How to become a Virtual Assistant

Freelance
How to become a virtual assistant

Virtual assistants are some of the most in-demand jobs right now thanks to rapid-fire growth in online businesses. In this guide, we will cover in detail how to become a virtual assistant.

Owners, Managers, and directors are realizing they don’t need someone in a certain megacity or on payroll to get tasks done, so they’re looking for virtual help. That means you (working from home or wherever you want remotely) can be the perfect fit for companies around the world.

Assisting as a virtual assistant or executive support person means doing what companies need through the online tools they use. In numerous cases, they’re tasks you formerly know how to do and programs you use right now. Being a virtual Assistant doesn’t need an advanced degree or much (if any) experience. However, keep reading, If that sounds good to you.

What Is a Virtual Assistant? Definition, description & Meaning

A virtual Assistant (VA) is a person that can give support to other businesses from a remote position. Thanks to high-speed internet, document sharing, and cheap conference calling systems, virtual assistants are in high demand by entrepreneurs and online businesses that need help but don’t want to bring on full-time staff in a specific position.

Having someone help their business ever gives them further flexibility, lower fixed costs, and the capability to gauge up and down, depending on the business needs.
To put it simply, as a Virtual Assistant, you’ll be asked to do office and executive-type tasks from a remote position.

Some other names of Virtual Assistant

  • Personal Assistant
  • Executive Assistant
  • Digital Assistant
  • Virtual office assistant
  • Virtual executive assistant

What does a virtual assistant do every day?

A virtual Assistant is just anyone that can help with tasks from a remote position. This means you’ll offer clients services on a day-to-day basis, as a contractor or tone-employed. This could include, but it’s not limited to content creation, email management, bookkeeping, graphic design, social media, and more!

Every VA offers different services. Just suppose about what you’re good at and make sure you personalize your offer based on your chops.

The best thing you can do, especially when you’re starting, is to specialize in a niche and offer your service to a type of business.

By getting an expert in your niche, you’ll also get paid further per job in the long run.

What services does a Virtual Assistant provide?

Virtual Assistants can be called on to do all kinds of duties for their clients. Occasionally you’ll perform many specific tasks just for your client.

In other cases, you might play a vital part in primary business functions and feel like part of the team. Being a virtual Assistant allows you to be flexible and experience numerous different kinds of surroundings, and also concentrate on the one you like most.

Here I identified the virtual assistant services list:

1. General admin work

Ok, general admin isn’t a largely technical niche, but if you have previous experience in an office job, this is the perfect place to start as a virtual Assistant.

It’s presumably not the most profitable, but executive support is pivotal to most businesses, and it’s a straightforward way to vend yourself to small business possessors that need help.

There are numerous tasks that you can do as a general admin virtual assistant including

  • Managing calendars and scheduling
  • Managing emails
  • Booking appointments
  • Making trip arrangements
  • File management
  • Data entry
  • Setting up a spreadsheet

Enough for every task that a general office Assistant on-site would do, except for bringing the coffee!

2. Project Management

VAs run projects for business possessors. This means you’ll hold meetings, ask for updates from team members, and produce reports on the progress of a project. You may also have some responsibility for projects kept on- time or on- budget.

3. Bookkeeping

Financial support is vital to every business. Smaller companies and those using VAs frequently need to help with processing payments, checking charges confirming payroll, and creating a regular budget statement. However, this can be a suitable place to start, If you’re good with figures and business.

4. Billing and invoicing

Companies frequently need help billing their clients. In these roles, a VA will produce the invoices using the company’s software platform, confirm each invoice, send them out, and help to reuse payments and record them when a payment is completed.

5. Content Research

Then you’ll learn about the company, its products, and its clients. Also, your job is to induce ideas and explore assigned topics to give applicable information.

6. Blogging and writing

Occasionally, you’ll also write the content of your research. This is generally in the form of blog posts, but VAs can also be tapped to write for web pages and other content.

7. Customer Research

Growing businesses frequently need to understand who their customers are. In this case, VAs will be given tasks related to tracking and analyzing the data handed by a company’s exploration tools.

8. Customer support

Answering frequent questions, taking messages, looking up customer details, and generally helping are tasks that most freelance virtual Assistants handle regularly.

9. Data entry

Generally, is pastoral work where you organize and type information and data. Occasionally it can be general recording or typing of information and in other cases, you might have more detailed tasks where you need to analyze the information you’re reading.

10. E-commerce order operation

Running an e-commerce store can be hard, especially for small and mid-size businesses. Business holders have an endless list of tasks to manage every day. This is where a virtual Assistant comes into help.

Some of the tasks you can help with are:

  • Customer Support
  • Track orders, including order entry, shipment, and invoicing.
  • Deal with returns and exchanges
  • Manage inventory
  • Help with marketing
  • Website maintenance

11. Email marketing

You may need to send emails to customers. A virtual Assistant will write the email or respond to it, especially if customer responses include effects like FAQs (frequently asked questions).

