When I decided to take a leap of faith and start working as a virtual assistant, I had more questions than answers. I was very fortunate to have a former colleague who was the manager of a new virtual assistance agency in El Salvador. When I knocked on her door, she was very kind and explained everything I needed to know about the agency and what I could expect from them.
Some time later, when I decided to go my own way, I had a clearer idea of the processes I wanted to implement in my own business. One of the most important ones was to establish a service agreement with my clients.
Most virtual assistants in El Salvador are independent freelancers. Therefore, it is important to have a document in place so both parties can clarify expectations, responsibilities, and the terms of the agreement, including the responsibilities between the company and the guarantee that services will be provided as agreed upon.
What needs to be included in a virtual assistant service agreement?
In my experience, some of the most important items to discuss before drafting a service agreement include the following:
- Scope of work:
- Does your client have a clear idea of the scope of work for your position? Is the workload already decided or is it something that will change over time?
- Expected working hours or deliverables:
- Do you have a set schedule to adhere to? Or are you tasked with completing a set of tasks by a deadline? Are there opportunities for overtime, commissions, or performance-based bonuses?
- Payment terms:
- Does your employer pay on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis? Do you send invoices or receive automatic payments? What payment methods are accepted, such as wire transfers, PayPal, or services like Payoneer?
- Confidentiality, Non-Disclosure, and Solicitation clauses:
- These clauses outline important items to protect your business, such as maintaining confidentiality of sensitive information and restrictions on solicitation of clients or business opportunities.
- Termination or Cancellation clause:
- What notice period is required for termination? Are there penalties for early termination? What are the valid reasons for termination?
- Communication protocols:
- Do you have preferred methods of communication? Are specific tools required for communication, such as Teams or Slack? Will you provide an email account with your domain?
- Holidays and Time Off:
- Are virtual assistants expected to work during US holidays and observe local holidays? What about vacation periods? Are they paid, and up to what limit each year?
- Tools and software:
- Are specific software licenses required for the virtual assistant? Do you provide licenses for company tools?
The first client I took on as an independent administrative service provider had no prior experience working with virtual assistants outside the US. Therefore, we began with a discovery call, where we could learn about each other: me about the business and his expectations for the position, and my client about my experience and what I could bring to the table.
After that, I created a checklist with my proposal based on what we had discussed. We then scheduled a second call to review each item and agree on the terms before proceeding with the service agreement.
If this is your first time hiring a virtual assistant from El Salvador, you may want to learn more about our culture. Therefore, I’ve created a post to explain our country and the advantages of hiring an assistant from El Salvador.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments by sending me an email to info@pmbassistance.com or via my Workee profile.
