http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLHp9Qu2l2g

I wanted to help you with one area where you admit you aren’t understanding. You mention, “After much thought, and much research, I have decided that I probably need one of each: an employee, an independent contractor (or two or three) and a Virtual Assistant.”

You list three types here which indicates you aren’t understanding the legal classifications. Someone is either an employee or they are a business. “Independent contractor” is merely another term for a business owner; they’re simply a self-employed business owner. They are not a third classification and they are not an employee.

There are only two classifications in the world of business–you are either an employee or you are a business, one or the other. There is no third classification, which is what many folks are confused about when they use the term “independent contractor.” An independent contractor is simply another term for someone who is self-employed. But they are still a business. It’s very important to understand the distinction between the two because it absolutely affects how you work together and what you may expect. Employees are folks you have full leeway to dictate their hours, how they do the work, where they do the work, how much they will be paid, etc. But when you work with a business (e.g., Virtual Assistant, independent contractor), you may not dictate those things whatsoever. You only have a say about what you’d like done and what results you expect to receive. And you have to understand that when you are working with a business, whether that’s a big company or a small independent provider, there cannot work with you as if they were your employee. There are necessarily going to be differences in how and when you work together.

When either the client or even the VA doesn’t understand these things, it introduces a whole host of misunderstandings and wrong expectations to the mix that make it difficult to work together and cause problems that keep the relationship from being successful and productive.

I’ve have worked with more than 10 writers, VA;s, and graphics designers in my time and I only count 3 of those 10 as excellent assistants.

There are great ones out there, but they are often hard to find. I guess we (as clients) just have to keep digging until we find our perfect Mel (in my case) or Sam (in your case).

Thanks for bringing this topic to the community…it’s been interesting keeping up with the other threads on this topic.

And thanks for the cross blog conversation!

This conversation has actually been going on behind the scenes for *weeks*… and Nell and I decided to come forward with it and open the topic for public discussion. It turns out that we (the small group in our combined inner circles) werent the only ones with these issues and/or feelings…

Glad to see everyone speaking up and adding thoughts – from both sides of the situation!