Virtual assistants are becoming increasingly popular among small business owners because they provide a flexible way for companies and clients to expand their workforce without having to hire full-time employees.

Why Should You Become a Virtual Assistant?

There are several reasons why hiring a virtual assistant might make sense for clients and companies. First, they can save money by not paying for office space, benefits, payroll taxes, etc. Second, they can free up their time, so they can focus on growing their business instead of doing paperwork. The client/company can hire a virtual assistant as a way to build relationships with potential clients. When you have the right skill sets and a great business model, you can offer your virtual assistant services at a competitive salary and benefits.

Here are 7 Top Sites Offering Virtual Assistant Jobs For Beginners

1. Hubstaff Talent

Hubstaff is a free resource for companies and clients looking for remote freelance workers globally. There are no fees, middlemen, or markups here. However, you need to sign up and create your profile. You also need to upload your resume and portfolio. Write your bio, put availability, what you wish to charge hourly for your services, location, and languages. Make sure your profile is 100 percent complete.

After completing your profile, their production team will review it and approve or advise on the areas that need improvement.

Jobs are posted daily, and you need to peruse them, then apply for what you’re qualified for. They also send regular emails on the recommended jobs and this will give you a good lead. You can send as many proposals as you wish until you land your client.

2. Upwork.com

Upwork is one of the largest freelance marketplaces. When you join Upwork, you will notice they have job opportunities for Virtual Assistants, both experienced and beginners. All you need to do is to sign up and create your freelance profile. 

After completing your profile, you will peruse the posted jobs, and send proposals that you feel are a good fit for you. Upwork uses connections to send proposals, so make sure you have enough connections. One proposal can take 2-6 connections.

With time, you will land your first Virtual Assistant client, and with consistent work and positive reviews, you will create a name for yourself on the platform where clients can be reaching you even without bidding.

3.Talent Hub

Talent Hub is another great online platform that’s dedicated to connecting Virtual Assistants with potential clients. While the job posts will vary on the site day by day, it’s a great place to connect with genuine clients.

They require you to create your profile first by recording the answers to the questions asked. So, make sure you have a functional web came while applying. You also need to complete your profile before they can review it and approve it. Remember, you will only get access to the posted jobs once your profile has been approved.

There’s less competition here, so it’s easy to land a client if what they’re looking for matches your skills. Make sure you’re crafting organic proposals, always avoid using generic proposals while looking for work. Address the customer’s need and pain points.

4. Fivver

Fivver is a global marketplace for most freelance services, it’s also a great place to start as a newbie Virtual Assistant. The platform connects remote workers with companies or clients looking for work.

With Fivver you work as a seller, so you’re going to create gigs that align with your skills. If a potential client is interested in your services, they will buy your gig and the contract will start from there. Always make sure that all communications are within the platform, otherwise, your account will be suspended.

You can create as many gigs as you want, and always make sure you’re requesting your clients for reviews and ratings, as this is what will make other potential clients buy your gigs. You can also work as much as you can once you get a client, there’s no limit to how many clients you can have.

 5. 24/7 Virtual Assistant

24/7 Virtual Assistant is another company that hires administrative virtual assistants globally. They encourage applicants to list the number of languages they’re conversant with so that landing a job as a multilingual assistant will be a plus. 

If interested, you’re supposed to send your resume to careers@247virtualassistant.com. After receiving your resume, they will get back to you immediately if they have a client that matches your skills, if not, they will keep your resume on file and contact you when they find a match for your skills.

The pay rate is $10-12 per hour, depending on the client’s requirements and your skill level. They also claim that 90% of their clients for part-time assistants who are available 20-120 hours per month.

6. Outsourcely

Outsourcely is another great platform that businesses and startups with talented remote workers globally. 

Sign up, and then create your profile. Here are the requirements; your skills, availability, location, monthly pay, internet speed, work device, previous employer, number of years worked, English fluency level, skill summary, profile, photo, etc.

