Being a virtual assistant is a legit way to make money online. It does not require any skills while you can work from home. There are many benefits of being a virtual assistant, as you will read below.
1. Beginner-Friendly
Most online jobs and ways to make money require skills or take time to get results. It makes sense that no one will give you money if you can’t offer a service or a product. Many beginners have a hard to earn even their first dollars on the internet.
Becoming a virtual assistant is much easier than most alternatives out there. The required tasks are simple and easy to do. They include data entry, writing tasks, editing tasks, replying to emails, and posting on social media, etc. You don’t have to learn anything new or complicated.
2. Freedom
Many people start working online because they want more freedom in their lives. I don’t talk about financial freedom at this point. But the freedom to do your hobbies and spend time with your family.
These things require time that is not available for most people. A 9 to 5 schedule can eliminate your free time. You do specific things that do not allow you to enjoy life.
As a virtual assistant, you choose the time and the place you work. You can leave available time for the things you love. Many virtual assistants use different places to work. So, the location does not limit you.
3. Work From Home
Many work-at-home moms and dads are virtual assistants who stay at home most time of the day. It is a job that you can do with a computer and internet access. You don’t have to go on the road or work from an office.
The simplicity of this job allows you to work with some free and basic online tools. It does not require an expensive requirement. If your computer is good enough to read this post and write comments online, you have what it takes.
4. Choose Who You Work With
If you become a virtual assistant, you will figure out that you don’t work for one person. It’s possible to find only one company that will give a lot of work to do. However, this is a rare case. Usually, virtual assistants work for many people and get paid per hour or task.
When you don’t like the person who you work with, you can fire them. Virtual assistants have many options and clients. They can also decide what tasks they like to do or how they will get paid.
5. Treat It Like A Business
A great benefit of being a virtual assistant is that you can treat it as a business. Many companies search for virtual assistants. You can offer your services to multiple companies, as mentioned above. However, it is not a job anymore. It becomes a business that must provide a service.
You can get as many clients as you want. The only requirement is to have enough time to complete all the tasks. Later, you will be able to outsource some tasks to be more effective.
6. Set Your Own Rates
You can adjust your rates to earn more money. Virtual assistants sell their services at specific rates. If you research the internet about it, you will discover that each virtual assistant has different rates.
Of course, you need to be realistic about the value of your service. Companies will hire you to do simple tasks, so you can’t ask for hundreds of dollars per hour.
However, you can increase your rates when you improve your skills or have too many clients. You will be surprised by the money that people are willing to pay for a good virtual assistant.
7. Potential For A Full-Time Income
It is not a secret that there is a lot of demand for virtual assistants. Of course, the demand is for people that are responsible and can follow instructions. Many people want to earn money online but are not willing to do the work.
If you do the work and have happy clients, the potential is huge. You can make a full-time income online. Many people move to the next level and build virtual assistant agencies. There is no limit on you much money you can make.
8. Learn New Skills
When you work as a virtual assistant, you work on many things that could be useful for an online business. I mentioned above writing, editing, social media updates, and many more.
You learn the basics of many skills that can be useful for more side hustles. For example, if you edit videos for a YouTuber, you can turn it into your main service.
Most beginners think about what they can do right now. They want to earn money today, and this is what I wanted when I started online. But you can learn many things through that process that will show you new paths.
9. Love Your Work
It is a fun process to find clients, increase your earnings, and offer a great service. If you like what you do for a living, you will have more chances to be good at it. You will not focus on boring tasks, but you have a bigger image, like getting more clients or a long-term strategy.
Virtual assistants focus on two things. They must find clients and then must provide a good service. Both parts can have fun. You need to figure out how to combine these two parts.
10. Outsource Your Tasks
This is not a good idea for beginners because you must learn how to deliver a good service. When you get big and have many clients, you can hire other virtual assistants. You can outsource all the tasks in your online business.
Many gurus suggest outsourcing your services from the beginning. In my opinion, you will not be able to evaluate the job and the requests of your clients if you don’t put the work first. Outsourcing allows you to scale your earnings or have more free time.
What Are The Downsides Of Being A Virtual Assistant:
1. Many Distractions
When you work from home, you will have a hard time staying focused. Your environment is not created for work in most cases. If there are other people in the house, they can distract you as well. You need to learn how to stay focused. However, it can take a while until learning to manage your time and meet the deadlines of your clients.
You can try different things to fix this problem. Many virtual assistants work from libraries or coffee shops to change their environment. You can also use the Pomodoro technique, where you use a timer for your working hour and breaks. It helps many people to stay focused on different tasks.
2. You Need Discipline
When you don’t have a boss, you must be the boss of yourself. It is critical to discipline yourself. Your boss makes sure that you will do the job every day. If you don’t work, you will get paid or get fired.
If you are a virtual assistant, your clients will not push you to do the job. They just expect you to deliver your service. Then, they will pay you for it. Many beginners fail because they are not willing to discipline themselves and deliver their service in time.
3. Starting From Zero
If you are a beginner with no previous jobs as a virtual assistant, you have to begin with the lower rates. Your clients will not pay you as a top virtual assistant if you don’t prove yourself.
Your rates depend on the method you find clients. If you have a website and use it to attract clients, you can set high rates. Those who find jobs on freelance platforms with many competitors need to start from $3-$5 per hour. Top virtual assistants can earn $25 per hour or more.
4. No Paid Vacations
When you work in a standard 9 to 5 job, you can take some days off or go on vacation and get paid. This is not the case for virtual assistants. If you don’t work, you don’t earn money.
Of course, you can manage your schedule to take vacations or have free time. For example, you can work harder the previous weeks or work while you are on vacation. Freedom is one of the main benefits of being a virtual assistant.
5. Repetitive Tasks
You will do the same tasks over and over again. Every job and business includes this part, and being a virtual assistant is not different. If you look for ways to avoid work or boring things, you will get disappointed. Of course, it is an opportunity to master these repetitive tasks and get high-paying gigs.
Conclusion
These were ten benefits of being a virtual assistant and five downsides. It is a great way to get started online if you are willing to do the work. You can learn how to become a virtual assistant in this post.