Do you have what it takes?

You probably already have a ton of skills you can use as a virtual assistant, but do you have certain skills to run your own VA business? Or be better than the average virtual assistant? If you want to make more money, you have to put in more effort.

10 Questions to think about:

1. Can you work independently? Are you a person that needs a supervisor to give you the next steps or were you someone who took initiative? As a business owner, you have to be self-motivated and can work well independently.
2. How good are you at making decisions? It is possible to outsource later down the road, but until then you have to be the one to choose what processes you'll take for client projects and decisions about your own business.
3. Do you have the stamina to put in long hours? Yes, you'll be able to work your own hours and choose how many of those hours you want to work, but then you have to consider how many hours you'll also be putting into your own business. You'll still have to keep up with marketing, social media profile(s), track invoices, etc. Usually in the beginning is when you'll work the most hours because you'll still be getting in the groove of things.
4. Are you good at planning and organizing? As you get multiple clients you'll have to plan out your days and months. Which client will get certain time slots during each day? When will you carve out time to work on your own business and take time for your personal life? You don't have to be a pro planner, but you'll have to know the basics.
5. Are you self-motivated? Do you have enough motivation to push through when you're having a rough day? Thomas Edison said out greatest weakness lies in giving and the most certain way to succeed is to just try one more time.
6. Can you follow deadlines? If a friend calls and invites you to lunch while you have a project deadline coming up, are you going to be able to tell yourself to finish the project to get it done in time? Yes, you do have flexibility and can make your own schedule, but once you set that schedule you have to be disciplined enough to stick to it. You'll have a lot more personal distractions at home as well that you'll have to put on the back burner until your work day is done.
7. Do you have a good support system? If you don't have people to lean on when times get tough, it'll be a lot harder to get things done and push through.
8. Do you have the technical expertise required? Everything you do is via the computer and internet. When I client asks "how can you help me with these certain services?" you'll have to be able to tell them "well, we can do this via email and we have a secure program where we can pass documents back and forth" (Google Drive and Trello are great for this). It's important to know how to navigate through online documents and programs.
9. How social are you? The clients don't usually come to you. You will have to reach out to potential clients on different social media platforms, post in Facebook groups, build relationships and create connections. You'll have to talk with clients on a regular basis and be able to handle criticism when they give you feedback on a project.
10. Can you sit in front of a computer all day? Now, this doesn't mean sit in a chair all day or stay in the same spot all day. You can go to anywhere there's internet access like Starbucks, McDonald's (hey, no judgement), your local tea house, etc. These are especially great options for those of you who don't like to work alone - get out into your community while you work so you're not in solitude. Get up and stretch every once in a while, grab a cup of coffee, etc. BUT, you will be spending many hours in a day staring at a computer screen for as long as you work. After all, you are virtual.