Our team has a high bar and a proven process that we use to find the best virtual assistants for small businesses:
Read more about our vetting process: Why Most Global Hiring Fails, And How the Ataraxis Vetting Process Fixes It
George was professional, responsive and a pleasure to work with throughout the hiring process. He took the time to understand my needs and connected me with an excellent candidate. I truly appreciate his support and would highly recommend his recruiting services.
As a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner running a solo telehealth and in-person practice, I needed a virtual medical assistant who could manage patient scheduling, EHR workflows, and front-office coordination with minimal oversight.
My VA through Ataraxis has been exactly that. She handles new patient intake, manages our scheduling and messaging, and keeps everything running while I focus on patient care. What surprised me most is how she’s become a real thought partner. I’ll ask her to review a conversation or an email and she gives me a straight, honest read. That kind of judgment is hard to find. She’s now taking on more responsibilities as we expand our services, and she told me she’s in it for the long haul.
I only wish I had done this sooner. If you’re a mental health provider considering a HIPAA-compliant virtual assistant, don’t wait.
We’ve had an excellent experience working with Ataraxis and are so impressed. Their virtual assistants are professional, reliable, and highly skilled. The onboarding process was smooth, communication is consistent, and they truly understand how to match the right assistant to the right business needs.
They’ve helped us streamline operations and stay organized without the overhead of hiring in-house. I highly recommend them to any business looking for dependable virtual support.
I made a hire through Ataraxis a few months ago.
As it goes in any hiring process, when you meet the right person, you know immediately. I knew when I met the 5th candidate that she’d be the one.
3 weeks into her job she had a fundamental mastery of her own responsibilities. 2 weeks later, she assumed a whole new set of responsibilities on top of that. And now she’s a fully integrated part of my team.
10/10 will work with Ataraxis again.
We’ve had a really good experience working with Ataraxis. They make it easy to find talented healthcare virtual assistants, who have great attention to detail, at affordable rates. The team is very easy to work with and keeps in touch regularly, checking in to make sure everything is running smoothly and that we’re satisfied with our assistants. Overall, it’s been a smooth, professional experience from start to finish.
George has been a great help throughout this process, which was new to us. His team sourced some great candidates for us to choose from, and we are really happy with our hire. George has also conducted regular check-ins and follow-ups. He is happy to share his personal insights and experience around structuring the job description, onboarding, and getting the best out of this recruitment process. I would definitely recommend George and his business for VA solutions.
George and his team did a fantastic job placing a Talent Sourcer on my team. She’s smart, communicates well, works diligently, and is a self-starter. Bonus points, her background (10 years!) is in an industry directly adjacent to ours. As such, she was able to catch on extremely fast and onboarding her was a breeze. My only gripe is that I wish I had taken this on sooner. Thanks Ataraxis!
George reached out to me on LinkedIn, and while I rarely respond to cold outreach offering services, his approach felt thoughtful and genuine, so I decided to explore what his firm had to offer. We’ve been considering offshore talent for several years but hadn’t made the leap, as we hadn’t found the right offshore partner. Recently, we started working with Ataraxis, and it’s been a fantastic experience—they quickly sourced an exceptional contractor for our recruiting team and ran a smooth, efficient process from start to finish.
Highly Recommend!
I had the absolute pleasure of working with George, and I can confidently say that his expertise and guidance have been game-changing for my business. On our first conversation, George provided clear, actionable strategies tailored to my recruitment challenges. His deep industry knowledge, tested outreach methods, and data-driven approach set him apart.
If you’re a recruiter or business owner looking for expert-level guidance on client acquisition, outreach, and recruitment processes, I highly recommend working with George. His advice is practical, results-driven, and delivered with professionalism and genuine care for your success.
Thank you, George, for your time, insights, and the motivation to push forward with confidence!
I was pretty hesitant about hiring people offshore, but had a fantastic experience working with Ataraxis to hire a virtual recruiter for my business. They connected me with Anabel, who’s based in the Philippines and has been incredible—she’s extremely hard-working, quick to learn, and always brings a great attitude to her work. Now I’m thinking about how I can build a team around her.
