On-demand EA and business admin support
The flexibility of contracting, without the overhead of a full-time hire.
The reality for many teams
Many organisations need EA, admin or HR support, but not at a full-time, permanent level. What we see most often:
- Workload is real but uneven
- EA, admin and HR tasks are fragmented across the team
- Hiring full-time creates fixed costs without full utilisation
- Important admin work competes with higher-value roles
The cost problem with full-time hiring
A permanent hire means paying for more than just productive hours. Typically, you are also paying for:
- Superannuation
- Recruitment and onboarding costs
- Downtime during quiet periods
- Coverage gaps when that person is unavailable
For many teams, this results in ongoing cost without consistent workload.
A contracting-style alternative
Bluebird’s on-demand EA and business admin support operates like contracting, not employment. This means:
- No superannuation
- No paid leave or public holidays
- No long-term employment commitment
- No cost when the work is not there
You pay only for the time used, at an agreed hourly or daily rate.
Why the shared service model works
Instead of hiring one full-time EA, admin or HR resource, you access experienced support as a shared service. You get:
- The right level of support, not excess capacity
- Coverage across EA, admin and HR tasks
- Flexibility to scale hours up or down
- Clear boundaries on time and cost
Our support services
Scope and priorities are agreed up front and adjusted as needed.
- Executive assistant
- Business administration
- HR support
- Partner management
- Timesheets management
- Shared mailbox
- Calendar and meetings
- Marketing materials (LinkedIn etc.)
- Financial reconciliation
- Security-aware admin
Rates (excl. GST)
- Hourly rate
- $68.00
- Daily rate (8 hours)
- $544.00
No additional employment on-costs apply.
What this looks like in practice
Scenario 1: Not enough work for a full-time EA
You do not need a full-time EA, but your inbox needs regular attention, your calendar needs coordination, and follow-ups and admin are slowing you down.
Shared service outcome: short, regular check-ins for inbox and diary; one or two deeper admin blocks per week; consistent support without a full-time salary.
Scenario 2: Admin and HR work spread across the team
Admin and HR tasks are handled by consultants, managers, or whoever has capacity that week. This is costly and inefficient.
Shared service outcome: centralised admin and HR support; delivery staff focus on their core roles; managers stop chasing timesheets and forms.
Scenario 3: 1 day per week (8 hours), spread across the week
A common setup for small teams. Typical coverage: daily inbox triage and urgent actions; meeting coordination and follow-ups; timesheet reminders and checks; light HR admin (onboarding or offboarding steps).
Result: admin stays under control without the overhead of a permanent role.
How billing works
- A Xero project code is agreed for your service
- Time is recorded against that code
- Invoices are based on actual time recorded
- Optional weekly summaries provide visibility before month end
This approach provides transparency, traceability and predictable cost control.
Service promises
How we protect time, cost and expectations.
- Time cap respected: if we approach the agreed limit, we ask before continuing.
- No surprises: priorities are agreed. Nice-to-have work only proceeds if time allows.
- Clear communication: short weekly update covering work completed, pending items and decisions needed.
- Security-aware admin: work is delivered within a DISP-certified environment with appropriate handling practices.
Rough guide: team of 10 (indicative only)
This is a guide only. Actual effort depends on complexity and systems.
| Task | Typical effort |
|---|---|
| Inbox handling | 1–10 minutes per email |
| Meeting coordination | 5–15 minutes per meeting |
| Timesheet follow-ups | 30–90 minutes per week |
| HR onboarding/offboarding admin | 30–120 minutes per person (spread across steps) |
| Financial reconciliation support | 30–120 minutes per cycle |
With around 8 hours per week, many teams can cover one leader’s EA support, shared mailbox monitoring, timesheet management for a 10-person team, and one HR workflow in progress.
Why Bluebird Advisory
A trusted, boutique Australian-owned consultancy. DISP certified. Member of the CBRIN community.