Virtual Assistant 101: How to Begin Your Remote Career in 2024

Virtual Assistant 101: How to Begin Your Remote Career in 2024 Oni Lestari Virtual assistant, copywriter, SEO-expert April 24, 2024 | Remote Working Tips Ever dream of working from anywhere in the world, setting your own hours, helping businesses grow, and earning a good income? Becoming a Virtual Assistant (VA) might be the perfect fit for you! The virtual assistant industry is booming, offering opportunities to utilize your skills for various clients—all from the comfort of your home. But where do you start? Don’t worry! This ultimate Virtual Assistant 101 guide is here to break it down for you. SGBVA will cover everything you need to know, from identifying your virtual assistant skills to finding your first client and launching a successful remote career. So, grab a cup of coffee, get comfy, and let’s explore the exciting world of virtual assisting! Table of Contents: What is a Virtual Assistant? First, let’s establish a clear understanding of who a virtual assistant is. A virtual assistant is a remote worker who provides administrative, technical, or creative assistance to clients. They work online, offering their services on a part-time or full-time basis. They dedicate their time and expertise to supporting business needs. Now, we’re ready to talk about how to build a strong foundation to prepare yourself before you start to approach a potential client as a virtual assistant. Sometimes when we start something new, adrenaline pushes us forward and makes us want to kick off the projects right away. But sometimes an initial idea without a clear vision will leave you with half-finished tasks. That’s why having a solid plan is crucial. So in this article, we’re gonna take a deep dive into the key steps to set you up for success as a virtual assistant. Know the Niche and Services that You’ll be Offering First things first, let’s nail down your niche and the services you’ll offer. If you’re new to this, you might be wondering what niche is, let’s talk about it in the most basic terms. Niching is choosing an area to specialize in. This helps you decide who you’ll work for and what services you’ll offer. Most of the time when you hear about a niche in the VA context, you’ll hear people say, “I work for coaches to finish their to-do list”, or “My niche is YouTubers or wellness business owners.” There are many different niches because the opportunities to work with virtual assistants are endless. Business owners, self-employed individuals, and even employees all have the possibility of needing a virtual assistant. How do you figure out your niche? This question can be one of the most challenging aspects for beginners. We’re going to explain what a niche is and how to decide on your niche. But before we delve deeper, let’s make it clear: you don’t have to lock yourself into a niche. The best part of being a virtual assistant, or a business owner of any kind, is the flexibility to pivot your business as needed. If you choose a specific niche now, you can change it anytime. To figure it out, you can start by answering these two questions. One, “what skills do I already have that I can use to serve clients?” and two, “what type of tasks do I want to be doing as a virtual assistant?” 1. List the Skills You Already Have Let’s start with the first question: What skills do you have? This can be anything, so get creative! You’ll need to brainstorm a list of all the skills you have from any previous jobs, school, or even personal hobbies. It can be something super simple, like being great at writing emails, organizing your family schedule, or having coding skills. Anything you think could be transferred to a business setting or offered as a service goes on the list. Just get it all down in front of you, whether on a piece of paper or in your notes app. If you dive deep into what you can do, you’ll be surprised at the thousands of things that could end up on your list! 2. List the Tasks You Want to be Doing The second question to ask yourself is: What type of tasks do you WANT to be doing as a VA? What are you DREAMING of doing? If you’ve considered becoming a VA, you probably already have some ideas in mind. Now’s the time to write that list down! Don’t limit yourself to what you think you can do right now. Honestly, new and exciting tasks will often pop up when you’re working as a VA that you hadn’t even considered before. You’ll be surprised by your ability to figure things out as you go. Do you dream of helping someone launch their podcast? Or maybe you’d love to work with writers to get their books out to the world? The opportunities are endless when you’re a VA! There are no rules that say you can’t work with specific clients or in specific areas just because you’re a virtual assistant. Dream big – you can make anything happen, even if it takes some time. Don’t hold yourself back! 3. Define Your Niche and Services When you have this list, you can review it repeatedly to make sure everything aligns with what you want to do, not what you feel obligated to do. This is your chance to break free from tasks that no longer bring you joy. So, choose activities that spark excitement and ignite a sense of fulfillment. Now you have two sets of answers. See which ones might work well together. For example, if you have excellent email communication skills and want to work with small businesses, then your niche might be “small business owners” and your service offering could be “customer service.” If you love to write and want to work with podcasters, then your niche is “coaches” and your service could be “coach assistant.” Being clear about this helps you explain your services

