There are a few steps you can take to become a virtual assistant. But first, what does a virtual assistant do? Virtual assistants help small business owners and solopreneurs, content creators with different tasks such as email handling, phone calls, marketing support and other administrative and duties.
What skill does one need to become a VA?
The basic skills of a VA are as follow –
- Word Processing Skills (Data Entry And Typing)
- Computer Skills
- Good Command Of English And Great Writing Skills
- Effective Decision Making
- Self Motivation And Discipline.
- Time Management
- Reliability
- Detail-oriented
- Able To Work Under Pressure
- Administrative skills
Step 1. Identify Your Skills And Choose A Niche
First of all, you need to decide what kind of VA you want to become. You have to identify your skills which will make it easier for you to choose your niche. You can choose from any of the VA niches below.
- Virtual Bookkeeper
- Customer support Virtual Assistant
- Travel Virtual Assistant
- Language Translation Virtual Assistant
- Administrative virtual assistant
- Digital Marketing Virtual Assistant
- Graphic Design Virtual Assistant
- Ecommerce Assistant
- Real Estate Assistant
- Blogger’s Virtual Assistant
- Social Media Manager/Assistant
Step 2. Decide What Your Pricing Will Be
To make this step easier, you should research other competitors to find out what they charge before making a decision. This is very important if you are starting with a freelance platform like Fiverr because the market place can be very competitive.
Step 3. Choose A Platform
The third step is to choose a platform. There are so many options to choose from. For example, you can decide to start with Upwork, Fiverr, Boldy, Fancy Hands, Freelancer.com, Remote Job Boards or you can build your own website for your VA business. Another option is to get to set up an Instagram and LinkedIn and you are good to go.
Step 4. Get Some Basic Tools
The basic tool you need are;
- Laptop
- Internet connection
- Headset
- Smartphone
- Microsoft or google office
- Zoom or google meet
As time goes on you will need a dedicated office space, printer, scanner, and a landline.
Step 5. Job search
Now you are all set to get started. If you choose Fiverr then check out this post on how to get your first sales on Fiverr. You can also reach out to your family and friends and ask if they need a VA.
This job is perfect for people who want to work from the comfort of their own home because it does not require a lot of capital to get started. You can move to the top easily because this is an in-demand freelance skill.