pure expertise.

One of the best ways to distinguish yourself as a VA is by specializing in a specific field or type of service. With niche expertise (e.g., as a social media assistant, technical VA, accounting VA, etc.) you can usually charge higher rates and are more attractive to specific clients looking for that expertise. That doesn't mean you can't start as an all-round VA – in the beginning you often take on diverse jobs to gain experience and discover what fits you. However, you can ultimately provide more value (and build a stronger reputation) by profiling yourself in the services you're really good at or enjoy doing most.

Your income as a VA depends on your experience, specialization, and target audience. In the Netherlands, starting VAs often charge around €45–€50 per hour (excl. VAT). Internationally, rates can vary greatly: VAs in Europe charge on average around $15–$35 per hour, in the US around $20–$40/hour, while VAs from countries like the Philippines sometimes charge rates of $5–$15 per hour. With a few clients, you can earn a full income – for example, 12 hours per week at €50 per hour already yields around €2400 per month in revenue (excl. VAT). Ultimately, your expertise and the value you provide determine how much clients are willing to pay. As you gain more experience and a strong portfolio, you can often increase your hourly rate.

Research what common rates are in your niche and experience level, so you can set a competitive but fair rate. Don't price yourself too low (don't undervalue yourself) – remember that in addition to your net salary, you also need to cover things like taxes, insurance, and non-billable hours. A common approach is to start with a slightly lower rate to build experience, and gradually increase it as you gain more expertise and references. Communicate your rates clearly to the client (for example per hour or a package price) and be prepared to explain what value they get in return. Remember: specializations and proven quality justify higher rates, while for very general VA services the rate is more limited by competition.

Finding clients requires some active acquisition and networking at the beginning. Some strategies that often work well: • Virtual Assistant Nederland: Sign up with Virtual Assistant Nederland, where many entrepreneurs are looking for VAs. Respond to open assignments or make proposals on projects yourself. • Networking: Tell your own network that you're available as a VA. Go to networking events, entrepreneur meet-ups, or use LinkedIn to reach out to entrepreneurs. Many VAs get their first client through word of mouth – word-of-mouth advertising is worth its weight in gold. • Online visibility (social media): Share useful tips or show your expertise on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook. When people see you online as an expert sharing valuable content, they'll think of you faster for a job. This takes time, but some VAs get their first clients from social media after months of consistent posting. • Through Virtual Assistant Nederland: You can join Virtual Assistant Nederland, the platform specifically for VAs in the Netherlands. An advantage is that Virtual Assistant Nederland often makes the match; they have a pool of clients and connect you as a suitable VA.

Almost all VAs work as self-employed (freelancer) and not as an employee of the client. In practice, this means you enter into a service agreement with your client and invoice for services provided, rather than receiving a salary via payslip. So you arrange your own taxes, insurance, and pension provision. This brings freedom – you decide which clients you take on and how you organize your work – but also responsibility to run your own business. In short, you're an independent professional providing remote support, and not an employee on the client's payroll.

Because you collaborate a lot remotely, the right tools are very important. Some essential tools: • Communication: Slack is ideal for quick team communication and chat, and Zoom/Teams for video meetings. Skype or Google Meet are also used for calls. • Project and task management: Use a tool like Trello or Asana to keep track of tasks and deadlines. These help both you and the client keep overview of what needs to be done. • Productivity & time tracking: Google Calendar is indispensable for scheduling appointments and reminders. Time tracking tools like Toggl or Clockify help you track how many hours you spend on what (useful for both your own insight and invoicing). Calendly can be used to let clients book appointments in your calendar themselves. • File sharing: With cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox, you can easily exchange documents and collaborate on files in real-time. • Other useful tools: For graphic tasks, Canva is a low-threshold design tool. For social media planning, Buffer or Hootsuite are popular (scheduling posts). For invoicing and payments, many VAs use PayPal or an online accounting package to send invoices professionally. Choose tools that fit the services you provide – often the client already has preferred tools you can use.

