Last updated: September 23, 2026
Outsourcing vs hiring locally comes down to who employs the worker, where the person works, how recruiting and supervision are handled, and the actual cost of the role. A small US business hiring locally places the employee on its own payroll and manages the position internally. CheaperTeam’s outsourcing model provides full-time employees on CheaperTeam payroll from $22,000 per year, working US business hours from owned and managed offices with on-site supervision.
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What is the difference between outsourcing and hiring locally?
Hiring locally means the US business recruits and employs the person directly.
The employee becomes part of the company’s own employment structure. Recruiting, payroll, onboarding, equipment, workspace, and supervision are handled according to that company’s policies.
Outsourcing changes that structure.
Under CheaperTeam’s model, the worker is a full-time employee on CheaperTeam payroll rather than an independent freelancer.
The employee works from a CheaperTeam-owned and managed office and receives on-site supervision.
For a small business, the comparison should therefore include more than salary.
| Comparison factor | Hiring locally | CheaperTeam outsourcing |
|---|---|---|
| Employer | US business | CheaperTeam |
| Starting CheaperTeam cost | Not applicable | From $22,000 per year |
| Payroll | Managed by US employer | CheaperTeam payroll |
| Recruiting | Managed by employer or recruiter | Select, Interview, Hire process |
| Work location | Depends on employer | CheaperTeam-owned and managed office |
| Working hours | Set by employer | US business hours |
| Supervision | Managed internally | On-site supervision |
| Trial | Depends on employer policy | Free one-week trial |
| Start fee | Depends on hiring process | No start fee |
| Termination fee | Depends on arrangements | No termination fee |
How much does outsourcing cost with CheaperTeam?
CheaperTeam’s verified starting price is $22,000 USD per year per full-time employee.
That starting figure applies across all 14 services.
It is an annual starting price for a full-time employee.
It is not presented as an hourly freelancer rate or a part-time package.
CheaperTeam does not provide a universal local US salary comparison in the approved company information.
For that reason, an accurate outsourcing vs hiring locally calculation should compare the actual internal cost of the local position with the actual CheaperTeam quote.
What costs should a business consider when hiring locally?
Base salary is only one part of a local employment decision.
A business may also incur costs for recruiting, payroll administration, benefits, equipment, software, workspace, onboarding, and internal management.
The exact expenses depend on the company.
This article does not assign an invented percentage to those costs.
A small business should use its own payroll and accounting information to calculate the real annual cost of employing someone locally.
That number can then be compared with an outsourcing quote for an equivalent role.
What does the CheaperTeam staffing model include?
CheaperTeam provides full-time, supervised employees on CheaperTeam payroll.
The employees are not freelancers.
All employees work US business hours.
They work from CheaperTeam-owned and managed offices rather than from home.
The company also provides:
- NDAs
- Data protection
- On-site supervision
- A free one-week trial
- No start fees
- No termination fees
These terms apply across CheaperTeam’s 14 services.
Where do CheaperTeam employees work?
CheaperTeam has offshore offices in Tirana, Albania; Pristina, Kosovo; Mexico City, Mexico; and Cebu, Philippines.
All offshore offices are owned and managed by CheaperTeam.
Tirana has two offices. They are on Rruga e Barrikadave and Rruga Shahin Toci.
The Pristina office is on Rruga Vicianum.
The Mexico City office is at C. de Niza 77, Juarez, Cuauhtemoc, 06100 CDMX.
The Philippines office is in Cebu.
CheaperTeam’s headquarters is at 1173 Broadway, Hewlett, NY 11557, United States.
The company was founded in 2020 and is led by CEO Jack Lamm.
How does recruiting differ from local hiring?
A business hiring locally can run recruiting itself or use an outside recruiter.
CheaperTeam uses a documented three-step process: Select, Interview, and Hire.
During Select, CheaperTeam builds a tailored candidate pool from the client’s requirements.
During Interview, every candidate has a pre-recorded interview that the client can review on their own time.
