Question 1

How much does a BridgeLink VA cost?

Accepted Answer

Full-time General VAs start from around £1,200/month. Specialised, Executive, Marketing and Bookkeeping VAs range from £1,500–£2,400/month depending on experience. Every quote is fully transparent — you see the salary, our management fee, and any tools or software separately. There are no hidden fees, no percentage cuts of your revenue, and no surprise charges.

Question 2

Are there any set-up fees?

Accepted Answer

No. Recruitment, screening, training, onboarding and Account Management are all included in the monthly fee. You pay only from the day your VA starts productive work.

Question 3

How are invoices issued and paid?

Accepted Answer

Invoices are issued monthly in advance and payable within 7 days by bank transfer or card. We support GBP, EUR and USD.

Question 4

Can I pause or scale down an engagement?

Accepted Answer

Yes. After the initial 3-month term, you can scale hours up or down with 30 days' notice. If you need to pause for a defined period (for example a seasonal quiet spell) we'll work with you to keep your VA available where possible.

Question 5

How long does matching take?

Accepted Answer

Most clients are matched within 5–15 business days. General VA roles usually match closer to 5 days; highly specialised roles (Executive, Bookkeeping, technical marketing) can take up to 15 days because we vet more deeply.

Question 6

What happens on the discovery call?

Accepted Answer

A 30-minute conversation with one of our co-founders. We map the tasks currently stealing your day, the tools you use, working hours, and the profile of your ideal VA. You'll receive a written scope and quote within 24 hours.

Question 7

Do I interview candidates?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We pre-screen and shortlist 2–3 candidates who fit your scope and tools. You interview each of them and choose your preferred hire. If none feel right, we re-shortlist at no cost.

Question 8

What does onboarding look like?

Accepted Answer

A structured 3-way kickoff between you, your VA and your Account Manager. We help set up tools, access, SOPs, daily logs and success metrics. Week 1 is deliberately paced; by Week 4 your VA is fully operational.

Question 9

Do VAs work UK hours?

Accepted Answer

Yes. UK timezone alignment is standard. Where a specific window is required (for example 8am–4pm UK for real-estate lead-response), we recruit specifically for that shift. Overnight/weekend cover is available on request.

Question 10

Is my VA dedicated or shared?

Accepted Answer

Every BridgeLink placement is dedicated. Your VA works exclusively for your business during their contracted hours — never split across multiple clients.

Question 11

How do I communicate with my VA day-to-day?

Accepted Answer

However you already work — Slack, Teams, WhatsApp, email, Loom, or your CRM. Your VA joins your existing systems and communicates like any other team member.

Question 12

Who manages performance?

Accepted Answer

Your dedicated Account Manager. They run weekly check-ins with your VA, monthly performance reviews, and a Monthly Business Review with you. You always have a single point of accountability.

Question 13

What if my VA gets sick or takes leave?

Accepted Answer

You'll always know in advance. For planned leave we brief a temporary backfill; for unexpected absence your Account Manager covers critical tasks so nothing drops.

Question 14

What tools and platforms do your VAs use?

Accepted Answer

Our VAs are trained across the modern productivity stack: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, Teams, Notion, ClickUp, Asana, Trello, HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zendesk, Intercom, Freshdesk, Xero, QuickBooks, Shopify, WooCommerce, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Canva, and more. If you use something niche, tell us during discovery — we recruit for it.

Question 15

Can VAs handle bookkeeping?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our Bookkeeping VAs work day-to-day in Xero and QuickBooks, and can handle bank reconciliations, AP/AR, month-end close, and preparation for your accountant. They do not sign off statutory accounts or file returns.

Question 16

Can VAs run my marketing or advertising?

Accepted Answer

Marketing VAs handle scheduling, community management, email marketing, basic content production and campaign coordination. For paid media strategy and creative direction we recommend pairing them with your existing agency or in-house lead.

Question 17

Are your VAs comfortable on video calls?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every VA completes communication and client-facing training, and is comfortable joining team stand-ups, client meetings, or discovery calls.

Question 18

What's the minimum contract length?

Accepted Answer

3 months. After that you can continue rolling monthly or renew for a fixed term. Either party can terminate with 30 days' written notice after the initial term.

Question 19

Can I replace my VA if it isn't the right fit?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every placement is backed by a 90-day replacement guarantee. If the match isn't right — for any reasonable cause — we source a replacement at no extra cost and cover onboarding.

Question 20

Can I hire the VA directly?

Accepted Answer

Yes, subject to a transfer fee equal to the last three months of billing. This is standard across the industry and reflects the recruitment, training and management we've invested.

Question 21

How is confidentiality protected?

Accepted Answer

Every VA signs an NDA before being introduced to you. BridgeLink is bound by a client-side confidentiality clause, and we can sign your own NDA on request. See our Privacy Policy for details on data protection.

Question 22

Are you GDPR compliant?

Accepted Answer

Yes. BridgeLink complies with the UK GDPR and the Philippines Data Privacy Act, and we're happy to sign a Data Processing Agreement with any client processing personal data of UK/EU individuals.

Question 23

Why the Philippines?

Accepted Answer

The Philippines has one of the largest English-speaking professional talent pools in the world, with strong cultural affinity with the UK, a service-oriented work ethic, and a mature outsourcing industry. Combined with a favourable cost base, it lets our clients access career professionals at 30–70% below UK employment cost.

Question 24

Is BridgeLink a marketplace or an agency?

Accepted Answer

We're a fully-managed agency. Unlike marketplaces, we recruit, train, employ and manage every VA ourselves — you have one point of accountability and never have to manage a freelancer's HR.

Question 25

Who owns BridgeLink?

Accepted Answer

BridgeLink is co-founded by Emmanuel Oloja Akpakwu, Redentor Cordenete, Joshua Red Cordenete and Jemima Cordenete. All four founders are personally involved in every discovery call, every match and every Monthly Business Review.

Question 26

Where are your VAs based?

Accepted Answer

Our VAs work from home offices across the Philippines. Every candidate is vetted for a minimum-25 Mbps connection, backup power, and a dedicated working environment.

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