Prospective Virtual Assistant Client Ghosting You?

Posted on by Rose Odoemelam

Have you ever been ghosted by a prospective client?

Maybe someone signed up for a free discovery call. You had a wonderful conversation with the prospective client for 30 minutes or maybe even longer. They seemed like your ideal client and you immediately knew you could help them achieve their personal or professional goals.

You could tell that they were eager to get started and so you did your happy dance immediately the call ended.

Then along the line, they disappeared without a word.

If this has just happened to you, you’re probably wondering why are they not responding and how you get them to respond.

It may even be that the prospect was the one who contacted you and was eager to meet you but suddenly went missing in action.

This is called “ghosting” and it is more common than you know.

So why do these clients suddenly go dark? Why would a client call you, lead you on and start ignoring you later?

It sucks in the dating world and sucks just as much in the business world. There are several reasons why a prospective virtual assistant client might ghost you and isn’t usually about you.

In this post I will share 8 reasons why a prospective client might ghost you, steps to take when you find out you have been ghosted and how to avoid being ghosted in future. But first, in case you haven’t been ghosted, I’ll share my most recent personal experience just so you have a clear picture of what it looks like. This is important because even if I have been doing this for so long, I am not immune to ghosting.

Here’s How Ghosting Plays Out (My Most Recent Personal Experience)

Only last month I had someone reach out to me because she was interested in my services. The discovery call went very well and she said she was ready to move forward.

It was music to my ears. Her bill was about $1,000 so I was looking forward to not only helping her get the results she wanted, but hitting my income goal for the month by some extra zeros.

Everything was fine until I sent in the proposal, then she went silent. I followed up in my usual fashion and she responded saying she couldn’t afford the full amount in a single payment so we agreed on installments. It was safe because we divided the project into milestones. She was going to pay at the beginning of each milestone before I did any work.

She was excited and happy to start. I was happy and quickly filled in the blanks in my virtual assistant agreement template in minutes. Such a time saver!

I signed my part using signwell and sent it to her for signing. 

After some minutes, I got a notification that she had viewed the agreement. That is one feature I love about signwell. There’s no room for “I didn’t see your agreement”.

Days later, there was no response. I followed up twice and still got no response. It felt like she disappeared into thin air, ghosting me just before signing a contract. 

In my early years as a virtual assistant I would have been sad, confused, and maybe even angry that she wasted my time.

But from what I know now, that might just be looking at things from the wrong direction because ghosting is not personal..

Here Are 8 Possible Reasons Why A Prospective Client Might Ghost You

reasons why a prospective virtual assistant client is ghosting you

1.) They aren’t ready and are just doing it for research.

Some prospects reach out when they aren’t ready. No matter what you say or do at that point, they won’t buy in. They might work with you later. It may also be that their budget isn’t large enough for the service they need or they are spending money on something currently and can’t add more.  So rather than giving you the “not right now” answer, they just opt for avoidance.

2.) They didn’t hear from you immediately or lost enthusiasm. 

If a client doesn’t hear from you after your first conversation, they’ll probably move on. So make sure your client gets a follow-up call or email from you as soon as possible. I make sure I send a consultation recap email stating our discussions, conclusions, including what they can expect and when to expect it. This sets expectations and leaves a paper trail that might come in handy in future. It may also be that your pitch was interesting, the client was impressed on the phone or video but lost interest when they slept on it.

Read also: How to onboard new clients as a virtual assistant

3.) They are genuinely busy and/or overwhelmed. 

Prospective clients have their own lives too and may not always be available. 

People hire virtual assistants because they are busy. If they get too busy, they might take a couple of days (or even weeks to reply). 

Some years ago, a new virtual assistant I was coaching had a prospect who had gotten on a discovery call, agreed on price, deliverables, and other details very fast.

She was super excited and ready to start. Then the prospect went silent.

She would not reply to her calls or emails and she was left in the dark for a couple of days.

On the 3rd day, she sent her a long email giving her a piece of her mind and letting her know she wasn’t going to be at her beck and call.

When she still didn’t get a reply, she concluded that the prospect realised her services weren’t worth the 100k she asked for so she had bailed.

The prospect later reached out and explained that she was dealing with a family emergency.

The best part? Her tantrum email to the prospect was stuck in her outbox so she never received it. Thank God!

So if it appears they’re ghosting you, it’s possible they might be busy with something else or what you’re offering isn’t top of their priority list right now, so don’t give up. Your client may be interested in working with you but there may be other factors working against you. If  you realise this, don’t put more pressure for a while. If they value what you provide, they’ll respond when their schedule clears up.

Remember they haven’t signed a contract so technically, they aren’t your client yet. The best you can do is follow up 3-5 times in a very non-desperate way.

I ensure I inform the client from the get go that my proposals have an expiry date. Usually 30-60 days from when they receive it. This is to prevent prospects coming back months later after I have probably raised my rates hoping to pay the old rate.

This protects you as a virtual assistant and encourages prospective clients to reach out before the duration expires.  

4.) They aren’t interested but don’t know how to tell you.

It’s possible they don’t see the value, don’t have the money or think you’re too expensive. They may feel telling you will be unpleasant especially if they have a non-confrontational or avoidant personality. Because of this personality flaw, they don’t care enough to let you know they don’t see the value, don’t have the money or think you’re too expensive. This is not your fault. You aren’t oxygen so you can’t be right for everyone.

5.) They’re working with (or considering working with) your competitor.

Some prospective clients feel weird admitting that they’re working with your competitor. They may feel like they’re cheating on you or going behind your back. Most prospects like weighing their options so of course, your competitors are probably in talks with your prospective client. So if they suddenly go quiet for too long, know that they might have chosen your competitor. This is why you should have a unique selling point. If you have the exact same offer as the next virtual assistant and charge more, they might just have the upper hand. So if you charge more, make it a no brainer why your prospective client should pay more.

6.) Your solution doesn’t fit their needs. 

This doesn’t mean that what you’re offering isn’t good but it just doesn’t work for that particular prospect. So even if your pitch was so captivating that it attracted them at first, they’ll draw back when they realise it’s not what they’re looking for. 

7.) They are not your ideal client

If you attract the wrong people, you’ll never be able to make them see the value you provide or pay your rates. It’s either it will be too high or two low for them.

Or they might need someone who’d be available at specific times. If you’re like me and prefer to have a flexible schedule, then the relationship will never happen. 

8.) Your discovery call sucked

If you aren’t able to handle client objections during your discovery calls, they’ll find someone who can. And they might not have the heart to tell you they don’t want you, so they’ll enter the ghost mode.

This is why it is important to take your discovery calls very seriously. Prepare for them and show up confidently.  The client discovery call workbook is a step by step guide to help you prepare for your discovery calls, show up confidently and ace the call and then make signing up easy for your prospective client afterwards. It also contains a consultation recap email template to ensure you don’t leave prospective clients hanging after the call.

4 Smart Steps To Take If A Prospective Virtual Assistant Client Ghosts You?

steps to take when you notice that prospective virtual assistant client ghosting you

If you have never been ghosted by a client, chances are that it will eventually happen. So here are 4 smart steps to take if you realise you have been ghosted. These steps have helped me win back at least 50% of clients who ghosted me in the past. I hope they bring you even better results.

Step 1: Ensure That There Was No Miscommunication

This is a no brainer. You have to make sure you weren’t caught up in a bubble during the call and heard “sure, let’s do this!” when they said “maybe” or “I need to think about things and ask my spouse”.

Additionally, you may feel a connection or vibe that wasn’t even mutual. Maybe the prospect didn’t enjoy the discovery call as much as you think they did.

Step 2: Follow Up Without Sounding Desperate

If there was no miscommunication, then you should reach out with concern. Don’t go from the place of “I need you to move on to the next step and pay me”.

Instead, ask how they are doing and state you are reaching out because you know they were excited about getting started but you understand that life gets in the way sometimes. That’s a good way to reestablish connection based on care.

They would know that you aren’t just reaching out because you want to take their money. But because you care about them and their goals. Then remind them of where they dropped off.

My favourite line is:  “Have you had a chance to review the proposal? Remember nothing’s carved in stone. So I’m happy to answer any questions you might have”. 

It always gets serious prospects to reconnect. By reminding them that nothing’s carved in stone, they get to open up if money is the problem or say something else they were looking forward to seeing but you weren’t offering.

One question I get asked a lot is “how often should I follow up?”

I usually say 3-5 times. However, it depends on the amount of feedback you are getting from the prospective client.

I’ve had prospective clients who were happy to jump on a quick call to iron out their concerns before signing up and others who replied to every single email.

Another thing you shouldn’t do is assume they can’t afford to pay your rates and then offer a discount. Don’t make any assumptions. Until they say they can’t afford it, they can. Don’t water down the value of your services. And if they say they can’t afford your rates, there are other ways to handle things without lowering your rates.

Step 3: Keep The Relationship Alive No Matter What

If you still don’t hear back after following up, send a final email letting them know that you have tried to reach out and gotten no response so that would be your last attempt to reach out concerning the project. 

If your proposal has an expiry date (it should!), remind them of the expiry date. Tell them you’d love to stay in touch regardless of if they work with you or not and would be happy to help them when they are ready.

I can hear you asking “How can I stay in touch? What would we talk about?”

Industry news is a good place to start.

A simple “Hey, I was just going through XYZ and saw this information on ABC I know your brand strongly advocates for and your audience would appreciate a heads up”. And if they are on social media or have an email list you can follow them or sign up for their list and when you see they are doing something interesting, let them know and clap for them. The goal is to stay top of mind so that when they are ready, you’ll be the first to know. If you play your cards right, they might even recommend you even if they don’t work with you.

Step 4: Move On And Focus Elsewhere

If the prospect still ghosts you, move on. 

That could just be a blessing in disguise and an indicator that they are not the kind of client you need. 

See it this way, the absence of a wrong client creates room for the right client to find you. This was very true, even for me. Days later, I signed up another client for a little above the same amount. The new client was eager to get started and we completed the onboarding process in days. If that client hadn’t ghosted me, I wouldn’t have had room to take on the new client.

Trust me, you want prospective clients who see the value you bring, are forthcoming and excited to get started even if they are nervous. You don’t want to have to chase them.

So save yourself the stress and don’t think it’s about you or you aren’t good enough. It’s mostly about them so don’t let it dampen your spirit. A person’s actions says more about them than you.

How To Avoid Prospective Virtual Assistant Clients Ghosting You

I’ll be the first to say you can’t completely avoid being ghosted by a prospective client. However, you can significantly reduce the chances of being ghosted by doing these three things.  

Avoid prospective virtual assistant client ghosting you

Tip 1: Attract Only Your Ideal Clients And Repel Everyone Else

In my books, doing this alone will reduce the chances of being ghosted by 50%. All your marketing materials -Social media, Website copy, Email content etc. should focus on speaking to the pain and pleasure points of your best fit clients.  

So when they come in contact with your content, they should already be sold before even getting on the discovery call. A prospects decision to sign up starts way before the discovery call so ensure you are doing this right to reduce the pressure you are putting on your discovery calls. Try to share your prices or at least give a price range of what it costs to work with you so prospects who can’t afford it or aren’t willing to pay your rates won’t bother booking a call.

Repelling everyone else might seem like a recipe to lose potential clients especially if you are a new virtual assistant or desperately looking for clients. But you’ll get more people who are serious about working with you when you are upfront about who you want to help, how much you want to charge and who would be better off with another virtual assistant.

Tip 2: Ace Your Discovery Calls

I realized quite early in my business that pre-qualifying prospects before getting on a discovery call with them is gold. It sets you up for  success and just weeds out unserious people.