After completing your profile, you will have a dashboard on the left side of the screen where you can filter job searches either by category or jobs recommended for you.

It’s important to check when the job was posted and the expiring date, to avoid sending applications to stale jobs or jobs that have been taken.

When you have identified a job that matches your skill after the search, you will see the job post and the requirements. Then click on apply for this job. You will write your proposal here explaining why you’re fit for the job. You may also attach your resume and portfolio there to back up your proposal, you can as well attach your voice/video message.

7. Working Nomads

Working Nomads is a remote work job board with a well-curated number of reliable and genuine remote positions from any part of the world.

Job postings are updated daily ranging from management, marketing, sales development, design, virtual assistant, and so on.

You can choose from temporary to long-term and permanent positions. All you need is to sign up with your email, then check the job categories on your dashboard. After selecting the category that you’re interested in, you can pick the jobs that match your skills and then apply. Make sure that the job you’re applying for is in your location.

Conclusion

Frankly speaking – the global economy is in a mess. The job market is looking grim, and some experts predict that unemployment could go as high as 10 percent. This means more competition for jobs than ever before, so you need to look for ways to stand out from all the other applicants competing for your position. One of the best ways to do this is to offer some unique services that competitors don’t have.

If you would like to get started as a Virtual Assistant and you feel lost, you can read this article. You might as well consider getting professional Virtual Assistant training for you to understand how to run a VA business professionally. If you need guidance on how to get started, you can sign up for our online VA course – Learn How to Become an On-Demand Pro-Virtual Assistant.

Did you know that you can start your own transcription business or company like GoTranscript, Scribie, or even Transcribio? Well, most of the freelancers are used to working for companies that they overlook the possibility of starting their businesses and hiring transcribers to work for them.

Transcription is the process of converting audio recordings (like phone calls) into written text. It’s an important part of many industries, including law enforcement, medicine, education, and journalism.

To start your own transcription business, you have to know what you’re getting yourself into.

You have to find out more about the industry and understand how the industry works.

Here are 8 helpful tips that you should consider before starting your own transcription business.

1. Know Your Audience 

If you want to make money with your own transcription business, you need to understand who your customers are. This will help you determine how much work you should expect from the client and whether you’ll be able to charge enough to cover the cost of running the business.

Look for clients who are easy to work with and who are willing to pay you on time so that you can sustain your business.

2. Create a Professional Website

 A professional website is an essential part of any transcription business. It’s where people go to find your services and learn more about you. It also serves as a place to showcase your skills and attract potential clients.

You can as well use the website as a work portal for your workers, where they can create their accounts to access the jobs and also submit the completed transcripts. Every transcriber should have a working account to make work easier for you and them. 

3. Start Building Relationships with Clients

If you want to build a successful transcription business, you need to start building relationships with clients right away. This means meeting them face-to-face, sending handwritten thank-you notes, and staying in touch via phone calls and emails. 

4. Learn About the Industry

There’s no shortage of people who want to make money by transcribing audio files. However, there are some things you should know before starting your own transcription business. First, you’ll need to find a reliable source of work. Second, you’ll need to learn how to do the job well. Third, you’ll need to understand the legal requirements of the industry. Finally, you’ll need to develop a plan for scaling up your business. 

5. Research Pricing

If you want to start a transcription business, you’ll first need to research pricing. It’s not uncommon for companies to charge anywhere between $10-$20 per hour. This means that you’ll need to figure out how much you can charge per hour, considering that you will be subcontracting someone else to do the job.

There are so many to consider when researching for the price like the audio quality, the number of speakers in an audio file, the length of the audio, and also the accent.

To determine this number, you’ll need to consider several factors. First, you’ll want to take into account the cost of hiring proofreaders or Quality Assurance staff. Next, you’ll want to factor in the cost of supplies and running your office. Finally, you’ll want to add in any costs associated with training and the onboarding process. 

6. Where and How to get clients

At first, it can be a rigorous process to get clients, but nothing is impossible. You can start by approaching your current direct clients and requesting for referrals. They may have friends or even business partners who might be interested in your services.

