Are you considering becoming a virtual assistant (VA) but unsure where to start? The great news is that you don’t need years of experience to get started. Many tasks require skills you may already have or can learn quickly. In this blog post, I’ve outlined 10 beginner-friendly services you can start offering today, tips to determine if you’re a good fit, and potential pricing suggestions.
Don’t forget to grab my freebie: 100 Services to Offer as a Freelancer guide to unlock even more possibilities!
1. Email Management
How to Know If You Can Do This:
- Are you organized and detail-oriented?
- Do you enjoy responding to emails and keeping inboxes tidy?
- Are you familiar with Gmail or Outlook?
Steps to Get Started:
- Offer to help a friend or family member organize their inbox.
- Learn how to create folders and labels and set up automated responses.
- Familiarize yourself with tools like Boomerang or Clean Email.
Beginner Potential Earnings: $20-$30/hour
2. Social Media Management
How to Know If You Can Do This:
- Do you enjoy spending time on social media platforms?
- Are you good at creating posts and engaging with others?
- Are you comfortable using scheduling tools?
Steps to Get Started:
- Choose a platform you know and use (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.).
- Create content for your own profile as practice.
- Learn how to use scheduling tools like Buffer or Later.
Beginner Potential Earnings: $20-$40/hour
3. Data Entry
How to Know If You Can Do This:
- Are you fast and accurate when typing?
- Do you enjoy working with spreadsheets?
- Are you detail-oriented?
Steps to Get Started:
- Practice data entry using Google Sheets or Excel.
- Offer your services on freelance platforms like Upwork.
- Take an online course to improve your skills.
Beginner Potential Earnings: $15-$25/hour
4. Customer Service Support
How to Know If You Can Do This:
- Are you a good communicator?
- Do you enjoy helping others?
- Are you patient and professional?
Steps to Get Started:
- Practice responding to customer inquiries via email or chat.
- Familiarize yourself with CRM tools like Zendesk.
- Offer trial support to a small business owner you know.
Beginner Potential Earnings: $15-$35/hour
5. Content Writing
How to Know If You Can Do This:
- Do you enjoy writing?
- Are you good at research and explaining things simply?
- Can you follow a brand’s tone and style?
Steps to Get Started:
- Write a few blog posts for your website or Medium.
- Take a writing course to improve your skills.
- Offer writing services to bloggers or business owners.
Beginner Potential Earnings: $25-$50/hour
6. Calendar Management
How to Know If You Can Do This:
- Are you good at planning and scheduling?
- Do you know how to use Google Calendar or Outlook?
- Are you detail-oriented and punctual?
Steps to Get Started:
- Practice scheduling appointments for yourself or friends.
- Learn how to manage time zones and scheduling conflicts.
- Offer your services to entrepreneurs needing organization.
Beginner Potential Earnings: $25-$30/hour
7. Graphic Design for Social Media
How to Know If You Can Do This:
- Do you enjoy creating visual content?
- Are you familiar with Canva or other design tools?
- Do you have a good eye for aesthetics?
Steps to Get Started:
- Practice by creating posts for your own brand.
- Take a Canva tutorial.
- Offer services to small business owners.
Beginner Potential Earnings: $20-$30/hour
8. Research Tasks
How to Know If You Can Do This:
- Do you enjoy looking up information online?
- Are you good at summarizing findings?
- Are you detail-oriented?
Steps to Get Started:
- Practice researching topics and presenting findings.
- Offer research assistance to bloggers or entrepreneurs.
- Use Google Scholar and other reliable sources.
Beginner Potential Earnings: $15-$25/hour
9. Creating Simple Spreadsheets
How to Know If You Can Do This:
- Are you comfortable using Excel or Google Sheets?
- Do you enjoy organizing data?
- Are you good with formulas and formatting?
Steps to Get Started:
- Practice creating spreadsheets for personal use.
- Watch online tutorials to learn advanced functions.
- Offer spreadsheet organization services to business owners.
Beginner Potential Earnings: $15-$20/hour
10. Proofreading and Editing
How to Know If You Can Do This:
- Do you have a keen eye for detail?
- Are you good at spotting grammar mistakes?
- Do you enjoy reading and correcting content?
Steps to Get Started:
- Practice proofreading blog posts and emails.
- Use tools like Grammarly to improve your accuracy.
- Offer your services to small businesses or bloggers.
Beginner Potential Earnings: $20-$50/hour
By starting with any of these tasks, you can gradually build your skills and confidence as a freelance virtual assistant. Remember, you don’t have to master everything at once—focus on what interests you the most and expand from there.
Ready to discover even more services you can offer? Grab my freebie 100 Services to Offer as a Freelancer Guide, and start building your VA business today!