Virtual assistant outsourcing is where you hire contractual remote workers to manage specific tasks in administration, creative and technical aspects of your company.
So, you have this amazing startup business set for the future. While you’re a versatile CEO working with high-level office employees, you’re still missing project deadlines.
If you want to get out of this unproductive situation, leverage the power of virtual assistant outsourcing. This is a staffing strategy that many businesses are embracing to maximise resources and drive growth.
Do you want to know more about these remote professionals? Continue reading this blog post and explore what it means for your organisation to have a VA around.
But first, let’s look at today's working trends that raise the popularity of virtual assistant outsourcing.
Business Trends that Bolster Virtual Assistant Outsourcing
Here are some trends that propelled virtual assistant services high in the remote working market:
Search for Cost-Effective Solutions
In the US alone, over 300,000 jobs are outsourced each year. And the biggest factor is cost-savings.
Considering that remote workers save up to 78% of operating costs every year, VAs make a very attractive staffing solution.
As a startup, virtual assistant outsourcing gives you the power to overcome resource constraints that affect your business growth. By collaborating with a high-quality online assistant, you can concentrate on your important functions that directly generate revenue without getting pulled down by mundane tasks—or your budget.
The Rise of Online Start-Ups
About 37% of small companies and startups outsource virtual assistants to lower their overhead costs. This is the strategy they use to access specialised skills that are scarce domestically but are available abroad at an economical price.
Hiring externally means hiring with flexibility. You can always control the level of involvement of your outside help within the company. This allows you to respond to the changing market conditions without high financial consequences.
Why Outsource to a Virtual Assistant?
Virtual assistant outsourcing is not just for big companies. Small business owners can more than benefit from delegating tasks offshore.
Here are the amazing ways outsourcing VAs is good for your business:
More Cost-Effective than Full-Time Employees
You can hire a remote professional for half the price of what it would cost if you worked with someone in-house. Choosing VA services means cutting off your budget for office equipment, utilities and even compensation benefits.
Beyond that, if you adopt bringing in talents offshore, you can find many skilled online assistants for an affordable price. Most of the countries where these workers come from have a low cost of living, where the U.S. dollar is strong.
This is the reason why you can hire virtual assistants for lower rates while still offering a high-paying position in these areas.
Delegation Shifts Focus on Core Competencies
Outsourcing to a virtual assistant doesn’t just benefit you and the company, but your onsite team as well. When you pass on your time-consuming repetitive tasks, you free up time and earn back lost productivity.
Ultimately, everyone within the company can focus on more pressing issues while your VA handles the non-core activities.
Even Small Businesses Can Grow Quickly
Why do companies use virtual assistants?
Think about the time that you need to handle every aspect of your business—website management, social media management, research and so much more.
These tasks that don’t necessarily require your personal attention are vital to the growth of your online presence. However, hiring a desk-bound employee might be too costly for each task.
Virtual staffing is a cheaper and easily scalable solution, especially for startups with fewer resources.
Bridge the Skills Gap
You have all these ideas for the future that open up countless potentials for growth. And the only reason you’re not pursuing these goals in full force is due to your resource restrictions.
Delegating tasks outside your country is tapping into a wider talent pool with various expertise. This is a dealbreaker for startups that continue to face skill gaps.
People who bring more to the table demand higher paychecks. Fortunately, with the rise of remote assistants, you can access high-quality support without losing an arm or a leg.
Round-the-Clock Service
Even while you’re sleeping, your virtual assistant continues to get work done. Since you’re outsourcing from different time zones, you can expand your global reach—catering to clients across the world without paying for overtime.
At the end of the day, there’s no better way to elevate customer satisfaction than having a human being offer assistance in real time. It’s like you’re not sleeping on your clients at all.
What Exactly Does a Virtual Assistant Do?
Years ago, virtual assistants were only limited to administrative chores. Nowadays, they’ve gone past merely answering phone calls and are almost capable of doing any type of business task.
What are the duties of a virtual assistant? Let’s have a look.
Administrative Work
Handling a range of administrative activities is the domain of most virtual assistants. From conducting research to calendar management, you can outsource your repetitive admin work to the right online assistant. Then, watch a heavy burden lifted off your shoulders.
Some business owners even hire VA support to cover their personal errands like online grocery shopping, paying the bills and other non-work-related jobs.
Customer Support
Excellent customer support is key to customer satisfaction. From addressing customer issues to gathering reviews, your virtual assistant will help curate the best customer experience ever.
By providing personalised service, a VA will make your customers feel heard and valued, surpassing their expectations.
Digital Marketing
There are so many aspects of digital marketing where your virtual assistant can surely make a superb impact. Outside of just scheduling your regular online posts, they can do graphic design and even write engaging content to reach your global audience.
While you have the choice to manage each task on your own, you’re better off with a dedicated VA who is more experienced in this type of work and can produce better results. Also, they can work effectively and efficiently without necessary training.
Technical Support
If you’re looking for IT support, virtual assistant outsourcing is the way to go. Remote professionals can help alleviate all your technical issues—from web development and creating landing pages to providing prompt technical support to your clients.
With a VA, you can ensure all systems are working seamlessly, so you and the rest of the team will only need to focus on working productively. This is the perfect arrangement for small business owners who are looking to make more of limited resources.
Are outsourcing and offshoring the same? Find out the answer by clicking the link.
How Much Does an Outsourced Virtual Assistant Cost?
You can find various virtual assistants offering diverse services at different rates. While most of them work solo as freelancers, some are provided by agencies.
If you’re looking to hire a reliable remote helper, we recommend choosing a reputable VA agency like VAV.
There’s no specific standard cost for a virtual assistant. Every assistant charges differently due to the following factors:
- Type of Work
The price you’re paying your remote assistant depends on the service you’re receiving from them.
- Task Urgency
Tasks that need to be performed on short notice may come with a higher price.
- Experience and Skills Matter
Experience and skills matter. A virtual assistant with more to offer will ask for higher pay. Their advanced knowledge will make them work more efficiently. Thus, you should pay appropriately.
- Location
Countries like the Philippines and India, where the cost of living is often lower than their counterparts from the U.S., charge less.
Why Choose VAV for Virtual Assistant Outsourcing?
Outsourcing on your own is when outsourcing goes wrong.
Instead of doing the leg work and risking hiring a virtual assistant that isn’t right for you or your business, outsource remote support with a VA agency.
Here, we offer years of industry experience and expertise. Guaranteed, we will find the perfect remote professional who fits your specific requirements.
Virtual assistant outsourcing is full of opportunities waiting to be unlocked.
As we welcome the digital world and the big “gig” economy, we make smart, scalable solutions. And that is exactly what a virtual assistant is—a cost-effective alternative to overcome the daily grind and turn it into achievable milestones.
If you’re ready to see your business conquer new heights, partner with a remote professional and get started with this game-changing journey.