Hire a nearshore developer for your US small business: how to start without betting the farm
The safest way for a US small business to hire a nearshore developer is to vet them on a video call, start with a small paid first phase, and keep every account in your own name from day one. From Argentina, the gap with the East Coast is one to two hours depending on the time of year.
The safest way to hire a nearshore developer for your US small business comes down to three things: watch them work on a video call before you sign anything, start with a small paid first phase, and keep every account in your own name from day one. The rest (hours, language, payments) sorts itself out pretty easily.
I've already written about why hire in Latin America, what a developer in Argentina costs and nearshore vs offshore. This one is different. It's the practical side, for an owner who has never hired someone abroad and wants to know what the first few weeks actually look like.
Before you hire: three tests that rarely fail
Ask to see things running, not screenshots. A live website, a system demoed over a video call, a link you can click around in. If the developer has built something close to what you need, have them show it working.
Have a long call about your business. Not about technology. About how you sell, who talks to customers and what eats up your week. You'll know quickly whether they get the problem or just want a list of screens. You'll also find out whether working in English feels easy.
Ask how delivery works. How often you'll see progress, how you sign off, what happens if you don't like something. If the answer is “I'll show you at the end,” walk away. I keep a longer list in questions to ask a developer before hiring.
Start with a small first phase
The most expensive mistake is ordering everything at once. Pick one piece that's useful on its own and can be in use within a few weeks: the quote request form, the booking calendar, the product admin. It gets paid for, delivered and used.
That way you see how the person works on something real and low-risk. If it goes well, phase two moves faster because there's trust and the developer already knows your business. If it doesn't, you've lost little and you keep something that works. More on that in building software in phases.
What a normal week with me looks like
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Monday | A short video call in your morning: what got done last week and what's next |
| During the week | Messages on WhatsApp or email when something comes up, answered during my working hours |
| Progress | A link you open on your phone to try the new parts, nothing to install |
| Sign-off | You tell me what to change or give the OK, and that phase is closed |
| End of phase | You get the finished piece running, with your own login to manage it |
The call schedule bends to what works for you. If you'd rather handle almost everything by message, that works too.
Everything in your name from day one
The domain, the hosting account, business email, Google accounts: they should belong to your company, with the developer added as a user. And the code gets handed over to you. That way, if you ever want to switch, you don't need anyone's permission. I explained why in who owns your website code.
The contract and tax side, like what kind of agreement to use or what paperwork to keep when you pay a foreign contractor, is a question for your attorney or accountant. It's the same for any overseas vendor, whoever the developer is.
A real project: Mecohue
Mecohue is a pet store with a vet clinic and dog grooming in the Buenos Aires suburbs. I built their website with a product catalog, services and booking over WhatsApp, plus an internal system with a cash register, appointments and one-tap WhatsApp reminders. One set of tools covers the website and the front desk, built around how the store runs day to day.
It's exactly the kind of project a US small business can hand off remotely: something of your own, built around how your business runs, not the other way around.
See the Mecohue caseHours and language
Argentina stays on UTC−3 all year. Depending on the time of year, I'm one to two hours ahead of New York or Miami, two to three ahead of Texas and the Midwest, and four to five ahead of California. With the East Coast we share almost the whole day. With the West Coast, your morning is my afternoon.
I work in English or Spanish. If your business builds structures like sheds, carports or metal buildings, the Estructuras 3D blog has a piece on hiring a 3D configurator developer from the US.
Frequently asked questions
How do I pay a developer in Argentina from the US?
Usually against an invoice for each approved phase, by international bank transfer or through a payment platform. What paperwork you should keep when paying a foreign contractor is a question for your accountant.
What hours do you work?
Argentina is one to two hours ahead of the East Coast, two to three ahead of the Central time zone and four to five ahead of the West Coast, depending on the time of year. Calls fit easily in your morning or around lunch.
What if I want to switch developers later?
If everything is in your name from the start (domain, hosting, accounts and code), switching is just a handover. That's why it's worth asking for it before you start, not at the end.
Do you work in English?
Yes. I work in English or Spanish: calls, messages and all the text in your website or system.
If you run a US small business and want to try a small first phase, message me on WhatsApp at +54 9 11 6193-3176 or email contacto@facundocampo.com.ar. I answer in English and Spanish, and I quote each project based on what you need. You can also see what else I do on [services](/en/servicios).