fbpx
What is virtual assisting and you can get started?

What is virtual assisting and you can get started?

by | Jul 5, 2020 | Work From Home

Virtual assisting is an amazing opportunity to create a stable financial outlook, provide freedom to work whatever hours you’d like, and make valuable contributions to businesses. 

But what does a virtual assistant actually do?

Overview

The simplest definition of virtual assistants is that they virtually assist businesses with administrative tasks. These tasks vary depending on the business or client. Some common tasks to all businesses include:

  • Email management ~ which is sorting a client’s emails and expediting the emails that need attention for the client
  • Calendar management ~ confirming that the client has their appointments organized and knows where they are supposed to be and when. 
  • Customer service ~ this could mean responding to emails for the client, taking phone messages and responding, or answering questions via a phone call
  • Social Media ~ this one is gaining popularity with virtual assistants as a separate service but some are also including it in their basic service packages. 

Virtual assistants can also complete tasks such as updating blogs, responding to comments on social media, work on processes and flows for the business, and sometimes even manage teams for the client. 

The more specialized the skill set the more the virtual assistant can charge. This means that it really pays off if you decided to specialize in say, bookkeeping. You can sell your services at a much higher rate than a general virtual assistant. 

Virtual assistants are generally independent contractors when they start out. This means that they work for themselves and any companies they work for are their clients. Some virtual assistants start out with a business license and create an LLC immediately before starting to take any clients. Either of these options is completely legitimate and depends on personal preference. 

Pay and Training when virtual assisting

A virtual assistant does not need a virtual assisting certification or any type of official documentation. While no specific education is required you must be able to perform the tasks that a client might need. This means that you should educate yourself on common virtual assisting tasks and continue to educate yourself whenever possible. 

Pay as a virtual assistant varies along with the skillset that you supply as a virtual assistant. A new virtual assistant who has experience in admin tasks could start at $20/hour while a skilled tech virtual assistant could set their pay at $40/hour or more. 

Skills Needed

The skills needed to start out as a virtual assistant are fairly similar to the skills needed to land a traditional job as an administrative assistant. 

  • Organized ~ VAs have to be organized to keep track of not only every client and the tasks do to them but each client’s unique needs
  • Communication ~ Because VAs work remotely communication is one of the most important qualities a virtual assistant needs. You must be willing and able to communicate with the client to determine their needs, set your boundaries, and keep projects flowing smoothly
  • Some Tech Knowledge ~ VAs need to have SOME tech skills or at least be able to run the most commonly used software and applications. 
  • Multi-Tasker ~ VAs must be masters of multi-tasking especially if you want to take on more than one client. 

Becoming a virtual assistant is a big commitment. You commit to yourself, your clients, and your business to be the absolute best you can be every day. Clients will rely on your skills for EVERYTHING. You may not think that organizing an email inbox is saving someone’s sanity ~ but the client who has been staring at 2,000 emails for a month will think you are the best thing since sliced bread. 

Are you ready to become an in-demand, money-making, rockin’ virtual assistant?  

Check out my LEARN section to see more special offers, quick start guides, and information about becoming a virtual assistant! 

Keep dreamin’

Business Jeans

Business Jeans

by | Apr 12, 2020 | Momhood, Work From Home, Working Mom

Business Jeans

I remember the days, not fondly at all, where I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. The one thing I was absolutely sure of during that time (20 years of it) was that there had to be a better way. 

There are a lot of words that others use to describe me – single mom, crazy, mom, mommy (depending on what they want), sarcastic, funny, smart, quiet, and laid back are just a few. The words I want to apply to myself? Successful, independent, happy momma…

My three girls are my biggest inspiration. Every single move I’ve made the last 14 years has been about giving them MORE. Not stuff. But time, experience, enjoyment; less struggle, sadness, insecurity. 

I started my virtual assistant business just this side of poverty with a Google search for “work-from-home” jobs while pondering what I ultimately was going to do with the rest of my life. But where?

I’ve never felt like I “fit in”. 

I’ve always been the jeans and t-shirt girl ackwardly trying to mesh with the corporate world. Incredibly skilled but not willing, or able, to play the part of the high level exec. But I’m not the type of person who knows what to say and when to say it. I never know how to act when it comes to small talk, or big talk, for that matter. So where did that leave me? 

Finding a way to make money in jeans and a t-shirt, of course. Or my jammies. Or dressed up in leggings and a sweatshirt if I was feeling super fancy. But it’s really all about the jeans.

And that wasn’t the only challenge. I was a single mom which brought about its own passel of unique experiences. Society (or at least the ones I’d always listened to) said things like: single mom and freelancer is a mistake; you can’t be happy as a single mom; you can not, absolutely can not work only 30 hours per week and be a single mom; you must work two jobs and be constantly exhausted in order to be a successful single mom. Not a real optimistic outlook, was it? 

Finding My Place

There were a lot of reasons to NOT take a chance on myself and start this business. Three big ones – my kids – who needed me to make money to do things… like to feed them. BUT the more pressure I put on myself to work the business – and make the business work for me – the higher I’ve flown. 

There are a lot of questions that could discourage me from following this path ~ Can I afford health insurance? Is my income dependable? How will I make X amount of money per month if I lose all of my clients? I have to talk to HOW MANY people to get a client? 

I’ve been incredibly blessed with super supportive people in the last three years who have allowed me to walk this journey of self discovery. I’m finally the person I always imagined I’d be. A high level exec in business jeans. 

If you want to follow more of my journey, learn more about starting a freelance virtual assistant business, and work life balance while working from home – follow me on Instagram or Facebook and keep connected with my blog.