Time Management for Working Moms: How to Manage Everything

Time Management for Working Moms: How to Manage Everything Oni Lestari Virtual assistant, copywriter, SEO-expert October 16, 2024 | Remote Working Tips Being a mother while also working can be exhausting. On one hand, you want to spend ample time with your children and family. On the other hand, you also want to be productive and earn an income to maintain your financial stability. Fortunately, remote working allows working mothers to stay productive while being available for their little ones. There are various job opportunities in remote working that can be tailored to a mother’s skills. To learn more about remote working for working mothers, check out this article! This article will provide you with a guide about time management for working moms, helping you navigate your schedule and establish priorities while taking care of yourself and your family. Table of Contents: Stay Motivated The first thing you need to do to stay productive and have good working mom time management is to find the motivation to start it. When you’re not motivated, remember ‘why’ you do things in the first place. Your ‘why’ is like a spark to start and fuel to continue. Think about your goals and the opportunities they can bring in your future. When you feel numb during your routine, pause a second and take a quick inventory of your ‘why’. Consider the benefits that the job can give you. Is it finding your dream of opening your own business? is it helping you save for an expected vacation, or does it enable you to provide your children with proper education? To help you gather thoughts about that, you can create a vision board. Finding the image that represents your why or you in the future to boost your spirits when feeling low. Working on To-Do List Make a to-do list to end your day feel accomplished and stay on track. As we know, humans can forget, and that’s why we should start making it. Here are the tips on how to make your to-do list work: 1. Write Your To-Do List Don’t write a to-do list in your head, instead write it down in your note. Because our mind is for having ideas not for holding them. So, if your to-do list is still in your head, choose the tools to write it down right now. 2. Simplifying To-Do List Simplify your to-do list by making it in one place to avoid confusion. Scattered lists make your brain doubt, and start to lose trust in it. Because instead of focusing on the things on the list, your brain will overdrive to continue remembering what to do next in fragmented notes. So, give your brain a break by simplifying. Whether you’re using a notepad, productivity app, or book, strive for consistency. 3. Make a Short To-do List Make a short to-do list and avoid the long one for two reasons. First, a long to-do list will leave you feeling defeated and overwhelmed at the end of the day. Because there is still a ton of stuff left on it. Second, a long to-do list often includes unnecessary tasks that you don’t need to do today. You can automate this kind of task with the routine, the technology, or delegating to someone else. Or, you can delete all those things and make it shorter. A short and realistic to-do list is the key to feeling accomplished at the end of your day. 4. Make Action-Based To-Do List Does your to-do list collection of nouns? like food, house, car, etc. When you write it, you might mean something like preparing food, cleaning the house, or servicing the car. Instead, of writing the detail, you keep it in your head. You can stop that habit and start to add a verb to your list. 5. Make Task-Based To-Do List Write a good to-do list based on tasks, not projects. In a project, there is more than one step to complete, such as organizing a webinar event. On the other side, a task is one action item in your list. So, instead of writing the project title and using a broad action, you can detail it. Such as contacting the speaker, booking the place, or preparing the food. With this, you can plan and prioritize, whether to do it today or tomorrow. It will make you less overwhelmed and achieve your daily to-do list perfectly. Set Priorities After you have all the things you need to do on the list. Then, what to do next in ‘working mom time management’ is to make a prioritization. Take a moment to scan your list and identify which items are the most important to your goals, whether it’s personal or professional goals. Write a number beside your list based on your priority. As a working mom, you also need to put your self-care on your list of priorities. Listen to your body, because when entering motherhood, your body will change after experiencing childbirth and breastfeeding. As most moms get less than an hour to themselves daily. Self-care will remind you in the end, that you’re not only a mom, a wife, or an entrepreneur, but you are also a person with needs and interests. To help you decide which one is more important than the other. You can consider using a prioritization matrix. It divides priority into 4 parts based on important and urgent aspects. Important tasks contribute to your long-term goals and overall success. And urgent tasks are time-sensitive and require immediate attention. Here’s how you can sort them: Important and urgent The first on your priority is important and urgent tasks. You should do this kind of task immediately. Important and not urgent The second on your priority is important and not urgent tasks. You can decide to put it on your schedule, but it’s better to do it immediately. Not Important and urgent The third on your priority is not important and urgent tasks. You can choose who can do this

Digital Nomads: How to Work and Travel at the Same Time?

