Our “Policies & Procedures” page is for current, new, and potential clients.
Chargeable Hours: Any agreed service, including scheduled telephone calls, falls under chargeable hours. However, any written communication with the client, such as email and text messages, will not be billed.
Communication: Email is preferred but texting is acceptable. Telephone calls are always planned in advance to avoid any possible interferences. I respond to non-urgent emails within a day or on the first working day and to urgent emails as soon as I can.
Programs/Software: On a regular basis, I work with SmartSheet (project management), Dropbox (cloud storage), Google Docs & Drive (word processing & cloud storage), Evernote (notes & lists), and Toggl (time-tracking). Most of these programs are suitable for sharing and collaborating. Clients will never be charged for my use of any of the programs I choose to work with. Using a program of the client’s choice is always possible, provided that the client will cover any fees.
Time-Tracking: Time will be tracked in increments of 15 minutes, rounded to the closest 15 minutes. I use specialized software from Toggl for accurate time-tracking.
Monthly Retainer Package: Hours that are not used by the end of the month will generally not be carried over to the next month. In the case of exceptional circumstances, however, unused hours can be used at a later time or they may be deducted altogether. It’s possible to request extra hours for a monthly package. Of course, extra hours are used only when requested, so there’s no need to worry about unexpected invoices. If a change in the number of hours in a monthly retainer package is desired, I kindly request you, client, to provide a notice at least 30 days before the start of the next month.
Status Reports: With a digital relationship, it’s important to check in on each other on a regular basis. This does not happen automatically when two parties each work from a different location – it requires conscious planning. For that reason, each client with a monthly retainer package will receive a weekly update email about the status of projects, including a timesheet for that week. Weekly update emails are sent out on every Friday when new project updates are available. Update emails are also available for hourly rate clients and will largely depend on the scope of their projects.
Invoicing & Payment: Clients will receive an invoice with a 30-day payment period at the beginning of the month. With a monthly retainer package, the invoice is always a month in advance of the hours. Hourly rate clients will also receive an invoice at the beginning of the month, based on the number of hours worked in the month before. Please note that, if the payment is not received before or on the due date, I am entitled to charge an additional late payment fee of 10% of the initial invoice. In the case of continued delay (14+ days overdue), services may be suspended until the payment is received.
Payment Methods: Payments can be made via PayPal. If you wish to pay in a different way, please let me know about your preferred option.
Holidays & Absence: I am not available for work on the following U.S. holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- Presidents’ Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Columbus Day
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
If I will be absent due to holidays or travelling (e.g. in summer), clients will receive a notice at least 30 days in advance, but always as early as possible. Of course, it’s also possible that you, the client, will be absent for a period of time. I kindly request you to inform me about your absence at least 14 days in advance. In exceptional and/or acute circumstances (such as illness or death in the family), however, I understand that it’s clearly not possible to communicate this well in advance.
In the case of absence, there are several options:
- If you are a client with a monthly retainer package, extra work may be taken on before the planned period of absence. Work can also be halted temporarily, in which case any unused hours can rollover to a future month. Otherwise, I will apply a discount to deduct any unused hours from the monthly sum.
- Both clients with a monthly retainer package and hourly rate clients can, in the case of my absence, also request a temporary VA until I return.
Privacy & Confidentiality: I attach great importance to your privacy. Information will never be disclosed, loaned, leased, rented or sold to third parties, or made public without your permission, unless I am legally obliged to do so. Personal data and information that I receive, e.g. contact form messages via the websites, newsletter subscriptions and any information from and about clients, is kept confidential. I strive to help my clients and anyone interested in my services as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Policy & Price Changes: I reserve the right to change this policy and the prices of my services. I may occasionally update this policy and will timely notify my clients if there are significant changes. In the case of a change in price, clients will receive a notice 30 days before any changes become effective.
Environment: To make a positive contribution to the environment, I keep paper use at a minimum. For instance, invoices are sent by email and not printed and any paper as well as supplies are reused and/or recycled whenever possible.
Agreement & Termination: I do not work with a contract, but I do ask all clients to sign an agreement to protect our work relationship. Work will commence after the agreement has been read, understood and signed. The agreement is non-binding and does not oblige us to commit to a long-term partnership; either of us is free to terminate the work relationship. I kindly request all clients with a monthly retainer package to send a notice of termination at least 30 days in advance if they do wish to terminate the partnership. Please note that there will be no refunds without a 30-day advanced termination notice.