Before the discovery call one thing you must do is set up a prospect prequalification form on your website or even free platforms like Google forms if you don’t have a website yet. Ask questions to assess if the prospect is a good fit or not. 

There are other important steps to take before, during and after the discovery questions including specific questions to ask in your prequalification form, ask during the call, things to not say and how to handle client objections. If you need all that information, you should get my discovery call workbook for virtual assistants. It will make your life easier.

Tip 3: Know That Not Every Prospective Virtual Assistant Client Will Become A Paying Client  Immediately or Ever

You need to make peace with the fact that not every prospective client will become a paying client. Some people might be interested but leave their dreams on the back burner. Others might move on to new ideas.

Someone might reach out because of shiny object syndrome perhaps to start an online business and need a VA but then lose the shine days later and stick with their job or start a brick and mortar business.

If you’re like me that does not work with clients who have brick and mortar businesses, that’s the end.

Other people need weeks or months to consider it and maybe save towards it. I’ve had people reach out and then sign up a month or two later. The sooner you accept that, the more easily you can avoid getting attached to any outcome.

Final words

That said, whether the prospect got swallowed by a whale, or lost at sea with no means of communication or “something came up,” you may never know. So don’t assume anything or take it personally.

Sometimes no matter what you do, a prospective virtual assistant client will still ghost you. Just make sure you do your part well to avoid attracting client who are likely to ghost you and then take the right steps if you realise you’ve been ghosted. At all times remember that it’s still possible your prospect is still interested. So don’t give up on them. Follow up before giving it a rest.

Have you ever been ghosted by a prospective client? How did you handle it and what did you learn from the experience?

How to Choose A Name For Your Virtual Assistant Business

Posted on by Rose Odoemelam

Finding the perfect name for your virtual assistant business isn’t easy. It has to be catchy, memorable, give a mental picture of what your brand is about and not be too lengthy. Now after all the stress you might find out the name is already taken.

Seriously, you may be overwhelmed by the process because you may think of something as weird as satanthedevil and you’d realize that it is taken!

Who would think of this? You might even question the privacy of your thoughts.

It is worse when you have a common name like ‘Rose’. Just think about it and it is taken. Even people with names like ‘Rose-jargon’ will stick with ‘Rose’ and I’m like what do you expect me that is simply ‘Rose’ to do?

Isn’t that covetous? If it isn’t, then I don’t know what is.

In this post, I will share some basic tips to consider when choosing a business name which would serve as a guide in your name search because not every name is right for your virtual assistant business.

Read Also: Use these steps to start your virtual assistant business

13 Tips To Consider When Choosing A Name For Your Virtual Assistant Business

virtual assistant business name

1.) Use keywords

Using your keywords in your business name together with good content and other factors is a great idea. Bear in mind that finding a business name with your keyword is highly unlikely. Get creative. The simple formula is: Your keyword + complementary word= your business name.

For example, Virtual + Buddy = Virtual Buddy

Or Virtual Admin + Buddy = Virtual Admin Buddy

With a business name like virtual buddy, the first thing that comes to a visitor’s mind is that you are a virtual business. The visitor already knows what your business is about so it would help you attract your target audience (i.e people interested in a virtual service).

Adding your keyword to your business name is a very wise decision although this isn’t wise if you aren’t satisfied with your chosen niche and might change it in time.

2.) Consider future expansions

I knew pretty early that I didn’t want to go with a business name that had “virtual” or a particular niche because I wasn’t sure if I was ready to stay virtual forever or remain in that niche.

It might sound like a great idea to name your virtual assistant business based on your niche but what happens if you expand and even specialize in something else.

For example, you might start out as an admin VA and fall in love with tech. It might be confusing with a name like Virtual Admin Fairy when you are offering website development services.

So think about the future.

Choosing a name for your virtual assistant business with a particular niche embedded is good practice but not if you hope to change your niche in future or talk about other things.

3.) Keep it short (but not at all cost)

Keep it as short as possible. One word is great, two words are perfect, and three words are good. Stay away from too lengthy, and difficult to spell. On the high side, 30 letters are enough.

While most short business names are easy to remember, some are not so easy.

Some short names are quite honestly obscure. Using an acronym that isn’t easy to spell or pronounce is bad

For example; using YVAB is not as memorable as using Your Virtual Admin Buddy.

Long and short is, go for a short name only if it is meaningful but do not close up the possibility of longer names. The bad thing about longer names is that it is a chore typing all those letters whenever you want to search something. Plus it will hardly fit into the title bar on your website.

4.) Check for domain name availability

This is a no brainer. Use a free domain name checker like instant domain search to check if the domain name is available. This is important to avoid choosing a business name whose website url is already in use or is available for purchase at a ridiculously high price.

5.) Do not hyphenate your website url

Ever seen  with website urls like example-of-a-name.com? It is bad for business. Normal humans would easily search for exampleofaname.com because it is easier to memorise and the normal thing to do. And if that is your competitor’s domain name and your would-be visitor likes what your competition has to offer, you’d surely lose that client.

6.) Avoid legal action

As a Nigerian virtual assistant, you must check if your preferred name for your VA business is already registered. Search public records and reserve your business name if it is available all on CAC website before going all in.

Make sure your domain name is legal by running it through domain checkers such as http://www.copyright.gov/records/ and http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/.

7.) Check for uniformity across social media.

Some of the names I have liked in the past were already taken on social media and I had to drop them. Let’s assume your business name is example one and @exampleone is taken on Instagram and twitter so you opt for @example_one on Instagram, @officialexampleone on twitter and @therealexampleone on tiktok. That is bad for business because no one has the time to memorise your different names on different platforms.

8.) Pay attention to phonetics

Phonetics can be a pain in the ass when it comes to domain names. You don’t want your readers wondering if your business name is spelt “Cain” “Kain” “Cane” or “Kaine”. I think you should try to avoid using phonetics that sound the same. Like k and c.

9.) Use a popular top level domain (TLD) name for your website

The name to the left of the dot is called the second level domain name. The second level domain name of this website is “therosepreneur” while the top level domain name (TLD) is “.com”. Other examples of TLDs are .org, .net, .co, .tech, .blog, .me, .online, .bike, .biz etc.

However, the top 3 are .com, .org and .net. It may be tempting to come up with clever TLD names but do not be carried away. I say this NOT because Google favours .com more than other TLDs. In fact, Google doesn’t so there is really no need to use a TLD like .blog if your name is for a blog.

You would agree with me that .com is the most memorable. Have you also noticed that most smart keyboards have .com?

Additionally, a lot of people have a default habit of typing .com after the second level domain name. .com is the most popular form to use and the go-to format for everyone. People normally tryout .com before they settle for .org and .net

Note: if you have a regional target audience, a country level TLD will help you rank well in your country’s search engines.

For example, “com.ng” domains are more likely to do better on google.com.ng

But if your business can benefit from an international audience then pick other options. I personally prefer .com for obvious reasons but if you decide to go for another TLD, I recommend you put effort into promoting it with the TLD you choose. E.g yourvabusinessname.net just so people don’t assume it is yourvabusinessname.com

Read Also: 12 Things Every Virtual Assistant Website Must Have

10.) Does your virtual assistant business name pass the phone test?

Pick up your phone and call a friend. Tell them your business name and ask them to say it back to you. If they have difficulty in spelling, pronouncing or understanding what you mean then you should probably drop it.

11.) Avoid misspellings

I understand the frustration when your business name is already taken and you decide to go from hello boss virtual services to hello bozz virtual services or from king slayer virtual services to king slaya virtual services. Most people will spell it correctly which will lead to bringing more traffic for your competition.

12.) Lose the childishness.

Avoid names like Itz Ur Gal Barbie. It makes you look unserious and no one will remember it except your clique of high school friends.

13.) Drop “the” and “my”

You might want a business name and find out it is already taken. The domain registrar or virtual assistant business name generator will suggest other forms of the name.

Example: if vabusinessname.com isn’t available they’d suggest thevabusinessname.com or myvabusinessname.com. While this looks like a good deal because you’d still get the name you want, you should know that you might just help your competition get all the traffic.

One time I stumbled upon a very awesome website. It had all the answers to my questions and everything so I took a mental note of its domain name. It was a memorable name so I felt there was no need to write it down. I cleared my browsing history and life went on. Several days later, I remembered something I should have checked and simply entered the website url in my browser. A different website came up and I got confused. I spent time digging the website trying to find the post I had seen earlier, all to no avail. After several minutes of a futile search I gave up.

Some days later, I stumbled on the website again and realized I missed “the”. Just one adjective and I spent time on the wrong site.

After this happened I realised the importance of even a single part of speech attached to a business name. If you still want to go with “the” or “my” then you’d have to promote your business A LOT with the full format; thevabusinessname.com or myvabusinessname.com and make sure people get it.

Conclusion

Now that you know all the qualities of a good virtual assistant business name, I recommend you check out these 1,001 virtual assistant business name ideas to help you make a decision.

Choosing a good business name is important and I do not like the idea of having to switch to a new one later so I recommend you put all the effort needed at once.

Did you find this post helpful, did I miss an important point you considered when choosing your virtual assistant business name and think people should know about it or you have questions? Join the conversation in the comment section below and share your thoughts.

Found this post helpful? Let me know in the comments.

How to Start Your Virtual Assistant Business When You Have A 9-5 Job

Posted on by Rose Odoemelam

As a 9-5 worker, having an extra source of income in today’s world is a smart idea. It’s dangerous and difficult to rely on a single source of income with so many things to pay for and the job insecurity out there. 

So if you are looking for an extra source of income that will not require you quitting your current job, a Virtual Assistant business is a good area to look at. 

It is 100% possible to build a VA business, secure a client base and start making money while you still have your 9-5 job. 

To start with, Virtual assistants provide a wide range of online services to businesses and individuals so there’s always a chance that the skills you use in your 9-5 job might be useful .

It’s not just roses and wine. Successfully starting and managing a virtual assistant business requires a lot of focus, responsibility and time management. Even though you don’t need any special skills or degree to become a Virtual Assistant and it is a business anyone with a phone or laptop can start.

Related: How to become a virtual assistant in Nigeria

How long will it take to set up your virtual assistant business while in a 9-5 job?

How long it takes you to start and build your virtual assistant business while on your full time job is up to you. You also get to decide the number of clients to work with and how many hours you want to dedicate to it. 

As long as you are able to finish your clients tasks without excuses and constantly learn new skills to improve yourself, you’re sure to succeed in the industry. For your full time job, just make sure you don’t breach company policy, e.g find out if you are allowed to have another job. Once you have these in place, you’re good to go.

That said, 

Here Are 5 Tips To Help You Start Your Virtual Assistant Business When You Have A 9-5 Job

start and manage your virtual assistant business when you have a 9-5 job

1.) Decide on the kind of services you want to provide.

Virtual Assistants provide a wide range of services so you need to be specific on which ones you want to provide. You can’t do it all and clients prefer to work with Virtual Assistants who are experts in an area. To help you decide on this, write down all your skills, it could be transferable skills from the job you currently have. 

This will help you identify which areas you’ll be good at. You can just pick one or two areas to specialize and build a reputation in that area. Select specifically the type of businesses you want to work with and be clear about it.

Pro tip: Try to stay away from providing services that require you to be available at specific times that coincide with your 9-5 job. For example, providing telemarketing services would require you to pick up the phone when it rings. Your 9-5 employers will surely not be pleased with this so keep that in mind. Instead go for jobs that rely on automation. So that you can work in advance and schedule it to go live while you are at work. A good example is email marketing. You can write and set up emails for your clients in advance and have them automatically published. Click here to sign up for my email marketing for virtual assistants course.

