Hire in the UK?
A full-time admin assistant costs £25,000 to £35,000 in salary before NI, pension, office space, equipment, holiday and sick pay. For support-level work, that is a heavy fixed cost.
Dedicated virtual assistants for UK businesses
Hand over your
Property ManagementCustomer ServiceAdministrationVideo EditingMarketingInvoicingSocial MediaOperations
A dedicated assistant, recruited for your role, working from our managed Sri Lanka office with a UK team behind them. Room to grow, from £5.50 an hour.
From £5.50 an hour + VAT
Full-time from £968 a month. Everything in writing.
Work our assistants already handle
Figures reported by two clients in our published case studies. Their results, not a forecast for yours.
£82,444Annual saving against equivalent UK hires, reported by our client, PERFA
4 rolesFilled for our client, PERFA, within six months, from one first hire
20 to 120Properties managed by our client, Open Mind Property, in under two years
What would you take off your plate?
Start with the work that comes back every day. We help turn a long task list into a clearly defined role.
Organisation, every working day
Less chasing
More headspace
A dedicated person to keep everyday administration moving and your priorities in view.
- Inbox and diary
- Meeting preparation
- Follow-ups and chasing
- CRM updates
- Document organisation
- Travel and bookings
- Research
- Routine reporting
And more…
8 still on your desk · 0 with your assistant
Examples, not an all-in-one job description. We match the skills and scope to your business.
What makes us different
Why not just…
Most businesses have tried at least one of these. Here is what usually happens, and what we built instead.
- A managed office, not a bedroom
- Workstation, dual monitors and headset provided
- Skills tests, personality profile, CV and reference checks
- Daily supervision of attendance and output
- Trained on your exact processes
- UK-aligned working hours
- Free replacement if it is not the right fit
Use an offshore agency?
Most hand you a CV, make an introduction and disappear. The worker is at home on their own equipment, often juggling clients. If there is a problem, you are on your own.
Try a freelancer?
Great for a week, then quality drops, replies slow down or they vanish. You have no visibility of what they are actually doing all day.
Keep doing it yourself?
Every hour on admin, data entry and inbox management is an hour taken from sales, strategy and growing the business. You know this. Delegating without stress is the hard part.
The structure behind the support
A dedicated person. A whole team behind them
You work directly with your assistant. We provide the workplace, recruitment and management support that make the relationship work.
Chosen for your role
We assess the skills your work needs, then involve you in the final interview. The brief comes first. The candidate follows.
A managed workplace
Your assistant works from our Sri Lanka office with equipment, a stable connection and local supervision. Working hours are agreed around your needs, including UK business hours.
Support after the start
Time tracking, task visibility and an account contact give you a route for feedback and performance concerns as the role develops.
You keep business control. Set the priorities, approve decisions and share the process knowledge. We support the person doing the work.
Client results
See what a supported team can make possible
Two clients, two starting points, one model. Their figures, from our published case studies.
PERFA, manufacturing and e-commerce
One specialist became
a four-person team
PERFA expanded its support across design, marketing, administration and web development, building capacity around the work the business needed.
4 rolesFilled within six months
£82,444Reported annual saving against equivalent UK hires
Open Mind Property, property management
More properties
A stronger operational team
Open Mind Property built support around tenant communication, bookings, reporting and coordination as its managed portfolio expanded.
20 to 120Managed properties in under two years
80%Of operations reported as outsourced
Photography is illustrative. Figures from Umbrella Connect's published client case studies. Results relate to those businesses and periods; they are not a forecast or guarantee for your business.
Client reviews
What our clients say
Reviews from our Google Business Profile, shown as the clients wrote them.
Excellent company that has completely transformed the way my business operates. Thanks to their support, I now have access to skilled remote workers which has helped me grow my business faster and more efficiently. Professional service, quick response times, and great flexibility.
Excellent service in sourcing virtual agent. The process took few weeks, the company has sourced us excellent agent with years of working experience. Low upfront fee and great value for money.
We're working with Umbrella Connect on wide range of positions and the service has always been top of the game. Highly recommend!
