You have probably heard people talk about making an enormous amount of money online working as a virtual assistant, or you read an article listing “working as virtual assistant” as a means of making money online in 2021.
So, you have questions about working as a virtual assistant in Nigeria and making money online as a virtual assistant.
So if you have questions, we got answers…
In this article, you will learn everything you need to know, about making money online, as a virtual assistant from Nigeria.
But first…
What is a Virtual Assistant?
A virtual assistant is someone who works virtually to help businesses or individuals achieve their set goals.
Virtual assistants are hired to free up time for the most significant tasks in the business.
They serve as a reasonable alternative to hiring full-time staff as they are principally paid by the number of hours worked.
This means as a virtual assistant, you can work for many clients as they pay for your services on an hourly basis.
As the name “virtual” implies, a virtual assistant can work from anywhere as much as there is a good internet connection.
What skills do you need to become a virtual assistant in Nigeria?
The virtual assistance niche is not a one square fit all niche. We have different Virtual assistants with different skill-sets all serving a particular sub-niche.
It’s essential to have a good general understanding of all things on the internet since you will be working virtually on the internet.
Aside, the skills you need will determine your niche. The skills of a blog manager are different for a social media Virtual Assistant.
Plus, you will need good communication skills, both written and verbal communication skills, to become a good virtual assistant.
Common Services offered by a Virtual Assistant
Numerous services can be offered by a virtual assistant. As much as the task can be performed remotely, it can be offered as a virtual assistance service.
Below are the most popular services offered by a virtual assistant.
– Blog management
– Email management
– Social Media management
– Customer service
– Bookkeeping
– Data entry
– Content research
– Online Community Management
– Transcription
– WordPress Website maintenance
6 Steps to Become a Virtual Assistant in Nigeria.
Decide Which Virtual Assistant Services You Will Offer Your Clients
As a newbie VA, you can offer more than a service, but as you grow it’s good to focus on a single niche. Which is mostly the highest paying niche.
As stated earlier, there are numerous services you can offer as a virtual assistant to make money from home.
But you need to take a skill assessment to determine to first list out all the skills you have that you can offer as a service. Then you will decide which of these can return the highest return on investment for you, that’s, the one that clients will pay a high fee for.
The goal of selling your skills is to make money, so you need to ensure you are offering the skills that will make you the highest amount of money. The high-income skill you select will determine how much you will earn as a VA.
You don’t have to get stuck here. You can always change your choice later. And you can offer more than one service to your clients. But having a specific niche will help you gain more visibility.
Get the Right Tools for Your Services
After settling on a service, you want to offer it as a Virtual Assistant. The next step is to get all the necessary tools you need to work effectively.
Because you are working remotely, you will need a good internet connection. Due to the unreliability of Nigerian internet service providers, it is advisable to plan A, B and C when your internet connection is a concern.
You will also need a steady power supply. Either you get a generator or install a solar panel.
A fast and reliable computer is a must.
In summary, you will need the following:
- Stable power supply.
- Fast internet connection.
- A high-performance personal computer.
- Printer.
- Scanner.
- A working mobile line.
- A ventilated room that serves as your office where you can work without distraction.
Get The Necessary Training
Now that you have decided on the service to offer and get the needed tools.
The next thing is to dedicate time to get all the necessary training you need to deliver an exceptional service to them. The training can either be soft skills training or technical skills training. This will help you serve your clients better.
The best thing for your virtual assistant career is to keep getting referral and jobs from your old clients. This can only happen if you can offer exceptional services to your clients.
So, get all the training you need to become an exceptional virtual assistant.
Decide on Your Pricing Structure
Now that you have chosen your services, you will need to set your price for the services offered.
How much are you charging per hour? Or is your payment going to be per task?
Your fee as a newbie must differ from a professional with many years of experience. Also, the service you want to render will determine how much you can charge.
You can research to get the current market rate for virtual assistants offering your kind of service to set your price.
It’s important to note that if you are working for Nigerians, they preferred to pay monthly, weekly or per task/project. Nigerians don’t like paying per hour.
Draw up Your Legal Framework
As a virtual assistant, it’s essential to have a legal contract to protect your business and yourself from miscreants that might want to take advantage of you.
You need to explicitly spell out your terms of agreements, job descriptions, payment term, termination notice, and other relevant parts of your working contract in writing.
Do not leave any loopholes for exploitation. Protect yourself and your business.
Establish Your Online Presence
You must create an online profile for yourself as a virtual assistant, especially when you take it as a career and just a side hustle.
Update your social media with your new job title and let them know you are taking on clients. Ensure you leave your contact details on the page, and your DM is open.
You can spare a couple of dollars in getting yourself a website where people can get an idea of what you do, reach out to you, and book for your services.
Your online presence can help you land many clients as you advance in your Virtual Assistance career.
Land New Clients by Pitching and Networking
The main point of starting to become a virtual assistant is to make money. If you don’t have any clients, you won’t be able to make money.
It is essential to pitch and market your services to people. You can start using WhatsApp and Facebook groups you belong to and let people know about your services and how you can help them achieve their goals.
Also, you can make a list of people or businesses that will be interested in your services and send them a cold email.
You can also join global freelance platforms like Upwork to get virtual assistant jobs.
It’s simple to become a virtual assistant in Nigeria. One good thing a virtual assistant job offers is fulfilment. As you get to help people and businesses achieve their goals while also making money in the process.
There is a lot of money to make as a virtual assistant in Nigeria, but you won’t make any money if you don’t stop reading this article now and get started.
Which of the 10 popular virtual assistant services will you choose if you’re to go into the virtual assistant space? Please let me know in the comment box.