Hiring remote workers is becoming more and more popular today. The business process outsourcing industry, which generated $26 billion in 2019 alone, is driving a significant portion of global business today. Today, there are many different third-party providers meeting this rising demand. Two places were you can get high-quality talent are Wing and Magic Virtual Assistant.
With so many options, however, it can be difficult to determine which one is the best fit for your company. For example, Wing is known for cost-effective general and specialized professionals. Magic is the same, offering dedicated help for as low as $10 per hour. So how do they measure up against one another? In this article, we will be comparing Magic vs. Wing to help you decide which provider is right for your business.
About Magic
Magic started in 2015 as a one-stop delivery system via text, but it has since transformed itself into a VA provider. With the tagline “Your Specialized Remote Workforce”, a Magic VA can help you manage and complete your work more efficiently. Though they are headquartered in San Francisco, California, you can find and reach their remote team from all over the world.
How does Magic work?
Magic vets and selects talent based on the client’s needs. Their most popular option is Magic Dedicated, which provides you with a dedicated and unmanaged VA for $10 an hour. Simply fill in a form with details regarding you, your company, and the parameters that you would like your VA to focus on. Their team will then match you with a qualified candidate based on your needs. All you’d need to do is take part in the last stage of screening.
After that, you can have your VA on call and you can track the progress of your tasks through text. Alternatively, you can also use their website, mobile app, email, or even other tools so long as you provide their VAs with appropriate instructions. Their work hours are flexible, and can be modified depending on your needs and their availability.
What types of tasks can Magic complete?
According to their FAQs, a Magic VA is willing to do any tasks as long as they’re legal. Seriously. For example, you can have them order something as simple as pepperoni pizza or as outrageous as a new car. They can also help you complete tedious tasks, such as filing reports or scheduling appointments. In terms of your business, their dedicated VA will help you in all areas, including administration, marketing, support, and more.
However, Magic can’t do everything. They’re only able to do what they’re trained to do, which is mostly general assistance. They can be trained to use specific tools, but you may need to provide them with a brief yourself. If your tasks require a more specific skill set, then Magic will instead try to find a contractor or employee for you. In other words, Magic is more focused on being a bridge between you and a professional that will fulfill your needs.
Why would an entrepreneur choose Magic?
Magic is one of the most versatile choices of all providers. A Magic remote helper can provide you with a variety of tasks, such as doing quick research, putting in orders, and managing your schedules. For many entrepreneurs, this means they can save time and focus on what’s most important. You’ll also have someone on call 24/7, which is perfect if you work in constantly shifting hours or travel often.
In addition, Magic has been around for quite some time since being first built in 2015. Magic VAs have built a reputation for providing excellent work since then, so their legibility doesn’t need to be questioned. And for a flat hourly rate of as low as $10/hour, they’re an attractive option for startups or smaller-sized businesses who only need a little leg up.
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What are the drawbacks of hiring Magic?
Of course, Magic isn’t perfect. While they can be helpful for many businesses, there are still some downsides to consider. Although they claim to be well-rounded, this also means their VAs are not trained in more specialized areas. For example, you can’t expect a Magic VA to be able to do complex graphic design.
This is why they’re best used if you already have a clear picture on what you need. You can delegate them menial tasks that you don’t have time or bandwidth to handle yourself. If you need a more intuitive VA , though, getting a Magic remote VA may not be the best choice. At best, they’ll simply connect you to another professional.
Another big downside to them is that their VAs are unmanaged. This means that a Magic VA doesn’t come with a supervisor for quality control. Should you give them feedback or pointers along the way, there’s no assurance that they’ll actually apply it to their future work. In this case, hiring a Magic VA can seem like a bit of a gamble. Thankfully, there are other options, such as Wing.
All about Wing
Wing has been around since 2018, and they’ve been expanding rapidly since then. Headquartered in Irvine, California, they have one goal in mind: to provide a superior remote talent experience. They combine automated AI and a talented workforce to deliver outstanding assistance at a competitive price point.
What tasks can I assign to Wing?
Wing can help you with practically any task that you need. You can either choose to hire one professional on demand or negotiate a bigger team to handle more tasks. Though you can hire them for personal tasks, there are many business and industry use cases for them, too.
As a whole, you can depend on their dedicated VAs to provide support in marketing, social media, communications, and more. They can generate leads, manage your finances, handle customer service, and help you in other ways that you may need. And aside from general VAs, you can also hire an executive assistant or a specialized VA from Wing.
For example, they can be tasked with IT, such as website maintenance and development. In terms of medical support, they can handle patient intake and insurance reviews.
