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VA Directory

VA Directory - Connecting clients with Virtual Assistants

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Being a Virtual Assistant means you are a business owner

This post is a bit of a rant, but I see so many misnomers on discussion groups about people wanting to become a VA but not put in the commitment it requires. Below is a recent post I made.

I want to clear something up. There’s a fallacy that it costs nothing to become a Virtual Assistant. But I need to tell you there are costs. Being a Virtual Assistant means you are running a business. It’s not something you do on the side to earn a bit of pocket money. It’s a business. Some do it part-time, some do it full-time but it IS a business. And with businesses there are ALWAYS costs. Costs such as registering your business in your country, a domain name, web-hosting (although you could use free hosting to start with), a reliable computer, the right software for the services you are going to provide, a decent printer if you need it, and so on. And you should have an accountant. It’s not a hobby, it’s not some mickey mouse thing on the side, it’s a REAL business. And should be treated like one. Work out rates that are right for you – not just some cheap rate to get the client, any client. What about your expenses? Phone bills, internet connection, web hosting, business registration, business insurance, equipment insurance, stationery, printing accessories and the list goes on. Not to mention continued training as you should be educating yourself further too. If you’re in the corporate world you receive training – it doesn’t stop as a VA. Technology is always changing and so should you be too.
 
I don’t know why people have this thought that being a VA is a cheap way of earning a bit of extra income but it’s that kind of thinking that makes the public out there think they can get a VA for just $5 an hour instead of what a decent rate should be. Think about your cost of living. You need to cover those costs if you’re going to be a VA and if you’re going to use one, then accept they also need to cover their cost of living.
 
Why do I share this? Because I’ve been running a VA business for over 24 years in Australia. I have long-term clients who do pay my rate. I have an accountant I pay and a bookkeeper, plus insurances and taxes. Equipment that needs to be updated now and then, same with software. And continued education. I’ve also contributed towards my family household through my earnings. For me it’s not a part-time, something on the side type of job. It’s a business and I treat it like one.

Time zone vs Cost

I was recently reading a discussion amongst a group of people about their experiences in using a Virtual Assistant company in an Asian country. Some were giving praise and others were vocal about the poor experience they’d had.

One of the last commenters said that he was disappointed with the service and that they were closing up shop at 6pm their time just when he was getting into his work for the day. He also made comment that they couldn’t be found on Fridays and was thinking he might shift his support to another service in another Asian country.

That made me think about why he was doing that and not getting support closer to home. I mean if he wants someone working the same business hours as him then the reality is he needs to look closer to home for support, doesn’t it?  Anyway, my response to him is below. What are your thoughts?

There are other choices to the VA groups in Asian countries. I guess it’s all about how much you want to spend versus time, convenience, and anything else that is important to you.

I manage a team in 15 countries, which includes the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand and some European countries.

You need to weigh up whether the time factor (your timing or theirs) is important to your getting the work done. Those in other countries are not usually going to sit up in the early hours of the morning, or very late at night, to fit in with your normal workday. The reality of getting someone working virtually with and for you means that they are working virtually – away from your premises, and often outside of your timing. If you need someone in the same timezone to you then you need to look closer to home to outsource. Of course that also means the rates are going to be quite different too – they have the same costs of living as you.

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