BELAY FAQ - What’s the difference between outsourcing and offshoring?

Q: What’s the difference between outsourcing and offshoring?

Outsourcing means hiring external help, whether local or remote. Offshoring means that help is located overseas. You can outsource without offshoring if you prefer to work with U.S.-based teams.

Outsourcing ≠ Offshoring

Outsourcing just means handing off work to a third party—like hiring a contractor, agency, or virtual assistant. It can be local, national, or international. Offshoring specifically refers to moving that work to a team in another country, often for cost savings.

Why It Matters

When people say “outsourcing,” they often mean “offshoring”—but that’s not always the case. For example, BELAY offers U.S.-based virtual assistants, bookkeepers, and specialists. That’s outsourcing, but not offshoring.

Pros and Cons

Offshoring can lower costs but may introduce issues like time zone delays, language barriers, or inconsistent quality. Domestic outsourcing costs more, but you gain speed, cultural alignment, and smoother communication.

Summary

Outsourcing is hiring help outside your company. Offshoring is sending that help overseas. If quality, alignment, and responsiveness matter, U.S.-based outsourcing might be the better call.

What We Offer

A BELAY Virtual Assistant is the expert in:

Research & Reporting
Inbox & Schedule Management
Book Travel & Expense Reporting
Project Coordination
Social Media Assistance
Light Bookkeeping

Stop trying to do it all. Accomplish More by Hiring a BELAY Virtual Assistant.

A BELAY Accounting Specialist can provide:

Bookkeeping
Accounting Clerks
Full-Service Payroll
E-Commerce Support
Tax Services
CFO & Controller Services

Your Books. Done Right. Accounting Services from BELAY.

A BELAY Marketing Assistant can help:

Develop Calendar & Schedule Posts
Create Content
Develop Strategy
Drive Engagement
Email Marketing
Provide Reporting

Twitter and LinkedIn and Facebook. Oh, My! Let a BELAY Marketing Assistant Help.

How it Works

Step 1

Sales Call

Meet with your Solutions Consultant to identify your exact needs and pain points and determine the right hire for you. If BELAY is a good fit, we’ll send you an agreement to sign, and you’ll be paired with a Client Success Consultant.

Step 2

Discovery Call

Meet with your Client Success Consultant to deep dive into your tasks, tools, culture, and personality requirements to ensure we match you with the right BELAY Professional.

Step 3

Placement Process

Now for our Secret Sauce: Your Client Success Consultant will vet and interview top candidates from our bench of nearly 2,000 U.S.-based Professionals. They’ll select the best match for you—in an average of just one week.

Step 4

Kickoff Call

You, your Client Success Consultant, and your new teammate will have a kickoff call—the official start to your partnership—to meet each other, set initial goals, discuss communication plans, and set yourselves up for success.