Bridging the Income Gap: How to Offer Virtual Assistant Services as a Blogger

The Blogger’s Guide to Building a Profitable Virtual Assistant Side Hustle

Starting and growing a blog as a side hustle or a way to supplement your income is a great idea. However, it can definitely take a lot of time and patience to see consistent money coming in. But don’t give up! You can do what I did and turn those blogging skills into virtual assistant services.

If you are passionate about growing your blog but NEED to boost your income sooner rather than later, you’re in the right place!

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Combining Blogging and Virtual Assistance for Income

As a busy mom, I was feeling the need to have the flexibility that can only come with working from home and making my own schedule.

I’d been blogging for a while but the money I was making just wasn’t enough to justify quitting my 9 to 5 job.

But learning how to start, build, monetize, and grow a blog from scratch left me with some highly sought-after technical skills. And so, I took the leap and started my own virtual assistant business.

After combining my blog and VA earnings, it didn’t take long before I had fully replaced my income and I was able to leave my job and become a full-time, work from home, entrepreneur!

Wanna learn how I did it? Read on!

But first, what IS a Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant, commonly referred to as a VA, is someone who provides administrative, technical, or creative assistance to clients from a remote location.

They can work for individuals or businesses, and their responsibilities can vary depending on the client’s needs.

One of the things I love most about VA work is that you can have clients anywhere in the world. It’s entirely virtual. I have multiple clients who I’ve never met in person!

The work is incredibly diverse so it never gets boring. And you can take on the jobs you enjoy and pass on the ones you don’t want. It’s a beautiful thing!

Reasons to add virtual assistant services to your blog

Many bloggers struggle to make a full-time income from their blogs, especially in the beginning. However, offering virtual assistant services can be a great way to boost your income while you continue to grow your blog.

Supplementing your blogging income with virtual assistant work can:

• Leverage your skills: As a blogger, you likely have skills in areas such as writing, content creation, social media management, and more. You can leverage these skills to offer virtual assistant services to other businesses or bloggers who may need help in these areas.

• Provide value: Becoming a VA can offer a valuable service for entrepreneurs or bloggers who may not have the time or expertise to manage certain aspects of their business. By providing your services, you can help them grow their businesses while also earning money. Everybody wins!

• Flexibility: Offering virtual assistant services can be a flexible way to earn money while you have a 9-5 job or while you are working to build your blog to a full-time income. You can set your own hours, choose which clients to work with, and take on as much or as little work as you want.

• Diversify your income: Adding services to your blog adds another income stream. This can be important for bloggers who may experience fluctuations in blogging due to changes in traffic, ad revenue, or other factors.

• Gain experience: VA services can also be a way to gain valuable experience and build your portfolio. This experience is often an asset to the future of your blog. Think of it as an investment in your blogging skills that you actually get paid for!

Turning your blogging skills into a career as a virtual assistant

Of course this all sounds great. But how do you get started?

First, here’s what I did.

I first started doing odd jobs for friends. I had design skills and was pretty tech-savvy so I put those to work, offering to take on little things for friends.

Somewhere along the line, I stumbled upon Abby Ashley and her company,
The Virtual Savvy. Ashley’s story really resonated with me and I found myself taking her very helpful free webinar – Become a Booked Out Virtual Assistant.

It was this webinar that really gave me the push I needed. After watching, it was very clear to me that blogging had definitely given me the skills required to be a VA.

Next, I decided which services I wanted to offer and added a services page to my blog. Eventually, the decision was made to create an entirely separate website, social accounts, etc.

I started picking up clients through word of mouth, Facebook groups, and actually got a lot of work through my Instagram account.

You absolutely don’t need to create a second business. This is simply what I did. Lots of bloggers offer services from their existing blogs and you can too.

I’d advise you to:

• Identify your strengths: As a blogger, you likely have a variety of skills that can be useful in a VA role. Make a list of your strengths, such as writing, SEO, social media management, content creation, or graphic design.

• Develop your skills: If you feel like you need to improve your skills in certain areas, consider taking courses or online classes to further develop your abilities.

• Build a portfolio: To showcase your skills to potential clients, create a portfolio of your work. Include writing samples, social media posts, graphics, or any other relevant work you’ve done.

• Define your services: Determine what services you want to offer as a VA. This could include writing blog posts, managing social media accounts, designing graphics, creating email campaigns, building websites, or any other services that align with your strengths.

• Network: Start networking with people in your industry. Join Facebook groups, attend networking events, and connect with other virtual assistants to learn more about the industry and find potential clients.

• Market yourself: Once you’ve defined your services, built your portfolio, and networked with other professionals, it’s time to start marketing yourself.

Create a website or online presence that showcases your skills and services, and use social media to promote your business. If you’ve already got a blog, you can do this as an addition. Or you can do what I did and set up a completely different business.

• Offer some services for free. Never underestimate providing work for free to friends, family, small businesses in your area, etc. This is a great way to build a portfolio and collect testimonials. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to find new (paying) work.

• Start applying for jobs: Finally, start applying for VA jobs that align with your skills and services. You can find job listings on websites like Upwork, Freelancer, or Fiverr.

You can also offer your services in blogging related Facebook groups. You know as well as I do, bloggers are busy and can always use a helping hand!

Get step by step help becoming a VA

If you’re someone who likes things broken down into easy to follow steps, I highly recommend The Virtual Savvy. They have an amazing system (The Savvy System) that walks you through the entire process of becoming a VA.

It’s designed to help you fully launch your VA business within 30 days!

Their system includes modules on:

• choosing what services to offer
• setting your prices
• branding
• marketing
• taxes & financials
• legalities
• and more!

They have a refund policy as well if you have buyer’s remorse within 7 days. But most people claim they made their initial investment back in no time!

Save 10% on The Savvy System with coupon code:
SAVE10 from now until Sept. 18th 2023.

They also have some pretty great freebies you can try first if you’re not in a position yet to enroll in the full Savvy System. Their products are incredibly well thought out and helpful.

Check out the Free Checklist/Starter Kit and the Free Webinar.

In Conclusion

Overall, offering virtual assistant services can be a smart way for a struggling blogger to earn money while continuing to grow a blog.

Building a successful blog takes time, and adding services can help bridge the income gap while you work towards your long-term goals.

If I can do it, so can you! Hit me up with any questions you may have.

Save this post for future reference!

Become a virtual assistant and make money while you grow your blog!