Digital Nomads: How to Work and Travel at the Same Time? Vlad Badmaev Digital nomad with 3 years experience October 15, 2024 | Remote Working Tips Have you ever heard of the term “digital nomad“? A digital nomad is someone who works while traveling. Unlike typical employees who need to go to the office, digital nomads have become a trend today because of their flexible working hours and relatively high salaries. To learn more about digital nomads, you can read the article below! Table of Contents: Digital Nomadism Thousands of years ago, people led a nomadic lifestyle, moving from place to place depending on the season or availability of resources. Some peoples still live like this, in constant motion. In recent years, this has also become popular among remote workers. People who live in a state of constant travel are called digital nomads. You’re probably used to having a home – a place you constantly return to (and that’s great!). But digital nomads don’t have a home – they constantly move from place to place, changing cities and countries, and never staying long in one place.This is how I live now, starting from March 2021. The pandemic allowed me and many of my colleagues to work from home, so I started traveling – first every 3 months, then every month. Eventually, I moved out of my rented apartment and bought a one-way ticket. In this lifestyle, you’ll be able to see many interesting places, travel half the world, and meet amazing people. On the other hand, it requires more effort, nerves, and money – and constant travel can become tiring at some point. Are you ready to become a digital nomad? Let’s answer to these 4 questions. Do I need a remote job? Yes.Almost all digital nomads I’ve met work remotely, doing SMM, video editing, graphic design, or product development. But in reality, the list is much longer than it seems. You can also work remotely as a lawyer, sales specialist, psychologist, and even an English teacher! Is it hard to travel alone? No.For some people, traveling alone is more comfortable because you’re more free and can go wherever you want.However, it’s also worth noting that everyday problems are easier to solve if you’re traveling with a group of friends or a partner (including reducing your accommodation expenses). Plus, you’ll feel better in a foreign country if you have a companion to have fun with.On the other hand, traveling with children is much more difficult. Online education cannot replace live interaction with peers for your children, and it may be difficult to find a nursery, school, or football club in a new country. Is constant travel expensive? Not always.Yes, travel costs money, but there are many ways to save, such as: using flight aggregator websites like Skyscanner or Google Flights;using airline bonuses (free miles);participating in couchsurfing and staying with locals;choosing hotels away from tourist spots;participating in hotel booking loyalty programs like booking.com (for example, the Genius program offers discounts of up to 20% on hotels; The minimum amount with which you can be a digital nomad is $600 per month. And virtual assistants can earn this income if they have just 2 clients and work 2-3 hours a day. Can I live with just one suitcase? Yes.In fact, you don’t need many things for a comfortable life. It’s enough to have a few sets of underwear, shoes, and necessary medicines – everything else will either be in your room/rented apartments (towels, hairdryer, robe), or you can buy it on-site for a small amount. Travel teaches you to get by with little! Working While Traveling It should be noted that work during travel differs significantly, and opportunities are limited. Sightseeing and transfers are usually done on weekends to avoid problems with the work process. Here are some tips to avoid work issues: Always check the internet connection. It’s important to have a stable and fast connection. In case there are problems with the hotel Wi-Fi, get a local SIM card with a data package. Keep track of your schedule. If you’re moving to a country with a different time zone, inform your clients or colleagues about your schedule, and if necessary, reschedule meetings and conferences; Set up a workspace. Choose rooms that have a large, comfortable desk, a soft chair with a back (not a stool or an armchair), and good lighting; Ready to become one the Digital Nomads? Many of us dream of traveling, but in reality, it’s not always convenient. Some travelers miss home and family, while others tire of constant moving, and for some, travel can strain the budget. Plus, if you work full-time, you’ll likely spend most of your time in a hotel room. That said, traveling can be an interesting and exciting experience, and it’s worth trying at least once in your life. The most important thing you’ll need for this adventure is remote work! If you’re interested in remote work, consider a career as a virtual assistant. But what exactly is a virtual assistant? How can you earn money as one? Is there high demand for this role? Is it a well-paying job? Get answers to all these questions by joining our free webinar hosted by SGBVA mentor Tania Gromenko. She’ll share her secrets on how to: Start a virtual assistant business without prior experience Determine how much you can earn as a virtual assistant Identify the most popular services you can offer as a VA Become a successful VA in just five weeks and land your dream clients! You’ll also receive a free e-book titled “FAQ About Virtual Assistants” and gain access to the exclusive SGBVA Telegram community for virtual assistants, where you can find insights and tips to help you succeed as a VA.   Kickstart Your Remote Career! Join our free webinar and learn the five steps to becoming a Virtual Assistant. Start your dream career and become one of those “digital nomads”! Try Free Webinar Explore Premium Course

Is Virtual Assistant a Good Side Hustle?

