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We’ve all been there. You have an administrative task at school or work but not enough time to do it. Or perhaps you’ve forgotten to call for a doctor’s appointment and now it’s too late to secure a consultation.
These are some of the tasks that a Philippines virtual assistant can help with.
A VA or virtual assistant is a remote assistant who provides administrative, technical or creative support. They offer these services to clients worldwide and get paid through platforms like TransferGo.
So, can you hire a Philippines virtual assistant?
The short answer is yes! The Philippines has a robust English-speaking workforce and a skilled talent pool. It’s become a leading destination for businesses and individuals seeking to hire VAs. But is a Philippine VA the right fit for you?
We aim to provide this essential information, including the cost of virtual assistants in the Philippines, in this helpful guide.
Is a Philippine virtual assistant right for you?
If you’re an entrepreneur juggling multiple projects or a busy professional struggling to keep up with emails and scheduling, you’re in luck. When you hire a virtual assistant in the Philippines, they can handle various tasks you might need help with.
Examples include managing your calendar, scheduling appointments, researching and compiling data. A freelance virtual assistant in the Philippines can also handle social media engagement and support basic bookkeeping.
Delegating these tasks to a skilled Philippine VA can free up valuable time. Having one on your team can also help you achieve a better work-life balance.
Besides that, virtual assistants in the Philippines can also bring valuable skills in specific areas. They can help with content creation, graphic design, web development, writing and editing.
Hiring options: Finding your perfect match
Now that you know the potential benefits, how do you find your ideal freelance virtual assistant in the Philippines? The two main options are:
Freelance platforms
You can hire a virtual assistant in the Philippines from websites like Upwork and OnlineJobs.ph. These sources offer a vast pool of Filipino VA talent.
The sites allow you to browse profiles, post job descriptions and interview candidates directly. You get a wide range of talent in numerous fields through freelance platforms.
But remember, with the vast online community, you’re still responsible for vetting candidates that meet your criteria. You’re also in charge of managing communication and ensuring quality.
VA agencies
So many Philippines virtual assistant agencies connect clients with pre-vetted Filipino VAs. These companies handle the initial screening process, so you don’t have to.
They also handle the administrative side of business, such as payroll and taxes for the VA.
This saves you time and ensures a level of professionalism. All you have to do is post a job and the agency will match you to the most qualified VA (or the one that fits your budget).
Cost of virtual assistant Philippines
The cost of virtual assistants in the Philippines, freelancers or agencies, varies based on experience and skill set.
General hourly rates range from $3 to $8 or more, and experienced VAs with specialised skills command higher rates. However, there are other payment arrangements you can make. A freelance virtual assistant in the Philippines can charge per project or task or go with a monthly stipend if the engagement is long-term.
If you use an agency to hire a virtual assistant in the Philippines, there are additional costs like company and project management fees. You may also have to pay for the virtual assistant’s communication tools, like project management software or editing tools.
The VAs still have the option to charge hourly, per project/task, or get a monthly stipend depending on the project’s duration.
Freelance virtual assistant Philippines or agency?
We have provided you two options to hire virtual assistants in the Philippines, but what fits you best?
Here’s a back-to-back comparison that will help you find the best option for your needs:
Flexibility
Regarding flexibility, a freelance virtual assistant in the Philippines offers a clear advantage. You can tailor the work schedule (weekday or weekend) and project scope to your needs.
Filipino VA agencies offer a more streamlined service. They handle the initial vetting process and set the number of weekly working hours. This streamlined approach can limit flexibility, with less room for service hours or project scope customisation.
Cost
Generally, hiring freelance VAs directly offers a more cost-effective option. This is because there’s room for negotiation with the VA.
The cost of virtual assistant Philippines agencies offer a compact solution but often comes with slightly higher fees. Negotiations are rarely allowed, but a structured payment works best for companies.
Attention to detail
Working with a freelance virtual assistant in the Philippines gives you direct oversight over their work. This allows you to provide specific instructions and ensure tasks are completed to your standards. However, the burden of vetting their skills and ensuring attention to detail falls on you. If you miss the vetting part, you miss out!
To hire virtual assistants, Philippines agencies typically award you pre-vetted VAs. This ensures a baseline level of competence and attention to detail. However, you might need more control over finding a VA who perfectly aligns with your working style or communication preferences.
Potential challenges and how to overcome them
Remote VA work can sometimes come with its fair share of resistance. So much so that when you hire a virtual assistant in the Philippines and elsewhere, expect some challenges.
This section will highlight some of the most common challenges and how to mitigate them appropriately.
Challenge 1: Language and cultural differences
The foremost issue that might arise once you have a Philippines virtual assistant working for you is language and cultural barriers.
