Virtual Personal Assistant

Position: Become a Virtual Personal Assistant
Overview

Thinking of becoming a Virtual Personal Assistant? This post is for you.

In 2015, I was a stay-at-home mom trying to figure out how to make some extra money from home. A friend casually mentioned I should look into online assistant work.

I had no idea how much her suggestion would completely CHANGE. MY. LIFE.

I realized that so many of the things I was ALREADY doing, I could do as a VA.

Tasks like:

• keeping track of schedules
• answering emails
• and posting on social media… could totally work as a remote career as a virtual assistant or virtual personal assistant
  .

Fast forward to today, not only have I built a successful virtual assistant (VA) business, but NOW I get to help others do the same.

Heck to the yes.

If you’re wondering how to become a virtual personal assistant this post is for you.

What’s the Difference Between a Personal Assistant and a Virtual Assistant?

First, let’s start with the terms “personal assistant” and “virtual assistant.” They are often used interchangeably, but they’re not exactly the same.

Let’s unpack the differences:

Personal Assistant — A virtual personal assistant (PA) typically works for an individual, helping them with both personal and professional tasks.

These tasks might include:

• Managing their email and calendar
• Booking travel arrangements
• Scheduling appointments
• Handling online grocery shopping
• Running errands or managing household tasks (if working in-person)

PAs can work in person or remotely. For instance, you might be a house manager who physically shows up to help with errands and daily tasks. You might provide remote support by managing their digital needs online.

Virtual Assistant —

A virtual assistant (VA) primarily focuses on business-related tasks and works entirely remotely.

This can include:

• Scheduling and managing social media posts
• Processing invoices and payments
• Conducting online research

While VAs might occasionally handle personal tasks (hello email/calendar management) for their clients, their primary focus is usually on supporting business operations. What’s great about being a VA is the flexibility to work from anywhere. You can work from your home, a coffee shop, or while traveling.

While I was deciding whether I wanted to become a Virtual Assistant or a Virtual Personal Assistant – I ultimately decided on being a traditional VA and working with business owners.

For me, I found that this was a much easier client to target and I felt like I could charge more.

However, I think it is important for you to make the decision that will work best for you!

Why Work as a Virtual Personal Assistant?

Becoming a virtual personal assistant comes with some amazing perks, especially when you consider remote assistant opportunities:

• Flexibility :
  You can work from home, set your own hours, and handpick the clients you want to work with.
• Scalability :
  Start out as a one-person show and, if you want, grow into managing a team of subcontractors.
• Variety :
  Work with all kinds of people—from entrepreneurs launching their dream businesses to executives running big companies. No two days are ever the same!
• Low Overhead :
  You don’t need a fancy office or expensive gadgets—just a reliable computer and internet connection, and you’re good to go.

A lot of VAs kick things off while still working their 9-to-5, squeezing in client work during evenings or weekends. And when they’re ready, they take the leap into full-time VA life.

Some even end up building agencies, earning extra income by managing a team of other VAs.

How to Get Started as a Virtual Personal Assistant

So, here’s the thing: a lot of people don’t even know virtual assisting is a thing.

It’s like this little secret corner of the internet where people are building flexible, thriving careers without ever stepping into an office.

Mind blown, right?

If you’re sitting there thinking, “Wait, this is a real job? I could actually do this?”

The answer is YES, absolutely!

And here’s the best part: you don’t have to figure it out on your own.

Note that this training is specifically for those wanting to work with small business owners (aka a traditional Virtual Assistant) – but you can apply a lot of the principles to becoming a personal assistant…