Why Having a Virtual Assistant in South America is Your Best Move?
If you are one of the many entrepreneurs looking to hire a virtual assistant, this blog is the perfect place to learn about them and how they can help you transform your business. We’ll focus mainly on what a virtual assistant in South America can do since they are in high demand because of all the competitive characteristics that make them the best in their market.
Let’s begin by defining what a virtual assistant is so we can set clear expectations and understand how businesses benefit from them.
What is a Virtual Assistant?
According to the US Chamber of Commerce, A virtual assistant is an individual who provides administrative services to clients while working from a remote location.
Virtual assistants are often independent, self-employed contractors, though you can also work with a virtual assistant agency (such as There is Talent). VAs are prepared to provide a variety of tasks, nevertheless, they can be trained to learn any specific assignments according to the requirements of their clients.
What Makes a Virtual Assistant in South America Different?
The Philippines has been the number one outsourcing destination for more than 20 years, however, the closeness between the US and South America has increased the number of entrepreneurs who decide to hire talent from this part of the world. Entrepreneurs feel a bigger sense of closeness to a virtual assistant in South America compared to those based in India. Let’s analyze 5 key things to consider when comparing the two.
Affordability
Currency exchange is a benefit for many American companies. Hiring a virtual assistant in South America can save entrepreneurs anywhere from 40%- 75% on expenses compared to hiring one based in the U.S or even Asia. This is a relevant factor business owners take into account when searching for talent outside of their home country or if they are just now considering employing an extra team member.
According to virtual assistant statistics from 2022, San Francisco is the highest paying city for virtual assistants in the U.S, holding a monthly salary of $7.099,5 US. Placing California as the #1 highest-paying State in the country for VAs. In the Philippines, Manila and Taguig rank as the highest-paying cities for VAs according to Indeed. The average base salary in this country is equivalent to $520.54 US. Bogota and Medellin are ranked as the highest-paying cities in Colombia, where the average monthly salary starts at $394.73 US according to Salary Expert.
When you wish to save money while still receiving quality work, outsourcing abroad is definitely a way to make your business save thousands of dollars each year.
Time Zone
The Philippines is 12-18 hours ahead of the US, and countries in South America are mostly on Eastern time or depending on the time of the year 1 hour ahead or behind. This differentiator is the main competitive advantage LATAM has over Asia.
Communication can be affected because of time zone differences since not all employees are working during the same time period. This makes it harder to solve issues, delaying due dates and reducing productivity.
Working within the same time zone, businesses have the guarantee that everyone works together. Maintaining a sense of the workplace community, even as employees work in separate locations.
This is why most business owners prefer to hire talent from this region, especially companies that require customer service and need the support of a VA during the same hours of the day.
Culture
The proximity that we have spoken about between the US and South America has a direct influence on culture as well. Latin Americans are very similar to Americans and Canadians, they are known as friendly, warm people who are always willing to help others. 7 of the 10 countries with the most positive attitude are in Latin America.
Easy communication comes naturally to Latinos, simply that’s how they are. They enjoy making people feel appreciated and respected but know how to face conflict and establish limits that go beyond their values and beliefs.
So, if issues arise they would know exactly how to face them. Analyzing the situation first and confronting it with the correct perspective. This could improve your organizational culture and save you time.
Begin Working with a Virtual Assistant in South America
There are basically two ways to get a VA for your company; one is through freelancer platforms and the other is through outsourcing agencies such as There is Talent.
In general, freelancer platforms offer you a direct deal and to be in control of the whole hiring process; however, it is a process that tends to be very time-consuming.
With an outsourcing services agency like There is Talent, you can find the match you want, without it costing you time.
The average entrepreneur is busy enough to handle these processes, so we offer ease and practicality while saving you time, and money and getting a VA that will help you leverage and scale your business to the next level.
Book a strategic call with our director Claudia and start enjoying the benefits of having the best Spanish-speaking VAs now!
