Our Virtual Assistant Business Grew over 5,000% In 2023 [Update]
This is a follow up story for Virtual Latinos. If you're interested in reading how they got started, published over 2 years ago, check it out here.
Hello again! Remind us who you are and what business you started.
Hello! I'm Jaime Nacach, the proud founder and CEO of Virtual Latinos, a pioneering company dedicated to connecting businesses with highly skilled virtual assistants and professionals from Latin America. Our journey began with a vision to connect the North with the South, between talented professionals in Latin America and American businesses seeking remote support.
At Virtual Latinos, our flagship service entails providing virtual assistant services across various industries, including administration, marketing, customer service, project management, legal assistance, and more. Our clients range from small businesses and startups to established corporations looking for cost-effective and efficient solutions to their staffing needs; we function as their HR department.
Today, our company has connected and helped 1,000+ companies elevate their levels of freedom and success and has assisted and empowered 1,300+ Latino professionals in finding their dream remote jobs, revolutionizing the virtual recruitment industry.
Notably, since our last interview, we experienced a remarkable growth rate of 5,762% in 2023!
Tell us about what you’ve been up to. Has the business been growing?
Fortunately, our business has continued to grow in such a way that I have excellent news to share. Last year, we were selected as part of the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private businesses in the United States. We achieved the 80th position!
It became a source of great pride for us and it was shocking to learn that we were selected and ranked among the top 100 out of more than five thousand participating businesses. We had the opportunity to attend the gala, where my dad and I had an incredible time! This milestone is worthy of many celebrations and recognition.
Thanks to this achievement, I am also fortunate to have joined the Inc. Masters program by Inc. Magazine. As a member of this program, I share informative articles with other business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs every month. The website has some valuable articles that are definitely worth reading, covering topics such as time management, remote leadership, outsourcing to scale your business, and more.
I also don't want to miss the opportunity to share that we had the chance to celebrate this achievement together at our annual 2023 summit. We returned to Cancun, just like last year, but this time, many more people from the team were able to attend, making it a truly memorable event.
During the summit, we not only planned our goals for this year, 2024, but also shared experiences, learned from each other, and, above all, celebrated the achievements we have accomplished together. The summit was filled with fun activities, team-building exercises, and inspiring speeches, making it a truly enriching experience for all of us.
As a last update, our community of professionals in Latin America has grown a lot since the previous interview. Now, more than 10,000 talented professionals make up our vibrant community.
What have been your biggest challenges in the last year?
Over the past year, one of the biggest challenges I have dealt with as the CEO of Virtual Latinos is the need to continuously adapt and evolve our business strategies to keep pace with the rapidly changing landscape of remote work and virtual assistance. One of the critical issues I've been tackling daily is finding innovative ways to ensure the scalability and sustainability of our operations in a growing competitive market.
As the adage goes, "What worked in the past won't necessarily work in the future," and this sentiment has never rung truer than in the context of our business. Since we last spoke, we had to make significant changes to our approach in order to propel Virtual Latinos to the next level.
This has involved reevaluating our hiring processes to ensure we are optimizing our time and efforts in finding the right talent to support our clients and their growth, as well as implementing new technologies and systems to streamline our operations and enhance efficiency.
Alongside these external challenges, I have also grappled with balancing the demands of leading a growing company with maintaining my own well-being; it has been an ongoing challenge and one that I've had to confront head-on. I try to have time for my personal life, family, and hobbies to avoid burnout.
Despite our hurdles, I remain committed to overcoming these challenges and steering Virtual Latinos toward continued success, fueled by a deep sense of purpose, passion, and dedication to our mission.
The goal is to positively impact one million lives through virtual Latinos—that's right, one million lives! We will do this by continuing to empower professionals and create more valuable working relationships.
What have been your biggest lessons learned in the last year?
One of the most profound lessons I took away last year revolves around expanding our internal team, which rocketed from 60 to over 100 members within a single year. A pivotal component of this growth was establishing our technology department—a long-awaited addition crucial to our operations within the virtual realm.
