In the Midst of a Global Crisis, Take the Opportunity to Become a Virtual Assistant… Even Without Experience
Millions have been laid off and dismissed from work due to the ongoing pandemic and the economic crisis caused by it, but a lot of people are finding ways to get by. Even during these dark times, it’s impressive to see human tenacity in action.
Virtual assistant work is not a new concept and has been around for more than twenty years. The industry continues to grow, with small businesses and visionaries needing to delegate their time properly. As the whole world attempts to contain the virus through lockdowns and isolation, becoming a virtual assistant is becoming more attractive as a legitimate means to build a career and to earn a stable income.
As a person looking for opportunities beyond convention, perhaps, this kind of work might be for you.
What is a Virtual Assistant?
A virtual assistant is a person who offers different services to small business owners, entrepreneurs and creators looking to free up their time.
As the age of information thrives, the boom of advanced infrastructure, productivity apps, and software have made menial and secretarial work much easier, digitized for everyone’s convenience. It also offered the freedom to leverage these technologies for people to earn a living from, online.
Creators, small-scale business owners, and entrepreneurs realized how hiring someone remotely costs less than an in-office employee — enter virtual assistants.
Photo: Unsplash
What Makes a Great Virtual Assistant?
Having clerical and administrative backgrounds may give you a head start in becoming a virtual assistant, but the industry has grown so much it has expanded to various industries and have opened a demand for healthcare professionals, real estate professionals, accountants, teachers, paralegals, and many more.
In a world where it pays to be indispensable, skills are almost a dime a dozen, but what truly makes a va stand out are traits such as dedication, professionalism, honesty, organization, patience, and discretion.
Becoming a Virtual Assistant with No Experience
Now that you’ve established that dedication and a little bit of grit make for a good virtual assistant, it is time to take the first step. It doesn’t have to be a leap right away; planning and coming up with a strategy trumps winging your moves.
Pick a Niche
To be able to land your first virtual assistant job, you have to be clear with what your niche is. Knowing what your strengths are as a virtual assistant and being clear with your niche will make it easier to find potential clients, secure jobs, and establish yourself as an expert when you’re focused on a particular group. Honing your skills and becoming an expert in the field you choose as a virtual assistant will surely result to higher rates and higher demand.
If ideas aren’t coming to you, here are a few niches that you might be interested in:
General Admin Assistant
General admin assistants are known to provide support for all types of businesses and organizations. Work includes general clerical tasks, drafting documents, receiving calls, and creating emails; project and calendar management. Being a general admin assistant may seem simple enough, but solopreneurs and small business owners who juggle tasks 24/7 benefit from having a few tasks delegated to a helpful general admin assistant that can minimize their workload and have more done in a day.
Social Media Assistant
Entrepreneurs, business owners, and brands seek Social Media Managers and Assistants because having to deal with social media is a big time suck. As a virtual social media assistant, you help free up a client’s time by managing their social media accounts, their social media presence by creating content, creating graphics and articles, and responding to dm’s and chats.
Blogger’s Virtual Assistant
A multitasking and busy blogger just does everything when it comes to creating, updating, and maintaining their blogs and online presence. Someone who does everything from menial to high-pressure tasks will need a virtual assistant to free up some time to focus on tasks that require more focus. This is where virtual assistants for bloggers come in. You may help write, edit, and post blog content, create minimal graphics, respond to emails and social media inquiries, and help schedule the posts.
E-commerce Virtual Assistant
There’s a lot that needs to be done to run a virtual storefront. From sorting out items in the inventory, the orders, returns, and customer service, virtual store owners definitely benefit from having virtual assistants. Besides dealing with administrative tasks, an eCommerce assistant would be expected to write product descriptions, and help promote sales and products, depending on the platforms they are using.
Real Estate Assistant
Real Estate experts and agents are busy bees. Going from one listing to another, attending showcases, and finding the right property for their clients, real estate assistants can make all the difference. From scheduling listing appointments, managing calendars, helping out with prospective buyers and sellers, a potential real estate assistant would be great to have a background in real estate, or is interested in the field.
Photo: Unsplash
Finding Virtual Assistant Jobs
There are a lot of companies that hire virtual assistants. They serve as middlemen between the client and you, the Virtual Assistant. In cases like this, the company will pay you based on the number of clients you work with, or the amount of time you work.
Not all virtual assistants like working with a company and prefer to establish their virtual assistant business on their own.
Companies such as VirtualStaff, Go-VA, FancyHands, GoVirtuals, and PepperVA are just a few companies where seasoned virtual assistants go.
As a freelance Virtual Assistant, websites such as Upwork, Fiverr, and Hubstaff Talent could be places where you can market your services. They offer tools for potential VAs that help promote you as a virtual assistant. Alternatively, you can also create your own website.
Training and Improving Your Craft
It’s a good investment to set up your services properly, to find clients, and to market yourself, but honing your skills and taking free training and courses will definitely give you an edge as a beginner.
Now that you know what getting into the Virtual Assistant business is like and the work it entails, it’s time for you to make your move. Regardless of your work background, again, everyone has an opportunity to thrive as a virtual assistant. All it takes is knowing your niche, networking, and marketing your services actively.
If you’re having second thoughts or have more questions than answers, we’re here to help. Get a free 30-minute consultation with us by clicking here.