Want to Be a VA? These Are Tips on How to Get Started
1.
First you need your equipments * A good computer and a fast reliable internet connection, 2.
Know the basics of being a VA.
* Means of communicating with your client.
Through VOIP, like skype or Magic Jack.
Email like yahoo mail or gmail, or chat with YM or skype.
* Means of sharing information or documents.
The most utilized is Google Docs, some uses a project management tool like mantis bug tracker.
Or some uses the old school email for sending files and infos.
* The usual tasks of a VA.
Everyone is inexperienced at one point, and there are a lot of clients who is willing to train their VA, but it help to know the basics so you wont be at all clueless.
1.
Administrative task-making presentations, utilizing MS office, email management, calendar and appointment setting, research, etc.
2.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) -goal is to make your client's website appear on the first page of search engines.
3.
Keyword Research -getting the right competitive keyword for your client's website.
4.
Article Marketing- writing articles that are keyword dense and submitting them to various article directory.
5.
Social Bookmarking - Bookmarking web pages on social bookmarking site such as delicious and stumble upon.
6.
Link Building - is the strategy of getting back links to your client's website.
7.
Data Entry - a fairly easy task, mostly copy and paste.
It's basically organizing and collecting data.
8.
Social Network - You may manage your clients account on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and LinkedIn.
9.
Others - VA's job description is broad although you may offer only certain expertise but there are a lot of possible task that can be given to you.
So you should be someone who is eager to keep learning new stuff.
* Means of payment and the going rate of VAs.
You can receive payment through bank deposits, Paypal or checks (for American VAs).
For an offshore VA, the going rate per hour is 3-7 dollars but for SEO specialist it could be as high as 10 dollars per hour.
On a monthly fulltime rate, usually it's from 300-500 dollars (again it's much higher for SEO specialist).
3.
And you need to set up how you're going to get paid; * A PayPal account (will blog later about PayPal in the Philippines) * A bank account (for direct bank deposits) 4.
Now you need to find clients.
Send out your resumes.
You can get client either by referrals, setting up your own blog and getting clients from there or the most effective is creating an account with freelancing sites and apply on per project basis.
For Filipinos, you can also post your resume to Bestjobs.
ph, clients who specifically wants to work with a Filipino usually goes there to hire someone.
* Freelancing Websites oDesk.
com- Best website for me because it guarantee payments.
Elance.
com Allfreelancework.
com Guru.
com Project4hire.
com Freelancer.
com - former GAF (Get a Freelancer)
First you need your equipments * A good computer and a fast reliable internet connection, 2.
Know the basics of being a VA.
* Means of communicating with your client.
Through VOIP, like skype or Magic Jack.
Email like yahoo mail or gmail, or chat with YM or skype.
* Means of sharing information or documents.
The most utilized is Google Docs, some uses a project management tool like mantis bug tracker.
Or some uses the old school email for sending files and infos.
* The usual tasks of a VA.
Everyone is inexperienced at one point, and there are a lot of clients who is willing to train their VA, but it help to know the basics so you wont be at all clueless.
1.
Administrative task-making presentations, utilizing MS office, email management, calendar and appointment setting, research, etc.
2.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) -goal is to make your client's website appear on the first page of search engines.
3.
Keyword Research -getting the right competitive keyword for your client's website.
4.
Article Marketing- writing articles that are keyword dense and submitting them to various article directory.
5.
Social Bookmarking - Bookmarking web pages on social bookmarking site such as delicious and stumble upon.
6.
Link Building - is the strategy of getting back links to your client's website.
7.
Data Entry - a fairly easy task, mostly copy and paste.
It's basically organizing and collecting data.
8.
Social Network - You may manage your clients account on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and LinkedIn.
9.
Others - VA's job description is broad although you may offer only certain expertise but there are a lot of possible task that can be given to you.
So you should be someone who is eager to keep learning new stuff.
* Means of payment and the going rate of VAs.
You can receive payment through bank deposits, Paypal or checks (for American VAs).
For an offshore VA, the going rate per hour is 3-7 dollars but for SEO specialist it could be as high as 10 dollars per hour.
On a monthly fulltime rate, usually it's from 300-500 dollars (again it's much higher for SEO specialist).
3.
And you need to set up how you're going to get paid; * A PayPal account (will blog later about PayPal in the Philippines) * A bank account (for direct bank deposits) 4.
Now you need to find clients.
Send out your resumes.
You can get client either by referrals, setting up your own blog and getting clients from there or the most effective is creating an account with freelancing sites and apply on per project basis.
For Filipinos, you can also post your resume to Bestjobs.
ph, clients who specifically wants to work with a Filipino usually goes there to hire someone.
* Freelancing Websites oDesk.
com- Best website for me because it guarantee payments.
Elance.
com Allfreelancework.
com Guru.
com Project4hire.
com Freelancer.
com - former GAF (Get a Freelancer)
Source...