Virtual Assistant Costs and Rates
Jan 26, 2023 • 5 min read
A virtual assistant can help with several different types of tasks, from scheduling meetings to managing finances. But before you hire one, it helps to know exactly what type of job you’ll be paying them to do.
Ask yourself the following questions:
1. What Tasks Will You Pay Them To Do?
The first thing you need to decide is whether you want to pay a virtual assistant per hour, per project, or both. If you’re working with a freelancer, you might be able to negotiate a flat fee for certain tasks. However, if you’re working with a full-time employee, you’ll probably need to set hourly rates.
2. How Much Time Will They Spend Per Task?
Next, determine how long you’d like them to spend on each specific task. For example, if you’re planning to outsource financial tasks, you’ll likely need to give them access to your accounting software. This could mean they spend anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours per month. On the other hand, if you’re outsourcing general administrative tasks, such as scheduling appointments, you might want them to spend just 10-15 minutes on each task.
3. Does Their Work Need Special Skills?
If you’re looking to outsource a particular skill, make sure the person you hire knows how to perform that task well. Otherwise, you’ll end up spending money training them to do something you already know how to do yourself.
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Define Your Virtual Assistant's Scope
Here are some things to think about when defining your virtual assistant’s scope.
Cost Factor #1: Experience and expertise.
If you want to save money, consider hiring a seasoned professional with experience over a novice. You’ll still end up paying less overall since there’s extra training or support that a beginner might require. But don’t underestimate the value of having an experienced, vetted VA onboard. A good VA should know how to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, prioritize effectively, and communicate well, according to CareerBuilder.
Cost Factor #2: Types (and frequency) of the work you need to be performed.
There are different levels of virtual assistant available depending on what type and level of task you need completed. Some VAs offer simple tasks such as scheduling meetings. Others provide full customer support. You can choose whether you want a one-time job or ongoing availability.
A VA will charge you based upon how much work he/ she does. If you hire someone for 5 hours, it doesn’t matter how many hours the person works each week; you still pay the same amount. However, if you hire someone for 10 hours, you will likely receive less value because the VA might not do enough work to justify the price tag.
Ask about the cost factor before you hire someone. Ask questions like: How often will I use this service? What types of projects will I require? Can you give me examples of similar jobs you’ve done? Do you have references you can send me?
Cost Factor #3: Level of technical knowledge required.
If you want to hire a virtual assistant, it helps to understand what level of expertise you’re looking for. You’ll pay less for a VA who specializes in one area, such as social media management or graphic design. But you might spend more money hiring a VA who knows everything about your business.
A good way to find out what level of expertise you need is to ask yourself some questions: How much do I really need help with my business? What skills does my VA need to possess? And what level of skill must my VA have to perform basic tasks like scheduling meetings and sending emails?
The answer to those questions will determine the price range for your VA. For example, if you just need help managing administrative tasks like email accounts and scheduling appointments.
Cost Factor #4: Location
The costs of VAs vary by location. It is generally more costly to hire a US-based executive assistant or VA. There are virtual assistant marketplaces that business owners can use to find a dedicated US-based virtual assistant or lowest-cost virtual assistant services. You can also tap into the global talent pool and hire from around the world.
If you are located in another state, you may want to look into hiring a local VA. This way, you won’t face language barriers and you’ll save money on travel costs.
Duties and Skills
More and more business owners are looking to hire VAs and remote administrative assistants to carry out a wide range of duties, including:
- Admin tasks
- Social media management, running social media accounts, social media marketing, running social accounts
- Project management
- Daily tasks, business tasks, repetitive tasks
- Email management and email marketing
- Digital marketing tasks
- Specialized skills and tasks, specialized services
- Organizing company events
- Personal tasks
VAs usually have a wide range of skills, including strong customer service skills, organizational skills and excellent communication skills. Having an organized person in an assistant role taking care of a range of business tasks will save you much extra time.
Hiring a VA from a reputable agency or virtual assistant agency helps you see cost savings and business growth. You can also for popular freelance marketplaces or virtual assistant marketplaces.
Ready to build your remote team?
Use the DigiWorks platform to hire, manage, and pay remote talent from all over the world.
Hire a VA today
Using virtual assistant companies or virtual assistant marketplaces like DigiWorks is a great help when looking to hire a virtual assistant. Delegating your time-consuming and repetitive tasks would greatly improve the daily lives of business owners.
When hiring remote team members, the most important thing is that they are vetted. The DigiWorks platform helps business owners build their remote teams with 100% vetted VAs. Speak to us today to find out more!
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About DigiWorks
DigiWorks is an easy-to-use platform that helps small businesses and start ups hire amazing remote talent from around the world. DigiWorks offers a way for you to hire, manage and pay people from all countries. If you find an amazing virtual assistant from Philippines, a content writer from Nigeria, or operations manager from South Africa – manage and pay your entire team from one platform with no hassle.
If you’re looking for a more affordable and sustainable option you might consider making use of a hiring platform like DigiWorks. Virtual assistant companies or platforms like DigiWorks are amazing as they not only match you with pre-vetted and assessed remote workers that can take care of all your business needs but they will also handle all onboarding and payroll needs as well.