There is often a temptation amongst consumers to always go for the cheapest goods, with the view of saving money. However, this isn’t always the best way to go, especially in regards to business services. There are virtual assistants around that charge as low as $4 an hour, whereas I charge £25 (~$30) an hour, so it’s understandable that some business owners may feel confused about such price differences and unsure of who they should go for. Well, here’s my two pennies’ worth…
You get what you pay for
As is often the case in life, you get what you pay for. Higher quality usually means higher price, and lower quality usually means lower price. You think you might be saving loads of money by using a cheap VA, but they may be more likely to make loads of mistakes and not do the tasks properly. This would mean you will end up having to either fix it yourself or pay someone else to fix it, using up not just more money but also more time. So it would have been cheaper to just go for that higher-priced VA after all, where you’re more likely to have the assurance that you will get good quality and timely work out of them.
Value for money
I value my work quite highly therefore I charge accordingly. Someone charging a low amount may not value their work as much, therefore their client service to you may not be as good either. They also may not be as experienced or qualified at the job as a VA charging a higher amount. If you earn more than your VA, you’ll be saving and making more money by using them anyway, as per the benefits in my blog post about why using a virtual assistant is a good idea.
Lost in translation
Many of these very cheap VAs tend to be from countries such as the Philippines and India, who can charge so little because their costs of living are much lower than in the UK and other western countries. There’s nothing wrong with using these foreign VAs per se, as many of them are probably good at what they do. However, you do need to be mindful of working with a VA whose English isn’t perfect and so matters may be improperly communicated, leading to tasks not done properly or on time. Cultural differences could also cause some challenges in a working relationship. Working with someone in the same country as you means less chance of these issues occurring, as well as contributing to the same economy.
You’ve got to spend money to make money
As I’ve already mentioned, cheaper VAs aren’t necessarily worse, but it is often better to pay more to get better results. It’s your business that you are investing in and it is up to you to make the right decisions for you. Please feel free to leave a comment with your opinion, and you can also reach me on my contact page.