What is a Virtual Assistant and do you want to be one?

I participate in a lot of Facebook groups which focus on mums in business. The Virtual Assistant Industry is one that is predominantly full of women who want to work from home – a lot of those around children. So the concept of working as a VA comes up a lot in these groups. ‘Want a new work from home business? Then be a VA!’ they say.

Providing support to business owners is serious stuff.

Helping someone grow their business through administration, social media, writing, websites, reception, research, design and bookkeeping, just to name a few, are not the sort of things you’d want to do at a low standard and hand over to a business owner in return for money.

Yet all around the world, thanks to increasing access to the Internet, it would appear that every person with access to a computer, thinks ‘hey, this is the answer for me’.

Well maybe it is.

But maybe it isn’t.

The VA Industry is incredibly broad. The services offered within it are so varied it’s almost insane. And the quality of service across the industry is also extremely varied. Some people treat it as a hobby, some treat it as a job and some as a business. Some are amazing at it, and some truly suck.

So if you come to me and ask how to become a VA who works from home? This is the advice I will give you.

1. You’ll need great communication skills and interpersonal skills.
2. You need to love your business and the businesses of your clients and be excited by their success
3. You’ll need to always keep learning and honing your skills
4. You’ll need to network and you will need to sell – there is no such thing as a business that doesn’t require selling.

Because when you start your business you will have to invest time, energy and money in it. And if you don’t want to make the above points a priority, then you are wasting that time, energy and money. And for me personally? I don’t want to see you fail, but more than that I don’t want you diluting the quality of an incredible industry.

So if you want to really become a VA? A self employed VA? Here’s my key tips for you.

• Make sure your communication skills are excellent.
• Make sure you know why you want to do and what success will look like for you.
• Put money, time and effort aside to keep learning and growing.
• Network, network, network – online AND offline.
• Work with people who know the industry and know how to make it work.
• Master the skills and services you want to offer.
• Take great pride in yourself and your clients’ successes.
• Learn from your mistakes.

And above all, embrace the journey.

Is this what you want?

If so, join our 10 weeks to a Stellar VA course! Details here!