Outsource a Virtual Assistant in Nigeria (2022)
In order to avoid paying workers to work in a real office, many organizations increasingly turn to hiring virtual assistants. A virtual assistant is often recruited on a contract basis and is in charge of secretarial and technical duties. You may work from home as a virtual assistant and are not constrained by geography. To complete the task, just a few essential tools are required. Opportunities to work as a virtual assistant are increasing because of technological improvements. You may begin a profession in virtual aiding where you can work from home and earn more money.
WHO ARE VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS?
Using his or her home as a base of operations, a virtual assistant works for businesses as a self-employed independent contractor.
A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT'S ROLE DESCRIPTION
Virtual assistants do a huge variety of tasks, which might include:
• work-related activities
• handling calls
• handling emails
• management of social media
• Setting an appointment
• Customer service
• designing graphics
• managing a website
• making content
• Copywriting
• enter data
These tasks are all carried out from home. Anyone may work as a virtual assistant as long as they have the necessary abilities.
WHO CAN BECOME A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT?
Anyone may work as a virtual assistant as long as they possess the necessary digital and internet abilities.
Read this article to learn how to become a virtual assistant if you want a profession that allows you to strike a balance between work and earning money.
ABILITIES OF A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
In Nigeria, virtual assistants and virtual personal assistants are skilled at doing the following administrative tasks:
1. handling incoming calls and letters as the initial point of contact
2. scheduling meetings and appointments, and managing calendars. Many PAs oversee access to the CEO or manager.
3. organizing and booking travel, lodging, and transportation.
4. organizing meetings and activities: bringing up deadlines and essential responsibilities for the management or executive.
5. typing, compiling and creating letters, reports, and presentations.
6. managing files and database systems.
7. establishing and sustaining administrative/procedural systems.
8. communicating with coworkers, vendors, and customers.
9. assembling and organizing expenditures.
10. doing analysis on the manager’s behalf.
11. coordinating the manager’s personal obligations, like childcare or travel.
Higher-level jobs that could call for people with greater experience include:
1. Reports generation (Excel-based reports or PowerPoint presentations)
2. creating and maintaining business databases
3. Making formal corporate forms or paperwork and office memos
4. Project management and communicating with task owners
5. assuming research-related tasks.
VIRTUAL ASSISTANT EXPERIENCE
Younger – A virtual assistant with less experience is called a junior.
Intermediate – Virtual assistants that fall into this category often have 2-4 years of relevant experience.
Senior – The majority of senior virtual assistants have four or more years of relevant experience.
TOOLS FOR VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS
Virtual assistants typically have expertise in:
• Microsoft Office: Word, Outlook, and Excel
• If creating presentations is a component of your job, use MS PowerPoint.
• digital file-sharing programs like Google Drive or Dropbox
• Systems for electronic correspondence like Skype and Slack
• Tools for project management like Asana and Trello.
Most of the well-known cloud-based applications will have been tried and evaluated by seasoned offshore PAs and VAs. However, if your top prospects haven’t used your favored program, don’t worry—these quick learners will choose it.
HOW TO GET STARTED IN NIGERIA AS A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
Obtain Education
You must have a basic education even if there are no formal educational requirements for the position of a virtual assistant. Depending on the expectations and needs of a company, educational requirements change. In Nigeria, the majority of firms need a university degree from anyone hired to work for them. However, your skill set, job correctness, and work experience are what matters most to many businesses. Many virtual assistants begin their careers with no prior work experience and gain knowledge and skills as they go along.
Get the Required Training
As was already established, no particular qualification is required to work as a virtual assistant in Nigeria. To learn more and gain useful talents, you must continue to get training. Numerous websites and people with experience in the virtual aid field provide instructional programs. These mostly provide online training courses for virtual assistants. You may discover numerous classes you can join with a fast Google search, but be careful of shady websites. You can study the following abilities online and are necessary to have in order to work as a virtual assistant:
• excellent communication abilities
• excellent keyboarding skills (at least 70 words per minute)
• superior writing and grammatical abilities
• familiar with databases, spreadsheets, email, and word processors
Choose a Service and a Niche
It’s true that virtual assistants get to handle a variety of tasks, but you must be realistic about your ability to manage every aspect of the business. You must specify the kinds of services you will offer as a virtual assistant for this reason. Find out what you are truly skilled at and focus on it. If it turns out that you have strong organizing abilities, you can manage chores like emailing, maintaining records, and bookkeeping, among others. If you excel in academic research, you ought to work for professors, researchers, and other academics. When you realize what you’re really excellent at, you can easily accomplish it and fulfill your employer’s requirements.
By clearly defining your services and market niche, you’ll become recognized as an authority in that industry, increasing your opportunities for employment and salary growth.
Obtain the Required Tools.
You need certain tools and resources to conduct your work properly as a virtual assistant for your clients. Possessing the required tools will guarantee your success as a virtual assistant. Among these instruments are:
• a laptop with an extremely fast internet connection.
• Printer, scanner, and photocopier
• a functional mobile line
• a place of work that is free from interruptions.
Prepare all Required Paperwork
As a potential virtual assistant, it is crucial that you resolve all legal and financial issues on your own. This entails acquiring all licenses needed by the Nigerian government and finishing all essential documentation. This will assist you in drafting contract agreement agreements for clients as well as in avoiding any legal issues.
Create a website and social media accounts
The greatest location to discover clients as a virtual assistants who will be working from home is online. To further your profession, create a personal website where potential clients may reach you quickly. Having a website increases your professional appeal and increases your chances of a successful negotiation. Additionally, it aids in your professional positioning. You must also take your social media presence seriously. Social networking is still one of the best platforms for promoting your business and attracting new customers. You may create accounts on any social networking site you deem appropriate for you, including Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and others.
Networking
Networking with other experts has several advantages for your job as a virtual assistant. One of the benefits of networking with people in your profession is that you may be introduced to better career options. In order to collaborate with other experts in the subject, you can also join a professional organization. You may meet individuals and share information about your company and services when you network. As a result, networking is essential if you want to advance as a virtual assistant.