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Writer's pictureAlex Miranda

Virtual Assistance: Why Short-Term Contracts?

Updated: Sep 10, 2024

Most people immediately relate to short-term contacts when we speak about remote work. Although most online projects prefer short, concentrated bursts of activities, this is not always true. However, we want to explore the basis of this myth and its application to your game plan. You will be surprised to learn that, more often than not, you have alternatives. These alternatives consider your total budget, deadlines, and other goals that are vital for the successful fruition of your project.


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This short guide is ideal for people who have worked remotely before. If you are unfamiliar with remote work, you should consider visiting our main website, where we provide specific tips on how to take it on. Our devoted sales staff is also available to help you define your main goals and how you wish to reach them.


Let's jump into the content without further ado and see how short-term contracts are connected with remote work.



The interference of virtual assistance is always present in short-term contracts.


As usual, most outsiders tend to confuse virtual assistance with freelancing. Both concepts may be similar but are not the same at all. So, short-term contracts are the standard but not a mandatory rule in remote work. Many of our clients agree that they require someone to constantly watch over specific tasks, or they may have a constant influx of work that requires a longer-term solution.


Freelancers prefer to simply cut a contract and return it every once. This is a common practice as it gives them more freedom and control over their time. They also tend to avoid relationships that may limit their client or work intake. However, when we speak about remote workers who are not freelancers, all the context changes. In this case, they can opt for a more stable approach to work.


Experts get it done faster but not always better.


Sure, a freelancing expert can provide solutions to most problems in just a few days. Their job is to be efficient, but this is not something necessarily positive for your company. Sometimes the easier or the fastest solution is not, the better, as it won't be optimum in the mid or long-term. Having an expert working for you for more extended periods allows you to implement a strategy that short-term contracts prohibit. Analyzing, studying, and adapting the plan to each step or new turn will be priceless for your company.


It also offers flexibility in adapting your goals as new milestones are achieved. On the more superficial side, finding someone who communicates well with your team and shares their workflow is essential. Switching professionals often makes it quite challenging to establish a work plan as you will always need to adpt new strategies. Remember this significant consequence when deciding on a short or long-term contract.


You can always switch gears with your internal team.


Another widespread reason most people assume that remote workers should work short-term contracts is the need for change. Sometimes your priorities can change during a project, making it no longer relevant or maybe putting it on the second term. That is when having someone working for you more stably pays off as you can easily switch gears to fit these new needs. However, a short-term contract will just be terminated, and you will lose access to the professional unless you come up with a counteroffer to sign him again.


This is also true if you wish to move around or switch the responsibilities of someone. Most short-term contracts tend to specify tasks or be very explicit about the responsibilities they must assume. However, it can happen that identifying another potential talent that your assistant may have but not being able to tap into it.


In the end, they both have their strong and soft spots, but it will largely depend on how you want to tackle specific tasks. There is no right or wrong answer to the debate about contracts. But we recommend having all of these alternatives clear so you can make an educated choice when hiring someone. This can affect your team differently, so you must be ready to tackle it and adapt to whatever contract you choose to sign.


It is also quite essential to understand that nothing is set in stone, so you can always try to switch between methodologies of work, but this can create inevitable friction between you and your workers.

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