Author: Julia Valdez

Do you want to start offloading tasks but need some successful outsourcing examples to work off of? In this post, we’re outlining ten examples of outsourcing that can get you thinking about what you need help with.

What Is Outsourcing?

Outsourcing is the process of handing over a task or a business process to an outside entity. These third-parties act as an extension of your business for a limited time. 

The great thing about outsourcing is the fact that you can hand over almost any task. When it comes to overseas outsourcing examples, they always involve tasks that someone can do over the internet. Some examples of outsourcing include: 

• Admin or back-office tasks, 
• Customer-facing tasks like live chat services
• Core business functions like sales or production 

A business can outsource to anyone outside their company. You can outsource to an individual who lives in a building right next to you. If you want to leverage certain outsourcing benefits, you can try offshore or nearshore outsourcing. This is where you hire a company or individual in a different country to perform tasks for you.

Benefits of Outsourcing

Cost Efficient

Cost-effectiveness is the selling point of outsourcing. 

One main reason to turn to outsourcing is the costs of maintaining full-time, in-house workers. Benefits and salaries are just the tip of the iceberg. You also have to account for taxes and other overheads. With outsourcing, you don’t have to worry about those things. 

Some countries charge lower rates for the same quality of service. A lot of US companies outsource overseas to India, China, and the Philippines because of better rates. 

Though, don’t get us wrong. This is not to say that these countries are havens for cheap labor. Their lower cost of living simply means you are more likely to get better deals on rates. This is especially true if you live in places like California, New York, or other states where prices are inflated. 

Saves Time

Your time is even more valuable than your money. Chances are the tasks you want outsourced are those you don’t believe are worth your time to do. That’s an honest take and completely valid. Why would you spend time on outsourcing examples like data entry, logistics, or manufacturing? If it’s not something that you’re passionate about or is a good use of your skills, outsource it!

Say you do value and care about these tasks. Even if you want to do it yourself, you can’t do everything. You only have 24 hours in a day and not sleeping is a pretty bad idea. 

Outsourcing frees up both you and your staff to focus on your strengths. Lower priority tasks could be taking you away from core business areas. They could even be distracting you from investing yourself fully into making your business succeed.

Access to Expertise

We love a hands-on business owner who can handle multiple tasks and perform excellently. However, as much as we may want to, we can’t be good at everything. Enter the experts. Their value is that they have already invested a lot of energy and resources honing their craft. 

These companies have done trial and error for you. The result- optimized processes, fast-learning, and quick problem-solving capabilities. 

Experts save you both time and money. They’ve invested in becoming the best so you can be confident investing in them. 

Risks of Outsourcing

Lack of Control

When outsourcing anything, you are giving up control over that particular task or project. While it isn’t full control, it’s enough to make people hesitant to choose to outsource. If you are someone who values being involved in every step of the process, outsourcing makes it difficult to do that. This is especially true the farther away you decide to outsource. 

Quality Issues

It’s very possible that the service provider could be doing things that do not meet your standard of quality. Even the same products made in separate countries can taste very different. This can be due to the materials used, equipment used, or management styles. If you are a products-based business, you can outsource close by. This way you can inspect the progress and result yourself. 

Security Concerns

Data security is non-negotiable. Whether it’s customer information, financial data, or product details, you need proper protection. The risk for data breach or misuse is never zero. However, there are a lot of companies who make security guarantees. In fact, some have entire pages dedicated to it. But you must ensure these companies are legitimate and not scammy.

10 Common Outsourcing Examples in Business

1. Marketing and Advertising

A lot of companies know how to make a great product or service. Not a lot of companies know how to market those products well. This is where sales, marketing, and advertising outsourcing come in. These individuals or teams are well-versed in consumer gaze. They know what draws people in, what mediums to use, and what platforms your target audience uses. They can help you develop effective strategies to not only generate leads but also improve conversions. 

2. Customer Service

Apart from physical staff in stores, customer service can be a completely remote process. For instance, say you are running an ecommerce store. You can hire another person or team to take care of customer emails, FAQs, and even install live chat services. These entities will learn about your products and services and provide the best customer experience possible. 

3. Manufacturing

This is probably one of if not the most common business process outsourcing examples for product-based businesses. Few companies have the resources to produce their own products at scale. This is where white label manufacturers come in. They have the tools, equipment, and real estate to produce items for you. This comes out incredibly cheaper in the end. 

4. Business Development and Sales

Business development is one of the business process outsourcing examples that I like to lay out. Business development is a broad role with many components that you need specialized skills to fill. Sales actually falls within business development. Another major area is partnership development, which ties in with marketing. 

Examples of outsourcing here include tasks like market research and analysis, sales channel and strategy development, customer outreach, and company value growth.

5. Shipping and Logistics

We can talk about only a few areas that are more successful outsourcing examples than shipping and logistics. These two tasks are among the most tedious, repetitive tasks in any business. Yet, they are so vital to get right every single time. If you’re not using a done-for-you service like Amazon FBA, you will thank us for recommending that you outsource this as soon as possible.

6. Accounting and Bookkeeping

This area of business involves maintaining a general ledger, ensuring financial accuracy of documents, and prepping and filing taxes. It requires some specialized skills, so you’re better off not trying to learn it all yourself. Hand it over to more experienced persons, like the folks at EcomBalance.

7. Information Technology (IT)

It’s been a stereotype for a while that “IT guys” only help you when you don’t know how to work a computer. While they certainly can help you with that, their duties encompass far more than that. Take cybersecurity, for example. One way for a company to safeguard its sensitive data is through a strong IT department. They help build databases but also help put up safeguards and backups in case something goes wrong. IT is also in charge of networking and installing the proper software and tech hardware needed (like servers).

8. Human Resources

We at Outsource School can help you a ton with the hiring process. However, we highly recommend that you hand off even this process itself once you understand the basics. Some of the most successful outsourcing examples that we have from our clients are completely outsourced systems. This means outsourcing to an HR manager who takes care of everything from job posting for recruitment and interviewing candidates to onboarding hires and managing them within teams.

9. General Admin and Executive Assistance

This is another among the most popular outsourcing examples and for good reason. We mentioned how valuable time is for a business owner. The best way to protect your time is to pass off all the most time-consuming, repetitive tasks as soon as you can.

10. Software Development

This and similarly high-tech tasks are great examples of outsourcing for skillsets. You don’t need to hire in-house developers unless you are a software company or agency. You will also not do well learning all the high-tech knowledge that you would need to build your own software. The best solution, therefore, is to outsource the project.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I minimize risks to my business when outsourcing?

The greatest risks to your business when outsourcing are due to misunderstandings. First, therefore, we urge you to set very clear expectations with any hires before you begin work. Come to an agreement on every aspect of every project or role. Then, get everything down on paper and make sure both parties have no questions before you sign it. This can help you to avoid so many possible issues down the road.

Another common risk you face is due to the anonymity of the internet and the difficulty of prosecuting outside your country. It’s relatively easy to cheat online and hard to run after people who do it. So, we highly recommend that you do your due diligence before putting money on the line. Only hire from reputable companies with a long track record of client satisfaction.

Can I outsource multiple tasks to one person?

Absolutely! A lot of freelancers are used to managing multiple tasks at once. The important part is to set realistic expectations and deadlines. Also, know that you will pay higher rates for people who are skilled in different areas.

What Is Outsource School?

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

• Outsource School Case Study: How We Scaled to 45+ VAs and 8 Figures in Revenue
• Free VA Calculator | See How Many VAs You Can Afford
• Free Training on 5 Keys to Working With VAs
• Learn Outsourcing 101 | Guides, Downloads, and Checklists

Conclusion

We hope that these successful outsourcing examples have piqued your interest in outsourcing. Despite the risks, you can benefit greatly from outsourcing, especially with a partner who knows all the tricks and can help you be more successful at hiring smart.

 

Outsourced accounting Philippines – what is it, what’s the process and how can it benefit me and my business? 

We’ll answer all that and more here in this article. 

How Does Outsourced Accounting Work?

Outsourcing is hiring an outside entity, often a third party company, to perform a task for you. These can be front office, back office, and core tasks. 

Fun fact: A business can technically be 100% remote via outsourcing!

There are three main types of outsourcing:

• Onshore Outsourcing – Also known as domestic outsourcing, this is when you hire within your country. 
• Nearshore Outsourcing  – With this method, you hire an entity from a nearby country. 
• Offshore Outsourcing – Similar to nearshore, a business hires a company from another farther country. For instance, instead of Brazil, a US company chooses the route of outsourcing accounting to the Philippines.

You can choose to hire through freelance marketplaces, freelance agencies, or accounting service providers.

Types of Outsourced Accounting Services

Bookkeeping Services

This service deals with the ins and outs of maintaining your books. These can be partial or full-service and can include catch-up or clean-up services. They can operate on a cash or accrual basis and can cover single or double entry bookkeeping systems. 

Financial Analysis and Reporting

Some services include reporting with their bookkeeping services. These are typically The Big 3 Statements (income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet). However, others charge a separate fee for additional in-depth reports and financial analysis services. They pair you up with an expert who can provide you with important business insights. This person helps you understand the short and long term impacts of certain business decisions. They may also help you strategize and plan your budgets.

Tax Preparation and Planning

Tax is one of the most popular reasons why people choose accounting outsourcing. From collecting all the necessary documents to ensuring you maximize tax deductions, it is a whole process. Their accountants can use their tax know-how and help you stay compliant. 

Auditing Services

Companies avail of this service if they want to conduct a financial investigation of their books. Here, someone will make sure that your business observes the proper practices and everything complies with current regulations. They also make sure everything is accurate and there is no shady activity like fraud happening.

Outsourcing vs In-House Accounting

Cost Comparison

We mentioned earlier that the cost of outsourcing accounting services is much less than in-house. 

According to Indeed.com, the average salary for a US accountant is around $60,000. In comparison, a freelance accountant costs $12-$52/hr depending on the level of skill you need. 

Time Savings

When you pair expert bookkeepers with years of experience, you get efficiency. You can free up yourself and other personnel to focus on other core business functions. Bookkeeping and tax prep is very time-consuming. Why not leave the busywork to someone else? They not only have the skills but even the passion to make sure your financial back-office is in order. 

