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In this presentation we shall try to weigh the pros and cons of an virtual assistant from an agency versus an independent freelancer.<br>
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Hiring a Virtual Assistant from an Agency versus an Independent Freelancer
When assigning your workload to a virtual employee, it is always a choice between hiring someone from an agency or an independent freelance worker. There are different kinds of virtual assistance service providers out there, and even many independents (freelancers). In this presentation we shall try to weigh the pros and cons of an assistant from an agency versus an independent freelancer.
Factors that you have to consider • Commitment • Non-Disclosure Agreements • Cost Versus Quality • Urgent Tasks • Trial Period • Scalability • Experts in Varied Areas • Replacing an assistant • Feedback Giving
Commitment • It is generally seen that employees from agencies are more committed to their clients as they are answerable to their companies. While freelancers are not much committed as they manage it themselves and is not liable to anyone.
Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) Companies are generally seen working safe when it is confidential data of clients. All companies mostly sign a NDA with the clients to keep the work confidential between the client and the company. While, when it comes to the independents, no such arrangements or assurances are made.
Cost Versus Quality It can be disputed that agencies come off as expensive when it comes to pricing. However, if you compare to independents, the kind of quality which an agency delivers is quite high.
Scalability If your business starts growing real quick and your requirement for human resources shoots up, a company will be more than willing to suffice your staff requirements. In the case of freelancers there is not enough scope for scalability and you would not be able to go beyond a single individual’s capacity.
Experts in Varied Areas In a company, you would find many experts supporting a varied number of skill-sets like accounting, digital marketing, and website development. But among independents it is difficult to find a single person who is an expert in different domains.
Replacing an assistant In case your regular one is not keeping well or has gone for a vacation, companies’ generally have enough hands for a replacement. Even in a situation, where your virtual assistant quits the company to join elsewhere, companies would quickly find a replacement and seamless transition would be in place.
Urgent Tasks Suppose you need to get something done immediately, virtual assistant companies in India likeGetFriday would get it done. While in the case of a freelancer you would have to hold back and wait till the person is available during your time. In case he/she is filled with any other work, he/she may not take it up immediately also.
Trial Period Most agencies that are into personal assistance give some kind of trial period for the client. This ensures that the client gets to judge the services, without committing any capital upfront. This is kind of a set-up is unheard of, when it comes to independents.
Feedback Giving When your task is not completed as per your guidelines, you can always escalate within the company to a manager and you would find your concerns addressed. In an independent’s case, you would have to give the negative feedback directly to the assistant.
Recently outsourcing to a freelancer has become a trend since the prices are low, but in real scenarios majority of the clients are dissatisfied with the freelancer’s efforts and get the same work redone by the agencies. With the major points mentioned above, hope you would agree that outsourcing to an agency/company is more advantageous than going with an independent.
