Kickstart your Virtual Assistance

Journey in 8 steps!
BY
 Hey you!
Thank you for being here! I am so glad that you have finally
decided to kick start your Virtual Assistance adventure!

My name is Keren, and I have been in the Virtual Assistance

field since 2007. I also want to help newbies figure out how
they can start earning from home!

I created this quick guide for those who want to work as a VA

but couldn't figure out how to do it. When I started, Virtual
Assistance wasn't as popular in the Philippines as how it is
now. So I literally know how it feels to be clueless, but I found
my way. :)

So now, let me share to you 8 steps

that you can do to get you going!
 Step 1
Identify your skills
One of the most common misconceptions I hear from aspiring VAs is that they have no
skills to offer. But before I started in Virtual Assistance, the job experiences I had were
private tutoring to students, being a cashier in a fast food chain, and helping out in our
store.

Who would think that these jobs are related to virtual assistance, right? Well, they all are.

Tutoring involves creating modules/study notes for the students, recording & tracking
their progress. As a cashier, I handled the daily sales reports, managed cash flow, &
checked inventory. Helping out in our store involved quality customer service and
accurate order handling.

These are all related to admin assistance and customer service, which are both
in-demand skills in Virtual Assistance. It's just a matter of proper word usage.

So think about your past experiences.

Did you work in a boutique? In a grocery store?
Were you a service crew in a fast-food restaurant?

Do you have an online shop?

What tools do you use to keep track of your sales? List down everything.

...or think about the previous training you had in school.

Were you a school paper journalist?
Have you tried creating PowerPoint presentations?
Can you do internet research? or move data from one source to another?
What computer software do you know how to use?

Once you have listed down your skills and the tools you know, I recommend choosing the
best that you can offer. Stick to the skill you know you can deliver to clients. Here's a helpful
link I found to help you decide on your job title: https://bit.ly/3aBMb49

NOTES:
 Step 2
Prepare the appropriate tools

Now, you have chosen the skills you can offer to clients. What's next?

Choose the appropriate equipment you need.

For admin tasks, you can start with a laptop with 8GB RAM and 500HDD memory (or
choose SSD if you have the budget). The latest OS is recommended to ensure that
all new apps you install are compatible. If you decide to go with your skills related to
graphics, then you would need a computer with higher specs.

Of course, don't forget your internet. I recommend starting with 5MBPS if you're
offering admin skills, higher when your skills and tasks involve internet calls, and an
even faster speed when they are graphics-related. Fiber optic internet is more
reliable.

Clients need someone who has a reliable internet connection. It's the bloodline of
your virtual assistance journey so please decide and invest wisely.

Also, depending on the skills you choose, you might also want to prepare a noise-
canceling headset and a webcam.

Have a dedicated work desk, as much as possible, somewhere with fewer

distractions.

If you want virtual assistance to be a long-term path for you (and if you have the
needed resources), I highly recommend investing in quality equipment to avoid
future issues.

NOTES:
 Step 3
Figure out your target audience
They say that the bigger the audience, the higher the sales.

NOT REALLY.

I say the more defined your audience is, the better exposure you get.

You need to set a specific 'avatar' when thinking about your target audience. As a VA, in
general, we want to target anyone who is running a business.

But narrow it down to the following:

What kind of business should they be in? Think of a specific type of industry you want
to venture out to. E-commerce? Real estate? Fitness?
Are you targeting men or women?
Where should they be located? This is going to be important so you would know their
time of engagement.
What's the age range? Are you wanting to deal with young entrepreneurs or long-time
businessmen?

Knowing the details about your target audience will help you tailor your approach based
on the things that interest them.

This may change over time, but it's good to have an 'avatar' to start with. It will save your
time and energy if you have a clear picture of who they are.

Once you have identified your target audience, make a list of the things that would
interest them.

Keep this list. You will need it on Step 8 :)

NOTES:
 Step 4
Decide on your work
schedule & rate
Probably the best part of being a VA is that you can decide the number of
hours you want to work in a day or in a week.

Are you wanting to work full-time? Part-time?

Project-based with flexible schedule?

Just like any other full-time jobs, full-time VA positions spend 40hrs/week.
Part-time VAs only work 15-20hrs weekly, others even lower. If this is the
case, you can get multiple part-time clients.

However, always make sure that you do not overwork. Remember, you want
to work online to have more freedom to do what you love. Spending too
much time at work, even if it's online, goes against the very meaning of
FREElancing.

VAs can charge from $10/hr. I know you've probably heard that the
average hourly rate is $3 but there are clients out there who are willing to
pay higher. Do not let clients degrade you just because you are located in
the Philippines, while they pay much higher rates for VAs in the US or other
first-world countries. Your hourly rate can also quickly shoot up once you
have gained more experience. The goal is to eventually develop expertise
so you can charge premium rates and work fewer hours. Enrolling in online
courses can help increase your starting rate as well. You can also start with
a higher rate if you've gained previous offline work expertise that you can
offer online.

