Work From Home As A Virtual Assistant

Work From Home As A Virtual Assistant

If the daily commute is exhausting, your diary is packed with meetings that could’ve been emails and you’re using holiday time to attend doctor’s appointments or look after a poorly child, it might be time to rethink how you work. Becoming a work from home Virtual Assistant gives you the freedom to create a fully remote job that fits around your life.

I’ve been working as a VA since 2011 and it’s not only possible to replace your full-time salary, it’s also a way to design a flexible, rewarding career on your own terms. You don’t need a fancy setup or years of training to get started, just the willingness to learn, be consistent and show up for your clients.

In this blog, I’ll walk you through what it really looks like to create your own remote work from home opportunities, what makes this a fully remote career and share my job description for a Virtual Assistant based on my own experience. I’ll cover typical Virtual Assistant job responsibilities, the skills you’ll need (and how I learned them on the job). Most importantly, I’ll show you why this is a legit work from home career, not just a side hustle, but a real and sustainable business.

Create Your Own Remote Work From Home Opportunities

If you want to create your own remote work from home opportunities, it often starts with a moment that changes everything.

For me, it was a freezing winter morning in the UK. The temperature had dropped below zero and the pavement crunched under my boots as I headed to my car. I scraped ice off the windscreen and prepared for an hour-long commute down icy roads. My son was only eight months old and after another broken night of sleep, I could barely think straight.

Halfway through my workday, the childminder called. She couldn’t settle my baby, he’d been crying all morning. My husband was tied up at work and I was miles away. I dropped everything and rushed back. On that emotional drive, I kept thinking: What if this is serious? Why am I so far from the person who needs me most?

That’s when it became clear. I needed a job that allowed me to work from home. I needed flexibility, not just for me, but for my family. Even though it turned out he was just teething and needed a cuddle from his mum, the message had landed. Something had to change.

I began looking into remote work and soon realised that becoming a Virtual Assistant could offer the flexible, fully remote career I needed. I set up a workspace at a small desk in my front room and took the first steps to start my own Virtual Assistant business from home.

Since then, I’ve built a work-from-home career that fits around my life, not the other way around. I’ve learnt how to market my services, find clients, set boundaries and stay focused, even when working through illness or toddler tantrums.

If you’re wondering whether it’s possible to create your own remote work from home opportunities, I’m here to say: it absolutely is.

This is A Fully Remote Career — If That’s What You Want It To Be

I work from home 100% of the time as a self-employed Virtual Assistant. My work is done from my computer at home, with the flexibility to set my own schedule and choose how I work. From time to time, I attend client events, some are paid, others are volunteer-based and occasionally I’m invited to dinners, shows, or to visit client offices. These moments are a nice change of pace and completely optional, which makes them easy to enjoy now that my kids are teenagers.

That’s one of the biggest perks of being a Virtual Assistant: you decide what your role looks like. You can build a fully remote career, or you can include in-person services if that suits you. There are no strict rules, only the ones you create for your business.

If working from someone’s office is your thing, you can offer that. If it’s not a service you want to provide, you don’t have to. The freedom to carve out your own work-from-home lifestyle is one of the best parts of this career path. You decide where, when and how you work.

As a Virtual Assistant, you're not just doing admin tasks, you’re running your own business. And that means you're in control.

Job Description For Virtual Assistant

The job description for a Virtual Assistant can vary depending on your skills, niche and the clients you choose to work with, but here’s what it looks like for me.

I’ve been a Virtual Assistant since 2011. Over the years, I’ve worked with a mix of clients including small business owners, coaches, consultants, tradesmen and SMEs (small to medium enterprises). I support them with their business administration and that covers a wide range of tasks.

At the time of writing, I have five regular clients and four non-regular ones. My regular clients give me repeat work every month, such as social media content creation and scheduling, bookkeeping using Xero and creating their newsletters. Non-regular clients usually approach me for one-off projects like carousel graphics for LinkedIn, professionally formatted letters with electronic signatures, or the occasional PowerPoint presentation.

Regular clients keep me very busy and I’m often fully booked. As your Virtual Assistant business grows, your reputation will too. If you deliver great work, your clients will naturally refer others to you. Word of mouth is one of the best and easiest ways to grow your VA business, but it takes time.

Marketing yourself is just as important. I use social media especially LinkedIn to connect with potential clients when I have availability. Being visible and showing the work you do helps you attract the right people.

If you're looking for a flexible, fully remote career with the freedom to shape your own services, becoming a Virtual Assistant is a great option.