Flexibility 

We normally perform accounting on a monthly or quarterly cycle. If you only need reports monthly, it wouldn’t make sense to hire an in-house team. Accounting outsourcing makes more sense, especially when you only need their services every so often.

Choosing an Outsourced Accounting Service

Experience and Expertise

Consider how long they’ve been in the business. What degrees and certifications do they possess? 

Another thing you need to consider is whether they have experience with businesses in your industry and are similar in size. Specialized expertise is always a plus and proffered. 

Reputation and Reviews

Even if an agency or freelancer has worked with many companies, that doesn’t necessarily mean they do a good job. It’s best to hire a company that has a social proof system. Some freelance marketplaces have rating and review systems. This is the reason a lot of accounting service providers display reviews and client testimonies on the front pages of their websites. 

Additionally, you can ask someone you know to recommend an accounting service they’ve tried. This way you have someone closer who can give you honest first-hand feedback.

Pricing and Payment Options

The best outsourced accounting options are those that are flexible. A multimillion-dollar company will have different needs than a local business. You want a partner that can cater to your bookkeeping needs. Why outsource accounting if you’re paying for services you’re not using? These plans should be flexible and able to scale together with your business. 

Advantages of Outsourced Accounting Services

Scalability

DIY bookkeeping and accounting is great in the beginning. However, this changes as your business begins to scale. You’ll start noticing that accounting and bookkeeping tasks will siphon a lot of your time. 

Expertise and Experience

Some people ask “Why outsource accounting when I can do it myself?” While you don’t need a degree to be an accountant, there’s a reason it’s a college course. You need the right amount of knowledge and skill to do proper accounting. There is a lot of information you need to learn from GAAP guidelines to local, federal, and tax laws. Even then, real world practice is another story. When you hire someone who already has both, you are setting yourself up for success. Not only can they do their work more accurately, but they can also catch errors quickly. They know exactly how to solve problems as they arise, whereas you may need to troubleshoot to find a solution. 

Cost Savings – An in-house team will cost significantly more than the cost of outsourcing accounting services. Aside from salary, you need to consider other costs such as worker benefits, cost of tools or software, and other overheads. 

Access to Advanced Technology

Accounting agencies typically already have the software, tools, and infrastructure in place to do their jobs with excellence. 

Disadvantages of Outsourced Accounting Services

Lack of Control

When you outsource anything, you are giving up some measure of control. While you can schedule check-ups and updates, it is much harder to manage quality. This is why it’s essential to choose a company with an exemplary track record that inspires trust. 

Security Concerns

Another concern people have is the security of their data. A lot of people worry about handing over sensitive financial data to another party. 

This is why a lot of these services include security guarantees on their websites. They go into details about their data privacy measures because they know this is a major consideration. 

The risk of data breach is significantly lower when choosing these companies. 

However, the risk is still there. Those who believe that can protect their data better than these entities may be a lot more hesitant.

Best Practices for Working with an Outsourced Accounting Service Provider

Set Expectations

Create an exhaustive list of tasks you need accomplished. It’s always better to over explain and leave no room for misunderstanding. Always set the expectations during the onboarding process so they are fully aware of the entire scope of the work. 

Be Upfront

Remember, your accounting team is a partner. You should be honest about your books, otherwise they can’t help you. If you’re behind on your books and need catch-up work, let them know. 

Schedule Check-ins

Make sure to have regular updates with your accounting and bookkeeping team. Establish a mode of communication early on and discuss specific times to meet. 

How to Get Started with Outsourcing Your Accounting Services

Based on Ecombalance’s “5 Steps to Outsource Your Bookkeeping and Accounting Without Headaches” we recommend these 5 steps:

1. Define Your Ideal Outcome
2. Research Bookkeepers and Accountants
3. Choose the Best One For Your Business
4. Stay Focused Through the Integration Process
5. Provide Feedback in the First 3 Months

Frequently Asked Questions about Outsourced Accounting Services

Is it safe to share financial data with an outsourced accounting service provider?

As long as you hire from reputable companies who have security certifications, you should be okay. Make sure they have

• Digital measures like encryption
• Physical security to protect their data servers
• Clear accountability to the authorities for potential mismanagement of data 

How do I select a reliable outsourced accounting service provider?

Research to find a consensus on which ones are the best and weigh the pros and cons of each. 

You can also check out our article on the top 11 bookkeeping and accounting services for growing businesses. 

Can outsourced accounting services help small businesses and startups?

Absolutely! The great thing about these services is their scalability. No matter the size, you can find a solution that works for you.  

What level of expertise and qualifications can be expected from an outsourced accounting team?

These individuals have likely undergone formal education, continued learning, training and certifications.

What Is Outsource School?

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

• Outsource School Case Study: How We Scaled to 45+ VAs and 8 Figures in Revenue
• Free VA Calculator | See How Many VAs You Can Afford
• Free Training on 5 Keys to Working With VAs
• Learn Outsourcing 101 | Guides, Downloads, and Checklists

Conclusion

If you’re looking for an affordable, efficient, and effective financial management solution, outsourced accounting might be the way to go.

 

Offshoring vs outsourcing, what’s the difference? Do you need to expand your business operations but don’t know which can serve your needs?

In this post, we are going to define these terms, discuss their differences, and go through the pros and cons. By the end, we hope that you will be encouraged by this knowledge and able to make an educated decision. 

What is Outsourcing?

Outsourcing refers to the process of hiring an entity outside of your own business to perform a business task or operation. This entity can be a separate company within your city, within the country, near the country, or even internationally. What is being outsourced can include core or non-core processes, front office or back office, and long-term or short-term operations. Outsourcing core business operations is referred to as BPO (business process outsourcing). Hiring remote workers to perform tasks within your company can also be called outsourcing. 

What is Offshoring?

If outsourcing is handing off a process to a different company, offshoring is changing the country in which a process is performed. Offshoring can be when a parent company moves a process overseas for a subsidiary to perform. In some instances, a company can move personnel out of the main company and station them in the offshore location. 

Knowing the difference between offshoring vs outsourcing can get a little tricky. That’s why a little later on in this article we will give you points that distinguish the two. 

What is Offshore Outsourcing?

What do we get when we combine both definitions of outsourcing vs offshoring? We get a business that hires individuals, teams, or entire companies from overseas to perform certain business operations. This is done through offshore product manufacturing or service providers. These entities operate similarly to outsourced third-party companies. However, they typically perform much more comprehensive roles and their scope of work is generally much larger. 

Differences Between Outsourcing vs. Offshoring

Workers

When you outsource, you hire freelancers or independent contractors to perform a task or process for a specified number of years. You then renew the contract as needed. These entities don’t receive worker benefits from you. 

When you offshore to a subsidiary or a smaller part of the company that you own, you are still working with your hires. These workers receive pay plus worker benefits, such as healthcare, vacation days, transport, etc. 

Control

With outsourcing, you give an external company the details and trust in its processes and procedures for the output. You can negotiate the number of times you receive updates, but your control over the quality is limited. 

With offshoring, you have more control because you are maintaining the same SOPs. The offshore branch can then perform the tasks the exact way you specify them to do. You can give your input at any time whereas that may not be possible always with outsourcing.

Now let’s compare outsourcing vs offshoring pros and cons.

Pros and Cons of Outsourcing

As stated in our outsourcing pros and cons article, there are three key pros to outsourcing.

Cost Savings 

With outsourcing, you can save on employment costs. You don’t have to pay employment tax or benefits. Not only that, but labor can be cheaper in other countries because of the lower cost of living. You can save by hiring only on a per-project or part-time basis. This way, you are only paying for the hours they are working. 

Larger Talent Pool

Your choices can be limited in your home country. There are a lot of skilled individuals in popular outsourcing countries like India, The Philippines, and China. A lot of the time you can get the same and even better quality for a generally lower rate. 

Able to Be Completely Remote 

You can outsource practically anything. Commonly outsourced tasks include marketing, customer service, SEO, and content writing. You could technically outsource any business process and be a completely remote business. 

Other pros include:

Flexibility

You can expand your business temporarily during high-volume sales periods and shrink it again during the rest of the year. You can hire per project, per hour, part-time, or full-time. In comparing offshoring vs outsourcing, we’d say outsourcing gives you more flexibility. 

Free Up Staff

Outsourcing allows you to focus on the core aspects of your business while handing over the busy work to a remote team. 

Though outsourcing has quite a few pros, it also has a few cons. 

Remote Communication Issues

Managing a virtual team can be difficult, especially in the area of communication. You might struggle to get used to online meetings and scheduling them can be even harder because of our next con.

Time Zones

While time zones can be beneficial, they can also be challenging. If you need emergency work done but your remote worker is asleep, it can put a pause on the process. 

Cultural Barriers

Sometimes it’s hard to communicate because of cultural differences. You need to train and onboard remote hires to get them used to your culture and practices.

Pros and Cons of Offshoring

A lot of the outsourcing vs offshoring pros and cons are similar.

Cost Savings 

With offshoring, you also benefit from lower labor costs. While it may not be as low as outsourcing, salaries for workers in other countries can be comparatively lower. Benefits packages and such are also much cheaper. Lower labor costs can mean lower production costs. Saving money is making money. 

Wide Talent Pool

Same with outsourcing, offshoring also gives you access to more individuals with a lot of quality abilities to offer your company. 

Country Benefits

Some countries have certain tax benefits and incentives to attract foreign companies. Popular offshoring locations also have less strict regulations, making it enticing to conduct business there. It’s a win-win for both the countries and companies.

Time Zones 

One of the offshoring vs outsourcing examples of the pros of time zones is how much more work you can do. Think about it, you can work on a project during your country’s work hours and then hand it off to the subsidiary to work on even after you clock out. 

What about the cons of offshoring? 

Communication and Cultural Barriers

Even if you hire from English-speaking countries, expressions, cultures, and customs can be different. Proficiency and usage of English in certain situations may also be different. Misunderstandings can occur if you are not aware of these. 

Quality Control

Sometimes, even when using the same ingredients, a product can taste different when manufactured in different countries and factories. Guidelines and SOPs help, but the same amount of quality control can be challenging to maintain. 

Potential for Layoffs

You can use offshoring to reduce the load of work in the main company. Sometimes, though, companies do it because they can’t afford in-house workers. Lower labor costs can be tempting, and unfortunately, this makes some employers want to switch over at the expense of their local team and local economy.  