12. Social media management

Many business holders know that they need a social media presence, but most don’t have time to devote to creating content, sharing, and engaging with their followership.

If you love managing Facebook pages, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest accounts, then this niche could be for you.
Social media changes fast, and every week there are new platforms to learn and master.

Social media virtual assistants (Also known as Social media managers) are in high demand, and if you have any of these skills, this area might be perfect for you.

  • You understand how to produce captions worth sharing and are familiar with copywriting and marketing.
  • You have an eye for design and can just, tweet, and elect beautiful images for Instagram.
  • You love being up to date with everything that’s trending.
  • You can engage with a brand’s followership and know how to keep the discussion going with people.

13. Website Management

Still, getting a blogger’s VA is a great way to fast-track your blogging success while earning some extra money on the side, If you always wanted to start your blog.

You’ll learn how successful bloggers run their blogs while helping them with further executive tasks.

Some of the tasks you’ll do as a blogger’s VA are:

  • Write, edit, and proofread blog posts.
  • Moderate blog comments.
  • Create graphics posts for social media like Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
  • Improve SEO.
  • Remove broken links, and add affiliate links.
  • Manage reader’s emails.
  • Schedule social media posts.

14. Transcription

A final task that’s common for VAs is to hear to meetings or recordings and transcribe what’s been said. Some jobs may also ask you to take notes and produce reports on what was discussed.

15. Content Creation

If you love creating and editing videos or beautiful images. Creating content is time-consuming. Most businesses don’t have time to devote to this and will look to outsource these tasks.

You can offer these services to help with:

  • Writing blog posts
  • Research of content ideas
  • Design graphics
  • Source photos
  • Take product pictures
  • Edit pictures
  • Create and Edit videos

How Do You Become a Virtual Assistant without experience?

Here are some ways to get started, If you have no direct experience or are looking for virtual Assistant jobs without experience. Have you booked appointments, made travel plans, managed someone’s timetable or email, blogged, or promoted anything on social media? All of these are common Virtual Assistant tasks. Indeed, if you believe you have no experience, you may have transmittable chops that can set your resume apart.

You may already have the right skills to become a virtual Assistant without realizing how precious they are. To give them the proper environment, these skills should be detailed in your virtual Assistant cover letter. However, virtual assistant training and certifications can be attained through self-study or by taking online virtual Assistant courses to learn best practices, If you need to polish your skills.

As a Virtual Assistant, you can work directly for employers, for a virtual Assistant agency that provides services to other companies, or offer your services on a contract basis. However, determine ahead of time which virtual Assistant services you’ll offer, and perfect your resume If you wish to go into business on your own.

If you offer social media, web design, and content products. After getting a virtual Assistant and working for your first clients, be sure to collect positive feedback that can impress new clients.

Benefits of virtual Assistant work

Being a Virtual Assistant I love all the benefits. Let’s look at some of the best.

Be your Boss

A great thing about being a virtual Assistant is the capability to enjoy your own business. The launch-up costs are enough affordable, and you get to work from home. Which can be especially helpful if you’re a mama.

Being your own master has its advantages. You can, to an extent, choose the clients you work with and the services you give. You will also be suitable to find ways to increase your income and expand your business if you want to. These freedoms make being your own master worthwhile for numerous.

No commute

When I realized how important time out of my life I spent just exchanging to work, I was shocked. The average commute time in America is 27.6 minutes one way to work. So, exchanging five days a week for a time, I’d spend about 239 hours at one time in the auto!

Working from home gives me further time and lowers stress from exchanging to work.

Work when you want

Another amazing benefit of being a Virtual Assistant is the capability to make my schedule, to an extent. Depending on your clients ’ needs, you can work a schedule you decide rather than the 9- 5 grind. Of course, you should always communicate with your clients and their prospects to be sure you deliver your work on time.

Work where you want

Working remotely also means you can work anywhere. However, you can head to an original coffee shop and work there rather, If you decide you need a change of scenery. Several virtual Assistant works while traveling too!

Once you learn how to come a virtual Assistant, you’ll be eager to have a career with so important inflexibility.

How to become a Virtual Assistant in 5 steps

Once you have decided which niche you want to work on, you’ll need to set up your virtual Assistant business.
To start a home-based Virtual Assistant business here are the 5 ways to follow.

1. Focus on your offer

By now, you know you can offer hundreds of services as a virtual assistant. You can do everything from writing, emailing, bookkeeping, calender management, marketing, social media, and more. Focus on the skills you have, and enjoy doing them. There’s no reason to spread yourself too thin, especially in the beginning, when you have a lot to learn!

2. Setup your business the right way

When you’re starting, you need to decide how you’ll run your business. You can set it up as a sole owner. This is a fast and easy way and doesn’t bear any special setup. The only issue is that if anything happens to your business, you’ll put your particular asset at risk.

The other option is to set up an affordable LLC. This will cover your particular means, like your home, if you ever get sued. Before you start your business, you should seek expert guidance to set up your business the right way.