Bringing a VA on board for our lettings agency has been one of the best decisions we’ve made. The impact has been incredible, thanks to our VA, we now have the freedom to focus on growing our business instead of getting overwhelmed by daily tasks. She handles everything: inquiries, tenant checks, marketing, social media, booking viewings, all those time-consuming tasks that used to pull us away from the bigger picture. Now, we can finally focus on strategy and scaling, knowing our operations are in capable hands. The support from Lukasz and his team has been fantastic as well. Read the full review on Google
I recently enlisted the services of Umbrella Connect for their Personal Business Assistant service, and I must say, I'm thoroughly impressed! The professionalism and efficiency demonstrated by their team have exceeded my expectations. Not only did they tailor the service to fit my specific business needs, but they also brought a level of organization and expertise that has significantly boosted my productivity. Their assistant seamlessly integrated into my workflow, handling tasks with remarkable skill and attention to detail. This partnership has allowed me more time to focus on strategic planning and business growth. I highly recommend them to any business looking for top-notch support services. Truly a game-changer in my business operations!
A clear start. Ongoing support
You don't need a perfect job description to start. Bring us the work that's taking up your time. We'll help define the role around it.
Book a discovery call
Understand the work
We discuss recurring tasks, your systems, working hours and the skills the role needs.
A practical starting pointAgree the role and cost
Review the responsibilities, monthly hours, hourly rate and one-off sourcing and setup fees before recruitment moves forward. Everything is in writing first.
Scope and expectations in writingMeet the right candidates
We screen and interview against your brief. You take part in the final interview to assess the fit.
Your input in the hiring decisionBuild the handover
You share your workflows and examples. We support onboarding, so the assistant can learn how your business operates.
A structured transition into the roleReview, support, improve
Use task visibility and regular feedback to develop the role. Your account contact helps address questions and performance concerns.
A relationship beyond recruitment
Built by people
who run businesses
Umbrella Connect brings together UK business leadership and a managed team in Sri Lanka. Recruitment is the beginning of the relationship, not the end of our involvement.
From your first role to a wider team, the aim stays the same: clear responsibilities, useful communication and support you can build around.
About Umbrella ConnectGood questions. Clear answers
Choosing support is a business decision. Here's what to understand before you start.
Ask us something elseWill my assistant work only for my business?
We provide a dedicated assistant model. Your assistant focuses on your business during the agreed working hours. Your proposal sets out the schedule, responsibilities and scope.
Where are assistants based, and what hours do they work?
Assistants work from our managed office in Sri Lanka. We agree the working schedule around your requirements, including UK business hours where arranged. Discuss any evening, weekend or extended coverage before committing.
How quickly can we get started?
Timing depends on the role, experience required and candidate availability. Recruitment and onboarding can take up to 28 working days, according to our published service information. We'll discuss a realistic timeline for your brief.
What happens if the assistant isn't the right fit?
Raise the concern with your account contact so we can review performance and agree next steps. Replacement arrangements are subject to the service terms. Your proposal should make any conditions clear before you start.
What is included in the cost?
Three parts. An hourly rate by level: core support £5.50-£6.00, experienced support £6-£7 and specialist roles £7.50-£8.50, all plus VAT. A one-off sourcing fee of £300 + VAT. A one-off setup fee of £500 + VAT, which includes equipment for a standard assistant role; advanced roles such as video editing may need higher-spec equipment and a higher setup fee, confirmed in your proposal. Senior marketing, technical and management roles are quoted individually.
Why not the cheapest offshore rate I can find?
Because the rate has to fund the management around the person. Recruitment, supervision, a managed office, equipment, onboarding, replacement cover and a UK account contact all cost money. Rates that don't cover them usually mean a freelancer working alone, with the management left to you. Our hourly rates sit well below an equivalent UK hire while paying for the structure that keeps the role reliable.
From the blog
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Tell us where work is getting stuck
Ten minutes is enough. You get the role, the level and the full cost in writing, with no obligation to go ahead.
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm UK
+44 20 8090 1411