So if you want them to focus on one specific area, then Wing will be able to tailor their skills to that specific need. Whether you need someone in real estate, ecommerce, IT, or even health and wellness, Wing is ready to meet your expectations. This means you can make use of their help on all stages of your business, be it a startup or a well-established corporation.
How does Wing ensure quality VA performance?
A good thing about Wing is that their VAs are dedicated and fully managed. Each VA has a supervisor that will ensure the quality of their work. There is also a Success Manager (CSM) that you can contact in case of any concerns.
Should you have any issues with your VAs, they will be able to assist you. All your feedback is guaranteed to reach their Quality Assurance team, with the CSM acting as the liaison between you and their company. So, you don’t need to worry about complaints falling on deaf ears.
In addition, all VAs from Wing undergo thorough vetting. They are all college-educated and have passed Wing’s 4-to-6-week training program. Even after that, they are surrounded by fellow VAs and seniors from the operations teams to provide them with support. You can always rely on Wing’s team to guide you and your VA along the way.
Why would business leaders hire Wing?
Wing is known for providing great work at a competitive price point. Their VAs are vetted and trained to meet your needs, so you can depend on them to do their best work. As they come fully managed and supervised by their CSMs, you can rest assured that your business is in good hands.
Another reason to hire Wing is that they can handle a wide variety of industries. Normally, a VA provider only focuses on aiding you in general tasks. In contrast, Wing also provides specialist VAs that can assist you in more specific areas. So, if you’re a medical business, for example, then Wing can provide you with a VA that specializes in health and wellness. Do you need someone for content writing? Perhaps even bilingual sales calling? Even if it requires a certain level of expertise, Wing can match you with the right person.
In short, they are a preferable option for businesses who want a little more quality assurance. Those looking for VAs to handle complicated tasks can also rely on Wing.
Magic vs. Wing: Comparing their Offerings
Magic and Wing are similar in many ways. Both offer VAs that can help you complete tasks that are too time-consuming, boring, or difficult to complete on your own. Both also provide coverage on a range of tasks and offer low-cost pricing options. However, they differ in some key areas.
One of the most obvious differences is that Magic only focuses on providing a general VA . They do offer it for quite a low price, and they claim to be able to handle anything so long as they’re not illegal. However, it also means that a Magic VA can’t complete more specialized tasks. They can easily place an order for you or organize a quick meeting, but they won’t be able to do more complex work.
On the other hand, Wing is a fully managed and dedicated VA provider. Their VAs are thoroughly trained to help you with whatever you need. And beyond general VAs, Wing offers specialized ones for specific industry use cases. You can have them become a remote secretary, an outbound calling agent, a copywriter, and much more!
Furthermore, Wing’s dedicated VAs are fully supervised by their CSM and Quality Assurance team, who ensure that the quality of their work is up to par.
Magic Virtual Assistant vs. Wing Assistant: Comparing their pricing
Magic and Wing are both quite affordable. Magic charges as low as $10/hour, while Wing’s Full Time VAs start at $1,099/month. Both companies offer various pricing tiers.
Magic’s Dedicated plan requires a flat hourly rate of $10, which can best serve small businesses or for specific individuals. If you’re a busy exec about to travel overseas and you’re looking for someone to sort your itinerary, emails, and bookings, then getting a Magic contractor is a great choice. However, they also have more advanced packages. Their Consumer Hourly plan starts at $12 per hour, for which you’ll have a team of VAs rather than just one. This is best for those needing their VAs to be on-call 24/7.
Meanwhile, Wing’s Part Time general VA starts at $699 per month. They will be on-call for 4 hours a day through each work week (a total of 80 hours per month), in which you can assign them unlimited work with customizable workflows. Wing also has 20+ business lines, with talent specializing in real estate, social media, and more.
Which one should you choose?
As you can see, both Magic and Wing have a lot to offer. Each one has their own pros and cons, but both of them are great options for entrepreneurs.
For those of you in need of a good generalist, then hire a Magic VA. They can handle almost anything as far as laws will allow. If you just need someone to take care of your schedule or prepare some simple presentations, then Magic is your best bet. Still, their limits in expertise and their lack of quality control leaves something to be desired.
That’s why Wing is a great alternative. With the many choices for specialized VA support, Wing has truly cemented itself as a well-rounded provider. Their dedication to quality assurance and client satisfaction is also great, so you can be confident that your VAs will do their best work. Wing is a top choice for entrepreneurs who want to have a balanced team of professionals at their disposal.
Alexander Lim is the founder and CEO of Cudy Technologies, a platform aiming to deliver high-quality educational content to students around the world. He is also a freelance writer specializing in tech, startups and marketing. He’s passionate about learning, digital marketing, and the SaaS space, and he likes writing about how startups can market their products and content effectively online.