Employees for €5 per hour for your Amazon FBA business: My experience with virtual assistance

You don't have to do everything yourself - especially when it comes to starting an Amazon FBA business. The first sales are often the focus, but at some point there comes a point when your own time is no longer enough. In this article, I'll show you how I found my first employee for just €5 per hour, which tasks I handed over and why a virtual assistant is the ideal start for many sellers. Find out how you can get affordable and reliable support, when the time is right and what you should look out for.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy5eIM3x6ew

Why virtual assistance is so helpful at the beginning

At the start of an Amazon FBA business, everything revolves around generating sales and staying liquid. You do most of the work yourself: Purchasing, support, invoices, product maintenance and much more. Hiring staff sounds tempting, but a permanent employee costs at least €2,000 per month, including all taxes. Especially in the initial phase, most sellers cannot afford this - the risk is too high and the necessary budget is often lacking.

Reasons why full-time employees are difficult at the beginning:

• Fixed costs at all times, even with fluctuating sales
• Additional administrative work (contracts, payroll accounting)
• High social security contributions and minimum wage

Especially at the beginning, every investment is a question of timing. The risk is only really worth it when sales are stable. It therefore makes sense to hand over tasks gradually - and cleverly.

Important keywords: support, costs, liquidity, start

This is how I found my first employee for €5 per hour

The need for support arose for me when I suddenly had to provide a lot more customer support due to many products requiring a lot of consulting. I needed a quick but efficient solution. After some deliberation, I decided on a virtual assistant.

Why Upwork in particular?

Upwork is a platform on which freelancers from all over the world offer various services - similar to Fiverr, but more focused on long-term collaboration and with better quality and selection. I wanted to avoid short-term mini-jobs like on Fiverr; I was looking for someone who would take on tasks continuously and stay longer.

My criteria for the job advertisement

What was important to me during the search was

• Good knowledge of German (due to customer support and direct customer contact)
• Residence outside Germany (saves minimum wage, different wage level)
• Basic computer skills and reliability

I found most of the applicants abroad - in the end I got support from Bangladesh. The colleague spoke good German and met all the requirements.

Checklist for job postings on Upwork:

• Language requirements (German is mandatory)
• Experience in customer service or assistance
• Reliability and availability (ideally also on weekends)
• Willingness to perform regular tasks
• Specification of the desired hourly wage

Everything is organized via Upwork: establishing contact, drawing up contracts, recording working hours and invoicing. This makes getting started and working together easy and secure.

Which tasks I have outsourced to the virtual assistant

The biggest bottleneck for me was customer support. I sometimes spent several hours a day just answering questions or correcting invoices. That kept me away from more important tasks that would allow my business to grow.

Typical tasks that I have handed in

Customer support (main focus):

• Answering customer inquiries by e-mail or chat
• Clarification of typical questions: "Where is my product?" or "I'm missing a spare part"
• Correcting incorrect invoices

Other outsourced tasks:

• Obtaining small pieces of information or data
• Support with research for product questions
• Management of small routine tasks

Here is a checklist of typical support tasks that I have handed in:

• Answer customer inquiries (status, shipping, replenishment)
• Submit missing or incorrect documents
• Support with returns and complaints processes
• Collecting and forwarding frequently asked questions to me as a dealer

Development and onboarding

Unfortunately, my first virtual assistant didn't work perfectly. It's normal to need several attempts at the beginning - but with the second person it worked very well. I created a short video instruction for the training and gave clear step-by-step instructions.

That was important:

• Short, clear instructions
• Constant feedback in the first few days
• Creating trust and accepting small mistakes

What surprised me: The collaboration soon worked smoothly. Although German was not a native language, there was hardly any disadvantage because the tasks were well documented and standardized.

Challenges with virtual assistants

• Language barrier: Only possible with a good knowledge of German, but these can be easily found thanks to online platforms.
• Quality requirement: Average skills are sufficient for simple tasks, for more complex tasks you should learn along with the job.
• Personal initiative: With a little training, many assistants make the most of their opportunity and actively think for themselves.

Conclusion: After a few weeks, I had one to two hours more time every day - which I invested in new products and marketing.

Advantages and limitations of a virtual assistant abroad

Virtual assistance from abroad is a real boost, especially for Amazon FBA newcomers. The cost savings are enormous: while an employee in Germany costs at least €2,000, you can often get support from abroad from €5 to €10 per hour (in 2025, €6 to €10 is more realistic).

Advantages

• Low costs and often highly motivated employees
• Flexible time management (many also work outside German office hours)
• Quick familiarization if tasks are described clearly and in a structured manner

Boundaries

• Restriction for more complex tasks that require higher language skills or local presence
• Cultural differences can cause misunderstandings (can usually be resolved with clear communication)
• Long-term commitment difficult if tasks are monotonous

Comparison of pros and cons:

Tip: If you want to hand over demanding tasks or increasing responsibility, switch to local employees later.

How to find your virtual assistant via Upwork: step by step

Upwork is a proven platform for finding VAs from all over the world. This is how you proceed:

1. create a job advertisement

• Describe tasks as specifically as possible (customer support, research, invoices, etc.)
• Explicitly request German language skills (with proof)
• Define desired working hours and scope of hours
• Mention that experience in e-commerce/support is advantageous

2. price negotiation

• Name a range of €6 to €10 per hour (realistic for 2025)
• Check motivation and quality in conversation
• Offer scope for development (more responsibility, long-term cooperation)

3. evaluate applicants

• View profiles and reviews
• Ask specific questions about experience and availability
• Test your German language skills directly

4. processing and communication

• Use messaging and payment processing directly on Upwork
• Agree on test tasks to check cooperation
• Clarify working hours and routines early on

You can find more information and applicant profiles directly on Upwork.

Make the right decision: when is the best time for virtual assistance?

Many Amazon sellers wonder when they should hire an assistant. There are clear signals that indicate that you need support:

Typical indicators:

• Tied up in customer support for more than 2 hours a day
• Recurring routine tasks take time away from strategy and growth
• Administrative effort increases with a larger product portfolio

Sign that a VA is necessary:

• Tasks outside your core business are piling up
• Perceived lack of time for product development or marketing
• First signs of excessive demands or declining response quality

Give yourself a break as soon as you realize that "normal" working hours are no longer enough to work through or that you are mainly busy with support.

Conclusion: Virtual assistance is the smart solution for Amazon FBA beginners

If you spend hours a day in support or on routine tasks, a virtual assistant is worthwhile. You save enormous costs, can grow flexibly and get valuable time back - time that you can invest in your business. There's hardly any risk: if it's not right, you can switch service providers. Experience shows that many VAs from abroad are very motivated and reliable if you create clear processes.

Try it out for yourself - even small investments in support will quickly bring you added value.
Try it for your Amazon FBA business - in 2025 your time will count more than ever.
Feel free to leave a comment telling us about your experience or if you have any questions.

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