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How a Virtual Assistant Can Cut Business Costs So let's get to it! You may think that having a professional personal assistant would come at a premium. However, you may be surprised! Hiring a freelancing VA can actually save your bottom line. Grab a cup of coffee, and I'll show you the numbers... Employee Vs. Freelance Virtual Assistant You may be asking, won't hiring an employee be more cost-effective? Not necessarily. When you hire an employee, you not only pay their salary but also create additional expenses such as office space, equipment, and benefits. On the other hand, hiring a freelance VA means you only pay for the work completed - no overhead costs, no benefits, no sick pay. In fact, hiring a VA can be up to 60% less expensive than hiring an employee. And with the rise in remote work, hiring a VA has never been easier! The Cost of an Affordable Virtual Assistant For a full-time, in-house employee at a rate of $15.00 per hour, working 2,080 hours a year: Annual salary: $31,200 Payroll taxes at 12%: $3,744 Benefits at 30%: $9,360 Paid leave at 13%: $4,056 Admin costs at 7%: $2,184 Annual Total: $50,544 For a freelance virtual assistant at a rate of $19.00 per hour, working 2,080 hours a year: Annual salary: $39,520 Payroll Taxes at 12%: $0 Benefits at 30%: $0 Paid Leaves at 13%: $0 Admin Costs at 7%: $0 Annual Total: $39,520 As you can see, the bottom line demonstrates the affordability of hiring a freelance virtual assistant vs. an employee. Taking the Next Step So, how do you find a good virtual assistant that fits with your mission and vision? You have access to a global talent pool and the flexibility to hire someone who can work on your schedule and meet your specific needs. For overseas virtual assistants, I recommend Surge Marketplace. Surge is where I received my certification. They are a quality company with very high standards and practices. If you are looking for someone in the United States, I would be honored to assist you and your business. As a certified virtual assistant, I offer quality services at an affordable price. As a small business owner, I value honesty and integrity. Headwaters Freelancing is committed to providing you with the best possible service. Conclusion Now that we have reviewed the numbers, it just goes to show, that a personalized virtual assistant experience doesn't have to break the bank! It is possible to have someone support you and your business without a lot of extra expense. So, consider hiring a freelance VA and experience the benefits of streamlining your workload, increasing productivity, and ultimately achieving your business goals. Have a great week! Danielle

The hot topic debate on whether it is beneficial to hire a freelance virtual assistant vs. hiring an employee is a worthwhile discussion. It can impact major aspects of your business; your budget, productivity, and growth. Here is what you need to know to make a wise decision for your business. Virtual assistants are different from employees. How? Let's explore these differences together! Freelance virtual assistants and traditional employees can offer many benefits and may have some drawbacks. There are differences in cost, flexibility, and availability. Which option will help your business thrive? What are some differences? First, the most significant difference between hiring a VA (virtual assistant) and a traditional employee; is cost. A VA is much more cost-effective than a full-time employee. Next is flexibility. A VA can have flexibility with their schedule. They could work evenings, be available for holidays, and require less time off. On the other hand, a traditional employee will usually have a set schedule within business hours, typically 9-5. Lastly, location! You have the exciting advantage of choosing a VA from around the world! Many are in other time zones or maybe in your hometown. These opportunities could help increase your productivity. A traditional employee would need to have a functioning office for them to perform their job. Advantages and Disadvantages: Virtual Assistant & Employee Advantages of a VA VAs have a variety of skills that can be helpful to any size of business. Administrative tasks: scheduling appointments managing emails creating reports handling customer service requests research data entry Creative Tasks: creative and innovative ideas help with content creation provide social media support They are a great resource for small businesses looking for additional help without having to hire full-time staff. Flexible payment options give a small business owner greater access and the ability to stay on budget. Disadvantages of a VA Keeping track of hours could be unreliable. I recommend researching time trackers to use with your virtual assistant. They are a reliable and easy way to see how many hours your VA is working. A VA may have technical difficulties. These are out of your control. However, they are also not your responsibility. These technical difficulties could cause lost productivity. In contrast to face-to-face employees, your VA is a remote worker. A time zone difference could present difficulties with immediate communication. Advantages of a Traditional Employee Having a traditional employee allows you to see their work and productivity in person. You can keep track of areas that need improvement and address them promptly. Some employers enjoy the workplace experience. It can build loyalty with employees, but this is more difficult to do remotely. Disadvantages of a Traditional Employee It is a substantial