India Virtual Assistants

India is top-of-mind when many people think of outsourcing, and indeed the country is home to many top-rated virtual assistant companies.

Advantages of Virtual Assistants in India

Indian VAs are professional, polite, and educated.

Although India is a developing country, it has several modern technology hubs and already has more English speakers than the US.

There is massive business process outsourcing (BPO) infrastructure, and most Indian VAs work in these types of offices. This is in contrast to the Philippines, where these companies exist, but many more VAs work from home.

What draws most customers to India for hiring is the lower cost compared to the US or Europe.

And due to the time zone differences (usually about a 12 hour flip from the US), India affords the unique advantage of being able to staff around the clock. It’s a rewarding feeling knowing that work is getting done as you sleep!

But despite the popularity and long history of outsourcing to India — or perhaps because of it — there are different “flavors” and different specialties depending on your needs.

*Well, it’s a $1.

Drawbacks to Hiring Virtual Assistants in India

Truth be told, a lot of these companies offer roughly the same things at roughly the same price, to the point that even I have a hard time telling them apart.

The most-often cited complaint about hiring Indian virtual assistants that I hear is the language barrier.

Even though English is widely spoken, it’s probably a little different than the English you and I speak. This can lead to miscommunications and frustrations in delegating tasks.

Where I’ve seen the best results is in having a very specific process and instructions to plug someone into. You want to give your assistant the best chance for success, and make it easy for them to come to you for clarifications.

The time zone difference can also present a challenge. I’ve had more than a few late night meetings to communicate with team members during their shift!

Again, clear communication is key. I use a lot of screen-capture videos to demonstrate the process and what I’d like to get done.

How Much Do Virtual Assistants in India Cost?

Among the companies featured on Virtual Assistant Assistant, you’ll find a range of rates, usually from $5-15 an hour.

Compared with hiring a virtual assistant in the US, those are obviously very attractive prices.

In general here’s what you’ll find:

• The bigger the client the VA firm is targeting, the more you’ll pay. These are state-of-the-art business processing outsourcing companies that serve Fortune 500 clients.
• The newer the company, the less you’ll pay. Companies often price low to attract new customers and build a client base.
• The more hours (or more staff) you commit too, the less you’ll pay.

For example, if you need a full-time virtual assistant, your effective hourly rate will be a much better deal than if you just need someone for 20 hours a month.

That’s because the company now knows that person’s salary is “spoken for” instead of needing to source several clients to keep them busy and cover their fixed costs.

My Experience Working with Virtual Assistants in India

I’ve hired several virtual assistants from India for a wide variety of projects.

In fact, my first “taste” of outsourcing was through Guru.com, and even though my main point of contact was just half an hour away from me in Virginia, the rest of his web development team was half a world away in India.

I worked with that team for almost a decade, but the biggest frustration was the time-lag in communication. I’d get some website changes back or an email update, fire off my feedback, and have to wait at least 12 hours for a response.

I’ve also worked with companies like My Tasker for more routine administrative tasks like database maintenance, website help, and CRM management. (Because they had teams working the night shift, the time zone wasn’t much of an issue.)

For freelance help, India can be an attractive place to look because of the rates. I haven’t had a full-time assistant from India but currently work with a specialized freelancer to manage some social media for me.

Which Indian Virtual Assistant Company Should You Choose?

The good news is that because of the robust VA economy, you have several options to choose from ranging from low-cost task-based services all the way up to full-time dedicated assistants — and everything in between.

Check out the reviews below to see which option is right for you.