I was recently contacted by 2 friends, both administrative assistants asking me what it would take to become a Virtual Assistant/VA. The most predominant question asked was, what kind of money can they make.
That’s a difficult question to answer as it really does depend on your skill-set and what value you can bring to potential clients. I did ask this question of them and neither of them had an answer to that question, but they did tell me they were going to do more research!
So, I did a little research myself….
“Wikipedia.org defines a Virtual Assistant as the following: “A Virtual Assistant (or simply VA), is an independent contractor providing administrative, technical, or sometimes creative assistance to clients – usually to other independent entrepreneurs and solo and small business practices, such as that of a lawyer or realtor. Virtual Assistants work from their own office (hence “virtual”), thus making it a fairly popular (and growing) profession.” In simple terms, a Virtual Assistant acts as your own “satellite office”… without the office overhead!”
Here’s the next question, how to become a virtual assistant.
Many folks hear “virtual assistance” and think of administrative assistance, like a secretary. It can mean that, but that’s not all. There’s a big list of possibilities ranging in areas of expertise and experience.
- Writing
- Ghostwriting
- Graphic design
- Researching
- Editing
- Tutoring
- Desktop publishing
- Counseling
- Audio/video/photo editing
- Coaching
- Consulting
- Bookkeeping
- Copywriting
- Social media management
- Project management
- Transcription
- Programming
- Data entry
- and anything else you can do without having to be in the same physical location as your client. Call it “virtual assistance.”
Rates ranging anywhere from $15 to $100+ an hour (depending on your skill), it’s a great option for those who want to work from home. Be careful of what you offer in what price range as many of the above can be found on sites like Fiverr.com, Elance.com and Odesk.com
Here are a few items you will need to get started:
- A website. This is a MUST. People need to be able to find you. Your own presence on the web is crucial. It gives you a more professional appearance, the chance to highlight some of your skills and an opportunity to explain your process. You can have a site up on the quick and cheap from HostGator.com or GoDaddy.com. It doesn’t have to be pretty to start out, but get something up!
- Read Virtual Assistant – The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA by Diana Ennen and Kelly Poelker
- Get involved in Social Media. And not just your kid’s pictures. Research your potential clients and competition. You can find out a lot about them by seeing what kind of content they post.
- Check out what other VAs are doing. This goes hand-in-hand with the last item.
There are so many opportunities for you to make money online. If you do it the “right” way, you can be very successful! Do your research! I am and I did!!!