Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants (VAs) help clients—who may be individuals or businesses—manage their daily affairs, working on a remote basis and communicating via text, video call, or over the phone.

This job description includes a broad range of duties. VAs may find themselves doing almost anything an in-person assistant might do, as long as it can be accomplished virtually. Common tasks include:

• Managing calendars and schedules
• Ordering supplies
• Planning meetings
• Performing data entry
• Conducting research (e.g., market research)
• Providing tech support
• Handling communications (making phone calls, drafting emails, etc.)

VAs sometimes also take on higher-level, specialized duties as well, such as project management and marketing.

Virtual assistants usually work on a part-time basis, and frequently have flexible schedules (although not always—some people expect their VAs to be available during set hours). They may land clients independently, by pitching to them on freelance platforms like Upwork, or by contracting with a virtual assistance agency.

Follow these tips to get your virtual assistance side hustle off to a smooth start:

Pick a specialty

It’s possible to be a generalist VA and handle anything and everything that your clients send your way, but many of the most highly paid VAs are specialized and focus on tasks they have particular expertise in.

If you have a background in social media marketing and management, for instance, you can provide that service for your clients, helping growing businesses manage their online presences.

It’s also possible to specialize in a particular industry rather than a type of task. To give another example, if you’re a medical professional (either current or former), you’ll have a leg up when it comes to landing VA work for clinics and other healthcare companies, and will probably be able to command higher rates from them.

Explore multiple methods of landing clients

We’ve spoken to VAs who work in a diverse array of niches, and most of them have recommended not limiting yourself when it comes to how and where you look for clients and gigs. VA work can ebb and flow, and you’ll be able to maintain a more consistent income if you remain open to work from all of the following sources:

• Freelance marketplaces like Upwork
• Remote-focused job boards like FlexJobs
• Agencies like Belay Solutions
• Direct outreach to potential clients

Make client communication your priority

Clients hire VAs who they perceive to be reliable and trustworthy. In this field—more than almost any other—it pays to be communicative to a fault. Make sure you always stay on the ball when it comes to responding to your clients’ messages, and send your own out proactively.

It probably goes without saying that you should also always do your best work and turn it in on time (early, if you can!)

Pros

• Flexibility: Regardless of what constraints you’re working under, you’ll be able to find VA gigs that slot neatly into your schedule and your life. You can work just a few hours per week or work a nearly full-time schedule, if that’s what you prefer. What’s more, this job is always remote-friendly.
• Potential for advancement: Working as a virtual assistant will hone valuable skills that you can use to bolster your resume and advance in your main career. If you excel in this role, you can gradually take on greater responsibilities (with accompanying pay raises), or even hire other VAs to work under you and scale your side hustle into a full-fledged business.

Cons

• Difficulty finding work: As a freelancer of any type, you have to hustle. Working as a VA is no exception. Clients won’t fall into your lap; you’ll have to seek them out and sell them on how you’ll make their lives easier and why the services you offer are worth the money.
• Modest pay: VAs earn reasonable wages for the level of work they do, but this still isn’t the most lucrative side hustle out there. The majority of “assistant” gigs are entry-level, and, at least in the beginning, there will be a cap on how much you can realistically expect to earn from this.