Whats a subcontractor vs a virtual assistant?
Virtual assistants are independent contractors or entrepreneurs who provide administrative assistance to multiple clients. Subcontracting is the initial service provider is in control but another provider does the work. Unlike regular assistants, both of these types of people work out of their homes rather than at your business physical location.
There are numerous advantages to using a subcontractor:
Location. If you work from home, you don’t have to find a place to put an employee.
No Overhead. They provide their own office supplies, desk, computer, software, and phone lines. No Benefits. Theyre not your employee, so you arent responsible for paying social security or income taxes, holidays, insurance, vacation or sick pay.
Lots of Flexibility. Its significantly easier to find a subcontractor who can work evening hours or weekends after all, they’re working from home. And you can give them more or less hours as your needs change.
There are virtual staffing companies that match other service providers with subcontractors who need help running things.
How Do I Know What I’m Getting?
Assistant Match is a highly reputed virtual staffing agency. Clients are often concerned about hiring someone without ever seeing their face. Assistant Match reassures them that because the agencies don’t get to meet the people they send to their clients often they’re in different states their hiring processes are a great deal more stringent. It’s typical they probably turn away about 70% of the people that interview. Those who make the grade go through an intense interviewing process.
Virtual agencies try to match each client with an assistant who is a good fit for their needs. They look at qualifications, personality and work style, and hours of availability both number and times. Whatever your unique requirements, theyll work to find someone who’s a good fit.
Common Client Concerns
How hard is it to work with someone from a remote location?
There’s so much technology now that really facilitates working virtually. It’s as simple as hitting the speed dial instead of the intercom or attaching files to an email rather than walking them to the next room. Most of your communication will be via phone, fax, and email. There are also online meeting programs (https://GoToMeeting.com) that let you do demonstrations and presentations, such as for training purposes.
And their skills run the gamut everything from writing, accounting to marketing to graphic design. Whether you need someone to answer incoming calls and do mailers or someone who can manage your entire business when youre away, you can find staff with all levels of skills.
