Seven Steps to Becoming a Successful Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant is an independent entrepreneur who works remotely, often from home, using technology to deliver services to clients locally, nationally or even internationally.  Phone, fax, reliable Internet service, email and even instant messaging are must haves for a virtual assistant’s home office because project instructions are usually received through these mediums.  While many virtual assistants offer secretarial services the market is ever changing, with more and more professionals with diverse backgrounds making the choice to become virtual assistants more specialized skills are being offered such as, marketing, graphic and web design, IT support and even language translation.

Below are seven steps that will benefit anyone who is thinking of making the move from the real office to a virtual one. 

1. Evaluate your skills.  What services can you provide to the client?  Do you need to take supplemental courses to ensure that you can offer competitive services to your clients?  Do you have a specific business niche or are you planning on offering a wide variety of services?  Making these sorts of evaluations will require being honest with yourself and the result will hopefully enable you to come up with the experience required to make the move to becoming a virtual assistant.

2. Figure out what you will need to start your new venture.  How much time and energy can you realistically commit?  Do you have the logistic tools for a home office?  Many people make the mistake of thinking that working from home will mean less work.  Anyone who has started any kind of home business will tell you that that is just not the case.  It’s helpful to be as realistic with yourself as you can be about how much time you can give to this new venture.  It is also very important to make sure you have the tools required fro the trade.  Do you have a fax machine that is always breaking right when you need it?  The time to invest in a new one is now.

3. Do the appropriate research.  Find out if your specific skills have a market in the community you are targeting.  If not, find out what services are needed and prepare yourself accordingly or continue researching other communities until you find your target clients. 

4.  Once you have determined who your target clients are figure out how to best reach them.  You will need to market to your target clients and knowing as much about them as possible is the best place to start.

5. Make a realistic budget for your new venture.  This involves understanding your economic constraints, projected expenses along with how much you expect to make.  Be aware, also that it will take time to make the transition and you will need to allow for some rough times as you are setting up your new virtual assistant business.

As you would with any other business, prepare a business plan for you new venture in becoming a virtual assistant.  Obviously as you make the transition you will need to update your business plan to reflect growth and change.

Market and promote your services as much as you can.  Marketing will be a large part of your work, especially in the beginning when you are trying to establish yourself.  Having a website or an ad in the phone book is a good start, but don’t rest on your laurels.  Use networking and also take advantage of any service available in your community for small or home businesses.

Working from your home office as a virtual assistant is a wonderful option for anyone seeking to gain more control over his or her professional career while at the same time allowing for flexibility.  These seven steps along with some good old-fashioned common sense will help ensure your success in becoming a virtual assistant.