investment. Building Training Benefits An employee may expect to have a fixed set of tasks. They may not be available to easily accommodate last-minute changes if the business operations depend on an established schedule. As a result, work quality may suffer. Hiring a traditional employee can take time and be costly. Promoting ads, recruiting fees, and training costs add up quickly! I'm going to break down the biggest difference a little more... cost. Cost: Virtual Assistant Vs. Employee Virtual Assistant The cost difference between contracting a virtual assistant and hiring a full-time employee can be significant. A VA is typically a more cost-efficient option for businesses that need to outsource specific tasks or projects that do not require a full-time employee. They are often paid at an hourly rate, so businesses only need to pay for the time they use, rather than the salary of a full-time employee. Another option is project-based pay, where you pay only for the project. Not for the hours worked on the project. This can be a great cost-saving option for businesses that need to outsource specific tasks. Traditional Employee Employee costs are broken down into three main categories: compensation, benefits, and payroll taxes. Compensation includes wages, bonuses, commissions, and other types of remuneration. Benefits may include health insurance, retirement contributions, disability insurance, and other employee welfare programs. Payroll taxes are taxes and contributions that are deducted from an employee’s wages and remitted to the government. Some employers may need greater access to their employees; they may prefer the face-to-face experience. In those cases, the cost may not be a concern. Bottom Line? I need my calculator... For a full-time, in-house employee at a rate of $15.00 per hour, working 2,080 hours a year: Annual salary: $31,200 Payroll taxes at 12%: $3,744 Benefits at 30%: $9,360 Paid leave at 13%: $4,056 Admin costs at 7%: $2,184 Annual Total: $50,544 For a freelance virtual assistant at a rate of $19.00 per hour, working 2,080 hours a year: Annual salary: $39,520 Payroll Taxes at 12%: $0 Benefits at 30%: $0 Paid Leaves at 13%: $0 Admin Costs at 7%: $0 Annual Total: $39,520 *These are examples. Rates and percentages may differ. Conclusion Before deciding which is best for your business, determine what specific projects you need to complete. Consider your budget, resources, and timeline to determine which option is best for you. Review the pros and cons of each option. Virtual assistants are usually more cost-effective and typically can manage a range of tasks and projects. Employees may provide a more reliable and long-term solution, but they can be more expensive and require more time and energy to manage. Ultimately, which option is best for your business will depend on your specific needs and goals. I hope this information helps you in making that decision. "You might think you can't afford a VA if you have a start-up, or don't need one if your company is already established, but VAs can be game changers for almost any business. After all, there is truth in the saying, "Time is money." If you spend more time supporting your business instead of building it, you are not maximizing your efforts." -AMY VETTER

Recently, my son came to me and asked, "What eats more than a teenage boy?" He stood there tall and proud with a goofy grin on his face. You see, he recently turned eleven years old. The boy can eat! He is so proud that he is getting closer to that mysterious and alluring title of "Teenager." I smiled back at him and replied, "Two teenage boys!" I felt pretty clever with that answer, and he giggled in agreement. He has a younger brother who is too quickly approaching teenage boy status. They are already eating me out of "house and home" at ages eleven and nine! Hopefully, some of the tricks I've learned over the years as our family has grown will help us succeed as our five children grow up! I don't know about you, but I like the hunt for a good deal. It makes me feel like I am supporting my family by being a good steward of our finances. Getting the best bang for my buck is exciting! I spend time during my grocery planning to ensure savings. Depending on the week, I will save more than others, but I never skip over the steps I've created to get the best possible outcome. All right! Here's what to do! 4 Saving Tips Make a Budget Creating a monthly budget is crucial to saving money on groceries. It can feel overwhelming, but it will give you a great reward in peace of mind. You are simply telling your money where it needs to go. Here are some things to think about when preparing a budget and meal plan. 1) How many people am I feeding? 2) What are our health goals, and how will our food choices reflect that? 3) What items are non-negotiable? So let's get to it! The first thing to consider when writing your budget is pretty simple (here's a quick-start budget form). How many mouths are you feeding? There are a few different ways to determine your monthly grocery budget. First, you can go the route of a percentage of your income. Dave Ramsey has an excellent plan that helps you break down your monthly expenses to be sure you are not overspending based on your income. His recommendation is for your grocery budget to be 10%-15% of your monthly income. Another recommendation is to apply $100 per person each month. So, for our family of seven, that would put our budget at $700 per month. That made sense in my head, and it's simple math! Both are great ways to keep your grocery budget on track. Secondly, every family