FAQ's

What Trace Assists actually does.

Q: What exactly is Virtual Business Management?

Virtual Business Management (VBM) is strategic operational support. It means building and running the systems, processes, and workflows that change how your business functions, not ticking tasks off a list.

Where a VA executes tasks, a VBM looks at the bigger picture: the client journey, the infrastructure, what's slowing things down, what needs documenting, what should be automated. I sit closer to how the business runs than to what it produces.

How is this different from hiring a VA or admin support?

VAs and admin support are task-based. You give them a list, and they work through it. The scope of the work is defined by you, and the value comes from freeing up your time.

I work on the structure underneath the tasks. The value comes from building systems that work whether I'm in the business that week or not. You don't have to manage me, brief me on every job, or hope I remember what happened last month. The work carries forward once it's done.

Do you take on ad-hoc tasks or short jobs?

Occasionally, if they fit within a retainer or an active project. But one-off admin work isn't the core of what I do. If that's what you're looking for, a VA is usually a better fit and I'm happy to say so.

Whether we're a good fit.

Who do you work with?

Service businesses that have outgrown running on memory. Typically coaches, consultants, and small agencies who are past the earliest startup stage.

I'm just starting out. Is this for me?

Usually not yet. If you don't have paying clients or a clear offer, the systems I build won't have enough to work with. The guide on my site (5 Systems Every Service Business Needs) is a better starting point, and we can talk once the business is generating work that needs infrastructure behind it.

How do I know if I'm ready for this?

The common signs are: onboarding feels inconsistent, follow-ups slip, things live in your head that should be written down, and you keep doing the same manual work over and over. If any of that sounds familiar, you're probably ready. A Clarity Session (£75) is the fastest way to find out.

The first step.

What's the difference between the discovery call and the Clarity Session?

A discovery call is a 30-minute fit conversation. We talk about what you're trying to build, whether we're a good match, and what a project could look like. There's no charge, and you'll get a proposal in your inbox afterwards if we're aligned.

A Clarity & Systems Strategy Session is a paid, strategic deliverable. It's a 60-minute call where we review your current setup, identify the gaps, and map out your next steps. You receive a PDF roadmap within 48 hours. It's £75, credited in full toward any Project Build or Retainer.

Use the discovery call if you're ready to scope a project. Use the Clarity Session if you want strategic input and a plan before committing to anything bigger.

What's the Quick Systems Check?

A £75 no-call diagnostic for your GoHighLevel setup. You grant temporary access to your GHL account, I review it, and within 3 working days you get a video walkthrough plus a written action list of 3-5 prioritised recommendations. No meeting, no live call, no commitment.

It's the fastest way to get expert eyes on your setup. The £75 fee is credited toward any Project Build or Retainer if you choose to work with me afterwards.

Which should I choose first?

It depends on what you need:

• Quick Systems Check if you have a GHL setup and want to know what's broken or missing.

• Clarity Session if you want a strategic conversation and a roadmap covering your whole business, not just one platform.

• Discovery call if you already know what you need and want to scope a project.

What this costs.

How much do your services cost?

Project services are fixed-scope and fixed-price, ranging from £250 for a Workflow Quick Build up to £850 for a CRM Full Build. The full list with what's included at each tier is on the Services page. Anything larger or more complex than these fixed-scope services is a Project Build, quoted after a discovery call.

How much are the retainers?

Retainers are £950, £1,450, or £1,950 per month depending on the level of access and involvement you need. The Services page covers what's included at each level.

Retainers are typically taken on after an initial project, not as a first engagement. The foundations need to be in place before ongoing support makes sense.

Do you offer payment plans?

For larger projects, yes. Specific terms are discussed at the scoping call so we can match them to the scope of the work.

What's your refund policy?

Once a project is underway, fees aren't refundable. The Clarity Session and Quick Systems Check are both deliverable-based (£75 for a specific outcome), and my pre-sale qualifying flow exists to make sure we're a good fit before you pay anything. That said, if something's genuinely not working for you, talk to me. I'd rather solve a problem than lose a client relationship over it.

What working with me looks like.

Which tools do you work across?

My builds are primarily on GoHighLevel and Dubsado — that's where I have the deepest expertise. I also work across Notion, Asana, ClickUp, HubSpot, Microsoft Teams, and Canva where clients are already using them.

Do I need to be using any specific tool already?

No. Part of the scoping conversation is choosing the right tool for what you're trying to do, based on what you already have and what the work requires. CRM builds are offered on both GoHighLevel and Dubsado at the same price.

I'm not very technical. Is that a problem?

It's not. Most of my clients aren't technical. The systems I build are designed to be used, not admired. You'll get a video walkthrough at handover and documentation you can refer back to, so you won't have to rely on me to remember how things work.

How long does a typical project take?

It depends on the service:

• Workflow Quick Build: 5 working days from intake form to handover.

• Quick Systems Check: 3 working days from access being granted.

• Fixed-scope projects (CRM setup, onboarding system, etc.): usually 2-4 weeks.

• Larger Project Builds: scoped and estimated after a discovery call.

How involved will I need to be?

Less than you might think, but more than zero. I need you at the scoping call, I'll need access to the relevant accounts, and I'll need your input on any copy or content that's specific to your business. After that, I build and test, and come back with the finished work for review.

What happens after the project is delivered?

You get a video walkthrough showing everything running, plus written documentation where it makes sense. One round of revisions is included on fixed-scope projects. After that, you can either run the systems yourself, book one-off support for specific issues, or move onto a retainer if you want me close to the business on an ongoing basis.

After the build.

Do you work with teams, or just solo business owners?

Both. The systems I build are designed to work whether you're a team of one or a team of ten. If you have a team, I can set up access and run a training session on the systems during handover, so your team can use what's been built without needing to learn it from scratch.

Will the systems still work as my business grows?

Yes. That's what distinguishes a system that's been built properly from one that's been patched together. Scaling usually means adding to or extending what's already there, not starting again. If we've set the foundations up right, they hold.

What if I need help later on?

You've got three options:

• A one-off Clarity Session to talk through what's changed and what you want to do next.

• A new scoped project for specific work.

• A retainer, if you're ready for ongoing operational support rather than a project at a time.