Make the offer

Congratulations: It’s time to send your top candidate an offer! In the email, make it clear that you’re offering them the position, tell them how excited you are to bring them on, and give them a deadline to get back to you.

Attach a copy of their contract for them to sign, or include a link if you’re using a third-party service like DocuSign, HelloSign, or WeAreIndy. 

Exercise: Draft your contract

Here are the basics of what needs to be included in your VA’s contract:

• Define the scope

  • Hours

  • Types of tasks

  • Availability they should have

  • Time zones

• Payment terms

  • Their rate

  • How frequently they bill

  • How they should bill 

• Termination notice terms

  • Two weeks notice is acceptable, but four weeks notice gives your VA more time to prepare their finances/find more clients and gives you time to find a new VA.

• Start date (and end date if the project is short-term)

• NDA 

• IP assignment

These are the main elements of an effective contract. However, you should do some research to make sure all your bases are covered, especially if you’re hiring an independent VA. If anything goes wrong, your contract ensures that both you and your VA are protected. Check out this great blog post for some more information on what needs to be included in VA contracts. 

If you decide to go the agency route, they’ll have a default contract for you and your VA. Be sure to review that contract carefully to make sure the terms work for you. If you want something tweaked, you’ll need to consult with the agency to see what’s possible. 

Regardless of whether you draft your contract from scratch, use a template from a service, or get a contract from an agency, you must have a lawyer review the proposed contract before you send it to your VA. 

What did you learn?

Before you can embark on a new relationship with a VA, you need to make the offer and get a signed contract in your hands. We reviewed:

• How to make an offer to the candidate you want to hire

• What needs to be included in their contract

• The basics of how to write an effective contract

• Where you can find more information about writing a VA contract

• And how to get that contract to your new VA

You have a VA. Congratulations! Next up, we’ll focus on establishing some systems to ensure a smooth onboarding process.