As a VA, you may get access to sensitive information from your clients, so handle it carefully. Make clear agreements about confidentiality and privacy. Preferably have the client sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), or offer to sign one yourself – this legally protects confidential business information. Use a password manager to share login credentials instead of loose passwords via email; tools like LastPass or 1Password let you share passwords securely without you being able to see them yourself. Furthermore, it's smart to only request access to what you need – for example, have yourself added with your own account with limited rights to the systems you need to work in. Use secure connections (VPN) and keep software up-to-date. By thinking proactively about security, you show that you handle client data professionally.

Yes, drawing up a contract is wise for every new assignment. In a good VA contract, you specify which services you provide and what the scope is (tasks, number of hours or result), the compensation and payment agreements, any confidentiality, and also the termination conditions. Such a written agreement protects both you and the client and prevents misunderstandings, because it's in black and white what both parties can expect from each other. Make sure both parties sign the contract before starting. Even for small jobs, it's already useful to confirm agreements by email; for larger collaborations, a formal contract is a must.

Demand for virtual assistants has grown strongly in recent years and seems set to continue. In 2024 alone, tens of thousands of new businesses started in the Netherlands and Belgium – all those entrepreneurs could potentially use a VA. Many companies are just discovering what a VA is and how much benefit it can offer, so the market is certainly not saturated. As for AI: tools with artificial intelligence will undoubtedly automate or speed up certain routine tasks, but they don't replace the VA one-on-one. The basis remains that you as a VA take tasks off an entrepreneur's hands that they don't want or can't do themselves – and that remains largely the same with AI. In fact, AI can support you as a VA to work even more efficiently (e.g., quickly draft texts or analyze data), so you can do more work in less time. The VA of the future embraces AI as a tool. As long as there are entrepreneurs who prefer to focus on their core tasks rather than supporting tasks, there will be demand for good VAs.

Yes, one of the attractive aspects of VA work is that it's location-independent. As long as you have a reliable internet connection, you can in principle perform your work from anywhere in the world. Many VAs combine their work with travel or temporarily emigrate – there are examples of VAs running their business from Bali, Spain, or other sunny places. Do consider practical matters: time differences (you may need to align your working hours with Dutch clients), tax and legal obligations if you stay abroad long-term, and of course the possible lack of direct personal contact. But in essence, you're free to take your laptop and provide your services from any desired location. Freedom and happiness – that's exactly one of the reasons many become VAs.

As a self-employed VA, you have the freedom to organize your own time, but that also means you need to watch your balance yourself. It's tempting to always be "on" – especially if you have multiple clients and work from home, work and private life can easily blend together. Therefore, set clear boundaries: determine your fixed working hours and communicate them to your clients as well (for example, that you're not available after 6 PM or on weekends, unless urgent). Also learn to say "no" to assignments that don't fit or become too much. Moreover, choose clients and projects that match your values and interests – if you do work you enjoy and that aligns with your why/vision, the chance of energy loss is much smaller. Consciously plan free time and vacations; give yourself rest to recharge, just as you would in employment. Remember that you are the most important "business asset" of your own business – by taking good care of yourself, you can actually deliver better results for your clients.

A virtual assistant is a professional assistant who performs tasks for you remotely. Instead of being physically in your office, a VA works from their own location (home or elsewhere) via the internet. You can engage a VA for all kinds of supporting tasks – administrative, creative, or technical – without having to hire someone as a permanent employee. It's essentially a flexible remote employee you hire to help you with things like calendar management, emails, marketing, customer contact, and other tasks you want to outsource yourself. Because the work happens virtually, you mainly communicate with your VA via email, phone, or online tools.

That depends on what you want to hand off – VAs can take on a wide range of tasks. Some examples: • Administrative tasks: Managing calendar and mailbox, scheduling appointments, data entry, creating quotes or presentations, taking minutes at meetings. • Customer service: Answering customer questions via email or chat, scheduling phone appointments, following up on leads, processing orders or returns. • Marketing and social media: Posting content on social media channels, managing responses and messages, creating simple graphic designs in Canva, writing and sending newsletters, SEO research for blogs. • Financial/operational support: Processing purchase invoices, light accounting tasks, tracking hours or budgets, preparing reports. Tasks like travel planning or calendar management for a director also fall under this. • Research and data: Conducting online research (e.g., market or product research), collecting and summarizing data, competitor analysis, etc. In addition, there are VAs with specific specializations. For example, VAs focused on real estate (supporting realtors with calendar management and customer contact), e-commerce VAs (updating product lists, customer service for a webshop), creative VAs (video editing, podcast editing) or even medical/legal VAs who provide administrative support in those industries. Virtually any task that doesn't necessarily need to happen physically on location can in principle be left to a virtual assistant.