Also, freelancing sites like Upwork can be a great place to start where you can get a well-paying client. Cold pitching is also another technique that you can use. You can reach out directly to business owners to see whether they might require your services.

After securing a client, you must make sure that your workers are delivering quality work on time. 

7. Hiring Transcribers

To deliver quality work and to have a dedicated team, you need to hire experienced transcribers. Make sure that you have set your business’s style guides that have to be followed strictly. These guides may differ depending on the client’s needs.

You can have training sessions after onboarding the transcribers to make them understand what is needed of them. Also, make sure you agree with your payment cycle. 

8. Running the business professionally

To succeed with your transcription business, you need to run the business professionally. You should have set a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for onboarding both the clients and the workers.

You should also have an agreement with your clients and also with the workers. Let everyone understand the terms and conditions of the business by having a written document that has to be signed.

Accounting has also to be done professionally to track the cost of running the business and also to know whether you’re making a profit or a loss. You need to make sure that the clients are paying on time and that you’re also paying your transcribers on time without any delay. This can be weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly depending on what will work for you.

Conclusion

If you’re an entrepreneur, running your own transcription business is a great business opportunity, as the industry is growing very fast and there are so many transcribers looking for work.

Being a business owner is not hard as long as you have a workable business plan, and you’re persistent in what you’re doing, and you have the passion to succeed.

A virtual assistant is an individual who provides personal or business assistance to people through remote access. A virtual assistant can be in charge of bookkeeping, web research, and organizing email correspondences.

To get a job as a virtual assistant, you will typically need to have at least some experience as well as knowledge of other skills that you can offer to your clients. There are several websites that provide opportunities for those interested in finding a career as a Virtual Assistant, including glassdoor.com, TaskRabbit, and Rock Solid Virtual Assistants.

Here are 9 helpful tips that can help you find Virtual Assistant jobs online.

 1. Certifications

Certifications are credentials earned by an individual to showcase their ability to perform a job and verify their legitimacy. There are online courses that teach professional skills, and they also come with a certificate of completion that you can add to your resume.

There are many certifications available online ranging from, Virtual Assistant courses, Administrative Assistant courses, and also Personal Assistant certifications.

If you would like to enroll in our Virtual Assistant course, you can join us here – Learn How To Become an On-Demand Professional Virtual Assistant. This will help you to improve your skills and qualifications.  

2. Have Previous Work Experience

Having previous work experience is very important, and this boosts the chances of getting hired as a Virtual Assistant. Always include your past work experience on your resume. Consider working in fields that are in line with your profession.

You can start working on freelancing tasks such as transcription or data entry, this will help you build your confidence and gain work experience before applying for a full-time position.

In case you don’t have previous work experience, you can consider an internship. There are many internships that can be considered by a Virtual Assistant. Internships provide a student with real-life experience and teach them skills that will be beneficial in the future. For example, an internship in a law firm might teach one about legal terminology and the various ways to communicate with different people in an organization.

 3. Create a Resume and a Portfolio 

A resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a formal document that shows an overview of your professional qualifications, skills, and relevant work experience. Consider creating a professional resume, you can use Canva.com to design a simple but professional resume.

While, a work portfolio is a collection of your past work samples that shows your capability to deliver similar services to a potential client. You can as well use Canva.com to create a great professional portfolio.

4. Create a Strong Social Media Presence  

Having a strong social media presence as a Virtual Assistant is very important. Most Virtual Assistants receive job offers through their social media platforms. You should have professional social media accounts showcasing the skills and services that you offer.

Advertising your services on social medial platforms will make potential clients notice your presence. You can use hashtags or digital media marketing to advertise your services to other people on several social media platforms.

Be active and available to respond to any messages send to you on any of your social media platforms, and be professional while handling the inquiries.

 5. Join Traditional and Freelancing Job Sites  

When large organizations want to hire Virtual Assistants, they usually post the job opportunity on traditional job sites.

