What Does it Take to Become a Virtual Assistant?

Tawnya Sutherland, Founder of VANA is proud to support and be a member of the Steering Committee putting together standard core competencies for emerging VAs worldwide entitled ...

Core Competencies for Emerging VAs

©2004-2007 Alliance for Virtual Businesses (Second Edition)

This document can serve as a starting point for prospective VAs considering launching a Virtual Assistant business. The intent is to identify the competencies a VA should exhibit as a basic foundation when operating a business and working with clients.

Professional Skills:

Client Success:

• Drive and determination to see their clients succeed
• Understands their target market client and how their strengths can greatly improve the ideal client's life and business
• Puts the client first by being very resourceful in finding appropriate solutions for the client, whether those solutions include the VA or not
• Good fit for their client

Collaboration:

• Ability to work as part of a team
• Can effectively contribute solutions/suggestions/make recommendations to arising problems

Communication:

• Excellent customer service skills
• Excellent verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills with the ability to drive a discussion to a positive outcome
• Excellent listening skills

Delegation:

• The ability to accept and delegate effectively and wisely

Established Productivity:

• Quality of the work
• Testimonials
• Verifiable References

Executive Presence:

• The ability to be professional (both in person and virtually)

Professional Attitude and Aptitude

• A basic understanding of business operation
• Budgeting
• Creating a business plan
• Creating a marketing plan
• Basic understanding of bookkeeping/ability to maintain accurate records
• Contracts and agreements
• Time management

Professional Integrity:

• Abide by a set of ethics binding on your conscience
• Communicates well with clients, subcontractors and project managers
• Willingness to admit and correct mistakes
• Outsource or pass on a client/clients who require services you lack the skills to provide
• Never knowingly take another VA’s client or subcontracted client
• Never discuss subcontracted rates with contractor’s client
• Respect copyright of colleagues
• Be respectful of others’ intellectual property (i.e. plagiarism, software piracy, etc.)
• Uphold strict client and colleague confidentiality

Personal Skills:

Competent with Skill Set:

• High level of proficiency of the services in their chosen niche
• Good organization skills
• Good spelling, grammar and punctuation skills
• Understanding of basic web and computer technology

People Skills:

• Articulate
• Respectful
• Tactful
• Confident
• Passionate

Education:

Structured:

• Five years of relevant work experience or completion of a recognized virtual assistant training program
• Basic office skills
• Continuing education for professional development
• Proficient with software programs used
• Proficient with email, Internet and instant messaging (IM)

Education of Marketplace:

• Willing to share their knowledge with the VA community

Office Standards:

Basics:

• A reliable computer
• Internet connection
• Phone
• Currently accepted and widely used business software programs/suite
• Antivirus software

From time-to-time we will review these competencies and revise them, in an effort to strengthen the foundation of the Virtual Assistant Industry and its practitioners. Please read the Reasons for Core Competencies which provides background information regarding the formulation of these Core Competencies. The Core Competencies Committee membership and VA Organizations and Training Programs that support and endorse these criteria are provided on a supplemental page.

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