Delayed Response

The cons of time zones also apply here. It may be hard to manage workflows when dealing with two sets of working hours. 

Tips for choosing between offshoring and outsourcing

Identify the time required for the service

Whatever avenue you go, you should consider your timelines. 

Consider:

• How long it will take reasonably take to accomplish the task
• Milestones and deadlines
• Time set aside for meetings, updates, and unexpected hiccups 

Determine the amount of preferred control

In terms of control when talking about outsourcing vs offshoring, the typical order of most to least control is offshoring, offshore outsourcing, and outsourcing.

It is worth noting that there are some outsourcing companies out there that do give you as much control as possible. However, most companies cannot give that guarantee if they are working with multiple companies at once. Having to check in every day or every other day would take time out of working on other projects. You can give them the rundown, but they typically work independently using internal processes and procedures.

Offshoring allows you to be more hands-on but with a remote team. You have more control and information on the process itself, meaning you have more control of the product’s quality. 

Offshore outsourcing services kind of work like a sanctioned third-party integration. They can serve you more comprehensively than your typical outsourced freelancer or team. They still have their processes in place, but it can be much easier to communicate with them.

Consider confidentiality

Every company considering outsourcing vs offshoring needs to ask themselves: “How much trust can I put in this third-party entity?”

Always outsource from entities who have experience working with other companies. That way you can check their work history, and reviews, and sometimes see the quality of the work for yourself. 

Do these companies have a good reputation? Do they have privacy guarantees in place? 

Offshoring to a subsidiary may be the most data-secure method of handing off a process. You can keep product and service information close. 

Decide how quickly you need the service

Every project has a deadline. Business is always moving and the less time you have to complete a task, the better. You need to consider:

“Are you able to deliver on your project on schedule?”

“Can a subsidiary, offshore service provider, or outsourced team do it better?”

“Which one can deliver it quicker without compromising on quality?”

With offshoring, you need to consider the time it takes to transfer the process. You need to contact your subsidiary, inform them of the process they will be handling, and equip them to accomplish it. This takes time. Quality output may not be immediately evident. 

You can hand the task over to a team or service provider with the personnel, experience, and equipment to perform the task much faster. Whether it is outsourced or offshore outsourced depends on the depth of the assignment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does outsourcing or offshoring ever work?

Absolutely, Outsource School was built with the help of outsourced talent. Whether you outsource or offshore, it’s an excellent way to save money and scale your business. 

What is an example of offshore outsourcing?

When talking about offshoring vs outsourcing examples, customer service and manufacturing come to mind. As long as you do not operate a physical location, customer service can be purely remote. You can hire a CS offshore service provider. A lot of companies outsource to offshore white-label product manufacturers to cut down on costs and scale their production. 

What is nearshoring, and what are the pros and cons?

Nearshoring is hiring from countries near your own. Universal Cargo has a great post on the advantages and disadvantages of this method.

What Is Outsource School?

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

• Outsource School Case Study: How We Scaled to 45+ VAs and 8 Figures in Revenue
• Free VA Calculator | See How Many VAs You Can Afford
• Free Training on 5 Keys to Working With VAs
• Learn Outsourcing 101 | Guides, Downloads, and Checklists

Conclusion

Near, far, wherever you are, you can believe that a remote team can benefit your company. It’s not always easy, but if you want to cut down costs or access more talent, you can’t go wrong with either option. 

Offshoring vs outsourcing comes down to:

• The depth of the work
• Where you want to cut costs
• If you prefer in-house workers or contractual hires

 

How does outsourcing payroll work and is it worth it?

Payroll is the process of more than just giving your workers their wages on time. The process is much more complicated and includes tracking worker time, accounting for worker benefits, and setting up direct deposit and other automations. 

This is an essential process you can do yourself. But, have you thought about whether it might be better to hand this function off to someone else?

Let’s find out!

What Is Payroll Outsourcing?

Payroll outsourcing is the process of partially or fully handing off payroll processing duties to a third-party company or service provider. These entities usually make use of online payroll software to streamline the process. 

For partial outsourcing of this process, the provider takes care of most of the technical aspects. The rest of the more administrative tasks, like tracking time and updating worker information, fall to someone within the company. 

For full-service payroll outsourcing, the outsourced party handles pretty much everything. Full-service payroll often includes other added benefits, too, such as HR support, built-in project and time tracking, and reports.

How Payroll Outsourcing Works

Preparation Stage

This stage primarily consists of three parts:

• Establishing your needs – Determine whether you need a “from the ground up” solution, or just someone you can hand off the process to. This is where you figure out whether a partial or full-service payroll plan is for you. 
• Establishing your budget – Determine how much you can set aside to hire a service provider 
• Researching your options – Find the top-rated and reviewed providers out there. If you know people who have used payroll services in the past, ask them for advice.

Deliberation Stage

Following the research process, you have the vetting process. Most payroll service providers offer to schedule a call to discuss your needs and the services they provide. Since you’ve established your needs and budget in the first stage, you can use this stage to vet out some candidates. 

Once you’ve selected a payroll provider, you can begin the real onboarding process. Clarify the degree and depth of service you need, go through roles and responsibilities, and finalize payment terms.

Implementation Stage

You will work with the service providers to get them all the information they need to set up your payroll processing. This includes tax forms, job applications, worker information, payment amounts, benefits information, time sheets, and bank information for direct deposits. 

The process is then underway. During this, you can schedule check-ins and regular evaluations of the payroll company’s performance. This is how you determine how good of a job they are doing and stay accountable for the work you agreed on. 

Pros to Outsourcing Payroll

Time Savings

One of the main outsourcing advantages regardless of the task is time savings. This can especially be true with payroll. If you do payroll in-house, you have to consider all the time it takes to research and follow the correct process of setting it up. Think about managing it, too, and finding ways of automating different processes. You need to collate and enter worker information and learn about a whole lot of other things to do it accurately. 

With outsourcing, you’re handing that task over to someone who already knows how to get everything set up for you in a fraction of the time. This frees you and your team up to focus on more core functions like actually making sales and developing your products and services. 

Minimize Payroll Errors

Speaking of accuracy, that’s probably one of the most important benefits of outsourcing payroll. Dealing with errors in paying a particular worker can take a lot of time. What’s worse is it reflects poorly on you as a business owner and company. 

Improved Data Security

Payroll service providers typically have the infrastructure in place to handle crucial data securely. It’s important to hire a company that is well-known and has transparent security policies in place. Certain authorities hold these companies accountable to protect your information.

Stay Compliant

Tax compliance and compliance with state, federal, and other applicable regulations are a must. The thing is, it can be quite time-consuming to not only learn about these but to stay updated on them all. It can be quite confusing sometimes. Because you probably have other things on your plate to think about, it’s easy to make errors without even realizing it. A payroll outsourcing company solves that for you. Part of their job is to make sure they stay in the know about these regulations. They make sure that the withheld tax is calculated properly, and they can even handle things like wage garnishment.

Integrate Data

When moving to a payroll service provider, integrating all the previous systems you have in place can be very easy. If you have certain HR solutions, benefits packages, or time tracking, you can let them know and they’ll typically be able to accommodate you. 

Facilitate Worker Self-Service

Some payroll solutions include the addition of a worker portal. Through this portal, they can check when payday is coming, claim pay stubs, check their hours, request paid leave, and view important HR documents. 

They can also contact payroll support which is sometimes an included benefit. 

Cost Savings

One hesitation people have concerns about is the payroll outsourcing cost. Here are a few reasons why outsourcing payroll can actually save you money:

• By minimizing errors, you minimize the potential for audits and tax penalties 
• By saving time handling the payroll process, you can redirect your efforts into scaling your business
• Payroll software is also factored into the cost, which you would have probably needed to invest in any way

Cons to Outsourcing Payroll

Longer to Correct Mistakes

Mistakes made by a trained, experienced, payroll outsourcing company are far less likely to occur. That’s one of the reasons you hire one. However, they can happen and often take a much longer time to sort out. This can lead to upset workers, wasted time, and penalties, and the responsibility ultimately falls on you.

Not Getting the Best Value

The benefits of outsourcing payroll can sometimes be a bad thing. In an attempt to give the best service possible, some providers include benefits that may not apply to the average business. The cost of these services is already a concern. However, if you are not getting value out of these benefits, you’re spending extra. 

Data Concerns

When you choose a company, you have to consider its data security infrastructure, protocols, and policies. Not only that, but you also need to consider the portability of your data. That is, if you switch providers, will you be able to switch seamlessly? 

Ultimately, you are handing over sensitive information and control over what is done with it. This doesn’t sit well with a lot of people, and is certainly a major consideration.

How Much Does it Cost to Outsource Payroll?

The cost of outsourcing payroll depends on a few factors. Primarily, we look at how in-depth the service you need is and how many workers you have.

For instance, QuickBooks has payroll services, which is an add-on to any Quickbooks plan. This service can range from $45-$125 per month. On top of that, you pay at least $6-$10 per worker respectively on the plan you choose. 

In the case of Gusto, they have two monthly pricing plans priced at $40 + $6 per worker and $80 + $12 per worker. They also have a Premium plan with exclusive pricing. They they have add-on services like HR and support for $8.

Other companies such as Payoneer and ADP Global Payroll don’t have set pricing. Instead, they encourage clients to schedule a call to get a custom quotation. It isn’t much help when trying to give a concrete answer on how much payroll outsourcing costs. But, that’s just the way it is for some companies. This can be arguably better than having to pay for benefits you don’t use, though.

Best Practices for Outsourcing Payroll

Focus on Provider Reputation and Experience

When you research and vet a payroll company, ask yourself these questions:

• Have they worked with many companies before?
• Have they worked with companies in industries similar to mine?
• How many years have they been in the industry?
• Are they a recognized company?
• Is there a place I can go to read reviews of their services?

Remain Aware of Regulations and Tax Burdens

Some think, “Why outsource payroll if I have to know about taxes and regulations anyway?” These payroll service providers are indeed experts in this area. However, it is important to have some kind of idea of how it works so you can check their legitimacy. Not only that, but it’s also important to ensure the payroll company is familiar with local regulations and compliance so you don’t get into trouble.  

Take Your Time

Payroll is one of the most important aspects of your business. This is a decision you shouldn’t take lightly. It is important to get a payroll system set up ASAP. However, it’s worth investing in finding the right provider for that system. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is outsourcing payroll cost-effective?

