What is a Virtual Assistant?
Based on investopedia.com, a Virtual Assistant is an independent contractor who provides administrative services to clients while operating outside of the client’s office. A Virtual Assistant typically operates from a home office but can access the necessary planning documents, such as shared calendars remotely.
“We Only Die Once”
Many of you wondered why I chose to be a freelance. I believe the tagline “We Only Die Once” not “You Only Live Once” - #yolo because we are given life every time we wake up in the morning and it’s up to us on how we are going to spend each day, hours, seconds of another life that was given to us.
We keep on looking for something that can be easily fade away, like jobs, money, food, etc., that we forgot the most important thing that we should be focusing, our FAMILY. But in fact, our reason for doing all those things is, THEM.
We spend 8-9 hrs in the office and hey, I forgot, including the traffic (specially here in Manila, Philippines) let’s say 2-3 hours travel time on your way to office, a total of 4-6 hours back and forth, we sleep 4-6 hrs average. A total of 16-21 hrs a day outside, and we only have 24 hours a day. Can you imagine the time spent, that you should be spending to something that is important to us?
But there's a big difference being a Freelance or being a Virtual Assistant.
Benefits of being a Freelancer or Virtual Assistant
1. Avoid traffic or being late for work
As I mentioned earlier, we have no control of the traffic in our area, the only thing that we can control is our actions. So, we have to travel earlier and always expect the unexpected.
By being a Virtual Assistant, since this is a freelance job, I can do and start my work at home with no worries of traffic. And I also can have enough sleep.
2. Spend more time with my Family
Instead of spending 4-6 hours travelling, why not spend quality time with my family?
They got my full attention and energy when I do freelance services compared to when I worked as a regular employee. Because when I got home, I felt so tired that I can’t even talk to them and ask them, “How was your day?”
We may not know that a simple word from us, can create a big impact to our loved ones. And it’s really true that the development of a child, a person or individual starts at home.
3. Continuous Learning / Personal Growth
I am a kind of person who loves challenges. And I got really bored by doing the same thing everyday. And if I want to know about something, I’ll probably study whatever it is.
When I decided to be a Virtual Assistant, it’s quite hard for me, but I knew that I want to do a freelance services. I’ve been in the Corporate world for so many years. I have my basic salary. But when I heard about this career, I was amazed that everything that I’m doing for so many years, is the same of what they were doing. The only difference is, they earn more, they’re not stress with the traffic and they can spend much of their time with their family. And I just told myself, “there’s something wrong”
Out of curiosity, I searched and study about Freelancing Services or Virtual Assistance, and I can say I'm doing the same thing as my current position. I started as an Administrative Assistant way back to 2009 and been doing that for 5 years, I knew I learned a lot already, but there are still a lot of opportunities that I can learn being a Virtual Assistant such as :
Real Estate Investing Task
Web Development
Lead Generation
Video Editing
Social Media Management and Marketing
Content Writing
I knew everything is a learning process. And there’s more for me to learn outside. I am more than willing to take all those challenges.
4. Travel while Working
I love to travel and I knew I can do this more if I'm doing freelance services or being a virtual assistant. And I’m willing to do anything to travel and explore different places. What stopping me (before) to travel is because I’m in a Corporate world and I can only have 15-20days leave in a year. But instead of scheduling my travel, I just chose to stay at home and take a rest.
And this is the big difference, as a Virtual Assistant, I can work while I’m travelling as long as there is an internet connection and just make sure to complete all the task that was given to me on time.
5. Stable Income
Since most of a Virtual Assistant clients are US or Australia based, the salary that you’ll receive will be in $USD or $AUD so you can earn more compared to a regular employee. You can accept full time career, or you can do a per project basis. It depends on you!
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If you’d like to know more about my business, please click here.