You’ve found the perfect career – working from home, comfies below the waist and professional from the waist up.
Working from wherever you please, whenever you please (hello, dream job). While being a Virtual Assistant is a great career choice many people have preconceived ideas about the position before they even start. It is not sunny beaches and sweatpants, today we are going to break down the key things you need to be able to check YES to if you want to become a successful VA.
Self-disciplined
It sounds like a dream come true to be working from home but let’s face it there are a lot of distractions when you work from home…Facebook messages, your fridge, the beautiful day, the squirrel outside your window. It can be very easy to get sidetracked and find yourself doing things other than work. This is why you need to be super disciplined. You need to understand that between certain hours – it’s work time and during that time, you work.
Positive
Being positive is a crucial part of being a VA. First off, you need to be positive for your clients. When you show up to meetings, calls, emails, or any form of communication with them you need to be a positive role in their business (regardless of what is going on in your personal life). In a regular “9-5” you might have been able to slide by with a grumpy attitude here and there but that’s not going to cut it in the VA world. Your clients do not want to work with someone who is a negative Nancy. Furthermore, issues are going to pop up, you will get stressed out and you will not get every client you want. In order to continue and build your biz up you can’t stay down in the dumps, you have to be able to pick yourself up, change your attitude, and continue on. Never underestimate the power of positivity.
Organized
Are you a “to-do” lister? Do you like to cross things off your list and organize your time? If so – then chances are being a VA could be right for you. Once you become a VA you have to manage your time – not only in terms of hours in a day but also in terms of your deliverables and due dates. Think of your days back in high school – remember the good old faithful agenda? If you do, keep reading. You need to be able to prioritize what is important and needs to be done right away, what is due today when you have time for each client’s work, and when you can schedule meetings. You are in control of your time – yes but you need to be able to manage it so that you can optimize your time and work efficiently. There are many tools out there that can help you with this – the main thing you need to be able to do is follow-through.
Clear communicator
As much as you are in your own little online space working from where you want – communication is still a major part of your job. In order to get projects completed, you will need to discuss the deliverables with your client, and even after that initial conversation happens there will be a lot more discussion to come. You can’t keep your clients in the dark and expect them to read your mind. You will need to update them on what your working on, your progress, any edits needed from them. By being able to communicate clearly and effectively you will develop a strong relationship with your client.
Not afraid to ask questions
Along with being a clear communicator, not being afraid to ask questions ties in well here. It is completely normal when working with someone on a project questions will arise. Your client does not expect you to read their mind. They expect you to ask questions when you are confused or when you need their input.
Detail-oriented
You are inside someone’s business daily and their business is one of the most important things to your client. It was likely a hard decision to let you inside their business and rightfully so. You need to be sure whatever project you are working on you are detail-oriented. This means you check and then double-check, always! We recommend even taking a triple check. Making sure you know what you have done is working the way it should is key. Small things like sending out emails with poor punctuation can hurt your client relationship and their trust in your ability.
Caring
Perhaps one of the most important attributes you can have as a Virtual Assistant is to be a kind, thoughtful, and caring person. If you genuinely care for other people and want to help someone in their business it is going to shine through. If your main goal is to just pass the hours and collect a paycheck while at home in your jammies, then this probably isn’t for you. Your clients are going to depend on you – they are going to build relationships with you and vice versa. The more you care, the more you learn about your clients and their business and in the end, the more you can help.
If you can check off yes to the above qualities then being a Virtual Assistant might be a perfect fit for you. It is a rewarding and amazing career where the opportunities are endless. However, always remember that those who work for it, and really put their best foot forward every day in their business are the ones who end up growing beautiful successful Virtual Assistant businesses. It doesn’t take a superhero to make this business work – but it does take a dedicated worker.