Virtual assistant jobs are all the rage
Look ma! No dress code!
Are you in the market for virtual assistant jobs? Perhaps you’ve already checked out the International Virtual Assistants Association. If not, it might be worth a look. Use the link to the IVAA web site at the end of this article.
I went to the International Virtual Assistants Association web site, just to see what I could see. I actually thought about joining, just to see what would come of it. I mean, who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to work at home if it just happened to come along?
International currency
However, “just for the heck of it” quickly became a shoddy reason to sign up for the International Virtual Assistants Association when I found out it costs money. It costs $125 to sign up and $99 per year after that.
That’s not a lot of money if you’re making money off of it, but the point is that if you are going to succeed at virtual assistant jobs, you’ve got to be pretty serious about it. This isn’t stuffing envelopes at a per-piece rate or educating the masses about Canadian payday loans.
So what is a virtual assistant?
Fox Business says “Small businesses hire virtual assistants to help when they can’t justify a permanent employee.” So tasks could be a number of different things. One thing is for sure, though. According to Kim LaCapria, who says she used to do virtual assistant jobs:
There’s one thing it isn’t: easy money. … You need skills- good ones, updated ones, provable things that will attract clients and make your services competitive.
LaCapria also suggests that perhaps paying for memberships in organizations like the International Virtual Assistants Association might not be worth it. Basically, if you have great skills your best bet is to market yourself and not rely on a network membership to bring you clients.
Top-notch marketers
From what I can tell after reading a few personal accounts from people with virtual assistant jobs, the work itself isn’t the hard part. The hard part is finding clients and keeping them. DiCapria says that when it comes to virtual assistant jobs, high-earners are few and far between.
It seems to me that being a virtual assistant will take a while to pay big dividends. The real money lies in being able to work for several different companies at the same time, so you’ve got to build up a following before you can really start making a good living. Furthermore, trying to become establish a virtual assistant job sounds like a full-time position in and of itself. But, hey, if you’re out of work right now and collecting unemployment, I say go for it! What have you got to lose?
More about International Virtual Assistants Association
If you’ve got the money to spare and the drive to follow through, getting a membership at International Virtual Assistants Association might not be such a bad idea. After all, it isn’t just for people who dream of making money from their couch. Companies that are seeking people to fill virtual assistant jobs are members of International Virtual Assistants Association, too.
The International Virtual Assistants Association web site has services split into these 24 categories:
- Accounting and bookkeeping
- Association Management
- Coaching Support
- Concierge Services
- Database Design and Management
- Editing and proofreading
- Executive Assistance
- Graphic Design and Editing
- Internet Commerce
- Language Translation
- Legal and Paralegal Services
- Live Phone Answering
- Mailing Services
- Marketing and Advertising
- Multimedia Presentations
- Non-Profit Support
- Other Administrative Services
- Project Management
- Real Estate Support
- Research and Development
- Transcription Services
- Website Design
- Word Processing and Typing
If any of these sound like areas in which you have provable skills, and you don’t mind the $125 sign-up fee, check out International Virtual Assistants Association at http://ivaanvassoc.weblinkconnect.com/CWT/External/WCPages/WCDirectory/DirectoryStartPage.aspx?&hr=1&hr=3&WW=True for yourself.
Yes you're right, virtual assistant is not an easy job you need to have focus on it so that you can have a good output of what you do. Doing a home shoring job is one of the best way to focus ant to have a better plan of what you will do. Thank you for posting this.
http://www.iwebaid.com/take-on-homesourcing-jobs
Funny, Marcia, that all the other commenters seem to have gotten the actual, true, meaning behind my post and you somehow got the opposite idea. And, no, this article was not meant to cover every single option that unemployed people have.
For those of you seeking ways to get started, clicking on either of the links provided at the end of the article should be helpful.
I have skills and determination but…where do I get started? There is so much information out there…it is mind boggling. Help!
Having the skills, proper knowledge and professionalism will make a big difference as a Virtual Assistant.
This writer makes it sound as though anyone with a couch to wait on can be a virtual assistant when she says "But, hey, if you’re out of work right now and collecting unemployment, I say go for it! What have you got to lose?"
How about, "But hey, if you're out of work right now and collecting unemployment, why not be a website programmer?" Or a nurse? Or a teacher?
Virtual assistance is a profession, not something to do while sitting on your couch waiting for your unemployment check. It takes skills and experience. And no, I'm not a VA — I just respect the work they do.
I don't view virtual assistance as a job. It's a business. It's not hard to find and keep clients if you operate as a business and you define and target your niche.
It's not hard to find clients if you market yourself correctly using inbound marketing techniques.
It's not hard to keep clients if you provide a top notch service and are expert in your niche. I've been operating my business successfully for a few years.
Virtual Assistant forums and organizations like IVAA are great places to meet and interact with aspiring and successful VAs.
I was pleased to read an article where no one was claiming to "set the standard" for Virtual Assistants. Many of these large groups and networks all make this claim and the reality is that there is NO one standard for virtual assistance. The work is based on the clients and what THEY need. Thank you for putting out an objective article. It was refreshing to read one for once.
I was also very pleased to see that Virtual Assistance jobs that was discussed are not scams, though, I am sure they are out there.
I retired 2 years ago after working for a County Board of Developmental Disabilities as a Habilitation Specialitst for Adults in a sheltered workshop.
I am very organized and always had my work done ahead of time. My reviews always were above average.
Having a great client base definitely helps get more great clients. Reach out to past employers and family/friends who may run their own businesses — offer to work on a project bro bono to gain their support and testimonial.
If gone about it the right way, a Virtual Assistance business can be very lucrative. Planning is the key. Contrary to "Free Website Hosting's" comment about the sustained income every month, with a prepaid retainer package, you are able to maintain a nice income from being a Virtual Assistant.
This is a real business and, like any other real business, the more you put in, the more you get out of it. The hardest part is educating the public about the value of a Virtual Assistant.
Could you offer tips on how to begin a career as a virtual assistant? I feel I have many skills that businesses could utilize to ease their stresses. I appreciate your feedback. Thanks.
Tina..did you ever get a reply…I am also interested in becoming a VA. Best of luck to you.
What a nice change it makes to read a blog post which doesn't suggest that being a Virtual Assistant is an easy way to make money.
To do it properly takes hard work and determination, just like any other professional business. It's not a job for the faint-hearted by any means.
Thank you for understanding what we do!!!
although its not an easy job but every job can made easy with proper planning and we are doing good in it
Virtual assistant would work better for those who do not need a sustained income every month, and have some other main source of income.