The question you are probably asking is “How will I know if I am ready to become a VA?” 

You may have been thinking about starting your own Virtual Assistant business for a while. It’s a big leap to go from employed to self-employed, and it’s often this that holds people back from committing to that next step. But another factor to consider is this – are you ready to become a Virtual Assistant?  

Running a VA business needs you to commit to two things – being a business owner and becoming a Virtual Assistant. Because they are two completely separate elements, and if you want to have a successful VA business, you’re going to need to be ready to become both.

So how can you know if you’re ready to become a Virtual Assistant? Read on to find out!

Don’t want the responsibility of having your own business

Unless you’re looking for an employed Virtual Assistant position within another company, you become a business owner when you become a VA. You’re responsible for everything – from financial decisions and customer service right through to marketing and onboarding clients. When you run your own business, you need to learn to work in your business (client work, for example) and on your business (business plans and marketing etc.

You have weak boundaries

If you want to become an awesome VA, you need to have good boundaries. Why? Because you need boundaries in your VA business, as well as with your clients and with yourself. Without boundaries, you’ll find yourself working all the hours and having clients contacting you 24/7.

Luckily, you can work on improving your boundaries if they’re currently weak. Check out How to set boundaries in your VA business.

Don’t become a Virtual Assistant if you don’t have the available time to commit to it

Starting your own VA business takes time. If you’re employed, you’ll need to be working on your own business outside of your regular workday. That will usually involve working evenings and weekends. It takes dedication and a willingness to give up those things you typically do in those time slots but know that if you stick with it, you will be able to make the switch from employed to self-employed sooner.

You need the stability of paid employment

You can become a Virtual Assistant whilst you’re still in paid employment, and in fact, many new VAs do just that. However, if you need the stability of paid work, you may not be ready to become a Virtual Assistant just yet. Instead, look to save enough to cover your bills for at least 3 months whilst you train to become a VA. You can then start your business on the side and then gradually make the switch as your self-employed income grows.

Organisation is not your strong point

You need to be organised if you want to become a Virtual Assistant. It’s not just your own workload that you’re going to be responsible for; it’s your client’s work too. You, therefore, need to have strong organisational skills to juggle the different tasks and clients you’re going to be dealing with.

You don’t have the skills to become a VA

You don’t have to be an expert in everything to become a VA, but you need to have skills. There may be no formal qualifications you need to become a VA, but you need good admin skills! But also soft skills such as managing your time, being reliable, a good communicator, accurate and resourceful, as they will always serve to help you become an awesome VA.

You’re not willing to charge your worth

As discussed in a previous blog post (Are you charging your worth?), charging your worth isn’t just about a financial figure; it’s also about your mindset, feelings and values too. When you value yourself and charge your worth, your clients will value you more. You’re also helping keep the integrity of the VA industry as a whole by not undermining the value and standing it has in the business world.

You may have been thinking about starting your own VA business for a while. But before you start setting up your business, you need to decide if you’re ready to become a Virtual Assistant. Hopefully, it’s a decision that will be all the easier to make once you’ve finished reading this blog!

Are you wondering if you have the appropriate skills to set up and launch a Virtual Assistant? Choosing a niche can be one of the hardest things to do in starting a Virtual Assistant Business. To help you, I have compiled a list of 75 services you can offer in your VA business – you can opt-in for your copy here.