So you’re ready to “level up” your business and expand your team by adding a new virtual assistant. Awesome! Congratulations!
Whether you’re looking to hire a virtual assistant as your first team member or to add a virtual assistant (or two!) to your existing team, you’ll need to make some important decisions for both of your sakes. For instance, you may be considering the skill sets and experience you require in a candidate. But then you also want to find the best way to manage your new team member, given the difficulties of working with someone remotely.
The question that arises is: should you hire an off-shore or on-shore virtual assistant? What’d be the best approach?
Not to worry. This article discusses the characteristic features of an off-shore or on-shore virtual assistant.
The difference:
The most important key fact: there’s no right or wrong answer to this. It all depends on the choice and suitability.
Though here are some factors that explain why most entrepreneurs go for an off-shore Virtual Assistant.
Save that Money
The primary benefit of working with an offshore VA is the ability to save money. Trained virtual assistants in countries such as Pakistan and India produce work that is comparable to Western virtual assistants charging $25-50 per hour.
Aside from the obvious cost reductions of 60-70%, there are a few other advantages. Because offshore will consume significantly less of your funds, you can either keep more of your money or stretch your VA budget further.
More work is taken off your plate if you hire a full-time, offshore virtual assistant rather than a part-time, onshore VA. You will then have more time to focus on your genius zone, making it easier to grow your small business.
Off-shore hiring and a common myth:
Paying someone outside your country and paying him less as compared to an on-shore hire. A blow to your integrity?
Allow us to keep you from this burden. The logic here is different than it sounds.
In a developing country like Pakistan, the wages of virtual assistants are roughly equivalent to those of various “professional” roles, such as assistant nursing. As a result, by hiring an offshore virtual assistant, you are providing someone with a stable and rewarding job opportunity. Working for you benefits them, their families, and their community’s economy.
Feels like it’s depriving a domestic person of a job?
Nope, not the case either.
Assume with us: a solopreneur in the United States wants to hire her first virtual assistant but can only afford to pay $10/h. She is unlikely to find someone in the United States who will do quality work at that rate. As she cannot afford an onshore VA, her only options are to look offshore or to continue doing the work herself.
In either case, no jobs are created in the United States! At the same time, hiring a team member from another country can aid your economic growth indirectly. But we’ll get back to that when we talk about onshore virtual assistants.
“All in all, you’re actually opening a door of opportunity for someone in a developing country. Moral work, ain’t it?”
Free up Your Team – Allocate the Time and Space
Recognizing when you need to free up more of your time, as well as when you need to free up time for your current employees, is critical to growing your business. That is, you recognize the value your team brings to you and make certain they aren’t wasting their talent on tasks that someone else can do.
As your company and team expand, stay tuned in to what your team does for you and become very aware of what they do best. Hire a virtual assistant to complete certain tasks These have become low-impact activities for your existing team as soon as you can justify the expense of adding another team member.
“The lower cost of an offshore VA will allow you to expand your team – your bottom line – faster.”
Wake Up to Completed Tasks
Usually the offshore countries best suitable for these services lie in a different time zone. Meaning, when you are fast asleep, your offshore virtual assistant is making sure that you are not deprived of your important tasks.
Imagine coming to your screen in the morning to find out that all the unnecessary emails have been deleted, your calendar meetings have been sent out, and all you’re left is to take those meetings and crack that deal. Sounds super satisfying, doesn’t it?
There’s a 12-hour clock difference between the US and Pakistan. This is one of the many advantages of working with a Pakistani offshore virtual assistant. Let’s dig in why?
12-hour Clock Difference
For readers who have relatives in a different time zone, they may understand it too well. The hassle of picking up a time, when there’s a day in one country and night in the other. But, trust our word when we say. This time difference is the greatest edge these offshore VAs have. They work in your time zone, obviously. But now the catch here? They can work in their time zone as well (of course, they can). These Virtual Assistants cleverly plan their day, giving equal time to your work. Then, when there’s time to bed in your country, it is time to work in theirs. (super cool, we know).
Conclusion
As aforementioned, there’s no right or wrong here. It’s all about choice and requirements. Most companies look for onshore VAs, which technically is not wrong. It has its own pros and cons. Because an entrepreneur’s life is a roller coaster and handling a whole business is something to be mentioned here. If money-centric is the point here, then we really don’t think it is bad to think about the funds. Being an owner means you need to take care of every penny going in and out. In such scenarios, if you hire an offshore virtual assistant, you do an obligation to yourself.
Besides, it’s a win-win situation for both, isn’t it? Then why not roll the ball here?
