Employee or a Virtual Assistant? They’re basically the same thing, right? Wrong!
That’s like saying Superman and Batman are the same. Sure, they’re both caped crusaders and just cool in general, but Superman uses his superpowers while Batman relies on his wits and smarts to fight crime.
Likewise, employees and Virtual Assistants have distinct characteristics that set them apart from each other. Think of a Virtual Assistant as an alternative to an employee, rather than an employee.
Read on to determine which one - employee or Virtual Assistant - is right for your business right now.
So how is an employee different from a Virtual Assistant?
There are a few key differences in the way you pay a Virtual Assistant versus an employee.
When you pay an employee, here are just a few of the costs you are responsible for:
Federal employer payroll taxes. These taxes amount to 7.65 percent of the employee’s wages and go towards covering a portion of their Social Security and Medicare.
FUTA taxes, which is 6 percent of each employee’s wages
Worker’s compensation insurance
Paying into state unemployment insurance
Your employee’s state and local taxes
Paid vacations and time off
Following federal labor laws in terms of paid breaks
Whoa! That’s a lot of money to pay on top of employee wages. Is there another way? Well, yes: hire a Virtual Assistant!
A Virtual Assistant is employed through another entity, such as an outside agency like Virtual Assist USA. At Virtual Assist USA, we provide you with a carefully assigned Virtual Assistant, chosen specifically for you and your business needs. We have a talented team of professionals who are ready and excited to work with you. The best part? We hire, train, assign and take care of all the not-so-fun stuff like payroll. We do the heavy lifting, so to speak, so you can focus solely on the tasks and projects that are important to you and your business. Assistance is a phone call or an email away- literally at your fingertips!
So which is better? The answer depends on your needs. If you require on-site staff at specific hours, you likely need to hire an employee, especially if you plan to expand the responsibilities over time. But if you need administrative support (think CRM, email campaigns, web design, calendar management, online meeting facilitation) that can be handled virtually with a flexible schedule (and without the payroll hassle!), then a Virtual Assistant might be just what you need.
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