For a company with a large workforce, the per-worker costs may add up to a much greater cost than doing payroll in-house. For smaller businesses, outsourcing payroll can be a great long-term solution for saving time and money. 

Is it common to outsource payroll?

There are still people who are validly a little hesitant. However, there are more safeguards in place than ever that make outsourcing payroll a more secure, cost-friendly, and time-saving solution. (As long as you do your research to find the right provider, that is!)

When should you outsource payroll?

• When it takes too much time out of your day to process
• When you don’t have the resources to make your payroll process
• When you find yourself making errors
• If learning about payroll taxes and regulations is confusing or time-consuming 

How do I find a payroll company?

We have written an article detailing our picks for the 7 best payroll services out there.

What Is Outsource School?

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

• Outsource School Case Study: How We Scaled to 45+ VAs and 8 Figures in Revenue
• Free VA Calculator | See How Many VAs You Can Afford
• Free Training on 5 Keys to Working With VAs
• Learn Outsourcing 101 | Guides, Downloads, and Checklists

Conclusion

Payroll is an important business function that can be time-consuming, and costly, and keep you away from core processes. If you do your research, find trusted companies, and can justify the cost with the benefits, outsourcing payroll could very well be the answer for you. 

 

What virtual assistant skills and qualities should I look for when looking for my next team member?

Hiring for a position is more than just looking for people with the right sets of hard skills to complete the tasks. You need more than a content writer who can churn out excellent articles quickly. You want more than a graphic designer who is proficient in 3 different art tools. These hard skills are great, and necessary, but you also need hires to have certain soft skills. This is what helps you to work well with them. 

In this post, we are going to talk about qualities to look for in pretty much every hire regardless of the position, and why they are essential. 

1. Communication Skills

First on our virtual assistant skills list is probably the most important – communication. Imagine what would happen if hires did not pass information clearly or concisely. The work pipeline would get clogged up. Individual team members would get confused about tasks. Misunderstandings would occur frequently and nothing would get done properly. 

Beyond speaking the same language, there are several signs that a person is a good communicator. 

• Listens well and is attentive
• Takes notes
• Asks good questions
• Clarifies
• Can speak back instructions
• Relays instructions accurately
• Can give clear instructions

2. Computer Literacy

VAs naturally need to be able to navigate the digital space well. This includes software, apps, tools, and search engines. They typically need to know how to do video conferencing, emails, and the like. They Should also be familiar with the tools in the Google and/or Microsoft suites. At a minimum, they need to be adept in the technologies needed to accomplish their job. A great VA will keep learning how to increase productivity. They will also take steps to become more effective by using new tools and even automation. Additionally, freelancers also need to know how to navigate virtual assistant websites and freelance marketplaces. 

3. Creativity

These qualities don’t just apply to positions that require creative virtual assistant skills. For instance, you don’t need to be a graphics designer, content creator, editor, or advertiser. Innovation is not job specific. VAs can exercise their creative muscles together with their problem-solving skills. This way, they can come up with new ways of accomplishing tasks. 

4. Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills go hand in hand with communication skills. VAs need to be able to interact and deal with people at different levels. Most VAs you hire will go under a manager. You will also hire some to be these managers. Either way, they need to be able to work well with others. They must do this to be able to complete projects and attain common goals. Arguably, the best at this are VAs that have worked with several different companies with different cultures. 

They know how to:

• Adapt to personalities and teams
• Identify strengths and weaknesses
• Build connections and rapport

5. Attention to Detail

Virtual assistants need to be detail-oriented. They do this when checking emails, entering data, and creating content. They also apply this skill when assessing the job description and rundown of roles and responsibilities. Some of the best virtual assistants are those who can spot mistakes that their superiors make. Then they can point them out, ask if it was intentional, and make suggestions to solve them. These qualities should be valued. Attention to detail shows that the VA takes initiative, takes responsibility, and cares about the job being accomplished well. 

6. Time Management Skills

Time management is essential, not only in the case of getting things done in an efficient time frame. It’s more than just meeting a deadline. For VAs, there is another layer. 

A lot of VAs are hired from overseas. This means they don’t always have the same time zone as the hiring company. They need to be able to accomplish their tasks. Then, they must allow room for questions and other concerns they may not be able to ask at any time of day. 

7. Decision-Making Skills

Nobody enjoys working with passive actors. VAs need to be able to think on their feet. This is based on their prior knowledge, prior experience, and given SOPs and instructions. A VA should take initiative and shouldn’t be overly reliant on their managers for every decision. 

8. Project/Task Management Skills

Hiring a VA for a management position can be tricky. A manager needs to be able to organize teams and tasks well. This includes having skills in project management software like ASANA, Trello, Zoho Projects, etc. 

These individuals can:

• Create and organize workflows
• Plan tasks in advance
• Communicate goals, milestones, and deadlines
• Delegate tasks
• Communicate with individuals and teams 
• Set up meetings 
• Execute tasks together with the team
• Track progress
• Review results before submitting the final output

9. Independence

The best virtual assistants possess independence. They take initiative and apply knowledge-backed improvisation, which is important. This is especially true in a long-distance working relationship. Managers can’t hold the hand of VAs forever. Sure, there are some types of VAs, like followers who require guidance, training, and mentoring. However, this should only be a temporary arrangement. VAs should eventually be able to work alone effectively without the need for frequent check-ins or updates. 

10. Organization

A freelancer needs to be self-organized. Organization is a quality that can be observed in several places. They should be able to manage their time and set goals, plan, and manage workflows and teams. If you hire anyone who cannot stay organized, you will be in trouble. This lack of discipline will soon seep into their work!

11. Growth-Centered

One of our favorite and essential interview questions for job candidates is, “What do you value more, money or growth?”. This question gauges whether your hire is more interested in receiving a paycheck than in growth opportunities. People that choose the latter are often more ambitious. This also means that they are more likely to care for the work they do and the business they work for. 

12. Integrity and Honesty

You need to be able to trust a job candidate you intend to hire. You need someone who delivers on the brief. This includes any promises they have made to you about their capabilities. You should be hiring someone who does their job with consistent quality. Plus, this should be backed up by consistent morals.

A flaky team member can be a nightmare. Look for someone who exudes an air of professionalism. This is most likely someone who will keep their word. You can count on this type of person to accomplish the tasks you assign them. Moreover, you can count on them to take care of your company.

Even if they make a mistake, most people would rather their hires be upfront about it rather than try to hide it. Most people prefer honesty about their capabilities to a “fake it ’til you make it” attitude. 

13. Research Skills

A lot of VA positions require at least basic research skills. VAs should be able to find information from credible sources. They need to be able to recognize what information is essential. Part of these skills is also the ability to condense and summarize the gathered information. This is particularly useful for roles such as content writing and marketing. 

14. Customer Service Skills

These skills are essential for VAs that interact directly with customers. This can be through email, live chat support, comment sections, review pages, and the like. Customer service is among the virtual assistant skills that require interpersonal, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. All of this must be paired with a patient attitude of service and empathy. 

Questions have varying levels of depth. A customer service VA needs to be able to quickly provide a solution regardless of the complexity of the problem. 

15. Problem-Solving Skills

Problem-solving occurs when knowledge meets wisdom, critical thinking, and initiative. An excellent VA is not just able to recognize a problem. They use logic, creativity, and intuition and assess the situation to come up with one or more solutions. We give extra points to a VA who can think on the spot for problems that require immediate attention. 

16. Self-Learning Capabilities

Self-learning is one of the overlooked skills for virtual assistants to have. The ability to teach yourself is so valuable because it shows that you are adaptable, flexible, eager to learn, and focused on growth. A VA who continues to increase their knowledge, expand their skillsets, and is motivated to pursue continuing learning and training, is someone you want on your team. 

17.  Great Attitude

Last but not least on our virtual assistant skills list is a great attitude. This quality is often overlooked but is essential to a positive and peaceful work environment. No matter what comes their way from the job or within their personal life, a VA that maintains a great attitude is a light to everyone around them. When there is an issue that requires solving, this VA is a team player who encourages others, keeps morale up, and pushes forward until the job is done. They are patient, respectful, kind, upright, positive, hard-working, and responsible individuals. 

What Is Outsource School?

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

• Outsource School Case Study: How We Scaled to 45+ VAs and 8 Figures in Revenue
• Free VA Calculator | See How Many VAs You Can Afford
• Free Training on 5 Keys to Working With VAs
• Learn Outsourcing 101 | Guides, Downloads, and Checklists

Conclusion

Now you see why these virtual assistant skills shouldn’t be easily glossed over during the hiring process. We have tons of experience with bad hires and want to teach others how they can avoid the pains that come with that. Hopefully, this list will be a helpful guide to healthier, more productive, and more successful working experiences in the future. 

Looking to hire the best talent from the top virtual assistant websites?

There are millions of freelancers in the world. Yet, it can be difficult to find the right person for the job. Well, we’ve gathered the best freelance websites out there. This way, you can be sure you’re getting the real deal.

1. Fiverr

Fiverr is a freelance marketplace that allows you to choose from over 500 categories of jobs. The name comes from how they started offering online services for as low as $5. Now Fiverr is an industry giant offering long and short-term projects from affordable and competitive prices to premium rates. With Fiverr, you can quickly find talent, get to work, and accomplish tasks. You can also access Fiverr Business for teams and access exclusive features like talent matching, dedicated account managers, and collaboration tools. You can also upgrade to Fiverr Pro if you want access to the best vetted freelancers.

2. Upwork

Upwork is one of, if not the best, virtual assistant websites on this list. This huge, award-winning marketplace offers a wide array of services. It’s home to millions of freelancers in almost 200 countries. You can access talent so easily in one of three ways.

• Talent Marketplace™ – Create a job post, review proposals, view freelancer profiles, read reviews on their profiles, and select the talent you want to work with 
• Project Catalog™ – Pick the job you need from hundreds of project templates 
• Talent Scout™ – For a project more than a month in duration, a recruiter can pair you with the best people for the job 

3. Freelancer.com

Freelancer.com is the largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace. They serve clients worldwide with millions of worldwide talent from almost 250 countries. You can easily create a job post for any of the 1800+ categories. Get bites quickly and examine profiles to find the best fit. They also offer recruitment help to find the best talent. If you need managerial help, they also offer “co-pilots” to help you with your projects. You pay when you are completely satisfied.   

