How To Be an Authentic Virtual Assistant
(with no experience!)
Who would have thought that you could find balance, for both work and home, as a virtual assistant? I bet you can relate when I say: I have always had this weird feeling that I’m meant for more than just juggling work/life balance. My career shouldn’t be so overbearing that I don’t have much time for my family either. I wanted to have the freedom to do the things that I need to do, as well as would like to do. So by jumping into the virtual job world, I was able to accomplish that!
Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to travel the world and discover new places. I frequently saw pictures of women with laptops at fancy cafes overlooking the water and fantasized about what that kind of life would look like for me.
I had been continuously told that if I ever wanted to travel, I needed to make a bunch of money, consistently, or join the military. I chose the latter, fearing that it was my only chance to be able to travel. However, it was never the fun places I dreamt about. After all, no one dreams of shaking sand out of their boots in Afghanistan. At a time that couldn’t have been more perfect, I found Esther Inman’s free class about virtual assistants and what they do.
What Does a VA, or Virtual Assistant, Do?
Some virtual assistant duties include the same things as an executive assistant or an office administrator except…online and ANYWHERE! The only things different from a virtual assistant and an in-office assistant are the software that you use, that you are working remotely, and you can get your own coffee instead of someone else’s.
Some VA services that you could provide right now could be as simple as:
- posting to social media platforms
- managing calendars
- typing documents
As a virtual assistant, you will constantly be learning new skills, which implies you can make more cash over the long haul.
(Here’s a free class on the ins and outs of becoming a virtual assistant that goes in-depth about all the different things that you can do as a VA: who hires VAs, what software is needed, and any equipment that is required to be successful. The class is about 90 minutes long and is jam-packed with valuable information.)
Through virtual assisting, you can grow more than you ever could from paying for a 4-year degree or being underappreciated and underpaid at a classic 9-5 job. It would also be quicker and less hassle than direct sales or network marketing.
After going to a 4-year college and getting my degree, I expected to have an earning potential of about $20 per hour or more, starting out. Still, unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one looking for a job in my area, and so I ended up settling for something that paid a lot less at the time. Being able to make that much money right out of college is almost unheard of.
How To Start Right Now!
Take a second and think about your skills. Don’t overthink it! Just take an inventory of all the skills you have now that you can get paid for. A few were mentioned already. What about:
- Making a doctor’s appointment for a client’s child
- Scheduling an online interview for a client’s book release
- Canceling unwanted subscriptions in a client’s email
These are just some simple examples of what a VA does, but as you develop more skills, you can always do more.
Now let’s take a look at your resume. You want to create a resume, Facebook page, or profile that is remote ready. This just means that you have created a unique way for your clients and other companies to view you, i.e., your brand.
Creating a brand that is widespread throughout all social media platforms can make you look more attractive to prospective clients.
All of this can be hard if you don’t know where to start. That’s why I always have my friends check out the free class that Esther Inman provides. It’s jam-packed with all the right goodies that you would need to jump right in and it is AMAZING!
How much money can I REALLY make working online?
Let’s cut to the chase. The whole reason why you clicked on this blog is that you are looking to make extra money. Whether that money is for travel, for the family, or even because of a worldwide pandemic.
As a VA, you have the potential to build your brand and business (provided you do great work) and make serious money.
Typically, when a virtual assistant starts, the average earning potential ranges from $10-15 per hour, and that is with little to no experience. However, when you come out of a training program like the one I did that was only 90 days long, your earning potential now ranges from $15-30 per hour. That means that in just three short months, you can:
- Increase your family’s financial takehome
- Learn new skills or hone current ones
- Build a business that can withstand economic crisis
- Be able to work from anywhere (as long as you have wifi)
There is so much value in investing in an online course to improve your skills. When you can improve your skills to better provide for your clients, YOU become more valuable.
You become irreplaceable!
The client will then do everything in their power to keep you on their team. That is the type of relationship that you want to build because that’s where financial security comes into play.
Let’s jump into it!
Just to recap, a virtual assistant is a remote executive that works for the client to help ease the stress of running a business by taking care of the small stuff.
Here are a few things to give you some confidence about working online:
- When helping out your clients, you have a better chance of getting a higher pay rate, versus a regular 9-5 job.
- With your current skills, you could start working online now as a virtual assistant doing simple tasks.
- Learning more skills will bring in more money and get you closer to your goal!
Don’t back out now! This is the chance that allowed my husband and I to travel to the sandless destinations we’ve always wanted to see. Reserve your seat, now in the free class that gave me my freedom…and could give you yours.