How to become a Virtual Assistant [updated]

Do you want to become a Virtual Assistant? Maybe one of your new year resolutions is to set up and run your own business? If so, you’ll be pleased to hear that, not only is it an achievable goal, it’s also entirely possible for you to achieve it!

Women are being drawn towards becoming their own boss

Women often find it difficult to balance work and home life. Yes, it may have been the norm for you to do so, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. For many, the appeal of becoming your own boss is simply too much to ignore, especially if you want to find a better work-life balance (or work life integration as I like to describe it.)

The stress of working fulltime whilst managing a family, is enormous too, especially when your children are young. You want to spend time with them and be there for those critical early years of development and change, but also need to contribute to the household income. Maybe you are slightly maturer and want to spend time with either older relatives or perhaps help out your children with their children. The corporate or career world may have been your life, but priorities change, especially when your personal or financial circumstances are involved. Now you’re ready to drop the stress and the commute, in favour of more control over your finances and time – and becoming a Virtual Assistant is a great solution for you (not to mention a smart career choice!).

How to become a Virtual Assistant

Online businesses are growing at a steady rate. Many of those online business owners are realising, they can get online and virtual help they need to grow their businesses, negating the expense of overheads and employee obligations. Therefore, the Virtual Assistant industry is one that is also growing and in demand.

So, how can you make this the year you become a Virtual Assistant? It begins with these simple 5 steps.

Step #1: Make the decision

If you want this to happen for you, you need to make the decision. It’s not a decision if it’s based on a ‘one day’ scenario – that’s a dream. Ensure it’s the right decision for you, by researching what being a VA means, what it entails and the earning potential it brings, before you decide.

Step #2: Commit to making it happen for you

Now you need to commit to making it your reality. As with any goal, give it a deadline and know why you want to achieve it. You need to then commit to making it happen. Write out your goal, your reasons why, along with your deadline date and pin them somewhere visible. Spend time imagining what it will be like, once you’re working for yourself and managing your own time and see it as your new reality.

Step #3: Find a reputable course and/or mentor to help guide you

A reputable training provider will offer a variety of study options to suit different budgets and the chance to upscale to individual mentoring. The ideal course will be one that gives you everything you need to get started – from how-to’s and templates, through to legalities. You also need to confirm that the course provider is someone who’s been a Virtual Assistant AND run their own successful VA business. Support is an important part of a training course, for the courses I run, I like to do this by having student support groups. However, if you are looking at other courses, you don’t want any old course with an active Facebook Group, you want a group where the Trainer / Coach is in there actively engaging with the group.

Step #4: Put in the work to become a Virtual Assistant

Prepare to get uncomfortable. Why? Because change is uncomfortable, as is learning something new. There’s going to be things that take you out of your comfort zone and you’re going to need to step through that and follow the course – no shortcuts and no ignoring your mentor! Will you need to get up earlier or go to bed later, to fit in time to study? What do you need to put into place, to give yourself the space and time to complete your training? If you want to become a Virtual Assistant, commit to putting in the work.

Step #5: Don’t quit your day job!

Finally, don’t quit your day job just yet – wait until you’re financially secure enough to do so! If you put in the time to complete your training and get your own Virtual Assistant business up and running, before you hand in your notice, you’ll find that transition a smooth and easy one.

By following the five steps above, you’ll not only find you can achieve your goal of becoming a Virtual Assistant and become your own boss! If you are looking for more tips on becoming a Virtual Assistant check out this blog on “How to be a successful Virtual Assistant.”

If you’re ready to make this year your year to become a Virtual Assistant, check out the VA Mastery Course! The easy to digest modules make it easy to study and give you all the knowledge you need to get started. You also get access to monthly Q&A sessions and a support group – and if you opt for the enhanced version, you also get a 60-minute strategy call and a Legal Template pack – all packaged affordably for all and available via payment plans. So, why not pop over to the website and see how easy it will be for you to make this year your year to become a Virtual Assistant!