4. PeoplePerHour

PeoplePerHour is a freelance community and marketplace that has connected over a million clients to global talent. Their anti-fraud and money-back guarantee perks mean that they are a secure and trusted place to conduct business. Hire from over 3 million freelancers offering 8,000+ skills in as fast as 10 minutes. You can post a job, search for freelancers yourself, or search through pre-set bundles created by freelancers. You can also manage and track your project through Project Stream. 

5. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a widely used digital business network that connects companies with individuals looking for work. This platform is not designed specifically for finding virtual assistants. However, it does act as a job board for a lot of VAs looking for work. With LinkedIn, you can create a profile and job openings for free and access automatically created job descriptions and job templates. You can target your search with personalized emails and notifications and filter applicants using management tools. 

6. Zirtual

Zirtual is a platform consisting of college-educated, US-based virtual assistants. They serve anyone from entrepreneurs to startups and executives. You can find the match you with a personal “Zirtual assistant” whose expertise matches the job brief. They are also backed by a team of specialists if they need additional help completing the tasks. Zirtual may possess a comparatively smaller suite of services and skills than other virtual assistant websites. However, they make up for it with strictly vetted, expert talent. 

7. Hello Rache

Hello Rache is leading the charge in the area of healthcare virtual assistant solutions. Their Philippines-based VAs go through strict recruitment, vetting, and training processes to ensure they can work effectively in medical settings. The healthcare VAs on this platform can help with back-office tasks, medical transcription, and live in-room charting (EMR and EHR). All are HIPAA certified and can work with solo practitioners and larger medical groups as well. 

8. OnlineJobsPH

OnlineJobsPH is a job board housing more than 2 million Filipino resumes and is the easiest place to find Filipino talent. You can post a job or search and view full resumes of workers from entry to expert level. However, you can only interview talent once you’ve paid for a subscription. You can track worker time using TimeProof and pay workers easily from your account with EasyPay. 

9. Virtalent

Virtalent is a virtual assistant service that offers UK-based VAs with at least 15 years of experience. These VAs are carefully vetted and have often worked with top companies in the UK. They specialize in Virtual PA and Marketing support but also offer other services. Virtalent not only matches you with the right VA, but they also pair you with a dedicated Client Success Manager. You can turn to them for guidance to answer any questions you may have during the process. 

10. 24/7 Virtual Assistants

24/7 Virtual Assistants is a virtual assistant service provider based in the US offering round-the-clock expert and efficient solutions. They offer low-cost, flexible non-core solutions you can upgrade or downgrade anytime. You can reach them any time of the day if you need tasks done. They house experienced, hard-working VAs who possess great work attitudes and are trusted to work unsupervised. 

11. Virtual Staff Finder

Virtual Staff Finder provides a simple solution to connect you with one of 8,000+ Filipino virtual assistants as fast as possible. After subscribing to the service and filling out their Job Description template, they source the best talent for you. Then, after rigorous vetting and background checks, they come up with the top 3 candidates for you to interview and hire. If it doesn’t work out with any of the 3, their 10-day guarantee promises to come with another 3 for you to select from. 

12. FreeUp

FreeUp is a high-performing freelance marketplace that pairs businesses with hand-picked, highly qualified, pre-vetted talent. Among the best virtual assistant websites, FreeUp is one of the few that guarantees you get a top 1% freelancer. They do this through their very strict hiring process. This platform vets thousands of applications every day making sure communication, individual skill, and personality are top-notch. Their “No Turnover Guarantee” ensures any applicant that quits is replaced immediately free of charge.

13. Magic

Magic offers outsourcing solutions that help you get more work done by combining highly skilled remote workers with the power of Magic AI. Their scalable solutions allow you to start with 1 worker and go up to 1,000 if needed – all within the top 3% of talent. With their VA services, you can save more than 10 hours per week. All their VAs go through skills training to ensure they provide the best services possible. You also get a free dedicated account lead to help you with onboarding, coaching, SOPs, and more. 

14. Woodbows

Woodbows is a virtual assistant company offering VA services from college-graduate level professionals. Each has more than a decade of experience under their belt. Woodbows is award-winning in the areas of customer satisfaction and service guarantees. With Woodbows, not only do you get a 24/7 virtual assistant, but you also get 24/7 support on top of it. You pay for a single individual but you get the benefit of a team of experts behind them. 

15. Boldly

Boldly offers premium subscription-based remote staffing services. Their North American and Europe-based VAs are highly experienced, skilled, and in it for the long term. Their personalized services match you with your ideal virtual assistant who will care deeply about the tasks at hand. They also offer a 100% lifetime satisfaction guarantee to show how confident they are in the quality of services they offer. They serve solopreneurs, small businesses, and enterprises. 

16. VirtualStaff.ph

Virtualstaff.ph is the safest and easiest way to hire Filipino virtual assistants. You can hire, manage, and pay your remote staff in one place. You can post jobs or create job offers for specific applicants with the desired rate and hours you want them to work. Virtual Staff Protection for employers includes enforceable contracts, NDAs, and legal recourse. 

17. Fancy Hands

Fancy Hands is a virtual assistant company that connects companies with US-based virtual assistants at cost-effective pricing. The unique thing about Fancy Hands is that it’s primarily used by people who need small, very short-term, one-time tasks done for them. You can submit job requests through email, text, or the app and someone will pick up the tasks for you. You can access assistants round the clock no matter what time of day. The team handles most requests in as few as 20 minutes. Their pricing is based on how many requests you use per week/month. Requests longer than 20 minutes may burn multiple requests. 

18. Indeed

Indeed is a job listing and interview site that strives to connect job seekers to unique opportunities. This is a platform for job seekers and makes it easy and free to look for jobs, research companies, and post resumes. With over 245 million resumes, Indeed is a giant pool of talent. Job posting on the platform is cost-effective and easy to do. When you have a sponsored job posting you are more likely to get applicants flowing in. 

19. Time Etc

Last but not least on our virtual assistant websites list is Time Etc. They are a virtual assistant service company that pairs businesses with US or UK-based VAs. Since 2007, they’ve helped save over 1.5 million hours for over 22,000 companies. Hiring with Time Etc is easy, cost-effective, flexible, and can be canceled at any time. Access the top 2% of US talent and leave the time-consuming tasks in their hands. They specialize in administration but they also do research and social media and content marketing. 

What Is Outsource School?

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

• Outsource School Case Study: How We Scaled to 45+ VAs and 8 Figures in Revenue
• Free VA Calculator | See How Many VAs You Can Afford
• Free Training on 5 Keys to Working With VAs
• Learn Outsourcing 101 | Guides, Downloads, and Checklists

Conclusion

That wraps up our virtual assistant websites list! Now you can go start hiring VAs from trusted websites knowing that you are getting the best talent with little risk to you. 

 

Do you know about the three types of virtual assistants and what their roles are? How can they work effectively to improve your business operations? 

Virtual assistant is a term that encompasses a broad range of tasks in multiple industries. These tasks can be creative in nature, like graphic design and content creation. They can also be more administrative and organizational, like data entry, bookkeeping, and inbox management. You can also hire VAs to manage other VAs. The list goes on. 

More than that, though, a virtual assistant has types or levels that determine their ability and proficiency in performing certain tasks. 

These levels are follower, doer, and expert. Let’s explore each one in detail.

What is a Follower Virtual Assistant (VA)?

The follower type is also known as an entry-level virtual assistant. These VAs are hired to perform basic tasks for companies. This work typically involves tedious busy work and tasks that don’t require much in-depth skill. 

Don’t get us wrong, though. While followers may have a limited skillset, they can still perform their duties very well. However, as “rookies”, they typically don’t have a lot of experience working with clients or companies. They likely haven’t worked together with many teams. As such, adapting to different work cultures may pose a challenge. 

Additionally, these types of virtual assistants likely haven’t gone through many recruitment, hiring, remote onboarding, or training processes. This means that they need a good amount of guidance and some investment. The working dynamic between followers and managers or bosses is akin to a student-teacher relationship. Whoever is in charge of training pours their knowledge and experience into the VA. The follower absorbs this information, asks questions, and clarifies anything they don’t understand. 

Some hiring teams specifically look for these entry-level candidates because they see their lack of experience as an asset. For a follower, a lot of things are very new, which means that in some ways, a follower is still very flexible. In areas such as work habits, company and team culture, and business-specific SOPs, the client has some ability to mold followers into the type of workers they need. They may be prone to a lack of initiative, but this also means they won’t be taking a lot of risks. 

What’s the short-term value of a follower? 

If you need one-off, simple, yet time-consuming jobs done, a follower is a good choice for you. The risk to you financially is minimal. For one thing, entry-level rates won’t eat into your wallet. Also, in the worst-case scenario that a follower VA quits or does a poor job, it’s fairly easy to find another to fill in. This is especially true if you hire through freelance marketplaces that have low or no turnover guarantees, such as FreeUp. 

What’s the long-term value of a follower?

Because they are such a clean slate, a follower can potentially become a long-term member of your team. If your company values providing training and stability, followers have the potential of growing as valuable partners. It can be a risky investment, but the payoff could be worth it. 

Imagine having someone who:

• Grows with your company
• Cares about your company and its goals
• Can train future hires and help instill the same values

What Are Some Follower VA Roles?

In this role, followers rely on the systems and processes you already have set up. 

Some virtual assistant roles and examples that follower types can fill include:

Administrative Roles

• General VA 
• Inbox Management VA
• Calendar Management VA 
• Data Entry 
• Web Researcher 
• Blog Management

Customer and Client Communication Roles

• Customer Service VA
• Podcast Outreach VA
• Influencer Outreach VA

Ecommerce-Related Roles

• Dropshipping VA 
• Shopify VA 
• Product Researcher 

What Are Doer VAs?

A doer type can be defined in a couple of ways:

1. When a follower levels up, gains some experience and exposure, and diversifies and/or hones their existing skillsets, they become a doer.

2. A doer is someone with a specialized or niche set of skills.

Regardless of which definition applies, these types of virtual assistants are very proficient in their areas of expertise. 

Doers have to navigate the supply-and-demand factor of the freelance marketplace. For one, they need to maintain a certain level of expertise to be considered an option for hire. Then, they need to gauge which areas they should specialize in. After all, specialization is one way for them to provide a unique value that sets them apart from the hundreds to thousands of other options. 