The Philippines has over 180 languages spoken across multiple ethnicities. Luckily, English is an official language commonly used in business, education and government. So, when seeking a freelance virtual assistant in the Philippines, ensure you specify that they are fluent in written and spoken English.
Regarding cultural differences, the biggest concern might be understanding who and where you come from based on your values. Due to specific holidays, beliefs or values, your virtual assistant in the Philippines might have differing views on some work you may give them. In this case, communicate your expectations and provide specific instructions.
Regardless, be open to clarifying misunderstandings and offer cultural context if needed.
Challenge 2: Time zone differences
The Philippines is in the UTC+08:00 time zone. This means that when you hire a virtual assistant in the Philippines, the assistant will operate 8 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). They will also be about 12-16 hours ahead of Western countries.
To overcome this hurdle, ensure you liaise with your VA to schedule the overlapping working hours. If you structure it well, they can work for you as you sleep so that you get all the work you need for the next day. So, whether it’s a meeting you need to prepare for or some research work, they can do it for you this time.
Alternatively, you can use the numerous project management and communication platforms to streamline task management. Set realistic deadlines and account for the time difference each time.
Challenge 3: Finding the right fit
You can only reach a consensus regarding the price of virtual assistants in the Philippines once you’ve found the correct fit. The country has a large pool of freelance virtual assistants in the Philippines with impressive resumes, but can they all fit your job description?
Here’s how you overcome this:
First, leverage reputable VA agencies and freelance platforms that pre-vet freelance virtual assistants in the Philippines. Secondly, as you set your preference for hiring a virtual assistant in the Philippines, clearly define your needs and requirements in the job description. You can fine-tune your needs here if you have intensive, time-sensitive tasks.
Lastly, when you narrow down the Philippines virtual assistant list, organise through interviews to assess skills and cultural fit.
Challenge 4: Communication and attention to detail
Most VA tasks like writing and editing require someone with a knack for clear communication and paying close attention to details. This might be a challenge if you hire someone who misses crucial information due to a communication breakdown.
The solutions to this problem are straightforward. Always aim to provide clear and detailed instructions. Please ensure that the instructions contain specific examples and references.
Besides that, encourage your freelance virtual assistants in the Philippines to ask questions wherever they don’t fully understand something. It would be best if you also aimed to implement a working system that helps you review and approve your VA’s submitted work.
Challenge 5: Internet connectivity
The World Bank says the Philippines is a lower-middle-income nation with a developing infrastructure. One of the concerns when it comes to hiring a virtual assistant in the Philippines might be power outages and unstable internet connections. These could disrupt workflow and cause delays.
The solution can be discussing potential backups whenever the power and internet go down. You may provide cloud-based storage and project management tools that allow offline access. This way, no work will be lost, and you may face fewer delays. Scheduling tasks that need the internet might also be a solution.
Building a successful relationship with Your VA
Now that you know which source fits you or your business, here’s how you keep that relationship afloat:
Define tasks clearly and provide detailed instructions and tools
Whenever you assign a task, aim to offer all the resources the virtual assistant in the Philippines may need. This may entail the outlines and keywords for blog posts, passwords for specific dashboards, or references for understanding brand voice.
Set deadlines and milestones
Setting timelines helps freelance virtual assistants in the Philippines to schedule their time to complete the tasks on time. The milestones keep them on their toes so that they deliver work on time and in the best quality.
When setting these deadlines and milestones, account for unprecedented setbacks. To have some control over this, add a few hours or days to avoid subpar or rushed work. And if you have a time-sensitive task, clearly communicate it.
Establish preferred communication channels
Before hiring a virtual assistant in the Philippines, have all your preferred communication channels. A structure you may set is email for work delegation and submission, WhatsApp for clarifications and questions, and specific dashboards for project management.
Choose whatever you want to use and give your freelance virtual assistants in the Philippines access.
Regularly provide feedback
If you’re pleased with the work done, make a point of telling the VA. Having an active feedback channel helps the virtual assistant to be motivated. It also helps them fully understand you and your needs to tailor the work needed further.
Pay on time
Aim to pay your virtual assistant in the Philippines as agreed. Timely payments motivate the VAs and compensate them well for their submitted work.
You can use TransferGo to send money to the Philippines—we offer competitive exchange rates with no hidden fees and you can send money digitally to all banks and e-wallets. We also provide top-tier customer support on all available channels including chat, email and telephone.
To hire a virtual assistant in The Philippines or not?
If you’re pressed for time or need more expertise, hire one!
Hiring a Philippine VA is a strategic move for entrepreneurs, busy professionals, or anyone seeking to free up valuable time. The Philippines offers a skilled and diverse talent pool at cost-effective rates from both freelancing and agencies.
If you’re ready to take the next step, explore reputable freelance platforms or VA agencies specialising in Filipino talent. Once you find one, communicate clearly and compensate them accordingly through TransferGo.
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