If we/I want to start using your services how do we go about this?
You get in touch with us. From there we will arrange a meeting (face to face, online or a by phone) to help understand how we can help. We will find out what issues you're having and ask the questions that provide us with a better understanding of your business. After that we will provide you with a New Client form and a Plan document which outlines what services you will receive, the costs and the terms specific to that service. Once we have the New Client form returned from you we will set-up a time to go over the work you would like us to do, whether that is Ad Hoc or a Regular Monthly Package. From there we work out the daily, weekly, monthly and/or ad hoc tasks you would like completed and we're ready to go. Do note there is normally some set-up time for us to gain access to everything we will need to work with you: email, CRM, storage etc. 

How do I share my documents, emails or anything else with you?
That's the easy bit! We're pros at working online, so even if you don't normally work online we can set-up storage options for you. We work with a range of online storage software options including but not limited to Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive. And if it's something different we can help you provide us with access and even provide you with instructions. If you don't have online Cloud storage we do have clients that: courier us documents, scan documents to us or drop into our office in Te Awamutu. 

How much access to my business do I need to give to Varntige? 
The level of access you give depends on the work you want done. If you are needing more confidential work completed, we have systems in place that allow us to process the work and have you authorise it. One example of this, is if you're needing payments made from your bank account.  We can gain access to your bank accounts that only lets us set-up payments. You can then authorise those after checking them. You can also provide us access to your email accounts, accounting software, and any other logins you might like us to have access too. It's always better if we get our own logins for your software.

How do I know my information, passwords and details will be kept safe?
We take security and confidentiality very seriously and have put in place a range of items to keep your data safe, such as:

• We use Lastpass password software to encrypt and protect our clients passwords. We pay for the business version, which also means internally everyone only has access to what they need access to and nothing more! If you have lastpass set-up then you can share passwords with us without ever giving us the password. We can help you set this up too. 
• All of our laptops run ESET virus protection software and are password protected. When we are not in front of our laptops they are locked (CTRL, ALT, DELETE) 🙂 
• We have a current AML (anti money laundering) policy in place to protect our clients from money laundering and to make sure (as bookkeepers) that we're doing everything we need to protect NZ businesses. 
• We pay for Dropbox Business to store client information in.
• We run 2-factor authentication on all our passwords where possible.

If I sign up with Varntige, what is the minimum period I need to sign up for?
We prefer to roll like 2degrees (the phone provider) and not tie people in for long term contracts. We let our work speak for itself to keep you as a client. So one month's written notice is all you have to give. 

Where is my VA based? 
All of our team are currently based in New Zealand and work from our Waikato office (with some mixing the office and home between children). Unlike other VA firms, all of our team are employees, not subcontractors. We prefer this model as it means all of the team are working towards the same goals internally and looking after our clients to the highest standard. 

Who does my work?
When you decide to use our services, you will be assigned a VA from our team. This VA will be your point of contact who will communicate with you and establish a process's to ensure the work is completed when due.  As we are available Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm there will always be someone in our office available to do the work in the event your assigned VA is not available on that day. We often transfer work in-house between our VA’s who might specialise in a certain area more than the VA you are assigned. 

Do you have another question for us? Email it to: office@varntige.co.nz and we will answer + we will also update our FAQ page!