Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

A Virtual Assistant (VA) is a remote worker or service provider who offers administrative, creative or technical support for business owners or entrepreneurs, part-time or full-time. VAs help business owners by freeing up their time for more important work, doing tasks that business owners are too busy to do themselves, don’t want to do or don’t know how to do.   

Employing a part-time or contract assistant to help with administrative-type tasks, remotely, gives micro business owners more flexibility, less fixed costs and the ability to scale up and down, depending on their business needs. It frees them from admin work to focus on more important work, thus using their core work hours more effectively.

If you have perseverance and the determination to keep going, even when the going gets tough, and possess the qualities that are listed in our handbook, Are you cut out to be a Virtual Assistant?, being a Virtual Assistant is definitely for you.

Absolutely – yes you can!  You can find a client for whom you provide a service that doesn’t require you to work during office hours. This will enable you to work on your client’s projects before work, after work, and over weekends.  Evaluate that you have sufficient hours to deliver good quality work and always agree, upfront, on a due date for your after hours’ projects.

No, a degree is not compulsory. Work experience and an appropriate skillset is sufficient.

You can do your own research on the Internet as Sonja Arendse, the founder of Virtualy did, but it took her five months to launch her business. We recommend you invest in a good VA training programme. It will fast track the start of your business and get you to where you want to be in a shorter period of time, with fewer mistakes.

You will need a reliable computer and strong and reliable internet – preferably with uncapped data – as well as a designated spot in your home where you can focus on work. Applications and Tools to run your business will be discussed in the training. 

Download your free handbook from our website, Are you cut out to be a Virtual Assistant? We would like you to be 100 percent sure that being a VA is for you before signing up for training. After going through the handbook, if you feel that being a VA is for you, then click on our Calendly link to select a time slot for your training. A confirmation email will be sent to you with all the information you need for your training. 

Two 1-hour sessions.  Coaching sessions are available, too.

Training is done online.

This depends on the individual. If you work through the checklist that we provide for you at the end of your training, you can easily set up your business in two weeks. But, if you don’t have many extra hours in your day, then, realistically, it will take you a month.

100 percent, yes! You can align it with the kind of lifestyle you want to lead and make it work for you and your unique requirements

This depends on the individual. How long you take to get clients will depend on whether you already have contacts to offer your services to, and how much time you put into promoting your services.

Marketing your business is something you will be doing for the entire duration of your career, and you don’t have to come across as in-your-face “salesy”. Sonja has found 90 percent of her clients on LinkedIn, and we do offer LinkedIn training at Virtualy. We also provide you with tips and strategies for finding clients. There are many ways to get clients, and they all involve building relationships and solving problems.  

Virtualy is not a recruitment agency – we train and guide individuals in setting up their own Virtual Assistant business. As a self-employed business owner you will have to find your own clients. 

Virtualy has affordable packages that will provide you with all the information and resources that are needed to run your Virtual Assistant business. Have a look at our pricing page to see our three pricing packages.

This depends on each Virtual Assistant. As a business owner, you will have to set your rates and the amount of money you make as a VA will vary. It depends on different variables such as: Which part of the world are you working from? How many hours will you work each week (or month)? What type of work will you be performing? 

Yes, definitely. Virtualy-Training & Coaching has trained several men, so far. The role of a Virtual Assistant suits anyone with the right soft skills and mind-set, regardless of their gender.

A service level agreement (SLA) is included in the resources pack that we’ll send you after the training. The SLA states your Terms and Conditions. It also mentions the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). All other legal factors relating to VA work will be mentioned in the training.

A Virtual Assistant should know how to collaborate and communicate remotely, so a VA can’t fear technology. Plus, if you’re comfortable researching on Google or YouTube, then you can figure out to do most things for your VA business.

Yes, you can. Traveling while working is great for meeting people, networking, and gaining new clients. Just make sure that the Wi-Fi signal is strong and stable wherever you are. 

Flexible working and being able to spend more time with family is the reason most women want to be self-employed. You get to choose the days and times you work, so that you can accommodate your kids’ schedules.

Life is full of challenges and obstacles, but you overcome them every single day and have done so since the day you were born. You may just feel scared because you haven’t set up a business before. We know that you need the necessary moral support after the training, therefore we offer the following programmes that are included in your training cost: Accountability Partner Programme Facebook Community

Yes, we’ll send you a certificate of completion after your second session.

Our prices are reasonable, and we want everyone that we train to succeed! We assist in deciding with you what will be the best service to offer as a Virtual Assistant. We share our experience of being a VA in South Africa.  We address the fears that you might have.