How To Become A Virtual Assistant?
Becoming a virtual assistant can be a significant decision to change your life. Because it gives opportunities to make money, work on a wide range of projects, and also helps in maintaining an excellent work-life balance.
When you work as a virtual assistant or VA, you can get clients from all over the world. And this can be a comfortable way to make money online. Hence, in this article, we will discuss how to become a virtual assistant with no experience.
What Is A Virtual Assistant?
Virtual assistants are the persons who work remotely and provide administrative or technical support to business owners. Doing this, they help business owners to save their time and money in hiring an in-house employee. And they enjoy the freedom to work from their home with flexibility.
Even a person with no experience can become a virtual assistant. All they need is to have some essential equipment and regular clients to offer services. With the growth in many industries, the demand for virtual assistants is growing. Even social influencers like YouTubers, IG influencers, and bloggers take help from VAs.
Thus, if you can manage businesses’ documents, execute Excel-based tasks, prepare a presentation, and do another simple task. You may also think about being a virtual assistant and learn how to become a virtual assistant.
What Does A Virtual Assistant Do?
There are many types of work you can offer as a virtual assistant. Below there are some highly demanding and typical jobs you can do as a VA. So, look at those roles and responsibilities of a virtual assistant to understand the nature of the work you might have to execute when you become a virtual assistant.
#1. Handling Social Media Accounts
Most business owners want to build their presence on social media. But most of them either do not know how to create content for social media to build an audience or do not have much time to invest in the same. If you have an idea about Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn account management.
In that case, it can be a great niche to choose to become a virtual assistant. Because social media content creation does not take much time to create. But yet it should be engaging, relevant, fresh, and audience-specific. Also, when you start working in this niche, then every week, you will have some new things to learn on your plate.
Thankfully, there are plenty of requirements for social media VAs; if you are interested, it can be a great field to start and grow.
Social media virtual assistant job role:
#1.1. You create engaging and gated content for the profile of your client.
#1.2. Here you need to engage with the audience when they comment on the post.
#1.3. You keep updating your skills and stay up to date with the new social trend.
#2. Writing, Editing, And Proofreading Blogs
If your client asks for a business website or blog site, you might have to work on their website. And now, it is becoming a prime thing for businesses to implement SEO practices. Hence, if you love to write SEO-friendly contents, you can choose this niche as well. It will also allow you to discover a wide range of clients. And it will fast track your progress to become a blogger and virtual assistant.
Many successful bloggers also take help from virtual assistants to grow their businesses. Hence, there is not any doubt about the growth if you start working with good clients. Below are some tasks you might get while working on such projects.
#2.1. Edit the written content by other content writers
#2.2. Proofread the content and verify any links and stats
#2.3. Managing comments and replying for the same.
#2.4. Also, help businesses in their SEO so the business can grow faster.
#2.5. Check inbound and outbound links, removing broken links in any.
#2.6. You also have to manage the email and upload time for the contents.
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#3. Bookkeeping And Accounting
Nowadays, small companies are also hiring virtual assistants for bookkeeping and accounting tasks. If you are from an accounting and finance background, then it can be the most profitable niche to choose.
However, you need to have an understanding of using accounting software like QuickBooks and Busy. And you also need to understand how to pass journal entries with invoice creation. So, below there are the highlights of the job role for this profile.
#3.1. Creating an invoice for sales and managing inventory
#3.2. Payment processing and keeping an eye on the pending payments.
#3.3. Small businesses can also ask you to manage the payroll for their employees.
#4. Providing Data Entry, Email Handling, And Other Similar Services
It is the job role of a virtual assistant, which most of you may already know. If you have worked in offices, then you might have noticed. You or your colleague used to work on excel, word, and PowerPoint for various purposes. You could also have to schedule a meeting with clients. Not only this, there used to be many other administrative works.
Hence, if you have such skills and are still willing to use them for making money online. Then you can consider becoming a general admin virtual assistant as well. Here you mainly meet the below-mentioned requirements of the small businesses.