3. Create a website and social media presence

Still, you’ll have to sell yourself as an online communication expert, If you want to work remotely. The best way to do this is to produce a website that shows your chops and what services you offer. suppose about it as your “ virtual ” CV.

Your website will showcase what you can do to your implicit clients, and it’ll play an important part in establishing your business.

Social media is also an important part of your business, but you don’t have to be on every social media platform, learn where your potential clients hang out and master one or two social media platforms. Are they on Facebook? On Instagram? Become an expert and follow them to show them you know their brand.

4. Find friends in your niche

Working from home can, from time to time, become a lonely job. You’ll always need a support group, someone that understands you and can help you by giving you advice or simply partake in a rant from time to time.
Look for blogs and Facebook groups that are in your niche.

Find a group of people that share your goals and work alongside them to make a successful business.

5. Make your clients happy and ask for feedback

Making your clients happy is the biggest advantage of your business. Once you find your first customer, do everything you can to deliver top service.

A happy customer might recommend you to other business possessors they know, and you just need a few clients to make a full-time income as a Virtual Assistant!

Don’t be hysterical to ask for feedback. Ask your clients if there’s anything you can improve, and take anything they say on board. Use every positive note as a testimonial, and ask your best clients if you can use them as referrals.

How to find Virtual Assistant Jobs

Finding a Virtual Assistant job isn’t hard. Whether you’re looking for a full-time remote job or a freelance position, many companies offer virtual Assistant jobs.

I’ve put together some of the best websites to find virtual assistant jobs for you!

FlexJobs

FlexJobs is an online job board that lists work-from-home openings flexibly, including remote, freelance, and part-time places. It’s the perfect platform to use if you want to start a remote career. They have a section in which they list all jobs for virtual Assistants.

All job openings are precisely screened and checked for fraud before they’re approved, which means all jobs listed then are legal openings to make money.

What’s the catch? It’s not free! You need to pay an a$14.95 yearly figure to be suitable to apply to job lists. The great thing is that there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee. This means you can pay the fee and ask for a refund if you don’t want to renew your subscription. No questions asked.

Fiverr

Fiverr lets you set up an online profile and create gigs, All you need to do every day to get a job on Fiverr is to be active on Fiverr at a certain time, give SEO keywords on the gig, do social marketing, and send a buyer request.

You’ll get many freshman jobs If you put in some time to produce a great profile. This will help you make experience to apply for much better-paying jobs on other platforms.

Upwork

Very similar to Fiverr, Upwork is one of the biggest freelance marketplaces in the world. This means there’s always someone bidding lower for every job, which might affect you charging way a much lower rate than you deserve.
If you have no experience and are just starting your VA career. It’s a great user-friendly platform that can help you launch your virtual Assistant career.

Other great websites to find virtual Assistant jobs and other freelance work as a beginner:

What Makes a Good Virtual Assistant?

Great job candidates keep virtual Assistant chops like extraordinary written and verbal communication and open and transparent communication practices where they’re viewed as a consistent, accessible partners by their clients. Time managing and administrative skills are a must-have, as is a natural capability to take charge of a situation and organize it for the benefit of a client.
Eventually, people who hire virtual Assistants are looking to lessen the stress and disorganization in their lives. Don’t stay to be asked to do specific tasks if you see a client struggling, offer to help them with something you aren’t presently doing. This gives you further work to do and lets them rely even more heavily on you.

Virtual Assistant Salary: How much a Virtual Assistant earn?

PayScale shows a wide range of pay for virtual assistants, depending on their skill position, times of experience, assiduity, and clientele.

The range is$21,000 to $56,000 per year, with the median annual rate at $36,272. Hourly virtual assistant pay ranges from $10.16 to$29.49, with a median hourly rate of about $16. (Source: PayScale)

Work Environment for Virtual Assistant

Just like any other remote job, you’ll need to have a dedicated home office to work as a virtual Assistant.

Is virtual Assistant a good career?

A virtual assistant is a fast-growing career field because of the benefits it offers to both workers and the people who employ them. Employers can save time and money by outsourcing tasks to virtual Assistants rather than hiring full-time workers or performing the work themselves.

Can you be a virtual Assistant without experience?

The short answer is yes. You can come as a virtual Assistant indeed if you don’t have previous virtual assistant experience. You just need to plan and make sure that you have the necessary skills and qualities that can help you come a good virtual Assistant.

Can I be a virtual Assistant without a laptop?

It’s impossible to work as a virtual Assistant without a computer or a laptop. A laptop or desktop computer will do, but a phone or indeed a tablet is insufficient. However, also invest in a decent headset with a microphone, If you will be taking phone calls.

Saqib Hanif

Hey! I'm Saqib a Software engineer and Freelancer. Providing multiple services as a Virtual Assistant i.e SEO, Video Editing, and Blog Management. This is my Blog Site where I create relevant and engaging content for a young, inquisitive, opinionated, empathetic, and bold audience.