The short answer
Most UK virtual assistants charge between £25 and £45 an hour, according to the Society of Virtual Assistants. Most of us work on a monthly retainer, which is a set block of hours booked in advance, rather than charging by the hour as and when.
At Bloom, support starts at £350 a month for 10 hours (that's £35 an hour). It's rolling monthly, with no minimum term.
That's the answer. If you're the sort of person who googles a price, nods, and closes the tab, off you go. If you're the sort who googles a price and then lies awake doing sums at 11pm, stay. This bit's for you.
Why VA prices vary so much
£25 to £45 is a big gap, and it isn't random. Here's what you're actually paying for:
Experience and judgement. Someone who can tidy an inbox is useful. Someone who can tidy an inbox, spot the client email that's about to become a complaint, and draft the reply before you've noticed is worth more. You're not paying for typing speed. You're paying for not having to think about it.
Specialist skills. Systems, automations, Notion, website edits, launch support. Anything that needs know-how, not just time, sits at the higher end.
When you need it. Evenings, weekends and "can you do this by tomorrow?" cost more, as they should. At Bloom, out-of-hours work is £50 an hour and urgent work (under 24 hours' notice) is £60.
Solo VA or agency. A solo VA can be brilliant, right up until she's on holiday, ill, or her child brings home whatever's going round school this week. An agency gives you a lead person plus a team behind them, so the work doesn't stop when life happens.
UK-based or offshore. Offshore VAs are cheaper. A UK VA works your hours, knows UK GDPR, and doesn't need HMRC explaining.
"Couldn't I just hire someone?"
You could. And on paper, it looks cheaper. The National Living Wage for over-21s is £12.71 an hour from April 2026, and £12.71 is a lot less than £35.
On paper, a puppy is also cheap.
When you employ someone, the hourly rate is just the start. Here's how the two compare:
Hourly pay: an employee costs from £12.71 (National Living Wage). A VA is typically £25–£45.
Employer's National Insurance: 15% on earnings over £5,000 a year for an employee. None for a VA.
Holiday and sick pay: you pay it for an employee. None for a VA, and at an agency, someone covers.
Laptop, software, training: you provide it for an employee. A VA brings their own.
Recruiting and managing: your time, with an employee. Not your problem with a VA.
Smallest realistic commitment: a few hours every week, every week, for an employee. From 10 hours a month with a VA.
Getting out of it: employment law applies to an employee. At Bloom, it's 30 days' notice.
And here's the bit nobody mentions: most small businesses don't need 20 hours a week of admin. They need 10 hours a month, done properly, by someone who doesn't need telling twice.
You can't really hire an employee for 10 hours a month. You can hire a VA.
What £350 a month actually gets you at Bloom
Ten hours doesn't sound like much until you see where it goes. For a coach or service-based business owner, a 10-hour month might look like this:
Inbox triaged and tidied three times a week, so nothing important sinks: 4 hours
Calendar, client bookings and rescheduling: 2 hours
Onboarding new clients (welcome emails, contracts, forms): 2 hours
Invoices sent and politely chased: 1 hour
One small systems job, like a Notion template or an email automation: 1 hour
That's roughly a day and a half of your month back. And it's usually the worst day and a half, the bit you do at 10pm with one eye on the washing.
What's included, whatever your hours:
A dedicated lead specialist who gets to know your business, with the wider Bloom team covering holidays and specialist tasks
ICO registered, UK GDPR compliant and fully insured
Happy to sign an NDA before we see anything
Rolling monthly retainer, 30 days' notice, no minimum term
Bloom isn't VAT registered, so the price you see is the price you pay
How many hours do you actually need?
Less than you think, probably. The instinct is to wait until you're drowning and then hand over everything at once, which is a bit like learning to swim mid-shipwreck.
A better way:
For one week, write down every task you do that isn't the thing you're actually paid for. Emails, scheduling, chasing, faffing with Canva. Be honest, nobody's checking.
Put a rough time next to each one. Then multiply the week by four.
Start smaller than that number. Ten hours a month is enough to find out what it feels like to let go. You can always add more once you trust it, and you will.
If you'd rather not start from a blank page, I've made a free checklist called The Hand-It-Over List. It's every task you could be handing to a VA right now, sorted so you can tick off the ones that are eating your week. Grab it here.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a virtual assistant cost per hour in the UK?
Most UK VAs charge £25–£45 an hour. Bloom's standard rate is £35 an hour, with support starting at £350 a month for 10 hours.
Is a virtual assistant cheaper than hiring an employee?
For most small businesses, yes. With a VA you only pay for the hours worked. There's no employer's National Insurance, holiday pay, sick pay or equipment to cover, and you can start with as little as 10 hours a month.
Is there a minimum contract?
Not at Bloom. Retainers roll monthly and you can stop with 30 days' notice.
Do I pay VAT on top?
Not with Bloom. We're not VAT registered, so the monthly price is the full price.
Is it safe to give a VA access to my inbox and accounts?
It should be, if you choose properly. Look for a VA who's registered with the ICO, follows UK GDPR, has professional indemnity insurance and will sign an NDA. Bloom does all four.
Can I find a virtual assistant in Norfolk?
Yes. Bloom is based in Norfolk and supports businesses in Norwich, Wymondham, Attleborough, Dereham and Thetford, as well as female founders and small business owners across the UK. Everything's done remotely, but we're very happy to meet for a coffee if you're local.
Ready to hand some of it over?
If you've read this far, there's a good chance you already know what you'd hand over first. You just haven't had a minute to sort it, which is sort of the whole point.
Book a free 30-minute discovery call and we'll work out what you need, how many hours that really is, and whether Bloom is the right fit. No hard sell. I'd rather tell you that you only need five hours than sign you up for twenty.
Charley x
Sources: Society of Virtual Assistants (UK VA rates) · GOV.UK (National Living Wage from April 2026) · FreeAgent (employer's National Insurance 2026/27). Figures correct as of November 2026.