Frequently Asked Questions
We answer all the VA FAQ's you might have about our services
Virtual Assistant FAQ's
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. In that meeting we find out what problem you're having and ask the questions that provide us with a better understanding of your business.
After that we provide you with a Proposal (along with a New Client form), 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 package. From there we work out the daily, weekly, monthly and/or ad hoc tasks you would like completed. Get access to anything we need access to, and then we can get started on the work!
Please note: there is normally set-up time required for us to gain access to everything we will need to complete your work: email, CRM, storage etc. The amount of set-up time needed will vary, dependent on the work we have to complete.
How do I share my documents, emails or anything else with you?
That's the easy bit! We're pros at working online, 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 and OneDrive. And if you're using a different option to these 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 to us their 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 need confidential work completed, we have systems in place that allow us to process the work and have you the ability to 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 payments. 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, for security reasons.
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 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 pay for Microsoft Office Business Edition, which includes OneDrive, where we store all our files, this is backed up.
We run 2-factor authentication on all our logins (where possible).
We have Cyber Liability Insurance, along with all our other insurances - PI, PL, SL, EL, Material Damage.
We use our local firm, Computer Aid who manage our Microsoft, back-ups and Virus protection on all devices.
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. 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, the majority 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 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.
How do the costs of hiring a full-time employee compare to using Varntige’s services?
Hiring a full-time Office Manager can cost around $47,930 annually, including salary, training, computer upkeep, and additional services like graphic design. In contrast, Varntige’s Platinum Package with Design Add-On costs $41,400 + GST annually. This package covers all necessary tasks, offers flexibility, eliminates recruitment and training expenses, and provides specialised team support without the need for managing sick leave or annual leave. Learn more in this detailed blog post.
Bookkeeping FAQ's
What bookkeeping services does Varntige offer?
Varntige offers comprehensive bookkeeping services, including full Xero management, reconciliations, accounts payable and receivable management, debtor management, GST returns, payroll, invoicing, and online filing of all receipts, invoices, and financial paperwork.
How can Varntige help with GST returns?
We manage your GST returns from start to finish, ensuring accurate calculations and timely submissions to the Inland Revenue Department (IRD). Our team stays up-to-date with the latest GST regulations to ensure compliance and avoid any penalties.
What is Xero, and how does Varntige use it?
Xero is a cloud-based accounting software that helps businesses manage their finances efficiently. Varntige provides full Xero management, including setup, training, and ongoing support, ensuring you get the most out of the platform.
Can Varntige help with debtor management?
Yes, we manage your accounts receivable, ensuring timely invoicing and follow-ups with clients to maintain healthy cash flow. We also handle any disputes or issues related to outstanding payments.
What are the benefits of outsourcing bookkeeping to Varntige?
Outsourcing your bookkeeping to Varntige allows you to focus on growing your business while we handle the financial details. You gain access to expert knowledge, advanced tools like Xero, and the peace of mind that your financial records are accurate and up-to-date.
How does Varntige ensure data security?
We use secure, cloud-based systems to manage your financial data, ensuring it is protected with the latest encryption and security measures. Our team is trained in data privacy best practices to maintain confidentiality and integrity.
What industries does Varntige provide bookkeeping services for?
Varntige offers bookkeeping services across various industries, including construction, agriculture, retail, hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, professional services, and trades.
How often will I receive financial reports from Varntige?
We provide regular financial reports based on your business needs, whether weekly, monthly, or quarterly. These reports include profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to help you make informed business decisions.
Can Varntige help with business budgeting and forecasting?
Yes, Varntige offers budgeting and forecasting services to help you plan for the future, manage cash flow, and set realistic financial goals. Our experts work with you to create detailed budgets and forecasts tailored to your business needs.
How do I get started with Varntige's bookkeeping services?
To get started, contact us to discuss your business needs. We will provide a customised proposal outlining the services and costs, and once agreed upon, we will set up your account and begin managing your bookkeeping.
Payroll FAQ's
Do your monthly packages include any costs for the payroll software?
You will pay the software provider direct; how much will depend on the software you go with, number of employees and how often payrolls are run. We can normally give an indication of price before you switch, please ask.
Do you provide training for my staff to use the software and enter their timesheets?
Yes, depending on the software, it will have an app and we can give them some training. Most payroll software also provides help guides and instructional videos, please ask.
Do you calculate the payroll?
We calculate the payroll, check in for any public holidays, leave etc from staff (generally put into the app by the staff) and then run the payrolls.
Does the software pay the staff and file with the IRD?
Your payroll software will pay staff direct and the IRD and then take their fees all with each payroll run.
Who authorises my payroll?
Most payrolls require double confirmation, so someone in your team must confirm the payroll. This process can vary based on the software, we can let you know how this works for your selected payroll software, please ask.
Who deals with the payroll issues, Varntige or us?
We can help deal with any payroll issues relating to things like payslips, how leave was calculated, when leave is taken. If the issues become more Human Resources then we would refer them back to you and recommend you get an HR professional to help with these.
Website FAQ's
Do you build on website platforms other than Rocketspark?
The short answer is no. We like to be experts in the Software we use, so we have chosen to focus on Rocketspark for websites. If you have a website on another platform, feel free to get in touch and we can see if a migration would suit your needs or if we can help you in another way.
Learn why we use Rocketspark to build our website's here
How long does it take to build a website?
Typically it takes around 8 weeks, this can be quicker or take longer based on a few factors including:
You providing us with the relevant content/imagery we are needing
How large or small the website is (how many pages, special features, software integration)
If we are waiting on the process of professional content written or photos taken
If we are waiting on your feedback, we like to get the stages right along the way to make sure you are happy with the final product - check out our process here.
