Virtual Assistant | Administrative and Creative Support for Australian Small Businesses | Petite VA

When you start working for yourself, there’s a weird blend of excitement and absolute terror. You’re your own boss now — which sounds great until you realise you are also the accounts department, client relations, marketing team, and IT support.  Like many new virtual assistants or freelancers, I opened my business with good intentions, confident in my skills, and a solid business plan. ​But if I could go back and give past-me a few quiet words of advice, here’s what I’d say.

When you’re thinking about hiring a Virtual Assistant, one of the first questions you’ll face is how you want to structure the working relationship. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer—it depends on your workload, your working style, and what kind of support you actually need.

Let’s break down the three most common ways to engage a VA: hourly, retainer, or project-based. Each comes with its own pros and cons, so here's what to consider when deciding what works best for you.

Every business owner has a moment when the wheels start to wobble. The inbox is piled up, files are scattered across folders called “final_v3_forrealthistime”, and the to-do list has items like “Sort out life??”.  It happens to the most organised of us and it doesn't mean we're failing—it's just time for a reset. Here’s how to hit pause, clear the admin fog, and get back to business without starting from scratch.