Any time you talk to someone that you plan to hire a virtual assistant in the Philippines, you may encounter these two reactions:

• Interest. The person sees the value in it, and want to hire a VA at first opportunity.
  
  
• Trepidation. The person thinks it’s either a scam – that the remote worker would run away with their money, or that the arrangement is taking jobs away from First World citizens.

Here’s the truth: virtual work is legit.

Since 2014, Remote Workmate has placed several hundred virtual assistants in the Philippines. We’ve also delighted nearly as many organisations and entrepreneurs. Here are some of their success stories.

And that’s just with us. There are other established virtual staffing agencies out there.

As with any employment relationships, encountering bad apples is always a possibility. But more often than not, negative experiences can be attributed to poor communication or poor hiring and training – both of which are the business owner’s responsibility.

Multinationals benefit from VAs

Virtual assistants don’t take work away from hard-working First World citizens; it’s quite the opposite. Large corporations like Apple and Microsoft make use of offshore virtual offices – specifically in the Philippines – to do the work that most First World employees typically won’t do.

Because these organisations outsource at a lower cost, they’re able to:

• Raise their profit margins in First World countries
• Hire workers in First World countries at a higher salary to do even more fulfilling work.

However, the benefits that VAs bring aren’t just for multinational companies. Even small businesses and solopreneurs have much to gain by hiring virtual assistants in the Philippines. Here are a few compelling reasons why you should.

Reason 1: VAs handle essential tasks you don’t want to do

As an entrepreneur, you know the things that need to be done inside your business, but aren’t actually doing. These can include – but aren’t limited to:

• Updating your company blog.
• Posting on social media.
• Copywriting.
• Creating online ads.
• Website administration.
• Lead generation.

Yes, things come up: Children get sick, or a new season of your favorite show comes out. Life gets in the way and keeps you from consistently doing what needs to be done for your business.

Just know that the difference between success and failure is ensuring that those tasks are being carried out even when you’re not doing them.

If you had somebody for the next 365 days send out 100 emails every day to your target market, what would it do for your business? Even if only 10% of those emails get a response, and only 10% of your responders convert to clients, that’s 365 new clients for your business by the end of that year.

Reason 2: They’re more cost-effective

The cost of living in the Philippines is pretty low, especially when compared to First World countries like the United States or Australia.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (via an Outsource Accelerator report), a family of 5 needs 8,778 PHP per month to meet their most basic needs. This converts to about 182 USD.

Meanwhile, the minimum wage in the Philippines is 537 PHP per day. To give you an idea how cost-effective that is, consider that:

• The Australian minimum wage is currently 19.84 AUD per hour.
• The US minimum wage is currently 7.25 USD per hour.

Thus, in an offshore staffing firm like Remote Workmate – where you can hire a virtual assistant from the Philippines starting at 7 AUD or 6 USD per hour, you can simultaneously:

• Save on salary costs for your business.
• Pay your Filipino virtual assistant more than a regular job would.

Reason 3: Their strong work culture

Did you know that the Philippines is the second largest English-literate country in Asia? According to the 2013 FLEMMS survey, it has a literacy rate of 96.5%.

Filipinos are highly educated. Majority of their workforce are college graduates, with degrees in science, finance, technology, communication, and various other fields.

They speak, read, and write English really well; so much so that tens of thousands of foreign students visit to learn the language, and their numbers are steadily increasing.

Filipinos believe in dedication to their job and take pride in their hard work. All of these qualities are exactly what you as an employer should look for in your next virtual assistant.

Furthermore, Filipinos hold strong family values. The work isn’t just about money for them; they do it to create a better life for their family. This provides far more motivation than money ever could.

Reason 4: Work becomes more satisfying

Hiring an employee is one of the best personal development journeys you can ever embark on.

There’s something to be said about the satisfaction that comes from having other people rely on you. It pushes you to:

• Perform as a better person.
• Systematise your business.
• Manage your expenses more judiciously.
• Focus on crucial parts of your business.

Having a team also makes work more fun overall, especially if you run your business on your own. When you work with other people and build something that will last, the sense of fulfillment you gain is usually better than achieving something by yourself.

If you’re a solopreneur, challenge yourself to new heights by hiring an offshore virtual assistant from the Philippines and working with them over the next few months. You’ll become a better employer.

Partner with us

When you decide to hire a VA (or three), don’t settle for just anyone; get the best talent. This is crucial for startups with limited funds. Hiring great employees will help you rise above the competition.

To get the best talent, team up with Remote Workmate. We’ll do all the heavy lifting for you, including screening, payroll, and more.

Finding the ideal talent with us is so much easier.

You can actually choose from our pool of top candidates right away. Simply click the button below to browse a wide range of profiles on our Hotlist page.