2.) Set-Up Your Business Systems

A lot of people forget this step. You need to set up your business step-by-step. Which tools will you use for bookings, invoicing, discovery calls etc. ? How will you onboard, off-board and manage clients?

All these things have to be in place. 

Some tools you need are:

Further reading: See how much it cost to start a virtual assistant business in Nigeria  today

3.) Get a feasible Schedule

To succeed as a Virtual Assistant with your full time Job, you need to make time for your business. So find a solid schedule you can stick with. Your schedule should also make time for leisure and rest. 

Also, discuss your new side hustle with your loved ones because it will change your schedule and this means you will have less time with them. So let them understand your decision so they can support you.

4.) Set up a home office or workspace

Homes aren’t built for work, so you’ll need to make some changes to create an atmosphere that will be conducive enough for you to concentrate and be productive. So set up your workstation with a desk and chair. Then get a laptop for the job. A secluded spot in your house with good lighting, minimal noise and good ventilation is good enough. It doesn’t have to be fancy. I worked 90% from my bed 90% of the time in my first year as a virtual assistant. It is bad for your health but I had to make do. If you can get a table and chair, you are good to go. You should read up on the cost of starting a virtual assistant business.

5.) Market Your New Business

Now it’s time for you to tell people about your business. First, build business profiles on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter that will be visible to potential clients. This will depend on where your target clients spend most of their time. That’s why it is important to profile your ideal clients. You can also join Social media groups on Facebook to build relationships. 

Leverage the network you have in and outside your 9-5 job. Don’t keep your business a secret. Tell as many people as you can about it because they might know someone who needs your services. Optimize your linkedin profile to attract clients and create a virtual assistant portfolio even if you don’t have any clients yet.

Wrapping Up

You don’t need to quit your 9-5 job to start and manage a virtual assistant business. However, you need to prioritize and find balance in order not to make either your 9-5 job or virtual assistant career suffer.

If you need more hand holding in starting and/or managing your virtual assistant business, or feel like you don’t have the skills. I’m offering you a  free 15 minute clarity session. After the session, you’ll know which steps to take and get a clear blueprint of how to pick up skills, attract clients and get guidance from me. Click here to secure a spot.

How to Identify Online Job Scams as a Virtual Assistant

Posted on by Rose Odoemelam

It is totally normal to feel a burst of excitement when you set up your virtual assistant business and are ready to start getting clients.

You’re motivated and ready to put in the work so you go everywhere to find clients.

 With a brick and mortar business, you would walk into a place, interact with staff and then make a decision.

But since your business is virtual, at least 90% of your marketing is going to be online.

What you might not know is that there are bad people on the internet looking for unsuspecting virtual assistants like you, to scam.

You need to know how to identify online job scams as a virtual assistant and protect your business.

Because scammers are everywhere. They are in different job boards out there like Upwork, LinkedIn, Fiverr, Facebook groups, Indeed, etc.

They are on social media, and they can also email you.

So today, I’ll tell you how to identify online job scams as a virtual assistant.

Here are the online scams you should look out for as a virtual assistant

online job scams virtual assistant

#1.) Direct Offers From An Unknown Source For A Job You Didn’t Even Apply For

Some months ago, I received an email from a brand offering to pay $50/hr for my writing services.

I was very excited but found out the email said I  had to accept the offer within 5 days or lose it. The email was in my spam folder so I didn’t see it until it was already way past day 10 and that dampened my spirit. I talked to my husband about it and decided to just research the company.

A simple Google search revealed so much!

A lot of freelance writers were complaining about the company and some of them even wrote articles on how the scam company operated. I could relate to their experience with the company’s offer so I deleted the email and moved on. 

Be wary of unsolicited job offers. I see them a lot on Instagram and via email. Sometimes they want you to be an affiliate or influencer Now this should not be confused with legit offers from real brands. 

I can hear you asking “so how do I differentiate what’s legit and what is a scam?”

Keep reading. 

2.) They want you to pay to get started working.

Whatever they call it, it’s the same. Training fee, application fee, registration fee, pay for something and they’ll make a refund plus interest etc. You shouldn’t have to pay to get a job

3.) They want to send you a cheque, ask you to cash it, keep some of the money for yourself as payment, and then send them the rest. 

This money is likely being laundered and they want you to take the fall for it.

I heard a story about a car dealer who had some potential buyers in his lot. They took a car for a test drive, agreed on the price and told him they’d make a transfer the next day. True to their word, they made the transfer the next day and the car dealer was happy he had made the sale. Barely hours later, the buyer called to say he had an emergency and would be unable to go ahead with the purchase. They begged him to take 25% of the money for his troubles (which was a lot), and send them the balance. 

He happily did.

Only days later, the car dealer was arrested for links to kidnapping. Apparently, they had used the car dealer’s account to collect a ransom and there was nothing the car dealer could say because it looked like he took his share of the loot with the 25% he accepted.

You need to be careful. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

4.) You are offered the job immediately 

This is always a red flag. A good brand would always want to recruit the best talents. They’d want to vet you and even get on a discovery call with you.

If someone refuses to get on a live call with you where you can see their face, they are probably trying to hide their identity so you shouldn’t take such offers.

5.) When There’s Little To No Job Description Provided

This is usually an easy route to get into a work relationship where they’ll give you any job that comes to mind, at any time so you can’t call it scope creep.

You shouldn’t take a job that doesn’t clearly state what is expected of you from the onset. It always leaves room for abuse.

6.) The client doesn’t want to pay a deposit until the job is complete.

I always tell people to never trust anyone that says “money is not a problem, just do the job”.

If money isn’t a problem, then they should have no issue with paying a deposit.

You can’t trust people to keep their word if they can’t trust you to deliver the job if they pay a deposit. If a prospective virtual assistant client doesn’t want to pay before service, you’re better off without them.

7.) The prospect has an unprofessional email address

If their email address is name@domain.com, you can go check out their website and learn more about them through their website. If they don’t have a website yet and a gmail or yahoo account instead, then at least check them out on social media to make sure you are not talking to a scammer.

Scammers are not always very smart. One time I got a job offer from an email marketing company. They had a custom email address and sounded professional. On a closer look, I noticed that there were discrepancies everywhere.

The custom email address used read alex(at)scamcompany(dot)com, the prospect introduced himself as Henry but his email signature had Noah. Go figure!

8.) Grammatical errors in the job listing or offer. 

This is a MAJOR red flag. I don’t know why people fall for it. Most scammers are lazy people on the dark part of the internet. They are so lazy that they either don’t have time to proofread their content or just can’t read.

Your ideal client would want to put their best foot forward.

9.) When the pay is simply amazing for little effort on your part? 

In the first couple of months after I got my first phone, I received a text message from my internet provider at the time.

The message was to inform me I had won twenty eight million naira for being a loyal customer and I should call Mr Sam to claim the money.

I showed the message to my cousin and he was happy for me. It was too late into the night to call Mr Sam so we agreed to proceed early the next day.

That night, I couldn’t sleep. I thought about all the things I’ll buy and how my life was pretty solid. I felt like I would get robbed that night and they’d take my phone and claim my price. Slowly but surely, morning came and we swung into action. I called Mr Sam to inform him I was one of the lucky winners. Let’s just say it didn’t end well. Mr Sam was a scammer.

Another one happened two weeks after I completed my NYSC orientation and left camp. I received a message from a stranger who claimed he was a fellow corp member in my camp, he said he had a few spots to offer lucky corp members at Chevron (an oil and gas company that pays very well) and the salary was about 400K.

The scammer knew my name, state code, platoon, profession and other details. The Rose of 2008 would have been over the moon but I said “not today Satan” and replied to him saying I had a few spots at shell (another oil and gas company) to offer him too. He never replied.

I later found out lots of corp members got a similar message from the scammer.  This type of scammer tries to lure you in with the money. If you get greedy, you’ll fall for it and not see the red flags.

10) There’s something weird about the job

Call it whatever you choose. Gut feeling or intuition.

When you can’t shake off that weird feeling that something isn’t right, then don’t take on that project. Don’t be desperate

In the times when I have focused on the amount of money after doing my research instead of going with my gut feeling, I have regretted it even when the client wasn’t a scam. We just didn’t align and they stressed me a lot.

Always respect your gut feeling. If you feel like it’s a scam, it probably is. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Final Words

Desperation makes you vulnerable to scams. That is why I encourage virtual assistants at all levels to have a source of passive income to fall back on. When you are not desperate, you will easily identify online job scams as a virtual assistant.

Found this post helpful? Please share this post to help other virtual assistants to avoid scams and share your experience in the comments.

7 Virtual Assistant Services You Can Offer With Your Smartphone

Posted on by Rose Odoemelam

A lot of aspiring virtual assistants stop in their tracks when they want to start working online. They feel that they can’t start without a laptop or desktop.

That is not true.

There are a couple of virtual assistant services you can offer with your smartphone. While there are other services that compulsorily require the use of a laptop or desktop. 

As you earn money offering services with your smartphone, you can use some of your earnings to get a laptop or desktop and increase the number of services you offer.

That said,

in this blog post, I’ll tell you about  7 virtual assistant services you can provide with your smartphone.

Read Also: Cost of starting a virtual assistant business in Nigeria

Here Are 7 Virtual Assistant Services You Can Offer With Your Smartphone

virtual assistant services smartphone

1.) Content Writing

You don’t necessarily need a laptop to write blog posts, emails, social media captions or even ghost write. These are all possible with your smartphone. Most smartphones have MS word and Google docs and these tools can be used for writing creative content for your client. 

You can use a content editing app like Grammarly to check your content to make sure your grammar is correct.

Besides, writing is among the top in demand skills clients look for and you can offer this service comfortably with your smartphone.

2.) Canva Graphic Design 

Smartphones support free tools like Canva which you can use to design graphic content for blog posts and social media etc. You can also use canva to slides for webinars, design flyers and logos, design ebooks, etc. So with your smartphone, you can become a canva graphic design VA.

3.) Social Media Management

With your mobile phone, you can provide social media management services like creating content for social media, managing social media accounts for clients, responding to social media messages and creating ads for social media. 

You can also use your smartphone to create content calendars for your client that shows you what to post and when.

4.) Basic Email Management

You can use your smartphone to write and reply to emails, schedule emails, flag important emails that must be handled by a client, unsubscribe from spam or unwanted email lists, and generally organise your client’s email box.

 However, you will need a laptop or desktop to set up filters, labels, email signature, templates etc. Some clients already have these set up so if that is the case you can comfortably use your smartphone for the day to day email management tasks.

5.) Content Repurposing Services

With your smartphone, you can repurpose content a client has already created into various forms to help them reach more people, save time, and share their knowledge in the format that appeals to different people on different platforms.  

For example, you can listen to and transcribe published podcast episodes into blog posts for clients. You can also repurpose podcast content by turning a short episode to a long and meaty piece for an ebook.

6.) Basic Research

As long as you can read this post, you can do basic research for clients. It could be anything from photo sourcing to finding and summarising information on Google.

7.) Calendar Management

You can use your smartphone to schedule appointments for clients, remind clients of appointments, etc. If you can use Google calendar, you can offer this service. Booking platforms like Calendly and Tidycal can be set up and used on your smartphone too.  

Final Words

There you go! Now you know that you can get your virtual assistant career going with just your smartphone. You don’t need a laptop to start. You can always get one with the money you earn while working as  a virtual assistant.

Are there other services you can provide with your phone not mentioned here?  Let me know in the comments.

Ready to start your own virtual assistant business? Click here to sign up for my free email course to learn how to make money online working as a virtual assistant.

Virtual Assistant Website Must-Haves: 12 Things Your Website Needs Today

Posted on by Rose Odoemelam

“Do I need to have a virtual assistant website before I launch?”