There are several benefits to working with a VA: Cost savings: You typically only pay a VA for hours actually worked, and have no salary costs for unproductive hours. You save on employer costs, office space, and other overhead – in many cases it's significantly more cost-effective than hiring someone permanently for similar tasks. Flexibility: A VA is very flexibly deployable. You can start with just a few hours per week and scale up or down as needed. If you temporarily have more work (e.g., a peak season), the VA can work more hours, and when it's quieter, less. Moreover, a VA is not bound to a 9-to-5 schedule – many VAs work at times that suit the client's wishes, and through VAs in different time zones you can even get 24/7 support if needed. Focus on your core activities: Because the VA takes over routine tasks and time-consuming jobs from you, you as an entrepreneur have more time for strategic work and the core of your business. Many entrepreneurs experience that through a VA they free up 10–20 hours per week to spend on growth, innovation, or just important customers. Instead of getting bogged down in administration, you can use that time more productively. Access to expertise: VAs often bring specific knowledge or skills. You can, for example, find a VA specialized in social media, accounting, copywriting, travel planning – you name it. This way you bring expertise in-house when you need it, without having to undergo extensive training yourself or hire an expensive specialist full-time. Less employer hassle: Because a VA works as self-employed, you don't have to deal with payroll administration, social premiums, insurance, and other HR matters that come with a permanent employee. The collaboration is often simpler to contractually establish (service agreement) and if needs change, you can relatively easily adjust or terminate the collaboration. In short: maximum relief on supporting work, with minimal obligations.

This mainly depends on the nature of the tasks and your preference. A virtual assistant works remotely and is ideal for tasks that can be handled digitally (administration, online marketing, remote customer service, etc.). You then benefit from flexibility and cost efficiency – you only pay the VA for actual work time and not for, e.g., coffee breaks or downtime. If, on the other hand, you need someone who is physically present – for example to welcome guests, manage physical files, do personal errands, or other non-online tasks – then on-site staff is more suitable (a personal assistant or secretary in employment). Keep in mind that a PA in employment is usually more expensive (full-time salary, employer costs) and less flexible in hours. Many entrepreneurs choose a virtual assistant because their supporting tasks can be done perfectly remotely; that saves significantly on costs and you can engage talent from all over the world. However, if you need someone next to you daily for all kinds of office tasks, you can't avoid physical staff. In practice, it can sometimes even be a combination: you have a VA for the remote work, and maybe someone part-time in the office for those few physical tasks.

There are several ways to find a VA: • Virtual Assistant Nederland: Virtual Assistant Nederland has a large pool of qualified VA profiles. You can post an assignment there and have VAs respond, or actively approach candidates yourself. The advantage is a large talent pool and often reviews/ratings from previous jobs. • Through Virtual Assistant Nederland: Virtual Assistant Nederland pre-screens VAs and matches them to clients. They take recruitment and selection off your hands and present you with one or several suitable candidates. This saves you time if you don't feel like sifting through dozens of profiles. • Networking: LinkedIn is also a powerful tool: search for "Virtual Assistant" and filter by location or industry, or post a call yourself. In Facebook groups for entrepreneurs and VAs, you can also post a call – often that yields quick responses. • Through your network: Ask other entrepreneurs if they know a good VA and can recommend one. A personal recommendation gives confidence. Sometimes you can start with a VA who works for a friendly entrepreneur and has some hours available, or they can refer you to someone in their network.

Selecting the right VA is crucial. Some tips to make a good match: • Check references and reviews: See if the VA has work experience with the tasks you want to outsource. Read reviews from previous clients on platforms or ask for a reference. Previous positive experiences indicate reliability and quality. • Interview the VA: Schedule an extensive (video) call to get acquainted. Discuss what you need and ask how the VA would approach such tasks. Pay attention to communication: does he/she understand you well, does the VA also ask questions? A click and good communication is at least as important as technical skills. • Trial assignment: Consider giving a small paid trial assignment as a test. This way you can assess how the VA works, how quickly something is picked up, and whether the result is satisfactory, before entering into a long-term collaboration. • Clear expectations: Be clear from the start about what you expect (deadlines, quality level, availability). A professional VA will appreciate this and also set boundaries themselves. Possibly put agreements in writing in a work confirmation or contract. • Trust your gut: In addition to objective criteria, it's also important that you feel comfortable with someone who gets access to (parts of) your business. If something doesn't feel right during the selection process – e.g., slow communication or unclear answers – rather choose someone else. There are plenty of VAs; take the time until you find someone who works both on paper and in interaction.

