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It pays to know the advantages and the things you need to consider before hiring or working as a virtual assistant.

Knowing who to pick for your project can spell the difference between hassle-free coordination or barely finishing your projects after surviving nights of endless sleep due to headaches.

Likewise, if you’re looking to build a career as a VA, then you should consider the work-culture of being a freelancer or being under contract for a company.

Defining a VA

A virtual assistant is a professional who will work for you usually in a remote setting.

The job description of a VA can vary. But the general coverage includes administrative assistance like booking hotels, answering emails, and setting appointments. They can also be skilled in different aspects like graphic design, copywriting, search engine optimization, branding, and web development.

Some individuals can possess these skills and some may specialize in one aspect. But they can all provide what you need to get your business running smoothly and efficiently.

Why would you get a VA in the first place?

A VA has become a necessary asset for busy entrepreneurs in optimizing their work.

If you’re a solo entrepreneur, you can delegate work to them and get help with the tasks they specialize in. You can also easily create a financial budget for them if you decide to hire one.

While you may need to look around for the VA that fits most of your needs, once you’ve found that individual, then you can expect them to work for you in the long run.

The main difference between freelancers and company VA

The most evident difference between them is how they are employed.

Freelancers tend to be solo individuals specializing in one or a few skill sets.

Company virtual assistants are employed full-time or part-time by a corporation.

Freelancers tend to be more flexible with their rates and time. But you run the risk of specific hours of availability since they employ multiple clients at a time which may cause you to hire more people.

If you think you have good management skills and can handle multiple individuals remotely, then you will find this model a better fit for you.

On the other hand, you have the option of hiring a company to assign a VA for you.

Companies, since they hire a lot of people, can offer a wide variety of skill sets. So it’s usually up to you to tell them what you need. Then, they will find an individual or a team that fits your requirements.

They may also assign a project manager to help you with coordinating your requests to your VA.

The only limitation to this method is that you can’t necessarily establish a working relationship with your team and they may have a higher cost than freelancers.

Which is best to choose for what scenario

VAs are great assets to your company. They can provide you with the services you need to match your requirements.

So, you don’t need to think too hard about hiring one because the right VA can help you with more than one aspect of your company.

Just make sure to set the proper expectations so that you can create an amiable work-culture between you and your remote staff.

Would you rather be a freelancer or a company VA?

If you’re interested in working as a remote staff and feel like you can take on the exciting world of virtual assistants, then you have the option to go solo or be part of a VA company.

Both have perks and some things that will make you want to consider either one.

In essence, a company VA tends to have a more secure work environment. Since you’re part of a company, then you have a salary and the same benefits as a registered company. The only downside is that you need to be content with a fixed monthly income.

As a freelancer, you can earn however much you want to earn, provided you meet your client expectations. But being self-employed means you don’t have the luxury of having a secure monthly income because most of your finances will come from your clients and the terms you agreed with for them to pay you.

Both have ups and downs. Either pattern will fit others and vice versa. What’s important is that you pick the one that will suit you best.

But whether you choose to be a freelancer VA or a company VA, one thing is for sure, you need to hone your skills in your chosen career.

This is where we can help you.

Honing your skills with ON-PH

We have regular pieces of training and seminars geared toward helping virtual assistants get ahead of their game. This is not to create competition. Quite the opposite, actually.

We want to create a community of sharing and giving to help every Filipino virtual assistant out there.

If you’re interested in this bid, join our Facebook group and get updated on the latest news and schedule of training.

Have you had experience in hiring a remote staff? What were the reasons you took that road? Let us know!

What’s in it for us? What’s the catch?

You have reached this part! You really are interested!

Simply put, the joy of knowing we have helped change a life through the skillsets we have is enough. We’ve been through a lot and we believe it’s time that we share it to the next generation. If there’s any catch, it’s that we want you to tell a soul. We want to reach every VA who wants to elevate their skills and land better clients and get paid more for their efforts.

If you want to talk to us about things, join our