As a Virtual Assistant, you need to join traditional and freelancing job sites and create your profile there, making sure it’s 100% complete.

You also need to learn how to write winning proposals so that when you send your bids, you can stand out to be invited for a job interview.

Be consistent in regularly checking job sites to check whether there are new long-term job posts. It’s good to focus on long-term clients, as this will give you a good workflow and a good relationship with your client.

Make it a habit of asking your clients to leave you a review and a rating so that you can create a good name for yourself, you can as well leave a review for your client. Positive reviews are very important, and they will build confidence in other prospective clients in the future.

 6. Join Digital Communities  

If you’re an independent contractor or a freelancer, it’s good to consider joining as many digital communities as you can that are in line with the services that you offer.

These communities give you a great opportunity to interact with other people in the industry who can give you a warm lead to a job opportunity or even give you advice.

Check for communities or groups that specialize in Virtual Assistant jobs and join them. They will help you in getting projects. Most of these communities post job opportunities with the hashtag #jobopp.

Once you spot a job post, do not hesitate to send your applications, you never know where your luck is.

7. Create a Facebook Page or a Website

 Having your website as a Virtual Assistant has a great impact on your VA business, as this can drive web traffic to your site, which increases the chances of clients finding and hiring you. You can create a website that has a portfolio page where you can showcase your skills and previous work, work rates or packages, professional references, and a contact page.

Once a client spots all these on your website, there’s a very high chance of getting hired. So, you need to have a strong presence online.

Since creating a website requires resources, you can also consider creating a Facebook page, which can serve the same purpose as a website.

8. Ask for Referrals from your Professional Network

If you have a large professional network, it can increase your chances of getting Virtual Assistant jobs. You can ask people in your professional network if they know anyone looking for a Virtual Assistant. You can request them to refer you to a potential client. Referrals work so well since there’s trust built amongst the professional network.

You can as well consider attending networking events to grow your network.

 9. Apply to a Virtual Assistant Job Agency

 Some organizations and companies outsource their VA jobs to agencies. These agencies can hire many Virtual Assistants and provide them with long-term and reliable work. You can do research on the best Virtual Assistants job agencies through their websites and then send them your resume.

 In case they are hiring, they will revert with the recruitment process.

Conclusion

A virtual assistant may work anywhere, with no requirements as to what type of personal computer you own. The number and types of things a virtual assistant can do can vary widely. In addition to your work location, having a personal computer with internet connections and headphones is relatively important.

If you’re passionate enough to work online, being a full-time Virtual Assistant can earn you a decent online income.

Did you know it’s possible to get started as a Virtual Assistant without being highly skilled in a profession? Virtual Assistant opportunities have become increasingly popular over the past few years, with a staggering 3 million jobs currently being held by these assistants. With that, many job opportunities have opened, finding work as a VA can be hard – but not impossible!

We’ve put together this guide to help you find and secure your first VA job.

Who exactly is a Virtual Assistant?

A Virtual Assistant (VA) is a person who takes care of individuals, tasks or projects for their clients. They help with whatever the client needs, be that writing documents, making phone calls, creating websites, social media management, admin tasks, and more. Since they’re not there in-person (meaning they don’t have to deal with the minutiae of managing an office), they can provide their clients with a lot more work than they could otherwise do on their own.

Here are 9 Tips to help you started as a Virtual Assistant?

 1. Identify your skills

The first step is to decide what type of work you’d like to do. Every Virtual Assistant has unique skills to offer.  You need to be computer savvy, have great communication skills, editorial skills and also, great organization and time management skills.

Once you have these then you can decide whether you want to offer your services traditionally via an agency, through the internet or by word-of-mouth advertising? Or perhaps you want to focus solely on developing skills in customer service and other customer-focused areas, such as product management and design.

 2. Determine how much time you need for each type of work

Traditional agency work allows you to set your own hours, and take as few or as many projects as you choose. Depending on how fast each project flows through, you might have time to work on a number of different tasks at once. However, because the outsourced work is more established than freelance work and available jobs are plentiful, agencies prefer full-time virtual assistants.

