In Episode 19 of The Side Hustle Show, Lee Drozak from shares how she got started as a virtual assistant and how you can do the same. We talk setting up shop, getting your first clients, setting your prices, establishing a niche, and more.
Quick background on this side hustle if you’re not familiar — a virtual assistant is not Siri, despite how much Apple wants to hijack the term, it’s a real-live person that works for you remotely as an independent contractor. This is a huge industry overseas in countries like India and the Philippines, with giant call centers staffed with low-cost workers.
But you might be surprised to learn there is a thriving VA industry right here at home, and many VAs are side hustlers like you, or started their business as a side hustle.
And we’re not talking about a race to the bottom on price either. According to a recent survey, nearly 90% of VAs charge $20/hr or more, and nearly 60% charge $30/hr or more.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- The “eureka” moment of working from home.
- How Lee got her first clients.
- How to get paid what you’re worth.
- How to determine which virtual assistant tasks you love and should build your business around.
- Why industry certifications might be overrated.
- The best free resource for aspiring virtual assistants.
- Lee’s #1 tip for Side Hustle Nation.
Links mentioned:
- ivaa.org
- VirtualAssistantForums.com (Thank you, Tess, for the introduction to Lee!)
- Zirtual | eaHELP | Fancy Hands | Contemporary VA
- Elance
- VAclassroom.com
- Suzanne Evans
You can connect with Lee on her site, as well as on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
What do you think of virtual assisting as a side hustle? Pretty basic, right? Identify your skills and find someone who’ll pay for them. Kind of like a real job except you can do it from anywhere.