This new department allowed me to delve deeper into emerging technologies, platforms, and advancements in artificial intelligence—a subject matter close to my heart as a technology enthusiast.
However, in this technological evolution, the paramount lesson I've embraced is the irreplaceable value of maintaining a human touch within Virtual Latinos. While leveraging cutting-edge technologies to enhance efficiency and innovation is pivotal, I'm steadfast in my commitment to preserving our company's focus on people. I envision Virtual Latinos as a company propelled by technology yet anchored in human connection.
It's imperative that we remain a beacon of inclusivity, valuing the diverse backgrounds and experiences each professional brings to our community. Our commitment to fostering a culture that celebrates diversity and prioritizes the well-being of our people will continue to be at the forefront of our mission as we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of virtual work.
What’s in the plans for the upcoming year, and the next 5 years?
Our plans for this year include revamping our social media presence. Recognizing the evolving nature of these platforms, we've embarked on a new strategy to better adapt to this dynamic landscape. We're enhancing our online presence by crafting more dynamic, eye-catching, participatory, compelling, and valuable content tailored to our target audiences.
I encourage you to visit our Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube profiles to explore the exciting things we're creating. I'm confident you'll find valuable insights that can enrich your professional life.
In light of that, I would like to share a new ambitious goal that we have set, not for five years but for ten years. The goal is to positively impact one million lives through virtual Latinos—that's right, one million lives! We will do this by continuing to empower professionals and create more valuable working relationships.
One essential step in gradually achieving this goal is establishing a robust digital infrastructure. This infrastructure will enable us to seamlessly manage all communication and processes with our clients and professionals in one centralized platform. Hence, another ongoing project is the development of the Virtual Latinos Portal. Our dedicated technology team is investing significant time and resources into crafting this portal, which will serve as the backbone of Virtual Latinos.
By taking these actions and extending our vision to reach such a significant milestone, we're reaffirming our commitment to making a lasting difference in the lives of our clients and virtual professionals.
What’s the best thing you read in the last year?
I recently received a recommendation for the book "Positioning" by Al Ries and Jack Trout. While it's not a recent publication, it's a newfound discovery for me. Though I haven't completed the book yet, it is an excellent resource on marketing. It utilizes real corporate cases to illustrate examples effectively, which aids comprehension.
Moreover, it emphasizes the notion that positioning isn't about what you do with the product but rather about what you do with the mind of the consumer prospect. This perspective makes it a valuable read for entrepreneurs seeking to enhance their marketing strategies.
Our community of professionals in Latin America has grown a lot since the previous interview. Now, more than 10,000 talented professionals make up our vibrant community.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who might be struggling to grow their business?
My advice for fellow entrepreneurs struggling to grow their businesses is to embrace the benefits of seeking mentorship and external help. Entrepreneurship can be challenging, and it's not only okay but beneficial to seek guidance from those who have been there before.
Mentorship programs, guidance from other entrepreneurs, and even family members has provided me with valuable insights, advice, and support based on their experiences.
Surrounding myself with like-minded individuals by joining entrepreneurial communities and networking groups has offered me useful resources, support, and opportunities for collaboration.
It's crucial to recognize that you can't be an expert in everything. Therefore, it's wise to consider outsourcing tasks or hiring consultants to fill in the gaps in your skillset. Leveraging external expertise can be a game-changer, helping you navigate challenges more effectively, whether in marketing, finance, or technology. Moreover, by embracing mentorship and external help, you can accelerate your learning, avoid common pitfalls, and ultimately increase your chances of success as an entrepreneur.
Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?
Certainly! We're continuously on the lookout for fresh Latino talent to collaborate with our clients across diverse roles such as administration, marketing, customer service, sales, social media and blog content creation, project management, graphic design, web design, accounting, legal assistance, and beyond.
We warmly welcome professionals residing in Latin America to explore the full-time and part-time opportunities that we have available. We encourage them to delve into our website and social media to grasp the application procedure thoroughly and address any queries they may have. We're excited about the growth prospects in the upcoming year and eagerly anticipate expanding our team further.
Where can we go to learn more?
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
