Virtual assistant services

Most UK virtual assistant work is priced either by the hour or as a monthly package of hours. General admin support commonly sits around £18–£30 an hour, with ten-hour packages typically £170–£280 paid in advance. Specialist work — bookkeeping-adjacent tasks, CRM administration or e-commerce support — more often falls in the £30–£45 an hour band.

A realistic beginner rate is the lower end of the general band, around £18–£22 an hour, while you build a first testimonial and a defined task list. Rates rise as you narrow what you do: becoming the person who runs one specific system for one type of business is what moves you from the general band to the specialist band, rather than simply having more years behind you.

Hourly billing suits ad-hoc or unpredictable work; a monthly retainer suits steady work and gives both sides predictable income and predictable cover. Retainers are usually sold in five, ten or twenty hour blocks with an agreed response time rather than fixed working hours.

What you charge is not what you keep. Out of your fee come software subscriptions, insurance, unbilled admin such as handovers and chasing, and income tax and National Insurance on your profit. Unbilled time is the quiet one: an hour a week spent on emails you never invoice for reduces your real hourly rate more than most people expect.

What influences a rate most: how specialist the task is, the size of the client, whether you sell hours or an outcome, how much unbilled admin the client generates, and whether you are competing on a freelance marketplace where entry-level rates are pushed down.

These are indicative UK ranges rather than quotes. Check what VAs serving your chosen client type are actually charging before setting your own prices.

See our full UK Virtual Assistant rates and pricing guide

You handle the administrative work a small business owner keeps putting off: inbox triage, diary booking, quotes and invoices, supplier chasing, spreadsheets and simple customer emails.

Work is normally sold as a block of hours each month — commonly five, ten or twenty — with an agreed response time rather than fixed working hours.

Everything is done remotely, so clients can be anywhere in the UK.

Lowest-cost way to test demand: You can win and deliver a first client on free tools alone; add paid software only when a second client arrives.

Two ten-hour retainers at £22 an hour is roughly £440 a month for around five hours of work a week.

Most part-time VAs settle between £300 and £900 a month; £1,400 usually means either specialist skills or close to full part-time hours.

Rates rise fastest when you become the person who handles one specific system — a booking platform, a CRM or an e-commerce back office.

What changes your earnings most

• Whether you sell hours or outcomes
• How much unbilled time goes on emails, handovers and chasing
• Specialism — general admin pays least
• Client size: larger clients buy more hours with less handholding

No qualification is required and, if you already have a reliable computer and broadband, there is nothing to buy first, so you can approach clients the same week you decide to start.

Before the first sale you need a clear list of exactly which tasks you take on and a rate — vague offers stall.

Two to six weeks is typical because most clients begin with a small paid trial of five hours before committing monthly.

It takes longer when you offer everything to everyone rather than a defined set of tasks for a defined type of business.

• Direct outreach on LinkedIn

  Message owners of firms with five to twenty staff, referencing a specific task you would take off them.

• Local business networks and referrals

  Breakfast groups and chambers still produce steady VA work; one introduction often leads to two.

• Freelance marketplaces

  Useful for the first review or two, but expect fees and low rates — treat them as a starting point, not a plan.

• Accountants and bookkeepers

  They see clients whose admin is chaotic and are asked for recommendations regularly.

Objections you will hear, and how to answer them

• "I would have to explain everything" — answer with a one-hour paid handover and a written process you build for them.
• "Is my data safe?" — explain password management, two-factor authentication and a simple confidentiality clause.
• "I might not need ten hours" — offer a five-hour starter month.

Why customers might not buy: Demand is steady and the service is easy to explain, but you are asking a stranger to trust you with their inbox, so most clients want a small paid trial first.

• If your gross trading income for a tax year is more than the £1,000 trading allowance, you will normally need to tell HMRC and register for Self Assessment — the threshold applies to gross income before expenses, not to profit.
• You will process personal data on behalf of clients, so UK GDPR applies: keep access secure, only hold what you need and agree in writing what you may access.
• Professional indemnity insurance is commonly held by VAs and is worth pricing once you handle invoicing or customer data.
• Use a written agreement covering hours, response times, notice and confidentiality.
• Keep client work separate from personal accounts and devices where practical.

This is general guidance rather than legal, tax or insurance advice. Requirements may vary, so check current official guidance or speak to a suitable professional.

