Why I Charge £35 an Hour and Still Save UK Small Business Owners Thousands

Running a business in the UK today means juggling countless decisions, and one of the biggest is how to get the support you need without breaking the bank. If you’re considering hiring your first employee or expanding your team, you might want to sit down for this one – the real costs might shock you.

That “Affordable” £12 Per Hour Employee? Think Again

When you spot a job advert for £12.21 per hour, it seems pretty reasonable, doesn’t it? Most business owners think they’ve got a good handle on employment costs, but honestly, the reality is quite different from what you’d expect.

The thing is, that hourly wage is just the starting point. Once you factor in all the additional costs that come with UK employment law, that seemingly affordable rate becomes something entirely different.

The Costs That Catch Everyone Out

Let’s be honest about what employing someone actually involves. You’ve got Employer’s Class 1A National Insurance contributions at £2,166 annually – there’s no getting around that one. Pension contributions will set you back another £705 per year, thanks to auto-enrolment requirements.

Then there’s mandatory training. Depending on your industry, you’re looking at around £1,200 annually to keep everyone up to scratch with regulations and skills development.

But here’s where it gets properly expensive. Your new employee needs software to actually do their job – budget around £1,000 yearly for licences. They’ll need a laptop, monitor, and other kit, which typically costs about £3,000 upfront. When something goes wrong (and it always does), you’re looking at £200 monthly for IT support.

Don’t forget the legal side of things. Most businesses end up paying around £450 monthly for retained legal and HR services to make sure they’re not accidentally breaking employment law. Add in payroll processing, sick pay reserves, and the extra office space your employee needs, and you’re looking at substantial ongoing costs.

The maths is pretty eye-opening: that £12.21 per hour employee actually costs your business £66,796.60 per year. Quite different from the initial hourly rate, isn’t it?

How Virtual Assistants Change the Game

Here’s where virtual assistants like myself offer something completely different. At £35 per hour, the total annual cost for equivalent work comes to £33,670. That’s it – no nasty surprises, no hidden costs.

The beauty of working with a virtual assistant is that we handle all our own overheads. I work from my own office, use my own equipment, and sort out my own software licences. No National Insurance contributions for you to worry about, no pension obligations, no office space requirements.

When I’m unwell, you don’t pay sick leave – I simply catch up on the work when I’m better. When I take holidays, there’s no holiday pay to calculate. The pricing is transparent and straightforward.

Why This Works So Brilliantly

Virtual assistants tend to be incredibly focused and efficient. Without office distractions, lengthy commutes, or the usual workplace interruptions, we can often complete tasks much faster than traditional employees. Many of us have also invested heavily in becoming specialists in our areas, so you get expertise without having to train someone from scratch.

Customer service, admin tasks, research, content creation, data management – these are areas where virtual assistants typically excel. We’ve built our businesses around being brilliant at these specific skills.

Flexibility That Makes Business Sense

One of the biggest advantages is flexibility. Busy period coming up? I can increase my hours immediately. Things quietening down? You can scale back without any of the complications that come with reducing employee hours or, worse still, redundancies.

I’ve worked with clients who needed intensive support during product launches, then scaled back to just maintenance tasks. Try doing that with a traditional employee without a lot of awkward conversations and potential legal complications.

When Virtual Assistance Works Best

Virtual assistants are perfect for businesses that need reliable, skilled support for tasks that don’t require physical presence. If your business involves digital work – customer support, online research, content creation, social media management, or general admin – then working virtually often produces better results than traditional employment.

We’re particularly brilliant for project-based work, seasonal fluctuations, or when you need specific expertise for shorter periods. Rather than hiring a generalist employee and hoping they can handle everything, you can work with specialists who already excel in exactly what you need.

The Financial Reality

£66,796.60 versus £33,670. That’s over £33,000 in potential annual savings per position. For small and medium businesses, that difference can be absolutely transformational. Instead of spending that money on employment overheads, you could invest it in growing your business, improving your products, or simply keeping more profit.

Many of my clients use the savings to expand their virtual team, ending up with more skilled support than they ever could have afforded with traditional employees. It’s quite remarkable how much further your budget stretches.

Starting Your Virtual Journey

If you’re intrigued but not quite ready to make a big change, why not try it with one specific project or area of your business? Choose something that doesn’t require physical presence and see how it goes. Most business owners are pleasantly surprised by how seamless the process can be.

The business world is shifting towards more flexible arrangements, and companies that embrace these changes early often find themselves with significant competitive advantages. Plus, there’s something rather satisfying about running a more efficient operation that gives you better results for less money.

Virtual assistance isn’t just about cost savings, though that’s certainly appealing. It’s about building a business that can adapt quickly, access specialized skills when needed, and focus resources on what actually drives growth rather than administrative overhead.

The numbers speak for themselves, but the real question is whether you’re ready to explore a more flexible, efficient way of getting things done. What areas of your business could benefit from skilled support without all the traditional employment complications?