3. Pricing structure

Once you have decided what services you’re going to offer, then you can set your pricing structure, this can be through packages or hourly rates. Once you have your price, it’s good to come to an agreement with your client on how you’re going to be receiving your payment and when.

 4. Equipment

Deciding on the services that you’re going to offer to your clients will also help you decide on the equipment that you require delivering your services. Sometimes a Virtual Assistant may only require a computer with Internet connection, headphones and a smartphone to get started. But just in case your services require an additional monitor, or phones, you need to budget for such.

5. Build a portfolio

Every Virtual Assistant should have a professional portfolio. This is where you will showcase your clients’ feedback, examples of your work and reviews. You will get more and well-paying clients when you showcase your skills.

 6. Search for jobs

For you to succeed as a Virtual Assistant, you need to be proactive and more aggressive while searching for jobs. You may have to accept low paying jobs when getting started so that you can be able to build your portfolio as you gain confidence and experience.

You can ask for referrals from your friends or search for job openings online on job listing platforms or even on freelancing sites.

 7. Market yourself

Your success as a Virtual Assistant will entirely depend on your ability to market your services. Utilize social media platforms and professional platforms like LinkedIn to make you visible online.

Also, creating your personal website can help you to market yourself and showcase your skills and portfolio to potential clients.

8. Specialization

It’s good not to be a jack of all trades and hence specialization. There are a number of Virtual assistants niches to specialize on. Once you have specialized, you will be able to charge better rates and retain your clients by focusing on a particular market niche.

Focus on one niche and develop the skills so that you can start marketing yourself as an expert in that particular area.

9. Professional Training

You might as well consider getting professional Virtual Assistant training in order for you to understand how to run a VA business professional. If you need guidance on how to get started, you can sign up for our online VA course – Learn How to Become an On-Demand Pro-Virtual Assistant

Conclusion

The internet has a lot of job opportunities for Virtual Assistants. If you’re a go-getter, and you have the right skills, you will definitely make a career as a remote VA. Consider joining our online course so that you can get professional guidance on how to get started. WhatsApp me on +254-739-317-633 we chat the way forward.

Passing transcription tests seems like an uphill task. But if you have the right transcription skills, this should be a walk in the park. You should be able to pass any transcription test without breaking a sweat.

When doing transcription tests, you will notice that different companies have different style guides to be followed. Here are 11 incredibly useful tips that will enable you to pass any transcription test.

1. Read and Understand the Style Guide

Each and every company has its own style guide, which means there are some rules to be followed. When you’re given a transcription test, make sure you have understood the style guide so well. Most of the time, what the company is looking for is someone who is able to follow rules and pay attention to details. You will notice that even if you’re a great transcriber, and you’re poor at following rules, it will be hard for you to pass any transcription test.

So, before you even think of listening to the transcription audio test, make sure you have gone through the guide thoroughly, and you have understood what is expected of you. You can go through the guide several times until you are comfortably understood everything.

2. Listen Keenly

Having a keen ear is important for every transcriber. When you’re given a transcription test, make sure you have gone through the audio first to understand what the context of the file is. Listen carefully to what the speaker is speaking about, also make sure you’re able to decipher words. 

Make sure that you’re focused on the transcription test without any distractions. Typing so many words at ago can affect your accuracy, you should make sure that you’re grasping just a few words at ago as you transcribe them bit by bit until you’re done with the file.

There are instances where you might not get some words, in which you’re allowed to use the inaudible tag [inaudible] or [unintelligible] or whatever the company’s style guide allows you to use. Note that most transcription tests are timed, so you will need to use your best judgment to move as fast as you can.

3. Transcription Tools

As an independent freelance contractor, you will need to invest in the right transcription tools. Each and every job has its online work tools, and transcription is no exception. First, you need to have a computer with Internet connections and a pair of headphones, and other transcription tools or software. 

