Success as a freelance virtual assistant doesn’t happen overnight. It requires a lot of hard work, strategic positioning, and good timing. Sadly, many freelancers make the same rookie mistakes that result in them getting underpaid—you might be making them too.
Some of the people who get into freelancing are often given bad advice about how to make money. Additionally, it’s expected that over 50% of the US workforce will participate in the gig economy by 2027, meaning the landscape is only going to become more competitive.
If you want to earn well, you need to adjust your approach to freelancing. Try these tips make more money as a freelancer in the coming months.
#1 – Know your worth
Begin by evaluating how much your work is worth to potential clients. This is difficult to answer as you want to strike a balance between overpricing and underpricing. Overprice and you’ll lose bids, but underprice and you won’t get a profit.
Decide on a salary goal but make sure it’s reasonable. Then, compute your per-project or hourly rate based on that. Remember to include your regular expenses and savings in your computations so your net income won’t be in the negative.
Also, study what the average rate is for a virtual assistant freelance contract by:
- Asking your friends and co-workers how much they pay freelancers.
- Asking your peers how much they charge for their services.
- Asking recruiters how much freelancers ask for in your field.
Have you been working as a VA for over 5 years? It makes sense for you to raise your rates as your potential employers will be paying for the experience you’ve accrued too.
#2 – Pick a specialty
If you’re new to the field, you want to take on any work as long as you get paid. The deeper you get into your career though, you need to be more strategic about the clients you take on. Being picky sounds counterproductive but it does make you more money.
As a virtual assistant, it’s great to have a variety of skills but it’s not practical to promote every one of them. Clients are more likely to choose a specialist than a jack-of-all-trades, especially for bigger projects. They prefer someone to cater to their specific demands.
To find and establish your niche, ask yourself the following questions:
“What makes me unique?”
Think about what sets you apart from other freelance VAs. Perhaps you’ve worked with a lot of mobile app development companies or you specialize in creating and managing social media profiles. Identify what you’re good at or what you’re most knowledgeable in and focus on that.
“What is my ideal project?”
Consider if you prefer retainer, long-term, or short-term projects then market yourself according to this. A freelance virtual assistant who specializes in bookkeeping might prefer short-term jobs than someone who specializes in blog management, for instance.
“Who is my ideal employer?”
Some VAs like working with startups while others would rather work with larger corporations. Maybe you want to help clients figure out what they need and provide. It may be that you prefer employers who know exactly what they want, so think about who needs your services.
“What are my business goals?”
Your career path needs to have direction. If you’re aiming for financial stability, a niche with long-term projects is great for meeting your objectives. If you want to increase your professional connections, a niche with short-term projects is a better choice.
Once you’ve decided on a niche, see to it that your resume, portfolio, and profiles reflect it. Prospects must be able to understand what you offer within a few seconds of visiting your bio.
#3 – Build a portfolio
A professional portfolio is a must-have when you’re in a creative niche like content creation or graphic design. It acts as a visual version of your resume. It’s where you highlight your skills and showcase your best works.
Here’s how to go about making a portfolio when you work as a virtual assistant freelance:
Pick a website
If you’re a web developer, make your own site and add in your previous work. If you’re in another niche, look for a provider that specializes in your industry. For example, JournoPortfolio is great for writers while Wix is better for designers.
Go for variety
There’s no need to include everything you’ve worked on in the past. Choose a few works from each project you’ve done to showcase variety. Avoid showing anything that has company-sensitive information though, or at least ask permission before posting.
Mind the details
Apart from your previous work, you also want to input your professional information. These are:
- Headshot – must match your industry
- Bio – must include an introduction and overview
- Resume – must be available online for client’s perusal
- Reviews – must come from previous clients and colleagues alike
#4 – Expand your search
It’s not enough to create a profile on every freelance marketplace that caters to your niche. To get new business leads, you must:
Reach out to former co-workers
If you’ve worked in-house before, it’s a good idea to contact your past employers and colleagues to see if they’re looking for a freelance virtual assistant. They’ll be more willing to work with you since they’re familiar with your work.
Give cold emailing a try
If there’s a client you want to work for, send them an email. Figure out who is in charge of recruitment and get in touch. Check strategy number 5 on our previous blog post to know how to do outreach the right way so you won’t turn off your prospects.
Write content for notable blogs
If writing is one of your skills, establish yourself as an expert by producing articles for industry websites. You may not get paid for it but it forms relationships and boosts your online presence. You may include the link in your cold emails for clout too.
#5 – Improve your marketing
Be so appealing that clients pursue you instead of the other way around. Effective marketing is the key to getting your name out there so put effort in your promotions.
Use these mediums to attract your target audience:
- E-books – write a book to share on relevant forums, or make a website where people can download it.
- Blogs – create your own blog to post content related to your niche and market it on social media.
- Events – look for opportunities where you might be a guest speaker for, like a podcast or webinar.
Earn more as a freelance virtual assistant
Boost your earning power as a freelancer by trying any of the methods we’ve discussed. They take a lot of time and effort but they’re worth it.
If you want a simpler method of earning more, consider working as a full-time or part-time virtual assistant on top of taking gigs. We at Remote Workmate specialise in connecting experts like you with clients from around the world.
See our careers page for work opportunities worth pursuing.
