The last three years have seen an increase in remote work with a few people venturing out and seeking a means to augment their income. So the lines keep getting blurred and it’s time to define who a freelancer is, who a virtual assistant is, and their differences & similarities.

Freelancer- an individual usually referred to as an independent contractor. They usually have 1 major skill that they offer. He/she isn’t bound to work for a company and is usually creative offering graphic design, copywriting & software development.

The freelancer is usually content with their profiles on hiring sites, as prospective clients who visit those sites are looking for help with specific tasks like logos and apps

Freelancer- an individual usually referred to as an independent contractor. They usually have 1 major skill that they offer. He/she isn’t bound to work for a company and is usually creative offering graphic design, copywriting & software development.

The freelancer is usually content with their profiles on hiring sites, as prospective clients who visit those sites are looking for help with specific tasks like logos and apps

Virtual Assistant – a professional who offers services to business owners remotely. This person usually offers a more robust service to clients and has a vast range of skills. An example is the social media manager whose skill set ranges from content creation to copywriting, basic graphic design skills, and some tech knowledge as they need multiple software to carry out their jobs.

This person needs systems and processes to be productive and effective due to the type of services they offer. Without these processes, templates, and systems, they will find it difficult to work effectively with multiple clients

Service providers- an individual or organization that offers services to business owners. This usually includes consultation.