From Startup to Scale-Up: The Hard Truths Nobody Talks About
When I launched HeyBuddy Solutions in 2023, I knew exactly what I wanted – to start an outsourcing business. What I struggled with was figuring out where to begin in such a complex industry. So I decided to start simple with virtual assistant services.
Starting from my home office in Taguig with just a laptop, I launched our VA agency as my entry point into the outsourcing world. I figured if I could master delivering quality virtual assistant services to US businesses, I could learn the ropes and gradually expand into more comprehensive solutions.
What started as strategic simplicity – offering VA services while I figured out the industry – quickly evolved into the comprehensive EOR, BPO, and managed services solutions we provide today. The VA work taught me exactly what businesses needed and gave me the foundation to build something bigger.
Today, we’re a growing team serving clients across the USA, but the path from that first virtual assistant project to full-scale workforce solutions has been anything but linear. Let me share the real story – including the struggles of finding our messaging, the cash flow reality when I hired Jazmine, and the lessons that shaped how we help businesses scale globally.
The Reality Check: It’s Lonelier Than You Think
Everyone talks about the excitement of being your own boss. What they don’t mention is the crushing weight of making every single decision, especially when you’re trying to figure out exactly what your offshore workforce solutions company should be. Should I focus on EOR services or BPO? How do I explain what we do to US clients who’ve never heard of employer of record services? What should our website even say about us?
I remember spending entire weekends staring at competitor websites and rewriting our about us page for the tenth time, trying to figure out our messaging and find our niche in the crowded Philippines outsourcing market. That’s when I made my first crucial hire – Jazmine as my executive assistant. She started by handling my calendar, communications, and the endless administrative tasks that were consuming my days.
But Jazmine quickly became much more than an assistant. As we worked together through the business challenges – from figuring out our positioning to understanding what made us different in the market – I realized she had incredible operational insights. Her understanding of both the details and the big picture made her invaluable. That’s when I promoted her to operations manager, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made.
Having Jazmine evolve from executive assistant to operations manager taught me exactly what our US startup clients need when they’re building their first offshore teams. It’s not just about finding someone to handle tasks – it’s about finding people who can grow with your business and eventually take ownership of entire functions. Jazmine and I learned together how to cut through the industry jargon and focus on what actually matters: building teams that scale.
The Money Talk (Because Let’s Be Real)
Cash flow management became a real concern the moment I made my first hire. When it’s just you running a virtual assistant agency, irregular income is manageable – you adjust your own lifestyle. But the second Jazmine came on board as my executive assistant, suddenly I had payroll responsibilities and a completely different relationship with money.
Serving US clients from the Philippines adds layers of complexity you don’t think about when you’re solo. International wire fees, currency exchange timing, and clients who aren’t used to paying overseas vendors all become critical when you have someone else depending on steady paychecks. I remember realizing I needed to completely rethink how I managed client payments and project timelines.
The real learning curve was understanding how to price our virtual assistant services properly now that I had actual overhead and team members to consider. It wasn’t just about what I thought I could charge anymore – I had to factor in consistent payroll, benefits, and the value we were actually delivering to growing US businesses.
That’s when I learned the difference between being a freelancer and running an actual offshore staffing company. Once you have team members who depend on you, every client payment delay or pricing decision has real consequences. It forced me to get serious about positioning our services as strategic business solutions rather than just cost-effective virtual assistant support.
Why I’m Still Passionate About This Crazy Journey
You’d think after all the cash flow stress, late-night client calls across time zones, and constantly explaining what “employer of record” means, I’d want a simpler business model. But honestly? I love what I do so much that I miss work when I’m not working – and I know that may be crazy to say, but it’s true.
What really energizes me is solving problems for our clients, even the ones that seem unrelated to offshore staffing. I remember one client complaining about spending hours every week manually tracking project deadlines across different spreadsheets. I suggested he try Monday.com instead of his complex Excel system. Two weeks later, he called me back – not only had the tool saved him tons of time, but he realized he had so many other manual processes that could be streamlined. That’s when it clicked for him that he needed a virtual assistant from the Philippines to help organize and optimize his operations.
It’s not just about connecting US entrepreneurs with talented Filipino professionals, though that’s incredibly rewarding. It’s about genuinely caring about our clients’ success in every aspect. Whether it’s helping them navigate EOR compliance, suggesting better project management tools, or finding creative solutions to their operational challenges – I love being that trusted advisor who sees the bigger picture.
The global workforce solutions industry constantly evolves with new challenges, but what excites me most is that no two client problems are exactly the same. Every conversation brings a new puzzle to solve, and I genuinely get energized thinking about how to make our clients’ lives and businesses run smoother.
Sure, this journey has been chaotic and unpredictable. But when I can help solve both the big strategic challenges and the small daily frustrations that ultimately lead to building their perfect offshore team, I can’t imagine doing anything else.
What’s Next for HeyBuddy Solutions
We’re not the scrappy startup in my Taguig condo anymore, but we’re also not done growing. Our leadership team and I are focused on scaling sustainably – which means saying no to opportunities that don’t align with our values, investing in our people’s development, and staying true to the problem-solving approach that got us here.
The hard truth about scaling up? It’s just trading one set of problems for another set of problems. But when you’re passionate about what you’re doing and surrounded by people who believe in the mission, those problems start feeling less like obstacles and more like puzzles worth solving.
To Fellow Founders: You’re Not Alone
If you’re reading this from your own workspace, wondering if you’re crazy for trying to build something from nothing – you’re not alone. The path from startup to scale-up isn’t linear, it’s not pretty, and it definitely doesn’t look like the highlight reels you see on social media.
But it’s worth it. Every small victory, every lesson learned the hard way, every moment when you realize your team has your back – it’s all building toward something bigger than what you started with.
The Philippines needs more of us willing to take the leap, to fail forward, and to keep building despite the challenges. We’re not just creating companies; we’re creating possibilities.
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What’s your startup story? I’d love to hear about your journey – the messy, real, unfiltered version. Connect with me and let’s build this ecosystem together.
Mia Ancog is the CEO and Founder of HeyBuddy Solutions, a growing company based in the Philippines serving clients in the USA. When she’s not obsessing over growth metrics, you can find her mentoring other startup founders or exploring Taguig’s incredible food scene.
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