By definition, being a Virtual Assistant means you provide professional administrative, technical or creative assistance to clients from a location that’s different to that of the clients. Usually, a VA will work from a home office, providing remote support to several different clients, all in differing locations.

This means a VA may well be working with clients they’ve never met in real life. Meetings are carried out via video call, work is handed over through a data storage program and all conversations may well be carried out via email, social media private message or even text!

However, being a VA doesn’t mean that you’re only in a remote location to that of your clients – it also means you can be in a location that’s remote to your office too!

Virtual Assistant – virtual office!

The beauty of being a VA is you CAN work from anywhere. As long as you have a laptop and an internet connection, your office can be where you want it to be. That may well be an office in your home, but it can also be as far afield as you like.

Only this week I was chatting with a VA who was on the deck of a yacht in the Caribbean! She was enjoying the luxury of a beautiful location, whilst she was still providing support to her clients!

If you prefer company, you can easily sign up for a co-working space. This is where you share a workspace with other business organisations. Or how about the local coffee shop – if you don’t have any private calls booked in!

Know what you want

One of the biggest decisions you need to make, if you want to have a successful VA business, is to get clear on what it means for you.

What do you want your VA business to give you? Why are you going it alone? What benefits will you get, from working virtually and what does virtual mean to you? Do you want a solid home business, that enables you to spend time at home with your family – or do you want the freedom to travel around, whenever the urge arises?

Structure your business accordingly

Once you have a clear idea of what virtual means to you, you can then structure your business accordingly. The services you offer will be structured specifically to suit the type of business and lifestyle you want.

If you’re looking to work from a static location, such as a home office, your tasks are only going to be limited by your preferences. However, if you’re looking to travel a lot, there’s a chance you may have periods of no internet access, so you’re better opting for tasks that don’t rely on a solid internet connection – such as content writing or audio and/or video editing.

Working as a VA gives you the opportunity to work with clients from around the world, on tasks that you prefer; and this is a big attraction for many. However, it also gives you the opportunity to work from wherever you want too, giving you the best of both worlds – a career you love in a location of your choice.

What does working virtually mean to you? Are you taking the opportunity to get the lifestyle and the business of your dreams, or have you yet to make the most of a truly virtual office? Why not share your thoughts on what virtual means to you (and if you want to share pictures of your remote locations, please share away!)!

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