The entire process with Ataraxis has been seamless, and they regularly check in to make sure I’m happy with the service they’ve provided. It’s clear they truly care about their clients’ success. I highly recommend Ataraxis to anyone looking to grow their team with quality talent!
What starts as a small backlog turns into missed deadlines, late reports, and a cash flow picture you can’t trust.
When you’re the one keeping the books, you’re also the one who gets pulled away from the actual work of running your business. Errors slip through. Tax prep becomes a scramble. And you’re always a step behind instead of a step ahead.
A Bookkeeping Virtual Assistant from Ataraxis takes over the day-to-day financial work, recording transactions, reconciling accounts, managing invoices, and keeping your books clean, so you can focus on growing the business instead of catching up on numbers.
The Situation
Stacey Adams built her own practice after years as a corporate Controller, and the client base grew quickly. The problem was capacity: as tax season approached, Stacey was processing sales tax filings late at night on due dates, manually handling bank reconciliations, and managing payroll across Gusto and QuickBooks while simultaneously supporting her husband’s startup. The work that needed her expert judgment was being crowded out by data entry and transaction matching.
What Changed
Ataraxis sourced and fully vetted two top-tier candidates within two weeks, each assessed for QuickBooks proficiency, remote work readiness, and professional fit. Stacey interviewed one candidate and recognized the match immediately. She hired Joan, a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and Certified Bookkeeper with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and hands-on experience across QuickBooks Online, Sage, Dext, and Bill.com. Joan took over bank and credit card reconciliations, transaction matching with attachment requirements, and tax preparation support, freeing Stacey to focus on the high-value advisory work her clients actually need.
The Outcome
With Joan managing the manual workload, Stacey now has the operational foundation to expand her client roster without the bottleneck of doing it all herself. Hired at $12/hr. Two vetted candidates presented within two weeks.
The Situation
ElevateOne Commerce runs a portfolio of roughly ten companies under a single entrepreneurial leader. Finances were consolidated under one bookkeeping function, but the person in the role, despite more than a year and a half on the job, couldn’t keep pace with the QuickBooks-intensive demands of a multi-entity operation. Every action item had to be handed over in writing. Supervision was constant. The bottleneck was costing Izabela, the Operations Lead, time she didn’t have.
What Changed
Ataraxis placed Monica, a Philippines-based Accounting Manager with six years of experience, within two weeks. Monica’s background was built entirely on US-client-facing work; full-cycle accounts payable, general ledger management, multi-entity reconciliations, and US GAAP reporting in QuickBooks Online and Desktop. She had also managed a team of four accountants, which meant she came with the structured, self-directed working style ElevateOne required. Izabela ran daily onboarding calls for the first month alongside her senior bookkeeper; by month two, Monica was operating independently.
In Her Own Words
“We’re a small entrepreneurial venture. We do it our way. I needed someone who would keep the wheel turning, not redesign it.”
— Izabela, Operations Lead, ElevateOne Commerce
The Outcome
The operational bottleneck that had accumulated over eighteen months cleared. Bill routing, account coding, and weekly payables reporting transferred fully to Monica, and Izabela redirected her time toward growth. At $1,100 per month, ElevateOne gained a finance professional whose credentials exceeded what the role required — leaving room for the position to scale alongside the business.
Placed at $12/hr, part-time. Vetted candidates presented within two weeks.
No long-term contracts.
Hiring bookkeepers through Ataraxis adds meticulous number-crunchers to your team at a fraction of U.S. salaries, keeping the books current and cash flow clear while expenses stay lean.
Here’s how bookkeeper companies like Upwork, Fiverr, OnlineJobs.PH, and Ataraxis compare on key hiring criteria.
If your books don’t require someone every day, a part-time bookkeeper might be the better fit. Most companies and solo operators start part-time and scale up as the workload grows. We place both, and we’ll help you figure out which one makes sense for where your business is right now.
7 years of US accounting experience in preparing financial reports, presenting financial data and Quickbooks Certified
6+ years of US bookkeeping experience with QBO, tax filing, payroll, and financial reporting
A bookkeeper keeps your financial records accurate and up to date. They handle the day-to-day financial tasks so you always know where your business stands.
