For Small-business Owners, Virtual Assistants, and Freelancers
Wednesday, 14 October 2026
Being a sole trader or freelancer doesn’t mean you’re exempt from liability. In fact, your professional credibility and client trust depend on being prepared for the unexpected.
No matter how much we Mac users rile against Microsoft, there’s just no getting round the fact that most businesses will be using the Microsoft Office suite. Which particular programs you buy depends upon the services you’re going to be offering as a virtual assistant or virtual PA.
I will be writing a series of posts about the various office furniture, IT hardware and software, and online services a virtual assistant or freelancer offering secretarial services may find useful.
Individuals, small businesses, or large corporate organisations looking for someone to outsource their overload of work to don’t have time to figure out which side of the fence you, as a virtual assistant, sit on. They just want to know whether you have the time and skills to do the job and whether your fees are within their budget.
The problem with the bailiffs is that they cannot take ‘tools of trade’ and companies offering IT services often have little else of value — apart from a coffee machine maybe. The problem with freezing the account is that the company might be in debt, which would explain why they haven’t paid our invoice.
