Offshoring began to gain traction in the late 20th century. The advancements in technology have made it easier for businesses to move across borders and find business solutions in cost-effective localities.
There are numerous offshore virtual assistant service providers available, particularly in countries such as India, the Philippines, Bangladesh and other parts of Asia.
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Benefits of Offshoring VAs over Onshoring VAs
Virtual assistant services take place both offshore and onshore. Between these two, which one is more beneficial depends on particular business priorities. For example if the cost of a virtual assistant is your top priority, offshoring is your solution. Offshore VAs can offer competitive rates due to lower labor costs in their respective countries.
On the other hand, if you prefer real time communication, onshoring VAs in your country may be the better option. Some more benefits of offshore VAs follow,
Availability: Due to the time zone differences, offshore VAs can provide 24/7 availability. This can be helpful for businesses in need of round the clock coverage.
Wide set of expertise: Offshore VA providers often have a diverse talent pool with a wide range of skills. This allows businesses to access specialized services that may be difficult to find locally.
Flexibility: Offshore VA services provide businesses hiring flexibility. As businesses grow or experience seasonal variations, they can easily adjust the number of VAs.
Cultural diversity: Cultural diversity is important for businesses who plan to expand globally. Offshore VA services enable businesses to tap into a global talent pool. They can work with professionals from different cultural backgrounds. They are highly adaptive from their diverse experiences.
How to Find Offshore VAs?
Google is the first place you will probably reach to learn about virtual assistance service providers. Thus, you are here! The Internet is so deceiving these days that the search engines are no longer efficient.
Please find below a set of guidelines to consider when searching for an offshore personal assistant:
Step 1: Answer these given questions before looking for offshore personal assistants.
What Tasks Do You Need Help With?
- Virtual Assistant Services
- Back Office Support
- Data Entry Services
- Other Outsourcing Services: Please specify your specific nee
You can vote for more than one answer.
What Skills Are Required ?
- Administrative Skills
- Data entry Skills
- Communication Skills
- Technical Skills
How Many Per Week Do You Need Assistance ?
- Less Than 10 Hours Per Week
- 10 - 20 Hours Per Week
- 20 - 30 Hours Per Week
- More than 30 Hours Per Week
Having a clear understanding of your needs will help you narrow down your options and find a provider that can meet your specific requirements.
Step 2: Plan your budget
Start by defining how much you are willing to allocate for virtual assistant services. Consider the value you expect to gain from outsourcing tasks to offshore VAs.
Step 3: Research
Once you have a clear understanding of your business needs and budget, it's time to start researching potential offshore virtual assistant providers. Make sure you keep more than three options while conducting market research.
Checklist: Questions to Ask an Offshore Virtual Assistant Service Provider
Questions | |
|---|---|
1 | What is your experience in providing offshore VA services? |
2 | Can you provide examples of tasks or projects similar to what I require? |
3 | How do you ensure data security and confidentiality? |
4 | What are the available communication channels? |
5 | What are your payment terms? |
6 | How do you handle language differences? |
7 | What is your process for hiring VAs? |
8 | How do you ensure the skills of your VAs? |
9 | Can you provide references from previous clients? |
10 | What is your policy for handling revisions to completed tasks? |
11 | How do you handle unexpected absences of VAs ? |
12 | What is your policy regarding intellectual property rights? |
13 | Do you offer any trial periods? |
14 | Can you accommodate specific time zone requirements? |
15 | How do you handle performance evaluations of VAs? |
16 | Are there any additional costs that may be incurred? |
17 | What is the process of canceling the contract? |
Any provider with ample knowledge would be able to answer the given query professionally. Contact ASL BPO to find what we have for your business.
Step 4: FREE Trial Period
The free trial period allows you to assess the performance of the VA in real-world scenarios. Hiring an offshore VA involves a certain level of risk. A free trial period mitigates the risk by allowing you to taste the service beforehand.
ASL BPO Offers a 7-day Free Trial for Virtual Assistant Services.
The Cost of Offshore VA Services
A few factors like country of operation, working hours, skills and complexity determine how much you should pay for a virtual assistant. For example, Countries with lower labor costs may offer more competitive pricing compared to countries with higher labor costs.
An offshore virtual assistant from ASL BPO costs only $6/ per hour.
Tasks to Delegate to Offshore Virtual Assistant Services
The range of tasks you can delegate to Offshore VA Services is vast. From administrative tasks like managing emails and calendars to 24/7 Call Center Services, social media management, content creation, accounting, customer support, a VA can handle various responsibilities, tailored to your business needs.
Challenges of Working with Offshore Virtual Assistants
Besides all the benefits you can think of, there are also some challenges of working with offshore VAs. However, a streamlined management system can always eliminate the challenges.
Cultural Differences: Different cultures have unique ways of approaching tasks. It often comes as a barrier to work with someone from another shore. Cultural differences create misunderstanding and the entire work gets destroyed eventually.
Technology Limitations: Offshore locations may have varying levels of technological infrastructure and internet connectivity. This can impact the virtual assistant's ability to access tools that are crucial for your work.
Quality Control: Monitoring the quality of work is another challenge when you are not physically present with your virtual assistant.
Training: Remote training takes longer than physical training. It may require additional time to ensure they understand your work processes. The simpler way is to hire an outsourcing agency that provides fully trained VAs.
10 Tips for Managing Offshore Virtual Assistants
Wrapping Up
In the interconnected world, no borders can prevent you from accessing the talent your organization requires. Embrace the power of Offshore virtual assistant services today and experience the transformative impact they can have on your organization.