To those VAs who work on monthly retainer, how do you handle billing when you go on vacation? If you take a week off, do you allow your clients to send you extra work before you leave or after your return? Do you credit back part of their retainer? Or what? :-)

Most of retainer clients are continuous projects such as newsletters, web maintenance, project management. When I take the time off I give all my retainers ample notice and adjust the schedule accordingly. I also have some back-up help in the event that an emergency should arise.

I usually take my laptop and aircard everywhere so if it is a dire situation I am available. This allows my clients peace of mind and I have never had a problem with all of them.

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Lee Drozak
My Office Assistant

During my proposal phase - along with the contract and proposal - I provide an information sheet. On that sheet, among other things, such as hours, etc. I list that I will take up to 4 weeks vacation yearly. Then, like Lee, I arrange for backup in case of emergency and in reality I never take vacation away from everything. One - I'd go into serious withdrawls without my computer, crackberry, and so on...but I believe that the fact that we are in a service business, we need to be reasonably available on short notice, at most reasonable times.

To answer your question a little more directly than I just did...I think it depends on your offering. If you are a generalist like I partially am, and offer support for day-to-day stuff (calendar management, email, etc.) then you should not expect to get paid when you can't be there. This is why I do this only partially, and I'm actually working my way away from it, and beginning to offer custom package pricing, to avoid losing money when I want to take time away.

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Pam Blackman - The Process Coach
Get more done in less time by streamlining!

Originally Posted by On My Wings

This is why I do this only partially, and I'm actually working my way away from it, and beginning to offer custom package pricing, to avoid losing money when I want to take time away.

Can you give us some more details about the custom package pricing you are talking about? I'm interested to know what it is and how it works.