Have you been thinking of hiring a virtual assistant but are worried about incurring high costs? You are not alone. Most entrepreneurs are always concerned about the costs of working with a virtual assistant. Since there are numerous virtual assistants ready to offer their services to your company, you can easily find one that can work within your budget.
Hiring a virtual assistant can help you handle some of the business activities, such as administrative tasks. They can, therefore, help you save time as you pay attention to crucial business-related matters. Most of the virtual assistants charge between $ 5 and $ 50 per hour for their services. The cost of hiring a virtual assistant, however, depends on several factors. We will help you figure out how much you should expect to pay such an expert based on certain factors. Enjoy!
What determines how much virtual assistants charge?
The kind of work they handle
Different experts set costs based on the type of work they are assigned to do. If, for instance, you want a virtual assistant that can help you with easy tasks such as scheduling appointments or managing phone calls, you may have to pay about $ 8 per hour.
As you look at the virtual assistant jobs by Dormzi and other platforms, you should focus on the job descriptions to find out the specific tasks that different people do. If, for instance, you are looking for a virtual assistant who can offer executive services such as project schedule management, you should be prepared to pay around $ 30 per hour.
Level of experience
The level of experience also determines the pay rate of virtual assistants. Virtual assistants that have a lot of experience charge more compared to newbies in the business. You should consider working with someone with some level of experience even though you have to pay more since they can be more useful than an inexperienced virtual assistant.
Though hiring a less experience virtual assistant can save you money, you may end up spending more time training them for particular tasks. If, for instance, you want a virtual assistant that can handle social media marketing, you should go for one that has been in this niche for at least three years. Though such a person can charge you more, they can help you achieve the expected results within a short period.
Geographical location
Though a virtual assistant can work from anywhere, those found in developed countries often charge more than those located in developing countries. This is because of the difference in the cost of living. Depending on the kind of work that you want them to do, you should consider their geographical location.
You can still get the best virtual assistants in developing countries who can help you get quality work while still saving you some funds. You only need to do comprehensive research and take your time before hiring a virtual assistant.
The complexity of the task at hand
Virtual assistants also consider how complex the project is before setting their charges. Some of the complex projects may need a lot of planning and can cost you more than simple jobs. Since complex projects are also time-consuming and most virtual assistants work with different clients at a go, you should be ready to pay more for them to focus on it.
If the project also comes with a deadline, then this can also impact the pricing. Most experts charge more for time-sensitive jobs. A virtual assistant can, however, set normal rates for long-term projects that don’t have deadlines.
The pricing models that virtual assistants use
Most of the virtual assistants charge for their services on an hourly basis. For instance, they can charge you $10 per hour for a particular service. Rather than using hourly pricing, some virtual assistants use the weekly pricing model. You can, for instance, be charged $200 for certain services per week.
Experienced virtual assistants who have been in the business for a long, prefer monthly retainer fees. This pricing model is better since it makes the revenue more predictable. Once you identify the right virtual assistant to work with, feel free to negotiate the cost so that you can save some cash.