Is Virtual Assistant a Good Side Hustle? How to Decide if It’s Right for You Athika Rahma SEO Specialist Virtual Assistant at SGBVA October 15, 2024 Remote Working Tips It’s no secret that earning a decent income is essential to living a better life and enjoying the things we love. Often, one income stream isn’t enough, which is why many people turn to side hustles. One of the most popular side hustles today is becoming a Virtual Assistant (VA). You’ve probably heard this term on various platforms. As a VA, you have the opportunity to work remotely from anywhere. But the question is: is virtual assistant a good side hustle? Table of Contents The Opportunity of Becoming a VA To determine whether becoming a VA is a good side hustle, it’s important to first understand what a virtual assistant does. A virtual assistant is a remote worker who provides administrative, technical, or creative assistance to clients, either part-time or full-time. VAs offer their expertise to help businesses meet their needs. So, is it like being a personal assistant, but online? Not exactly. There are many types of VA roles, including: Social Media Management (SMM) VA: Helps public figures or businesses promote their products or services on social media, building engagement with ideal clients or customers. Administrative Task VA: Assists busy individuals (such as business owners or people juggling multiple projects) by managing their administrative tasks. Project Management VA: Helps businesses manage their client projects efficiently. Email Marketing VA: Supports business growth through email marketing campaigns. Lead Generation VA: Helps businesses generate consumer interest in products or services with the goal of converting interest into sales. And that’s just the beginning! There are many more opportunities in this growing field. The Growing Demand for VAs With so many types of VA work, is there really a high demand for virtual assistants? According to a report by INSIDEA, the global virtual assistant market is projected to reach $25.63 billion by 2025, with an impressive annual growth rate of 30%. This growth is being driven by several key factors: More Remote Businesses Than Ever Before These days, more and more companies are going remote or adopting hybrid work setups, and that’s where virtual assistants (VAs) come in handy. Businesses still need help but often don’t want the hassle of hiring a full-time person to work in an office. That’s why VAs are becoming a go-to solution—companies can get the support they need without the commitment of a full-time hire. The Gig Economy Is Booming With so many people looking for flexible work, the gig economy is bigger than ever, and VAs are right at the center of it. Virtual assistants offer their services on a freelance or contract basis, which is a win-win for both sides. Companies can hire a VA just when they need one—for specific projects or tasks—without any long-term obligation. This is especially appealing for startups and small businesses that have fluctuating workloads. A More Affordable Option One of the biggest perks of hiring a VA is that it’s often cheaper than bringing on a full-time employee. For businesses in countries with high labor costs, hiring a VA from places like the Philippines, India, or Indonesia can be a real money-saver. It’s a cost-effective way to get the help they need without breaking the bank. Demand for Specialized Skills Is on the Rise The role of a VA has grown way beyond just managing emails or scheduling. Now, businesses are looking for VAs with specialized skills like digital marketing, social media management, content creation, and project management. As more companies rely on digital tools to grow, they need talented VAs who can help manage these important areas. A Lifeline for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur, you know what it’s like to juggle a million things at once. From marketing to customer service to handling finances, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Hiring a VA can be a game-changer—it frees up your time so you can focus on growing your business and working on the big-picture stuff, while the VA handles the daily tasks. No wonder so many entrepreneurs are turning to VAs for help. Saving Time Where It Counts  Business owners, especially those in startups, often find themselves buried in routine tasks like managing emails, scheduling meetings, and handling customer service. It can eat up hours of your day. This is where VAs step in, taking on those time-consuming jobs so owners can focus on more important things, like innovation and strategic decisions. The more business owners see how much time they save with a VA, the more popular this service becomes. The World Is Your Talent Pool Thanks to globalization, businesses aren’t limited to hiring people in their local area anymore. They can now tap into a global pool of talent, meaning they can find the perfect VA from anywhere in the world. For virtual assistants, especially those in developing countries, this opens up huge opportunities to work with clients across the globe. It’s a big reason why VA services are booming internationally. Why Now is the Right Time to Start VA Business Given the growing demand for virtual assistants, now is the perfect time to start your VA business. You can build your brand and develop your skills, so you’re ready to take full advantage of the booming VA market as it continues to expand. Before 2025, you have the chance to establish yourself in this rapidly growing industry. As businesses increasingly rely on virtual support, those who are well-prepared with the right skills and experience will have a competitive edge. Whether you’re skilled in administrative support, social media, project management, or other specialized areas, there’s a high demand for your services. The growing market, combined with the flexibility and freedom that comes with being a VA, makes it one of the most attractive and viable side hustles today! How Much Can You Earn as a VA? Virtual assistants play a

Virtual Assistant Salary 2024: How Much You Can Earn?

