Questions we've
heard before.

A VA does the work by hand, repeatedly. We design the work so it largely stops being done by hand. A VA is the right answer when the volume is low and the judgement is high; we are the right answer when the volume is high and the judgement is codifiable. Some businesses benefit from both.

The discovery call and the written diagnosis are free. The setup is a fixed price, usually between £2,000 and £6,000, agreed in writing before any work begins. If you continue with us afterwards, the retainer is £500 to £1,500 per month, cancellable with thirty days' notice. We do not charge by the hour and we do not write proposals with hidden ranges.

Typically three to eight weeks, depending on scope. A small engagement (say, a single well-defined workflow like "we need our leads caught and routed properly") might be closer to three weeks. A larger one spanning several functions of the business can take eight. We put a finish date on the page before we start, and we hold ourselves to it.

Whatever is right for the job. Often n8n for orchestration, sometimes Zapier or Make, occasionally bespoke Python or TypeScript. Large language models when the judgement calls for them; databases and spreadsheets when they don't. We are deliberately software-agnostic: the tool is secondary to the judgement, and we refuse to build a practice around reselling any one vendor.

Yes. We operate under a standing NDA from first contact and will sign a written one on request. For businesses with strict data-handling requirements — solicitors, clinics, accountants — we can design engagements that keep sensitive data inside your own systems, using local inference rather than third-party APIs. We wrote about this at length in Local versus cloud AI for UK SMBs.

Yes, and we prefer it. Most of our clients already have trusted relationships with bookkeepers, IT support, and sometimes a marketing agency. We talk to them early, we respect the boundaries of their work, and we design engagements that complement what they do rather than compete. The last thing anyone needs is a turf war over a Xero integration.

Below a certain scale, this kind of work does not pay back. If your team is one or two people and the ops volume is low, you are better off doing the work by hand and spending the money elsewhere. We will tell you this on the discovery call rather than talking you into something you don't need. It is one of the main reasons the call is free.

Yes. Most clients keep us on a retainer afterwards because things change — a new tool, a new team member, a new customer segment — and they want someone who already knows the plumbing to handle it. But the retainer is optional. If you would rather pay us project-by-project when something comes up, that is fine. The setup is designed to be handed over cleanly either way.

Occasionally. If an existing client has a fire, we help. If a stranger writes in with a fire, we are more cautious — we are usually not the right firm for a panic. A calmer start leads to better work. If you are in crisis, we may recommend a different kind of help.

We operate as a UK sole trader. This is a deliberate choice: it means the person you speak with is personally liable for the work, the tax position is straightforward, and we are small enough to move quickly. As the firm grows, that structure may change; we will say so publicly if it does.

Our focus is UK small and medium-sized businesses. We will take on work elsewhere in English-speaking Europe when it arises, but we prefer to keep our centre of gravity in the UK — we understand the regulatory terrain, the banking stack, and the cadence of the working day here. For US or Asia-Pacific businesses, there are firms closer to you who will serve you better.

You don't, on the first call. That's why the diagnosis is free: you get a written document you can read, take to another firm, or keep on file. If the diagnosis itself is useful, that is a fair indication of what the setup will be like. If it isn't, you owe us nothing and we have each other's time as a sunk cost.