19: How to Start a Part-Time Virtual Assistant Business, with Lee Drozak

In Episode 19 of The Side Hustle Show, Lee Drozak from MyOfficeAssist.com shares how she got started as a virtual assistant and how you can do the same. We talk setting up shop, getting your first clients, setting your prices, establishing a niche, and more. Quick background on this side hustle if you’re not familiar - a virtual assistant is not Siri, despite how much Apple wants to hijack the term, it’s a real-live person that works for you remotely as an independent contractor. This is a huge industry overseas in countries like India and the Philippines, with giant call centers staffed with low-cost workers. But you might be surprised to learn there is a thriving VA industry right here at home, and many VAs are side hustlers like you, or started their business as a side hustle. And we’re not talking about a race to the bottom on price either. According to a recent survey, nearly 90% of VAs charge $20/hr or more, and nearly 60% charge $30/hr or more. Subscribe to The Side Hustle Show on iTunes! Subscribe to The Side Hustle Show on Stitcher! In this episode, you'll learn: The "eureka" moment of working from home. How Lee got her first clients. How to get paid what you're worth. How to determine which virtual assistant tasks you love and should build your business around. Why industry certifications might be overrated. The best free resource for aspiring virtual assistants. Lee's #1 tip for Side Hustle Nation. Links mentioned: ivaa.org VirtualAssistantForums.com (Thank you, Tess, for the introduction to Lee!) Zirtual | eaHELP | Fancy Hands | Contemporary VA Elance VAclassroom.com Suzanne Evans You can connect with Lee on her site, as well as on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. What do you think of virtual assisting as a side hustle? Pretty basic, right? Identify your skills and find someone who'll pay for them. Kind of like a real job except you can do it from anywhere.