A week of low-cost steps to test whether real customers want this before you spend serious money.

1. Day 1: Define the customer and offer

   • Choose one client type you already understand.
   • List the six tasks you will do and the three you will not.

   Outcome: A one-paragraph service definition.

2. Day 2: Research competitors and pricing

   • Check rates of ten UK VAs serving that client type.
   • Note what their packages include.

   Outcome: A realistic rate band.

3. Day 3: Set your minimum price

   • Estimate unbilled time per client per month.
   • Set an hourly rate and a minimum monthly package.

   Outcome: A rate you will not undercut.

4. Day 4: Create your proof

   • Write a one-page overview of your service with tasks, rate and response time.
   • Prepare a short example process document you built for a real or sample task.

   Outcome: Something concrete to send.

5. Day 5: Contact potential customers

   • Send fifteen personalised messages to owners in your chosen sector.
   • Reference one specific task each business likely struggles with.

   Outcome: Fifteen approaches made.

6. Day 6: Follow up and record feedback

   • Follow up all non-replies once.
   • Note objections and any rate pushback.

   Outcome: Written feedback log.

7. Day 7: Decide

   • Count replies, calls and trial offers.
   • Continue, narrow the client type or stop.

   Outcome: A go, adjust or stop decision.

• Task list and exclusions written down
• Hourly rate and minimum package set
• Unbilled time estimated in your pricing
• Target client type identified
• Outreach channel chosen
• Written agreement with notice and confidentiality
• Invoicing and payment method ready
• Password manager and two-factor authentication in place
• Handover and reporting process prepared

Consider this if

Organised people with office experience who want low-risk recurring income in small weekly blocks.

Avoid this if

Anyone wanting creative work, or who cannot respond within an agreed timeframe.

Biggest opportunity

Becoming the specialist for one system or sector, which lifts you well above general admin rates.

Biggest risk

Selling generic hours cheaply and never escaping the entry-level rate.

First milestone to aim for

Complete one paid five-hour trial for a real client before buying any software.

Is virtual assistant services a good side hustle in the UK?

It can be, for the right person. It is worth considering for organised people with office experience who want low-risk recurring income in small weekly blocks, and a poor fit for anyone wanting creative work, or who cannot respond within an agreed timeframe. The biggest opportunity is becoming the specialist for one system or sector, which lifts you well above general admin rates, while the biggest risk is selling generic hours cheaply and never escaping the entry-level rate.

How much does it cost to start virtual assistant services in the UK?

Budget £0–£120 as an indicative range. The main essentials are laptop and reliable broadband (£0 if you already have them), business email address (£0–£60 a year), password manager (£0–£40 a year). You can win and deliver a first client on free tools alone; add paid software only when a second client arrives.

How much could a beginner realistically earn from virtual assistant services?

An indicative initial range is £300–£1,400 a month, with the top of that range reached only with a steady flow of paid work and repeat customers. Two ten-hour retainers at £22 an hour is roughly £440 a month for around five hours of work a week. These are estimates rather than guarantees and depend on whether you sell hours or outcomes, how much unbilled time goes on emails, handovers and chasing, specialism — general admin pays least.

How long does it take to get the first paying customer?

Typically 2–6 weeks. No qualification is required and, if you already have a reliable computer and broadband, there is nothing to buy first, so you can approach clients the same week you decide to start.

What should you charge for virtual assistant services?

Common pricing in the UK: hourly at £18–£30 an hour for general UK admin work; monthly hours package at £170–£280 for ten hours, paid in advance; specialist rate at £30–£45 an hour for bookkeeping-adjacent, CRM or e-commerce support. Check what comparable UK providers actually charge before setting your own prices — rates vary considerably by area and experience.

How do you find customers for virtual assistant services?

Direct outreach on LinkedIn: message owners of firms with five to twenty staff, referencing a specific task you would take off them. Local business networks and referrals: breakfast groups and chambers still produce steady VA work; one introduction often leads to two. Freelance marketplaces: useful for the first review or two, but expect fees and low rates — treat them as a starting point, not a plan.

What do you need to check legally before starting?

