A virtual assistant company is simply a firm that provides outsourcing services.
Many are located internationally (India and the Philippines are popular spots), but you’ll find a growing number of virtual assistant companies in the US and Europe.
Why’s that?
Well, the demand for qualified remote workers just continues to increase! Over the next 10 years, hiring managers expect nearly 40% of their workforce to be working remotely.
As more companies get on board with the idea of a virtual team, that means the virtual assistant industry is booming — and that’s great news for you.
Advantages of Working With a Virtual Assistant Company
There are several advantages of hiring through an established VA company vs. making a direct hire, and especially over making a local hire.
Recruiting
First, the company does the bulk of the recruiting and screening legwork for you, which can be a huge time saver.
As the demand for remote work has increased, so has the supply. And I get that. I mean, I’ve been working from home for over 10 years — it’s awesome.
But what that means for virtual assistant companies is that they can afford to be extremely picky with who they bring on board. In fact, on my VA company sites, you’ll find material on their hiring process and how they only accept the top 1-3% of candidates.
If you’ve ever tried to make a traditional job posting and screen candidates, you know that recruiting is incredibly time-consuming.
Backups and Replacements
Next, if and when your VA leaves, gets sick, or gets promoted, you’re not scrambling to replace them.
You’ll still have to train your new worker, but at least you won’t have to go out and source them completely on your own.
A Team of Assistants Under One Virtual Roof
And finally, many virtual assistant companies offer a cool hybrid model where you have a dedicated assistant for most of your tasks, but have access to the company’s broader talent pool for more specialized requests.
This allows you to amplify your productivity and keep all the communication and delegation under one roof.
Simple Accounting
Hiring through a VA company can also make for a simpler relationship come tax time too.
The fees you pay to the firm are a quick line-item deductible expense and you don’t have to stress about whether a freelance contractor you hired is technically an employee in the eyes of the IRS.
Here’s a quick profile of some of the top-rated companies. You can check them out or browse the full directory below.
| Online VA Team | Time Etc | Remote CoWorker | Tasks Expert | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Established | 2014 | 2007 | 2013 | 2017 |
| Location | USA and The Philippines | USA and UK | USA | US and India |
| Customer Rating | ||||
| Hourly Rate | $7+ | $27-29 | $5.99-8.00 | $4.50 |
| Minimum Package | $250 for 20 hours | $390 for 10 hours | $139 for 20 hours | $169 for 20 hours |
| Dedicated Assistant | ||||
| Team Access | ||||
| Rollover Hours | *Per policy | |||
| Free Trial | ||||
| Learn More | Learn More | Learn More | Learn More |
Drawbacks to Virtual Assistant Companies
The biggest disadvantage I see to working with virtual assistant companies is you’re paying a premium for:
- Their recruiting and training
- Their company overhead and infrastructure
- A management layer
In each case, those might not be a huge benefit for you. You could potentially go out and find a better skills and cultural fit by hiring directly.
The training an assistant receives through a company will probably be helpful — but it might not be directly applicable to your business.
If your VA is working from a dedicated call-center type of office, the rent, electricity, equipment, and Internet are all baked into your price.
And finally, virtual assistant companies have a management layer you’re also paying for — but unless something goes wrong — you might not need.
How Much do Virtual Assistant Companies Cost?
You’ll find virtual assistant companies with task-based plans starting around $30 a month. For that price, you’ll be able to delegate a handful of small requests.
Dedicated services begin in the $100-300 a month range for part-time support.
Overseas, you can hire a full-time VA through a virtual assistant company for $800-1500 a month. For assistants in the US or Western Europe, you can easily spend double or triple that.
My Experience with Virtual Assistant Companies
I’ve worked with several virtual assistant companies over the last decade, starting with my first dedicated assistant from Pakistan.
These companies, and increasingly specialized virtual agencies, are an important part of my virtual assistant “stack.”
(A specialist agency is a company that does just ONE thing, like graphic design, podcast editing, or bookkeeping.)
What I see as the biggest benefits are the team access and the VA replacement.
Over the last few years, there have been quite a few instances of my assistant getting promoted or taking a new job. And instead of me being stranded and stuck without support, a new qualified VA took their place seamlessly. In one case, I didn’t even know the change had happened for a couple weeks!
And similarly, when a company has lots of different skills under one roof, it’s been really helpful to send over a random request and have that taken care of.
For example, maybe your regular assistant does social media and content marketing for you — but you occasionally need some technical website stuff done. It’s a big time saver to just have one company able to handle it.
