Are you feeling overwhelmed, burnout, and undervalued at your 9-5? Maybe you have come to realize that your current career is no longer serving you and you need a way out. Becoming a virtual assistant is a great alternative to your typical 9-5. Being a virtual assistant allows you to work remotely, create your own schedule and be your own boss.
If you are already intrigued by the idea of being your own boss and creating your own hours, this post is for you. Today, I am sharing everything you need to know about how to become a virtual assistant and start working from home.
We will be diving into what a virtual assistant is, the skills you need to become a virtual assistant, who hires VA’s, the earning potential you have, and how to get started as a virtual assistant today.
What is a Virtual Assistant?
A virtual assistant is usually a self-employed independent contractor that helps business owners with administrative, creative or technical tasks. Think personal assistant, but all virtual. You can work part-time or full time and you make your own hours and charge your own rates.
If you’re looking to earn a little extra money becoming a virtual assistant is the perfect side hustle. If you are looking to replace your entire income that is absolutely possible. You are in the driver’s seat creating your business in a way that best serves you.
Again, everything is remote so you can work early mornings, late nights, weekends, or during the naptime hustle. The key is that YOU get to decide.
Who Hires Virtual Assistants?
So at this point you may be saying to yourself “this all sounds great, but do people actually hire virtual assistants?”
Freelancing is one of the fastest growing careers with the huge boom of businesses turning to the online space as a result of the pandemic. According to Elite Content Marketer, over 59 million Americans freelanced this past year. That’s 36% of the total US workforce.
Businesses both big and small are hiring virtual assistants at rapid rates knowing that they cost a fraction of the price of hiring an employee.
Coaches, course creators, real estate agents, restaurants, bloggers, influencers and more are hiring VA’s. And the best part, they are hiring you to work from home. All you need is a stable internet connection and some skills in their area of need and you are good to go.
What Skills Do You Need to Become a Virtual Assistant?
Did the mention of having some skills in their area of need make you question whether or not you were cut out for this whole virtual assistant thing?
Many people pop into my DM’s wondering if they have enough skills to become a freelancer and the truth is, you have way more skills than you may think.
Some questions that I want you to ask yourself include:
- What do you currently love doing in your job/business?
- What do people come to you for all the time?
- What are your hard skills in your job?
- What are your soft skills in your job?
If you are a teacher, you are most likely extremely organized and have many leadership skills. You know how to run a classroom of 20+ students plus manage parents/families! So you could be great at project management.
Maybe you are currently working in marketing at a corporate firm. You know how to analyze marketing data, create graphics that convert, and you understand the ever changing strategies behind marketing. Director of marketing may be in your future.
You can offer a variety of skills that range from beginner to expert level. Some businesses just need help with managing their email inbox or data entry (beginner skills); whereas others need an entire marketing plan (expert level skills). You may either already possess these skills from your current position OR you can learn them quickly as you work with clients.
Trust me, you have transferable skills that businesses need right NOW!
How Much Can You Make as a Virtual Assistant?
Because you are an independent contractor rather than an employee, you are able to charge significantly more. A beginning virtual assistant can start our charging around $25-$30/hour. A more advanced VA can earn around $50/hour.
But the earning potential doesn’t stop there. As I mentioned above, oftentimes businesses are seeking those with expert level skills. Skills that require additional training and as a result businesses are willing to pay. For specialized services you can charge more around the $75-$125/hour rate, if not more.
It is likely that you will be able to replace your income in less than a few months depending on where your salary is currently at.
Where Do You Learn How To Become a Virtual Assistant?
Does all of this work from home gig sound too good to be true? I know had those same thoughts a little over three years ago when I began exploring the idea of becoming a VA. But I am here to share that this world has opened up possibilities for me beyond my wildest dreams.
In less than two months of starting my freelancing business, I left my teaching career! And in less than 4 months, I replaced my teaching salary. I have since gone on to far surpass what I could ever make as a teacher.
So if you are interested in learning how to become a virtual assistant and start working from home be sure to check out my FREE training all about getting started as a VA.
LEARN HOW TO BECOME A FREELANCER! SIGN UP BELOW!
You can also tune into my weekly podcasts where I share tips and tricks for starting and scaling your freelancing businesses.
I can’t wait to watch your freelancing business flourish!
Rooting for you!
Aubree
