Becoming a Virtual Assistant can be a great way to earn income while learning a variety of useful skills. It can be a great side hustle or morph into a full-time business, if that is what you are looking for. It works great for anyone that wants to work online from home, including retired people, students, and almost anyone else.
Virtual Assistants first became popular back when small online business owners figured out they could hire assistants offshore for a fraction of what it costs to hire an employee locally. Virtual assistants could theoretically handle any task that could be done via the phone and Internet.
Business owners soon found that they needed a variety of virtual assistants, both offshore and onshore. It depended on the tasks needed, the individual, and the needed interaction with others.
Good Virtual Assistants work hand in hand with the business owner or manager. They are proficient with office applications, searching and using the internet, and accomplishing all kinds of tasks via the Internet and phone for their client. There are lots of articles out there about how to find a good Virtual Assistant. Look at these as a guide to setting up your own VA business.
Like many businesses the key here is getting your first few clients and then if you are good you will live off referrals. You may want to do some small jobs for free or at low rates to get to know a potential client. Just make sure they know those are not your regular rates!
What Services Do Virtual Assistants Provide?
Here is just a small sampling:
- Customer Service
- Email Assistance
- Research
- Website Design
- Website Maintenance
- Travel Arrangements
- Social Media Assistance
- Online Forum and Community Assistance
- Proofreading
- Editing
- Various Kinds of Writing
- Spreadsheet and Accounting Support
- Data Entry
- Sales Assistance
- Dozens More…
What Skills Do I Need to Learn?
You may already have many of the skills you need, and you can learn the rest. There are online Virtual Assistant courses that might make sense. Individual skills can be learned with inexpensive online courses. My current favorite is Udemy, where many courses go on sale for about $10.
Pay special attention to online business-related skills. Learn the basics of website creation, online sales, online marketing, and social media.
How Do I get Started?
Figure out what you can offer. What are your current skills? What can you learn quickly?
Set up your business. Nothing fancy is needed but form a Proprietorship or LLC (for asset protection.) Set up a separate business checking account and get some business cards. Get some legal advice if needed. (I’m not a legal or accounting professional so this article shouldn’t be considered a source of that level of advice.)
Set up a website. It’s not that hard and even a basic one makes you look much more professional.
Decide how to market yourself to get your first clients. Online services like Upwork or Fiverr can help you get your first clients, although the jobs are usually low paying. You may want to contact local small businesses and tell them what you offer. Use Email, phone or even in person visits.
The nice thing is that as you gain more clients and learn more advanced skills your rates can keep increasing. And the increases can be much greater than the 3% annual raise at a normal job.
Becoming a virtual assistant can lead into all kinds of things as you learn new skills. Eventually you may be the one hiring virtual assistants!
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