A considerable percentage of professional virtual assistants are from third world countries. India and the Philippines are two countries with an incredible saturation of virtual assistants. It can be natural to be hesitant about having an assistant from a third world country. Here are the facts:
- Third world countries do not have the same quality of education accessible to first world countries.
- Due to the challenges of education, workers from third world countries are less likely to be competent.
Say what you will about how discriminatory it may seem, but the sentiment is actually quite reasonable. A business runs on numbers, skills, competence, and many other qualities that not everyone possesses. Your choice not to hire a virtual assistant because it is a third world industry is not wrong; you are only protecting the business you worked hard on.
The problem is, virtual assistants are NOT a third world industry.
The Stats
Yes, a lot of virtual assistants work from a third world country. However, many companies and businesses who hire virtual assistants are based in first world countries. What does this mean? It means that the virtual assistants are well qualified to work in first world industries!
The top industries that highly benefit from virtual assistants are law firms, IT firms, marketing firms, and accounting and financial firms. Last time I checked, those industries are far from being third world. In fact, first world versions of these industries are more likely to hire virtual assistants than their third world counterparts.
What does all of this mean? Virtual assistants may be more likely to be from a third world country, physically. But their talents, skills, and services are fit for first world industries.
Virtual Assistants is a Growing Industry
Our socioeconomic landscape is geared towards virtualization. Computers, laptops, phones, and the internet allow us to access a different world, the virtual world. And through that, we can access almost anything in the actual, real world.
With the constant and accelerating evolution of technology, more and more businesses from various industries move into the virtual world.
Due to this rise of virtualization in the business world, the global outsourcing industry keeps on growing. This means that the virtual assistant industry is growing. Since the market crash of 2008, the virtual assistant industry has grown consistently; it is one of the largest growing industries worldwide.
A study suggests that as much as 40% of the US workforce will become freelancers, people who are self-employed and sell their services online. Strictly speaking, they might not be considered virtual assistants. But in a more relaxed perspective, freelancers are actually virtual assistants. They do, after all, assist their clients virtually. And they generally specialize in skills similar to those of many virtual assistants; IT and web design, for example.
The virtual assistant industry is growing. It is not just a fad that will pass sooner rather than later.
There are many benefits to hiring virtual assistants. These benefits apply to both small and big businesses. Here are some samples of the biggest benefits businesses gain from hiring virtual assistants.
Virtual assistants are cost-effective.
Businesses can save a lot by hiring virtual assistants instead of full-time employees. One of the biggest financial headaches associated with hiring full-time employees is payroll taxes. Not only does this take a considerable amount of profit from your business, but it also takes so much time to do. Aside from payroll taxes, you have to worry about financing the workspace and equipment for these employees. These costs are a big reason why businesses prefer virtual assistants.
Virtual assistants are more flexible.
If you have full-time employees, their obligation to you ends once the business hours are over. But with a virtual assistant, you can set specific working hours within which they will work. It can be a rigid schedule, or it can be flexible; it’s up to you. The point is, the virtual assistant will adapt based on your needs.
Virtual assistants have specific skillsets.
A virtual assistant only has his or her skills to rely on, so you can be sure that they are proficient in very specific skills. This means that you can readily get the skills you need for your business. If you need an IT professional, you can get one. If you need social media marketers, you can get them. If you need writers, web designers, anything, you can hire them. You can get the best talents from the virtual assistant industry. This is yet another reason why the virtual assistant industry is not a third world industry.
Virtual assistants save you time.
Imagine not having to do the mundane, repetitive routines required for daily business maintenance. You can employ a virtual assistant to do tedious tasks. These include bookkeeping, server maintenance, fact-checking, or handling social media analytics. Suddenly, you have tons of time, time that you can use to plan your next business strategy!
Those are just a few benefits business owners can get by hiring a virtual assistant. To make it even better, though, virtual assistants themselves have their share of benefits. The biggest of which is:
Virtual assistants have the comfort of their homes.
This is a huge benefit. Sure, virtual assistants may not have a good dental plan, but they have more control over their lives because they are not bound to one company. In fact, because virtual assistants have the benefit of comfort, they tend to be more productive.
A full-time employee has to spend hours upon hours commuting to work regularly. They have to prepare for work every morning, which, let’s be honest, can be quite stressful. Those burdens do not affect virtual assistants. They are happier and, again, they are more productive because of it.
To say that the virtual assistant industry is a third world industry is not accurate. Anyone, literally anyone, can benefit from the industry, no matter which country they are from.
Anyone can be a Part of the Virtual Assistant Industry
No matter how you look at it, the virtual assistant industry is not third world. Yes, many virtual assistants are from third world countries. But as already pointed out, these so-called “third world virtual assistants” are employed by companies based in first world countries.
Another point to consider is that anyone can become a virtual assistant. As long as they have marketable skills, workers from first world countries can work as virtual assistants. In fact, the United States is the number one source of English speaking virtual assistants. The United Kingdom is also one of the top sources.
Additionally, any business can hire a virtual assistant. It does not matter where the company is based. It does not matter how big the business is. It can always benefit from hiring virtual assistants.
“VAs is a Third World Industry” is PURE Myth
To say that VAs is a third world industry undermines its worth to businesses, aspiring virtual assistants, the world economy, and society as a whole. The industry is advantageous for everyone involved.
It boosts the economy, businesses, and the happiness of those involved. The VA industry paves the way for equal opportunity for every talented individual. It was a game-changer way back when, and it is still a sure way to stay ahead of the curve today.
If you want to be part of a growing industry, and if you want to grow your business, you should consider integrating the virtual assistant industry. To do that, you first have to accept that the virtual assistant industry is NOT a third world industry.