If your gross trading income for a tax year is more than the £1,000 trading allowance, you will normally need to tell HMRC and register for Self Assessment — the threshold applies to gross income before expenses, not to profit. You will process personal data on behalf of clients, so UK GDPR applies: keep access secure, only hold what you need and agree in writing what you may access. Professional indemnity insurance is commonly held by VAs and is worth pricing once you handle invoicing or customer data. This is general guidance rather than legal or tax advice — check the current official guidance linked at the end of this guide before you start trading.

How much do virtual assistants charge per hour in the UK?

Most UK virtual assistants charge around £18–£30 an hour for general admin work, and £30–£45 an hour for specialist support such as bookkeeping-adjacent tasks, CRM administration or e-commerce back-office work. Rates vary by client size and location, so check what VAs serving your target client type actually charge.

What should a beginner virtual assistant charge?

Around £18–£22 an hour is a realistic starting point for general admin work, with a five-hour starter month to prove the fit. Pricing below that band tends to attract clients who generate a lot of unbilled admin, which quietly reduces your effective rate. Set a minimum monthly package early so you are not left with fragments of poorly paid time.

Can you earn £1,000 a month as a virtual assistant?

It is possible but it is towards the upper end of part-time VA work rather than typical. Roughly, £1,000 a month means about 40–45 hours at £22–£25 an hour, or fewer hours at specialist rates — around ten hours a week. Most part-time VAs settle between £300 and £900 a month. These are estimates, not guarantees.

Is it better to charge hourly or use monthly packages?

Hourly billing suits unpredictable, ad-hoc work. Monthly packages of hours suit steady work and give you predictable income and the client predictable cover, which is why most established UK VAs sell five, ten or twenty hour blocks paid in advance. Many start hourly, then move a client onto a package once the workload is clear.

What services can a virtual assistant charge more for?

Work that carries responsibility or requires a specific system commands higher rates: invoicing and payment chasing, CRM administration, e-commerce order and customer-service handling, and bookkeeping-adjacent support. General inbox and diary work is the most competitive and the lowest paid, so specialising is the main route to a higher rate.

What does a virtual assistant actually keep after costs?

Your fee is gross. Deduct software subscriptions (£0–£25 a month), any insurance, and unbilled time spent on handovers, chasing and emails, then income tax and National Insurance on the remaining profit. If your gross trading income for a tax year is more than the £1,000 trading allowance, you will normally need to tell HMRC and register for Self Assessment — that threshold applies to gross income before expenses, not to profit. This is general guidance rather than tax advice.

Pricing unit used

Figures assume pricing hourly at £18–£30 an hour for general UK admin work.

Weekly capacity assumed

Income ranges assume 5–12 hours a week of actual working time, not including travel, admin or quoting.

Startup cost basis

The £0–£120 range covers the essential items listed above at typical UK prices. The lower end assumes you already own a suitable laptop or phone and start with free tools; the upper end assumes paid software subscriptions, insurance, any training or certification, and a simple website or portfolio.

What the income figures are net of

Figures are estimated monthly income before personal tax and before ordinary business overheads such as software subscriptions (£0–£25 a month). Costs incurred specifically to deliver a job, such as materials charged into the price, are treated as already accounted for in the rates quoted above.

Time to first paying customer

The 2–6 weeks estimate assumes you actively approach potential customers from day one rather than waiting to be found.

Status of these figures

All figures on this page are indicative working assumptions built from publicly available UK pricing and typical operating patterns. They are estimates rather than forecasts, and your own results will differ by location, pricing, demand and how much time you put in.

The full method behind these costs, income ranges and match scores is set out on the methodology page.

• Freelance bookkeeping

  £300–£1,300 to start

• Local social-media management

  £0–£150 to start

• Freelance sales / appointment setting

  £0–£200 to start

• Compare virtual assistant services with freelance bookkeeping

  Freelance bookkeeping costs £300–£1,300 to start against £0–£120 here, and is online, occasionally local. Which suits you better depends on your budget, time and how you prefer to work.

• Compare virtual assistant services with local social-media management

  Local social-media management costs £0–£150 to start against £0–£120 here, and is online, with local clients. Which suits you better depends on your budget, time and how you prefer to work.

• Compare virtual assistant services with freelance sales / appointment setting

  Freelance sales / appointment setting costs £0–£200 to start against £0–£120 here, and is Online, UK-wide clients. Which suits you better depends on your budget, time and how you prefer to work.