However, before picking a niche, it’s crucial for them to build a reputation by working with several clients and maintaining good client ratings. Why? If they go too niche too fast without building a good name, it’s the equivalent of having an excellent product with no marketing. No one knows about it. Few realize they need it and fewer know if they can trust in its quality. 

But that’s why doers bring such a unique value among the different types of virtual assistants. 

These individuals typically have a few years of work experience under their belts. Their work history can range from a handful of respectable projects to a portfolio of clients and companies. 

Because they have worked with several clients in the past, they likely have developed their own processes and systems. As such, companies hire them with the expectation that they can do their job well. You can leave them to their assigned task without the need to check their work constantly. 

Tips for Working with Doers

Collaboration is key when working with doers. The working dynamic of a doer with their boss is one of partnership. The hiring party must be able to set clear goals and guidelines while also clarifying any non-negotiable procedures that must be followed. 

The doer brings their experience to the table and uses their accumulated skills, knowledge, and processes to complete the tasks. Both parties must be flexible in order to make the partnership work. A company should be able to trust the doer enough to take suggestions and not micromanage. The doer should respect the wishes of a company and remember that they have the final say. Ideally, both parties come out of the working relationship having learned something from the other. 

What’s the short-term value of a doer? 

If you need something done excellently and efficiently, hire a doer. If you have a unique need but don’t have time to learn how to resolve it yourself, a doer can be the solution. At minimum, the company walks away with good output and the doer walks away with more work experience to add to the portfolio, and a good client review. 

What’s the long-term value of a doer?

If you need them for multiple projects in the future, you know who you can contact. Plus, you can skip a lot of the onboarding you’d have to go through with a new hire. Also, you may be able to retain a skilled doer for a prolonged period of time. This means you would likely be able to scale and improve in those specific areas much faster.

What Are Some Doer VA Roles?

These doers, though they take on the role of a collaborator, can also leverage their expertise and take on leadership roles. Specialized skillsets mean specialized roles. 

Doers work under your systems and procedures but can offer suggestions to improve processes based on their experience. 

Some of these doer roles include: 

Administrative Roles

• Executive Assistant 
• Bookkeeping VA
• Onboarding Assistant

Creative Roles

• Podcast Editor 
• Video or Audio Editor 
• Copywriter, Content Writer 
• Graphic Designer
• Web Designer 
• Web Developer 

Managerial Roles

• Team Leader VA 
• Project Manager 
• Content Manager 

Ecommerce-Related Roles

• Amazon Seller Central VA 
• Inventory Management VA
• Product Listing VA 
• Customer Service/ Live Chat VA 

Marketing and Ads Roles

• Digital Marketing VA 
• Email Marketing VA 
• PPC VA 
• SEO VA
• Social Media VA 

Misc. Roles

• Translation VA 
• Real Estate VA 

What is An Expert VA?

Expert type VAs are the highest tier of virtual assistants you can hire. They take the term “assistant” to a whole different level. These individuals are certainly incredibly skilled. Their unique value, however, comes from the years of experience working with companies of varying sizes and industries. Subsequently, they have developed an impressive portfolio and reputation. To top it all off, experts also typically have a lot of accolades, degrees, and certifications to solidify their legitimacy. All of this makes them an authority in their field. 

As such, expert VAs are typically hired on to be consultants, strategists, and developers. A company that doesn’t have certain infrastructure in place will hire them on to create processes and operating procedures. Either that or they improve upon the processes already in place in order to help a business run smoother in that area. 

The working dynamic of an expert with a company is somewhat of a mentor and apprentice. Companies look to the experts for guidance and the experts create blueprints for them to act on. These structure is then taught down the hierarchy and becomes the basis for operation. 

What’s the short-term value of an expert? 

Experts are typically hired for a short period of time until the infrastructure has been developed and people have been adequately trained. This is because they come with quite a hefty price tag. 

What’s the long-term value of an expert? 

Experts hired for long periods of time as team leaders can really make your business operate like a well-oiled machine. Their expertise and experience could mean the difference between a business that lasts for 5 years and one that lasts for 10. Their impact lasts even if you decide to part ways. 

What Are Some Expert VA Roles?

One of the duties of an expert type is to create processes that weren’t present or refine those that weren’t optimal. They can be more hands-on and take on leadership and management positions or more hands-off and simply offer consultations. 

Some duties that an expert VA can perform include: 

• eCommerce Consulting 
• Marketing & Strategy 
• Conversion Rate Optimization 
• Excel – Customized reports and in-depth analysis
• Amazon Merch 
• Independent Management Roles

Do I Need To Use All 3 Types of Virtual Assistants In My Business?

Now that you know more about the different types of virtual assistants, let’s talk a little more about how they interact with one another. 

Here’s a simple summary:

• Followers – Entry-level VAs that are less autonomous. They can handle busywork you don’t have the time to do and can be trained to be doers. They can work under doers and experts. 
• Doers – Specialists that are great at what they do and add a unique value to your company. They are more autonomous and have more comprehensive abilities. In addition, they can manage followers and work under experts.
• Experts – Industry authorities who help create systems for businesses that need that extra help. They can manage both followers and doers or simply behave as mentors or consultants. 

Doers and followers make up the majority of a remote workforce. Experts, though valuable, are not always necessary to achieve success. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide based on the short and long-term values of these positions. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I determine which types of virtual assistant I need?

• Determine the scope of the job you need doing
• Ask yourself what processes you have in place
• Assess the long and short term values of each of the types

Are there virtual assistants who specialize in specific industries?

Yes, you can virtual assistants in tech, Ecommerce, marketing, creatives, and basically any field that doesn’t require them to be physically present. 

How do I find and hire the right type of virtual assistant?

We talk all about where to find and hire a virtual assistant in a separate post that we encourage you to read after this. 

Can virtual assistants help with both short-term and long-term projects?

Absolutely! Each of the different types of virtual assistants have long-term and short-term value. They can work part time and full time. It all depends on your needs. 

What qualifications or skills should I look for in a virtual assistant?

VA skillsets vary depending on your needs. However, some necessary qualities and skills of a virtual assistant include time-management, communication, reliability, and organization. 

What Is Outsource School?

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

• Outsource School Case Study: How We Scaled to 45+ VAs and 8 Figures in Revenue
• Free VA Calculator | See How Many VAs You Can Afford
• Free Training on 5 Keys to Working With VAs
• Learn Outsourcing 101 | Guides, Downloads, and Checklists

Conclusion

The three types of virtual assistants all bring something valuable to the table. Whether it’s the flexibility of a follower, the skills and work ethic of a doer, or the experience and wisdom of an expert, your business can benefit from hiring a virtual assistant. 

 

You definitely could use a Poshmark virtual assistant if you’re new to the platform. Poshmark is a stylish social marketplace that has recently gained more traction. We expect that it’s going to get busier as time goes by. If you’re new to selling online, a veteran, or have multiple stores, some qualified help is always a good idea.

1. Creating and optimizing Poshmark listings

This platform is not your usual marketplace. So, things work differently. This makes it especially useful to have a Poshmark virtual assistant helping you out. Their skillset is different than the average VA – upgraded, you might say. The platform is a unique combination of social media and eCommerce. So, selling there is not the same as selling on Facebook, Instagram, eBay, Amazon, or any other platform.

That said, a Poshmark virtual assistant will know the basics. This includes keeping your inventory updated. They will also know how to manage your social media accounts that are linked to your business. Plus, they will know all the specific tasks that apply to the platform. 

These specific tasks include what accounts your business should follow. This is important so that your items get in front of the right sets of eyes. They can then monitor these accounts and track your sales performance. Another task they will understand how to do well is sharing listings. They will know what listing to share and exactly when is the best time to share it. This includes sharing your closet and community shares, too. A good Poshmark virtual assistant knows how to identify and build the right strategy for your business. This way, your listings can reach the top of search results. 

2. Managing inventory and updating stock levels

As mentioned, a Poshmark virtual assistant knows the basic online selling tasks. This includes inventory management. This covers tracking what you have in stock. They always know how much of it you have. They also manually adjust the numbers as needed when you make sales. They will also know how to coordinate with you, your suppliers, or any warehouse you use. This ensures that you get more of what’s needed for your customers. They will know how to compute sales versus stock levels. This way, they will know exactly how much of what items you need. This way, your customers have what they want available at all times. You might also have single items that are non-replenishable. Teh VA will also know how to update the listings once the items are sold.

3. Responding to customer inquiries and messages

Customer service is a vitally important part of any business. When you sell online, it’s even more important. You need to make sure that you develop and maintain good relationships. This means customers and browsers, too. The world of the internet is brutal. You must keep people happy to survive. The best Poshmark virtual assistant will know how to take care of all the inquiries and complaints that come in. They will know what boundaries to maintain. This means you are not run over but people don’t go over the edge, wither. If anyone does end up upset, they will know how to talk them down. They can resolve the matter quickly with zero or minimal blowback.

4. Handling order fulfillment and shipping logistics

As with any platform, ordering and shipping follows a set of rules. A Poshmark virtual assistant will know how to guide customers through the process. New platforms take some getting used to, so the best help will always patiently and clearly explain the expectations. This way, you can make sure that your customers are not unpleasantly surprised and leave bad reviews as a result. Orders can flow smoothly and you can reduce returns as well when the process is clearly explained and professionally managed.

5. Conducting market research and competitor analysis

The highest level Poshmark virtual assistant can also help you with market research and competitor analysis. Yes, some VAs can do that! You don’t necessarily need to hire a whole separate other marketer to help you. All you need to do is indicate in your job post that you need this level of help. Make sure that you’re prepared to pay for this top-level service, though. Marketing help can be easily double what you might be used to paying for the usual inventory tracking and social media posting VA. 

6. Implementing pricing strategies and promotions

Whether you create them or the VA does, you can hire a specialist who knows how to implement strategies. The task of updating pricing along with releasing, monitoring, and ending promotions can be repetitive, and therefore, time-consuming. Getting help with these types of tasks is easily the best thing you can do for your own productivity as a business owner. 

7. Managing and organizing product photos and descriptions

A Poshmark virtual assistant may not know how to take professional product photos. You might not even want to outsource for this since it would mean shipping the products to the VA! It’s simply not practical. However, you can ask a VA to manage this content. 