(0-2 years experience) Good for basic work like entering transactions, processing invoices, and reconciling accounts. They work best with some guidance and are a great option if you need affordable entry-level support.
(2-5 years experience) Handles more on their own. Think financial reports, payroll, bank reconciliations, and a solid understanding of accounting basics. A good fit if you need someone who can run your books without a lot of hand-holding.
(5+ years experience) Oversees the whole bookkeeping function. Experienced with financial reporting, tax prep support, budgeting, and audit prep. If you want someone who can also catch problems before they become expensive, this is your hire.
Switching platforms is not the solution. Your virtual bookkeeper integrates directly into the tools and software you already use. Our candidates are screened for familiarity with the major systems used across accounting, bookkeeping, and financial operations. Below are the platforms we actively recruit for. If you are running something not listed here, let us know and we will screen specifically for that experience.
Bookkeeping, reconciliations, and accounts payable.
Bookkeeping, bank reconciliations, and financial reporting.
Bookkeeping, expense tracking, and invoicing.
Invoicing, expense tracking, and client billing.
Not seeing your platform? We screen candidates for any accounting or bookkeeping software your business runs. Contact us to request a platform-specific search, or browse our full list of supported platforms to see the complete range of tools we recruit for.
A good bookkeeper is detail-oriented, communicates clearly, and understands how your business makes money. They keep your books clean, reconcile your accounts, handle invoices and payroll, and put together financial reports you can actually read and use.
When you have the right person in that role, you stop worrying about whether your numbers are right. Your books stay current, you always know where your cash stands, and you get your time back to focus on running and growing the business.
Track daily income, expenses, and financial activities across all accounts and platforms.
Match internal records with bank statements to ensure financial accuracy and catch discrepancies.
Manage employee compensation, track hours, apply deductions, and ensure timely payments.
Generate balance sheets, profit and loss statements, and cash flow reports for review.
Organize and categorize financial data to assist accountants with timely and accurate tax filing.
Record and track outgoing payments, schedule due dates, and ensure timely vendor payouts.
Monitor incoming payments, send invoices, and follow up on overdue accounts.
Label and organize business expenses accurately for budgeting and reporting purposes.
Assist in tracking actual spending against budgets and flagging variances or potential issues.
Utilize accounting platforms like QuickBooks, Xero, or Wave to maintain records and streamline workflows.
Prepare and organize financial records for internal or external audits, ensuring easy access to key documents.
Track cash movement to help maintain healthy liquidity and anticipate shortfalls or surpluses.
Ensure all financial data is properly tracked and organized.
Free up your time by delegating financial management.
Access accurate reports to guide business strategy.
Ataraxis does the heavy lifting by thoroughly screening and vetting virtual assistants before they’re matched with you. This means you won’t waste time sorting through unqualified candidates.
Ataraxis virtual assistants are fluent in English and skilled at communicating professionally, ensuring there’s no miscommunication in your day-to-day tasks.
Unlike many freelancers who may not align with your work hours, Ataraxis virtual assistants are willing (and happy) to work in your time zone, making collaboration seamless.
All Ataraxis VAs are college educated and have specialized experience in various fields, so you can trust them to hit the ground running.
Hiring through Ataraxis gives you access to ongoing support. If your team of virtual assistants needs adjustments, Ataraxis is there to help, unlike freelancer platforms where you’re on your own.
Freelancer platforms often attract short-term gig workers who juggle multiple client projects at the same time. Ataraxis virtual assistants are committed to building lasting partnerships with one employer, becoming a true extension of your team.
When you’re ready to hire a bookkeeper, the best location depends on the mix of cost, language skills, time-zone overlap, and talent depth your business needs. Here’s a quick tour of the best regions, each with clear advantages and a few trade-offs, to help you decide where to hire a bookkeeper who fits your workflow.
We created the Global Outsourcing Talent Index, a data-backed audit of all 193 UN-recognized countries scored across five variables: labor cost, English proficiency, talent availability, digital infrastructure, and political stability.
