How to Start Virtual Assistant Business
In the past, working from home was considered a luxury that was delegated to only a select few. Today it is much more affordable. With advances in technology and digital communications, starting a virtual assistant business is not that hard. Virtual assistant businesses are one of the most popular online business opportunities. It can become very profitable and does not require any degrees or certifications. Instead, these jobs allow you to take advantage of the skills you already have to help businesses and individuals who need them. Best of all, it is fully scalable.
So if you are interested in starting a virtual assistant business, this post is for you. In this article, you will learn everything you need to know to start your virtual assistant business.
In this guide you will learn:
- Profile of a Virtual Assistant
- Benefits of Starting a Virtual Assistant Business
- Duties of a Virtual Assistant
- How to Start
Profile of a Virtual Assistant
Being a good virtual assistant makes your client’s life easier. In a sense, you are delegated to take over the tasks assigned to you. You need to make your client feel like they can leave you unattended while achieving exceptional results.
Here are some of the qualities most valued in a virtual assistant:
1. Reliability: Reliability is a must have of a virtual assistant. Regardless of your qualification or the cost of your labor, you will lose customers if they cannot count on you.
2. Rigor: Rigor is very important. Mistakes are human and will happen. But you need to avoid unnecessary mistakes like typos and rushed work.
3. A kind and sympathetic personality: Having relationships with your customers will take you further than you might imagine. Always stay positive, no matter how the customer acts.
4. Resourceful: A valuable virtual assistant is the person to contact for information. You don’t need to know everything about the business, but you do have to have a system in place that lets you educate yourself.
5. A person of “ideas”: It goes hand in hand with ingenuity. You want to have ideas that improve the business you work for. When you think about the client’s business, you show that you are more than a typical assistant.
6. Help grow the client’s business: Along the same lines as the last two points, if you can grow a client’s business and increase their income, you will have a job forever. The extra income you provide to the client will make you an invaluable member of their team.
7. Ensure an irreproachable follow-up: Stay in control of every task, even if your client isn’t. Small tasks can often slip through the cracks, but it’s your job to not let that happen.
8. Work well under pressure: Never let a customer see you sweat. It’s a joke, but it’s true in more ways than you might think. You want every customer to think they’re your only customer, regardless of your workload.
9. Ability to do multiple things at once: Probably one of the first five things a virtual assistant needs to do is take over multiple tasks for multiple clients and get them all going. It takes organization, efficiency and good planning, but it’s essential to be successful as a virtual assistant.
Benefits of Starting a Virtual Assistant Business
Thanks to technological improvements like high-speed internet and document sharing, remote working has become a reality. Virtual assistants are everywhere today. They provide cost effective solutions to help business owners so that they can focus on growing their business. Here’s the benefit of starting virtual assistant business:
- You don’t need to invest: It is affordable, and can even be free, to start a virtual assistant business. You don’t need special equipment, you don’t need a college degree, and you don’t need a spacious, image-perfect desk.
- You don’t need a new degree: Your business can focus on the skills you already have. There are many types of virtual assistants, and none offer exactly the same services. The virtual assistant administration, research, and general management services are the easiest to penetrate, but you can offer the skills you already master best.
- It’s flexible: As a virtual assistant, you set your own schedule. In your virtual assistant business, you can work there anytime you want, whether part-time or full-time.
- You can work from anywhere: You can work at home, or in the cafe, or while traveling. It doesn’t matter where you work when you have your own virtual assistant business, as long as your job is done. Keep in mind, however, that you will need a strong internet connection to accomplish most of your virtual assistant tasks.
- You set your own price: As an independent virtual assistant, you set your own prices. You can charge as much as you want as long as you find customers who are willing to pay you. I know of virtual assistants that charge $ 15 or more per hour! Plus, you can increase your rates at any time. You no longer have to wait for the annual review to get an increase.
- You have the opportunity to learn: You can develop your skills because clients can pay you to learn something that can help their business. Other times, you may decide to take a course or purchase a product that teaches you a new skill so that you can charge more for your services. As a virtual assistant you are always learning, and sometimes you get paid to do it! Everybody wins.
