Over the years, I’ve had plenty of chats with business owners and leadership teams about Virtual Assistants — or as we often say, remote staff or virtual staff. And while awareness of VAs has grown significantly, many of the same questions keep cropping up.

So I’ve pulled together the most frequently asked questions I’m asked, and added some honest answers based on experience (and some lessons learned along the way). Whether you’re just exploring the idea or already working with offshore staff, I hope this helps clarify a few things.

And of course, these insights come not just from theory, but from years running Virtual Done Well, our BPO business based in the Philippines.

 

What exactly is a Virtual Assistant?

 

A Virtual Assistant is a team member who works remotely, often from a lower-cost economy like the Philippines, and provides a range of business support services — anything from admin and marketing to customer service and technical support.

 

 

Think of them as a skilled, reliable team member who’s just not sitting in your office, but still part of the team. We got used to that during Covid and the WFH trend right? With the right setup, they can be just as effective (sometimes more so) than someone in the next office.

I know, I have a team of six supporting me directly and many more supporting my consulting business.  I’ve had this support since 2012 and can’t imagine being without my Davao office based team.

 

Why do so many companies hiring VAs from the Philippines?

 

The Philippines became a go-to destination for BPO and remote staffing for good reason:

• Excellent English language skills (neutral accents, strong grammar)
• A cultural affinity with Western countries
• A highly educated, professional workforce (5 universities near our office in Davao)
• Strong service mentality and loyalty
• And of course — cost effectiveness

And the bonus?   They are just great people to work with!  I’m heading over there again shortly to catch up with our team.

At Virtual Done Well, we’ve found that hiring in the Philippines gives our clients a perfect balance of quality and value. It’s one of the few places where you can genuinely build a great team without blowing your budget.

 

 

What kinds of tasks can VAs handle?

 

 

Honestly? Almost anything that can be done remotely, on a computer, a phone or other means.

Here’s a list of common VA tasks our clients delegate:

• Diary and inbox management
• Travel bookings and expense claims
• Social media posting, scheduling and monitoring
• CRM data entry and updates
• Online research and lead generation
• Customer service via email, chat, or phone
• Invoice processing and accounts support
• Reporting and analysis on finances, marketing or anything else.
• Website updates and blog publishing

And it’s not just admin. We’ve placed virtual staff in marketing, finance, HR, logistics, and even property management.   We’ve provided online receptionists for a team of Surgeons and admin support for firms of Lawyers.

Whilst Virtual Assistant support has been well known by Entrepreneurs and small businesses for decades, larger businesses are only starting to catch on.  Maybe it was Covid and WFH that opened their eyes to it?

 

How do I know if I’m ready to hire a VA?

 

This question comes up a lot. My usual answer is: if you’re working late, dropping the ball on admin, or finding yourself bogged down in low-value tasks, you’re probably ready.  Or even if you are starting to think about hiring a VA, you’re ready.

A Virtual Assistant helps free up your time to focus on what only you can do. If you’ve got repeatable tasks, clear processes, and a need for more capacity, it’s time to consider it.

Funny story.   When I hired my first VA back in 2011, I interviewed three candidates on a video call.  As I was hiring a Personal Assistant, my wife sat off camera!   And my CFO also sat in.  The three of us would decide who to select.   They were all great so we hired all three!

 

 

How do I manage a remote staff member effectively?

 

It’s easier than most people think. The key is:

• Clear expectations and documented processes (that they can help write)
• Regular check-ins (we recommend daily or weekly Zoom/Teams calls)
• Simple tools like Slack, Trello, or ClickUp for communication and task tracking

I always start slow with a new VA, building up their range of tasks so as not to swamp them at the start.

We help our clients with onboarding, templates, and management frameworks. But even with just a bit of structure, managing a virtual staff member can become second nature.  In fact a good VA might start managing YOU!  If that’s what you need.

 

What’s the difference between using a freelance platform and a managed VA service?

 

The classic freelancer vs. managed service debate.   Often people are swayed by the cost alone.

Hiring through freelance platforms like Upwork or Fiverr gives you access to global talent, sure. But you’re on your own for hiring, training, managing, replacing… it’s all down to you.

With a managed service like Virtual Done Well, we:

• Recruit and screen candidates
• Provide supervision in our corporate office
• Help with training
• Manage payroll, HR, and IT setup
• Monitor performance
• Provide backup support if someone’s away

You focus on your business. We handle the admin.

 

 

How much does a VA cost?

 

 

It varies based on role, experience, and whether you’re working with a freelancer or through a BPO. But as a rough guide:

• Admin or general VAs: AUD $1,200-$1,400/month full-time (40 hours a week)
• Specialist roles (e.g., bookkeeping, marketing): AUD $1,400–$1,800/month

Compare that to hiring locally, and you’re looking at savings of 70-80%. That’s why many of our clients start with one VA, and quickly scale up to two or three.

 

How do I ensure data security and confidentiality?

 

Another important one. We provide all our Virtual Done Well staff with:

• Secure office setups
• NDAs and employment contracts
• Regular training on data security and client confidentiality
• Where preferred, they operate on your secure networks.

If you’re in finance, healthcare, or any regulated sector, we can tailor controls to suit your requirements.

 

What’s the biggest mistake people make with VAs?

 

 

In our experience: hiring too fast, with no plan for onboarding.

You need to:

• Draw up a rough job specification.
• Identify essential skills and experience, v nice to have.
• Decide how you’ll communicate and assign work
• Set expectations early

A good VA will thrive in the right environment, but they’re not mind readers. I chat with my team throughout the day, much as I would if they were in the next office to me. Give them the tools to succeed, and you’ll be amazed at what they can do.

 

Can a VA work full-time? Part-time? Project-based?

 

Yes to all three. But we really focus on the first two.

• Full-time dedicated VA (40 hours a week)
• Part-time (20 hours/week)
• Short-term project-based support we avoid

We really only provide full time or part time VAs.  With our preference for full time.   This gives stability and better communication, and provides the VA with a full time job which is what they want.

We have a few VAs you work half time.  But this can be a challenge.  If they have two part time clients at some stage, one of those clients will want to have hem full time!

But our team helps you assess what’s right for your needs, and you can scale up or down over time.

 

Is it OK to start with one VA, or should I build a team?

 

 

Starting with one is perfectly fine. Many of our clients begin with a single VA to test the waters. Once they see the value, they often scale up, adding more roles over time (e.g., customer support, social media, finance).   We’ve had clients with up to eight VAs on their team, though one to three is more normal.

As my team grew, I actually got my team to be part of the hiring process.  They would take short listed candidates out for lunch and then tell me who would fit best into our team!

 

Final Thoughts

 

I hope that helps clear up some of the common questions about virtual staff, remote staff, and the wider BPO world.

At Virtual Done Well, we’re here to help businesses build reliable, high-performing remote teams in the Philippines, without the hassle of trying to figure it all out alone.  We can support you almost anywhere in the World, though we take care to try to match our day and night shifts with your regular working hours.

 

 

If you’ve got a question I haven’t answered here, just reach out, always happy to chat or point you in the right direction.