How to Become a Virtual Assistant in 2024: The 4 Steps

More and more professionals are working 100% from home. As a result, many entrepreneurs and companies are using virtual assistants. In addition, there is a growing demand for remote assistants. 💻

Becoming a virtual assistant represents a real opportunity to earn a living thanks to the internet. But despite appearances, it is not easy to become a virtual assistant and find a job or assignments to make a living. You will have to train to practice this profession and take advantage of its many benefits.

To help you, we are going to present you a complete guide on how to become a virtual assistant from scratch. You will also learn what this job is, who it is suitable for and how much you can expect to earn. 💰

What is a virtual assistant?

The termvirtual assistant is quite general and can represent many activities. But in the vast majority of cases, we will speak of executive assistant to companies. The tasks are mainly administrative. However, there are a few specialties to consider in this business, which we will introduce to you below. ⤵️

Definition

A virtual assistant is a natural person who provides secretarial or administrative support services to businesses. The virtual assistant, as its name indicates, works from home, especially via the Internet, telephone or fax.

The virtual assistant must master administrative skills, but must also be able to be available on a regular basis to answer the phone, email or others. Besides, a virtual assistant must have a great sense of organization, but also interpersonal skills. 🗣️

Let’s take an example.

Imagine you are a web agency and you sell custom websites. Your team focuses on the technical part, i.e. the creation of the website, its online publishing and others. However, the administrative part can be delegated to a virtual assistant. 👨🏻‍💻

For example, an assistant can simplyedit the invoice, reserve a domain name or other. But he can also communicate with the customer to collect information about his wishes for his website. The virtual assistant can also intervene in the customer relationship.

Concerning their status, virtual assistants are largely independent (self-employed). They will work in the same way as other freelance jobs, i.e. by doing assignments for clients. You can in this case work on a few long-term assignments or do several short-term assignments for many clients. 👥

But you can also work as a virtual assistant as an employee. In this case, you will work for one employer. Here you will have an employment contract, but your daily tasks can still be performed from home.

A typical day

Again, many people tend to think that a virtual assistant spends all day on the phone making appointments. Obviously, each remote assistant is going to have their typical day but may also have different assignments. 📊

In order to show what a typical day in the life of a virtual assistant can look like, we will take the example of a self-employed assistant.

Let’s assume that the virtual assistant has several administrative tasks to do, including answering emails, filling out forms, filing, following up with clients and more. In the morning, a virtual assistant can start with the tasks that require the most concentration. This can be the fact of answering the requests of the customers by email for example. ✍️

In the afternoon, you can do tasks that require less concentration. You can for example make phone calls to make appointments, post on social networks and more. At the end of the day, you will also need to take time to write a report to your clients. This depends on who you are working with. In some cases, a voice message will be enough to describe to your client the tasks you completed during the day. 🔈

Still in the case of an independent virtual assistant, you will also have to take a few minutes to manage your own accounting.

Who is the right person to be a virtual assistant?

If you’re reading this guide, it’s probably because you want to become a virtual assistant. But maybe this job isn’t for you. We will present you below who is suitable for this job as well as the necessary qualities to become a remote assistant.

To begin with, you need to have a good sense of organization . As an assistant, you will be required to manage and organize the tasks of your clients. Therefore, you must absolutely be organized and know how to keep a schedule. Again, this can be learned. Just because you’re disorganized in your personal life doesn’t mean you can’t do this job. Everything can be learned. 📖

Then, you will obviously have to master the internet and some computer tools. Be careful though, you don’t need to be a computer expert. Proficiency in tools such as Excel and Word as well as Google Drive is recommended. In addition, you will also be required to use project management and content publishing tools . In some cases, you will need to master more specific software. If so, you will be trained by your customers before using them.

To work in this profession, you should preferably be comfortable speaking and writing. You will be regularly asked to write emails for example. Knowing how to write without spelling mistakes is therefore essential. You will also be required to make phone calls on a regular basis for a variety of reasons. If you don’t mind and are comfortable speaking, this job will be a great fit for you. 📱

The virtual assistant job will also suit you if you like working alone. Except in rare cases when you are part of a team, you will work alone for your clients. If you prefer to work in a team, this job is not really for you.

As you know, this job is 100% telecommuting. Therefore, it is perfect if you like to work from home. But in reality, you just need a computer and an internet connection to work. So you can do this job from a coworking space, from a coffee shop, and even from a tropical country if you want! 🌴

How much does a virtual assistant earn?

You could see what the job of a virtual assistant consists of and if this profession can suit you or not. Now it is interesting to see how much you can expect to earn in this profession. We’d rather be honest with you, it’s impossible to know exactly how much a virtual assistant makes. 💻

Indeed, their remuneration will vary according to many factors. But thanks to several studies, we can estimate the income generated by a remote assistant according to his status.

If you work as a freelancer, the hourly rate will vary between 10 and 50€ HT. The price you can charge per hour varies depending on your skills and experience in the field. If you work between 30 and 35 hours a week, you can expect to earn an average of 2000€ gross. 💸(From this amount, you will have to remove the amount of social contributions and the tools you need to work)

According to the site Glassdoor the hourly wage for a virtual assistant is 18€ gross.

How to become a virtual assistant? The 4 steps

At this point in the guide, you should pretty much know if being a virtual assistant is for you or not. If you want to make it your job, we will show you all the steps to become a virtual assistant from scratch.

Step 1: Learn the basics of being a virtual assistant

To be a virtual assistant, you don ‘t need a specific degree . But as you can imagine, you still need to have some skills. Before you offer your services as a freelancer or look for a job, you’ ll need to educate yourself. 📚

To train as a virtual assistant, there are several methods. We will introduce you to the most effective ones.

