Hiring A Virtual Assistant in the Philippines and How It Works

Hiring a virtual assistant in the Philippines for your business can be easy. The business process outsourcing in the country is one of the major growth drivers to the Philippine economy since 2000. In 2000, the outsourcing industry has accounted for 0.075% of the country’s GDP growth. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, in 2015, the contribution of the industry to the GDP of the country skyrocketed to 6%. The growing numbers of business outsourcing companies have contributed to the growth of the industry to the GDP of the country.
Admit it, there are days when work just gets the best of you. You get a lot on your plate, which can get counterproductive at times.

As a business owner, your time is valuable and frankly, there are some tasks that you can just pass on to someone else who will be good at it. For this, one of the best business solutions is finding a virtual assistant who will act as your digital office angel. Filipinos who work as virtual assistants are rampant because of their flexible skill set, which promotes efficiency within the company – eliminating the truckload of workload for business owners.

A virtual assistant is an all-around digital office assistant who can perform tasks such as dealing with inquiries, managing your emails and calendars, drafting of reports – among other things. The specific tasks of a virtual assistant will be dependent on the request of the client.
Here are just some of the many reasons why you should consider hiring a virtual assistant in the Philippines:

Save Money

Focus on what matters most. For a business owner like you, every minute counts. You can’t keep doing tasks that will eat up your time. Hiring a virtual assistant can help you combat that. For example, if you earn $500 an hour, hiring a virtual assistant whose rate is $25 per hour does not only save you from doing repetitive tasks – you also get to focus more on your business without worrying about other things. Normally, a Filipino VA’s hourly rate ranges from $3 to $25. Paying your VA less doesn’t mean you’re exploiting or taking advantage of their talents at a lower cost. There are differences between the cost of living in the Philippines and your home country. Outsourcing a virtual assistant will be more cost-effective than hiring a full-time employee. Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about managing the pressure all on your own.

Familiarity

Filipinos are no strangers to the outsourcing world. Filipino professionals have different areas of expertise; most likely they have had experience in working with offshore clients. The Philippines was a U.S. colony for quite a few years – making its culture highly familiar with the Western people. Filipinos come from a diverse culture – You can find a virtual assistant who’s excellent in the English language but also speaks like an Australian local. When finding the right virtual assistant for you, it’s imperative that you understand each other. Always consider, dynamics will play a vital role between you and your virtual assistant.

Filipinos are excellent employees

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, as of 2013, the literacy rate of the country is at 96.5%. Granted this doesn’t guarantee their performance as employees, data don’t lie. This still speaks a lot about how capable Filipinos can be. Also, it’s almost common knowledge that Filipinos are well-versed in the English language, which makes it easier to communicate with them. The EF English Proficiency Index reports that the Philippines has a 60.59% English proficiency score – overtaking India. In the same report, the Philippines ranks 15th out of 80 countries. Hiring a Filipino VA assures you that there will be no language barrier between yourself and your potential VA. Effective communication drives growth to the business.

To add to the mix, Filipinos have an excellent work ethic. Even if you can’t physically witness how they are at work, their actual work speaks for itself. Filipinos get the job done and it’s unlikely for them to abandon a task. If you want to make sure of this, you should also give outsourcing a try. Look for a reputable outsourcing company and find the right VA for your business. Mikes Business Tours can educate you on how it works and even show you the processes of outsourcing in the Philippines.