Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Virtual Assistant?

So, you’ve been on the administrative track for several years and you’re ready to accept the challenge of owning your own business.

Good for you!

But before you dive into the choppy waters of entrepreneurship, let me ask you this.

Are you sure you have what it takes to be a highly successful Virtual Assistant?

To many people, becoming a Virtual Assistant seems an easy thing to do: You post a quickie website, hand out your business cards, and wait for your new business line to light up. What else is there?

Aspiring Virtual Assistants (often called VAs) who take that approach to their new venture are bound to fail. They’re looking at virtual assistance as a job, not as a small business that needs to be developed, grown, and managed.

If you hope to be a successful VA, here are some of the qualifications you should have on hand before you start. If you don’t have them right now, don’t feel discouraged. These are all skills that can be learned and developed over time.

1. Business Acumen. You need to have keen understanding of and insight into business matters. As a Virtual Assistant, you’re the sales and marketing department, customer service desk, accounting, and production department. You have to hold it all together, and look great doing it!

If you don’t have strong knowledge of business matters, start reading business books to learn what you need to know. You may find a Virtual Assistant training program helpful as well. There are several good VA training classes that teach how to build and market a sustainable VA business, from the ground up.

If you prefer to learn independently, a possible training option is the Virtual Business Startup System created by Tawnya Sutherland. This 30-day program gives aspiring VAs daily steps to take and valuable resources to create and manage a prosperous virtual business.

2. Computer Savvy. Since you will be supporting your clients virtually, you need to know how to properly use the equipment that helps you do your job.

Computer skills will be probably be taught in a VA training program. You can also take computer classes to ramp up your knowledge in certain areas. Until you have strong computer skills, you can hire a contractor or another VA to help you out.

3. Expertise. As a Virtual Assistant, you’re not limited to providing administrative services – although many VAs choose to do so. Use your own unique experience and background to shape your business. Take what you know and develop your expertise in that particular field.

Whatever services you decide to offer, though, you need to provide them at an expert level. You clients are paying for expertise, and anything less will damage your credibility.

If your skills aren’t quite up to snuff, develop them now, before you launch your VA business. You can take classes to improve your knowledge of any programs you’ll need to use, like Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access or Photoshop. Or, depending on what services you want to provide, you could take business writing, organization, or life coaching classes.

4. Determination. This is the most necessary quality of all. Without determination, none of the above even matters. Determination and perseverance are what will get you through the rough spots of owning your own business and keep you moving when it looks like you aren’t getting anywhere.

If you have trouble getting motivated, think about your "why-" the specific reasons why you want to be a Virtual Assistant.

• Do you need flexibility in your schedule?
• To further develop your skills and talents?
• More time with your family?

Whatever it is that motivates you, write it down in big letters on a sheet of paper and hang it where you can see it everyday. Whenever you find yourself feeling unmotivated and ready to quit, look at your "why" and let it push you to keep going.