Work From Home Virtual Assistant with Time Etc
Virtual Assisting opportunities can range from full-time commitments to work-whenever-you-want tasks. With so many different kinds of Virtual Assistant (VA) positions available, it’s a good idea to find one that suits your skills, abilities and fits in with your schedule!
If you’re already pretty busy, but have been wanting to give Virtual Assisting a try, Time Etc is one of the more flexible work from home VA companies around. As little as three extra hours a week and prior experience as an admin assistant, secretary, receptionist, or any other clerical support position is all it takes to get started as a Time Etc VA.
Tell me more about Time Etc
Established in 2007, Time Etc has been offering professional VA services to busy entrepreneurs, business owners, and companies large and small. They perform over 20,000 tasks per month for their clients and have completed more than a 1,200,000 tasks to date!
Plus, with a successful entrepreneur CEO and a Director who once was Richard Branson’s Personal Assistant, Time Etc knows (I mean really knows) what it takes to be a leading Virtual Assistant Company.
Everything you need to know about being a Time Etc Virtual Assistant
Time Etc has VA opportunities available in four areas:
- General Virtual Assistant
- Marketing and Social Media Assistant
- Writing Assistant
- Customer Service or Telesales Assistant
Before jumping into what each of these positions is all about, you should know what it takes to be a Time Etc VA and what the benefits are of working for them.
Flexibility
Time Etc doesn’t require a huge commitment each week. You can work as little as three (although they prefer a minimum of five) hours each week. VA positions at Time Etc are specifically designed to fit into your busy schedule (and not the other way around.) So, if you are a current full-time freelancer–no problem! Stay-at-home mom or dad–no worries! These really are very flexible positions:
Becoming a freelance Virtual Assistant at home gives you the opportunity to use your skills and experience to help others whilst earning money on a very flexible basis.
The only commitment you need to make is being available Monday through Friday during typical business hours (but when you choose to work during those times is entirely up to you!). Time Etc also likes their VAs to make a one year commitment. This gives the VA a chance to get acclimated and allows the client to become familiar with the VA.
Pay
To start, Time Etc pays its VAs $11.00 an hour. You are a 1099 Independent Contractor and are responsible for your own taxes. If you’ve never worked as an Independent Contractor (IC) before, think of yourself as being like a service provider. You are providing your services to Time Etc and will bill them for your time on an hourly basis (which will be determined when you are paired up with a client.
Speaking of clients, who will I be working with?
That’s the best part–you never know which client will come your way! You could be working with a small team on a short-term project, an entrepreneur, or a an employee at a large corporation. Depending on your skills and for which of the VA positions you apply for, you’ll like find a variety of clients come in your way during your time as a VA.
4 Virtual Opportunities at Time Etc
Depending on your background and interests, you’ll probably favor one of the VA opportunities at Time Etc over the others. Remember though, no matter which of the four you choose, ALL positions will perform general admin assistant-type tasks in addition to any specialty assignments.
General Virtual Assistant
If you can’t choose which opportunity is right for you, this is the position you should apply for (you’ll at least get your resume and profile submitted and be able to change your mind later if you’d like!) General VAs are Jacks or Jills of All Trades. They can help business owners and entrepreneurs handle everyday business happenings.
You might be coordinating travel arrangements, keeping a calendar, returning phone calls, and tracking expenses, to name a few. Any kind of basic administrative functions and day-to-day business needs will be part of your responsibilities. You should be able to stay hyper-organized, roll with the punches, and keep on top of things as they happen (no matter what!).
Marketing and Social Media Assistant
If you’re a Social Media Maven or Marketing Master, this is the position for you! In addition to performing the General Virtual Assistant responsibilities, you will help your clients promote their businesses.
You will establish and maintain a strong online presence on any number of the different social media platforms. So you’ll need to stay current on all the Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, G+, Tumblr, etc. best practices and know what it takes to grow an audience on each. It probably doesn’t hurt to be familiar with social media tools like Hootsuite and Buffer, too.
This position is part growth-hacker, Social Media Coordinator and marketing assistant rolled into one do-what-it-takes Virtual Assistant role (which, no doubt, you are able to handle!)
Writing Assistant
If you’re already a freelance writer or have any kind of writing or journalism background, you’ll have what it takes to be a Time Etc Writing Assistant. Your clients will need you to craft the perfect web content, create share-worthy blog posts and articles, and write compelling sales copy. If that sounds like your idea of a fun day at work, then this is your perfect opportunity to do what you love while getting paid.
Editing, proofreading, copywriting, content writing, and overall wordsmith are some of the skills and attributes needed to be successful as a Writing Assistant. Don’t forget, you’ll be performing administrative tasks on top of fulfilling your writing duties!
Customer Service or Telesales Assistant
If you’ve got the gift of gab, you’ll find success as a Customer Service/Telesales Assistant at Time Etc. And, no, this isn’t just a cold calling, telemarketing position (although you might have a client with some telesales needs). A lot of what you can expect to handle will include resolving customer service issues and inquiries via phone or email. You might also set appointments for an outside sales team.
Prior customer service and sales experience are a definite must for this position. You’ll also need a bit of a thick skin when dealing with the general public because you just never know what kind of curveball may come your way. As with the other positions, you’ll also be performing general administrative duties on top of customer service and telesales assignments!
What else should I know about Time Etc?
All VAs are U.S. based. After you submit an application and resume, your information will be reviewed. If you seem like a good fit for Time Etc (and vice versa) you will go through the interview process. Before an offer to contract is extended, your identity will be confirmed and you will sign a strict confidentiality agreement (this is to protect the client’s information).
Each VA is hand picked and expertly matched up with a client. So by selecting one of the four opportunities that is most interesting to you, you’ll more likely be paired with a client who favors a VA with those attributes (win-win since you get to do things you love and the client gets an expert in the field).
To get a really good understanding of what you might encounter as a Time Etc VA on any given day, check out their list of Popular Tasks. You can bet the things clients frequently request are also the things you’ll most likely tackle on a daily basis.
Time Etc bills itself as the Virtual Assistant provider for busy entrepreneurs, but you may also find yourself assisting employees at some noteworthy companies like Google, Skype, Marriott, and Nissan (which means you might make some important contacts along the way!)
Train to Become a Virtual Assistant
If you like the idea of becoming an all-star VA but prefer to work for yourself, head on over to 30 Days or Less to Virtual Assistant Success for guidance. This self-paced course comes from Gina Horkey, a professional writer and VA who was able to start from scratch and build a VA business that earns her more than $4,000 a month working part time. But just don’t take my word for it — Gina is pretty transparent and will demonstrate, step by step, how you too can achieve similar success in just 30 days or less.
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Dear Team
Could I apply for the post of Virtual Assistant if I live in the UK?
Please could you let me know.
Kind regards.
Diane Broad
(dianebroadshomeoffice@gmail.com)
Hi
I live in South Africa and would like to become a VA. How can I get started.