The results were eye opening and are frequently cited by major news sites and industry blogs all over the world.
This is our most active sourcing region, and for good reason. The Philippines has over 7 million professionals on LinkedIn, produces 1.45 million graduates every year, and ranks #2 in Asia for English proficiency. Professionals here have been working with U.S. businesses for decades, so the learning curve around culture, communication style, and business expectations is already short.
The talent pool covers a wide range of roles, and most professionals are used to working U.S. hours, so time zone coordination is rarely a real obstacle. If you are hiring a virtual assistant for the first time and want the lowest-risk entry point into offshore hiring, the Philippines is the place to start.
Pros: #1 ranked outsourcing destination globally. Deep English-speaking talent pool. Strong familiarity with U.S. business culture. Large graduate pipeline. Highly competitive rates. Proven remote work track record.
Cons: Time zone difference from the U.S. requires some coordination, though most professionals are already accustomed to working U.S. business hours.
Best for: Virtual assistants, virtual medical receptionists, customer service, admin support, recruitment, bookkeeping, and healthcare back-office roles.
Latin America’s biggest advantage is time zone alignment. Most of the region sits within one to three hours of U.S. time zones, which means you can have a real working relationship without anyone significantly adjusting their schedule. If same-day collaboration matters to your team, this region delivers that more naturally than most.
The region also produces strong bilingual talent in English and Spanish, which is a practical advantage if your customer base includes Spanish speakers or your business operates across both languages. One thing to keep in mind: quality varies more by country and city here than in more established markets. Vetting matters more, not less.
Pros: Excellent time zone alignment with the U.S. Strong bilingual capability in English and Spanish. Competitive rates. Growing professional services talent base. Same-day collaboration without scheduling workarounds.
Cons: Quality varies more noticeably by country and city than in more established markets, so thorough vetting is essential. Rates can be slightly higher than Southeast Asia or Africa depending on the country.
Best for: Bilingual customer service, sales support, admin, marketing, and businesses with Spanish-speaking customer bases.
South Africa is a strong option for roles where communication quality is non-negotiable. Professionals here are native or near-native English speakers, they write well, and they communicate in a way that Western clients tend to find natural from day one. The country has a solid track record in executive support, finance, and customer-facing roles, with reliable infrastructure in major cities.
The talent pool is smaller than the Philippines, and the time zone requires some planning if your team operates purely on U.S. hours. But for roles where professionalism and communication are the top priority, South Africa consistently delivers.
Pros: Native or near-native English speakers. Strong business writing and professional communication. Solid alignment with Western business culture. Good infrastructure in major cities. High-quality talent in admin and finance.
Cons: The talent pool, while strong, is smaller than Southeast Asia. The time zone can require some adjustment for businesses operating purely on U.S. hours.
Best for: Executive virtual assistants, professional services support, customer-facing roles, content, and finance.
East Africa is one of the fastest-growing outsourcing markets in the world right now, and most U.S. businesses have not caught on yet. That works in your favor. You can access experienced, well-educated professionals before rates climb and competition for that talent increases.
Several of our strongest-performing virtual assistants come from this region. The professionals here tend to be highly motivated, detail-oriented, and serious about their work. Rates are very competitive relative to the education and experience level you get. The practical note: infrastructure can still be inconsistent outside major cities like Nairobi, Addis Ababa, and Kampala, so careful vetting is important.
Pros: High education levels relative to compensation. Strong English proficiency. Highly motivated professionals. Very competitive rates. Growing urban infrastructure in major cities.
Cons: As a newer outsourcing market, careful vetting is essential. Infrastructure can still be inconsistent outside major cities.
Best for: Administrative support, executive assistance, sales support, operations, and any role where you want experienced professionals at a lower cost point.
If your biggest priority is real-time availability and cultural familiarity for customer-facing work, the Caribbean is worth a closer look. Countries like Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados have established outsourcing industries, and English is the primary language. Customers and clients often find the interaction immediately familiar, which matters a lot for front-line roles.
The talent pool is smaller than other regions, so this is not the right fit for high-volume or highly specialized hiring. Rates are also higher than Africa or Southeast Asia. But for roles where accent and cultural alignment are the top priorities, the Caribbean delivers.
