Are you one of those people who race for the “doing it well means doing everything internally” movement? If not pride, you might be too hung up on the old ways to stick by this myth.

Eventually, you’re going to have to wake up and start looking at options to help your business grow.

How about an offshore virtual assistant? These are trained and skilled remote professionals who can help run your business like a well-oiled machine.

Nowadays, with remote working, they can be an invaluable asset. With them, you have a rare chance to grow smarter, so why not turn to the borderless talent pool?

Let’s delve deeper into what a virtual assistant offshore is, the tasks you can offload, the perks and how to work with them effectively and smoothly.

Who is an Offshore Virtual Assistant?

An offshore virtual assistant is a remote professional who offers business-related services ranging from administrative to creative support outside your home country, often in one with lower living standards.

Ultimately, this implies that you can tap into skilled expertise at a far lower price. It allows you to offload back-end tasks and focus on more important business matters.

Now, let’s go over the special features of an offshore VA:

Remote Location

Although geographically distant, offshore remote assistants operate efficiently and deliver results.

Cost-Effectiveness

Compared to onshore VAs, offshore virtual professionals have lower hourly rates. This leads to massive operational cost reduction, up to 78% in a year.

Global Talent Pool

Offshore remote workers bring diverse expertise to the table that is undoubtedly scarce and a lot more expensive to procure in the local market.

Task Versatility

Whatever tasks you throw at your offshore assistant, you'd best bet they can do an excellent job at completing them. As mentioned, these offshore sidekicks can handle a broad range of business functions spanning from digital marketing and content creation to software development.

What Exactly Does a Virtual Assistant Do?

Offshoring streamlines your administrative activities by entrusting them to an external party.

Among the tasks that you can offshore to a virtual assistant are the following:

Administrative Tasks

• Email management
• Scheduling appointments
• Data entry
• Phone answering
• Document organisation
• Correspondence management
• Basic report preparation
• Research
• Company database management

Customer Support

• Handle customer enquiries and complaints
• Monitor client feedback
• Process order
• Provide proactive outreach
• Deliver information

These tasks are perfect for offshoring because they’re repetitive and don’t require deep knowledge to handle. Transferring responsibilities to a VA entails not getting bogged down by daily grinds and having more time for high-value activities that drive profit.

And the great thing about remote workers is that they can be relied upon to manage complex tasks too. They’ve evolved alongside your business needs, taking on more specialised roles in areas like…

• Content writing
• Graphic design
• Digital marketing
• Social media management
• Video editing
• Lead generation
• Website development
• Project management
• Customer relationship management
• SEO optimisation

This, however, will depend on the expertise of your assistant. A virtual professional may be versatile, but your company’s diverse workflows demand you hire several assistants with different specialisations.

Remember, aligning the skills of your remote assistant to your needs is how you can make the most of this collaboration.

Why Businesses Send Their Tasks to a Virtual Assistant Offshore

Unsurprisingly, leaders like yourself spend more than 40 hours each week in the office, mostly buried in admin chores instead of revenue-generating activities.

Lucky you, an offshore virtual assistant can take back the time that you thought would be lost forever. VAs are “task ninjas,” agile and stealthy in managing the essential but mundane parts of your business processes.

Here’s how an offshore remote worker adds value to your organisation:

Your budget goes further when hiring in other countries.

Another war is happening in the world—a war for talent. It is rather difficult to secure the best talent around without paying a lofty sum. Enter an offshore virtual assistant.

Hiring skilled virtual professionals gets you special access to the global marketplaces. You can recruit the brightest stars on the planet and create your own dream team of excellence while saving 70% on employment expenses.

Lower than what you would normally pay domestically, offshoring results in bigger financial savings.

It’s easier to scale operations with an offshore VA in your corner.

When you offshore, it becomes easy to build or reduce your team based on your current needs. For instance, if you have a corporate event happening in a month, you can quickly employ a virtual assistant to manage the logistics or write your speech.

You don’t need to go through the trouble of hiring additional on-site help and then firing them once the project is completed.

You have more time on core missions and all things only you can do.

Are you among the 67% of professionals who are under emotional strain at the idea of routine work?

Passing on your repetitive chores to an offshore VA allows you and your core team more time to pursue growth-oriented activities.

With their assistance, you don’t have to feel crushed every time you go to the office. They can get your admin stuff sorted once and for all, so you’re free to work on the tasks that make the money.

You can unlock boundless expertise.

Since everything is remote, the world will become your hiring playground. For as long as there is a strong internet connection, you’ll find your VA match from anywhere, no problem.