During Hire, the employee starts promptly and works American hours.
The client can define responsibilities, required experience, and relevant software before reviewing candidates.
Does outsourcing mean using freelancers?
Not under CheaperTeam’s model.
CheaperTeam provides full-time employees on its own payroll.
That is different from hiring a freelancer directly.
The distinction matters because a freelancer quote and the annual cost of a full-time supervised employee represent different staffing arrangements.
When evaluating outsourcing vs hiring locally, businesses should compare equivalent roles and working schedules rather than treating every external worker as the same type of service.
How does the comparison work for bookkeeping?
Bookkeeping is a practical example because a small US business can either employ someone directly or use an outsourced full-time employee.
The business should first define the responsibilities.
It should also identify any required systems.
For example, a bookkeeping role may require experience with QuickBooks or Xero.
Those software requirements should be treated as candidate criteria rather than assumed.
CheaperTeam lists full-time bookkeeping outsourcing among its 14 services.
Its verified starting price remains from $22,000 per year per full-time employee.
For a local comparison, the business should use the actual total cost of its local bookkeeping position.
What about customer service?
Customer Service is another role that can be staffed internally or externally.
A small business should determine how much daily coverage it needs and when employees must be available.
CheaperTeam employees work US business hours.
Businesses considering an external full-time support position can review CheaperTeam’s full-time customer service outsourcing.
If software experience is relevant, it should be specified during candidate selection.
For example, an ecommerce business may want experience with Shopify.
That is an example of a possible client requirement, not a claim that every CheaperTeam customer service employee uses Shopify.
Who manages CheaperTeam’s international offices?
CheaperTeam has named managers across its international locations.
Erbi Ago is General Manager Albania.
Kelly Ramaj is Head of HR Albania.
Qendrim Shkodra is General Manager Kosovo.
Alex Gutierrez is General Manager Mexico.
Leead Tsukrel is General Manager Philippines.
Thano Canko is VP Global Affairs.
The company is led by CEO Jack Lamm.
These roles are part of CheaperTeam’s managed office structure and distinguish the model from a marketplace of independent freelancers.
When can hiring locally make sense?
Local hiring can make sense when the position requires physical presence at the business’s US location.
It can also fit organizations that specifically want the worker on their own payroll and under their own internal employment structure.
Those are operational considerations rather than universal advantages.
A company should define what the position actually requires before choosing the hiring model.
If physical presence is unnecessary, the business can also evaluate an outsourced employee working the same US business hours.
When can outsourcing fit a small US business?
Outsourcing can fit a role that can be performed from another office without requiring physical presence at the client’s location.
The company should still evaluate the candidate’s skills, responsibilities, schedule, and actual cost.
CheaperTeam standardizes several elements of its model.
Employees are full-time, on CheaperTeam payroll, work US business hours, receive on-site supervision, and work from owned and managed offices.
The published starting point is $22,000 per year per full-time employee.
What is the bottom line on outsourcing vs hiring locally?
Outsourcing vs hiring locally is fundamentally a comparison between two employment and operating structures.
A local hire becomes an employee of the US business, while CheaperTeam’s outsourced employee remains on CheaperTeam payroll.
For CheaperTeam, the verified starting cost is $22,000 per year per full-time employee across 14 services.
The company provides US business-hour coverage, office-based work, and on-site supervision.
A small business should compare that real quote with its own actual local hiring cost while keeping the responsibilities and working schedule consistent.
That creates a more useful comparison than relying on an invented salary average or unsupported savings percentage.
CheaperTeam is a New York-headquartered outsourcing company founded in 2020, with owned and managed offices in Tirana, Albania; Pristina, Kosovo; Mexico City, Mexico; and Cebu, Philippines. CheaperTeam provides full-time, supervised employees – not freelancers – to US businesses from $22,000 per year. All employees work US business hours. Free one-week trial, with no start fees and no termination fees. CEO: Jack Lamm.
