Becoming a Virtual Assistant
The Career You've Always Dreamed About
Becoming a Virtual
Assistant can be a life changing experience if you have strong
administrative skills, are organised, capable to work with deadlines and
would like to run a business from home - and the best of all...
It is not difficult if you know how to become
a Virtual Assistant. Many administrative professionals, at some time or another during
their careers, have the desire to leave the corporate rat race and change
from that rigid 9-5 office job to a more flexible self-owned business.
Today, that dream is within your reach by becoming a virtual assistant.
Click on the link for the definition of a Virtual Assistant
Becoming a virtual assistant offers you the flexibility of making
the rules and giving you the opportunity to balance your lifestyle to
suite your own needs. A VA has the satisfaction of being a professional,
by doing the job that you love, from the comfort of your own home.
Below are a few things to consider when becoming a Virtual Assistant.
Do You Have the Right Skills
Becoming a virtual assistant requires a lot of hands-on computer
work.
Basic skills that are useful include good computer and internet
knowledge, typing-, word processing-, emailing and phone etiquette
skills, good customer services skills and solid administrative knowledge.
More advanced skills can include web- and graphic design,
marketing and public relation skills - the list however, is not limited
to these examples.
Every aspiring VA will have a unique set of skills - and there are no right
or wrong. Naturally the broader your skills base are, the more
options you will have in applying them in your business - and the more
marketable you will be.
Tip: To decide if you have the necessary skills, start by
making a list of all your previously acquired skills - even if you think
that they are pretty ordinary.
Don't forget to include the "softer" skills such as personality
and typical entrepreneurial characteristics
that can be helpful in becoming a virtual assistant.
Traits such as inner motivation, being a self-starter, having a high
energy level, persistence and a strong drive to succeed are all useful
in starting your own VA business.
What Services Could You Offer
There are a vast number of services that VAs can offer, ranging
from pure administrative tasks to more advanced graphic- and website
design.
Although most VAs specialise in administrative or secretarial
services (e.g. word-processing, phone answering, mailing and emailing,
setting up spreadsheets, event planning etc.), many have created niche
markets. They provide their own brand of services such as language
translation, bookkeeping, web design, internet-, marketing research, real estate
transactions, medical transcriptions and so much more.
Click here to review the list of services that a Virtual Assistant can provide.
The possibilities are endless and with the growth in technology,
it is just getting better and better.
Make a list of the services that you can provide when you become a virtual assistant and
be clear on the areas in which you want to specialize in.
Tip: It is better to
start your business with a few services that you can perform really well,
than to struggle with a number of different tasks that you are not
feeling comfortable with.
Remember that the more professional, accurate, efficient and fast
your service delivery is, the more satisfied your clients will be. Once
you've established a solid customer base, there will be more than enough
time to experiment with new services to expand your business.
Get All the Information
It is always good practice to have excellent knowledge on the area of
specialisation you want to go into. Thus, research and finding all the information you need before starting
your own business is fundamental in becoming a successful virtual assistant.
Tip: Use your research as building blocks. It will give you relevant information on WHAT
virtual assistants are actually doing and HOW they are
doing it. It can also assist you in getting a clearer picture of what YOU
want to do with your business.
Examples of areas for your research that will give handy
information include:
 Requirements for starting a virtual assistant business Knowing what you need to do, how to do it and
what you are getting yourself into can save a lot of time and may help
you to avoid unnecessary mistakes.
How did other virtual assistants start their businesses? It is
always good to learn from the experts and tap into their experiences.
 What are the typical services that other VAs offer? It can be
valuable to understand how other VAs apply their skills. It might also help you to
get some ideas on a new niche market that you can focus on.
What are the typical rates for your specific line of service? Comparison of rates can help
you to avoid the common pitfall of rating your services too low or too
high.
 What virtual assistant associations do other VAs belong to?
Valuable information and networking opportunities can be obtained through
VA associations, chat groups and message boards.
What kind of training and certification is available?
Evaluate if you need additional skills in becoming a virtual assistant in
your field of expertise.
Pitfall: Research can become quite time-consuming. Take care that you do not
get carried away and perhaps overwhelmed with the amount of information
available on the net. Do not spend days and months on end to try and find all the relevant info.
Keep your focus.
Determine when you have enough to carry on.
Always keep your goals in sight.
Do You have Your Family's Support
Becoming a virtual assistant can be one of the most fulfilling
professions available today for administrative professionals.
However,
starting your own business can have its toll on your family life in terms
of...
i) Time: You may think that by becoming a VA, you
will have more time available for family and friends. Unfortunately that
is not always true. You will probably have less time available since most
of it will go into getting your business off the ground and keeping your
clients happy.
Many VAs work extremely long hours in the first few years and
some continue working odd or long hours well after their business became
successful.
Tip: Discuss the time aspect of your business with
your family. Decide on how you will structure your working hours and get
their understanding and cooperation.
Not only your spouse needs to understand the change in your
lifestyle, but it is also important that you get the buy-in of your kids.
It will be easier if they are a little bit bigger and understand that
there are certain hours that mom has to work.
Unfortunately with toddlers and/or babies, this is not always that
easy. Luckily a day has 24 hours. With a bit of creativity you can
squeeze quite a number of work time out of the day by either hiring
someone to look after the kids at your own house and/or by working when
kiddo is sleeping.
ii) Finances:
By being your own boss, you don't have
a fixed monthly salary to pay the bills and fill all those household
gaps. Initially it will take some time and dedication to get on the same
income level that you had before becoming a virtual assistant.
It might take a few months before your business is off the ground
and you can contribute financially to the household again.
Tip: To make the road a little bit smoother, set aside some money before starting your VA business
to help cater for your needs during that first few months.
For more information also read
How to Start your VA Business
How to Write a VA Business Plan
How to Set Goals
Entrepreneurial Characteristics
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