The Virtual Assistant (VA) world is vast and expansive, it can be overwhelming to navigate the information. Within this Blog I am going to give you a quick guide to some of the best training providers, sources of information and how to make the industry work for you!
First things first, the VA world is not for everyone, you might have the skills but do you have everything it takes?
* You only get out what you put in - there are a lot of VAs and it takes a lot of time to network, seek leads and build connections. You have to be willing to “sell yourself”, by that I mean, you have to network both online and in person, put yourself out there with people you already have connections with, even friends and family.
* Even though the work is virtual/remote you have to be able to build quality relationships, communication skills are vital in creating trust and a mutually beneficial relationship.
* You must have a strong work ethic - you may end up having one client or 10 and you need to understand that your business is building and supporting their business.
* You need to always be learning - about all sorts of things, apps, programs, tech tricks and skills that will help build your own business as well as your clients. Technology is moving at such a rapid pace now that you cannot afford to be in business without keeping your information and skills up to date.
* Becoming a VA is a long term commitment - when someone hires a VA they want to build a long lasting relationship, they don't want to have to find and replace their VA all the time. You also need to have plans in place if you intend on taking an extended break from the VA work, this may include finding replacement options or finding a subcontractor to take on the work.
* You need to decide how many hours you are willing to dedicate, whether you are wanting to work around your “normal” job. Many VAs work on a flexible schedule, some work part-time while others are full-time.
* Decide on your niche, analyse your strengths and weaknesses. You don’t have to be an all-rounder you just have to have skills that someone else needs and finds valuable.
If you’re sitting here reading this and thinking YES THAT’S ME and you want some more information, the next blog post will be about some of the different training providers (not all).
See you soon,
Clare Doye