We give you a general timeline at the point of a proposal, these factors can influence this timeline, but we endeavour to keep the ball rolling to make sure you get your website ASAP.
How much does it cost to build a website?
This depends on a few things including:
How many pages you are needing
If you need any special features
If you require any software integrations
If you need anything outside of our general website scope.
If you are interested in getting an idea of cost for our website packages, we have 3 project options available on our website to view here. These outline our general packages and what they include.
We also have a blog about why websites cost what they do here.
Will I be top of Google with my new website?
You can be! But it takes time. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation - being found on Google) is a bit of a recipe and we do our best to make sure you have all the basic ingredients to have the best shot of being found on Google:
Alt Words
Meta Titles
Meta Descriptions
Flint (Rocketspark's SEO tool) is optimised on all necessary pages
Keywords are optimised
Sitemap submitted
Google Business Profile created
Other ways you can improve your SEO is:
Regular blogs
Website updates
Social Media connection
Internal and external links to your website
Google Reviews
Google Ads
What is Google Analytics and why do I need it?
Google Analytics is the Google tool that monitors your website visitors and tells you information like where they came from, how long they stayed on your site, what pages they visited etc.
We help you connect your Google Analytics (and in most cases set up your Google Account or Analytics) to your Rocketspark website. We do this by creating a Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Property and connecting it to your website.
Learn more about GA4 here.
Can you help me maintain my website after you have built it?
Yes! We offer Website Maintenance Packages that include regular checks and maintenance to make sure your website is looking and working at it's best.
Can you help me update my Rocketspark website if you didn't build it?
Yes! We are big believers in making sure your website is working and functioning at it's best. If your website was built over a year ago, it could need updates.
Have your services changed? Has your team changed? Is all the info still relevant? Are you proud of your website? Are you having trouble with sales or being found? if the answer is no to any of these, you may need a revamp, so let's chat!
Why do you choose Rocketspark?
Simply, the Rocketspark platform was the solution to our problem when we started in 2018 as a small business in New Zealand, for this reason we knew it would be the solution for a lot of other small businesses. Learn more here.
Can I edit my own website after you have built it?
The beauty of Rocketspark is it's simplicity and ease of use. We provide you with a training to be able to make changes and edits yourself.
In saying that, if you have big changes needed - we recommend you get in touch with us! We always want to think about the consistency of design, SEO and all the factors that make a good website work - sometimes when people edit their website without this knowledge, they can break some of the important systems we have put in place.
What is the difference between Domain Name Hosting and Website Hosting?
You Domain Name is the address or URL of your website i.e: www.varntige.co.nz
Domain Name Hosting is where that URL is Hosted i.e: Hosts like Freeparking, GoDaddy, Crazy Domains and Rocketspark. You can also have your IT support host your website for you, we have ours hosted by Computer Aid in Te Awamutu. This means if we have any issues or questions, we can talk to them directly and they can solve it for us. As IT support can also update your DNS (Domain Name Settings) and make sure everything is working well.
The Domain Name's job is to direct your visitors to your website.
Website Hosting (in our case) is Rocketspark, they are the only Hosts of the website's we build. Their job is to hold all the website files in their servers and when people type in the Domain Name, it directs you to the website. They also hold the SSL certificate and make sure the website is secure - which is another reason we love Rocketspark!
If you have a website built on something like Wordpress, this can be hosted on other Website Hosts.
Why is Rocketspark Hosting more than some other website platforms?
Rocketspark's Website Hosting includes a lot of features that can be missing from other Hosts OR might cost extra from other Hosts. Rocketspark's Hosting included their security, SSL certificates and all the features available on the Rocketspark platform. A lot of other website platforms pricing goes up and up based on adding these features.
Rocketspark is also New Zealand owned and operated (HQ is in Cambridge), this means you get a real person on the phone when you call support - which is 10/10!
Design FAQ's
How much does it cost to design a logo?
This can vary based on a few factors and we always recommend organising a meeting to discuss what you are needing. However, we have base logo and branding packages available, you can check out the price and what is included here.
What files do you give with a logo design?
We like to include PNG's with no background to overlay over images and colour, we also include JPG's and PDF's. If you require more than this, you can let us know. We generally provide a version both for over dark background and light backgrounds.
Depending on the package you ask for, we can include alternate layouts for different applications. We can also include complete branding guidelines to help with future design work. Any other design assets you might be needing such as Signage, Social Media Banners, Business Cards, Letterheads etc can be included in your package.
We have base design packages available here, or we can scope a custom package based on what you are needing.
Do you design Social Media posts?
Yes! we can also make you templates to use yourself and import them into your Canva making them easy to edit and change yourself.
What design software do you use?
We use the Adobe Suite for a majority of our work, focussing mainly on Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign.
Do you design print based stuff like Reports, Business Cards, Annual Reports, Posters, Signage.
We sure do! We can design anything you are needing including Vehicle Signage or any marketing advertising or assets you might be needing.
What is a PNG file?
PNG stands for Portable Network Graphic and it is a Raster based file that supports transparent backgrounds.
We have a breakdown of all the files types you need to know as a business owner here.
Do you have another question for us?
Email it to: office@varntige.co.nz and we will answer and add it to this page.
Your New Zealand Virtual Assistant firm
Our mission: to help business owners be happier and less stressed while running their growing businesses. Every single service we offer, from bookkeeping and administration to graphic and website design, has been designed to serve this mission.
