How to Become a Virtual Assistant
Many people, such as entrepreneurs, business owners, and others work from home. While enjoying the freedom of not being confined to an office environment, they still need to maintain a semblance of an office, having an assistant to handle some of the business processes so that they can focus on the things they must to do grow their business.
As such, some people specialize in working as virtual assistants. They either specialize in tasks for specific fields, such as IT, or are well-trained in administrative services, such as making phone calls, managing email accounts, scheduling appointments, or making travel arrangements. Some of them provide blog writing, social media management, bookkeeping, marketing services and graphic design.
How to become a virtual assistant
A virtual assistant, also called a remote assistant, is an independent contractor, a self-employed person who offers administrative services to various clients remotely.
If you are interested in becoming a virtual assistant, here are some tips.
- Determine your business structure. This will depend on your physical location, the types of clients you want to work with, the services you want to provide, your personal situation (whether you have liabilities, children, family), your tolerance of personal risk, and the types of business structures existing around you. An accountant or an attorney can help you make the right decision.
- Decide the type of virtual assistance you will offer. You do not have to stick to traditional tasks, such as returning phone calls, managing a client's calendar or checking emails. You can offer various services that are in demand today, such as social media management, blog management, lead generation, customer service, managing and running ad campaigns, event management, bookkeeping, project management, or managing product launches.
- Establish a pricing structure. Your experience, skillset and what services you offer will help you determine your pricing structure. You can either charge per hour or a retainer rate. While thinking of the price range, you should take into consideration that you are not an employee but a sub-contractor, meaning you might be incurring different tax schedules. You are not going to receive benefits that are due to regular employees. You also incur overhead expenses. Make a list of your projected expenses per month and inflate it by about 25%. Divide it by the number of days you are willing to work to get the daily rate and divide the daily rate by the number of work hours you want to render to get the hourly rate.
- Create a website. Since you are going to work virtually, you need a website, with all the pertinent details, such as your contact information, the services you offer, your rates, and terms and conditions. Use your social media accounts to build awareness about your services.
- Network. It is easier to find clients by word of mouth referrals and networking. Contact your previous employers and people you know who now have small businesses. They know more about you and your work ethics, so it can help boost your reputation.
It is important to be realistic. Providing virtual assistance is a business, so you should expect that getting clients will not happen overnight. Make sure that you have enough for living expenses for at least six months. It's important to pay your credit cards before you start your new business.