“Do virtual assistants need websites?“

“What should a virtual assistant website contain?”

These are a few questions I get asked every now and then by new and aspiring virtual assistants.

Thing is, every virtual assistant business needs a website to attract ideal clients. You may have a well-designed website. But, is that website turning clicks to clients? If it is not as much as you wish, then read on.

Your potential clients will want to work with you if your website excites them. So your website has to communicate with your visitors.

Visitors check out websites the way guys check out good looking ladies. A lady may be good looking, alright. But when you talk to her and she isn’t exciting, you don’t want a date with her. You don’t want this with your website.

You’ll love your website visitors to be fascinated. You want them to learn more and go on to contact you. Won’t you be happy if they stay in touch and go on a discovery call ‘date’ with you?

So how do you set up your website to get potential clients to want to work with you?

Relax! Today is your lucky day. This post will reveal 12 things you need on your virtual assistant website to attract your ideal clients like nails to a magnet.

12 Things Your Virtual Assistant Website Must Have

virtual assistant website
Photo credit: freepik

1. A Static Home Page

A static home page allows you direct visitors exactly where you want them to go. This is because this is the only method that allows the content you put on it to stay the same.

My first website did not have a static home page. It was set to blog. So whenever I published a new blog post, that was the first thing visitors saw. Needless to say, I was leaving money on the table.

2. About Page

As much as you want your about page to be about you, make your ideal client the star. I remember my first about page, I wrote it in the third person, and used a lot of “We” and “our” even though I was a one woman show. It made me feel smart and important. So I chuckle when I read about pages that are written in the third person because most of them are typically written by the owner of the site.

That aside, your about page should be very simple and clear. Let your audience know who you work with, why you do what you do, what you offer and what they should do after reading the page.

PS: You need to figure out who you want to work with specifically (your best fit client or ideal client) before you write your about page.

Thankfully, you can grab a copy of my ideal client avatar workbook and know exactly the kind of person you should be trying to attract in your about page.

4. Services or Work With Me Page

You need this page on your website to promote your services. If you present your services neatly, your potential client will immediately know if you are the one to help them out. So when designing this, make sure you clearly outline your services. Don’t forget to add a clear call-to action prompting your prospective client to take the next step with you.

Your services page is a good place to display your rates.

5. You need a blog

My blog has been a huge part of marketing my business. Social media is not my thing and even if I know it’s importance, I struggle with it. That’s why I have my subcontractors help out with that so my clients stay happy. The organic traffic my blog generates is great.

A blog is an important part of any kind of online business. It helps you build your authority online while you sleep. Literally. It helps you create a connection with your potential clients before they even reach out to you. If you do it right, you can get lots of clients from a single blog post.

Imagine this: You wrote a blog post about ‘5 ways to design an eBook fast to build authority’.

A random person searching for ‘how to design an eBook’ finds your post, reads it and sees your call to action that says you design beautiful eBooks for clients so they click to learn more about you and eventually contact you. All this may happen while you are probably sleeping, eating or pooping. That’s the magic of a blog.

Speaking of ebooks, if you’d like a custom ebook template you and just copy and paste client text, add client branding and charge a lot of money for, then grab my Canva ebook template. You can even get social media templates to use to market your client’s ebook and charge them for it.

What can you blog about?

  • Share case studies on how you have helped clients in the past
  • Give advice that will be of benefit to your target clients
  • Blog about your services

Read Also: How to write a pillar blog post on your virtual assistant website

6. Landing Pages, Lead Magnets and Sign Up Forms

You need to have a sales funnel in your virtual assistant business. A landing page is an essential part of a sales funnel. It always has a signup/lead generation form to help drive leads for a specific reason. You need to have specific pages to promote your offers. It could be a sales pages, freebie page, thank you page, opt-in page, etc.

When someone lands on your website and reads your blog, they might want your free digital product in exchange for their email address. The digital product is the lead magnet and the person who gives their email address is the lead.

So your lead magnet has to be something that would attract leads.

To build on the example I made earlier, you could create an ebook on ‘5 free tools to create a 3D cover of your ebook in 10minutes’ and link it to the post about ebooks.

People who are interested in learning about ebooks would easily give you their email address in exchange for your list of free tools to create their book can cover.

This will help you get people who are genuinely interested in your services on your email list. So that you nurture them, build the know like and trust factor and eventually sell to them.

Here’s the link again to get my canva ebook template so that you can create your lead magnet and attract you ideal clients ASAP

7. Legal Pages

You need a privacy policy, refund policy, disclaimer, disclosure etc. Legal stuff may seem boring but you don’t want avoidable legal issues. A random person might decide to sue you because you said you make $10,000 as a virtual assistant and based on your recommendations they tried to do the same and failed. That’s one of the many many reasons why you should promise NOTHING or even imply it. Your legal pages will back you up if you imply unknowingly.

8. Testimonials from Clients And Case Studies

Your virtual assistant website needs to showcase your previous success working with other clients. That is social proof. People want to see that other people already love your work before they commit. Strong testimonials will do your marketing for you even in your absence.

The result of showcasing testimonials is that prospects will be confident in your abilities.

If you don’t have testimonial and don’t know how to get great ones then you’d love my testimonial request kit.

9. Portfolio

Your virtual assistant website is a good place to host your portfolio. If you are new and don’t have any experience to put on your portfolio, then read up on how to create your virtual assistant portfolio even if you have no experience and no clients.

10. Photos (Your Photos, not just stock)

Your virtual assistant website surely needs photos of you. Not just stock photos. As a virtual assistant in Nigeria, if you must use stock photos, try as much as possible to stay away from stock photos of white people. Instead use stock photos of black and brown people.

Make sure you a pay a good photographer to take photos of you. It is a business expense. If you need people to pay you $10,000, you have to look like you already earn $10,000. Package yourself. You don’t need expensive clothes to take photos for your business. Some of the clothes I used for my brand photo shoot were thrifted.

People need to see your face on your website. They need to see who they are working with. It doesn’t make sense when they can’t put a face to who they are reading about. Invest in professional photos.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get a copy of my list of 70+ Website to get amazing free photos

11. Prices

Have you ever looked at something you really want and don’t have the time or heart to ask for the cost because you assume it would be too expensive? Exactly.

That’s what happens when you hide your prices on social media or on your website.

Clients would rather work with clients who are clear about their rates and packages. Be clear about your services and programs.

If you can’t state all your rates, give a range. Say something along the lines of “”starts at”. If you’re not sure how to much to charge for your services you should read my blog post about pricing here

12.) It Must Be Responsive

What this means is that it has to look good on a phone, tab and laptop. It must be easy to people to navigate to where they want within your website.

What Does Your Virtual Assistant Website Need?

You’ve seen my list of 12 things your virtual assistant website must have to turn clicks to clients. If you include all these in your website, there’s no doubt your ideal clients will reach out to you very soon. What did I miss? Found this helpful? Share in the comments.

Top 10 Best Passive Income Ideas for Virtual Assistants in Nigeria

Posted on by Rose Odoemelam

What happens if you lose one or two clients today?

What happens if you get sick or are otherwise unable to do your work as a virtual assistant?

How will it affect your business?

At the heat of the pandemic in 2020, I fell pregnant and had a very difficult first trimester.

As a result, I was unable to complete client work for three months and so I wasn’t making any money.

After the long break, I picked up what was left of my business and resumed work. I then went on to launch my first ebook. It was a lot of work upfront but it has helped me make passive income since.

Only last week, I paused work because I had a sick baby to care for.

After sending out a message to my clients letting them know I’d be unavailable, the thought that I would miss my income goal by some thousands flashed through my mind.

I waived it off as my daughter’s health is much more important

A day later, I stumbled on a notification that I had made NGN40,000 from one of my products.

The same ebook I created after my break in 2020.

I didn’t market it at all to my email list, didn’t run ads, nothing.

I just put it up for sale at the right place and the right people found it and paid for it.

Imagine doing absolutely nothing and just getting an extra 40K for something you made over a year ago?

If that sounds like something you’d like to have, then you want to pay close attention to all the passive income ideas for virtual assistants in Nigeria I’ll be sharing with you. 

That isn’t the only time my passive income sources have rescued me financially. Some months ago, I lost two clients in one week. That was 50% of my active income gone in a flash.

It felt like a film-trick but all the things I had put in place helped cushion the effect.

All I had to do was double down on marketing the things I already had.

That’s why this post is so important.

There are a lot of lucrative passive income ideas virtual assistants are not utilizing.

We don’t talk about the importance of passive income for Virtual Assistants enough.

And that’s one of the reasons why a lot of VAs go from feast to famine more often than not. Even if you are making enough money to foot your bills today, passive income is like insurance.

So if a client drops you suddenly (or you have to let a client go for any reason), you don’t go right back to square one desperately searching for a replacement.

Why? Because desperation clouds your judgment.

It is much safer to have something to cushion the effect until you find your ideal client. Instead of agreeing to work with the devils’ advocate just to make ends meet.

Before I get into passive income ideas for virtual assistants I’d like to state for the record that this isn’t EASY.

Especially when you are doing it the first time. If you already have a product or some experience, setting up your passive income will be much easier than if you are a complete newbie to everything about digital marketing or digital product creation.

Setting up your passive income source will require time to create, marketing to get word out, and even systems to sell on autopilot. If you have to be involved every time you want to make a sale, then it is not passive.

Since this is like an ultimate guide, I decided to start by telling you about the 3 types of income you could get as a Virtual Assistant.

Types of Income for Virtual Assistants

1.) Active Income:

This is the kind of income you make from working with clients. It is a direct exchange of money for your time. An example is work you complete as a social media manager or content writer.

2.) Passive Income:

This is the kind of income you get after creating something once. You’ll do the work once and reap the fruits without doing any work again. An example is when you create an ebook and sell it on autopilot. My VA toolkit is one ebook I sell without doing any work. I have set up automated emails go out to new subscribers and offer it to them in the first 5 days. Then other people find my blog posts by searching for a related topic on Google, read through and buy it. 

Some people even buy it on a tripwire page after downloading a content upgrade (freebie). 

I also put it on other digital product marketplaces and get a few dollars from it every month. So that’s just one product that I set multiple marketing channels for to generate income on autopilot. 

3.) Recurring Income:

This is the kind of income that comes regularly. It could be weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly. Recurring income may either be passive or active

An example is when you sign up to become an affiliate for a brand like kartra. They pay you 40% of what your referee pays them monthly or yearly, forever.

Here are the top 10 of the best passive income ideas for Virtual Assistants

passive income for virtual assistants

These ideas are categorized into two. 

  • Category A is income generated as a result of tapping into the finished work of others.
  • Category B is income generated from creating by yourself.

Take advantage of ready made products and services: Category A

1.) Affiliate Marketing

As an affiliate marketer, you’ll recommend other brands’ products or services. And when someone you refer, pays the brand, you’ll earn a percentage of the money. As mentioned earlier, this may be a recurring or a one time payment.

As a VA, you already use/know a lot of tools your clients’ also need.

You can sign up to become an affiliate to those brands so that whenever you recommend a tool to a client and help them set up, you’d not only get paid active income by the client, but also passive income because of the percentage the brand will send you for bringing a new client their way.

To do this is a very organized way, I recommend you create what I call a client recommendation guide.

Here’s How to Create a Client Recommendation Guide

A great way to share your affiliate links with clients in a non-salesy way is to create a client recommendation guide. Your clients will be very happy with you for being so professional and helpful.

You don’t need to make it fancy or colourful. Just mention a tool, add a logo (optional) and write a little info about why it’s the best tool for your client to get the results they desperately need. You should mention that you’ll be updating it from time to time so they know to check it regularly even after moving on from working with you.