Pros: Near-identical time zones to the U.S. East Coast. Strong English communication. High cultural familiarity with American consumers. No scheduling lag for customer-facing roles.
Cons: The talent pool is smaller than other regions, which limits options for specialized or high-volume hiring. Rates tend to be higher than Africa or Southeast Asia due to proximity and cost of living.
Best for: Customer service, inbound and outbound calling, sales support, and roles where real-time availability and cultural familiarity are priorities.
Eastern Europe is where you go when the role requires technical depth. Countries like Poland, Romania, Ukraine, and Bulgaria produce large pools of highly educated professionals in IT, software development, data analytics, and finance. English proficiency in professional roles is strong, and the work culture aligns well with U.S. and European business expectations.
The trade-off is cost. Eastern Europe delivers meaningful savings compared to hiring domestically, but it is more expensive than Asia or Africa. Time zone differences also require some planning for real-time collaboration. For technical and specialized roles, though, the talent quality is hard to match at this price point.
Pros: Strong technical and analytical skill sets. High education levels. Solid English proficiency in professional roles. Good infrastructure. Work culture that aligns well with U.S. and European businesses.
Cons: Rates are higher than other offshore regions, which reduces cost savings compared to Asia or Africa. Time zone differences with the U.S. require some planning for real-time collaboration.
Best for: IT support, software development, data analysis, finance, and roles requiring strong technical expertise.
Ataraxis sources bookkeepers from three primary regions. Each has genuine strengths, and the right choice depends largely on where your business operates and what working relationship you’re optimizing for.
The Philippines has been the backbone of offshore accounting support for U.S. and Australian businesses for decades. Filipino bookkeepers are trained extensively in QuickBooks, Xero, and MYOB, and hold internationally recognized credentials like CPA and Certified Bookkeeper. For Australian businesses in particular, the time zone overlap makes real-time collaboration straightforward in a way that LATAM or South Africa cannot replicate.
South Africa produces finance professionals with strong IFRS foundations, neutral English accents, and working hours that align naturally with the UK and Europe. For British businesses especially, a South African bookkeeper feels operationally close — same language, similar business culture, and a time zone that supports live communication during the standard workday. The talent pool is deep and the accounting standards are rigorous.
LATAM has become the preferred region for U.S. and Canadian businesses that want real-time overlap without paying domestic rates. Countries like Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina produce accountants with strong U.S. GAAP familiarity and QuickBooks fluency, working in time zones that mirror or closely follow North American business hours. For businesses that need a bookkeeper available during the U.S. workday, LATAM is often the most practical fit.
Hiring your first bookkeeper is perfectly doable on your own, but most business owners underestimate the hours it takes to sift through resumes, schedule calls, and run multiple interview rounds. Research shows that the DIY path typically drags on for weeks (or months), involves several interviews, and can still lead to mis-hires if you rush the vetting stage.
List everything you want your bookkeeper to own and create detailed instructions. Clarifying scope upfront helps with long term retention and minimizes confusion.
Having a set schedule helps create structure and consistency.
Write a descriptive JD with required experience, KPIs, schedule expectations, etc.
Post your job description to bookkeeper websites and craft a recruitment message you can use to reach out to candidates directly.
Expect to screen 40-100 candidates to find your ideal virtual assistant.
Give 2-3 finalist candidates a short take-home assignment to test their attention-to-detail, responsiveness, and work product.
A bad hire can cost up to 50% of first-year pay, so doing your due diligence is cheap insurance.
Draft an employment or contractor agreement, include an NDA, and grant tool access.
When you hire a bookkeeper through Ataraxis, you skip steps 2-7, saving you weeks of lost productivity.
We source top talent globally from regions including the Philippines, Latin America, South Africa, and East Africa, and beyond.
Our team screens over 200 applicants with a 5% acceptance rate. Every candidate goes through:
You’ll only meet the top 3–4 finalists we’ve personally vetted and approved.
Read more about our vetting process here.
