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Updated over 8 years ago,
Thoughts on 1099 "employees" as appt setters?
I've been giving some thought to utilizing part-time employees to answer calls and run comps to assist in handling my direct mail campaigns.
As far as structure, my thought was to market the position as an internship. I work in Higher Education and have witnessed the power of utilizing bright, energetic college students to grow a business. There's turnover, but the quality of work is far greater than what one would obtain from a VA or part-time employee willing to work for a comparable salary. Each school is different as far as what they'll recognize as an internship, but because the position is remote, I could market only to the areas that would count it (plenty of schools are pretty lax on what they consider an internship).
The primary concern would be keeping the role 1099 as opposed to W2 to assist in limiting costs and paperwork. Because the training you can offer 1099's is limited (I'd structure any training as an "Orientation" to err on the side of caution with this requirement), I'd need to be cautious, but based upon the idea that they could operate from their chosen location and would be required to provide their own laptop, etc, I'm cautiously optimistic that I could meet the 1099 standards. As far as a pay structure, I'd construct it to be based upon the amount of work performed (10 comps equals five bucks, etc) and a fixed fee for number of qualified appointments set.
Does anyone have experience utilizing a similar process? Or thoughts regarding my proposed structure?
I see the main hangups being accountability with young workers (though vetting candidates is a big part of any potential hire) and my ability to train them. I'd want them working off of script, but to stay compliant with 1099 requirements I think I'd have to leave it as a proposed and preferred method of operation and not a requirement. Obviously I'd consult with legal counsel prior to proceeding, but was hoping for any thoughts from the community if anyone has had comparable experiences.
Personally I would have loved such an opportunity in school. The earning potential wouldn't be huge, but if they're producing it'd likely pay better than McDonald's. Sure would have beat filing papers and making copies in my unpaid internship...