Why I Became a Virtual Assistant

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For years my husband has been telling me to become a Virtual Assistant. According to him, it was the ‘best job’ to have where you work online for yourself. Who doesn’t love working online, making their own hours, and having the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world? I thought he was crazy, and wanted a regular, stable job working in the field I studied in school for years. Although it was a good suggestion, it didn’t seem like a plausible idea, and I had heard of no one doing such an odd job as a Virtual Assistant. 

In August of 2020, my daughter was born; she was a beloved COVID-19 baby. I would spend the next 12 months of maternity leave in a small bubble with just her, my hubby, and I at home. Being stuck at home during lockdown truly made me so much more introverted than I was before.

For context, my background is in early childhood education, and prior to my maternity leave I was working as a childcare director. No amount of money could convince me to return to that job. The idea of returning to work outside the home, surrounded by people all much older than me didn’t really excite me too much. Don’t get me wrong, they were nice people and all, but I only worked there for a total of four or so months before I started my maternity leave; I had no real connection or incentive to return there. 

I need a job

By the time my maternity leave of 12 months was coming to an end, I realized I did not want to return to a full-time job outside of the house. COVID-19 was still so rampant across Canada and the idea of returning to work with all the extra rules, staff calling in sick, and sanitizing measures just wasn’t my vibe. I was willing to put our daughter in daycare to help build her immune system, but I for sure didn’t want to be in the childcare setting myself. I needed to find a way to bring in income, and I needed to do it before my maternity leave benefits were over. 

To get some money coming in, I found out I could tutor English online. I signed up for the 120-Hour TEFL Certificate through a local university and worked my way through the course as quickly as possible. Once that was complete, I found myself applying to tutor on any platform that I could find accepting new tutors with a TEFL Certification. What I quickly learned is that most of the tutoring platforms require a TEFL Certificate in addition to having a Bachelor’s Degree (I only have a college Diploma). I was very discouraged by that, but found a different platform that only requires a TEFL Certification. My application to teach English online to kids was approved – yay! I tutored every night for a couple hours. On some weekends I would also wake up early to tutor in the mornings before my hubby and daughter woke up! 

The search continues…

Knowing that tutoring wouldn’t give me enough income to cover my basic expenses, I began to look for full-time administrative work at the same time. The skills I had from previous jobs in customer service, retail, and running a childcare centre were enough to help me find an admin job. 

I found a few admin jobs, and interviewed for them, but none of them were offering remote opportunities. I started looking into becoming a virtual assistant. So many people talk about becoming a virtual assistant as a side hustle, so it truly couldn’t be that hard I thought. My job search on Indeed and LinkedIn consisted of key searches like ‘admin’, ‘part-time’, and ‘virtual assistant’. 

Taking a leap

I started my own virtual assistant business: Success by Ness. Next, I joined a bunch of Facebook groups for virtual assistants. I signed up for every free course or resource I could find related to virtual assistant work. I quickly realized I might need a bit more support in launching my business, so I joined a virtual assistant agency. 

Between the Facebook groups, Indeed, and the agency I was able to find my first 3 clients within a month of starting my business. These 3 clients allowed me the flexibility I wanted in work post-maternity leave. I needed something that would allow me to pick up and drop off my daughter from daycare during regular hours – something I would have struggled with if I’d returned to a regular job in childcare.

Building a business

My determination allowed me to build a business where I work for myself. I work the hours I want, and by doing so I make more money working less than full-time hours. Becoming a Virtual Assistant has allowed me to stay home with our daughter on days when she isn’t feeling well. As a Virtual Assistant, I am able to work from home when I’m feeling unwell and want to lay in bed. Being a Virtual Assistant has allowed me to work at my own pace early in the morning when my brain is functioning at top performance.

Being a Virtual Assistant has even allowed me to work from the car on quieter days just to keep my hubby company while he works – we call it carpool co-working – and believe it or not I accomplish more on the road than sitting at a desk and chair at home! The freedom to work where and how I want is extraordinarily rewarding.

I often have people asking me how I built a virtual assistant business, how I make my money, where I find my clients, etc. If you want to become a virtual assistant but don’t know where to start, The Guide to Becoming a Virtual Assistant is a great place to start. I realize many of the virtual assistant courses are overpriced and undervalued. I created this course based on the questions and with the needs of aspiring virtual assistants in mind.