Virtual Assistant Salary: How Much Can You Earn as VA? Oni Lestari Virtual assistant, copywriter, SEO-expert Remote Working Tips After the Covid-19 pandemic, more opportunities have emerged to work remotely, without the need to go into an office. One great example is becoming a virtual assistant. You can work from home, or anywhere you like, and set your own schedule. However, many people are still ask: how much money can I make as a virtual assistant? Can you really charge $10 per hour for your services? What if that’s too expensive for some clients? On the other hand, what happens if you set your rate too low? To answer these questions, SGBVA has prepared an explanation on virtual assistant salary. Please read on! Table of Contents: Who is the Virtual Assistant? The definition of virtual assistants is partners who help businesses with administration, management, or creative tasks from the online space. This role is not new, it started in 1996 when Anastasia Stacy Brice pioneered this job as a full-time secretary working from home for her international clients. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the virtual assistant industry, as it contributed to remote work and de-urbanization trends. This made virtual assistants more popular and increased demand. As businesses adapt to the demands of the digital age, they are cultivating new needs, especially in technology and those skilled in it. Today, virtual assistants play a key role in increasing brand visibility through digital marketing, providing technical support, handling managerial tasks such as project management, and much more. The various duties and responsibilities of a virtual assistant are also tailored to the client’s needs. So, the services of a virtual assistant for one client may be different from another client. Virtual assistant salary services vary based on many factors, such as: Experience and reputation Specialized skills Project type and complexity Software and equipment Market demand Geographical location Fees for services like digital marketing and other services that require additional skills and knowledge are usually higher than administrative support or personal assistance services. Basic administrative tasks may range from $5 to $10 per hour, while specialized services like digital marketing or project management can command higher rates, often ranging from $10 to $25 per hour in the Southeast Asia region. Calculating Potential Earnings for a Beginner VA With businesses relying more on virtual help for remote work, being a virtual assistant is a smart choice. Here’s the exciting part; recent stats say the virtual assistant industry grew by 41% in 2020, and it’s still going up in line with the emergence of many online businesses (source: truelist.co). If you’re considering starting out, you might wonder about how much you can earn as a VA. Just like any other job, the fees for virtual assistants also vary based on many factors, such as experience and skillset. Virtual assistants salary are typically charged based on hourly rates, project-based rates, or even monthly packages. The chosen structure often depends on the nature of the tasks and the preferences of both the virtual assistant and the client. How do you figure out your niche? This question can be one of the most challenging aspects for beginners. We’re going to explain what a niche is and how to decide on your niche. But before we delve deeper, let’s make it clear: you don’t have to lock yourself into a niche. The best part of being a virtual assistant, or a business owner of any kind, is the flexibility to pivot your business as needed. If you choose a specific niche now, you can change it anytime. To figure it out, you can start by answering these two questions. One, “what skills do I already have that I can use to serve clients?” and two, “what type of tasks do I want to be doing as a virtual assistant?” Hourly Rates As a beginner, setting a competitive yet reasonable hourly rate is crucial. From our survey, beginner virtual assistant hourly rate is $10 per hour or $300 per month from one client. If we calculate, you can get that amount with 1-2 hours of work a day. Because of that, you still have plenty of time for other clients, or to upgrade your skills so you can increase your rates. Project-Based Rates For specific projects, virtual assistants might charge a flat fee. Project rates vary widely based on the complexity and duration of the task. For example, a landing page project starts with 24 hours of work or a week (source: onix-systems.com). If we calculate with hourly rates of $10 per hour, you could get $240 for a landing page project. A well-calculated project rate ensures fair compensation for the virtual assistant’s time and effort. Monthly Packages Offering monthly retainer packages is another approach. These packages provide a set number of hours for a fixed monthly fee, ensuring a consistent income for the virtual assistant. Let’s take an example of a monthly package that includes social media services, creating 4 posts per week and a total of 16 posts for the month. If it requires 30 hours a month and the hourly rate is $10 per hour, then $300 will be invoiced to a client every month. Again, it only takes 1-2 hours of work a day for one client, and you still have plenty of time for other clients, for family, or to upgrade yourself. Imagine you’re helping three clients. Two of them pay you monthly for managing their social media for 30 hours, and the third one pays for a project, like creating a landing page, which takes 24 hours. In total, you could earn $840 each month by working 4-5 hours a day. Set Up Minimum Acceptable Rate (MAR) Minimum Acceptable Rate (MAR) is a baseline that ensures services are not undervalued. It represents the minimum amount that a virtual assistant is willing to accept for an hour of skilled assistance, considering factors such as expenses, taxes, and desired income. There are steps on how