Habits of Successful Virtual Assistants

Let’s be honest, working from home is great and grants you a ton of freedom. With that being said, it’s important to understand that there are tons VA’s that would do anything to be in your position. You must hold your position in high regard and make yourself a valuable asset to whoever you are working for. Here are some habits that the most successful home based VA’s possessd:

Work as hard as you would work in an office

It is not an accident that this habit is listed first. This sets the tone for all the other habits on the list. When in doubt if you are working at you max efficiency, imagine if your client or a supervisor was in the same room with you monitoring your performance. Would they be satisfied with the quality and urgency of your work? If the answer is no then take a deep breath and get to it. You may not believe it, but clients notice almost immediately when quality or urgency declines.

Updated Systems

Having exceptional computer hardware, solid internet service provider, top quality headsets, and commonly used software such as Microsoft office is a consistent reason that VA’s are hired and kept. These are tools that directly affect how productive you can be in a workday. These are the tools of your trade so don’t let them stand in the way of your success.

Save your work

You want to make sure you save backups of your work and take regular screenshots (at least of completed work). This habit can help you answer questions if the need arises as well as give you the ability to present proof that work was done properly on your end. This habit simply helps you to avoid misunderstandings.

Communicate regularly

Not working in the same office as your employer does have it’s challenges. Many clients are not accustomed to utilizing virtual assistants and may be skeptical. Keep open and consistent communication with your client on a regular basis. Ask questions and offer solutions and assistance. This is key to maintaining long distance trust.

Figure it out

Since your work is web based, this means that you also have access to an assortment of search engines. If there is a term or process that you don’t understand, take a second to try to find your answer before deciding you can’t complete the task. If you take your time, you can figure out most anything. Let your client know your process in solving a problem. Not only will it be a testament to how resourceful you are but they may also offer additional information.

Don’t allow distractions

Working independently is a freedom that not everyone can handle. With an assortment of home distractions as well as online social media, it may be tempting for some to “kill-time” doing things that are not work related. Do not post on or even search through social media while you are expected to be working. This is an easy way to lose your job.