The cost of a VA can vary. Many VAs work on an hourly basis. Hourly rates vary depending on experience and location: for a VA in Europe you can roughly count on $15–$35 per hour, in the US slightly higher ($20–$40/hour), while offshore VAs from, e.g., Asia often charge lower rates ($5–$15/hour). A Dutch freelance VA will likely be at the top of that European range or even above (e.g., €30–€50/hour is not uncommon for experienced NL VAs). Some VAs also offer packages (e.g., fixed amount per month for X hours) or work with a monthly subscription. Is the investment worth it? Many entrepreneurs think so. A good VA can be a game-changer: you regain valuable time to spend on things that add direct value to your business. Suppose a VA takes 10 hours of work per week off your hands; that's 10 hours in which you can acquire new customers or think strategically – activities that easily pay back the VA costs. However, note the principle "you get what you pay for": an extremely cheap VA may have less experience or need more direction, while a slightly more expensive but experienced VA works more independently and achieves results faster. So it's about the value you get. If thanks to a VA you can, for example, generate €1000 extra revenue in the freed-up time, then spending €300 on VA hours is a no-brainer. All in all, most companies experience hiring a VA as a valuable investment in efficiency and growth, provided you find the right person for the right price.

Good communication is the key to successful remote collaboration. Some best practices: • Use helpful tools: Make use of collaboration tools – for example Slack for daily short communication and questions, and Zoom or Microsoft Teams for regular meetings/consultation. Share a task list or project board with your VA (via, for example, Trello or Asana) so it's clear who does what and when. • Set clear expectations: Make sure you align from the start on what times the VA should be available and how you keep each other informed. With international VAs, it's smart to ensure at least a few hours of overlap in working time for real-time consultation. Clearly establish deadlines, response times, and priorities (preferably in writing in a briefing or summary after a meeting). • Plan regular check-ins: Especially at the beginning, it's useful to briefly consult daily or weekly (e.g., a 15-minute call) about progress. This keeps everyone sharp and gives the VA a chance to ask questions. Over time, you can possibly reduce the frequency if everything runs smoothly, but rather a bit too much communication at the start than too little. • Be open and accessible: Create a culture where the VA feels free to ask questions or give feedback. Because you're not in the office together, issues must be actively discussed. Lead by example by responding quickly to messages and being clear in your feedback. This prevents misunderstandings and builds a good working relationship, even though you don't see each other in person.

It pays to invest in good onboarding of your VA. Some tips to train and guide your VA: • Document your processes: Create SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for the most important recurring tasks. This doesn't have to be a book, but a simple step-by-step instruction (if necessary in bullet points or a short video) helps your VA perform tasks exactly as you want. • Give visual explanation: Show how you do certain work via screen recordings or shared sessions. Tools like Loom or Vidyard let you easily make a video where you demonstrate something. This reduces the chance of misunderstandings and the VA learns faster. • Set clear KPIs or goals: Determine how you measure success. For example: "all customer emails must be answered within 24 hours", or "minimum 5 appointments per week scheduled". Clear performance indicators help both you and the VA know if the work is going as expected. Discuss these regularly too. • Give feedback and be patient: Plan a weekly moment in the initial period to evaluate. Name what's going well and where you want adjustment. Many VAs need about 1–2 months to fully get up to speed with your specific way of working. So be prepared to invest a bit more time in guidance in that startup phase. If you lay that foundation, you'll notice that the VA can then work increasingly autonomously and productively for you.