NOTES:
 Step 5
Build your branding identity

Branding is crucial if you want to stand out. Unfortunately, most VAs skip this step.
We are talking about millions of other VAs as your competitors. If you don't stand out,
you'd get buried!

So create your own branding as a VA. Be authentic!

Here are the things you would need to start with your branding:

Business name - think of a catchy name but would also tell people what you do.
For example, I called my freelance Project Management services "Management
Done Right"

Logo & Tagline - your logo should speak to your target audience in a form of an
image. Tagline appeals to their emotions in just a few words, for example: "We
find ways", "Connecting People", "Just do it."

Color branding - select 2-3 colors to represent you. You need to stick to those
colors when creating your logo and your graphics for your content. It will project
consistency.
Example: instagram.com/workflowswithkeren/
Choose your palettes here: canva.com/colors/color-palettes/

Inject your memorable personality - What makes you different from the rest?
What qualities can you offer together with your skills? Identify your most
memorable quality and incorporate that into how you deliver your services. For
example, I have been hired multiple times just because I talk more cheerfully than
the other applicants. :) Simple things like that could go a long way.

NOTES:
 Step 6
Setup your online presence

YES, YOU NEED AN ONLINE PRESENCE.

You need to show your target audience that you are up-to-date in terms of the
internet trend. If not, how can you tell them that you are offering effective services?

Before deciding the platforms you need to be active on, find out where your target
clients are hanging out. Are they on Facebook? Businessmen today usually have
Facebook pages. So it would be best for you to be active on the same platform.

What if the target clients are in the E-commerce industry where they need to post
photos of their products? They are most likely on Instagram or Pinterest.

Coaches and mentors build their personal branding usually on LinkedIn. So you would
need to hang out on that platform.

After deciding on the Social Media platforms, consider these points:

Always use your logo & color branding when dressing up your profiles.
Create professional pages: Facebook page, Instagram business account, LinkedIn
personal, and company page.
Whatever information you show in one profile should be consistent all throughout
the other profiles, i.e. profile photo, contact info, skill set.
Be active on these platforms. Post contents related to your services. Share tips for
your clients to show them that you are an expert in your field.

You can also sign up for freelancing platform accounts such as Upwork,
OnlinejobsPH, Outsourcely, GoLance, etc., and make sure to highlight your skills and
qualities. For a list of freelancing platforms, you can check here.

NOTES:
 Step 7
Create your Freelancing Accounts
I'm pretty sure you've heard of Upwork and OnlinejobsPH. These 2 are the
most common freelancing platform for Filipinos. TONSSSS of clients are
looking for Virtual Assistants through these platforms. I mentioned in Step 5
that we need to hang out where our target clients are, remember? :)

When creating accounts on these platforms, you need the following:

Professional photo. It doesn't have to be taken in a studio, but make sure
you look presentable and reliable in the eyes of your clients.
The skills and services you have identified in the previous steps
Your hourly rate
Any existing portfolio or certificates you have from your previous jobs. It
can be screenshots of your past work or school projects, as long as you
are allowed to show them publicly.

As you know, it can be tough to get approved on Upwork. But my students

did it without using any of those risky tricks you see on Youtube.

The secret? STAND OUT by having a niched-down job title! I have

discussed this topic in the links below:
Video
Post

In this vast ocean of freelancing, it's not good to blend in. You need to stand
out to be noticed.

Here are my Upwork and OnlinejobsPH profiles if you need a guide.

NOTES:
 Step 8
Market your services
So you're all set!

Wait, not so fast! Clients are not going to magically hire you. You need to reach
out to the market for them to be aware of your existence.

Where can you start?

Family and friends! They are the effective starting point. When I began
coaching aspiring VAs, my family and friends shared my posts and my
network rapidly grew! I had 70 students for my first batch without paying a
single dime for Facebook Ads.
If you have friends with businesses, approach and ask them if they know
anyone who might be needing your services. This is a double-hit. You are
introducing your services to them without really selling directly, plus they will
spread the news to their contacts.

Facebook Groups - increase your network by joining groups related to your

services. A lot of clients post their job hiring on these groups. Offer support. This
will show the other members that you know your craft.

Provide value on Social Media - be consistent and active, but don't be

spammy! Post tips that are useful to your target audience. On Step 3, you
created a list of the topics that would interest your target audience, right?
Create posts out of those topics.

Submit proposals on freelancing platforms - find jobs that are relevant to your
chosen skillset and target audience. Be consistent in sending these proposals!

NOTES:
 With determination, consistency, and the right motive, you
will get there! However, to set your expectations right, I am
telling you that initially, this is not going to be a smooth ride.
There's no such thing as overnight success.

In times of disappointment, ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR WHY.

Go back to why you want to do this and linger on the
benefits you'd get once you start working online.

Rooting for your success,

Keren

Read about my story here.