As a 9-5 worker, having an extra source of income in today’s world is a smart idea. It’s dangerous and difficult to rely on a single source of income with so many things to pay for and the job insecurity out there.
So if you are looking for an extra source of income that will not require you quitting your current job, a Virtual Assistant business is a good area to look at.
It is 100% possible to build a VA business, secure a client base and start making money while you still have your 9-5 job.
To start with, Virtual assistants provide a wide range of online services to businesses and individuals so there’s always a chance that the skills you use in your 9-5 job might be useful .
It’s not just roses and wine. Successfully starting and managing a virtual assistant business requires a lot of focus, responsibility and time management. Even though you don’t need any special skills or degree to become a Virtual Assistant and it is a business anyone with a phone or laptop can start.
Related: How to become a virtual assistant in Nigeria
How long will it take to set up your virtual assistant business while in a 9-5 job?
How long it takes you to start and build your virtual assistant business while on your full time job is up to you. You also get to decide the number of clients to work with and how many hours you want to dedicate to it.
As long as you are able to finish your clients tasks without excuses and constantly learn new skills to improve yourself, you’re sure to succeed in the industry. For your full time job, just make sure you don’t breach company policy, e.g find out if you are allowed to have another job. Once you have these in place, you’re good to go.
That said,
Here Are 5 Tips To Help You Start Your Virtual Assistant Business When You Have A 9-5 Job
1.) Decide on the kind of services you want to provide.
Virtual Assistants provide a wide range of services so you need to be specific on which ones you want to provide. You can’t do it all and clients prefer to work with Virtual Assistants who are experts in an area. To help you decide on this, write down all your skills, it could be transferable skills from the job you currently have.
This will help you identify which areas you’ll be good at. You can just pick one or two areas to specialize and build a reputation in that area. Select specifically the type of businesses you want to work with and be clear about it.
Pro tip: Try to stay away from providing services that require you to be available at specific times that coincide with your 9-5 job. For example, providing telemarketing services would require you to pick up the phone when it rings. Your 9-5 employers will surely not be pleased with this so keep that in mind. Instead go for jobs that rely on automation. So that you can work in advance and schedule it to go live while you are at work. A good example is email marketing. You can write and set up emails for your clients in advance and have them automatically published. Click here to sign up for my email marketing for virtual assistants course.
2.) Set-Up Your Business Systems
A lot of people forget this step. You need to set up your business step-by-step. Which tools will you use for bookings, invoicing, discovery calls etc. ? How will you onboard, off-board and manage clients?
All these things have to be in place.
Some tools you need are:
- Calendly or Tidycal for bookings
- Paystack or Zoho invoice for invoicing and getting paid
- Zoom, Google meet or Zoho meeting for discovery calls
- Asana, Slack or even Gmail and WhatsApp for communicating with clients
- Signwell for signing contracts
- Virtual assistant agreement template to protect you and your business.
Further reading: See how much it cost to start a virtual assistant business in Nigeria today
3.) Get a feasible Schedule
To succeed as a Virtual Assistant with your full time Job, you need to make time for your business. So find a solid schedule you can stick with. Your schedule should also make time for leisure and rest.
Also, discuss your new side hustle with your loved ones because it will change your schedule and this means you will have less time with them. So let them understand your decision so they can support you.
4.) Set up a home office or workspace
Homes aren’t built for work, so you’ll need to make some changes to create an atmosphere that will be conducive enough for you to concentrate and be productive. So set up your workstation with a desk and chair. Then get a laptop for the job. A secluded spot in your house with good lighting, minimal noise and good ventilation is good enough. It doesn’t have to be fancy. I worked 90% from my bed 90% of the time in my first year as a virtual assistant. It is bad for your health but I had to make do. If you can get a table and chair, you are good to go. You should read up on the cost of starting a virtual assistant business.
5.) Market Your New Business
Now it’s time for you to tell people about your business. First, build business profiles on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter that will be visible to potential clients. This will depend on where your target clients spend most of their time. That’s why it is important to profile your ideal clients. You can also join Social media groups on Facebook to build relationships.
Leverage the network you have in and outside your 9-5 job. Don’t keep your business a secret. Tell as many people as you can about it because they might know someone who needs your services. Optimize your linkedin profile to attract clients and create a virtual assistant portfolio even if you don’t have any clients yet.
Wrapping Up
You don’t need to quit your 9-5 job to start and manage a virtual assistant business. However, you need to prioritize and find balance in order not to make either your 9-5 job or virtual assistant career suffer.
If you need more hand holding in starting and/or managing your virtual assistant business, or feel like you don’t have the skills. I’m offering you a free 15 minute clarity session. After the session, you’ll know which steps to take and get a clear blueprint of how to pick up skills, attract clients and get guidance from me. Click here to secure a spot.