What kinds of roles can I outsource to the Philippines?

Marketing, sales support, customer service, admin and executive assistance, finance and bookkeeping, technical and automation, and operations. The country supports almost every back-office and growth role you'd find in a small or mid-sized business.

What roles don't outsource well?

Senior strategic leadership, high-trust client-facing closing, and any role that needs to physically be in your market. Anything that depends on in-person presence or deep local cultural fluency belongs at home, at least for now.

Do I have to pick one role or can I build a team?

Either. Most clients start with one hire to prove the model, then layer in two or three more over the following year. Building a team works best when the first hire is solid and documented, so the second and third can plug into the same system.

How junior or senior can I hire?

Both, depending on budget and need. Junior support roles are plentiful and inexpensive. Mid-senior specialists in marketing, automation and finance are available but require careful sourcing. True senior leadership offshore is rarer and priced accordingly.

Will my offshore team feel like part of the company?

Only if you treat them like part of it. Include them in team rituals, share the wins, give them context for the strategy and invest in their development. The companies that get the best out of offshore teams are the ones who stop treating them as separate.

Every Role You Can Outsource to the Philippines: Complete List for Australian Businesses

Australian businesses can outsource far more to the Philippines than admin. Marketing, sales support, customer service, bookkeeping, automation and whole executive-assistant functions all run well offshore when the role is set up properly. This is the complete map of what you can delegate, grouped by function, with a link through to the detail on each. If you're not sure where to start, the rule of thumb is simple: outsource the work that eats your time but doesn't need you specifically to do it.

Marketing roles

From paid ads and SEO to content, email and design, marketing is one of the most outsourced functions for Australian SMEs because the work is project-based and measurable. See the full list in our guide to marketing roles you can outsource.

Sales and customer-facing roles

Appointment setting, lead qualification, inside-sales support and customer success all work offshore. Some sales work travels better than others, and we're honest about which. See our guide to offshore sales roles.

Virtual assistant and executive assistant roles

A good VA or EA gives a founder their week back: inbox, calendar, scheduling, research, data and the hundred small tasks that stall when you get busy. See what a Philippines VA can actually do.

Tech, automation and AI roles

No-code automation builders, AI workflow operators, data support and development help are the newest and least contested roles to outsource, and often the highest leverage. See our guide to automation and AI roles.

Finance and admin roles

Bookkeeping support, invoicing, accounts payable and receivable, payroll admin and reconciliation are steady, rules-based work that suits offshore delivery well.

Employment and compliance

However you hire, you'll need to decide between an Employer of Record, a Contractor of Record, or engaging a contractor directly. Our guide on EOR vs COR walks through which you actually need, and our risk and compliance guide covers how to keep the whole arrangement clean.

Most Australian businesses start with one role and expand once they see it work. If you'd like help deciding which role to outsource first, that's a conversation we have every week.