So, you’re toying with the idea of becoming a Virtual Assistant, but where do you start? Is it just as easy as ‘Get laptop, get client, off you go’?
Well not quite, but you’re not far off. There are a few things you’ll need in place, but don’t worry: as it says on our mission statement, we’re here to help.
First things first – what can you offer? Make a list of all the things you can do, even if they seem somewhat out of place on your CV.
Obviously, you need your basic skills on there – are you better on a Mac or a PC? What programmes and software can you use? Where are you less proficient? If you don’t know your Gmail from your Outlook, and your SharePoint from your Dropbox, then we’d say it’s pretty essential to brush up on these – there are so many hints and tips online that you can’t afford not to have these in your skillset.
If you’ve got some obvious skills/experience under your belt, then put them right at the top: social media, any accounting skills, sales experience, writing credits are all invaluable to SMEs who don’t have the capacity for full time staff.
The key thing to remember is that you never know when someone might need one of your skills, no matter how ‘out there’ it is. Are you a whizz at booking holidays and flights? This could be invaluable to the busy business owner who freaks out at the thought of using Skyscanner. Ruthlessly efficient and slightly allergic to a messy storage system? You never know whose ears that could be music too. Big on spelling and grammar? I bet you would make an excellent proof-reader.
Next, make sure you’ve got the right tools in place – at the very least you need a computer, fast broadband and a good phone connection. The key part of your new job description is ‘Virtual’ – you’re not going to be on site, and you’re expected to have a good system in place to get your work done.
So, you’ve got the tools and you’ve got the tricks, now you need to market yourself and find some clients. The easiest way to do this is to sign up with an agency (*cough* VA Agency *cough*) who will have a huge network of clients looking for someone with skills like yours.
Finally, crucially, you need to think about the business side of what you’re offering, and by this we mean actually running yourself as a business. All those piddly things that full time employers generally do are down to you – sorting out your working hours, invoicing and getting paid, tax… It can seem quite daunting at first but it’s not at all, and all the information you need is easy to find online.
If you’re still keen, but really not sure of how to get yourself started, then as we said at the beginning, we’re here to help. We’ll soon be launching a course aimed at helping you set yourself up as a Virtual Assistant, showing you how to grow yourself as a business so we continue helping our clients grow theirs. We’ve been doing this since 2008, so we like to think we know a bit or two about the right way to go about it!
If you’d like more information, sign up to our newsletter and be first on the list for our launch.
Until next time!
Stay productive.