Difference Between a Virtual Assistant and a Freelancer

Even just a few years ago, not a lot of people were concerned about knowing the difference between a virtual assistant and a freelancer. Today, however, the freelance economy is growing. It’s a worldwide phenomenon, and it’s powered by virtual assistants and freelancers. It’s good to know the difference so you will know whether you need a virtual assistant or a freelancer for the different tasks you want to outsource.

What is a Virtual Assistant?

Virtual is a term that gained new meaning in the computer age. It was originally used to refer to something or someone that does not physically exist but seems to exist, through the help of software programs. Virtual assistants, of course, do actually exist. This extension of the term refers to their presence being not physical but by virtue of software. In other words, they attend meetings and do work but not in the same physical space as colleagues and clients. A virtual assistant is a remote employee assisting clients with various tasks. The same with a freelancer; a virtual assistant assists business owners through their skillsets. However, virtual assistant works according to the time needed by the client. Thus, the virtual assistant has no freedom in terms of time and flexibility. Additionally, a virtual assistant is usually charged on an hourly basis. And the most common tasks that a virtual assistant is hired for are admin tasks.

Virtual assistants basically:

1. work from anywhere in the world with the help of the internet and other technologies, and

2. help business owners, managers and other individuals complete all kinds of different types of work.

What is a Freelancer?

The term freelancer is a portmanteau that was formed by combining the words free and lance. These people were free – not duty-bound to any lord (which, incidentally, was considered dishonorable in those days). The term “lance” was also used to describe them since they were persons with valuable skills, namely weaponry (not necessarily lances) and hand to hand combat.

A freelancer refers to an independent contractor who provides services to clients remotely. Additionally, freelancers assist clients directly. In what way? A freelancer sells skills and expertise through services in exchange for compensation. Also, as a freelancer, you are not bound by an employer or employee relationship. Therefore, you can work on your own time. On top of that, a freelancer usually receives a monthly or fixed rate. Thus, those who have mid to high level of expertise prefer to be a freelancer.

Freelancers basically:

1. sell their skills as independent contractors,

2. sometimes limited to a particular local area and sometimes anywhere in the world with the help of the internet and other technologies, and

3. bring specialized knowledge into a business to help business owners, managers and other individuals fill in skill gaps.

What’s the Difference?

Virtual assistants can really be anyone providing almost any kind of assistive service from a remote location. Freelancers may work remotely or within their local area.

There are literally hundreds of tasks that you can outsource to a basic virtual assistant. Usually, they do simple or basic types of work like:

• data entry

• lead generation

• email sorting

• social media posting

• note taking

• report preparation

• appointment setting

• booking

• research

In other words, virtual assistants as we know them today mostly do work that does not really require highly developed knowledge or skills. If you need a lot of little things done here and there, then a virtual assistant is who you want to hire.

Freelancers have already reached a level where they can bring in true expertise and develop new processes for clients. They are thinkers as well as doers, but the highest level experts usually tend to focus more on the thinking part and get help from other freelancers and virtual assistants for the doing part.

You can hire freelancers to take care of mid- to high-level tasks like:

• customer service

• graphic design

• bookkeeping

• copywriting

• SEO

• PPC advertising

• digital marketing

• content management

• product development

To keep it simple, you can consider virtual assistants to be the types that provide assistance in various areas – including assisting freelancers who handle skill-intensive projects. Freelancers, then, are more like specialists that have specific skillsets and focus on a particular area of expertise.

You can still, however, hire a virtual assistant who can create simple graphics and manage your newsletter, which does require some advanced knowledge and skill. Comparably, there are also freelancers who have a wide variety of skills that they have honed to a higher level but don’t consider themselves to be experts in all of these areas.

The bottom line: The real difference between a virtual assistant and a freelancer is the absence or presence of management and leadership abilities and how they prefer to work – more of an employee mentality versus making a career of freelancing and really owning the business aspect of it.