5 Myths About Being a Virtual Assistant

Jun 13

So for this blog post, we are going to do some myth-busting. Virtual Assistants are not brand new, this industry has been around for years, but I feel like many people still don’t know what it is or what goes into it, especially if you are not in the online business space. And with that, comes assumptions and misunderstandings and one of my goals is to pull the curtain back and share the behind-the-scenes of how it all works!

And what better what to do that than talk about five myths around being a virtual assistant?

So diving right in, the first myth is:

You can’t make good money being a VA

This myth makes me giggle because it is furthest from the truth. But I think it’s also important to define what “good money” is or means to you! If you are looking to bring in an extra $500 or $1000 a month for a side hustle, then that’s possible as a VA! (PS, If you haven’t yet, make sure to listen to Episode 11 where I talk about how to make an extra $100 a month as a VA. I break it all down for you there as well as in my highlight on Instagram titled “Mini $ Lesson).

If you want to make a full-time income, let’s say $40k-50k, then that’s possible for you. If you want to have a 6 figure business, then that is also possible for you as a VA! The reason that there is such a wide range for how much you can make as a VA is because you set your own rates and you determine your services. Some services you can charge more for, some less – it really just depends!

Becoming a VA can also be a stepping stone! Maybe you start out as a VA and find that you really love copywriting so then you learn more about copywriting and become an expert in that area and now you are a copywriter and can charge premium rates for your service! Or maybe you scale to be an online business manager. Or like me, you become a mentor! Starting a business as a VA can either be the thing you do forever, or, it can be the thing that is really just the beginning. Regardless, there are a thousand ways to hit your income goals, and this myth is just silly.

okay, next myth:

You have to be available to work 24/7

I definitely think that this myth comes from the name “assistant” and what society portrays assistants are in movies, pop culture, etc. Maybe even what some people’s jobs at the corporate level look like! But contrary to popular belief, you do not have to be available at all times to have a successful business as a virtual assistant. YOU have complete control over what your schedule looks like as a VA because it is your business after all.

You decide how many hours you work, you decide what times you’re available, and ultimately you decide what clients you bring on – so you can build your business around a schedule that feels good for you.

When I first started my business, I decided I didn’t want to work on weekends, and I also did not have childcare for my then, 17-month-old. So when I was bringing on clients, I just communicated that! Like from the very beginning before any contracts were signed. I let them know that I worked during nap time, and sometimes after he went to bed, and I gave them what hours I have available, what my hours of communication were, etc. Being a VA doesn’t mean you are at the mercy of your clients. You are a business owner too, and it should be a 50/50 client and provider partnership!

You are allowed and encouraged to set boundaries in your business. But you also have to communicate those and make sure that you enforce those boundaries as you are bringing on new clients! Whether that is what your day-to-day schedule looks like, or when you want to take vacation or time off. It is ALL possible working as a virtual assistant.

You have to work with anyone and everyone

I think this is a myth that people have when they are starting their business, no matter what it is. When you are just starting out, you are wanting to get clients. And it’s easy to be like, “Oh I just want ANYONE because I want to start making an income” right?! But there are some pretty big cons to working with just anyone.

Having an ideal client in mind when you are starting out is really important because you are going to be working so closely with this person. Have you ever worked with someone whether it’s in a job or maybe even in school when you had to do group projects and you just did not mesh with that person and it kinda made the whole experience sour? If you don’t mesh well with the person that is just a recipe for burnout and isn’t going to do anyone any good! So making sure you have thought about your ICA (or ideal client avatar) is important:

01 What are their values?

02 Where are they at in their business?

03 What is their personality like?

04 Are your rates within their budget?

05 What are their hobbies and interests?

These are just a few questions to think about when you are marketing and also starting to book clients!

You have to niche down in order to be successful

On the flip side, there is this idea that in order to be successful you have to have a niche. I have a whole episode about this which is Episode 3 of the podcast so I will link that in the show notes, but I really don’t think you need a niche to have a successful business as a VA AND I don’t really think you should have a niche when you are first starting out unless of course you are really set up someone.

I think this is a great industry and opportunity to figure out what it is you like doing, who it is you like to work with, etc, and niching down right away can take that away from you. One of my best pieces of advice if you are starting out as a VA, is to try a variety of services, and work with a variety of clients, so that you can really figure out what it is you are good at and what it is you actually enjoy doing!

You need to be an expert in every skill to become a virtual assistant

There are really two parts to this myth: being an expert in general, or being an expert in everything. First, let’s talk about being an expert because people sometimes wonder well how will I get hired as a VA if I don’t have any experience? And I just want to remind you that everyone starts somewhere.

I talk more about this in Episode 7 of the podcast which is how to build trust with clients when you are just starting out, so make sure you go check that out if this is something that holds you back.

And then we get to the “being an excerpt in everything” and as a VA you don’t have to know and do everything! The first thing you need to know is that your clients who bring you onto the team will show you how to do the tasks they want you to do. They will either have a SOP (standard operating procedures) library or they will show you on a call even. -They will teach you what you need to know.

So no, you don’t have to be an expert in everything to be successful. It’s rare that people are experts in anything when they start! What’s most important is that you are willing to learn and work on the skills necessary to provide your clients with a great experience!

A resource that can help you create a solid foundation for your business, is The VA Roadmap! It’s our signature program that teaches you how to start and grow your business as a VA. Everything from identifying your ICA, determining your services, how to market and find clients, how to manage your time, how to scale, and more! Plus, with your enrollment, you get the option to enroll in our BTS BFF Membership which has a variety of perks but one of them is our guest expert trainings! We bring in guest experts to talk about certain services, tools, tech, and more to help you grow your business. I am passionate about not just helping you start your business, but helping you continue to grow and learn too! If you are interested – head to yourbtsbff.com/varoadmap, the link is also in the show notes!

Maybe you’ve been thinking about starting your own business as a VA but there are some things holding you back… Take a peek at our signature virtual assistant course, The Va Roadmap! Learn about the investment here.