SO HOW DO I BECOME A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT?

If you are thinking about becoming a Virtual Assistant, the answer to the question “What is a Virtual Assistant” is, in part, what you determine it will be. There are some common elements to the growing community of Virtual Assistants across the world, so it may well be easier to identify them first. In general terms they are:

Someone who is self-employed and, in consequence, runs their own business, whether that is as a proprietor/principal or as a small Limited company.

• Someone who generally supports a limited number of clients for a limited period of time per week or month, or on a specific term project.
• Someone whose clients may be a Sole Trader, a small business or a corporate client.
• Someone who usually works with home as their base.

Having addressed the common elements, it’s time to turn to the far more complex and personal side of being a Virtual Assistant. First there is a great benefit in making an evaluation of the experience, characteristics, abilities and skills you have that you feel able to offer to your clients, as well as the decision about what you would want to offer as a core service in the marketplace. Do you want to be challenged with tasks that are new to you or do you want to limit the work you undertake to that which is within the area of your expertise?

Additional thought is required about whether you will:

• Only work from home.
• Be prepared to undertake work in the client’s premises.
• Be prepared to travel with or on behalf of their client.
• Be flexible in approach to different tasks.
• Be flexible in approach to working hours, or have specific needs to work at identified times.

Having reached the point where consideration has been given to the points above, there are three more things to think about - the practicalities of space and equipment, your trading name and how much you will charge. The decisions about all three can rest only with you, although it is recommended that you give some careful consideration to and do some research about all three things before you make a final decision.

The final stages of your preparation should include completing a business plan, checking with the Banks to see who will give you the most beneficial deal when you open a Business Bank Account and contacting your local Business Link (http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/) to find the Enterprise Agency closest to you and, where possible, taking advantage of the free business start-up training available. You will also need to consider how you will market your services.