WHO IS A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT?

         

WHO IS A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT?

A Virtual Assistant abbreviated to as a VA, is also called a Freelancer or virtual office assistant. They are self-employed individuals who provide professional administrative, creative or technical services to clients remotely. A virtual assistant typically operates from a home office, but they are able to plan documents and share their expertise remotely.

In 1981, during this period the concept of secretaries working from home was the exception instead of norm. Working from home was frowned at during that period, however, due to determination, hard work and consistency, the industry began to thrive and grow. They created positive and innovative thinking groups who stood to spread the message of how the business can benefit everyone.

VA’s can work as part of a team, subcontract their services or work on their own with their own clients. Virtual assistants have diverse job backgrounds and they are highly intelligent people. They come from secretarial or administrative departments. Some people chose the path of a VA after leaving their corporate jobs, some while on maternity leave; others while they are still in school and need side hustle to pay their bills and some others have searched for jobs or employment to no avail decided that they would like to explore this option.

Why do people decide to become VA’s?

There are definitely enough reasons for one to choose this career path and some of the most common reasons are:

·       The women who are in their maternity leave would want to stay home and take care of their kids.

·       They want to be able to  work at  their convenience and at flexible hours

·       They have an entrepreneurs mindset and want to work on their own or be their own boss

·       They have a passion for helping others, so they want to help others and earn income while at it.

·       Some are tired of the 9-5 routine and want to explore other options.

·       Others are unemployed but need to work and earn a living.

Benefits of becoming a VA?

The industry of becoming a virtual assistant is expanding. More companies and business owners are deciding to outsource to save them time and money and if you are skilled in the following areas, you are good to go.

·       Administrative duties

·       Customer service

·       Clerical tasks

·       Copywriting, editing  and proofreading

·       Social media assistant

And so on…

You get the opportunity to work from home or anywhere you choose. No more 9-5.

·       You are the boss

·       Low start-up costs

·       No transportation costs

·       Your working  hours are flexible

·       You can create your schedule and decide on the rate you would love to charge.

·       Work for clients that you want to work for.

·       You can also take the time off, gain more experience and build a network.

·       You get to network and meet amazing people from all over the world.

The Cons of being a VA or what you need to consider before deciding to become a VA?

·       Most VA’s work from home and this can often lead to loneliness. Are you sure you sure you are comfortable with that?

·       Your income varies from month to month based on the kind of clients you have. One best way to have a stable income is to also keep a client or two on retainer.

·       Time management. You will need time for client work and also time to work on your own business to ensure its growth.

·       You also need to put in energy and strength to the work and the hours required to build your business. It takes a lot of time and dedication to build a successful business.

·       Consistency is key. You have to be consistent in whatever you find yourself doing and also kick out procrastination. You want to remain at the top; keep being consistent.

What do VA’s do?

The better question is what don’t virtual assistant do?

In this millennial era, you can hire a virtual assistant to do anything for your business. Virtual assistant are there for business owners to free up their time and stay focused on the growth of the business. By hiring a virtual assistant to take some of these tasks off your plate (let’s say you hire a VA to handle customer service and that takes 3 hours off your plate each day), you have time to keep growing your business. A VA serves as that intelligent help in the growing stages of your business and there are over 100 tasks you could hire a VA for.

Who hires VA’s?

You cannot do all by yourself, so you will have to outsource or automate these tasks. People from various business backgrounds hire VA’s to work for them. Here are few industries and different type of individuals or business owners that hires virtual assistants:

·       Coaches

·       Bloggers

·       Writers/Authors

·       E-commerce business owners/ people who sell things online.

·       Doctors and medical practitioners

·       Social media influencers

·       Photographers

·       Musicians

·       Fashion or clothing designers

·       Digital Marketing agencies

These are just few people who require the services of a VA. This list is just to give us an idea or clarity on where you can find clients for your virtual assistant business.

How can I become a VA?

Being a virtual assistant is awesome but, it is not all rosy. So, we will recommend that you start out by carrying out research on the virtual assistant industry and joining Facebook Groups for virtual assistants..

Knowledge is power. Having the right information when starting out and launching your VA business is vital. https://www.instagram.com/moonsvirtualassistant

Don’t listen to Naysayers who would try to bring you down and also look at your finances.

Readers are leaders, so we recommend you read blog posts that have been written by other VA’s and business that offer training for VA’s. https://patiencemoon.blogspot.com

Decide on your brand, your niche, your logo, services you would love to offer or specialize on and find people who need those services. You can use a basic website for now and build on it much later.

Decide on what you would like to charge. You could charge by the hour, by the project, or have retainer rates- but it is usually a combination of all of them. Your rate will therefore be depending on your level of expertise, your client base and your industry. Don’t undersell yourself.

Market yourself- You can do that by adding your local business directories but you would need SEO to get a load of sales calls.

Join LinkedIn, go networking and try many types of marketing as you can to find what works for you. People have underestimated the power of LinkedIn especially when it comes to job search, networking and connections. www.linkedin.com/in/patience-obiofiong-0b8a33111

Mentorship is the fastest way to learn all there is to learn in the VA industry. Look for a mentor who is experienced and vast in this business and be guided by their experiences.

After reading this document and you have questions or you would love to set up your own Virtual Assistant business then join my MVA Boot Camp or Email me on patienceobiofiong@gmail.com, and I will respond to you as soon as possible. I read every mail and I am here for you.

I love minding your business.

Patience Moon.