For each role, we’ll shortlist 3–4 highly qualified finalists based on your requirements. You’ll have the opportunity to interview each candidate and decide who’s the best fit for your team.
We set up and maintain secure VPN access and use timekeeping and productivity monitoring tools to ensure accountability. All staff are trained in data security best practices to maintain compliance and confidentiality.
Ataraxis has been operating for just under two years, but our roots run deep. Our founder has led a successful recruitment business for nine years, employing global talent within that company as well. (We eat our own cooking.)
Yes. Once hired, your chosen candidate will work exclusively for you on a full-time basis. They’ll act as a dedicated member of your team, fully aligned with your goals and workflow.
We take care of all the back-end work including compliance, paperwork, and payroll. You’ll simply receive a monthly Stripe invoice for each person you hire, making the process seamless and hassle-free.
No. Our agreements are month-to-month, giving you complete flexibility. There are no deposits or lock-in contracts.
Hiring a bookkeeper saves money compared to having full-time office staff. This lets you and your team focus more on growing your business and doing what you do best.
Great bookkeepers often come from countries and regions like the Philippines, South Africa, Latin America, East Africa, and Eastern Europe. These countries are known for their skilled workers who speak fluent English and have strong work ethics.
Yes! At Ataraxis, your bookkeeper will match your local time zone, making teamwork easy and smooth.
US-based bookkeepers usually cost $25 to $50 per hour. Ataraxis offers MBA-level, full-time bookkeepers starting at just $11 per hour. This means you get great help for up to 70% less.
We keep your information safe by using secure VPN connections, regular monitoring, and privacy agreements signed by every virtual assistant.
Payments are easy and secure with Stripe. We also promise 100% satisfaction – if you’re not happy, we’ll fix it right away.
It depends on your workload. We offer both full-time and part-time virtual assistants, so you can choose the option that fits how much support you actually need. Full-time VAs tend to integrate deeper into your team and build more institutional knowledge over time, while part-time VAs are a good fit if you have a narrower, well-defined set of tasks.
Check out our pricing page to see rates for both options.
Ataraxis uses software to monitor your assistant’s activities, ensuring they are always working efficiently and staying productive.
It’s best to set up clear communication methods right from the start. You can use popular tools like Slack, WhatsApp, Zoom, or email, based on what works best for you.
Your satisfaction is our #1 priority. If you’re not happy, we’ll quickly address the issue and find you a better match, or issue a prorated refund if needed.
Great communication skills, attention to detail, strong work ethics, time zone alignment, work from home readiness, and problem solving skills. We carefully choose assistants based on their skills, experience, availability, and special abilities to make sure they match your business needs.
Yes! Many businesses find virtual bookkeepers deliver even better quality work, especially for specialized tasks.
Paying very low rates, like $2-3 per hour, usually means getting less skilled workers and lower quality work. Ataraxis offers affordable assistants who are highly skilled.
It usually takes 1-2 weeks to get your bookkeeper fully onboarded and familiar with your business, ensuring you work well together from the very beginning.
Remote bookkeepers are typically experienced with platforms like QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, NetSuite, and Zoho Books, along with tools for expense tracking, invoicing, and financial reporting.
Most outsourced bookkeepers are already experienced with standard processes and tools. You’ll mainly provide guidance on your specific workflows, chart of accounts, and preferences rather than full training.
Yes. Offshore bookkeepers often collaborate directly with your CPA or accountant by keeping records clean, preparing reports, and ensuring everything is ready for tax filing or audits.
Yes. Many remote bookkeepers specialize in catch-up and clean-up work, organizing past transactions, fixing errors, and bringing your books up to date so you can move forward with accurate reporting.
Yes. Many virtual bookkeepers are trained in U.S., UK, and Australian accounting standards. For complex tax matters, they can work alongside your CPA or accountant to ensure full compliance.
If you’re always playing catch-up, missing reports, or spending your evenings reconciling transactions, it’s time to get someone else in that seat. A virtual bookkeeper from Ataraxis keeps your records clean, your cash flow visible, and your business moving forward, without the cost of a local hire.
Start Hiring a Virtual Bookkeeper Today
