The Untold Truth About Hiring "Human" Virtual Assistants

The Key to Scaling Your Life and Business

Author

Jalanie T
October 16, 2024

Table of Contents

The Challenge of Focus

You’ve probably felt the overwhelm of trying to do everything yourself—answering emails, managing projects, and leading strategic decisions all while trying to push your business forward. It’s tempting to keep everything under your control, but one of the smartest moves you can make to achieve limitless growth is to hire a human virtual assistant (VA).

A VA does more than just relieve your workload—they can free your mind and your time to focus on what matters most: scaling your business. In fact, the right VA can help you achieve maximum impact by allowing you to delegate critical yet time-consuming tasks, creating more space for strategic decision-making.

Here’s How a VA Can Help You Scale Faster

Many entrepreneurs are unaware of just how much a skilled VA can do. Beyond the usual administrative duties like scheduling and inbox management, today’s VAs have expanded roles—they can be your project managers, social media strategists, or even growth advisors. Their skills often include:

  • Project Management: Overseeing and ensuring the timely completion of projects, keeping you informed but free from micromanaging.

  • Content Creation & Marketing: Helping with blog writing, social media management, or handling paid ads, which can directly drive your business forward.

  • Customer Support: Managing your support channels, responding to inquiries, and solving issues in real-time without your direct involvement.

It’s no longer about delegating just the minor tasks—VAs today can handle key responsibilities that allow you to focus on strategy, growth, and innovation.

John Maxwell’s Success Story with Assistants

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To give a concrete example, look at John Maxwell, a globally recognized leadership expert. Maxwell has repeatedly spoken about how his assistant has played a critical role in helping him manage his time effectively. His assistant handles not only his scheduling but also facilitates the efficient flow of communication between Maxwell and his large leadership network​. This allows Maxwell to focus on leading, creating impactful programs, and speaking at high-level events—all of which would be impossible without this trusted, long-term partnership.

Access to Global Talent: Beyond Cost Savings

Many businesses initially look at hiring VAs as a way to save on labor costs, but the real value lies in scaling efficiently. When you tap into a global talent pool, you’re not only getting cost benefits but also gaining access to individuals who bring unique perspectives and skill sets that may not be available locally.

For instance, remote workers from countries like the Philippines and South Africa are highly educated, skilled, and trained to handle both technical and administrative tasks. And while it’s true that hiring from lower-cost regions can be cost-effective, businesses looking to scale shouldn’t just focus on the price. You’re building a team that will help accelerate growth, so focus on finding the right skills and fit for your business.

Moreover, many enterprise-level businesses are turning to VAs not just for cost savings but for their specialized skill sets. Hiring a VA with experience in niche areas like SEO, CRM management, or operations consulting can sometimes be more beneficial than finding local employees who may lack such specialized expertise​.

Low Rates Aren’t Always the Best Option: Invest in Quality for Critical Roles

While it’s possible to find VAs for as low as $3 to $8 per hour, especially for entry-level tasks like data entry or social media posting, it’s essential to recognize that rates correlate with the level of responsibility and expertise. If you’re looking to assign critical, business-driving tasks such as managing your emails, organizing projects, or helping develop strategies, you need someone with higher skills—and for that, you should expect to pay fair and competitive rates.

Hiring at the lowest rates can lead to divided attention, as VAs at these levels often need to take on multiple clients just to make ends meet. This might lead to quality issues, delayed responses, or inconsistent performance, which ultimately defeats the purpose of hiring them in the first place.

For key roles, it’s crucial to hire top-notch talent—someone who can truly become a strategic partner. While you can still find value at affordable rates, investing in the right VA can be the difference between staying stagnant and scaling rapidly.

The Right Hiring Strategy: Agency vs. Direct Hiring

When looking for a VA, you have three main options, and understanding the pros and cons of each can help you make an informed decision:

  1. Virtual Assistant Agencies
    Agencies provide pre-vetted candidates, saving you the time and hassle of screening applicants. They also handle contracts, payments, and even replacements if your VA isn’t working out. However, this comes at a higher cost compared to hiring directly (though still lower than hiring locally or onsite).

  2. Staffing Companies
    A step above agencies, staffing companies focus on long-term placements and often provide ongoing training for their VAs. They can help you find highly specialized talent, but like agencies, they tend to be more expensive​.

  3. Direct Hiring via Platforms
    If you want more control over the process and have the time to invest in vetting, platforms like Upwork or Onlinejobs.ph let you hire VAs directly​. This gives you the most flexibility but requires you to handle the recruitment, contracts, and performance management yourself. This option can also be risky if you’re inexperienced in hiring VAs, but it offers the most cost-effective solution.

Achieving Limitless Growth


Hiring a virtual assistant is just one piece of the productivity puzzle, but it’s a crucial one. The right assistant helps you focus on what really matters—growing your business and scaling to new heights. Just like Tony Stark’s JARVIS. assisted him with decision-making and technical tasks, your VA can help you make faster, better decisions and ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

Virtual Assistants as Productivity Catalysts

At the end of the day, hiring a virtual assistant isn’t just about saving time—it’s about strategically positioning your business for growth. By offloading key tasks, you give yourself the space to focus on strategy, innovation, and scaling. Whether you’re looking to save on operational costs or tap into a specialized global talent pool, a VA can be your ticket to limitless potential.

This is just the start. In the next editions of this newsletter, we’ll explore how to optimize your workflows with remote talent, leverage automation, and delegate more effectively to accelerate your growth even further.

Stay tuned—you won’t want to miss it!