The truth about outsourcing and virtual teams
School For Startups Radio
Want the transcript? Download it here.
Episode breakdown
Barbara Turley is the founder and CEO of The Virtual Hub – a support assistant recruitment and management agency. She scaled the company in a short 12 months to become one of the leading support assistant companies in the digital marketing and social media space. Her mission is to eradicate “small business overwhelm” by simplifying the offshore outsourcing process and facilitating cost-effective business scalability. Barbara and her team make this happen every day at The Virtual Hub. The company is disrupting a stale industry. Rather than doing business “the usual way,” they actually create their own support assistant successes (and yours) through deep training programs, ongoing career development and coaching. She also hosts The Virtual Success Show podcast.
- Barbara talked about the initial start of The Virtual Hub
- Lessons learned in the first year of The Virtual Hub
- The services offered by The Virtual Hub, what clients get and the benefits of outsourcing work and delegating tasks
- The different levels of Support Assistants that The Virtual Hub has
- Platforms and services The Virtual Hub specialize in
- Why Barbara chose the Philippines as the place to source Support Assistants
- Barbara explains the concept of offshoring and how it is an extension or a new version of the Lean Business Model
- The importance of systems and processes and having people run them
- The difference between a Project Manager and a Support Assistant
To scale a business, you need very slick systems and processes and people to run them—otherwise you’re just creating a glorified job for yourself.
In this episode
00:00 - Introduction to Virtual Outsourcing
Jim Beach introduces the theme of the show, focusing on virtual outsourcing and the concept of a Virtual Hub. He frames the discussion around the “4-Hour Work Week” idea and sets the stage for Barbara Turley’s appearance.
01:15 - Barbara Turley’s Background
Barbara Turley is introduced as the founder and CEO of The Virtual Hub, with a background in finance and equity trading before launching her outsourcing company in Sydney, Australia.
01:48 - First Year of The Virtual Hub
Barbara reflects on the company’s rapid early success, noting strong demand for outsourcing but also the hidden challenges of scaling quickly without robust internal structures.
03:30 - Outsourcing Services Offered
Barbara explains the three levels of support assistants offered by The Virtual Hub, ranging from general admin to advanced support with marketing automation platforms like HubSpot and Infusionsoft.
04:22 - Specialization in the Philippines
Barbara outlines why The Virtual Hub focuses on the Philippines, citing strong English proficiency, cultural alignment with Western businesses, and the benefits of mastering one market deeply.
05:27 - Offshoring and the Lean Business Model
Barbara connects offshoring to the lean business model, emphasizing the need for streamlined systems and processes. She highlights how outsourcing enables small and medium businesses to scale cost-effectively while reserving local hires for higher-value roles.
07:46 - Managing Multiple Support Assistants
Jim shares his experience managing ten outsourced roles, and Barbara distinguishes between support assistants as “doers” and project managers as coordinators. She stresses the importance of structured management to avoid inefficiency and overwhelm.
11:50 - Transitioning Roles and Mindset Shifts
Barbara explains the challenges of elevating a support assistant into a project management role, particularly in cultures where delegation is less common. She advises careful role definition to avoid mismatched expectations.
12:42 - Outsourcing Mindsets and Common Pitfalls
Barbara categorizes outsourcing clients into three groups: those who embrace it fully, those who sabotage themselves with the wrong mindset, and those who remain stagnant with minimal use. She advises consolidating roles and considering project managers once teams grow beyond seven direct reports.
15:21 - Closing and Resources
Barbara shares resources available at The Virtual Hub, including guides, an e-course, and the Virtual Success Show podcast. She encourages listeners to explore strategies for scaling effectively with outsourcing.
