Virtual assistant equals real opportunity

If you’re looking for a more flexible way of working that will allow you to be home-based and pick and choose the clients you want, then you might consider switching to a VA role. With lots of companies now outsourcing their executive management positions and dedicated agencies for freelance office professionals springing up, there’s never been a better time to branch out and go it alone.

Online money advisory service moneymagpie.com has these tips for those considering a move away from the water cooler gossip and office politics.

Get skills-savvy
First off, you’ll need to decide which skills you possess that you can use as a marketing tool. A major prerequisite is being familiar with all the main Microsoft programmes, ie Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. A good telephone manner also goes a long way.

Do your market research
You’ll want to come across as knowledgeable when you’re dealing with prospective clients and the only sure way to achieve this is to do some research into the sector you’re targeting. You may also want to consider whether the companies that you have in your sights usually hire VAs and if this market might have reached saturation point.

Decide to go for it
Register your business with a company name. This is an important decision, as it’s the first thing a client will hear about you. You might simply want to trade under your own name, or come up with some fancy-sounding designation, but first you’ll need to check that the name isn’t being used by anyone else. You’ll also need to factor in financing and start-up costs and make sure you’re registered with the Inland Revenue as self-employed.

Find some clients
You should probably consider registering with a reputable recruitment agency first of all, as they will help you get some customers. Remember: you shouldn’t have to pay a fee to agencies, as the decent ones make their commission from those firms that are recruiting VAs. You may wish to consider advertising to source more clients; as well as traditional media, you can think about listing yourself on a VA directory or setting up your own website that gives details of your services.

Read the full story at moneymagpie.com/article/make-25-an-hour-as-a-virtual-assistant