eats differently. Some families have strict eating plans, some have allergies, and others have strong convictions on animal and environmental treatment. These different situations will make each budget very unique. My list and budget would never work for your family's situation. So, looking on the internet and just trying to copy someone else's plan probably will not work in the long run. That's why I want to give you some tips and tricks, not my specific list of delicious food! Lastly, what are those items you are not willing to skip? For example, we like to eat some organic food because some of my children react to non-organic grains. So, I buy organic produce, dairy and cereals. My kids love cereal! But if it is not organic, it becomes a health problem. Therefore, I have to budget for it. Check out these resources for information on how to create the proper budget for your family. "If you live like no one else, later you can live—and give—like no one else." - Dave Ramsey Online Grocery Many grocery stores are providing online grocery ordering and pick-up now. It… is… awesome! Especially with five children! With online grocery, I can stick to my budget by limiting impulse buys ( that tempting pack of donuts or the beautiful new pitcher I have to buy because it is there and "On Sale"). I can easily stick to my meal plan by searching for specific items instead of wandering down every aisle in the store. I can create a "regulars" or "favorites" list so that the things I love can quickly go into my cart. It may just be me, but I have experienced the "checkout of shame" where I have to hand off all of the items that are now "go-backs" because I went over budget. With online grocery shopping, I can arrange and rearrange my cart without anyone impatiently watching as I nervously start putting the essential items ahead of the lesser important things. It's a game-changer! Digital Coupons I was never a coupon clipper, but I loved watching that TV show about extreme couponers. Such dedication! I did not have the time or patience to collect and cut coupons. I always felt like the coupons in the Sunday paper were for items I did not want to buy anyway. One way to blow a budget is to buy a bunch of "On Sale" things you don't need! However, times have changed, and I love digital couponing. A Google search will come up with many options. However, my favorite option is the grocery store's rewards card, which has digital coupons linked to it through the store's shopping app. I have been able to save thousands of dollars using this process. I compare prices between the two online grocery stores I use (Walmart and Smith's/Kroger) and 'clip' coupons on the Smith's grocery app (Kroger digital coupons). They have made it so simple and very efficient. One of the features I love is that their coupons often reflect the items I frequently buy. In addition, they have bonus coupons based on your purchase history and even free items. I am not just getting coupons for junk food but the good organic produce, cereals, and dairy I want! I have not mentioned this yet, but we have two kids in diapers. We often get great discounts on toiletries, diapers, and wipes. It has been a blessing for our family. Check your local stores to see what their rewards programs offer. CashBack Who doesn't love to get paid to buy what you are already going to buy? This tip isn't immediate savings on your grocery order, but this is passive income from your purchases. I have earned about $100 over the past few months using a few cashback apps. I know that is not a huge amount, but it is free money. The rule of thumb should be, do not just buy the $5 item you do not need so you can get $1 on your cashback app—that defeats the purpose. Instead, use the CashBack apps as a bonus when the savings make sense! A Google search will offer several CashBack apps. My go-to's are Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. Why It Matters The most important thing to our family is not to worry and stress over our finances. Sometimes, that is easier said than done. However, that focus is essential for our marriage and relationships. Money, or the lack of it, can be a massive point of conflict in a marriage, and it is not worth losing the loving and caring marriage relationship over money worries. Money can cause stress and contention in any relationship when not handled well. So we keep God's Word at the heart of our home. Matthew 6:26-34 (KJV) says, "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So, why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field which, today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, then will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day its own trouble." This Bible passage is a beautiful image of God's heart providing for us. Not only do we receive provision for our daily needs, but also we receive grace to not worry about if God will meet those needs. So let's honor the Lord with our finances and trust in Him. When we trust God, there is no room for stress or resentment. Dave Ramsey says, "If you live like no one else, later you can live—and give—like no one else." That is an incredible place to be! In Conclusion, your grocery list doesn't have to be a burden. Grocery shopping is an opportunity to honor God with a simple, mundane life task. Using these steps and taking the encouragement to heart can help bring joy to your grocery shopping and saving experience. Not only saving you money but saving you time! Your wallet and your family will thank you! Happy saving and God bless your home! Enjoy a free shopping list!