Duties of a Virtual Assistant
To become a virtual assistant, or virtual assistant, you must have good computer and communication skills. Your online tasks would be to provide professional support to businesses or people who are your customers.
This means that you will perform many different tasks depending on their needs and skills. The responsibilities of a virtual assistant are almost limitless and basically include anything you can do over the phone or over the computer.
Here are some examples of work done by a virtual assistant:
- Provide technical assistance
- Planning of social media posts and campaigns
- Customer invoicing
- Processing of accounts receivable
- Make calls
- Sending and responding to emails and other messages
- Search the Internet
- and edition
- Making appointments
- Data entry
- Manage Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts
- Blog management
- Marketing
- Graphic design
- Customer service
- Customer advice
- Creation of newsletters
There are even different types of virtual assistants. So you can choose to specialize in certain types of tasks that you like, or to work as a virtual assistant and take on different tasks.
How to Start
Are you thinking of staring your virtual assistant business? This is still a new profession, so it is common to have doubts about how to prepare to enter this market and be successful, having your work recognized and, thus, high profits, capable of sustaining your standard of living. However, it is important that you do both career and financial planning. And, over time, project your career growth, making a career development plan or, at least, a financial growth plan. I say this because, despite working from home, it is important that you are happy and fulfilled with the services provided. And it also has to do with your financial return. So start by thinking about how to balance everything, so that this is an incredible path in your professional and financial life…
1. Courage to start: The first step in starting your virtual assistant business is to have the courage to start. I say this because I know that the world of entrepreneurship is not for everyone. You need to be determined, like to get your hands dirty, have no problem sweating your shirt and a lot of willpower to continue studying, updating and growing in your career. If you have already decided that you want to start your virtual fashion assistant business, now what you need is to move forward.
2. Search for profitable niches: Working with your networking can help you identify lucrative niches for your virtual assistant business. Be aware of the problems and pains experienced by companies and professionals with whom you come in contact. If these problems are repeated frequently, you can present yourself as the solution!
Some niche examples that you can search and explore:
- Local business;
- Virtual stores;
- Digital influencers;
- Digital producers;
- Liberal professionals.
3. Focus on your offer: You now know that you can offer hundreds of services as a virtual assistant. You can do everything from writing and sending emails, managing calendars, accounting, marketing, social media, and more. Focus on the skills that you have and enjoy doing. There is no reason to spread yourself too thin, especially at the beginning when you have a lot to learn!
4. Set your prices: Now that you know what services you are going to offer, you need to set the prices for your services.You have to be competitive without having to sell off to gain customers, but then how do you set the right price? This is what we are going to see, you should know that most virtual assistant offers fall into four main price categories:
- Hourly Rates:Your client pays an hourly rate and you get paid for the time you work.
- Project-based:Your client pays a fixed amount for a one-off project (creating social media accounts, designing a website, etc.)
- Hourly Package:Your client pays for a certain number of hours to be used over time. Depending on your contract, they may expire after a specified period, for example 6 months or a year.
- Monthly:Your client pays you monthly for a specific set of tasks or number of hours.
The way most virtual assistant use that remains the easiest way is to determine the value of their services and do some research on what other virtual assistants charge.
You can do a search on Google, go to freelance sites or search on forums, Facebook groups…
Average the rates you find and you will get a clearer view of the prices you can charge a company in your area of expertise.
Important: Also take into account the experience you have in your field, you cannot charge the same price if you have 10 years of experience or if you have just completed your training.
5. Target market: Once you have determined the services you offer and set your prices, you absolutely need to determine the type of clients you want to work with. If you don’t take the time to get to know your ideal client, then it will be impossible for you to target them. By knowing him inside out, you know exactly what he needs. As a result, you can offer him the perfect service. Be as specific as possible and try to get into the mind of your ideal client:
- Are these small business owners?
- What are his passions, his hobbies?
- Where does he live? Where does he work?
- What are his dreams, his ambitions?
