{"id":11618,"date":"2018-10-01T17:42:18","date_gmt":"2018-10-01T15:42:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/?p=11618"},"modified":"2018-10-01T18:19:21","modified_gmt":"2018-10-01T16:19:21","slug":"how-to-get-started-as-a-virtual-assistant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/how-to-get-started-as-a-virtual-assistant\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Started as a Virtual Assistant"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to <\/span>Upwork<\/span><\/a>, over 57.3M people freelanced in 2017 and the majority of workers will freelance by 2027. As freelancing becomes easier and more convenient, so does the gig economy.\u00a0<\/span>The virtual assistant market size alone was estimated at $1005.2M in 2016 and is expected to grow even bigger than that. <\/span><\/p>\n

But first, what<\/strong> exactly is the gig economy?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A gig economy<\/a> is an environment in which temporary positions are common and organizations contract with independent workers for short-term engagements.<\/p>\n

Learning a new skill and freelancing is now easier than ever.<\/span><\/p>\n

But this is bigger than just the gig economy.<\/b><\/p>\n

The freelance market has been steadily growing for some time now and shows no signs of slowing down. This may sound intimidating but it shouldn\u2019t discourage you from <\/span>breaking into<\/span><\/a> the VA (virtual assistant) market. The industry is growing at breakneck speed, yes, but it\u2019s still possible to find your spot and stand out.<\/span><\/p>\n

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As a virtual assistant, you’d be something like a\u00a0jack of all trades<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Depending on your niche (something you can read more about below), and your clients – you have a bit of a wiggle room in terms of what you\u2019d be doing. From simply finding out more information for your clients to writing ads and emails, you\u2019ll be doing it all as a virtual assistant. <\/span><\/p>\n

So, get ready to pull yourself up by your bootstraps as you dive into the deep world of the virtual assistance market. <\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>Alright, that\u2019s great and all, but how do I actually get started<\/span><\/i>?\u201d – you might be thinking. Well, first of all, you:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Decide on a specific niche<\/h2>\n

I realize I just said that you\u2019d be doing a little bit of everything, but <\/span>it\u2019s still important to have a niche.<\/b><\/p>\n

Ideally, it\u2019s something you\u2019re actually interested in and are good at. Remember: if you\u2019re <\/span>really <\/span><\/i>passionate about it – you\u2019ll have no problem standing out.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, get a piece of paper, and write a list of 10 things you\u2019re interested in and are passionate about. This shouldn\u2019t be too hard.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Brainstorming
Though this step might not take too long – it’s an important one nonetheless.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some questions to help you going:<\/span><\/p>\n