Most busy business owners have had the same thought at some point: "I really need an assistant — but I could never afford one." It's one of those things we file under "nice idea, not for people like me" and quietly go back to answering emails at ten o'clock at night.
So let's actually answer the question. What does a personal assistant cost in the UK — and is there a version of that help that genuinely fits a small business budget? (Spoiler: yes, and it's less than £20 a week.)
The traditional options — and what they really cost
A full-time PA is the gold standard: someone dedicated to you, who knows how you work. In the UK, a full-time personal assistant typically earns somewhere between £25,000 and £35,000 a year — and by the time you've added employer's National Insurance, pension contributions, holiday cover and somewhere for them to sit, the true cost is comfortably beyond £30,000 a year. Wonderful if you're a director of a large firm. Out of reach for most of us.
A freelance virtual assistant (VA) is the popular middle ground: a real person you hire by the hour, usually somewhere between £25 and £35 an hour in the UK. Even a modest ten hours a week adds up to £1,000–1,400 a month. VAs are brilliant at what they do — but the clock is always ticking, the hours run out, and the help is only there when they're working.
The new option: a managed AI personal assistant
This is the category we're proudest to be part of, because it changes the arithmetic completely.
A managed AI personal assistant — like the ones we provide at SmoothDay PA — gives you a named assistant you simply message, any time of day, with a real team behind the scenes keeping everything running smoothly. (If you missed our first post on what an AI personal assistant actually is, and why ours always has real people behind it, it's worth two minutes of your time.)
Ours starts at £75 a month — that's less than £20 a week. Pricing is based on how much you use your assistant, not on an hourly clock, with plans at £75, £120 and £199 a month. There's no VAT to add on top, and your first month is free, so you can see the difference before you pay a penny.
| Option | Typical UK cost | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time PA | £30,000+ a year | Dedicated help — at a salary most small businesses can't justify |
| Freelance VA | £25–£35 an hour | Great help, but the clock is always ticking and the hours run out |
| Managed AI PA | From £75 a month | Less than £20 a week — always there when you message, first month free |
What do you actually get for £75 a month?
A fair question — because "cheap" is only good value if it genuinely helps. Here's the everyday work your assistant takes off your plate:
- Your emails — kept on top of, with replies drafted for your approval so nothing important gets missed.
- Your diary — appointments organised, reminders sent, double-bookings avoided.
- Your follow-ups — the chasing, the "just checking in" notes, the loose ends that eat your evenings.
- Your memory — names, preferences, details, that thing you promised to do next week.
- Your thinking — help pulling together a business plan, talking an idea through, or making sense of your numbers.
- Your to-do list — kept, updated, and gently nudged when something needs you.
And the part we'll never stop repeating: your assistant always checks with you before anything is sent, booked or confirmed. It does the legwork; you keep the final word.
The cost nobody puts on a spreadsheet
Here's the comparison that matters more than any price table: what is it costing you not to have help?
The evenings lost to admin. The follow-up you meant to send that quietly became a lost sale. The enquiry that sat unanswered while you were up a ladder, in a meeting, or doing the school run. The big-picture thinking that never happens because the small stuff always shouts louder.
If your time is worth even £25 an hour, an assistant only needs to hand you back 45 minutes a week to pay for itself.
In practice, most people get back far more than that — and the headspace is worth more than the hours.
Your questions answered
No. Your monthly plan covers the assistant and everything above. The only paid extras are optional — help with social media and support with your accounts — and both are arranged by discussion, never added quietly.
Then the £75 plan is built for you. Because pricing follows how much you use your assistant, lighter users aren't subsidising heavy ones.
Exactly as it sounds: your first month costs nothing, so you can experience what "your day, handled" actually feels like before you pay anything. After that it's a simple monthly payment.
Not in the slightest — we set everything up for you. If you can send a message, you're ready.
The honest bottom line
A personal assistant used to be a £30,000 decision. Today it's a £20-a-week one — with the first month free while you make your mind up.
If you'd like to see what that feels like, come and say hello — have a chat with Pippa. No forms, no pressure — just tell her about your day, and let us show you how much lighter it could be.
That's our whole promise — your day, handled.
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