Which Virtual Assistant Company is Right For You?
What you should look for in a VA company, aside from positive customer reviews, is:
- professionalism (can you picture this person or company working for you?)
- response time (did they reply promptly to your inquiry?)
- price (will the work justify the expense?)
Related: 13 Questions to Ask a Virtual Assistant Company
Check out the top-rated VA companies below, see what other customers have to say, and narrow down your options.
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Fusion Business Solutions is a virtual assistant company based in India, with registered offices in the UK and the US. The company has been operating since 2006, and they say their goal is to, “help busy individuals and entrepreneurs meet […]
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Assign Your Task is a virtual assistant company providing services to small and medium-sized businesses all over the globe. The company has been operating since 2015, and all of their virtual assistants are based in their offices in Mumbai, India. […]
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Scalable Outsourcing is a virtual assistant company based in Ottawa, Canada. The company has been operating for more than 5 years and they provide a wide range of virtual assistant services. Their central support staff are based in Canada, they […]
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Virtual Done Well is a virtual assistant company based in the Philippines. They specialize in supplying virtual assistants to small and medium sized companies in Australia. The company is headed up by Rob O’Byrne. All of their VAs are based […]
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UPDATE: It appears Ask Virtual Services is out of business. Please consider one of these alternatives. Ask Virtual Services is an international virtual assistant company with clients primarily in the US, UK, and Canada, as well as servicing clients in […]
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Lykewize is a US-based virtual assistant company specializing in providing VAs to clients in the real estate industry. The company has been operating since July 2019, and they’re able to provide 24/7 cover to individuals and businesses all over the […]
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Kamel BPO is a Canadian-owned and operated Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company based in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines. Since its establishment in 2017, Kamel BPO has built a reputation for providing high-quality, flexible outsourcing solutions. Their focus on recruiting highly educated […]
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eComVA is a virtual assistant company specializing in providing virtual assistants to eCommerce businesses of all sizes around the world. The company is headquartered in India, and they also have offices in Switzerland, UK, Australia, and the US. About eComVA […]
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Catch Friday is a UK-based virtual assistant and outsourcing company with an overseas office in the Philippines. The name comes from the idea of shortening your work week and being able to “catch Friday” a little earlier. The company was […]
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Mr. Outsource is a professional virtual assistant company. The company is headed up by Erlend Bakke, and all of their VA’s are based in the Philippines. They have been in business since 2008, and provide virtual assistant solutions to entrepreneurs […]
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UPDATE: It appears TaskDesk is out of business. Please consider one of these alternatives or see below. If you own this listing or this information is incorrect, contact me here. TaskDesk is a virtual assistant company with their headquarters based in Houston, […]
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REVAS is a US-based virtual assistant company specializing in providing VAs to clients in the real estate industry. The company has been operating since 2013. Their headquarters is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and they supply both US-based and overseas virtual […]
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UR Tasker is a virtual assistant company specializing in assisting e-commerce sellers — Amazon, eBay and Shopify businesses — in growing their business and increasing sales. The company was formed in 2015. All of their assistants are based in Pakistan […]
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100Ninjas is a US-based virtual assistant company that has been in business since 2015. They are a 100% virtual company, providing US-based virtual assistants to help busy clients lighten their workload and free up more of their time. About 100Ninjas […]
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Remote Team Solutions is a virtual assistant company based in La Laguna, Mexico. They specialize in providing full-time virtual assistants to businesses of all sizes. The company has been in operation since 2014, and all of their assistants work out […]
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Virtual Gal Friday is a company offering virtual office managers and assistants to all businesses large and small. The company has been in operation since 1998, which officially makes them a pioneer in this brave new virtual world. Their headquarters are […]
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BDHire is a virtual assistant company based in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The company was founded in 2008, and has since been providing virtual assistant services to clients and business owners worldwide. About BDHire The company is headed up by Abul Kashem. Being […]
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1840 & Company is a US-based outsourcing company that helps businesses of all sizes hire global remote freelancers to fill a variety of positions, including virtual assistants. The company is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, United States with hubs in […]
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Team Delegate provides US-based virtual assistant services to clients all around the country. The Dallas, Texas-based company was founded in 2001 by CEO Tonya Thomas, and now employs a diverse team of VAs working from home offices throughout the United […]
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Penbrothers is a company specializing in providing offshore recruitment, flexible office spaces, legal services, and payroll assistance to startups and small businesses. The company is based in the Philippines, and they have been operating since December 2014. About Penbrothers The […]