Well the simple answer to this question is yes. Yes, you could pay me by the hour, but it’s not the best use of your time or my time. I use (as do many virtual assistants) retainers for the simple reason of time management and for our clients it makes budgeting clearer and simpler.
As a virtual assistant and online business manager I choose to use a retainer system with my clients so that I have the ability to plan my time effectively and I can be really clear with my clients ensuring clear communication. Working on a retainer basis gives my clients the ability to budget both their time and their money. Each month my clients know that have a set number of hours and because they have hired me on retainer they know those hours are available to them.
If I worked with all of my clients on a hour by hour basis, it would be first come first serve for the hours and once I’ve hit my maximum hours for a day, or a week or a month that’s it. That’s all there is to give!
I choose to work on retainer for I know from month to month how and with who my time is spent. I purposely allow for additional hours to be available for me to be able to work some additional hours for clients for a specific project if there is a tight deadline or it gives me the opportunity to spread my creative juices by taking on specific projects for things I truly enjoy doing.
So Yes, I can work by the hour but to ensure the best service for you I choose to work on a retainer to ensure that I am available and focused on your tasks at hand.
“Renee has taken the technical and made it understandable. I was struggling with managing all of the technical details of my social media and she quicly stepped in and simplified it. I make a suggestion and not even something I’m looking for action yet and she takes the idea and runs with it, coming back with some really great ideas to market and network my business. She’s worth it and has made life easier because of it.”