Should I Hire a Virtual Assistant from US or Philippines for My Business

Should you hire a virtual assistant in the United States or the Philippines for your business?      In today’s video I am sharing the Top 3 Pros & Cons to consider before you choose what works best for your small business!

Hey there, I’m Sailynn, Your FUN Business Coach, and I mentor women entrepreneurs from burned out to balance in 90 days with my unique blueprint that allowed me to go from working 80+ hour weeks to just 16 while tripling my business revenue and 4X my personal paycheck!

Inside my businesses, we have hired part-time workers for over 17 years with some being remote and over the last 7 years I have hired multiple part-time remote virtual assistants. So let’s dive into the lessons I have learned on this topic!

Most women entrepreneurs have made the following mistakes on this topic:

1) They hired the VA their friend recommended because they talked so highly of them

2) They hired the VA that showed up in their inbox because that seemed easier than spending time searching for one

3) They’re still trying to decide whether to hire someone in the United State or overseas

The problems this causes them are:

1) The VA they hired that their friend recommended just does not meet their company brand expectations

2) The VA they hired that magically showed up in their inbox is okay but you are having to micro-manage them and fix their completed work in between their never-ending onslaught of questions

3) Because they cannot make a decision on whether to hire someone in the United States or Philippines, they are still doing everything themselves working 50+ hour weeks… nights, weekends and holidays trying to get it all done!

Now there are 3 Parts to my Hiring Framework which I walk you step-by-step through inside my free webinar training: How Women Entrepreneurs (Online & In-Person) Can Hire a Virtual Assistant So You Can Work Just 4 Hours Daily, but today I am going to go over just one so you can finally decide whether a VA in the United States or the Philippines is the right fit for your business needs! If you want all 3 parts to the hiring framework, head to the description and save your seat for free!

Let’s go over the Pros of hiring a virtual assistant from the United States first.

Most women entrepreneurs want to hire a VA from the US because they feel more comfortable with the team member being in their same country. So yes, there is that feeling of comfort which is a pro!

Another pro is the time zone difference!  For the most part anyone you hire in the US will only be 1-3 hour’s time difference from where you are located so if you need them to be live on team meetings or during customer support hours or help you on a live presentation, it’s usually pretty doable to work out!

The biggest pro I see for hiring a VA in the US is that most can be paid with a credit card via PayPal with no issues. So, it’s easy to pay their invoices without having to jump through payment processor hoops!

Two other pros that are helpful in specific niche industries are: 1) Cultural Familiarity: They often understand local customs, slang, and market trends, which can be critical for customer-facing tasks. And 2) Regulatory Understanding: Better knowledge of US laws and regulations, which can be a plus for legal, financial, or HR-related tasks.

Now as we move into the Cons of hiring a Virtual Assistant in the United States let’s discuss something that is a pro and a con!  Language!  Most women entrepreneurs assume that because they are hiring a VA from the US that there will be no language barriers, but this is a common assumption that can be a mistake!  Just because someone lives in the US does not mean they speak, write and read clear English!  So, if you have a job description that requires this, do not assume, you need to clarify this during the interview process!

Now the biggest Con that I see with US based virtual assistants is their hourly rate!  Most of the US based VAs I have chatted with or worked with start at $30 per hour due to the cost of living here in the United States. So, this is something to consider when reviewing your budget before you decide where to hire a VA from!

As we move into the Pros and Cons of hiring a VA from the Philippines, I want to start by saying while this video speaks specifically about the Philippines, I have worked with VAs from other countries like India and Bangladesh, so you can use this info for any overseas country!

Let’s chat Pros of hiring a virtual assistant from overseas!

The biggest Pro is cost!  You can hire a virtual assistant from another country for as little as $5 per hour!  This is primarily because the cost of living is completely different than the US.  So, think about the two different rates I mentioned.

The US starts at $30/hour and the Philippines starts at $5/hour. If you have reviewed all the tasks that are outside your zone of genius and determined which job description you want to hire a virtual assistant for and its 10 hours of work weekly, then you would pay $300 to someone in the US or $50 to someone in the Philippines!  That’s a BIG difference for your budget, especially if you are a small business!

Some other pros to consider specifically for virtual assistants from the Philippines is their strong work ethic. They are known for their loyalty, hard work, and long-term commitment to employers.  The Philippines is also one of the largest English-speaking countries in Asia, with strong proficiency in both written and spoken English. This is why hiring someone from the Philippines has become such a HUGE marketplace for virtual assistants to thrive! 

Finally let’s talk about time zones because this can be a Pro and a Con depending on who you hire. Many Filipino VAs are willing to adjust to US time zones or work night shifts to align with your business needs. Just as an FYI the Philippines is 12 hours ahead of us in the Eastern Time Zone. This is especially helpful if you speak with them 1-1 on Zoom or have them live at certain times of the day. So, this is another job duty that you want to clarify when you make the job offer!  Think about prior whether you will need them at specific times or can they work when its best for them!

Some other cons to consider are Internet and Power Reliability: The Philippines occasionally faces infrastructure issues, such as unreliable internet or power outages, which can disrupt work. And Cultural Differences: Some may struggle with nuances of US business culture or client expectations, which may require extra onboarding and training. And finally Limited Regulatory Knowledge: Filipino VAs may not be familiar with US laws and regulations, which can pose challenges for certain specialized tasks.

Regardless of whether you choose to hire a virtual assistant from the US or the Philippines or any other country, you need to ensure you complete all the steps needed to ensure they can flourish in your business.  To help you out with this process, you’re invited to join me during my free webinar training: How Women Entrepreneurs (Online & In-Person) Can Hire a Virtual Assistant So You Can Work Just 4 Hours Daily!  Where I am sharing with you the Hiring Framework That Slashed My Hours by 80%—Your Key to Finding and Hiring Your First UNICORN VA!

This 60-minute training will teach you step by step what you need to do prior to hiring any virtual assistant to ensure it’s a mutually beneficial working relationships for both parties!

You can save your seat for free today at www.passionpurposeposture.com/va and I’ll see you there!

I specifically put together this free training for you so you could reduce your working hours and start working a sustainable schedule inside your business for long term growth and success!

If you have questions, feel free to pop them in the comments!

Thanks so much for watching and remember to live your one life!