Virtual assistants have become a highly popular freelance job for many people. A virtual assistant is hired as a freelance worker who works from home and can provide a variety of services.
Most of the services that are offered are office-type jobs like checking and responding to the client’s emails, data entry, file management and more. As with any job, there are pros and cons to consider when you are looking at being a virtual assistant.
Pros of Becoming a Virtual Assistant
Like any other freelance job, being a virtual assistant provides you with some of the best perks any job has to offer. Some of them include:
1. Be your own boss
Who doesn’t want to become their own boss? Especially, millennials. Freedom is everything, but we have to pay the bills. One of the biggest attractions to working as a virtual assistant is that you can be your own boss. You can set your own hours, your own pay, and the services you provide without being told otherwise.
2. Work from home
Another attraction to this job is being able to work from home. Many people are enjoying raising a family and working from home at the same time. Becoming a virtual assistant is one job that allows you that opportunity. If you live alone or if you are an introvert, this is a huge perk for you.
3. Do life the way you want
As the boss, you can live your life the way you want without worrying about taking time off or taking sick days and upsetting co-workers or employers. You can choose to take a client or not. You can choose how your job intertwines with your family life and make it work best for you.
4. You can choose the benefits you want
You do not have to sign up for health insurance that costs an arm and a leg for your portion or for your co-pays. You can take leave whenever you want. You can take leave for however long you want to take it. You do not have to wait for a year or more to receive vacation time.
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Cons of Becoming a Virtual Assistant
Working from home as a virtual assistant has its downsides as well. Although the pros outweigh, these three cons are definitely worth considering:
5. Be my own boss
Being your own boss can be great, but it can also be a burden since you have full responsibility for the entire business. You have to take care of all the little details that a business requires as well as perform the tasks you have been hired for. It can be a little daunting.
6. Chores
Sometimes working from home can be a huge distraction. Life happens, and it happens a lot at home. Children get sick or do not take their naps. Appliances break or pipes leak, and you still have household chores to do on top of the work you are doing for your business.
7. No company paid benefits
The company paid benefits are a nice thing to have, but when you work from home as a virtual assistant, you do not have those luxuries like 401k plans, paid leave, paid insurance, retirement and more. You are responsible for all those benefits rather than a company paying for them.
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When you consider becoming a virtual assistant, be sure to really take the time to think about this freelance job and weigh the pros and the cons as you make a decision. Make your own list of pros and cons too and see how it would work for you and your family.