I highly recommend making this a Google doc for three reasons.

  • So that you can always edit it as you sign up for more affiliate programs.
  • Even when a client moves on from you, you’ll still get paid whenever they click your link 
  • There’s a huge chance that they’ll share it with their colleagues which is more business for you. So you’ll always win.

Create A Page For Your Affiliate Links On Your Website

If you have a website, you could create a page and call it “recommended resources’ or “tools I love” and add your affiliate links so when someone clicks to learn more about the tools, the system remembers that you referred them. And if they eventually pay for the tool, you get a piece of the pie 

Additionally, you could write a blog post, make a video or any kind of content and spray your affiliate links everywhere.

If you’ve taken a course, bought a book, template, or anything, you could sign up to become an affiliate and share your link with your friends.

So many people want to make money working from home. When you stumble on valuable information like a courses or ebook you could easily make money while helping them. It’s always a win for all parties- The creator will be happy you brought business their way. So they’ll reward you with a percentage of the amount your friend pays. Not to mention, your friend will be grateful for the information.

This isn’t only limited courses or ebooks. A good number of the tools you use have affiliate programs you could benefit from.

Just by creating content once with your affiliate link, you’ll earn money every time someone clicks on your link even years later.

However, you should note that if someone clicks on your link, they have a specific period of time to buy the product. Some brands will only pay you if the person you refer buys within 30 to 90 days. I offer 90 days

After that, the system is set up to forget that you referred the client.

Other brands set up their system to never forget you. That’s when the income becomes recurring.

Some brands only pay through PayPal or a specific platform which is unavailable in Nigeria. 

A brand may choose to hold your earnings for up to 60 days (usually if they offer a money back guarantee) in case someone you refer decides to ask for their money back.

While others pay weekly or monthly.

A brand like appsumo pays in credits. So the money they pay can only be used to buy other products within their platform. If you need cash to spend outside appsumo, then becoming an appsumo affiliate isn’t for you. You should try to create one of the ideas in category B.

Be sure to check all the Terms and Conditions before you sign up to become an affiliate.

Read also: How to write a pillar blog post to share your affiliate links

2.) Start Subcontracting

Subcontracting is a source of passive income a lot of VAs don’t even realize they are missing out on.

When you hire other VAs to work as subcontractors, you earn more. For instance, if you charge NGN50K for a project, you could hire another VA who charges NGN35k and make a profit of NGN15K.

It is best to start working with subcontractors before you are desperate. If you build a rapport with them, you can easily outsource your work to people you trust to do great work for your clients. So that whenever you don’t have the time or are unavoidably absent and unable to review the job, your client will still get the best service.

If you wait till you’re down and out before searching for subcontractors, you might not get the best quality.

This is very important, that’s why I wrote all about subcontracting. The post covers important details like how much to pay them, what they can help you do, how to subcontract and even the kind of contract they should sign and where to find affordable ready to use subcontractor contract templates.

Category B: Create your own digital products

3.) Create a course

Some people do not want to hire you to complete tasks for them. They want to learn how to do it for themselves. So think deeply about what you know how to do very well. Can you teach it?

You can create a course based on the service(s) you provide and earn passive income. An example is if you are a Canva graphic designer and decide to create a course teaching people how to design social media graphics with Canva.

Creating a course is not an easy task to undertake. If you want a robust platform and don’t want to pay or share your income with a platform like teachable, you’ll have to build your platform directly on your website, like me. I can help you set it up whenever you’re ready.

Alternatively, you can keep it simple by creating a paid email course.

4.) Write an Ebook 

One of the easiest ways to monetize your knowledge is by creating an ebook.

You could even create an ebook with the content you already have available on your blog or with PLR content.

Nowadays, you could write about anything and get paid for it. Even if it seems like you’re writing about something everyone already knows about. Chances are, you’re wrong.

What seems pretty basic to you, might be life-changing info to someone else and they’ll be willing to pay you good money to share it with them.

If you don’t see yourself creating a course or don’t have the tools to record videos etc. You could simply write your ebook, establish your authority as a thought leader in your niche, and make passive income.

Recommended reading: How to overcome impostor syndrome as a Virtual Assistant in Nigeria

5.) Create Templates 

If you offer a service that requires you to regularly recreate things, then you could just create templates. That will help you to not have the start from scratch with every new client.

And that will be very helpful to clients who want to do it themselves. 

Take a close look at the core frustrations of your ideal clients, what do they need regularly that you can create in advance to make their job a little easier?

If you offer email marketing services and regularly get clients who want you to write and set up their welcome email autoresponder, you could create welcome email templates for sale.

If you’re a social media manager, you could offer social media caption templates for sale.

You could also do this based on the industry you serve. If you work with nutrition coaches, you could create a meal planning template. You already know your client creates custom meal plans for their own clients.

So getting a template that only requires them to add their logo, colours and text every time they have a new client is a no brainer.

It’ll save them time and money because they won’t have to hire a designer everytime.

In my shop, I have templates for a good number of things new and aspiring virtual assistants in Nigeria need. I’ve got contracts for working with clients, working with subcontractors, breaking up with clients, getting more work from existing clients, requesting for testimonials, raising your rates etc.

If you haven’t, you should check it out.

6.) Create Private Label Rights (PLR) Content 

Hiring a writer is too expensive and some can’t afford to wait for the writer to deliver quality content at the speed they need them. So they invest in PLR content, edit it to suit their voice and share it as their own.

Before I became a virtual assistant, I had a PLR content shop. Now you know another thing I dabbed into in my bid to make money online. With a PLR shop you can sell the exact same content to more than one person. Some PLR providers sell to up to 250 people.

Anything from blog posts, email copy, ebook templates, ebooks, lead magnets etc can be PLR.

You could also bundle various forms of content. A good example for the nutrition coach we used above is 4 blog posts so they can post one per week, 4 social media graphics and captions to promote the posts, 1 workbook  to use as a content upgrade and an ebook they can use as a tripwire. That’s an entire funnel you can sell to as many people as you want.

The thing with PLR content is that it is affordable. If that entire bundle I descried above would cost NGN50K if you were to create it for one client. When you sell it as PLR content, it’d go for NGN20K or less. But since you can sell to as many people as you want, NGN20K times up to 250 people (or whatever number you choose), makes it worth it.

7.) Design Printables

Think about what you can create for your clients that they can print and write on. Then go and design it. If your client loves planning and staying organized, you could create a printable planner. If they enjoy writing down their affirmations, then create a notepad that gives them colorful pages to write their affirmations. 

Printables may also be workbooks, checklists, trackers, content calendars, budget, motivational quotes, inventory lists, planners, etc. Then you can sell them online with a free shop and make passive income.

8.) Royalty Free Stock Graphics, Images, Audio and Videos

This is a grossly untapped niche in Nigeria. If you know how to create photo, audio or video content that people can use on their social media, blogs, or products you could get very rich, very fast. 

It is the ultimate cash cow of passive income for VAs with photography, videography and/or instrumental playing skills.

Okay. Maybe it’s not a cash cow.

But it’s definitely a cash calf or goat.

A lot of the time, I need affordable royalty free photos and videos of Nigerians or Naira notes for my content and see next to nothing.

People are also willing to pay for graphics.

If you’re very good with creating graphics, you could create some for sale during Christmas and sell on autopilot so you can literally get money in your account while biting into your drumstick on christmas day.

Stock videos are in high demand these days, that’s why the likes of pexels are creating more video content.

Stock audio is in short supply. Recording some instrumentals that can be used in marketing videos is a great source of income.

9.) Create a YouTube Channel 

Share your life as a Virtual Assistant. Share a tutorial about how to use the tools you use and how clients can benefit from working with you. When you continuously create valuable and entertaining content, your audience will grow over time and you will start earning a livable wage only from Youtube.

10.) Start a Membership Platform 

I have always shied away from creating a membership platform. This is because you not only have to continuously promote it, but you have to constantly and consistently add new content.

However, a simple trick I found some membership site owners doing is that they are repurposing the content they already have. So you could take a course, blog post, printables, tutorials, ebook, template etc. that you have already created and share it with your members.

Then drip the content you already have so that each month, your members receive their content without you lifting a finger.

Other Ways To Make Money As a Virtual Assistant in Nigeria

In addition to actively working in your business and generating passive income, you might also want to look at sharing your knowledge in the three ways listed below to help you further increase your active income

1.) Offer VIP Implementation Days

This is when you set aside a day to focus on one clients’ work and get them from point A to point B or Z. An example is if you have a client who needs a sales funnel created for a particular product. You could set aside 5-8 hours for only one day working on the sales funnel. At the end of the day, the client would have achieved their goal. While you’d have a lot of money upfront for only one day’s work.

This is a great way to work less and earn more. Many VAs work only 4 days a month because you can charge a very large amount of money upfront with a VIP day.

Clients are usually willing to pay for this level of support because some of them are very busy and need something done quickly so they can review it and tick it off their to-do list. A VIP day gives them just that. They schedule it for a day when both the VA and the client will be available and work get complete fast.

I intend to write a blog post about VIP implementation days for VAs. If you’re on my email list, you’ll be the first to know when it is ready.

Recommended reading: How to double your virtual assistant income without a single new client

2.) Consulting

I started coaching new and aspiring VAs because of the tons of questions I get asked. If you are constantly asked about the service(s) you provide, you should charge for the information you give. 

This is a great way to make money because some people want to learn from the best and do it themselves. That’s why a discovery call is totally different from a consultation call. If you don’t know how to hold a discovery call, grab my discovery call workbook. I don’t want you to end up carrying out a free strategy session instead of a discovery call.

3.) Masterclasses and Online Classes 

Organize a class teaching what you know. During the class, make sure you record it. After the class, you can sell the replay and still make money. 

Now you know the best passive income ideas for virtual assistants, which one are you going to pursue? Let me know in the comments

My advice is this- start with one or two and then build from there. Don’t spend all your time making only active income because passive income will serve you when the chips are down.

Having multiple sources of passive income should always be your goal.

Photo credit: freepik.com

How to become a Virtual Assistant Subcontractor (everything you need to know)

Posted on by Rose Odoemelam

Some VAs are constantly booked solid and can’t work with all the awesome clients they get.

How to use their good fortune to your advantage?

Five words

Become a virtual assistant subcontractor!

In this post I share everything you need to know about becoming a sort after VA subcontractor. You’ll find info about how much to charge, where to find clients, how it works, answers to FAQs about VA subcontracting etc.

It is the only guide you need to start subcontracting and making money without overwhelm.

What is A Virtual Assistant Subcontractor?  

A virtual assistant subcontractor (which is also known as an associate), is a type of VA that works under more established VAs. They don’t bother finding clients or any of the business side of things. They just wait for the VAs they work with to find the clients for them while they focus on providing the best possible service they were hired for.

So as a Virtual Assistant Subcontractor, you do not work directly with clients and won’t have any contract with them. Instead, you’ll have a contract with the VA you work with.

Virtual Assistants who work with subcontractors usually have more work than they can complete on their own. So outsourcing some of their work helps them take on more clients, and make more money.

3 Amazing Reasons Why You Should Consider Becoming a Virtual Assistant Subcontractor

reasons to consider becoming a virtual assistant subcontractor
Photo credit: freepik.com

1.) Gain Priceless Experience

Working as a Virtual Assistant Subcontractor allows you access to more established VAs. The VA you work with will provide you with the tools and systems you need to complete your job instead of having to figure out everything on your own.

Any subcontractor I work with has the freedom to ask me anything about their business or the VA industry generally. Others have to get answers to their questions by booking a VA power hour with me.

