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April 17, 2017

How I Became a Virtual Assistant

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Becoming a virtual assistant isn't as hard as you think. Find out how to break into this industry and build a wildly successful VA business!Do you dream about having a business that is flexible, enjoyable, and pays well?

Around five years ago I was having those same dreams. I wanted to get paid what I felt like I *deserved* and knew that I couldn’t do that where I lived. I also knew I wasn’t moving so, to the internet I turned.

My first success online didn’t come in the form of being a virtual assistant. (In fact, at that time I had NO idea what a virtual assistant was.) Instead it came from freelance writing.

I began writing for insurance websites. #writewhatyouknow I shared all my progress on this blog and put up a “hire me” page. Soon enough I had inquiries from fellow bloggers asking if I’d write for them.

At the time I took every single writing job I could find or was offered. (Even if my hourly rate was what I was earning at the day job. I made every beginner’s mistake possible.)

However, all of those beginner mistakes led to something I didn’t expect…

When One Thing Leads to Another

After freelance writing for a while, and getting majorly burnt out, I decided that I was going to trim down my clients to the ones who I enjoyed working with and the ones who paid the best.

I emailed a blogger I was writing for letting him know that if he needed more writing help I was available. He told me yes and not long after emailed me back telling me he needed even more help and the work wasn’t writing related.

My response was a quick “YES. I will do it.”

I was pretty ecstatic to get paid for work that I enjoyed and to be able to cut back on writing just a little bit more.

In the meantime I was still looking to get rid of more writing clients I didn’t want to work with so I pitched an owner of several blogs and offered to do a little SEO work. This, again, opened up a whole new door for me and I had my second virtual assistant job.

During this time I realized something major: many online entrepreneurs/bloggers/small business owners desperately NEED help but don’t know who to ask.

The Benefits of Working as a Virtual Assistant

Becoming a virtual assistant made me feel more in control of my freelance business and allowed me to diversify my income. As I got more comfortable in my role there were a few things that I absolutely loved: the flexibility, the pay, and the variety!

Flexibility – As a mom to two (almost three) girls flexibility is really important to me. I’ve never had a day job that offered sick pay or more than two weeks’ vacation. Having the flexibility to take my kids to school, keep them home with me when they’re sick and being able to say yes to other important things in my life is a big plus.

As a virtual assistant you’ll commit to doing a certain amount of work but you’ll have nobody telling you what specific hours you have to work.

The Pay – In that past I’ve had the tendency to underbid and sell myself short. (It’s taken a lot of mindset work to overcome that.) But as a virtual assistant I always made what I considered to be a good rate for the work I was providing.

I’ve earned $17-$50 per hour as a virtual assistant and currently won’t even consider anything that pays less than $30 per hour.

The average North American virtual assistant earns $35-$50 per hour – which definitely makes this one of the more lucrative online businesses to start!

The Variety of Work – My biggest challenge when I was earning the majority of my income as a freelance writer was that it was mentally draining. Coming up with multiple article ideas every day and then writing them……exhausting. Or, at least for me it was. (Hats off to the writers who support themselves solely from their writing activities.)

When I started working as a virtual assistant it was a breath of fresh air. I loved the variety of tasks and loved even more that most of them didn’t take a ton of mental energy.

How You Can Quickly Build Your Virtual Assistant Business

I’ve made my living online in three areas – blogging, freelance writing, and virtual assisting. And let me tell you – I’ve taken the long way in every single one of these areas.

I feel like it’s now my duty to either explain step-by-step how you can avoid my mistakes (like with my freelance writing guide) or point you to someone who truly gets what it takes to be successful.

In this case I highly recommend that if you want to become a virtual assistant you enroll in 30 Days or Less to Virtual Assistant Success.

This course was put together by Gina Horkey. When Gina first came on the scene I was BLOWN AWAY by how quickly she gained momentum.

Here’s a look at her earnings from her first year online….

Here’s what’s included in the course:

  • Module 1: Building Your VA Foundation
  • Module 2: Launching Your VA Business
  • Module 3: Skill Deep Dive (Email Management)
  • Module 4: Skill Deep Dive (Social Media Management)
  • Module 5: Skill Deep Dive (Content Management)
  • Module 6: Making Money as a VA
  • Module 7: Your Online VA Presence
  • Module 8: Sourcing VA Clients
  • Module 9: All About Pitching
  • Module 10: Interviewing and Getting Hired
  • Module 11: Business Contracts and More
  • Module 12: Business Relationship Building
  • Free Independent Contractor Templates ($200 value)
  • Plus a Private Facebook Group
  • And more…

If you’re interested in building a successful virtual assistant business quickly I highly recommend taking this course.

I want the course!

Becoming a virtual assistant was one of the best jobs I've ever had! Here's how I earned up to $50/hr. as a virtual assistant.

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Filed Under: Business Ideas, Online Business Ideas

About Alexa

Alexa Mason is the blogger behind Single Moms Income, a personal finance freelance writer, and an online entrepreneur. Come hang out with her on Facebook and Pinterest.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mike Collins says

    April 17, 2017 at 7:03 pm

    Hi Alexa,
    I’m glad to see you’re doing so well as a virtual assistant. Besides underbidding and selling yourself short in terms of pay, were there any other beginner mistakes you made early in your online business?

    • Alexa says

      April 19, 2017 at 6:22 am

      I think my main issues have always been underbidding – it was a confidence issue for a long time! Other than having a VA business has been one of my favorites 🙂

      • Ursula says

        February 2, 2019 at 5:26 pm

        Hi Alexa, I’m looking to get Into this! Just don’t know where to start, feeling overwhelmed. Looking for someone to mentor me and guide me in the right direction. I

  2. Alyssa Vassallo says

    April 28, 2017 at 4:34 pm

    What functions do you perform as a VA? Do you have to “be on call” 24/7 for your clients?

    • Alexa says

      May 9, 2017 at 1:15 pm

      No, definitely not on call 24/7. I was a VA for blogger so I scheduled blog posts, created images, managed social media, etc.

  3. Cizelia Fesalica says

    November 10, 2017 at 7:27 am

    Hello Alexa,
    I’m glad to read this article. I excited about this job as a VA, but i think need more lesson about how become a VA. So can I have your personal contact and we discuss about this deeper ?
    Thanks.

    • Alexa says

      November 11, 2017 at 6:15 am

      Sure, email me at [email protected]

  4. amy says

    June 6, 2018 at 11:36 am

    Hello
    I currently work as an Executive Assistant for a C-level Exec in a Fortune 50 company and have been in this sort of role for about 18 years. Circumstances be what they are, I really need to earn more money to get my bills paid. Do you think doing VA work at night or on weekends would be a good option for me? I’m not sure how to get into it. I don’t think I need a course as much as I just need to connect with someone who needs the work done. Any suggestions? Thank you!

  5. Smith says

    April 12, 2019 at 11:35 pm

    Thank you so much, I definitely need this! I just got my blog to the point where I consider it ready for people to see–but I have no idea what to do next! There’s so much to learn about blogging and I appreciate how you’ve broken it down so there’s a roadmap to follow.

  6. Angelia Johnson says

    December 1, 2019 at 8:30 pm

    Hi Alexa,

    I am interested in becoming a VA, can I have your email address to speak with more about this.

    • Alexa says

      December 10, 2019 at 11:26 am

      Sure. Feel free to email me alexa.mason @ yahoo.com

  7. Raquel says

    April 21, 2020 at 11:57 am

    Hi Alexa,

    I’m interested in becoming a VA. Don’t know Where I begin. Could you please guide me? Thank you!

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