There are so many highly skilled professionals who excel in different domains. This makes crossing borders particularly beneficial to your growing business, considering the shrinking local talent pool.

And with the race for the best minds happening in the working world, offshoring presents a straightforward and effective solution.

Onshore vs. Offshore Virtual Assistant: How Different Are They?

An onshore virtual assistant is a remote assistant who supports your business while operating in the same country. As such, they’re more culturally aligned, which helps in strengthening your brand and reputation. Moreover, you share the same time zone, which makes for easy real-time communication.

On the other hand, offshore VAs offer services while residing in a different country. Although they might present some challenges like cultural and communication barriers, they make up for it with their cost-efficiency, round-the-clock support and versatility.

Topic you might be interested in: Outsourcing vs. Offshoring

What’s the Price of Hiring Offshore?

There is no specific answer to this question, as the cost of hiring a virtual assistant varies depending on a number of factors, such as location, task complexity, experience and outsourcing partner.

For instance, VAs in the Philippines come at an affordable rate, giving greater value for your money. Another one would be that the more extensive your assistant’s skills and employment history, the higher the price tag.

This is why securing a reputable outsourcing partner is a strategic must-have. You need to find the right provider who can deliver their promise without making the collaboration financially burdensome.

How to Manage Your Virtual Professionals Offshore

Hiring remote professionals outside your region is pretty easy when the planet is literally your oyster. But managing one to achieve the best results? That’s going to take planning and effort, so you don’t stumble before you even begin.

Here’s how to nail offshoring VAs:

• Establish Clear Expectations
  Be crystal clear about the responsibilities of your assistant and how you want the tasks to be performed. And while you’re at it, define the deadlines and communication style.
  Lay it all out to your VA from the get-go because they can’t read your mind.
  
• Leverage Software Tools
  Don’t go for what’s trendy; use the tools that work best for you, your assistant, and your existing system.
• Provide Regular Feedback
  Your assistant will not exactly do it right the first time. They will make mistakes, and when they do, make sure you’re there to tell them. Offer constructive feedback and celebrate wins with them—that’s how you build a healthy relationship with your VA.
  
• Document Processes
  Guide your assistant by sharing standard operating procedures. This way, they can perform tasks efficiently without you micromanaging them.
• Respect their Time
  Yes, your assistant can support you, night and day. However, this doesn’t mean that they’re permanently on call. Avoid overloading them and raising their stress levels. Be reasonable with your workload and discuss openly what can be done.
  
• Forge a Relationship
  A quick chat with your virtual assistant allows you to get to know them behind the scenes. Ask about their day and personal ventures. This small bond sparks understanding, which makes for an easier and smoother collaboration.
  

FAQs on Virtual Assistant Offshore

What Is a Real Estate Virtual Assistant?

A real estate VA is a remote professional trained specifically to support your real estate business needs, from administrative to marketing.

What Are the Different Types of Virtual Assistants?

You can find all sorts of VAs that work solely to fulfil your distinct business needs:

Here are some of them categorised by functions:

• Social media virtual assistant
• Digital marketing virtual assistant
• Content writing virtual assistant
• Customer support virtual assistant
• Virtual research assistant
• Accounting virtual assistant
• Virtual administrative assistant
• Virtual executive assistant

Why Hire Offshore VAs with VAV

VAV is a trusted recruiting expert when it comes to offshore virtual assistants. We understand the pressures of looking for the right assistant while searching around a depleted local market. That’s why we’re here to make a case that offshoring doesn’t have to be an uphill battle.

Here’s our winning way:

• Trained Professionals
  We are dedicated to excellence, which is why we only provide skilled and tested remote professionals who can take on your evolving needs.
• Low Costs
  We remove employee-associated costs from your financial statements—rent, utilities and furniture. You only pay for the hours your VA has worked and nothing else.
• Flexible Schedule
  Our virtual assistants are well adjusted to your workflow tempo. They don’t follow the usual 9-to-5 window but rather your timeline, operating in the most sensitive hours without charging overtime.
• Tailored Matching
  We find the right offshore VA who matches your specifications, from the industry to expectations. We will build your success by sourcing the right VA skills that meet your business needs.

If this sounds like what you want for your budding startup, we encourage you to book a free consultation with one of our recruiting experts.

Working with an offshore virtual assistant is investing in a solution that delivers comprehensive service beyond administration. With them, you are making a powerful move that saves costs, scales operations, and sharpens your focus on real priorities.

Talk to us about your needs and explore our affordable and flexible virtual assistant solutions.