#4.1. You can manage the emails and update business owners with crucial emails.
#4.2. Schedule meetings and appointments with your clients
#4.3. You also have to manage the file of your client.
#4.4. Some clients also ask you to manage their travel schedules.
#4.5. But mostly, you have to work on word, excel, and PowerPoint for some business requirements.
#5. Customer Service For Ecommerce And Other Businesses
Nowadays, there are plenty of eCommerce sites working in different niches. Some sell printers, laptops, services, and some even run eCommerce sites like Amazon. Therefore, handling administrative tasks and sites can be challenging.
And therefore, such businesses take help from virtual assistants. Thus, if you have an idea about the below-mentioned JD, you can also consider this profile for VA.
#5.1. Manage customer services and reply to relevant queries.
#5.2. Manage the orders and track them as well.
#5.3. Analyzing and managing inventory of the business
#5.4. Help eCommerce store owners in understanding most and least selling products.
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How To Become a Virtual Assistant Without Any Experience?
We have discussed the various niches of being a virtual assistant. And try to choose one or two niches for your virtual assistant career. Because working around a specific niche helps you look more professional and expert. Once you choose your niche, you can proceed to understand how to become a virtual assistant.
7 Easy Steps To Become a Virtual Assistant From Home
#1. Decide Your Key Services
If you want to be a virtual assistant that gets consistent work. You must start from the very beginning, and it is the place where you observe your skill. In simple terms. The first step to becoming a virtual assistant is to write down the essential skills you can offer as a VA. These skills can be computer proficiency, such as sound knowledge in managing MS Office, Google Doc & Sheet, Zoom, and other field software.
You can also rate your written and verbal communication skills and work on them accordingly. Editorial skills are also crucial to have in a virtual assistant to deal efficiently with document-related tasks. Check your time and organization management skills because you have to schedule the meeting and handle your clients’ emails.
#2. Decide The Way You Will Work With Charges
Whether you want to form a small company to offer virtual assistant service or become a freelance VA, you should decide wisely. Because setting up your business can cost you a lot even if you form a sole proprietorship firm. But for becoming a freelance virtual assistant, you do not need to meet any heavy documentation.
And I wish most of you would start working as freelance virtual assistants. So, once you decide this, you need to set up charges. Remember, the charges can be on an hourly basis or monthly basis. Also, your charges should be ideal that a client can easily manage. You can start your hourly charges from $5 to get clients and good reviews. After some months or weeks, you can increase the charges by up to $25 per hour.
#3. Get Equipment And Complete Basic Setup.
Now you have your pricing and also an idea about the niche you will work in. Hence, this time is to set up your small office within your sweet home. But remember it should be at the dedicated place and it might be your bedroom too. Once you decide the place, you need to bring your computer or laptop and connect it to the internet.
And bring essential equipment such as headphones, a notepad, pen, pencil, and other essential accessories. When you complete the arrangement for all these things, your next step is to build an online presence to find clients.
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#4. Build A Portfolio And Social Media Presence
So, here you will go on various social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. There you will create or edit your profile and update it with your latest bio. There you can also mention you are now offering virtual assistant services.
So, the interested companies and business owners can directly interact with you. You can also have a portfolio website to look more professional. There you can share relevant blogs and other information about your professional career. Having a portfolio website helps you in charging decent charges for your services.
#5. Join The Community Of Virtual Assistants
After setting up your social profile and building a portfolio, you need to join a community of VAs. Because there you can see many informative tips and even find projects. These groups are instrumental in solving any doubt you face during your working day. There are many experienced VAs who will support with their experienced tips. Hence, do not hesitate to join relevant groups. You can also follow some blogs that share information about virtual assistants.
#6. Find Clients On Freelance Sites And Job Portals
You can also create your freelancer profile on freelance platforms like Fiverr. Fiverr is a well-known freelance site where you can find a variety of clients. But in starting, you need to create your gigs and keep the charges low. So the ideal client can feel free to take your services and give suitable ratings. Even if you get one positive review, then you will see many clients.
