Contracts are an essential part of the business and employment world. Having a legal agreement between parties ensures that every party involved understands their role.

Contracts vary, including contracts for those for virtual assistant positions. A virtual assistant contract is an agreement between a client or company and firm hiring. You can make one from scratch or customize online templates. Nonetheless, the final contract should have all the integral aspects that a contract should have.

Here are a few ideas to help you craft your first virtual assistant contract.

Undertake Preliminary Discussions

It is imperative to first engage with the candidate for the job and have a candid discussion. The discussions are to allow both parties to discuss various contract provisions and iron out any stumbling issues.

Ensure that you arrive at binding agreements with the candidate at the end of the discussion. Only after everything has been agreed on should you proceed to prepare the contract.

Include Basic Information

Now that you are ready to write the contract, the first part should be to input all the necessary information about your company and the potential candidate.

The basic information to capture includes the correct company name, company physical address, company contacts, and the contacts and physical address of the candidate. Preferably the information should be at the start of the contract page. With that, anyone can know the parties involved in the contract.

Clear Service Description and Terms of Payment

Since it is a work-based contract, service description is fundamental. You need to clearly state the duties and responsibilities of the virtual assistant. Everything that the assistant will be required to undertake should be well written and, if possible, explained. The section should also state the nature of the work, work schedule, and reporting structure.

The assistant expects to be paid for their time, skills, and knowledge. Consequently, ensure that you include the terms of payment. The contract should outline how payment is initiated, how much the assistant will be paid, frequency of income (hourly, weekly, or monthly), mode of payment (cash, check, or bank transfer), and payment dates. For a work project state, the percentage of the money they will be entitled upon the completion of the project.

Confidentiality Clause

When it comes to any agreement, trust is essential, especially from a professional standpoint. Many virtual assistant contracts will have a stated confidentiality agreement outlined.

The key to an adequate confidentiality provision is ensuring that all parties understand what is expected so that there are no breaches. If a virtual assistant receives access to the company’s sensitive and confidential company data and information, it is essential to state guidelines and restrictions on how they will be used and protected.

Restrictions and Contract Termination

An important aspect you should consider in the contract is relevant restrictions that clearly show what the candidate should or should not do. For instance, if you do not want the candidate to promote competitors’ products and services, you need to state it clearly.

Finally, you should have a contract termination segment that stipulates the termination process. For a project, the contract must state the date when the contract comes to an end. You should also state situations when a contract can be terminated and how the candidate will be remunerated his or her dues.

About the Author

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Mirko Humbert

Mirko Humbert is the editor-in-chief and main author of Designer Daily and Typography Daily. He is also a graphic designer and the founder of WP Expert.