So you finally made the move and gained experience with some jobs as a virtual assistant.
Mazel Tov! Although the hardest part has already been done, there is now another concern: all your jobs pay $ 15- $ 20 per hour, but you are ready to take your career to the next level.
I started working online more than eight years ago as a virtual assistant. During this time, I grew my business doing everything from running online courses, like mine 90 days VA Plan, for hosting a Work from anywhere in Summit Virtual, Which has helped thousands of people achieve their goal of pursuing distant careers.
My income has tripled in just the last two years, and that’s something you can do too! Maybe you’re thinking, “There’s no way I can do that!“
But believe me, by following just 4 simple tips, you can grow your business and charge what you want (and deserve) to get paid.
1. Moving with a business owner
Now, that may not be what you want to hear, but one of the best ways to gain experience and upgrade to higher level niches is to start small with a client.
You must put your foot in the door and learn about the business! It’s not just me saying this; Many other project managers and online business owners I interviewed agree.
Start working at the ground level, such as virtual management, money management or community management.
As your customer grows, you will be able to grow with them. Become a VA that they can not live without! Once the customer trusts you as a right hand man, he will be more willing to guide you and give you more responsibility as his business grows.
It is also a great way to learn without investing in additional skills or courses, as you will practice at work and be paid to study.
2. Increase rates gradually
One of the best parts of working online is that you can upload uploads for yourself!
This is a great tip for anyone working with a long-term client: Because you gain experience and learn on the job, you can let your client know (after about 6 months to a year) that you’ll raise your rate from, say, $ 20 an hour to $ 25 an hour.
Now, remember, Do not knock this customer who has taught you and helps you grow! When you raise your rates with them, do so gradually and remember that they have put a lot of time and effort into training you.
But if you’re looking for another way to raise your rates in larger amounts, you can do so by recruiting new customers and using all the online management skills you learned with previous business owners to increase your start-up rate. That way, you can start over with a higher salary rate and not have to worry about raising rates after working with the same client for a while.
3. Invest in skills
Just because you have already learned an online training program like 90 days VA Or having a degree does not mean you can not continue to invest in learning new skills that will take your business to the next level. I know it’s hard to hear, but You’re not done!
There are tons of courses ranging from $ 200 to $ 2000 that you can invest in to take the skills you currently have to a range of $ 40 an hour or more. You just can not get such a return on investment with an expensive academic degree!
One of the best parts about being a VA is that you decide how much money you can make.
The question is no, How many hours can I work as a VA? the question is, How much can I charge per hour?
By taking classes and increasing your skills, you can charge more per hour and work part time if you want! You can even earn as much or more than you are currently doing in your current full-time job. I know, Thought-provoking!
Remember though – you need to be strategic about the skills you choose to invest in.
Just because you want to work with a food blogger does not mean you have to invest in cooking classes. You need to increase your skills in areas that have a clear ROI return to the client who employs you. The customer must be able to see that paying you what you ask for is an investment for him and that he will be able to return his money (and more) in return.
But it is not always related to making money from your customer!
Obtaining an online business or project management certification can help you qualify for higher-level jobs and apply for a higher starting rate. Learning coding (as opposed to just basic website management) can also increase your value; Some customers pay over $ 10K for a great website. Professional branding and graphic design are also extremely important for companies, and many customers are willing to pay good money to make sure they have the right person to help them build their brand.
4. Be professional
If you want to attract and work with higher clients, then everything you do should look at a higher level now.
This tip is So, so important And if you do not follow it, none of the steps I mentioned earlier will even affect! Any offer, contract, invoice, etc. should look and feel like it was sent by a professional businesswoman.
Make sure you have integrated payment systems. Make sure your Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and website are up to date. Take well-lit, high-quality and professional photos of yourself. A thorough process from initial contact to essential payment for positioning your VA business as the reliable and professional type that every client will want to work with.
There is no wrong way to do this; Just make sure you have a deliberate and reliable plan. Do not be afraid to be gorgeous!
Taking the next step in your online VA business and making more money has never been so easy. You can do everything from starting small and increasing the scale with a client to investing in further education so you can apply for a higher rate right from the start (do not forget to be professional in the matter!).
If you are looking to learn more about increasing your value, you can join for free Work from anywhere in Summit Virtual, Where I talk to 15 high level professionals in their field about how they got to where they are and how to get started.
We go through all this and More Over 5 days, and we even include one to two online jobs each day. If you are just starting out and want an all-inclusive course with more than just standard skills training, you can check out my 90 Day Program for VA Here.
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and make your money!
