Why Outcomes-Based Pricing Delivers Better Results for You (and Your VA or OBM)

If you’ve ever hired a Virtual Assistant or Online Business Manager, chances are you’ve come across the standard hourly or retainer pricing models that dominate the industry.

On the surface, they seem simple and familiar, but are they truly serving your business?

At Find a VA, we’ve worked with thousands upon thousands of businesses, VAs and OBMs across Australia and New Zealand, and what we’ve seen time and time again is that the most effective, sustainable, and value-driven pricing model isn’t based on time at all. It’s based on outcomes.

And here’s why that matters to you.

Hourly Rates: A False Sense of Simplicity

Paying by the hour seems logical. You pay for the time your VA or OBM spends on tasks. But here’s the catch: this model rewards slowness and penalises efficiency.

If a task takes longer, you pay more, and when you break that down, it’s hardly a win for your business.

Worse still, as your VA becomes faster and more skilled, their income effectively decreases. In other words, they’re punished for becoming better at what they do.

Hourly billing creates a misalignment between your goals and theirs – and that’s where things begin to break down.

Retainers: Predictable? Yes. Problematic? Also Yes.

Retainers are often pitched as a step up: a set number of hours each month often at a reduced rate. On paper, retainers offer predictability. But let’s be brutally honest: do you really know how many hours it takes to complete those tasks?

Probably not. And quite frankly, you shouldn’t have to.

The truth is that retainers often result in unused hours (money left on the table), or hours exceeded (unexpected invoices).

And when it comes to discounting rates for larger packages… that can devalue your VA’s work and lead to inconsistencies in delivery.

The Superannuation Factor: A Game-Changer for Aussie Businesses

Here’s a detail many businesses miss – and it matters – A LOT.

In Australia, under recent changes to superannuation guarantee laws, hourly or retainer-based arrangements could mean your VA is classified as an employee for super purposes.

That may trigger a legal obligation for you to pay their super on top of the invoiced amount. (Spoiler alert: this is already happening, and businesses are being caught out.)

Outcomes-Based Pricing: Strategic, Transparent, Smart

This is what forward-thinking businesses are moving towards.

Outcomes-based pricing is quite simple in that you pay for a defined result, and not the time it takes to get there. Whether that’s a streamlined inbox, a completed website, a month of content, or a client onboarding workflow (or something completely different), you agree upfront on the deliverable and the price, meaning there’s no guesswork, and no ambiguity.

And this model benefits everyone because:

• You know exactly what you’re getting and what it will cost.

• Your VA is empowered to deliver efficiently and with a focus on quality.

• Trust is built from the outset, because value is measured by tangible results.

What It Looks Like in Practice

Let’s say you need someone to manage your inbox, calendar, and travel. Under an hourly model, you’re guessing how long it might take. Under an outcomes-based model, you agree on a weekly (or monthly) fee, and your VA gets it done – regardless of the hours involved.

Or say you need a website. Instead of watching the clock, you invest in a finished product that’s delivered efficiently and to a high standard by someone who’s motivated to get it right.

The Bottom Line

Outcomes-based pricing delivers transparency, accountability, and real value. It removes the friction and sets your VA up to focus on what matters – outcomes, not hours.

If you’ve ever struggled to budget for VA support, felt caught off guard by unexpected costs, or simply want better value from your business support, then this model is definitely worth exploring.

At Find a VA, we work exclusively with professional, experienced Australian and New Zealand Virtual Assistants and OBMs who understand the power of this approach and use it to deliver real results for their clients.

Need help finding a VA who works this way?

That’s exactly what we do.

Reach out today and we’ll connect you with a trusted, outcomes-focused Australian Virtual Assistant who can help move your business forward… with clarity, confidence and results.