But the bad review can destroy your journey to becoming a virtual assistant. Therefore, do not rely only on one website like Fiverr; you should also check other freelance websites like Upwork, People Per Hour, Freelancer, Guru, Flex Jobs, and even LinkedIn. You can also find virtual assistant jobs on Glassdoor, Indeed, and other job listing sites.
#7. Get Clients To Keep Happy With Service And Get A Referral
If you work on such a platform and stay active on social sites. You will get at least one client at the beginning of your virtual assistant career. So, when you get your first client, then do your best shot. And professionally complete the task without compromising quality. Because when your client feels happy with your job, they will give you more work. Also, when you ask them to review your service and virtual assistant profile.
They will love to do that with a warm and motivating tone. They might also love to recommend you to their network. So, a good review and happy client can fast track your progress to become a high-paying virtual assistant. Therefore, it is the most crucial step if you need to become a virtual assistant.
#8. Gain Experience And Become Expert VA Over The Time
You are working with good clients and also earning decent money. I should wish at least this to respect your hard work and the talent you have. Because when you consistently work on a particular niche and field, you get experience and expertise. That helps you in retaining past clients as well as gaining new clients too.
Thus, do not run after making more money instead of offering quality work to clients. Because at the right time, with the right experience, you will be at the peak of your professional career. And you will be able to build your own company and hire others to take your professional career to the next level.
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Where To Find Virtual Assistant Jobs?
Whether you want to become a full-time virtual assistant or freelance virtual assistant, finding a job is not complex. All you need to work on legit and trusted sites, a few of them are mentioned below, so check these websites.
#1. Fiverr
Fiverr is a freelance marketplace; it is free to create seller profiles and sell gigs. But you need to pay some charges from your earnings which might be around 20%. Although, you can set the virtual assistant charges by considering these charges. But when you create a gig and optimize it well by putting the correct information. Then after some days, you might start getting an impression and even the first sale.
Therefore, it can be the place where you can gain experience by working with various clients. Also, on this platform, you can find better-paying clients when you have good reviews.
#2. People Per Hour
It is another freelance marketplace where you can create your profile as a freelance VA. However, at this site, you have the option to create your services to sell. But you also have the option to bid on other people’s job postings. Even if you secure one job, then you can make decent money. Hence, you can consider this freelance website to get a virtual assistant job for you.
#3. Upwork
#4. FlexJobs
It is the online job portal where you can see many listed part-time and remote job opportunities. It is a well-known platform to find flexible and well-paid jobs among candidates. It can be the best job portal to establish your career by working in remote jobs. But it is not an accessible job searching site, and you need to pay around $14.95 monthly fee. Therefore, I kept it in fourth place, but you can try or work on other platforms I have mentioned if you have a budget.
These are just a few sites where you can find virtual assistant jobs. But there are other websites as well where you can find such incredible opportunities. Hence, you should also consider the sites as we work remotely, freelancer, remote.io, and Indeed.
Trying to build your career on multiple sites helps you get exposure and understand how to get virtual assistant clients and jobs. However, consider working on two to three websites at a time because it will be easy and suitable for you.
How Much Does a Virtual Assistant Earn?
A virtual assistant can earn $5-$25 per hour, but these charges vary from person to person. However, the average hourly charge VA charges are $15 on most freelance sites. But by gaining experience and reaching potential clients, the hourly charges can be more than the average rate.
Conclusion
So, in this article, you learned how to become a virtual assistant. And I hope you have understood the same and are willing to get a new direction for your professional career. Here we discussed virtual assistants in detail and the website where you can get virtual assistant jobs.
But you should also know that many clients do not wish to pay for third-party websites. Hence you should also keep finding such opportunities on LinkedIn and Indeed. Because these sites have helped me a lot in finding excellent clients.
Thus, if you keep willing to read such excellent posts, stay tuned with me. And also, check out my finance blog because there, I share many money-making articles.
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