Virtual Assistant
Have you thought about a career as a Virtual Assistant?
What if there was a career that allowed you to:
- Work from home (and home can be anywhere in the world)
- Travel (did I mention you can work from anywhere in the world, even an RV?)
- Enjoy the freedom and flexibility of being your own boss and setting your own hours
- Earn as much as you want
- Cash in on skills you already have
This is not a pipe dream. Let me tell you about this booming business that is perfect for your second-half-of-life career.
Become A Virtual Assistant
A Virtual Assistant, usually shortened to VA, provides support services to clients who may live around the corner or halfway around the world.
As a VA, you work remotely using your computer, internet and phone to communicate with your clients. You offer administrative, technical or marketing support services to small business owners and entrepreneurs.
Since just about any administrative, creative or techie task can be performed remotely (except personally bringing someone coffee, filing printed papers in folders or greeting people coming into the office) the field has a surprisingly large scope.
Virtual Assistants work in a wide variety of roles:
- Executive Assistants
- Social Media Specialists
- Real Estate Assistants
- Bookkeepers
- Author Assistants
- Writers, Editors, Proofreaders
- Project Managers
Businesses hiring VAs are as varied as the type of services provided by VAs:
- Internet Marketers
- Coaches
- Trainers
- Consultants
- Real Estate Agents
- Authors
- Professional Speakers
- Online Retail Businesses
A Rapidly Growing Business Model
Demand for Virtual Assistants is high and will continue to expand for as long as the internet is around.
Small businesses and entrepreneurs desperately need support. They have discovered that Virtual Assistants can provide professional support more cost effectively and efficiently than employees.
Listen to the most recent episode
Virtual Assistants save businesses time and money by:
- Working out of their own offices. VAs provide their own office space, desks, computers, phones, and supplies.
- Charging only for work performed. Virtual Assistants get the work done as it comes in, without businesses paying overtime or holiday wages. Businesses also avoid paying employees for slow times, when they don’t have enough to keep them busy.
- Specializing. On their own time and at their own expense, VAs attend training and gain experience to become experts in their area of specialization. Businesses save the cost and time of training employees when they hire VAs.
- Operating as 1099 Independent Contractors. A VA is self-employed. Business owners do not pay social security taxes, FICA taxes, worker’s compensation, insurance, 401K, retirement plans, medical, dental, sick pay, holiday pay and other benefits.
You Might Be A Great Virtual Assistant
If the following scenarios describe you, you might be a great VA.
- You are a doer.
Your superpower is getting stuff done. You love checking things off your to-do list.
- You know your way around a computer and the internet.
A Virtual Assistant has to handle all her duties remotely. She needs to be able to use email and Skype to communicate, Microsoft Office (especially Microsoft Word) to provide services, and Google to find answers to questions that arise.
You do not have to be a techie guru. Yes, there are VAs who love technology and specialize in all things tech. I’ll be the first to admit, that is NOT me. I’m Kathy Goughenour, a VA who earns 6-figures, and I panic at the thought of having to do anything more technical than send emails and create Microsoft Word documents. For the last 10 years, I’ve shown women worldwide how to make awesome money and have amazing freedom working from home as VAs … as tech gurus, administrative assistants, and everything in between.
- You enjoy supporting and helping others.
Being in the background of a business and helping the owner get stuff done lights you up. But you can also lead a conversation with a business owner about what she needs done and negotiate a deadline.
- You’re good at juggling multiple clients and deadlines.
As a VA, you’ll have multiple clients … and multiple deadlines. You might have a newsletter that has to go out for Client A on Wednesday, a blog post due for Client B on Thursday and a series of emails to write for Client C by Friday. If having something new to do daily sounds like fun, you’re going to love being a VA.
- You can manage your own time.
You do not need (or want) a supervisor telling you what to do, how to do it and when to do it. You can keep yourself motivated and focused on a task and get it done by the deadline.
- You have an amazing work ethic.
One of the many reasons I love working with women who are in the second half of their life is that they have the most incredible work ethic. They’re honest, personable, professional and organized.
No Need For A Degree Or Experience As An Administrative Professional
Before becoming a VA, I was a marketing manager at a Fortune 500 corporation. Successful VAs I’ve trained were once teachers, nurses, stay-at-home moms, human resources specialists, accountants, real estate agents, and hairdressers.
There is no certification or degree required to work as a Virtual Assistant. In fact, you can use skills you already have to begin earning quickly.
- Cindy, formerly a real estate agent, became a real estate VA.
- Dawn, formerly an English teacher, become a ghostwriter.
- Tori, formerly an IT specialist, became a techie guru.
Intrigued by this booming “remote” business you can run from anywhere and everywhere? Watch for the second article in this Virtual Assistant series. You’ll discover how much VAs really earn (it’s more than you think) and the top 7 benefits to building your own Virtual Assistant business.
This post was written by Kathy Goughenour. After saying “bye-bye” to her corporate career, Kathy started her first business – as a Virtual Assistant. She went on to earn six-figures working from home — usually in her pajamas. After eight years as a VA, Kathy launched Expert VA Training. There she teaches VAs how to create a consistently high income while working remotely. Get your questions answered about starting a VA career during a free call with Kathy.
Kathy can found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Like What Your Read? Get Career Pivot Insights
Do You Need Help With ...
Check out our Help Center where you have access to 14 different content portals.
Thank you, Marc Miller, for allowing me to share this information about the booming virtual assistant industry with your followers. I’ll be here answering questions anyone has about becoming a virtual assistant. So post your questions for me!
I took Kathy’s training in 2011. It was the best move I could have made. I work from home in my sweats doing what I love working with authors and speakers. I can and do set my own hours. Not only did Kathy teach me how to become a VA, she taught me how to run and market my business. She has a high level of excellent. If you want to know more about becoming a VA, seek out Kathy. You will never be the same.
This is great info, Kathy! I know lotsa folks who moved out of the city to places they really loved (i.e. Santa Fe) which they could not have done if they weren’t VA’s. It does make a lot of new horizons possible.
I was shaking my head agreeing with the words as I read the blog post and then I got to the bottom and saw it was written by my VA coach Kathy Goughenour. I had been telling myself there had to be a way I could make a living working from home, using the skills I had, and that would get me out of the telecom industry. I took Kathy’s training in 2008 on how to start my own successful VA business and have been specializing in membership websites ever since. Thank you Kathy.
Great article Kathy! Yes being a VA has afforded me to be able to still be a Nana to my 7 grandchildren and work around their busy school and ball schedules! Although I like to call myself a VE (Virtual Expert) because so many of us aren’t “girl fridays” anymore. We are definitely experts in our field who happen to work virtually. I am a Marketing Expert in the Funnel/Segmentation field and I love helping my clients launch their businesses to new heights through the use of funnels! Thank you Kathy for pushing me to excel in this field.
I really love the information you have highlighted here Kathy on who would make a great VA, extremely valuable info! Thank you.
Becoming a virtual assistant was the best thing I have done for myself. I am now able to control my work environment and schedule much more than previously as a real estate agent. Kathy helped me see the vision and achieve it!
Great article, Kathy! I will be sharing the article link with my community. As a military spouse wanting more freedom and flexibility to match my fluid lifestyle, becoming a VA has been ideal for me.
Work with a force multiplier! Let my experience and expertise as small business owner help you increase your effectiveness as a small business owner and accomplish your mission.