You've probably heard of virtual assistants—people who work remotely as an assistant to other professionals. They may seem like a luxury, but they can help you focus on the parts of your business that you enjoy while taking care of the less-fun administrative tasks. 

A virtual assistant may take over everything from collecting and updating your contacts to scheduling meetings for you, setting up interviews, or organizing your email inbox. Nonetheless, they're not just limited to administrative tasks or answering phones. Virtual assistants can handle various tasks, including data entry, bookkeeping, social media management, scheduling appointments, etc.  

Sounds great, right? Virtual assistants are great for some businesses and cost-effective for others.

Here's how you can find one that works for you and your business. 

Know what you need

You may have seen ads for virtual assistants touting that they can do anything. But before you spend time researching and interviewing candidates, you need to get clear on exactly what you need your virtual assistant to do—and what you don't need them to do. That'll go a long way toward helping you find the right person for the job.  

Assessing your current needs will give you a better idea of what service you need. Depending on your needs, you may want to hire only one VA to handle your administrative tasks, or you may wish to hire a team for different tasks such as marketing, accounting, and more. 

Are you looking for administrative support, such as scheduling appointments and answering emails? Or are you looking for marketing support where you want someone to create content for your blog, schedule social media posts, or manage paid ads? Assessing your current needs before you start vetting VA services is essential to see which ones fit your business needs best.

Hiring a Virtual Assistant  

It would be best to consider a few things when deciding what virtual assistant you'd like to hire.

• Cost. Yes, you should factor in how much it'll cost to hire a VA. But you shouldn't be hiring someone based on price, or you may end up with someone who's not a good fit. You're better off hiring a VA who's a little more expensive but a great fit.  
• Experience. You want someone experienced enough in a field to know best practices but who is new enough to be eager to learn new things.
• Do they have experience working in your industry? If you're hiring a VA to handle your marketing, do they have marketing experience? You'll want to ensure that they have experience in your industry so they can quickly adapt to your business and know what they're doing.     

You want someone willing to take the initiative to learn new things without being asked but who also understands the value of delegation. 

• What's their pricing model? Ideally, you'd like to work with a VA that offers a variety of pricing models. Some VAs charge by the hour while others charge per project, or you can also find VAs that charge a monthly retainer fee. While PEOs may charge a monthly invoice for full-time employee service.  

Consider nearshoring

Nearshoring is when you hire your assistant from a country that's nearby to your own. For example, if you live in the US, you might hire an assistant in Mexico. Nearshoring is helpful for businesses looking for an affordable VA but want to avoid outsourcing overseas. This type of hiring is less expensive than outsourcing to a faraway country. Plus, you'll have more control over who you're hiring, their location, and their skill set.  

There are many benefits to nearshoring, such as fewer time zones for more accessible communication between your remote workers and your team.

If you're considering nearshoring, you should evaluate the benefits of hiring through a PEO. You'll avoid the tax and legal liabilities that come from direct hiring. Nearshoring through a PEO allows you to get the best of both worlds: cost-effective hiring in your same time zone and avoiding the legal liabilities and benefits you must provide to employees.  

Finding a cost-effective VA

If you're looking for a cost-effective virtual assistant, you're at the right place and can start with the above suggestions. Are you wondering what you can do when hiring your VA while keeping costs down? Hire through a nearshore PEO; this is the work model at Cápita Works. We offer nearshore virtual assistant services that can help you save up to 70% compared to salaries in the USA.  

With Cápita Works, you'll get a personalized recruitment service with a 5-step recruitment process to ensure you find your next superstar employee. You can learn more about our services or you can also read this article to learn more about the benefits that come with hiring through a PEO.  

Wrapping up

Virtual assistants can significantly help your business, but you'll want to ensure you find the right person. You can find a cost-effective virtual assistant by knowing what you need, deciding what's most important, and finding someone who is cost-effective.  

Virtual assistants can help your business save time, money, and effort. They can handle various tasks, including marketing, bookkeeping, data entry, and more. When hiring a VA, remember to assess your current needs, hire through a PEO, and consider nearshoring.

If you'd like more information or have any doubts about our services, contact us at info@capitaworks.com.