| Many times the people that I quote prices for my | | | | charge this little do not realize they have to pay |
| virtual assistant services to say, "You're hourly | | | | self-employment taxes, and the IRS WILL catch |
| rate is more than what I pay my employees! I | | | | up to them at some point. Now if they manage |
| wanted to use a virtual assistant to save money." | | | | to stay in business, it will be because they've |
| This is an unfortunate misconception brought on | | | | upped their rates from lessons hard earned. |
| by virtual assistants sourced overseas (in | | | | Think about this - a virtual assistant is NOT an |
| particular India). Yes, you can get a virtual | | | | employee. They have things to pay for that an |
| assistant to work for you for $8.00 or less an | | | | employee does not such as business insurance, |
| hour. But odds are they're going to be from India, | | | | health insurance, utilities, hardware, software, |
| and you will truly get what you pay for when you | | | | training, supplies, and more. Their rate is going to |
| utilize services from India . I have no sympathy | | | | naturally be higher per hour than an employee. |
| for you when you are horrified by the quality of | | | | Where you will be saving money by using a virtual |
| your work if you take that avenue. | | | | assistant is that you don't carry the full cost of |
| And yes, you can find the American virtual | | | | the health insurance. You don't pay for the whole |
| assistant willing to work for pennies simply to get | | | | cost of a copy of software. You don't pay for a |
| business. Usually these are people who are just | | | | whole computer. You don't pay payroll taxes |
| starting as virtual assistants and are so desperate | | | | (including matching social security). You don't pay |
| to begin and to work from home that they will | | | | for hours not worked - how often do your |
| accept any price. This is great if you only need a | | | | employees take breaks during the day? How |
| virtual assistant once. | | | | often do they stand or sit at their desks talking |
| But if you want ongoing service or service again | | | | and being unproductive? A virtual assistant ONLY |
| the future, guess what? This VA is either not | | | | charges you for the time they are actually |
| going to be in business long or will have upped the | | | | working for you. |
| rates by the time you go back to use them again. | | | | So please remember not to balk at your VA for |
| They won't stay in business, because when the | | | | charging $16 or up per hour. They have business |
| IRS comes to take their self-employment taxes | | | | expenses to pay, and you will STILL be saving |
| (usually 25%) out of their $5.00 to $8.00 per hour, | | | | tons of money in the long run. |
| they will be put out of business. Most people who | | | | |