Have you been looking for ways that you can work from home? Do you know that you have skills or experience that would benefit a business or entrepreneur that you can offer through the Internet?
Then, you should consider starting a Virtual Assistant business.
With today’s technology and the growth of the internet, files and documents can be transferred electronically and meetings and video conferences can be held anywhere in the world, it makes it easy to work from a remote location.
Because of this, Virtual Assistants or VA’s are becoming increasingly in demand.
Being a Virtual Assistant is a great way to make money from home. There is a low start-up cost and you can do it on the side of your day job or even as a stay-at-home mom.
What is a Virtual Assistant?
A Virtual Assistant provides professional and support services for a person or business from a remote location.
What Type of Tasks Does a Virtual Assistant Do?
The list of tasks that Virtual Assistants do is endless – from managing personal affairs of individuals such as making online purchases, paying bills and arranging travel to technical and business duties like website design and app development.
Examples of some tasks are:
• Data Entry
• Pinterest Management
• Online Research
• Email Management
• Email Marketing
• Marketing
• Digital Filing
• Proofreading
• Editing
• Transcription
• Content Creation
• Customer Service
• Social Media Management
• Phone Calls/Prospecting
• Website development
• Scheduling and Calendar Management
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Graphics Design
• Bookkeeping
• Video Production
• And much more!
Get this free list of 150+ services you can offer as a Virtual Assistant.
Benefits of Hiring VA’s
Online outsourcing and delegation are becoming increasingly popular, and necessary, to businesses and entrepreneurs as it helps to free up time and allow more to get done.
It helps them to focus more on core business tasks, increases productivity/output and allows for more effective management of time.
It is also cost-efficient as the client does not have to provide office space or equipment and they are not responsible for employee insurance or taxes.
Requirements/Skills of a VA
Can you become a VA with absolutely no experience? Yes, you can!
You can start with the skills you already have.
You do not need a degree or certification to become a VA nor do you need to be an expert. However, you should have enough knowledge in your chosen niche to provide a valuable service to your clients.
Although in some cases, the client may provide training for you to acquire a particular skill to assist them with their business, you should always invest in yourself and continue to learn.
If you need to improve or master your skill in a particular area you can use the internet to do research, read books, or take a Virtual Assistant Course.
You could also barter skills with another VA – you share your knowledge and vice versa.
Qualities of Virtual Assistant
Clients that hire Virtual Assistants are not only looking for quality work and value, but are also looking to build trust, and in some cases, long-term working relationships. They look at the qualities of their VA to determine if to continue doing business or even offer referrals to other businesses.
Some of the traits that successful VA’s possess are:
• Reliability
• Confidentiality
• Organizational Skills
• Professionalism
• Honesty
• Effective communication
• Effective time management
• Resourcefulness
How Much Can You Earn As a VA?
Some VA’s charge between $10/hr and $60/hr and according to ZipRecruiter, as of 8th March, 2019, “the average hourly pay for the Work From Home Virtual Assistant jobs category in the United States is $28 an hour.” Of course, you can charge more depending on the services you offer and your level of skill in your niche.
How to Price Your Virtual Assistant Services
Pricing your services should take into account your experience, expertise and efficiency in doing your tasks.
Remember, you will have to factor in taxes as well as overhead costs such as rent, utilities, supplies, marketing and other expenses.
Here is an article from Horkey Handbook on Everything You Need to Know About Setting Your Virtual Assistant Rates.
GETTING STARTED
Tools That You Will Need to Get Started
Below are some of the basic tools and resources that you will need for your Virtual Assistant business:
• Computer
• Reliable internet connection
• Email account
• Skype or Zoom
• Cloud Storage such as Google Drive or Dropbox
• Payment portal – Paypal
• Reliable spellchecker such as Grammarly
As your business grows, you can invest in any additional software, tools or resources that will increase your efficiency.
Decide On a Name For Your Business
Choose a name for your business. This could be your own name or a business name that you create.
Ensure that the name is available as a .com domain name as well as available on any social media platforms that you plan to use in your business.
Also, the name should not be long or complicated and should be easy to remember.
Get a Logo
A logo will give your business an identity and project a professional image.
It will be part of your brand and help you to stand out from your competitors.
If you cannot design a logo for yourself, you can find a graphic designer on Fiverr.com to design one for you inexpensively. Just be sure to check the portfolio and reviews of the designer you choose to ensure that they are reputable.
Create a Virtual Assistant Business Plan
Having a plan or roadmap for your business will give you direction, control and a framework to work with as you grow.
It does not have to be complicated, but it should outline your way forward.
Investing time to plan and strategize your VA business can save you lots of unnecessary scrambling and headaches later on should you run into bumps in the road.
Some planning and considerations that should go into your plan are:
- A mission statement for your business.
- What is your vision for the business?
- Who is your ideal client?
- What is your niche?
- What services will you offer?
- What are your hours of operation?
- How will you accept payment?
- How will you find clients or how will clients find you? What is your marketing strategy?
- What are your business policies?
Choosing a Niche
A Niche is a specialized market in which you will offer your services.
If you have nursing experience, for example, you may be able to offer VA services to clients in the medical field. You will have an advantage over someone who does not have such a background.
Choose a niche in which you have a passion or knowledge. Again, start with the skill set you already have. What are you best at doing?
You do not have to be limited by a particular niche though. If you think that you want to branch out into offering services to Real Estate Agents then, of course, you have that option. But try to settle on an area in which you can become specialized to be able to offer a superior service.
Create a Professional Website.
It is important to have a professional website to showcase your services and communicate with potential clients. Also, it is very beneficial to have a strong web presence as you will be working through the Internet. This builds credibility.
Have no fear if you do not have the technical skills to create a website. The WordPress content management system can help you to build a quality website and have it up and running in no time.
You can purchase your domain name and hosting through a web host. I recommend HostGator as they have one-click WordPress installation, are reliable, inexpensive and have great customer service.
Here you will find my step-by-step tutorial to start your website.
Avoid using free hosted platforms like WordPress.com, Wix and Weebly as these can be limited in their features, appearance and monetization ability.
In addition, self-hosted websites with a .com extension tend to be taken more seriously.
Create a blog on your website as blogging gives you an opportunity to bring in traffic to your site and therefore new potential clients. It will also allow you to connect with people and position yourself as an authority in your field.
Make sure to have your ‘About Me’, ‘Hire Me’ or ‘Work With Me’ pages as well as your contact information highly visible on your site.
Market Your Business/Acquire Clients
Social Media
Use social media to connect and engage with potential clients, showcase your services and create awareness of your business and brand.
You can use platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram to share the latest goings on in your niche and consequently, show potential clients that you are up-to-date on the industry.
Networking
Network with people in and outside of your niche. Entrepreneurs and businesses can bring in work for you through referrals. So promote your business to people close to you such as friends and family.
Go to events like blogging conferences to connect with bloggers if that is the niche you serve or go to health fairs to connect with people in the health industry if that is your field.
Join online communities that are related to your niche or target client.
How To Find Clients
One of the best ways to find clients is to reach out to people you want to work with via email and offer a service for a trial period. This way potential customers can experience the quality of your work and decide that they want the services you offer.
You can find more information in this article on How To Write A Cold Pitch Email.
Once you build trust with your client you can maintain a working relationship and have steady work from that client. Customer satisfaction brings repeat business as well as referrals, which is a vital part of this industry.
Communicate with your clients, give great service, and finish tasks on time and you will surely have happy customers.
If you would like to learn more about becoming a Virtual Assistant I recommend the course, 30 Days or Less to Virtual Assistant Success by an expert in the industry, Gina Horkey.