They can help from start to finish, actually. First, they can communicate with you or the product photographer about which photos are needed to make listings perform better. Once the photos are taken, they can review them and provide feedback. Then, they can organize them in an online storage system. If you don’t have a filing system yet, they can even create it. Finally, they can upload the new photos and even rotate and A/B test depending on how many variations are available. This can give them a lot of information about what works best, which they will relay to you. Based on that data, they can then implement new strategies that you approve.

8. Tracking sales and analyzing performance metrics

Similar to the marketing tasks, which includes the A/B testing mentioned above, this work usually pays more than the average VA rate. However, the additional pay can be a lot more reasonable than hiring a separate person for just marketing. It all depends on who you’re hiring, how well they communicate, and how well you are able to manage the moving parts. 

That said, a Poshmark virtual assistant with marketing and analytics experience can gather the pertinent data and study it for you. They will be able to give you tips based on trends and where it looks like things are headed.

9. Creating and scheduling social media posts for Poshmark promotion

Whether they do this manually or with a tool, a VA can easily get social media posts ready for uploading to whatever platforms you use with Poshmark. If you hire someone with higher English fluency and more specialized social media experience, they can do more. Think about how much help is will be for them to take care of the entire process! They can do the research for the best post types and compose the actual posts. Then they can choose when and where to share the different posts, and even take care of analyzing post performance metrics to boot. Finally, they will be able to tweak your social media strategy to boost performance and beat the competition.

10. Following up with customers for feedback and reviews

Apart from keeping customers happy, a good Poshmark virtual assistant will never forget to follow up with customers. They will know the value of positive feedback and customer reviews. So, they will know how to build relationships with customers so that they can easily ask for this without causing issues. Being familiar enough with customers so that they are comfortable sharing honest feedback is priceless. This feedback will help you improve your systems to make even more customers happy. Asking for reviews is similar. You can’t burden customers with this request unless they love your business. Sometimes, you might even get reviews without asking if they are already well cared for! Honest, rave reviews are the best ways to attract more customers who you can then turn into loyal; followers who advertise your business for free.

11. Managing returns and exchanges

As part of customer service, a VA will need to deal with returns and exchanges. It shouldn’t be at all complicated or difficult for a skilled representative. 

12. Handling negotiations and offers from potential buyers

When you are not selling at a fixed price, this area is vital to cover. It can take a lot of time to field offers and counter-offers from multiple sources for multiple products. A Poshmark virtual assistant will know how to set up and manage a process for such negotiations.

13. Conducting trend research and staying up-to-date with fashion industry news

This part of the job requires a keen eye and a lot of time to go through various materials. That’s not even mentioning knowing in the first place which news outlets to monitor! This research is invaluable if you what to grow your business, so don’t leave it out of the equation.

14. Collaborating with influencers or bloggers for product endorsements

This is another area that requires specialized skill. Like talking with suppliers, connecting with influencers takes a certain style. Make sure that you are hiring a Poshmark virtual assistant who has experience navigating this world.

What Is Outsource School?

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

• Outsource School Case Study: How We Scaled to 45+ VAs and 8 Figures in Revenue
• Free VA Calculator | See How Many VAs You Can Afford
• Free Training on 5 Keys to Working With VAs
• Learn Outsourcing 101 | Guides, Downloads, and Checklists

Conclusion

Hiring a virtual assistant to help with any platform is a great idea. Hiring one specifically suited to the platform you’re using is the best decision you can make for your business. Start with this list, and see how you can grow together to make the business grow, too.

Crafting a job post can be a complicated and time-consuming process. How do you know that you’ve written all the virtual assistant roles and duties clearly and completely? Does your job description communicate your brand well? Will your job ad reel in the attention of the like-minded, talented individuals you’re looking for?

In this article, we will be talking about the value of an excellent job post, the benefits of job templates, and even sharing a few of them with you. 

What’s the Importance of A Well-Crafted Virtual Assistant Job Description?

Communication

A job post does more than communicate the job requirements. It can also communicate the company’s history, achievements, offerings, values, culture, and tone. You certainly don’t want to flood your job description with company facts. However, a short introduction to your company can be a valuable advertisement to attract talented individuals. 

There are many ways you can do this. Constructing an introduction around company history, values, and culture can appeal to candidates with similar values or passions. Showing off achievements can attract highly skilled individuals looking to mutually benefit from a partnership. 

Attracting the Right People

If your job post looks very well put together, detailed, and clear, it will exude sense of professionalism. This has a higher likelihood of attracting people with the same mindset and values. Just remember, you attract what you project. If your job post isn’t skillfully crafted, don’t expect to attract skillful individuals. 

Setting up Clear Expectations

If you don’t describe virtual assistant roles and responsibilities in detail, you’re setting yourself up for future misunderstandings. Not only should you define the specific skillsets you are looking for, but you should also lay out the scope of the work clearly and concisely. This way, potential applicants know exactly what you expect from them. In turn, they also know what they can expect from you. You don’t want to spend your time answering a bunch of clarifying questions for applicants who will turn out to be wrong for the job just because you weren’t specific enough in your posting.

What Are The Benefits of Using Templates for Hiring Virtual Assistants?

Time-Saving

Having to create a template from scratch can take away valuable time from actually finding someone to fill the role. Now imagine if you needed to create one each for multiple positions over several months or years! With a template, all you need is to fill in or edit the requirements in each section, and you’re good to go. If you’re under a time constraint, recruit frequently, or need to find a hire quickly, a job description template is an easy and effective solution. 

Look Professional

Job seekers are likely to be discouraged by a poorly written, typo-ridden, or info-lacking job description. Some have had unfortunate experiences with job scams. Others have wasted hours inquiring about details that weren’t specified only to have the position filled. Using these templates can help you appear more professional and legitimate. A well-put-together job post breeds confidence in job seekers. 

Beginner Friendly

If you’ve never written a job description before or are new to hiring, job posting and job description templates are great resources. Maybe you don’t know what the virtual assistant roles are for that position. Maybe you’re looking for a guide to help you. Templates can serve as teaching tools to help those newer to hiring understand who and what to look for in a candidate. They include all the information that you would both need to know about the position. You simply need to add or subtract based on your needs.

If you’ve never written a job description before or are new to hiring, job postings and job description templates are great resources. Maybe you don’t know what the virtual assistant roles are for that position. Maybe you’re looking for a guide to help you. Templates can serve as teaching tools to help those newer to hiring understand who and what to look for in a candidate. They include all the information that you would both need to know about the position. You simply need to add or subtract based on your needs. 

Good Foundation to Build Off Of

One criticism of templates is that they can sometimes be cookie-cutter or appear “same-y”. However, they do provide a good framework to build from and add your own personality. They provide you with the sections you need and you can mix and match them to fit your company’s tone. Not everyone wants to know a person’s educational attainment or certifications. However, if you value that as a company, you can add that in. Eventually, you will be able to create your own templates and requirements for virtual assistant roles.

Key Components of a Virtual Assistant Job Description

Job Title and Summary

The job title is the first thing candidates see, which means it’s important to write it well. It not only succinctly describes the position, but should provide a hook to grab attention. 

The job summary, often called a “job brief,” is like an introduction to the position. This can include a short but engaging description of the position and a small background of your company. As mentioned earlier, you can include details such as company achievements, values, product or service information, and other information you think could add value to the job post. Whatever you think can make your job post stand out among the rest, include it. 

Job Responsibilities

This is the part where you go into more detail about virtual assistant roles. This part of the template covers:

• scope of the work
• skills required
• proficiency with tools
• educational or certification requirements
• experience requirements
• location preference

Note: If you want to keep clarifying questions to a minimum, the more detail you add, the better.

Schedule / Hours Per Week

This section is where you indicate whether you require a part-time or full-time hire. Along with that, you should specify if you need them to work on specific days or during specific hours. Additionally, you can also indicate if there is a certain number of hours they need to put in during a week.

Rate

We recommend doing some research on what the average hourly rates are for the position you are hiring. While these rates can be up for negotiation during interviews or onboarding, you should know the average and display a range. This way candidates can see the range and consider if their rates lie within that range. You should also indicate if you are willing to hire on a per-project basis and do the research for those rates as well. 

Note: Rates will vary depending on the region or country you hire from. If you need a remote worker with stable power, stable internet, and backups, that comes with a higher cost. 

Job Post Templates For 3 Common VA Roles

Customer Service VA

Job Description:

We are looking for a virtual assistant to handle the phone, email, and live chat support lines for our business. We need someone who has solid experience in this type of role. Please do not apply if you do not have at least 2 years of experience providing phone, email, and live chat support. Also, do not apply if you don’t have a quiet working environment and a background noise-canceling headset.

The ideal candidate should have a pleasing and positive personality and is able to convey this through email and chat interactions with our customers and prospective clients. He/she will be expected to learn about our product/services and resolve client issues on their own unless help from another department is needed. We want someone who is a problem solver, resourceful, can work under pressure and with little to no supervision, and goes above and beyond in handling customer issues. Excellent English communication skills and a neutral accent is a MUST. The VA should have their own computer and fast and reliable internet connection.

Desired Hourly Rate:

$6 to $8

Location Preference:

Non-US

Hours Per week:

40 hours

Specific Hours:

Client business hours

Weekends Needed?:

No

Programs or Tools They Need to Know:

• Live chat support software programs such as Hubspot, LiveChat, ChatBot, etc.
• Gsuite
• Slack
• Experience working on project management platforms like Trello, Asana, Teamwork, etc.

General Admin VA

Job Description:

We are currently looking for a general virtual assistant to join our team. We need someone who has experience in this type of role. Please do not apply if you’ve never worked as a general VA.

The ideal candidate should be knowledgeable in carrying out a variety of tasks such as data entry, research, social media management, email correspondence, calendar management, setting appointments, etc. He/She should be very organized, has a keen eye for detail, is reliable, and MUST communicate well. Some tasks are done on a daily basis, while others need to be done only when needed. It is important that the VA can work well under pressure and handle multiple tasks efficiently, even on a busy day.