- What are his points of frustrations?
Whoever your target customer is, give them a face. Create the avatar of your ideal customer. Name them, give them all the characteristics you want your clients to have (or not have), and write down why you want to work with them. Ask yourself if the work they are doing is interesting or if it is an industry in which you are comfortable.
You should also write down how you can help them and why they should choose you over another virtual assistant. This step is essential because it will help you develop your marketing plan afterwards.
6. Create a business plan: The business plan doesn’t have to be big, but it should cover all aspects of your business, such as what services you are going to provide and to whom, how your services set you apart from other virtual assistants, how you will finance and financially manage your business; and how you will market your business. You should also determine the prices for your services, taking into account your desired income, overhead costs, and what the market is willing to pay.
7. Marketing strategy: If you want to work as a virtual assistant, then you will be working remotely. One of the most common activities for those who work as a virtual assistant is service through social media. It is therefore essential for you to have an online presence, the best way to present your services and skills is to have a website. Think of it as your business card, a website will let your potential customers know if you are the best choice for them.
Social networks are also an important part of your business, it can be a good source of traffic for your website.But you don’t have to be everywhere: learn where your ideal customers are and master one or two social media platforms. Are they on Facebook? On Instagram? Or even LinkedIn? Communicate with them to show them that you understand their need.
Tip: Did you know that even a profile description can make a difference in the number of followers on an account? Then learn now how to build a biography on Instagram optimized to attract new followers!
- Social media: Social media can be a very powerful marketing tool for your virtual assistant business. Make multiple messages to get the word out. You can also create a page that lists all the specific services you offer and the ways you can get in touch. There are many social media sites that you can use to your advantage. LinkedIn will be the most obvious. As a social network for professionals, it is a place for businesses to find new talent. Create a page for yourself and provide a list of skills. Search on Instagram today the hashtags #virtualassistant and also profiles, that you will have an idea of what I’m talking about.
Other platforms can also be used. A good way to learn more about how to become a virtual assistant and how you can improve your business is through networking with other people. Join the virtual assistant in a Facebook group or forum. You will always need a support group, someone who understands you and can help you by giving you advice, or just who you can share with every now and then. Connecting with other virtual assistants can help you grow your business and attract more clients.
Look for Facebook groups and blogs that are in your niche. Find a group of people who share your goals and work alongside them to build a successful business.
- Website: This is an important part of becoming a virtual assistant. It gives potential clients a place where they can see the work you have done as well as testimonials and how to reach you.
You want to look professional at all times, so think about your website as it is built. Think about how others would see it, and think about having a successful trusted friend give you their impressions.
8. Make your customers happy: Making your customers happy is the greatest asset of your business. Once you have found your first customer, do all you can to provide them with quality service, don’t hesitate to always deliver a little more. A satisfied customer can recommend you to other business leaders they know, and it only takes a handful of customers to earn a full-time income as a virtual assistant! Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. Ask your customers if there is anything you can improve, and take everything they tell you into account. Use each positive review as a testimonial and ask your best customers if you can use them as references. It will help you a lot to get more customers.
9. Get the equipment you need
As with any profession, you need to check your equipment and resources; and make sure they are up to date and meet customer needs. Having the right equipment and resources to complete your tasks is the key to your success as a virtual assistant. Some hardware you will need as a virtual device:
- Personal computer with high-speed Internet connection
- A printer
- Scanner
- Copier
- Fax machine
- Active telephone line
- Distraction-free home office
If you want to stop dreaming of the perfect job and turn your vision into reality, consider learning to work from home as a virtual assistant. Lots of other people have done it and you can do it too. If you want to work from home and be self-employed, virtual assistant work may be for you. It is a business that you can start with no big investment, all you need is a computer and an Internet connection. Having a website is a plus but not essential to start. With a little networking, you will find that it can be quite easy to find your first client.
Hope you have found this safe guide on how to become a virtual assistant useful. Now I would like to hear what you have to say: Which tip from today’s post do you want to try first? Do you have a clearer idea of the services you can offer? Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below right now.