When you are growing your own business it is usually a good sign when you realize it is time for some help getting everything done - you recognize you can no longer wear all the hats. However, adding employees to the picture offers new challenges because of all it entails. The laws concerning how we treat people who work for us are pretty clear, and as soon as you employee someone you have some legally, defined responsibilities. You cannot just label them an “independent contractor” and shirk those requirements as their employer without sending up bright red flags.

Avoiding those flags

To have the proper relationship with someone who satisfies the workload you need done while meeting all the criteria as a freelancer or independent contractor the guidelines below need to be followed:

• They work unsupervised at their own location
•  While working on your project, they pursue other projects and clients
• They set their own schedule
• They already possess the skills you require
• They use their own methodology or processes in performing the work
• They use their own equipment
• They are paid on a project basis
• They incur expenses such as licenses, insurance, and supplies that are not directly reimbursed
• They can incur a profit or a loss

When you pay someone to takeover some of the load, even if they work from their own home, and you monitor them so they do what you what, when you want it, they are an employee. And even if the guidelines listed are met, you are still required to give them a 1099 tax form at the end of the year.

Have your cake and eat it too

If you want to use virtual employees, make sure they are someone else’s responsibility.  You can get the best of both worlds if you use Global Business Centers. Yes, you could seek and hire several freelancers or even a virtual personal assistant, but that will not give you the many choices you get with a full service virtual office system. You not only get the work done by a monitored staff, without personally carrying the burden of employment issues, you also have access to many other services that would be hard to organize yourself, such as an executive office suite, telephone answering service or mailroom. At some point, you might even find a Beverly Hills address or temporary office space quite handy. Visualize almost anything you need to keep your business up and running all in one place.

Enjoy the buffet

When you are ready to add help so you can grow to your full potential, remember to consider Global Business Centers. You can streamline your business virtually using their staff and their experience. No need to nibble on little snacks if you can have the whole buffet!