When I started blogging 3 years back, this was not a term which was in my vocabulary. I loved writing. But social media sharing and interactions made me tired. Now few years down the line, I realized a need for help. With a full-time job and a six-year-old at home, I was struggling to keep up. Then I had my eureka moment. The search started for a virtual friend.
What is a virtual assistant and what do they do?
A virtual assistant is someone who will help you grow your business. They will be employed by you but will work from home. In this world of online business is a wonderful way to get help without overwhelm of managing a team physically.
Basic:
- Sharing on social media.
- Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram at the least.
- Scheduling blog post shares using various tools.
- Creating blog post creatives, social media creatives.
Standard.
All the above plus some more.
- Special branded Pin images and Instagram images according to blog posts.
- Make optin content
- Make videos, vlogs. Repurpose them with appropriate captions.
Advanced VA skills
All that is in Basic and Standard plus
- Get clients on board.
- Schedule social media calendars.
- May need content creation skills when life gets busy.
- Ability to train and manage multiple junior level trainee.
- Curate content.
- Research content.
- VA transcription services and many more specialized needs.
Qualities a VA needs to have ( Basic)
- Curious nature.
- Ability to learn.
- Able to spend 3 to 4 hours a day for the designated jobs.
- Hard working.
- Pleasant to get along with.
- Appreciates the ease of working from home.
- Ready to learn on the job.
- Understands the importance of her work
Skills a VA must have
- Comfortable with social media
- Ability to.use a smartphone and laptop to create social media content and blog content.
- Minimum skills: Ability to use Google doc,excel sheets, Canva, video and photo editing software.
- Understands copyright issues.
- Understands confidentiality.
Other specialized VA work:
- Book cover design
- Proofreading editing
- Web design
- Website optimization
- Podcast into voice over
- Video Intro
- Video editing
- Book-keeping
- Online Research
- Database entries
- Data presentations
- Newsletter managing
- Email managing
- Social niceties
- Managing appointments
- Trend tracking
What a VA must not do
- Take client information and use them for personal gain.
- Unethical use of information.
- Unreliable.
- Not easy to get along with.Not social.
My Favorite sites for VA work:
- Fiverr
- Upwork
- Elance
How to be a VA in India?
If you are ready to get started as a freelancing VA, then I have some help for you.
- Create a business plan for your VA services.
- Have your own virtual home. Get a website.
- Get client testimonials.
- Have a portfolio.
- Get your ideal client.
- Get a contract made.
- Be truthful about what you can deliver.
- Do not under price.
- If it’s not working for you have an exit plan.
- Explore and branch out
- Hire more people.
Virtual Assistants help us in many ways. They are remote and work part-time.T hat takes the pressure of full employee payment which many may have a problem with. They help you concentrate on the important part of website and business.
If you want to hire a VA what you need to know:
- The exact work list you need help with. If you are vague about the work that needs to be done, then you will run into trouble.
- Decide on the rate of work. It can be per hour or according to work that needs to be done.I prefer deciding on a rate in advance and then the work that needs to be done in that time too. That way I am not left with undone work at the end of that time.
- A trained VA will have a higher charge than an untrained on.
- Decide on a trial period when working with a VA. This gives you a better rate as well as a good chance of testing the skills of the VA. I prefer at least 21 days to 1 month. That way I have an escape option if things don’t work for me.
Takeaway
It’s a good way to earn or the side and with regular clients and a team, the sky is the limit. The minimum and maximum depend on work requirement and skill sets.
Have you ever needed a VA? Do you want to train as a VA? Do you want to earn as a VA
Comment below to let me know or email me at dramrita@healthwealthbridge.com or fill up this form if you want to have your profile displayed on this page.
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Hiring a VA sounds like a great idea when one has to balance online and offline mediums of communications. A VA surely is a perfect helping hand.
I have seen some bloggers have an assistant to manage their shares and engagements. I did not know the role included all the other aspects you have listed here too. Very interesting.
its a wonderful comprehensive list. I need a VA now to manage the social presence! VA needs a lot of time too!
I need a virtual assistant so badly. Thanks for sharing this.
These skills list is really helpful! I need a virtual assistant like now lol
a VA would be so helpful!!
I can see so many advantages of having a virtual assistant though haven’t tried them yet for my work but seems like can get work off our shoulder.
it do wonder on blogs,social media, and design many things.VA seem so useful in my field .
This is such an informative post for those who want to be VAs and those who need VAs! The information about giving a solid trial period is sound to me. Committing to a closed period of time to assess how A VA is doing and the impact she/he has on your business is simply brilliant. ????????
Virtual Assistant are extremely important when it comes to expanding your online business. Thanks for providing such a detailed info on it.
This is a nice overview of what a VA can/should provide, and how to get started. I especially agree with the point you make about knowing exactly what work you want help with before starting to look for a VA – that will really help to find one who is a good fit for you, and help to evaluate their work. A trial period is a must for both parties.
Great post! Having a Virtual Assistant is really helpful, even if we are busy in our family, business or in a trip. They are here to help us to finish our social media tasks.
Virtual assistants are such a valuable tool especially for an online business. For the longest time I told myself i didn’t need on, that they weren’t worth the money… boy was I wrong.
This is so interesting.. .It is great to finally have VA in india too – definitely many startups could do with these services.
What great information Amrita. It looks to me as though you have a product to sell here. Creating a training program for V.A.’s.
Very comprehensive list for anyone who is looking to become a VA. They have a great resource from your post.
wow it’s like your personal genie for blog. thanks for sharing the info.