Working as a virtual assistant is a great way to make extra money from home. Depending on your set of skills, you could easily make a full time income right from your living room. Getting started as a virtual assistant can be pretty confusing though if you’re not already familiar with how things work. Learning how to start a virtual assistant business is your first step to working from home.
To start, you’ll need to do some research and planning. You’ll want to take a look at what your skills are (make sure to only target the skills that you excel at), what types of skills are needed and where you want to list your skills and hunt for jobs at. When you make your skills list, be sure to word them so that you are marketing not only your skill set but yourself as well.
You will also need to decide what you will charge your clients. While it’s true that some will have a set price in mind, some may not. This means that it will be up to you to list your price per task so be sure that you have them worked out ahead of time. Make sure that you also figure out what your hours of availability are as well. This lets your potential clients know when you will work for them and when you won’t.
Next, you’ll need to find places to list your new business and to look for jobs. This can range from Facebook groups to sites like Odesk.com to Craigslist (please exercise caution on Craigslist). Work up an ad that sells you and your skills and post in the places that you decide on. Be sure that you answer any questions or responses promptly.
Another option that you may want to take a look at is creating your own website to advertise. This could work very well for those that are offering freelance writing or photography skills. WordPress.org is great for this and fairly cheap to set up.
Once your seeking employment ad is listed, it really is a waiting game. Once potential clients start answering your ads, be honest, answer promptly and grab yourself a new job!
