Have you told people that you are thinking of hiring a VA?
It is safe to say that you have had a whole bunch of responses in return. One of the most popular is probably that you should hire a VA from overseas as they are cheaper.
That comment is partially true. You could pay a lower hourly rate if you hired someone that lives overseas. But what quality of work would you receive in return?
You will have heard the saying that you pay for what you get. You could pay a few dollars an hour for certain VA tasks to be completed, but the standard of work may be comparable to the price… very low.
Then there is the time investment that goes into explaining your business, the tasks you need completed and the standard you expect. Not to mention that fact that your overseas VA may not understand the nuances of New Zealand business.
So, you might end up paying a lower hourly rate, but is it really worth it?
Wouldn’t you rather invest in a professional service where you can be assured of quality results?
You want to protect your business and one of the best ways to do that is to work with a New Zealand VA. Let’s look into why NZ VAs are the best in a bit more detail.
Why Working With A New Zealand VA Is Best
Culture
New Zealand has a unique business climate, unlike any other country. We have a distinct blend of professionalism, hard graft, DIY, humour and a “she’ll be right” attitude.
This is unmatched anywhere else in the world.
Introducing an overseas perspective to this business culture can be difficult as it will be completely different to their own cultural experiences. Trying to learn the kiwi way of doing things may be a foreign challenge that will take a long time to wrap their head around.
Using a NZ-based VA removes this confusion from the equation. NZ VAs already understand the kiwi culture as they work within it every day.
Understands The Local Market
New Zealand is a country that is dominated by small business. In fact, upwards of 90% of our workforce either run a small business or work for a small business. This can be difficult to grasp for someone who may come from a country dominated by multinational conglomerates.
Our economy can also remain largely untouched by international events. We operate in our own little corner of the world creating clever solutions for big world problems in an agriculturally dominated sector, exporting many delicious things, and importing the latest and greatest available on the market.
A NZ VA will understand all of these things as their business operates in the same local market.
Language
Written communication is key in any business. You want to get the right message out to your clients and communicate professionally in a way that they can understand. Meaning anyone involved with your business needs to have a strong command of the English language.
While some overseas VAs will have these language skills, a lot will not. Here at Admin Army, English is our first language and we pride ourselves in our excellent communication skills.
That means we can effectively communicate with you or your clients and nothing will be lost in translation when we receive a brief from you.
Time Zones
No matter how small the world becomes, there will always be time differences. Unfortunately, as we are the first to see the sun each day, our time zone is in a league all of its own.
Working with a local VA means that there will be no time delays in being able to contact them or waiting around for your tasks to be completed. An overseas VA might keep very different hours to your business and there can be a mismatch in working times.
When you have urgent work that needs to be done, you want it done in the same day. You don’t want to have to wait for your overseas VA to wake up and be able to start work.
Ease of Payment
When you are engaging services there is always a bill to pay. No one likes surprise costs in business and often international payments incur additional costs and fees that you weren’t necessarily expecting.
It may not be a whopping $25+ fee to arrange an international bank transfer. But even using a service like Upwork or Paypal can attract transaction fees that you could avoid. An NZ VA will have a local bank account and a direct credit transfer will not incur any extra fees.
Accountability
All professional New Zealand businesses are governed by local law and regulations. That means they can be held accountable for their actions.
However, an overseas VA is not governed by NZ law. So if you get stuck in a predicament as a result of their work, there might not be much you can do about it.
Trust
Hiring an international VA can be a minefield. As with any business, there will be some great options out there. But how do you find them?
The New Zealand business community is small and close knit, we have less degrees of separation than Kevin Bacon! That means word travels fast too. If someone has received shonky service from a business then you can bet it will be spread throughout their network.
Reputation is everything in business. You can trust that local VAs will go out of their way to ensure the job is done right and is also done on time. They don’t want to risk jeopardising their reputation in New Zealand’s small pond!
Great Working Relationships
A local NZ based VA is running a business just like you are. That means we understand the importance of working hard and taking the steps to success.
There is a sense of camaraderie amongst kiwi businesses. We want to see each other succeed. Together we are building a strong economy. This sense of community can foster great working relationships encompassing understanding and support.
Building a strong network of contacts allows you to refer great businesses to the people that need them and gain referrals from others. Word of mouth is powerful and helps many businesses grow. A New Zealand VA can be a key part of your network.
So, are you ready to build a great working relationship with a talented bunch of New Zealand VAs who want to see your business succeed?
Then get in touch with us here at Admin Army. We would love to handle the tasks that you don’t have the time to complete (and we will do them during NZ business hours too!)
Keen to work with us, but not sure where to start?