AI Tools FAQ About Blog ROI Calculator Hire a VA
Frequently asked questions.

Everything you want to know before hiring a VA.

Pricing, hours, AI tools, security, how matching works — answered plainly so you can make a fast decision.

Pricing & Plans
How much does a VA from the Philippines from IntellectVA cost?

Plans start at $600/month for part-time support (~20 hours/week) and go up to $1,800/month for a dedicated full-time VA with OBM oversight. All plans include AI tools — no extra subscriptions needed.

Is there a setup fee?

No. No setup fee, no onboarding fee. You pay the monthly flat rate and we start the matching process immediately.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. Cancel with 15 days notice before your next billing cycle. Month-to-month by default. We also offer discounts for 3-month and 6-month commitments if you want them.

What does "AI tools included" mean?

Your VA uses ChatGPT, Claude, and standard productivity tools as part of their workflow. The cost of these tools is factored into your monthly rate. Premium enterprise licenses for specific platforms are discussed upfront.

Hours & Availability
What timezone do your VAs work in?

Our VAs are based in the Philippines (PHT, UTC+8). Most are flexible and can shift their hours to overlap with US Eastern, Central, or Pacific time. We confirm overlap hours during your discovery call.

How many hours per week does my VA work?

Starter plans are ~20 hours/week (part-time). Growth and Scale plans are full-time (~40 hours/week). We work to your scope, not a stopwatch.

Can I contact my VA directly?

Yes. You get direct Slack or email access to your VA. No ticketing systems, no account manager in between. For urgent items, your VA is reachable during agreed overlap hours.

Hiring & Matching
How fast can I get a VA?

Most clients are matched with a VA within 24 hours of their discovery call. Onboarding — tool access, SOPs, first task handoff — is typically complete by day 3.

How do you match me to a VA?

We match based on your industry, the specific services you need, tool experience, and working style. You'll meet your matched VA on a short intro call before anything is confirmed.

What if the VA is not a good fit?

We replace the match at no extra cost. Fit matters more to us than speed, and most clients stay with their first VA — but if something is off, we fix it fast.

Can I hire for a specific niche (real estate, ecommerce, healthcare)?

Yes. We match by niche when relevant. Our VAs specialize in specific industries so they understand the workflows, tools, and communication norms of your space.

AI Tools & Skills
What AI tools do your VAs know?

Every VA we place is trained in ChatGPT, Claude, Zapier, and Notion as a baseline. Depending on your needs, we match VAs with additional expertise in n8n, Make, HubSpot, Klaviyo, SurferSEO, and more. See our full AI tools page for details.

Can your VA build a custom GPT for my brand?

Yes. VA sets up a custom GPT trained on your SOPs, brand voice, and product knowledge. This becomes a reusable content and research tool your whole team can use.

Can your VA set up automations in Zapier or n8n?

Yes, with our CRM & Workflows or AI Tools Setup service. We map your workflow, build the automation, test it, and document it so you're not dependent on anyone to maintain it.

Is the output AI-generated or human-edited?

Both. AI does the heavy lifting on drafts, research, and data. Your VA reviews, edits, and adapts everything before it goes out. You get AI speed with human judgment. Nothing leaves the VA unreviewed.

Security & Privacy
Is my data safe?

We require NDAs on all engagements. Access is scoped to what the VA needs for their specific role. We don't use shared credentials across clients, and we follow standard access hygiene — unique logins, password managers, and revocation at offboarding.

Do you handle HIPAA-sensitive data?

We can support healthcare clients on administrative and content tasks. For clients subject to HIPAA, we discuss data handling scope during onboarding and agree on compliant workflows before the VA accesses any patient-related systems.

What happens to my data if I cancel?

On cancellation, we revoke all access within 24 hours and return or delete any data stored by the VA per your instructions. You keep full ownership of everything your VA created during the engagement.

Working Together
How do I give my VA work each day?

Most clients use Slack, Notion, or Asana for daily task handoffs. Some prefer a weekly briefing call. We work inside your existing system — no new tool required.

What if I have more work than expected?

Scope increases are handled cleanly. You either upgrade to the next tier or agree on a one-time add-on for a busy period. No surprise invoices.

Do I need to train my VA on my tools?

For standard tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Notion, HubSpot, Buffer, etc.) — no. Your VA arrives trained. For proprietary systems specific to your business, we factor in a short ramp-up period in the first week.

What if my VA goes on leave?

We have backup coverage built into our model. If your VA is unavailable, we notify you in advance and arrange coverage. Your work doesn't stop.

About hiring a VA from the Philippines

The honest guide to hiring a virtual assistant from the Philippines.

Virtual assistants from the Philippines have been the preferred remote hire for US, UK, and Australian businesses for over fifteen years. The reasons are practical: strong English fluency, US business culture familiarity, high education rates, and competitive rates relative to output quality.

The biggest question most first-time VA buyers have is cost. A general VA from the Philippines runs $400–$800/month part-time. A specialist VA with AI skills, marketing knowledge, or CRM experience runs $800–$1,500/month full-time. IntellectVA sits in the specialist range because our VAs are trained in ChatGPT, Claude, and automation tools before they're matched with you.

The second question is timezone. Most clients settle on a 3–4 hour overlap window, usually early morning US time / afternoon Philippines time. This covers daily briefings, Slack check-ins, and async handoffs. For fully async work — content, research, admin tasks — timezone matters less than communication clarity.

The third question is trust — "how do I know the work will be good?" The answer is simple: we match you to a VA based on your specific needs, you meet them before committing, and you own the SOP documentation your VA creates. If the fit is wrong, we replace the match at no cost. We have a strong incentive to get this right on the first try.

Still have questions not covered here? Book a 15-minute discovery call and we'll answer them live.

Still have questions?

Book a 15-minute call. We answer everything and match you with the right VA.

Book Discovery Call arrow_forward