The $5/hour Virtual Assistant
Today in one of the Facebook groups that I belong to one of the members sang praises for her $5/hr. virtual assistant. As you probably have read before there are virtual assistants all around the world, with a great deal of virtual assistants based in Asian countries, such as the Philippines. While I've read many horror stories about using foreign virtual assistants, every once in a while I'll come across comment like the one I read today where the person actually found a virtual assistant that has been a good fit for their current needs.
So what do I recommend? Well, it really all depends on what you need done and where you are going to look for your Virtual Assistant. Like with anything in life, you get what you pay for. Often times, business owners have needs that are beyond the scope and skill of these virtual assistants. For example, you may need someone with native English skills, in your same time zone to reply to customers in real-time, etc. In cases like these then obviously a foreign V.A. will not be a good fit for you. Hiring foreign virtual assistants, though extremely cheap in price, will also very much limit what tasks and projects you can assign to them. And the increased communication barriers will also make explaining what you need done more difficult and may result in you having to invest additional time to correct mistakes.
However, there are times when budget constraints will make this option extremely attractive. Just know that you will probably go through a few before you find a good fit. It's very difficult to get reliable referrals for a good overseas virtual assistant and often times you may find that their work is not up to your standards. With the same token, there are some great virtual assistants based in these countries and if you find a good one you better hang on to them as you have struck gold.
If you need help from a U.S. based virtual assistant than you will need to be realistic and know that obviously you can't pay such a low fee. Keep in mind that if you want to hire someone with talent and experience, you will need to pay a fair price for their services. Who determines that
price? Well, the Virtual Assistant, of course. The Virtual Assistant is a small business owner, just as you are, and has to pay for their own self employment taxes (which passes along savings to you vs. hiring a traditional in-house employee) and provides their own software and equipment. Everyone has a right to charge for their time what they feel they are worth. As you shop around, remember that many Virtual Assistants are willing to custom tailor packages to your specific needs and in our industry most of us know when we need to refer you to someone else when a task or project is beyond our skill set. Also keep in mind that if you don't want to pay the price a Virtual Assistant is asking, you don't have to. You can always continue your search until you find the fit that is right for you and your budget.
In my case, as you can see on my website, I offer packages to clients and most every single time I will custom tailor a package to the client's very specific needs. With my services, you get native English speaking and writing skills as well as many years of experience with administrative work. In addition, I have my own team to ensure your needs are always met. There's no calling out sick or disappearing for vacations. When you hire me and I make a commitment to you, I will stand by that commitment.
Are you ready to hire a Virtual Assistant so you can focus on growing your business and making money? Feel free to set up a free consultation with me. Click here to schedule a free consultation with me.