So when you become a VA subcontractor, it allows you to learn from established VAs for free. That said. If you’re a new VA looking to build your confidence and not able to get your own clients yet, and would benefit from expert advice, you should become a Virtual Assistant Subcontractor

2.) Escape The Backend Work Completely

A lot of work goes into running a Virtual Assistant business. Tasks like content marketing, getting clients, handling discovery calls, on-boarding clients, answering their questions, dealing with difficult clients etc. You won’t get paid for working in your own business.

It falls under what is called ‘non-billable hours’. Non billable hours is the time you spend working in your own business. Not working in your own business is one of the most common mistakes virtual assistants make.

If you don’t want to do all that backend work, consider becoming a virtual assistant subcontractor. A lot of new VAs take this path because dealing with all the moving backend work might be overwhelming. It might feel like you are working but it doesn’t count for anything because it is not spent on client work and no one pays you for working in your business.

So it makes sense to have someone else do all the back end work and bring the best clients they can find to you.

3.) Great Option When You Only Need Part-Time Work

Do you already have a 9-5 job?

Are you a stay at home mum?

Or you are very busy with little time to invest in your business?

Consider becoming a Virtual Assistant Subcontractor.

It will help you avoid the backend work I mentioned in point 2 above. You’ll avoid all the draining part of running a business and make maximum use of your precious time completing clients’ work

These are the 3 primary reasons why a lot of people choose to become Virtual Assistant Subcontractors. So if any of them sounds like something you need, you should take the opportunity to become one.

What To Expect As A Virtual Assistant Subcontractor

Have realistic expectations from the get go so you don’t get disappointed when you get in. You are not guaranteed consistent work from a VA because you are an independent contractor, so plan accordingly. Every subcontracting job you get will be different depending on the type of service(s) you’ll be providing. and if you are working with a VA or an agency.

When working with a VA, you might be required to:

  • Get on weekly, biweekly or monthly calls with the VA you’re working with for progress reports and strategy for growth
  • Read/watch stand operating procedures (SOPs) on how to complete tasks inn a clients’ business or how to use tools you are required to work with.
  • Use an email address provided by the VA for your communication with clients. I provide an email address for subcontractors I want to have direct access to my clients. It is usually something like subcontractor’s name [at] the rosepreneur [dot] com
  • Check the VA’s project management system for upcoming projects, tasks to complete etc.

When working with an agency, you might be:

  • Assigned to a particular client
  • Be required to create an account on their platform
  • Be required to hold 1-on-1 discovery calls with clients to get clear on what they need
  • Have to track your time within their platform or with a browser extension if they work hourly

That said, all VAs and agencies are not the same. So their processes will differ. The points I gave above are just to give you an idea. The more organized the contractor (VA or agency) is, the better.

How Much Should You Charge As A Virtual Assistant Subcontractor?

Aha.

Finally!

You’ve been waiting for this part, right?

Maybe you even scrolled to find this part while researching how much to charge per hour as a virtual assistant subcontractor.

Well, you’re in luck because I am a benevolent queen and I do not disappoint.

The short answer is this:

It depends on how much you charge for your services.

There’s no universally accepted rate I can tell you.

You have no know how to price your virtual assistant services first. When you know that. Then you can know how much to charge for your work as a VA subcontractor.

Because the amount you charge as a subcontractor is about 50% to 80% what you normally charge.

If you want to charge per hour, use my free hourly rate calculator to know your hourly rate.

Done?

Perfect.

So if you normally charge $25 per hour, as a VA subcontractor, you’re looking at $12 to $20 per hour.

If you charge $200 for social media management for one month, that means anywhere from $100 to $160 per month.

On the other hand, what the VA earns might also come to play. If you decide to partner with a VA who charges $10 per hour, the 50% to 80% can still be used.

So 50% to 80% of $10 is $5 to $8 per hour. In this case if you want to charge higher, then go for VAs or agencies who charge premium rates.

20% to 50% for the VA is only fair because they bear all the risks and do all the backend work required to get and keep clients. While you just focus on working.

As a rule of thumb, try to avoid VAs who want to pay less than 50% and only accept 50% if you won’t hate yourself. A good baseline is 30%.

Where to Find Work as a Virtual Assistant Subcontractor

It is not enough to know you want to subcontract and know how much to charge. If you don’t know where to find clients, your subcontracting dreams will never come true. So here are some places you can find work as a Virtual Assistant Subcontractor.

1.) Research online to find busy and booked-out Virtual Assistants

Research for VA websites that offer the same type of service you’re looking to provide. Or at least a complimentary service.

This can work to your advantage in two ways because, sometimes these VAs might NOT need you to work as a subcontractor. They might need you to be their own virtual assistant. More on that later.

I’ll explain this with examples to make it easy.

Let’s assume you provide canva design services. You can research for virtual assistants that are social media managers or course launch VAs.

A social media virtual assistant will need canva graphics to do their job.

A course launch VA might only be focused on building the learning management system. So if you pitch your graphic design skills, they’d offer it as an add-on to clients to design the slides they need for their course. It’s a win-win

To carry out an organized research use the following steps:

1.) Make a list of all VAs you’d like to partner with.

This can be on a note book if you like planning on paper like me, or on a spread sheet. On the sheet create 7 columns for their:

  • Name
  • Website URL 
  • Primary social media handle
  • Service(s) you are looking to provide
  • Benefits of working with you
  • Something personal you want to mention so they know it is not a generic pitch
  • Other relevant info.

2.) Once you have all the info you need, it’s time to subtly call their attention to yourself.

Some VAs do not trust you to have their best interest when you work with their clients. So they’d be more comfortable working with you if they know you a little before receiving a pitch. You can move to the front of the line really fast by:

  • Visiting their websites to know more about them, their goals and why they started
  • Reading their blogs and leaving thoughtful comments
  • Joining their email list and replying when they ask a question or something
  • Interacting with their posts on social media etc.

3.) After you have made your move to the front of the line, it’s time to make your big ask

  • Don’t call them out of the blues and ask to get hired.
  • Send a custom email instead. See how I made the word ‘custom’ bold? Because I get pitches from subcontractors (and even guest post pitches) that are very generic and sometimes automated. I once got an email were the person introduced himself with one name, signed off with another name and the custom email address he used also had a different name. Those types of emails go straight to the trash folder never to be read again. So don’t send the same generic email to all the VAs you are pitching to. Make it personal and let the VA feel like you wrote it just for them.
  • Do not send too many pitches at once. If you send out 100 pitches and 15 say yes. Would you be able to handle subcontracting for 15 VAs at once? Even if you gathered 100 prospects during your research, batch your pitches. You can always go back to your master list if you need to.
  • Follow up with the VA at least 3 times. Sometimes life gets in the way. Reply the first pitch with a follow up email and make your emails a thread. Don’t send a fresh pitch. This will call the VAs attention to your emails.

Don’t stop interacting with the VA if they say they are not ready to have you onboard.

  • If you stay top-of-mind, you’ll be the first person they call whenever they are ready.

2.) Research for Valuable VA Groups on Social Media

There are a lot of VA groups on Facebook and LinkedIn. Research for valuable groups, read their guidelines and join.

Some groups do not want you pitch your services as a VA or subcontractor, they only want clients and VAs looking for subcontractors to pitch. So follow rules or you’ll be kicked out.

When you’re inside the group be sure to connect and make yourself useful. If someone asks a question you know the answer to, help out. It just takes helping someone out or sharing your experience to get someone who needs that expertise (and likes your vibe) to hire you.

3.) Apply at a Virtual Assistant Agency

This is the third route you can follow. Try this if points 1 and 2 don’t yield the results you want. Before you apply find out if they have a preferred method of application. And if they need VAs in a specific location, with specific skills, etc.                  

Frequently Asked Questions about Working as a Virtual Assistant

Photo credit: freepik

Now you know what a virtual assistant subcontractor is.

Reasons why you should consider become a subcontracting, as well as how much you should charge and where to find VAs to work with.

What next?

More research?

A lot of people get excited when they discover all the awesome benefits of working as a virtual assistant subcontractor and just keep clicking on links and reading stuff.

They sign up for freebie after freebie and never really achieve anything because on the other side of all that research lies information overload.

Analysis paralysis kicks in and before you know it, that initial excitement is replaced by overwhelm and zero action.

That’s why I decided to share some frequently asked questions about working as a VA subcontractor to make sure you have all the info you need and don’t keep Googling “how to work as a virtual assistant subcontractor” when you finish reading this post.

Let’s get to it

1.) Can I still have my own VA clients while subcontracting for another VA or agency?

Absolutely. You can also have your own Virtual Assistant Clients while you subcontract. If you have the capacity to work with 5 clients at once and only have 2 clients, you could become a subcontractor for another VA and still hit your income goal. It will give you more experience because you’ll be learning from what’s working for them and what’s not. You’ll get a front row sit on how a successful VA business works.

2.) Can I use work I completed while subcontracting on my resume/portfolio?

It depends. I used to have this question early on in my career and couldn’t find a clear answer online. I had to get a lawyer’s perspective and this was her advice.

Follow what your contract with the VA says. “But what if the contract didn’t mention anything about resume/portfolio use?”

Then ask the VA. If you get the green light, write it in this format “Work I did” for “Clients’ Brand” in partnership with “VA brand”

So if you worked with me on a project for Microsoft, you’d say Website Designer For Microsoft LLC in partnership with The Rosepreneur LTD.

Don’t ever list a client on your portfolio or resume if you don’t have the contact details of the client (or someone on their team) who a potential client could call. And even if you have their contact details, make sure they know you enough to say nice things about working with you.

She went ahead to share an experience where a lady applied to work with a really established brand. She had the skills they needed and work experience to match. During the verification process they called a brand she claimed to have worked with and no one knew her or had even heard of her. She had only worked as a subcontractor for another agency. Needless to say she didn’t get in because she was not completely honest from the beginning.

3.) What if a contractor doesn’t want me to work with competitors: Virtual Assistants that provide the same kind of services they provide or work with the same kind of clients they work with?

This is a dicey situation. Do not sign a contract until you have had a lawyer vet it. Some contracts might be too broad and to your disadvantage. If a VA is in a broad niche like health and doesn’t want you to work with competitors, they have to be specific. Health is comprised on fitness, food mental health etc. So using the word “health” is too rigid.

4.) Should I sign a non-disclosure agreement?

Yes. As long as you are comfortable with the terms.

5.) Should I present the VA with a contract? Is it the VA’s responsibility?

It I usually the job of the VA to draft the contract. But in the event that the VA doesn’t (which is very rare), the onus falls on you. It is better to draft a contract than get into a work relationship without a contract. To get an ironclad Virtual Assistant Subcontractor Agreement/Contract, go here.

6.) How much money do Virtual Assistant Subcontractors make?

Firstly, it depends on the services you provide and how much work you’re able to complete. A VA subcontractor who provides website design services will earn more than a VA who provides data entry services.

Secondly, it depends on the VA you work with. Like I mentioned earlier on, VAs pay 50% to 80% what they charge their clients. So if you work with VAs who pay the lower end of the range, you’ll earn less than a subcontractor at the higher end.

Thirdly, it depends on how much a VA charges their clients. If the charge low, 50-80% of what they charge might be very low. So to reach your income goal, you’d have to work more or find VAs who charge higher rates.

7.) How long does it take to get VAs to partner with?

Some subcontractors get work from their very first pitch, some get offers from VAs who are building their teams and some take a long time to find a VA.

I reached out to the very first subcontractor I worked with. She had stayed top of mind (but never pitched). When I got a client that needed the service, she was the first person I thought of.

