What Is A Virtual Assistant and What Do VAs Do?

Over the last 10 years, there has been a significant rise in digital nomads and people who want the flexibility of working from a laptop. One job that allows you to work from anywhere in the world whilst paying a generous salary is that of a Virtual Assistant.

But, what is a Virtual Assistant?

In this guide, we will explore the ins and outs of what a Virtual Assistant is and what they do in the UK 2024.

To compile the best information possible, we spent time researching the experiences of successful VAs who have managed to quite their fulltime jobs and work remotely.

A virtual assistant is a professional who provides various administrative, technical, or creative support to individuals or businesses remotely.

By using a variety of software and tools, virtual assistants efficiently manage tasks such as email correspondence, scheduling, data entry, social media management, and research, among others. Virtual assistants are usually skilled at multitasking, possess strong organizational skills, and possess effective communication.

Virtual assistants play a crucial role in increasing productivity and freeing up time for their clients, allowing them to focus on high-priority responsibilities and core business activities.

Virtual assistants provide remote support to businesses by completing a variety of online tasks. The exact requirements of a VA will depend on the employer however, here is an overview of some common tasks that virtual assistants might be asked to perform:

• Administrative work: This includes filling out documents, organizing calendars, scheduling appointments, and updating common files.

• Data entry: Data entry can involve working with spreadsheets, organizing large data sets, turning raw data into useful information, fact-checking, and deleting outdated records.

• Social media management: This is one of the most in-demand skills for a VA in 2024. Social media management involves planning and creating social media content on behalf of the company that you work for.

• Personal assistance: Some VAs may be required to assist their employees with personal tasks. This could include managing personal calendars, scheduling appointments, planning celebrations and even buying gifts,

• Customer service: During our research, we found that the customer service element of working as a VA is something that most virtual assistants don’t expect. However, some employees may ask you to answer customer’s questions or queries on their behalf. This is usually via email or live chat.

• Content planning: Virtual assistants are often tasked with planning content for social media, websites and even newsletters. Therefore, it is a good idea to brush up on your content management skills before applying to work as a VA.

• Micro tasks: Micro tasks are small tasks, often deemed too inconvenient or monotonous for full-time employees to undertake.

• Research: A lot of businesses use VAs to conduct research that could help to guide decision-making. This is perhaps one of the most interesting virtual assistant tasks that could actually contribute towards changes in within the company that you work for.

Also read: Best side hustles for introverts

Virtual Assistant workload

A lot of virtual assistants work on a freelance basis which means that they pick and choose the hours that they work. During our research, we found that most VAs will negotiate with their employer and work under a contract that requires them to complete a predetermined workload in a specific period.

For example, a VA may be hired for 3 months to provide assistance to the social media team. During this time, the virtual assistant will be given a set of tasks a expected to complete them in a timely manner.

Working as a virtual assistant is a flexible role however, most employees will have time expectations and set deadlines accordingly.

It is possible to become a virtual assistant in the UK without any formal qualifications. However, most VAs are expected to have basic GCSEs including English and Math’s. Some companies may also ask you to take, and complete, virtual assistant training courses. These courses can be completed online and will teach you the skills that you will need to perform VA tasks.

VA experience and skills

Although you may not need specific qualifications to be a virtual assistant, most employees will expect you to be able to show evidence of relevant skills and experience.

This could include previous jobs that have involved admin, data entry, or social media management. Or, you could build a portfolio that showcases your ability to complete the tasks that are required.

Virtual assistants should be tech-savvy and have excellent organization and communication skills. You may have to learn a lot on the job so VAs also need to be able to take initiative and learn new skills quickly.

Is Virtual Assistant the right side hustle for you? VA skills checklist

Here is an overview of the skills that are required to be a successful virtual assistant. Read through the list to determine whether or not this side hustle is suitable for you.

• Ability to use new software to perform tasks

• Data management

• Organization/scheduling

• Online communication

• Social media content planning and creation

• Basic accounting

• An understanding of project management software

• Basic graphic design

• Ability to conduct research

Also read: Best remote side hustles in 2024

One of the most appealing aspects of working as a virtual assistant in 2024 is the pay. According to data the was collected on Indeed.com, the average hourly rate of a beginner virtual assistant in London is £15.48 per hour. However, this can increase with experience as a lot of companies are willing to pay more money for seasoned pros.

