How to Become a Virtual Assistant and Start Your Own Business
Business Overview:
If your dream is to run your own business and set your own hours, and you possess basic office skills, consider learning how to become a virtual assistant. There are a few points to reflect upon before starting a virtual assistant business. One of them is whether you will choose to become a certified virtual assistant. There are no set regulations that require VAs to be certified, but you may feel that having a certificate adds to your professional appeal—perhaps even to your hourly rate. However, you can certainly become a virtual assistant without this certification. You will need the basic supplies of a well-run office, namely a solid computer with a printer and high-speed internet connection, a reliable (landline) telephone, a fax machine, office-stock paper, and a set of business cards. Of course you’ll want to have the typical stationery supplies handy as well—envelopes, stamps, staples, etc.—in case a job has you sending off some printed material. You might even consider owning your own website to showcase your business and what you offer as a virtual assistant. While this adds to your initial investment costs, the rewards can be internationally beneficial. A website also adds to your professional appeal—it’s like donning your best suit to prepare for the interview. You can even post your fees online if you don’t feel comfortable initially discussing money. With these tools of the trade ready to go, you can start looking for VA work. Businesses seeking virtual assistants can be local, national, or even international, and you can start finding these jobs by word-of-mouth, advertising your services, sending business cards, or even joining an association dedicated to the virtual assistant business. Initially, you can take on any work that comes your way, but eventually you can limit your services to your expertise and charge a higher rate for them. You can even expand on this business idea and hire employees to work for you, thereby allowing you to simply manage your business or keep working and take on more and bigger projects. A short time after beginning your virtual assistant business, you can be well on your way to a lucrative and interesting career from the comfort of your own home office.
A Day in the Life of a virtual assistant business owner:
Whatever time of day you choose to begin your work, you will want to power up your computer, make sure your supplies are well stocked, and log on to your website or email to see what projects you have to complete for your day’s work. If you have employees working for you, you will want to check in with them and note their project list and anticipated completion time. Another daily task for a virtual assistant business owner is to seek new opportunities and sign on to more projects to ensure the success of your business. If you are the VA, you will want to complete your assignments efficiently and double-check your work—your reputation will be based on how well and how quickly you can turn around your projects. Finally, you will want to keep accurate financial records for your business, including supply costs, hours logged, and invoices.
About Your Customers:
Your potential customer list is practically endless and can range from individuals running businesses who need paperwork and office tasks completed to businesses and organizations with office needs greater than they can fulfill to savvy businesses that realize the big perk of hiring a VA—they save money.
What You Need to Start:
- A fully-stocked and well-run home office
- Business cards or other business advertising materials
- A website
- A solid idea of your price list
- Clients who require your virtual assistant services
The Good:
- You can work from home and set your own hours—part-time or full-time.
- You can garner solid wages, especially as you master the work.
- Your business can grow to include multiple employees.
The Bad:
- Finding clients can feel like a challenge initially.
- Getting enough work to quit your day job will require some preliminary legwork until your business earns a solid reputation.
Resources:
- International Virtual Assistant Association
- International Association of Administrative Professionals
- Wikipedia on Virtual Assistant
About The Author
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