Headphones are better than earphones as they’re much more comfortable and one can be able to concentrate on the transcription test better as they bar the surrounding distractions.

Here are some of the 9 transcription software that will help you increase productivity.

4. Typing Skills

Every aspiring transcriber should have great typing skills. Being a touch typist will help you in a great way, as every company sets its own standard for the required typing speed. You should aim to have at least a 60 wpm typing speed. On the other hand, it’s very possible to pass the transcription tests with 35 wpm speed if your typing is accurate, meaning you have minimal errors while typing. Any other speed which is lower than that can be challenging.

It is very helpful to practice your typing speed from the audio files that you enjoy, as this creates excitement. There are a lot of free resources online where you can get free practice files to help you with this. If you really want a career out of transcription, acquiring great typing skills is a must. Here’s a free typing training resource.

Also, keep in mind that accuracy comes before speed, but both are equally important. When you have a great typing speed coupled with great accuracy, you will be able to deliver work on time without missing deadlines.

5. Proper Punctuation

Punctuation seems to be a big challenge to many transcribers. This can be a tricky topic since different transcription rules are applied depending on the purpose of the file by different sources. It also depends on which English you’re using, you will notice that the UK English commas are placed outside quotes while the US English commas are placed inside quotes. So, while handling the transcription test, it’s important to understand the method that you’re required to use depending on where the test is based.

It’s easy to get confused when to use proper English rules if you read a lot of literature. So, to be on the safe side as a transcriber, you should practice audio transcription using the standard English grammar rules for testing. Then follow the client or the style guide rules.

6. Understand Transcription Formatting

In order to pass any online transcription test, you need to have a clear understanding of the transcription formatting. Different companies/clients require different formats, which means you will have to review their style guide to have a good understanding of the formatting required.

Typically, you should leave one blank line between paragraphs, and use a single space after every punctuation, to identify speakers. Sometimes you can be requested to save your file using the audio file extension name, such as Test.mp3. Some other parts of formatting are font size and style and margins.

7. Spelling and Grammar

Proper spelling and the use of standard English grammar are very crucial while undertaking any transcription test. You should also make sure that you’re utilizing your spell-checking tools to gauge your file accuracy. 

Also, make sure that you understand the basic English grammar rules. Here are some of the basic English word classifications.

• Interjections (these are emotional, standalone words)
• Prepositions (these are words that are related to another)
• Conjunctions (thought connecting words)
• Adjectives (these are words that are descriptive)
• Verbs (these are action words)
• Adverbs (expression of how something is done)
• Nouns (places, things, or persons beyond pronouns)
• Pronouns (relate to people)

  8. Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is very crucial for any transcription work. Your sentences should make sense, and in some instances, you will have to make decisions on what the speaker is saying in the context of the words used by the speaker. Since many words have different meanings, you will have to make a decision about what the speaker is talking about.

You should also be able to differentiate between homophones where words sound similar, e.g. error and era. Be proactive to also think critically as you work on your file.

 9. Research

Even though you are not required to do a lot of research work while transcribing, it’s important to make sure that you’re doing research on the words that you’re not sure about in order to get the correct spelling and meaning. Google is a great search engine that you should utilize for your research.

You should make sure that you’re doing a correct Google search which should be within the context of the file as we have mentioned above, different words sound the same but have different meanings.

10. Proofreading

It is very important to proofread your work thoroughly to make sure you have no errors on your file before submitting the file. Make sure you’re reading the audio against the transcript. Always thrive to deliver client-ready transcripts for every transcription test that you take. This will guarantee you a pass on the test.

Conclusion

Passing any transcription test should not be a nightmare if you prepare yourself so well. Your main focus should be to capture the speaker’s words as accurately as possible, then follow the style guide.

However, it’s good to understand what transcription entails as far as the tools involved and the requirements before attempting any test. If you need to get professional transcription training, feel free to sign up for our online transcription course here – Learn Online Transcription From Scratch.

Also, feel free to leave your comment below if you have any questions.