Mary Kristian Lafrades

Perks of Being a VA Working as a Virtual Assistant is almost the same as working inside an office. You’re given tasks to work on, and then get paid. You get to work with different types of people. In this age of technology where anything can be done online, and everyone can be connected within a touch of your fingertips, it’s not surprising that the virtual services industry is starting to have a name for itself. Before I changed careers from a call centre agent in the BPO world to a freelancing Virtual Assistant, I did some research to know if I was doing the right thing in shifting industries. I talked to friends, and joined some Facebook groups about freelancing and working as a Virtual Assistant. Here are some of the things I believe are the perks of being a Virtual Assistant or VA: 1. Working remotely 2. Flexible work hours 3. You are your own Boss 4. Limitless 5. Cost efficient 6. Say goodbye to Occupational Hazards 7. Boosts self-worth Working remotely. With the internet being as accessible anywhere, working remotely has become extremely possible. Most of the time, you get to work at home. Who hates HEAVY TRAFFIC? Raise your hands up!!!! I had worked for companies where I have to leave home at least 2 hours before my shift to make sure I avoid being late, and refresh myself for another 7.5 of work away from my children. And that is in the evening. Imagine if I my work was during daytime! And another 2-3 hours of heavy traffic to travel back home. Nothing beats waking up feeling refreshed, and ready to work! You can even work in your pyjama’s, without make-up. Nobody will tell you to dress properly. You just have to be confident and at ease. When I feel tired or the VA in me hasn’t woken up (in short, demotivated) I just walk over to my inspiration (my kids), and get my well-deserved hugs and kisses. The time I had saved from travelling now goes to spending quality time with my family. I am now a more hands-on wife to my husband, and mother to my kids. I never miss a family gathering. There are more school projects finished together, more lessons easily understood, and more school activities attended. I am proud to say that I now I get to watch my kids’ performance (before, I arrive late because I still have to travel from work). The money I had saved from transportation now goes to paying the internet bill, and other necessities. I have also saved from dress allowance, and food allowance. You can also travel while working. Work at night, and sleep and activities in the day! As long the place you’re staying has a reliable internet connection, you’re good to go! Flexible work hours. Working as a VA, you can get the chance to have flexible working hours. This will depend on the agreement you have with your client. You have the option when to have your break time. As a VA, it also gives you the flexibility of sliding your work hours. You are your own Boss. Being a VA also gives you the benefit of choosing what services or skills you would like to provide your client. It gives you the option to choose which client to start working with, and what projects to apply for. Your client may micro-manage you, but you are still your own Boss! You do not need to worry about jealous co-workers, or office politics. As long as you meet the deadline and always available to communicate with your client, you’re all set! I used to work part-time for a client, who later increased my work hours from 10 hours-20 hours. I was grateful for having the extra income aside from the full-time work I have. But as the weeks go by, he was giving me tasks that were impossible to complete on his given time. Overtime weren’t paid, and the regular pay wasn’t at par to the scope of work he was giving me. When the project I was working was done, I said goodbye and never turned back! Limitless. The opportunities are endless when you are a VA. There is always another industry, another company that would need a VA. The opportunities for growth are endless, there is always something new to learn. New software, and new skills to hone. Working for different industries will give you experiences that will open new opportunities. Today you may be General VA doing data entry and internet research, tomorrow you may be a content writer! Being flexible with the ability to multi-task is the key to being the rock star VA your client needs. Cost efficient. As a Virtual Assistant, you get to save on money. The money you allotted to getting a working space and equipment, you can now allot for more important things, like getting the best equipment to help you be an effective VA. All you need to do is to set-up a working space at home, and voila! You now have your own home-office! Working as a VA will also save you on dress allowance. It’s no longer necessary to update your wardrobe. Although, it is nice to buy something for yourself once in a while. You will save on food cost. Your budget for eating out while at work can now be your budget for another weekly eat-out with your family! Say goodbye to Occupational Hazards. Working in the graveyard shift most of the time, this is one of the reasons I decided to go into freelancing. During rainy season, call centre agents have a name for themselves. They call themselves IMMORTALS. Because of the business need, even though the government has appealed to the private sector to cancel work, the BPO industry can never do that. Imagine going to work in the hard rain. Before you get to your destination, you are already stressed. Stressed from making sure that your clothes are dry (otherwise you will get sick from the cold), and stressed from determining how to get to work via public transportation. In this age, nobody is safe when you are outside. There are a lot of people that always think of getting their way with good, law-abiding citizens. Unfortunately, the streets are not safe anymore. As the income generator, we, the working people has to make sure we get home to our family and loved-ones safe from harm. That is another benefit of working as a Virtual Assistant, you never have to worry if you will come home to your family. Working as a Virtual Assistant, as long as we take good care of ourselves to keep healthy, we are also making sure that we do not bring home any sickness. Remember the times when you got sick because it was passed on by a colleague? That will no longer happen. Boosts self-worth. It’s feels good to know that the work you provide gets the credit they deserve. You are being paid by the cent, with hard-earned money. When your client acknowledges the work you have done and praises your work, your self-worth gets a big boosts. It gives you motivation to work harder, and potentially, a career growth or promotion may be in store for you. There may be several more benefits of working online that I may have not discussed. Anyway, working as a Virtual Assistant has its pros and cons, and I hope that what I have listed can make you venture into the Virtual Assistant’s world too. So what are you waiting for? Be a Virtual Assistant now! How a VA Can Purchase Things Like Train Tickets - Get to know more about the item you are searching for (destination, time, and price) - Search in Google: look for the most descriptive website for the item you would like to purchase - Browse through the first 2 pages of Google - Compare different deals and choose the one that best suites you - Make the purchase through debit card, credit card or other payment methods like Paypal etc. - Wait for the confirmation via email. (Most cases)