Data security is a legitimate concern with remote collaboration. Fortunately, you can do a lot to ensure this: • Password managers: Never just share passwords via email or chat. Use a password manager (like LastPass or 1Password) to share login credentials securely without the VA seeing the password themselves. This way you maintain control and can revoke access when needed. • Confidentiality (NDA): Have the VA sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement, especially if working with confidential information. This is a contract stating that the VA may not share anything about your business information. It provides legal protection and sets the tone that discretion is expected. • Limit access rights: Give the VA only access to the systems and folders they need. You can, for example, create a separate account for the VA with limited rights instead of giving your own main account. When the collaboration ends, you can easily revoke all access or change passwords this way. • Use secure tools: Make use of encrypted storage (e.g., shared drives with limited access) and avoid sending sensitive documents unsecured. Discuss with your VA what measures they take to work securely (e.g., VPN use, antivirus, not using public wifi for work). By following clear security protocols together, you significantly reduce the chance of data breaches.

Yes, that is absolutely recommended. A written contract (a service agreement) creates clarity for both parties about the collaboration. In it, you specify things like which services and results the VA will deliver, at what rate and how payment will be made, how many hours or what availability is expected, confidentiality of information, and how it can be terminated if necessary. This prevents misunderstandings and provides legal certainty: if uncertainty arises, you can both fall back on the contract. So make sure you sign a contract with your VA before they start. Many freelance VAs also have a standard contract they can provide. Take the time to read through it and align points until both parties are satisfied. A good agreement is the foundation of a professional collaboration.

Although you hopefully choose the right match, it can happen that it doesn't work as desired. The nice thing about a VA (compared to a permanent employee) is that you're flexible to adjust or possibly part ways. First, clearly communicate your dissatisfaction to the VA: often they're willing to adapt if they know what's wrong. For example, set a trial period of a month and then evaluate. If it continues to disappoint, you can terminate the collaboration as agreed in the contract (usually a short notice period or immediate termination on a project basis). If you work through Virtual Assistant Nederland, you can often turn there for a solution. Virtual Assistant Nederland has a satisfaction guarantee: if the first match isn't good, they'll match you with a new VA at no cost and you have hardly any downtime. In short, you're not stuck with a VA. Also learn from the experience: when searching for a next VA, you can take your feedback to find an even better match.

Yes, many VAs can also take on phone tasks, provided agreements are made about this. You can, for example, temporarily forward your business phone to your VA at times when you're not available; the VA can then answer calls on behalf of your company. Clearly agree on what times and in what cases the VA should answer the phone. If the VA can't answer immediately at a moment, they can follow up on voicemails and missed calls by calling customers back. You can also leave outgoing calls to a VA: think of following up on quotes, scheduling appointments, or following up on leads and customer questions. Make sure you instruct the VA well on how to introduce themselves and how to answer certain questions, so customers get a consistent experience. Note: if you have a very high call volume or need continuous phone availability, a specialized phone service/receptionist might be more suitable. But for most SMEs, a VA works fine to take the phone off your hands during busy moments.

Yes, increasingly so. Many VAs now use smart AI tools to work more efficiently – of course with your permission and provided it fits the task. For example, a VA can use an AI (like ChatGPT) to have a first version of a text or summary written, then edit it themselves. Or use AI tools for calendar planning, data processing, image editing, you name it. This can save time and ultimately benefit you. At some VA services, the use of AI is even explicitly encouraged to increase productivity. It's important that the VA always does a human quality check: AI also makes mistakes or sounds impersonal if you blindly adopt outputs. So discuss openly with your VA whether AI tools are used and how. In practice, you'll notice that a good VA with AI as an assistant can deliver work even faster and smarter, while you have the assurance that a human is watching the end result.

You can deploy a VA as much or as little as you need. Flexibility in hours is precisely one of the great advantages of working with virtual assistants. If you only have 5 hours of work per week, there's certainly a VA to be found who will take that on. If you get busier, you can expand to, for example, 10 or 20 hours per week, or even full-time if the situation requires it. Many VAs work for multiple clients and can therefore work with small numbers of hours per client. There are even subscription services where you can purchase support from as little as 10 hours per month – about 2 to 3 hours per week. You're not tied to long contracts; often you can scale up or down per month. Our advice: rather start with slightly fewer hours and see how efficiently they're utilized. You can always increase the number of hours once you notice that the VA can structurally take more work off your hands. This way you keep costs manageable and still benefit from the help at the moments you need it.