Virtual Assistant: A Beginners’ Guide

What is a Virtual Assistant?

 

A virtual assistant, or VA for short, is typically self-employed and offers technical, social, or administrative support for businesses or individuals.

They also work remotely from a home office.

In most cases, small businesses reach out to VAs to handle tasks they simply can’t in-house.

 

Why Are VAs in Demand?

There are several reasons why VAs are in greater demand, primarily because of costs.

The overhead of running a physical business, , is expensive.

Especially for small businesses.

Startups and entrepreneurs too frequently use VAs to manage small tasks like customer service, scheduling, and sending emails.

Therefore, this demand is good news for you if you are interested in pursuing this line of work.

 

What Skills Are Required?

The skills you need to have as a VA vary from job to job. A few basic skills include:

• Typing
• Data Entry
• Communication Skills
• Organization
• Word & Excel & PowerPoint
• Telephone & Email Etiquette
• Online Meeting Software Knowledge
• Solid Written Communication
• Customer Service
• Interpersonal Skills
• Intrapersonal Skills
• Project Management Skills

 

You can also offer specialized services for specific industries.

For example, if you have real estate experience, you might offer social media services such as posting and sharing relevant content for your client.

Specializing in a specific niche can be very beneficial for your income as a virtual assistant.

Don’t be afraid to narrow who you provide service to.

It could increase your income significantly.

 

Where to Launch Your Business as a VA

One of the best aspects of being a virtual assistant is the endless number of online platforms that allow you to offer your services.

A few of the best include Fiverr, and UpWork.

These sites allow you to sign up for an account for free, but do take a significant portion of what you earn.

Fiverr, for example, takes 20% of your earnings and then your payment provider will add further fees.

However, if you’re just getting started, they are the easiest way to earn quickly.

Finally, Virtual assistants aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, but the longer you wait to jump into the job pool the more competition you’ll have.

Start making that side money by launching your business sooner rather than later!