Are you a small business owner, entrepreneur or nonprofit perplexed between hiring a Temp or a Virtual Consultant?

A plethora of busy professionals and small business owners who find they are lacking the time or resources to stay on top of the administrative side of their business, are on the hunt to find the best low cost solution.

It has always been norm for businesses to hire a temp to stay current with the needs of work force fluctuations. For most, temp workers have served as a quick Band-Aid fix for unexpected or temporary work demands, seasonal or peak periods and employee shortages and absences.  Today’s alternative solution is the self-employed Virtual Consultant or Virtual Assistant.

Unlike temp workers, who often times have minimal work experience, are fresh out of school and lack the vested interest in the success of the businesses they work for; the Virtual Consultant is more experienced, more efficient and better connected to their clients.

The target market for Virtual consultants unlike Temps is small business owners, entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations - the hire option varies; rates are based on a per hour charge, or on a project by project basis whereas a set rate can be offered, based on the complexity of the project, the turn around time required and the payment schedule negotiated on the project. A Virtual Consultant is available when You need them and are paid Only for the work they complete - your not paying for idle time as with a temp.

Rates example:   The Cost of a Virtual Consultant (based on retainer rate.)

Hourly                                                  $25.00

Effective Pay                                        $25.00

Hours per year                   1040

Total Cost                                            $26,000 

Savings                                                $21,408

You’re not paying for benefits, overhead cost, or taxes; you’re only paying for the time you need on tasks. This enables you to save more than $20,000 a year by contracting a Virtual Consultant rather than hiring a fulltime employee.

Training is also an issue when comparing virtual consultants to temps. Majority of the time temp workers will require training when starting new work assignments in order for them to perform their assigned tasks to suit the specific needs of their clients and the companies they temp for. However, virtual consultants already posses the knowledge, skills and abilities to provide an array of services; in the rare cases that they don’t, virtual consultants are known for seeking additional training or skill enhancements to ensure they continuously provide their clients with superb professional services.

Over all, Virtual Consultants are highly dedicated to their clients - they have a conscious interest in the successes of their clients business. As temp workers may be more visible to the public due to their increased size and marketing budgets; they are not the only answer to help alleviate the administrative overflow for small businesses, entrepreneurs and nonprofits.

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