The story behind why UK virtual assistants are so ‘expensive’
Have you looked into using the services of a virtual assistant and seen a difference in their hourly rates and wondered why there is such a gap? You’ve probably seen the adverts of an overseas VA offering their services from as low as $2 per hour, but when you look closer to home, UK virtual assistants on average are charging £25+ per hour. Here is the story behind why UK virtual assistants are so expensive. What is the average rate for a UK virtual assistant?**
Both the Society of Virtual Assistants (SVA)conducted surveys in 2023 that revealed the average rate of a UK virtual assistant is £30 per hour. There are VAs in the UK who are charging less, and there are those that are charging more. If you look internationally, it’s exactly the same picture; some charging more and some less. But there are things to consider when looking at rates and the set up of the VA businesses.
Business Set Up
A virtual assistant has their own business to run, with their own costs and business expenses. If they are charging low rates, they aren’t going to be able to cover their costs, let alone provide themselves with a salary to live off. It’s unlikely that they will be in business for long. If you are looking for short-term support for a low cost then this might work out for you. But if you are looking for ongoing support from someone who is serious and committed to continue growing and developing their own business, then it makes sense to pay more to the VA that is in it for the long-haul.
Data Protection
As a UK business owner, if you are processing any data that could be deemed as personal data, you are legally required to register with the Information Commissioners Office and ensure all personal data is handled in accordance with the data protection principles.
When you decide to outsource any tasks where someone will have access to that personal data, you remain responsible for ensuring the processing of the data compiles with the Data Protection Act. If you are outsourcing to an overseas organisation outside of the European Economic Area, as the data controller you are responsible for ensuring adequate security measures are in place for handling personal data.
In the survey conducted by Society of Virtual Assistants in 2023, they found 90% of UK virtual assistants were registered for Data Protection. By outsourcing to a company that is registered with ICO will ensure that the personal data they are receiving will be handled appropriately and in line with the Data Protection Act.
Insurance
Another thing to consider is whether the VA you are hiring has Professional Indemnity Insurance.
We are all human and unfortunately, humans do make mistakes from time to time. If your VA made a mistake on a task that could either damaged your reputation or impact you financially, how easily would you be able to rectify and receive costs for damages of their error?
Hiring a VA that holds Professional Indemnity Insurance is important to ensure if something did happen, you would be covered. Many overseas VAs don’t hold insurance, but there are also clauses within some insurance policies that will restrict what countries they can do business with and what laws they cover. Are you willing to take the risk that your overseas VA might not be insured and if they are, that it would cover your UK business? Other things to consider
Aside from supporting and building the UK economy, other things to consider when using a virtual assistant from overseas:
Language Barriers
If you are asking your overseas VA to type something up, it’s important to ensure they have a good level of English. If their English is basic or they are using a translation tool, you will be wasting your money and your time when you need to proofread and correct the returned document.
Time Difference
Do you need your VA to make contact with your customers? If so, then you want to be using someone in the same time zone as we’re pretty sure your customers won’t want to be receiving a call during the middle of the night. But if you don’t need them to contact your customers directly, what happens if you need to brief them on a project or ask them a question that would be easier to make a quick phone call? Again, we’re sure you don’t want to be making business calls in the early hours.
If budget is your main driver for choosing a virtual assistant, then this article may not have had any impact on your decision to outsource to an overseas virtual assistant. But if you someone who takes their business seriously, wants someone to help support them and grow their business, whilst ensuring that their business and their customers are in safe hands, you should definitely be looking to use a UK virtual assistant.
If you want to find out more about how a virtual assistant could help you take your business to the next level, why not arrange a free consultation.