Desired Hourly Rate:

$5 to $7 per hour

Location Preference:

Non-US

Hours Per week:

40 hours

Specific Hours:

Client business hours

Weekends Needed?:

No

Programs or Tools They Need to Know:

• Calendar management tools such as Calendly, Google Calendar, etc.
• Evernote, One Note, etc.
• Gsuite
• Slack
• Experience working on project management platforms like Trello, Asana, Teamwork, etc.

Marketing VA

Job Description:

We are looking for a digital marketing virtual assistant to join our team. We need someone who is passionate about creating and managing sophisticated high-performing digital marketing campaigns that align with our objectives.

The ideal candidate should have extensive knowledge and understanding regarding market research, analytics tracking, and campaign management across Google and social media platforms. You must be excellent in a collaborative environment, and must be able to bring your own ideas to the table. On top of this, you should have excellent communication skills and can handle a variety of tasks effectively, even when under pressure.

Desired Hourly Rate:

$8 – $12

Location Preference:

Non-US

Hours Per week:

40 hours

Specific Hours:

Flexible

Weekends Needed?:

No

Programs or Tools They Need to Know:

• Google Analytics
• Google Adwords
• Email Automation Software like Hubspot, ActiveCampaign, Sharpring, etc.
• Gsuite
• Slack
• Experience working on project management platforms like Trello, Asana, Teamwork, etc.

These virtual assistant roles and responsibilities templates were created by the team at Outsource School. We’ve used a lot of these templates in our own hiring processes and love to share them with other business owners. They are taken from our 50 Job Post Templates To Hire Rock Star Virtual Assistants. This resource was a bonus given to one-year Outsource School members. If you want full access to helpful resources like this and even personalized assistance with your hiring needs, consider becoming a member today!

Top 10 Virtual Assistant Roles

It is definitely possible to outsource your entire business to virtual assistants. Here’s a list of the top virtual assistant roles you can hire for:

1. Administrative Virtual Assistant
2. Social Media Virtual Assistant
3. Customer Support Virtual Assistant
4. Content Writing Virtual Assistant
5. Research Virtual Assistant
6. Project Management Virtual Assistant
7. E-commerce Virtual Assistant
8. Email Marketing Virtual Assistant
9. Graphic Design Virtual Assistant
10. Website Development Virtual Assistant

What Is Outsource School?

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

• Outsource School Case Study: How We Scaled to 45+ VAs and 8 Figures in Revenue
• Free VA Calculator | See How Many VAs You Can Afford
• Free Training on 5 Keys to Working With VAs
• Learn Outsourcing 101 | Guides, Downloads, and Checklists

Conclusion

You are now armed with job post templates and are ready to start hiring. You now also and a better understanding of how to write your own job posts – job descriptions, virtual assistant roles, rates, and all. So, get out there and begin your search for the perfect candidate!

 

You may hesitate to hire a bookkeeping virtual assistant. You know that bookkeeping is a task that every business needs to perform. But is it worth outsourcing?

Our friends over at EcomBalance can tell you that there are a lot of things to keep track of when it comes to financial management. Some folks like the idea of doing their own bookkeeping. However, the need for a bookkeeping virtual assistant becomes apparent when scaling a business or when tax season rolls around! With a business to run, most people don’t have hours every week to devote to accurate bookkeeping.

In this article, we’re going to dive into some of the essential bookkeeping tasks that you can outsource to a VA. 

1. Accounts Payable Management

Accounts payable management involves tracking money that your company owes to other entities, such as suppliers, vendors, employees, landlords, utility companies, etc. This type of account is full of purchases made on credit and that are not paid for immediately. As such, these debts are listed as liabilities that need to be paid based on set payment terms. 

A bookkeeping virtual assistant keeps track of all these bills and the due dates of when they need to be paid. They can also handle the task of paying these creditors.

2. Accounts Receivable Management

On the other hand, accounts receivable management is all about collecting money owed to your business by another entity. It entails tracking and collecting payments or purchases made on credit by customers or clients for the use of a good or service. Because this money is something you expect to receive, it is recorded in your asset account. 

AR management consists of tasks such as sending payment reminders, recording interest rates, monitoring accounts receivable turnover rates, and tracing any cash owed to you.

3. Bank Reconciliation

Reconciliation is the process of ensuring the revenue and expenses registered on your balance sheet in your general ledger match your bank statements. Your VA will evaluate both records and check to see if there are any inconsistencies or discrepancies. Reconciling frequently is the key to preventing errors that can affect your financials in the long run. These errors include duplicate entries or failure to record a transaction.

4. Expense Tracking

Expense tracking management is essential if you want to keep your spending in check. This process involves keeping a detailed record of all your expenditures. This can include salaries, utilities and rent, product development costs, and equipment costs. This can be done on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Expense tracking is important because it tells you what you are spending and shows you if there is any wasteful expense. 

More than the aforementioned, tasks that can help with expense management include:

• Opening a separate business account
• Using accounting software
• Connecting your banks to that software

5. Payroll Processing

Virtual assistant bookkeeping also involves ensuring that your workers are paid, and the proper payroll taxes are filed. First, your VA can set up a payroll schedule (weekly, biweekly, monthly, bimonthly, etc.) if you don’t have one already. They can then calculate net and gross wages, process deductions, and report, file, and pay payroll taxes. Most accounting software offers payroll services to make this process easier. 

Note: Make sure your workers fill out the appropriate forms (W-4 or W-9) before conducting payroll. Your bookkeeper can work with your hiring team on this as well.

6. Financial Reporting

Bookkeeping is not complete without financial reporting. These reports contain essential financial data that is crucial to making future business decisions. Important metrics to track include your profit margins, working capital, ratios, turnovers, and returns. There are excellent financial reporting tools built into bookkeeping software. These allow you to view metrics in real-time and easily convert them into report formats whenever you need them.

7. Tax Preparation

Tax season is that time of the year that not everyone looks forward to, to put it lightly. While there are several benefits to DIY bookkeeping, hiring a professional for their working knowledge of tax law and regulation might be worth it. They can prepare all the requirements for tax time. Your VA can help ensure that the whole bookkeeping process is done “by the book” so you or your accountant won’t run into any issues when filing.

8. Budgeting and Forecasting

Budgeting is all about knowing how much capital you have on hand to spend on maintaining business operations and reaching business goals. Naturally, budgeting is a practice that pairs handsomely with expense tracking. 

The value of hiring a bookkeeping virtual assistant is that they can watch your numbers more closely. They can provide valuable insight into spending behaviors and tell you if there are areas where you can make wiser budgeting decisions. Not only that, but they can also use previous budgets, spending data, and revenue data to help you make future budgeting and business decisions towards future business growth.

9. General Ledger Maintenance

Maintaining a general ledger is the primary task of any virtual bookkeeping assistant. A general ledger contains all the accounting records and transactions of a company. The accounts you would typically find are expense, revenue, assets, liability, and equity. 

Tasks associated with ledger maintenance include creating and adjusting journal entries, arranging trial balances, account summations, and preparing financial statements. 

10. Financial Analysis

If bookkeeping is incomplete without financial reporting, financial reporting is incomplete without in-depth financial analysis. Numbers are just numbers if you don’t have an interpreter. Your virtual bookkeeping assistant can examine your monthly financial statements and provide actionable insights based on the data gathered.

They can:

• Assess the current financial health of your company
• Spot patterns in your spending habits
• Identify opportunities to save money or make a profit
• Use their knowledge of economic trends to help you make better business moves.  

11. Data Entry

This is a basic task that is almost a given for bookkeeping virtual assistants. They, of course, input all the data into your general ledger and the accounts therein. However, they also can do other tasks like:

• Digitizing financial statements, transactions, or receipts. 
• Creating spreadsheets
• Transferring information between applications
• Updating business information
• Transferring metrics and data into reporting applications

12. Inventory Management

Inventory management involves determining the cost and value of your inventory. This applies to businesses that deal with physical goods and stock. It’s important to know what stock sells well, what doesn’t, and when you need to restock. See, inventory has intrinsic value but loses that value over time if it expires, prices go down, or storage fees rise. You don’t want dead stock draining resources. 

A bookkeeping virtual assistant can help you track inventory stock levels and make sure real stock levels match your sales. They can monitor what is popular and use inventory management software to create purchase orders quickly and easily. 

13. Cash Flow Management

Cash flow management involves the tracking of all funds moving on or going out of a business. A cash flow manager tracks expenses and profits, creates budgets, forecasts, and generally ensures that the value of your funds is maximized. This means keeping detailed records of inventory, cash, debts, and profit.

14. Audit Support

Companies conduct internal audits to gauge how well their financial management is shaping up. An auditor can check if your books meet the GAAP, or generally accepted accounting principles. It’s also a way to check the performance of your current bookkeeper and ensure there is no funny business going on.

15. Software Assistance

Accounting and bookkeeping software like QuickBooks and FreshBooks has made financial management so much more optimized and streamlined. At this point,any bookkeeper that doesn’t use this type of software is giving themselves an unnecessarily difficult time. 

You can hire a QuickBooks VA who specializes in the QuickBooks software. They can help you get your account set up, migrate your financial data, and conduct account management directly from the software dashboard.

16. Organization and Documentation

The necessary traits one must possess to be a bookkeeping virtual assistant are to be detail-oriented and organized. Your VA will make sure that all your receipts and transactions are where they need to be and are properly categorized. Not only that, but they can also keep records of previous financial reports, analyses, budgets, and other historic data. Feel secure knowing that the data and documents you need are always at your fingertips. Tax preparation doesn’t begin at tax season, it begins with well-kept records that are easily accessible. 

What Is Outsource School?

Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.

This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.

Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.

Schedule a free sales call to learn more

Free resources you might like: 

• Outsource School Case Study: How We Scaled to 45+ VAs and 8 Figures in Revenue
• Free VA Calculator | See How Many VAs You Can Afford
• Free Training on 5 Keys to Working With VAs
• Learn Outsourcing 101 | Guides, Downloads, and Checklists

Conclusion

Proper bookkeeping practices are no joke. While this list may cover the essential bookkeeping duties, there are even more tasks out there depending on the specific needs of your business. This is why we recommend hiring a bookkeeping virtual assistant to handle that branch of your business. 

Professional bookkeepers are proficient with numbers and have processes in place to help them detect errors quickly and correct them. They combine this with their technical knowledge of useful financial management tools. 

Evaluate what’s best for your financial health. Consider hiring a VA so you can direct your attention toward business areas that require your time, effort, focus, and expertise.