To start, you can educate yourself by reading books. On Amazon or on an online bookstore, you can find many books, especially on the executive assistant profession. There are a bunch of books that will help youlearn the key skills (secretarial, social networking, customer service, etc.) to become a virtual assistant. 💻

By reading books, you can learn more about the business. In the same way, you can also find techniques to attract your first clients. Books are a cheap way to train yourself, but quite limited to be honest.

The second method is simply to consult videos on YouTube. On this platform, you can find many tutorials to learn and get started in any type of activity, including that of web assistant.

Thanks to this type of video, you can learn more before you start. There are videos that will show you examples of the tasks to be performed as a web assistant. Some of the content also features a typical day in the life of the job. 📅

This is a completely free way to train yourself before offering your virtual assistant services. Generally, you will be able to find free training courses to train yourself on certain skills or to learn how to find clients. But again, it’s pretty limited and you’ll have to search a long time before you find a model that shows you step by step how to get started.

The last method is simply to opt for a premium course. In this type of course, you will be guided by a virtual assistant who already has years of experience. The trainer will teach you all the skills you need to master to become a web assistant. 👩‍💻

But this type of training is also a real guide to find customers and make your business profitable. As you can imagine, many web assistants are not profitable, or work part-time. The goal is to make a living out of it, so the trainer will show you how to find enough clients to make a living out of this activity.

This is the most expensive method, there is no doubt about it. On the other hand, opting for a training to become a virtual assistant will allow you toget results much faster. You also greatly increase your chances of finding clients. In fact, some trainers will be able to make their network available to you. 🌐

Step 2: Find your first clients / your first job

Once you’ve mastered the key skills of being a web assistant, it’s time to find your first clients. Again, there are many ways to find customers. We will show you the most effective techniques to get your first online contracts. 🤝

To start, you can register on freelancing platforms . These platforms connect freelancers and professionals/individuals. Thanks to these platforms, you will be able to sell your services and find clients easily.

Let’s take an example with Upwork , one of the most well-known freelancing platforms. 👀

On this platform, one can easily find a virtual assistant for different rates, skills, availability and more. The advantage with this platform is that the customers will come to you. By being well referenced on the marketplace, prospects will find your profile. If your profile is well optimized, you can easily get assignments.

Secondly, you should know that everything happens on the platform. You will be able to talk directly with your clients and provide them with the work they require. It is also the platform that takes care of the payment. However, Upwork will take a commission on all your sales. 💰

Another method is simply to approach companies and web entrepreneurs. By email, you will offer your virtual assistant services to companies that may need them. Prospecting can be done by email, via LinkedIn or others.

It is a good way to find clients without going through platforms, and thus avoid having to pay a commission for each mission. Going direct with clients also allows you toget long-term assignments. Which is not necessarily the case with freelancing platforms. 📈

In case you are looking for a virtual assistant job, the principle is pretty much the same. There are many Facebook groups where web entrepreneurs post job offers. It is possible to have a real employment contract, but in many cases, employers would like you to have an auto-entrepreneur status.

Therefore, if you want to work as a virtual assistant as an employee, we advise you to check in advance if the job offer is for a permanent or temporary contract. 🔍

Step 3: Build customer loyalty

Having customers is good. But having regular and loyal customers is what will allow you to live from this activity. As in any other freelance activity, building client loyalty is surely the most important part. So we’re going to give you some techniques to work with your clients over the long term.

The first and most logical advice is simply tobe professional. No matter how good your job is, you have to complete assignments in a timely manner, communicate professionally and so on. If you’re professional, your clients will enjoy working with you and will continue to give you assignments. 🤝

The second tip is obviously toimprove the customer experience. The goal is simply to provide the same work without ever lowering the quality. You absolutely have to provide value to your customers. Otherwise, they will go through another provider.

In the same way, customer relations are extremely important. Show your customers that they can trust you. You can also present opportunities to your clients and give them advice. In fact, simply listening to your customers’ issues and recommendations will improve your customer relationship.

Be careful, however, not all customers are good at loyalty. We recommend that you focus only on the right clients, who can offer you the best possible long-term assignments. There’s no point in trying to retain clients who are bad payers and with whom you have a bad relationship. 🥶

Step 4: Take a step towards becoming a high-end assistant

By taking a training course and registering on freelancing platforms, you will probably be able to find some clients. But it will be difficult to get enough assignments to make a decent living. To avoid this, you must become a high-end virtual assistant!

How do you turn a corner to become a profitable virtual assistant? 🤔

Many people offer their services as virtual assistants. As a result, there is strong competition and prices are being driven down. And that’s where you need to present yourself as a high-end web assistant. Otherwise, you won’t be able to stand out from the competition.

In order to stand out from the other assistants, you absolutely have to become more competent. Besides being professional, you have to be the best at what you do. If you do the same thing, in the same way as the others, you won’t be able to stand out. As you become more skilled, you will be in much higher demand. And as a result, you will be able to raise your prices. 🤑

The factor that can get you over the hump is also the network. In addition to being able to find customers more easily, you will increase your value in the market. The members of your network will recommend you and therefore you will not be competing with thousands of other assistants.

To be a high-end assistant, you can’t afford to work with too many clients. You need to focus on one or two partners that you work with on a long-term basis. This way, you can build trust and take more responsibility for your work. 💪

Now you know all the steps to follow to become a virtual assistant and earn a living thanks to the internet. By following the advice we’ve given you in this guide, you’ll be able to start out serenely in this business and hope to make a living from it in the long run. 💸

If you want to become a virtual assistant as soon as possible, we recommend you to go through a premium training. This will allow you to be operational quickly and to get your first missions in a few weeks. You will also be able to access job offers more easily thanks to the network of trainers. 👨🏼‍💻