So have it at the back of your mind that some subcontractors get their first gig almost immediately and then wait months to get more work. While it takes ages for some to get VAs to partner with but after that initial lag phase, they get a steady stream of partners.

8.) What do I need to set up and how much does it cost to start?

Again, it depends. You can find all the information you need about basic tools you need and the cost implications in this blog post.

Wrapping Up

Becoming a Virtual Assistant Subcontractor might be your chance to comfortably earn a living working from home. You can gain the much needed experience and confidence you need before sourcing for your own clients. I hope you found this post helpful.

Still got questions? Leave them in the comment section below and I’ll be happy to update the post with more information.

Featured image: freepik.com

15 Common Mistakes Virtual Assistants Make (+ how to avoid them)

Posted on by Rose Odoemelam

In this post I share common mistakes virtual assistants make and how you can avoid them. Some VAs never recover from some of these mistakes. They close their businesses and assume that working from home is not their forte.

This happens because becoming a virtual assistant and being your own boss looks glamorous from the outside.

It feels like all you have to do is work from home, set your own work schedule, charge your dream rates and live your best life.

The part people don’t really talk about is how difficult it is to get clients (and keep them).

How to do all the money stuff so you have a business that is profitable

How to work with clients and still make time to work in your own business, and so much more.

I’ve made lots of mistakes since starting my VA business.

It’s just like every business out there, mistakes are bound to happen when you’re figuring things out without expert guidance.

These mistakes virtual assistants make are some of the key reasons many VA businesses fail. Today I’m sharing the unglamorous mistakes virtual assistants make to help you thread carefully and a profitable business.

15 Common Mistakes Virtual Assistant Make And How You Can Avoid Them

1.) They Start with a Wrong Mindset

The wrong mindset is everything from impostor syndrome to thinking like an employee. A lot of virtual assistants feel like they aren’t good enough and don’t deserve to get paid a lot of money. Almost everyone I know has experienced this at some point. But there are ways to over impostor syndrome as a VA. Get past that limiting mindset and thrive.

As a business owner, you have to take initiative. You are supposed to know when to pitch your services and how to double your income even without taking on new clients.

If you only sit and wait till whenever a client has work for you (like an employee). You’ll go hungry.

A lot of experienced virtual assistants say there’s no need to have a resume or send in a cover letter and all that official stuff. And only employees do that. But I don’t think so.

Depending on the situation, you might need to go through the whole 9 yards to get a client.

However, the difference is that they’d have to sign your contract and get on-boarded like every other client.

You have to send in a resume and cover letter if you’re seeking out the client through an Ad or job board that clearly tells you what to do.

If you are cold calling a prospect or reaching out to a referee, then you can go the discovery call route.

2.) They Accept Every Potential Client/Job

This is one of the most ignored (but deadly) mistakes virtual assistants make. Not every client/job is for you. Accepting every offer just because you want to make more money is a recipe for disaster. When you have too many clients at once, it might affect the quality of work you deliver. And this might make you lose all your clients.

I know it sounds counter intuitive to reject a client, because that means rejecting more money. And I understand that you as much money as you can get. You’ve got bills to pay. Not to mention the fact that you’d really like to shut the naysayers who laughed when you said you were now your own boss.

But you have to choose your clients/jobs you accept carefully. You can’t afford to say yes to every one that can afford your rates. It is bad for your health and your virtual assistant brand.

3.) They Don’t Invest In Their Knowledge

You can start your VA business without any training but if you want to grow fast, you need training. That’s why this is one of the costs to consider when you’re considering how much you need to spend to start your VA business. My advice is, start for free and then make sure you pay for training. There’s only so much you can learn from free stuff

4.) They Work For Free

When some business owners are looking to hire VAs, they may provide a “test” or “sample” project for a VA to complete. It’s usually a common task in their business and they want to see how you’ll perform this task. But there is a huge difference between a test project to showcase your skills and getting milk for free.

I remember one time a client emailed to let me know she had referred me to someone. I was excited because the client had pretty much handled all the prospect’s objections. After speaking with the potential client, she asked to see work samples.

Thankfully, I had a link ready to share and did so in minutes. Then the prospect wanted to talk about my rates. It came as a surprise because the client who referred me explicitly said she had shared my rates with her.

The potential client went ahead to negotiate. I didn’t bulge because the package she got was what I was charging old clients and not even my current rates.

She went silent for a week and came back with an urgent test project. I agreed to do it and deliver within 36 hours (clearly rush price worthy).

To do it I had to pause two client work. I completed the research in about an hour and just when I was about to start the first draft, it hit me.

I went back to read the email and found that she needed a TEST project. But gave a lot of specifications of what to add including what it was for. My performance with the free test project would determine if she could work with me or not.

This is a prospect who had gotten a word of mouth testimony from my client who referred her (the best testimony ever). She’d seen over a dozen samples of my work and still didn’t want to sign a contract.

I had discussed my rates with her and she wanted to pay way lower.

There I was about to spend valuable time on a “test” project.

Too many red flags in my opinion.

So I put my laptop to sleep and decided to pick beans with my time.

No kidding. I did really pick beans I didn’t plan to cook for another four days.

I’d rather pick beans than do free work

I never heard from the prospect again.

No follow-up email to ask if the work was ready or anything.

Instead she had the document with the exact specification she’d given me up on her site.

It made me wonder if she paid someone to do it or ripped off another VA with a “test” project.

One mistake I made was not letting her know my rate for the test project since it was going to take at least 3 hours to complete.      

If you’re asked to do a test project and it’s going to take you longer than 15 minutes, you need to be paid. If you’re spending valuable time working on something for a potential client. Time you could spend working on other projects (this is regardless of if you have any other client work or not…. Binging Netflix is a project). Your time is valuable and you should avoid this mistake virtual assistants make.

Read Also: How to create a Virtual Assistant Portfolio from scratch even if you have little or no experience

5.) Not Working In Their Business

What will happen if one or two clients decide not to continue working with you next month? I learned this the hard way. I lost two clients in a single week and that was more than 50% of my income gone in a week. It was like voo-doo. If I wasn’t already working in my business, and didn’t have passive income stream on autopilot, it would have been disastrous.

While growing your clients businesses, it is important to make time to work in your own business. Just because you’re in a feast period right now doesn’t mean you should let your business go. You can’t go off the radar and return only after you’ve lost a client and everyone has forgotten who you are. Don’t spend time building someone’s business while your business suffers and goes into extinction. Don’t make this awful mistakes virtual assistants make are making

6.) Get Carried Away By the Next Shiny Object

This is a very common mistake virtual assistants make. So many VAs spread themselves way too thin. They hear about a VA killing it on twitter and getting $100/hr. They abandon every other social media platform and start tweeting aggressively. Two weeks later, there’s a case study about VAs making 6 figures on Tiktok and then they focus all their energy on Tiktok.

The problem with going after every shiny object is that you don’t spend enough time mastering one thing to be excellent at it before deciding if it is working for you or not. It’s so bad that some VAs do it with services too. Say a social media VA for example who learns that tech VAs are charging 250/hr and decides to learn how to do tech and focus on tech to earn more. Even when social media is her zone of genius.

Find out what works for you and stick to what’s working. Instead of running after every strategy or hack a random guru online swears by.

7.) Not Charging Correctly

Pricing your virtual assistant services is a hassle for a lot of VAs I talk to. It’s so common that I am creating an entire course talking only about how to price your services. If you undercharge, you cheat yourself. And if you overcharge, you’ll chase potential clients away. Instead, read up on pricing and join the wait list for the course to be notified when it launches. Charging wrongly is one of the mistakes virtual assistants make that causes them to attract the wrong clients. And work extremely hard without a corresponding financial compensation.

8.) Being vague with their pricing

Your rates should not be a secret. Displaying your rate publicly sets expectations and pre-qualifies people before they contact you. Not to mention you can always point prospective clients to your pricing page if talking about your rates makes you uncomfortable. I always recommend you display your rates as they are or give an idea (e.g. by using starts at $497). When you do that, only clients who have $497 and above will contact you. So you won’t waste precious time getting on multiple discovery calls with unqualified leads.

9.) No Website

You can’t charge premium when all you have is a rented little cubicle. You need to have your own virtual assistant website. It is very very important. You don’t need to have a website to start, but you need it to grow faster.

Get a virtual assistant website, even if it is a free one on WordPress.com or wix.com. It serves as your office and prospects can visit it at any time. It’s like having 24/7 support. If you need any help setting up your VA website, regardless of if it is free or paid, let’s talk.

10.) They Do Not Legalize Their Business

Not having essential contracts in place is wrong. There are a lot of reasons why you need a virtual assistant contract. You need to legally protect your business. Having a contract makes your clients see you in a different light. A free contract you get online won’t do. And you can’t afford to pay a lawyer to write one for you every time you have a new client. That’s why I got a lawyer to write a template that you can just edit with your new clients’ info and use as for as many clients as you can.

11.) Don’t Take Care of Their Health        

Health is wealth. Working from home may sometimes mean you have to stay in bed all day. All that sitting on one spot without any exercise is bad. There’s a mental health concern too as you won’t be socializing with anyone. Make it a point of duty to go for a stroll, exercise and eat healthy. Looking at your laptop screen for too long will also take a toll on your eyes. Be intentional about staying in good health. You don’t want to spend all the money you make treating one disease or the other. Prevention is better than cure.

12.) Don’t Take Email Marketing Seriously

There are too many VAs who think email marketing is none of their business. They have no funnel and just focus on the number of followers they have on social media. Social media is a rented space. You don’t own your social media followers. But you own your email list. If anything goes wrong, you could lose your social media account and that could be years on hard work gone. So start an email list as soon as you can. It is very important.

13.) Have no call to action

People don’t know what to do. You have to tell them what you want them to do after interacting with your content. If someone visits on your website, what should they do? Should they read a case study, join your email list, book a discovery call? or What?

You might be the best VA in the planet. But if you have no clear CTA, you’ll be losing. This doesn’t apply to only your website. It is the same for social media and every content you create.

14.) No contingency plan

What will happen if you fall sick today and can’t work anymore? Does any of your loved ones know what to do? How to contact your clients and what to say to them? Subscriptions to pause? A contingency plan helps you prepare for unforeseen circumstance.

15.) No Passive Income

Active income means you’d have to work every single month to make money. And if you have an emergency or are otherwise unable to work, that could mean no income. If you have a passive income source, you’d still be making money in your sleep.

For example, a social media VA could create canva templates for sale or social media captions for a specific group of people. Like high converting captions for food vendors. Then put them up for sale in a platform like paystack or selar. You could also create an ebook on a topic you are knowledgeable about. You don’t have to know it all. Just know a little more than your target students. There’s a free guide on ‘how to write an design an ebook’ in the freebie library

Wrapping Up

This list is not exhaustive. There are a lot more mistakes virtual assistant make. I trust that you will follow the steps I have shared in this post to avoid them for good.

How to Create Your Virtual Assistant Portfolio When You Have Little Or No Experience

Posted on by Rose Odoemelam

You want to be a virtual assistant.

You have basic knowledge about what it takes. Heck, you’ve even taken my free course on how to make money from home working as a virtual assistant in Nigeria.

So you’ve done your research and you know this is what you need to make money while working on your own terms.

But, now, they said you need to have a virtual assistant portfolio.

Potential clients are asking for a portfolio.

Job boards are asking you to share work samples in your application

They don’t get it. How will you get relevant experience when you need to get work to gain experience.

You have no clue what to do to get started.

In this post I share how to create a virtual assistant portfolio from scratch. Even if you have no experience, no client and no website.

But first,

What is a Virtual Assistant Portfolio?

