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Nowadays, we become familiar with the words Virtual Assistant, we often see it on the internet, job titles and sometimes we meet or know people who make a living out of it. There is an increasing number of people who work from home these days for reasons of avoiding traffic congestion, a healthier lifestyle, and time with family but still getting the pay they wanted or even more. Transitioning from office-based work to home-based work doesn't happen instantly, there are few steps to be followed to start your new endeavor. Here is the 101 on how to become a Virtual Assistant.
SETTING UP
Unlike the office setup wherein everything you need is handed or readily available for disposal, you need to set up your own home workspace where your freelancing career begins. First, you need a laptop with good specifications, you can also use a desktop computer but I would prefer the former, it would be more convenient and portable especially when you are outside or traveling. Second, you must have a strong internet connection, you don't want the line breaking up while having a conversation with your clients. Lastly, a planner where you put your schedules and appointments. For me, it is a key must-haves because working at home comes with too much distraction especially if you have kids. Having a planner, makes you follow a schedule to get things organized and done.
COMMITMENT
After everything has been set, you need to be committed to learning how to become a Virtual Assistant. It is very important to be dedicated to this type of work because you can only rely on your skills and yourself. It is like you are managing your own business, one must know that not every business runs smoothly that's why you also need to be prepared and 100% ready when you leave your office work.
DO RESEARCH
Being a Virtual Assistant requires many skills, it is advisable that you continue learning different niches to accommodate wider clients. There are many tools and software on the internet that could help you in performing your tasks, all you need to do is google it or watch it on Youtube. Self-learning and research is a must for Virtual Assistants, it would be your key advantage over others.
BRANDING
Create your own brand. You must differentiate yourself from the other Virtual Assistants, build your own company logo, social media accounts and website to start your online presence. Through this, clients will see your profile and credibility that would lead you of having a job offer.
SERVICES OFFERED
Establish your services and focus on your niche. By now, you can do different VA tasks like data entry, transcription, email management, writing, calendar management, bookkeeping, marketing, social media management and many more. Choose your field and enjoy doing it and you would give a better output. You can enhance what you do in your previous office job and still do it, the difference is now you manage your own.
FREELANCING COURSE
If you are still having a hard time, and you really want to learn how to become a Virtual Assistant there are online courses where you can enroll yourself. Filipino Virtual Assistance Consultancy (FVA) offers online job courses to freelancers, virtual assistance services to brands and businesses and franchising opportunities. I, myself have enrolled with FVA to be guided on what to do and how to establish my VA profile. They were a big help for me because I really started from scratch with no idea how this works, but with the freelancing course, I learned the basics and steps on becoming a Virtual Assistant.
CONCLUSION
After reading the basics of becoming a Virtual Assistant and you think you've got what it takes and possesses the essential qualities needed then you now understand that being in this kind of work has a lot of commitment and discipline required. Knowing what to do and what's involved, success is in the grasp of our hand.
This would be an exhilarating experience, you will learn new things and hone skills you never thought you would have and finally the life you always dreamt of.