During our research, we found that virtual assistant incomes are very varied in 2024. Some online VAs claim to make 5 figures per month from their freelance virtual assistant businesses whilst others report monthly earnings of £2000 - £3000.

It is possible to make more money by working as a freelancer or setting up your own VA business. On the other hand, perminent roles offer lower rates but come with stability.

If you are a complete beginner, it might be a good idea to apply for a perminent position to gain experience. Eventually, you will be able to use your experience to attract higher-paying clients and work for yourself.

It is normal for side hustles to attract attention on social media and become ‘trends’. We have seen it with Amazon FBA, drop shipping and now becoming a VA. During these periods, the internet is flooded with videos about how amazing the side hustle is, with successful indivduals sharing glowing income reports and talking about how the side gig has changed their lives.

However, every side hustle has drawbacks that are often ignored in these viral videos.

Working is a virtual assistant comes with a number of advanatges and disadvanatages that are worth considering before you invest time and money into getting started.

Why should you consider starting a VA side hustle?

Let’s start with the advantages of working as a Virtual Assistant in the UK. We create the following list using the experiences of successful VAs. However, your experience may be slightly different.

Remote working offers flexibility

First and foremost, virtual assistants work remotely which means that it is possible to work from anywhere in the world. This makes it a great side hustle for travlers or anyone who doesn’t want to be locked into one location.

The flexibility of remote work also means that it is easy to fit VA responsibilities around your lifestyle. You can start and finish your working day whenever you like (in most cases).

The job is varied

Another perk of working as a virtual assistant is that the job is fairly varied. Every day will look different depending on the tasks that need to be done. This makes it ideal for people who want something stimulating and enjoy handling multiple projects at once.

Increased freedom

Working remotely doesn’t just come with location flexibility, it also comes with the freedom to choose who you work with, how many holidays you have, how long your lunch break is and much more.

If you are able to hold yourself accountable and complete tasks without much oversight, working as a virtual assistant is a great way to work in a way that suits you.

Set your own rates

This benefit applies to VAs who work freelance or have their own business. In this case, you can choose how much you earn by setting your own rates. This can be incredibly rewarding and often leads to much higher rates per hour that you would recieve by working as a perminent employee.

What are the drawbacks of being a VA?

Now let’s take a look at the main cons that come with working as a virtual assistant. It is important to be aware of the drawbacks before you decide whether or not this side hustle is for you.

Working remotely can be lonely

One of the biggest drawbacks of working as a virtual assistant, or any remote job, is loneliness.

Unlike regular 9-5 roles, you will not be working directly with others. This means that you may spend the majority of your working day completley alone, which can be isolating for some people.

A lot of remote workers handle this by joining classes, working from coffee shops or reaching out to people with similar professions.

Working from home can be distracting

Another disadvantage of working remotley in 2024 is that working from your home can be distracting. You may have family or pets around that could cause distractions or, being in your home may encourage you to do other tasks instead of working.

Therefore, virtual assistance is best suited to indivduals who are able to hold themselves accountable and complete tasks without getting distracted.

As we mentioned above, you do not need any specific qualifications to become a virtual assistant in 2024. However, it does help to have relevant experience at using software, scheduling or data entry,

If you want to get started as a VA in the UK, we recommend conducting some research to find out how the most succcessful virtual assistants attract clients. As a beginner, you should spend time building up experience and growing your portfolio so that you can eventually land higher-paying roles.

A good place to start is to set up a gig on Fiverr and offer virtual assistant gigs at a low rate.

Conclusion

A virtual assistant is a remote employee who helps businesses to improve efficiency by completing small tasks and freeing up time for other employees to focus on larger projects. VAs complete a variety of tasks and are skilled at organizing their workload and communicating clearly with their emploers.

The role of a virtual assistant has gained attention on social media with successful VAs showing off their flexible lifestyles and generous incomes. This has made it a popular job to start in the UK.

During our research we found a lot of advantages that come with working as a virtual assistant. However, we also found that not all VA salaries are as high as they are made out to be on social media. It is important to set realistic expections if you choose to become a virtual assistant. This will help you to stay motivated and perform well.

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