A Virtual Assistant portfolio demonstrates your skills in your VA niche. It contains samples of your best work as a virtual assistant in the niche you want to get paid for. Your portfolio should only have relevant, up-to-date content that showcases your best work.

Some potential clients won’t hire you unless they have seen samples of work you have done.

That said.

Here’s How to Build Your Virtual Assistant Portfolio from Scratch

1 .) Decide On The Services You Want To Provide.

Before you start anything, you need to carefully choose the virtual assistant services you want to get hired for. This is also known as niching down. If you put too many things on your portfolio, it might be difficult to attract the right clients. You have to choose what you are good at and can bring results. If you have no idea, you might want to look at the skills you already have and see if any of them fits with working virtually.

Some Services You Could Provide Are:

  • Executive/Administrative Virtual Assistance: this includes services like email management, data entry, calendar management, minute taking etc.
  • Technical Virtual Assistant: this type of VA completes tasks like website creation, website management, landing page design etc.
  • Course Launch Virtual Assistant: VAs in this category focus on helping course creators create and launch their online courses easily. They might also double as technical virtual assistants and are savvy with a lot of membership platforms and learning management systems.
  • Digital Marketing Virtual Assistant: This type of VA focuses on marketing. Think facebook Ads, Google ads etc.
  • Social Media Virtual Assistant: this covers VAs that manage social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, community Facebook, Telegram WhatsApp or Linkedin groups etc.
  • Podcast Virtual Assistant: this type of VA completes tasks like podcast setup, research, podcast editing, guest scouting, transcription etc. Essentially everything a brand needs to run a hassle free podcast
  • General Virtual Assistant: a general virtual assistant is responsible for a wide variety of tasks. It may include a little of everything other virtual assistants do.

2 .) Profile Your Ideal Clients

When you profile your ideal clients, you’ll know the best way to present your portfolio for it to attract them easily. Like flies to poop. Tailor your portfolio to your ideal client. Always keep your niche and your ideal client in mind.

3.) Create Work Samples

The easiest way to gain experience and work to flaunt on your portfolio is working for yourself. It doesn’t have to be work for an actual client. Just make up a name, do the work and add it to your portfolio. There’s even a fancy name for it and everything. It’s called a mock client. Your portfolio gives you ‘street credibility’ as a virtual assistant. All potential clients care about is that you have work experience.

For example, if you want to provide website creation services, build one for yourself first. You can then display your website as a work samples in your portfolio.

If you offer canva graphic design services, you could create some fancy canva graphics to display on your portfolio.

If you provide writing services, start a blog or guest post on someone’s blog. Writing a guest post means you’ll write for a blog for free so you can have something to put on your portfolio. Don’t forget to take screenshots, create mockups, and have stuff to show

You might also decide to work for free. All you have to do is pitch your services to your ideal client. If it is something they need help with, they’ll be happy to have you take care of things, especially since they won’t be paying you.

4.) Make Sure Potential Clients Can Reach You

This seems like a no brainer, but some virtual assistants miss it. You must add your contact details on your portfolio. Not just a link to your Instagram account. Add links to your relevant social media accounts, website, your email address, and phone number (if applicable)

5.) Choose How to Display Your Portfolio

If you’re a general VA or offer a variety of services, I recommend organizing your portfolio into categories.

· Text-only list portfolios

This option is usually taken by writers. They just add a bunch of links to their work. Zero effort. It feels like they are saying, here’s a bunch of links just because everyone says I need a portfolio, take a hike. I think making a little more effort to add other visual elements makes it look better

. Visual-only portfolios

Using only mockups, screenshots and other graphics without any text isn’t a good idea. If it’s a mockup or screenshot, a little 1 to 2 lines descriptive text just before the graphic always looks better than just slapping a couple of graphics on a page and calling it a day.

Text + Visual portfolios

A title, photo/graphic, some text and a button or link to view more is always the best option. It entices the reader to want to learn more. There’s a huge difference in appeal between a text-only or visual-only list of samples and one with both text + visual items.

6.) Choose The Platform To Display Your Portfolio

You have work to flaunt on your portfolio.

And you have a mental picture of what it should look like.

Great!

Now you can create your virtual assistant portfolio. Thankfully there are multiple platforms you can display your portfolio. So you are spoilt for choice. There are two main ways you can display your portfolio.

  1. On-site (on your virtual assistant website)
  2. Off-site (off your virtual assistant website)

What You Need To Know About Displaying Your Portfolio On Your Virtual Assistant Website

The most commonly used option is to display your portfolio on your VA website. It makes sense because you own your website and it houses content you have already created. It’s just like with my social media link in bio, I created a page with all my relevant links. Instead of using sites like linktree. This is because bringing people to my site often (instead of a third party) means they’ll likely click around. Perhaps to learn more about me and/or my services.

Not to mention the fact that you can employ SEO best practices to help you get found when people Google stuff.

You can display your portfolio on WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Weebly etc. I use WordPress So I’ll only talk about it. You can create a page in your WordPress site and name it Portfolio or Virtual Assistant Portfolio. After that, design it with a page builder like Gutenberg, Elementor or Thrive Architect and add your mockups, links, and screenshots. Alternatively, you could also use a free WordPress portfolio plugin like TLP portfolio to make your work easier. 

What You Need To Know About Displaying Your Portfolio Off Your Virtual Assistant

If you don’t have your own virtual assistant website yet, all hope is not lost. You could create it elsewhere. There are multiple free off-site portfolio creation sites that can help you put together samples of your best work in an hour or less.

These type of portfolio creation sites are designed to make it easy to create your portfolio even if you have zero coding or design skills. The best part is that you can build your portfolio very quickly too. However, most of them have a freemium option. If you want to unlock all their features, you’d have to pay. Like I mentioned earlier, pointing someone to a site that isn’t yours has it downside (why I don’t use linktree etc. and preferred to create a links page on my own website).

5 Off-Site Platforms To Display Your Virtual Assistant Portfolio

· LinkedIn

This has been on my to-do list for the longest time. Writing this post, I have set out a deadline to get it done and finally tick it off my to-do list. Linkedin is perfect to find clients. So I recommend creating a portfolio on Linkedin even if you have a portfolio setup elsewhere. It solidifies your authority and potential clients can see that you’re the best thing since sliced bread without even leaving the app.

LinkedIn provides a section to add additional content–links, images, videos, PDFs etc. Use this to display your best work. One thing I’ve seen and you can also copy is to include link to your work in the experience section. However, using the portfolio part is better, in my opinion.

Before you create a portfolio on Linkedin, you need to optimize you Linkedin profile to attract clients easily.

  • Crevado is a free and easy-to-use portfolio builder. You can get your portfolio up and running in very little time.
  • Google docs
  • Canva: Create your portfolio with canva for free. Or grab my own portfolio template here.
  • Google Drive/ Dropbox: Create your portfolio as a PDF and save it to your drive. Get the view only link, shorten it with a link shortening tool like bit.ly.

Don’t have the money to start a website, or don’t have enough time or design skill?

Go the off-site route. Using an off-site option is better than waiting till you have all your ducks in a row before you flaunt your work to attract your ideal clients.

Have some money for a website (or a website), basic design skills and have some time on your hands?

I highly recommend that you display your virtual assistant portfolio on your own website.

If you need a website and don’t have design skills or time to DIY, I’d be happy to create one for you in 7 to 14 days.

According to this survey, only 17% of virtual assistants have websites. So it is a “nice to have”, not a must have.

7.) Have A Simple Link To Your Portfolio

Always have a handy link ready. I do not subscribe to having your portfolio in a PDF. Let it be online. Some clients request only a link and not a document. All the platforms mentioned above give you a quick link to share. Make your link simple.

8.) Fill Up Your Virtual Assistant Portfolio

So you have only one item on your portfolio?

That spells inexperienced starving VA in font size 1,000

You need more.

My advice is to have at least 3 items on your portfolio for a start. The good thing is you can create as many work samples as you need.

Make sure everything looks neat and tidy. Don’t make your portfolio an endless scroll. Like I mentioned earlier, spice things up with images and organize your portfolio into sections with headers. This is to make it easy for potential clients to navigate and find the information they need.

9.) Create Multiple Portfolios

As a multi-skilled VA, coming up with a single portfolio to house all my work samples can be hassle. I’ve been looking at a lot of Linkedin offers and have been inside a dozen facebook groups for VAs trying to find relevant info. First for work I can do and secondly, for offers to share with the new and aspiring VAs I coach.

One thing I have noticed with most of these offers is that they are very specific. For example, when a content writing job wants a portfolio. It is not great to send in my general portfolio, they might not look through 75% of the page before realizing I’m a badass content writer. Especially if the portfolio page starts with my website creation samples and they aren’t looking for a website creator. They get hundreds of portfolios to go through.

A solution I found for myself is to have separate portfolios for everything. So my content writing portfolio is separate and focuses on only my work as an SEO content writer. While my website creation and management portfolio is different etc.  I still have the general portfolio just in case. So depending on what I am applying for, I have a portfolio to match.

10.) Educate Yourself

Educating yourself is very essential. When I pitch for a content writing job, I tell them I have two SEO certificates from yoast. Those courses were free during the pandemic and I took advantage of them. There are no longer free. A digital marketing certificate course by Google is free. You should seize this opportunity while it lasts).

I also have multiple certificates from Linkedin but have never paid for Linkedin premium. I used the free trail to acquire as much knowledge (and certificates) as I could.

I’ve taken other paid courses but chose to highlight the ones I got for free so you can see that getting an education doesn’t have to cost an arm. Find free certificate courses in your niche and complete

You don’t need a university education or even any certificate to qualify or succeed as a virtual assistant. In fact, virtual assistants without a four-year degree earn $3 more per hour on average than those with one. This was one of the many fascinating insights from the virtual assistants survey I mentioned earlier.

Note however that some clients ask for a background in a particular field e.g. marketing. Sometimes, a certificate course can be used when you don’t have a degree. Always have this at the back of your mind – hundreds of other savvy VAs are also applying for almost every job you apply for. So you have to seize every opportunity to stand out.

11.) Update Your Portfolio Regularly

Your virtual assistant portfolio isn’t something you should create and forget about. Your portfolio is always a work in progress. It needs to be updated with your best work as often as possible. My best work of 2017 dwarfs in comparison to my best work of 2021. As you gain experience, your work will improve, and you’ll quickly replace sample work you needed to fill in blanks, with work from reputable brands.

12.) Flaunt Your Portfolio

No one is going to know how great you are unless you show off your work. Add a link to your portfolio on your social media bio link, website navigation menu, share it on your WhatsApp status and anywhere you can. Don’t keep your portfolio a secret

Looking to Get Real Experience and Build a Professional Portfolio Fast?

If you want to take your portfolio from basic to pro, I have two opportunities to share. You can grab my own portfolio template and customize it for yourself here or heard over to my virtual assistant training program at Go Virtual Academy (GVA)! The program gives access to:

  • Hands-on experience: Work on projects that you can proudly showcase in your portfolio.
  • Professional feedback: Have your projects vetted by me before adding them to your portfolio, ensuring they stand out.
  • Portfolio template: Download my portfolio template and create a polished, professional VA portfolio in no time!
  • Skill-building courses: Learn the in-demand skills you need to attract high-paying clients.
  • Ongoing support: Access a thriving community, client onboarding documents, and live feedback to help you launch and grow your VA business.

Don’t let lack of experience hold you back. With GVA, you’ll gain confidence, hands-on experience, and a portfolio that gets noticed. I hope you have seen that nothing can stop you from creating your virtual assistant portfolio today. You don’t need to have a website, experience or even clients to make one. Your virtual assistant portfolio can help potential clients decide you’re the right fit or not.