Many people think remote work is one of the most convenient careers today. You don’t have to wake up early to commute to the office; every task can be done at home. For this reason, many office workers try to get a virtual assistant side hustle.
But is being a virtual assistant a good side hustle, or is it a difficult job? Find out the answers to this question, along with some of the best VA side hustles, in this article.
Is Being a Virtual Assistant a Good Side Hustle?
Yes, being a virtual assistant is a good side hustle because it offers flexibility. You can set where and when you work, so you can work when you’re with your full-time job. You can also choose your clients based on your skills, making sure you don’t have to work on things you’re not familiar with.
Another reason why virtual assistance is a good part-time job is its scalability. If you have more time outside your full-time job, you can hire more clients for more pay.
However, you must be active in remote work markets like Upwork and Indeed to find clients. Once you have established your name in the market, it’s easier to become a virtual assistant as a side hustle.
How to Become a Virtual Assistant as a Side Hustle
If it’s your first time trying to land a remote job, getting your first client is the biggest challenge. The virtual assistant market is crowded with people who have more skills and experience than you. More often than not, clients prefer them over those with no experience.
However, that doesn’t mean you should give up. Instead, you need to learn how to become a virtual assistant that clients will hire.
Here are the tips to become a virtual assistant as a part-time job:
1. Consider Your Area of Specialization
Focusing on a niche market makes introducing yourself to potential clients easier. For instance, you can focus on email marketing, blog writing, and social media management. Having a clear area of specialization allows you to focus on it until you become an expert.
Once you have chosen your specialization, you must develop skills related to it. Do you want to work on administrative tasks? Then, you must study email management, data entry, calendar management, and scheduling.
LinkedIn has some tips to help you select your area of specialization.
2. Develop Skills
As a virtual assistant, you must have good communication and time management skills as well as a sharp attention to detail. While these soft skills are easy to learn, or you may already have them, hard skills require more learning time.
You can attend online courses and training to expand your skill set based on your chosen area of expertise.
Here are some of the best virtual assistant training platforms you can check out to help build your skills.
3. Build Your Portfolio
As you develop your skills, you can practice working on things related to the expertise you want to offer as a VA. For instance, you can try to write blog posts or design some graphics until you get used to it.
When you are satisfied with your work, you can use it to create a portfolio in which you can show your potential clients during your side hustle application.
If you have certificates from the online courses you attended, adding them to your portfolio can further highlight your skills.
4. Invest in High-Quality Equipment
Having a good computer setup or laptop is essential, even for those who use virtual assistance as a side hustle.
Your device’s specifications should depend on your expertise. If you train as a blog writer, a computer with basic specs can help you with the job. Meanwhile, data-heavy tasks like video editing and graphic design require a device with higher system specs.
5. Look for a Client
When you are confident in your skills, you should start looking for your first client. It’s worth noting that your first few clients may only offer lower pay. However, it’s good to accept them to gain experience, which will help you get better-paying virtual assistant part-time jobs in the long run.
If you need more tips to kickstart your VA journey, PortfoLink has a list of effective ways to become a virtual assistant!
5 Virtual Assistant Side Hustles
Ready to take some virtual assistant side hustles? These are some of the remote jobs you can apply for:
1. Graphic Design
Visual content is one of the most important parts of marketing. This has resulted in many companies seeking skilled graphic artists to design their brands.
The industry needs many types of graphics, so you can look for jobs you enjoy doing. For instance, you can create logos, posters, or even design shirts.
However, being a graphic designer requires proficiency in tools like Canva and Adobe Photoshop.
Will the demand for graphic designers diminish in the future? Find out the answer on Forbes.
2. Proofreading
Do you have a knack for spotting errors in write-ups? If so, you will benefit from becoming a proofreader. This virtual assistant side hustle requires you to help businesses develop error-free content that they can release to the market.
Digital tools and artificial intelligence can now spot grammar and punctuation errors. However, human proofreaders are still better at improving sentences and making content more engaging.
3. Social Media Management
Everyone now has an online presence, so companies reach their target market through social media. Social media management is an excellent virtual assistant side hustle if you enjoy creating posts that can engage people and encourage them to take your offer.
Apart from creating social media content, you are also responsible for interacting with your followers. You must respond to comments and reach potential customers on platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.
LinkedIn lists several reasons why social media management is a great part-time job.
4. Content Creation
There is a high demand for writers today as more and more businesses seek virtual assistants who can create persuasive content for them.
If you are not into writing long-form content, it’s important to note that content creation does not revolve around blogging alone. You can also become a copywriter, email copywriter, and newsletter writer.
Once you have enough writing experience and good reviews from former clients, content creation can be one of the most lucrative part-time jobs you can have.
5. Data Entry
Businesses have an extensive database of information that needs to be well-organized. So, if you have good organizational skills, data entry is one of the virtual assistant jobs you can take as a side hustle.
Data entry is among the easiest remote side hustles, as it only requires basic computer skills. It also has a low barrier to entry, so you don’t need many hard skills to become one.
Here are some of the other in-demand virtual assistant services that you can offer to potential clients.
Start Your VA Journey Today
Virtual assistance is here to stay. So, if you are looking for a part-time job, becoming a VA is among the most flexible yet high-paying jobs you can have.
However, you must have the right skills to be successful in this industry. Invest in self-development to gain relevant skills, which will then help you stand out among the saturated VA market.