Virtual Assistant Job Responsibilities

Virtual Assistant job responsibilities can vary depending on the clients you work with and the services you choose to offer. As someone who’s been a Virtual Assistant since 2011, I’ve found that the work tends to fall into two categories: regular ongoing tasks and one-off projects.

Here’s a breakdown of the kind of work I’ve been doing recently:

Regular Ongoing Work (Monthly)

These tasks are carried out for my regular clients and form the core of my monthly workload:

• Writing LinkedIn posts, creating graphics and scheduling them

• Creating, designing and scheduling three newsletters per month

• Proofreading client blogs before publishing

• Proofreading professional reports and documents

• Managing monthly payment runs

• Reconciling accounts in Xero for three clients

One-off Projects

• Creating PowerPoint presentations

• Writing and formatting eBooks

The great thing about being a Virtual Assistant is that you can tailor your responsibilities based on what you enjoy and where your strengths lie. Some VAs focus on social media, others on bookkeeping, tech, or admin support. You’re in control of the services you offer and how you deliver them.

Virtual Assistant Skills

Did I have all the Virtual Assistant skills when I started? Absolutely not.

Like many self-employed VAs, I learnt most of my skills on the job. I came into this with a few strengths, I'd used PowerPoint during my corporate role, I had a creative background with A-level Art and an HND in Graphic Design and I’ve always been naturally organised. But everything else? That was picked up along the way through experience, Google searches, YouTube tutorials and now ChatGPT!

One of the biggest skills I’ve developed is creating social media content. I started by posting for my own VA business and soon after, clients asked me to do the same for them. Platforms change constantly, so you’re always learning. In the beginning, I didn’t know how to use tools like Mailchimp or MailerLite which are email marketing platforms and I’ve only recently learned Xero accounting software, but when a client trusts you, they’ll ask if you can learn it so they can hand the job over. That’s how you build trust and stack your skills.

You don’t need to know everything from day one. The most important thing is to start. You’re a smart woman, you’ll figure it out with the help of Google, YouTube, and a bit of trial and error.

How to Be a 5 Star Virtual Assistant

If you’re wondering how to be a 5 star Virtual Assistant, the answer isn’t about knowing every piece of software or being available 24/7. It’s about showing up consistently, communicating clearly and building trust with your clients.

Here’s what makes a VA truly stand out:

1. Build trust from day one

Clients are often juggling a lot. They need someone reliable who can take tasks off their plate and deliver results. Keep your word, meet deadlines and let your work speak for itself.

2. Under-promise and over-deliver

Don’t overcommit. Instead, give realistic timeframes and if you’re able to deliver earlier or go the extra mile, even better. Those little wins build your reputation quickly.

3. Communicate clearly

Keep your clients updated on progress. Let them know if something’s delayed. A quick message goes a long way in building confidence and reducing stress on their end.

4. Do great work

It sounds obvious, but consistently doing high-quality work is what keeps clients coming back. Take pride in the small details, check your spelling, follow their instructions and treat each task like it matters (because it does).

5. Set clear boundaries

Let your clients know your working hours and stick to them. You’re not expected to be online all the time. Protecting your time helps avoid burnout and keeps your business sustainable.

6. Ask questions

If you’re unsure about something, ask. It’s better to clarify than guess. Most clients appreciate honesty and a proactive approach over mistakes that could’ve been avoided.

7. Use contracts

Have contracts or agreements in place that outline how you work, when you’re available, your rates and how you handle projects. This protects both you and the client.

8. Always deliver or communicate early

Sometimes life happens. If you're unwell or something urgent comes up, let your client know as soon as possible. If you consistently deliver 99% of the time, they’ll understand when the rare delay happens.

Becoming a 5 star Virtual Assistant is about trust, communication and consistency in delivering the work. You don’t need to be perfect, you just need to show up with care, professionalism and a willingness to learn.

This Is a Legit Work From Home Career

This is a legit work from home career, but it’s not all coffee breaks and casual lunches.

Working as a Virtual Assistant is demanding. You’ll juggle deadlines, manage multiple clients and keep yourself motivated day after day. But for me, the flexibility has been worth every ounce of effort. Being able to set my own hours and be present for my children is something no office job ever gave me.

Building a full client base doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time. You need to learn how to market yourself, build connections and deliver outstanding work consistently. Referrals come when people trust you and that trust is earned by showing up, doing the job well and keeping your word.

If you’re serious about creating a real work-from-home career and you’re willing to put in the effort, the results are worth it. I’ve replaced my corporate salary by running my own business as a Virtual Assistant. And you can too.

It won’t always be easy but it will absolutely be worth it.

Wishing you every success as you build your own VA journey.

Follow me on Instagram for behind-the-scenes at neonb1 which is where I share my work from home VA life.