Some of the reasons being a VA is freakin’ awesome:

You can work when you want

From being able to spend more time with your kids to caring for elderly family members, working for yourself means you can organise your day to fit around the life you have or the type of life you want to create.

You still need to make time to do the work (you are running a business after all), but you’re the one who gets to decide what your day looks like.

You only want to work evenings because you don’t have childcare during the day? Great – then go find clients who fit the bill. Or maybe you’re fed up paying through the nose for expensive childcare and want to spend that time with your kids. Awesome – then market yourself to clients whose work you can do during the school day.

Many VAs have a working life exactly like this.

You can work where you want

The key here is in the word ‘virtual’. I’ve worked from locations all around the world because all I need is my laptop and an Internet connection. So if you’re looking for a location independent or digital nomad lifestyle, virtual assistance fits the bill perfectly.

You get to use your brain

Spending all day in an office and not getting to think for yourself is incredibly boring, and it’s particularly galling (not to mention wasteful) if you’ve spent a lot of time and money getting an education.

Well, I’m happy to tell you that working for yourself is a constantly evolving journey that requires you to think for yourself in many creative ways.

It’s rewarding

There’s a reason it’s called ‘working for yourself’. When you break down that sentence, you can see it means that all the work you put in is ultimately for YOU.

Putting in a hard day’s graft and not being appreciated can be completely demoralising. I’ve had many jobs where my loyalty and commitment have gone completely unrewarded and I’ve had neither a pay rise nor a thank you.

Oh, and office politics are also a thing of the past!

You feel like you’re really living

Yes it’s hard work – of course it’s hard work and you’ll probably work more hours than you did in employment. But it’s worth it because you’re the one in control. And even though that’s a little scary at first, it feels like you’re finally living a full life.

Because you only get one life and it’s speeding by.

Your "why" is the reason you chose to become a Virtual Assistant.

When members of the VA Handbookers Facebook group were asked why they chose to become a VA, here were some of their answers:

“I’m starting my own business for a few reasons the main one being so I don’t have to find childcare for my son during the school holidays. I also want to work for myself and to achieve my full potential, which I felt I wasn’t doing in my current office job. If I continue in the job I’m in, then I will be reliant on others for childcare, which stresses me out. I will also be unhappy working in an office environment with office politics driving me mad. I also want to do it for me, to be a success and to disprove all the naysayers!”

“I want to be able to be the mum and wife I’d like to be but still challenge my brain while earning a bit of money. I would like to learn new skills and meet new people all while being in charge of my own time and destiny.”

“Being a VA will allow me to travel with my family without having to sacrifice my own ambitions. I also have a 2 year old son and the flexibility it will give me will be invaluable.”

“I want to be able to be flexible for my children; one of whom has additional needs and is struggling as he gets older. I’ve always wanted to be my own boss and what better way to do it than running a company providing the services I love and excel at.”

“I want more flexibility. I have a 2 year old and I want to make sure I don’t miss out on him growing up. I also want to be able to achieve something that’s mine and I want to be able to build my self worth back up while doing it.”

“I want to have the feeling of control and freedom. I actually love work but I don’t want to be boxed into a narrow skill set. I am quickly bored and easily demotivated in an office job because there is no consistent challenge and it is increasingly demoralising for me. Plus, I don’t love the office environment and the politics. Additionally, I would love to help my family out financially.”

“I don’t want to have to work until I’m 63 and then retire. There’s a fire inside me to do my own thing, to put all those hours in every day for ME and not for someone else. This is MY time to take those skills that I’ve acquired, pick the ones I love doing, and start doing it for myself.”

“I want to have the freedom to choose where I work, who I work with, what hours I work, the type of task I do and to be able to focus on one task at a time without continuous interruptions. Also, being paid at a rate that reflects my skills and worth.”

“I want to make the rules. I want to choose who I work for and with, I want to choose my hours, days and schedule to suit me and my family. I want to do the school runs and be around for the holidays.”

“I want to work for myself as I am fed up being overworked and underpaid. It’s time I take charge and build the life of my dreams rather then doing it for someone else.”

“I would like to become a VA so I can say ‘I’m happy’. I hate being managed and hate feeling trapped in a routine that I can’t change. I have two tiny tots and would love to be able to give them the best possible start in life. I feel I would be much happier working for myself and in turn this will make me a happier person to be around.”

“I’m not going anywhere in my current job and I don’t see much opportunity for growth. I want to challenge myself and see where it takes me. Also, my husband and I want to travel full-time around the country in our RV and this would be a good way for us to be able to do that and have an income coming in at the same time.”

Action Step

Now, take a moment to really think about your "why." Why are you choosing to be a Virtual Assistant? Take some time to write it down or comment below.

Hold onto this! When you're having a tough day and feel drained - because believe me, you will have those days as long as you're human - look back at your "why" so you can remember why you got started and why you want to keep going.