On WAHM-ing and Being a Virtual Assistant

Last Saturday, April 13, I attended yet another WAHM workshop. I can’t help it. There’s just so much to learn! This workshop was actually a re-run of the one conducted last January 26. I attended that too, of course. However, during that time, I attended the freelance writing track instead of the Virtual Assistance (VA) track because I had every intention of furthering my writing career. What I wasn’t expecting then was that I would be offered a VA job the very next day after the workshop. Funny how things turn out, right?

So,now I’m both a freelance writer and a VA. Although I have tons of administrative experience in the past, I felt that there’s still a lot I need to know about being an assistant virtually. Thank God, Martine of DaintyMom.com and Manila Workshops decided to conduct a re-run of the workshop last Saturday, giving me the chance to attend the VA track.

Let me share with you my take-aways from the workshop, specifically on being a VA:

Virtual Assistants are Independent Contractors.

VAs are highly-skilled professionals who provide administrative services to their clients while working from the home. They are able to do their jobs remotely because they have access to tools, documents, shared calendars and the like. VAs can be paid by the hour or by retainer depending on the arrangements with the client.

VA jobs can be anything under the sun.

There’s a whole range of jobs that VAs can do. There’s a common misinterpretation that VAs only do heavily technical computer or Internet jobs. However, that’s not the case. Don’t make the mistake of just accepting any VA job though. List down all your skills and you’ll get a better idea of the services you can offer to your clients. VA jobs could be any of the following: Web Designers, Graphic Designers, Writers/Bloggers, Bookkeepers, Internet Marketers, SEO Specialists, Social Media, or even something as simple as attending a wedding on behalf of a client! Right, Jenn? 🙂

In my case, the VA services I offer include copywriting, article writing, email marketing, social media and other administrative tasks. I don’t really do graphics and other more technical stuff but I learned that I could offer these services to my clients by learning how to do them myself or partnering with other VAs who are experts in these fields. That’s something I’m seriously considering right now.

Learn, Learn, Learn.

Never stop learning new things. This not only so that you can improve yourself. Learning new skills or even just learning how to use new tools can help you provide more and better services to your clients. Learning is also FUN!

Even if I’m now a VA, I don’t know everything. In fact, there are times when I find myself at a loss. The schedule and tasks can sometimes be overwhelming. But I cure the overwhelming feeling by learning from online sources, other experts and from my WAHM support group. I also learn from very informative workshops such as the WAHM workshop, where I get to meet other WAHMs and WAHM-mabes (a.k.a. WAHM wannabes. Did I even spell that word right, Patty and Chinky? Haha!)

Here are some photos of me and the other participants during the event.

Being a VA is not a walk in the park. 

There are some VA jobs that will allow you to have free reign over your schedule. However, there are also those that will require you to work during specific times of the day. No matter what your schedule is, trying to balance work with your family life will be a constant, never-ending juggling act. There are VAs who have to be on call for most of the day. Some would require work to be done even during the weekends. Don’t ever make the mistake of thinking that being a VA, or WAHM-ing for that matter, is a glamorous job. It’s not but it can be very rewarding and fulfilling just the same.

WAHM-ing and being a VA is not for everybody.

While staying home to manage the household and family and earning at the same time seems like the most ideal arrangement, it’s not something that everybody can be successful at doing. It’s not even something everyone would want to do. So, if you are thinking about WAHM-ing, understand that it’s a lifestyle change. It’s a way of life and it will affect not only you but your entire family as well.

I’m just lucky and blessed that WAHM-ing seems to be working out for me. I can’t imagine going back to the corporate world ever again. I don’t want to, ever.

It was such a fun, informative day as usual! You missed a lot if you didn’t get to attend this workshop. However, I heard there will be more to come, so stay tuned for the announcements.

Photo credits: Manila Workshops