How To Work From Home As A Virtual Assistant.
Photo above by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
Usually, the quickest way to earn an income is to hop on the internet and start applying for jobs. Well today I challenge you to believe in yourself that you can work for yourself. I found out a while ago, that no matter what job I get, how much money I make, how proud I am to work at a certain establishment – At the end of the day, it always is going to be putting energy into something that is that company’s dream. I ask you, what about your dream? Constantly I would think to myself, if I am giving this job (that I don’t even like) all of this energy I might as well put that energy into my OWN dream/vision/business. Make my own hours and be in control. Me calling the shots like the boss instead of having to answer to one. Keep reading. What I will be explaining below is an opportunity that is fairly easy to start working from home.
It’s called becoming a Virtual Assistant. What is a Virtual Assistant you ask? It is a person that assists small businesses VIRTUALLY. Yes, from the comfort of their own home. The services that you provide can be vast or detailed down to a specific skill that you have. I currently have my own Virtual Assistant business and I offer services centered around administrative needs. For example, Data Entry, Processing Invoices, Inbox Management. These things may sound intimidating if you are first starting out, but honestly – small businesses need help with these things and they will train YOU to do these tasks for them. So, what are you good at exactly? Can you type? Maybe you create valuable content or creativity in an artistic way. Whatever it is, sell your services, someone needs it. So first find out what services you will offer!
Second, with any business, you will need to figure out how much you are charging for these services. Doesn’t that sound refreshing? Yes, you will figure out how much YOU would like to be paid. Don’t sell yourself short either. Find out what others are charging and stay in that area, or you could charge more or less depending on your confidence. You can always change your prices because hey, you make the rules, right? You’re the boss! Also, when will you work. Again, you pick your hours. You can create packages that offer a certain number of hours for a set price, or of course, you can charge by the hour.
After you have your pricing in place, it’s time to create a portfolio. This is the ‘resume’ for your business. This portfolio will display your services, pricing, mission statement, and contact information. This will be sent out to prospective clients that need your services. You will need to claim your EIN number and then figure out if you will operate as a sole proprietor or an LLC. Yes, this also sounds intimidating, but it’s easy and best of all it doesn’t usually cost too much. You will also need to pay taxes on your earnings. I recommend going to score.com to assist with legal advice on how to operate a business in your state. Just to be sure you are complying with all of the guidelines for where you reside.
Now it is time to Market yourself and find Clients. You need to figure out how many clients will you need in order to earn your desired amount of income every month for your business. You can create a Facebook and/or Instagram page for your business. Tell your friends and family, hey word gets around that you assist small businesses, and everyone knows someone who possibly has a business. My favorite way to market is to go on Craigslist.com. This is a great resource for putting your skills out there for any small business to see. Go to meetups (meetup.com) and other events from social media where you can network. Create a business card on Canva.com. They have so many great templates.
Now that you have your first client, you are ready to start making that money. This is the beginning of you being YOUR OWN BOSS! Follow me for more insight into Virtual Assisting.
Lastly, if you are a small business and need a Virtual Assistant, Contact me at:
- Email: moniquesvirtualsvcs@gmail.com
- Instagram: @mhoustonva1
- Facebook: @MoniquesVA
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