Have you heard that you can make money online but aren’t sure what you can do? Ever heard of an Online Virtual assistant? It’s a known fact about how unfavorable the job market is in Kenya, especially for the youth. But who said you need a traditional 9-5 job to make a living?

Just because you’re struggling with getting hired for a traditional job, doesn’t mean you have to resign to being broke. Thanks to the development in technology and the effectiveness of the internet, you can comfortably work from home and even earn a full-time income from it. There are a lot of online job opportunities available today, including being an online Virtual assistant.

In this post, we’re going to share with you how you can make money as an online Virtual assistant in Kenya. But before we get into how to become one, you must be wondering who a Virtual assistant is and what is the job description? So, allow me to first clarify.

Who is a Virtual assistant – what do they do?

To help you understand, I want you to think of a virtual assistant as a personal assistant. Not the kind you send for coffee or to pick up your dry cleaning. Virtual assistants are more like the personal assistants you task to reply to your emails, post on your social media, type up important documents, or schedule your meetings. The range of tasks a virtual assistant does is vast. The main difference from a personal assistant is that all these tasks are completed via the internet.

You can either work as a full-time or part-time Virtual assistance, depending on your preference. The beauty of this type of job is that you can work for any company anywhere in the world. It is also suitable for both beginners and experts in the field.

Point-to-note: Before we go on, we cannot emphasize enough that being an online virtual assistant is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Most gurus online will feed you with the illusion that venturing into this field is effortless, or that you’ll make a lot of money overnight. This is not the case. It’s not that you need any special degree or diploma of some sought to qualify for the job. You do, however, need to learn certain skills, if you’re going to be a successful, in-demand virtual assistant. Keeping this in mind let us proceed.

What job opportunities are available for virtual assistants in Kenya?

With more and more people coming up with business and organizations growing and expanding, executives and entrepreneurs need help in running their operations. Such business owners are looking for someone who can help them clear up more time to do other things without neglecting their duties. There is, therefore, high demand for virtual assistants in the online market. As mentioned before, there are many tasks a virtual assistant can complete, and so there are a varying number of job positions available for Virtual assistants. In Kenya, some of the common job opportunities are:

eCommerce Virtual Assistant.

This type of assistant is hired by an eCommerce business owner. Your role in this position will be to remotely help in the daily running of the business and also outdo the competition. Some of your responsibilities include analyzing the competition, writing product descriptions, improving the business’s online visibility, providing live customer support, and updating product categories among others.

Administrative Virtual Assistant.

In this role, your duty will be completing administrative tasks managing contact lists, or billing and accounting. You may also be required to make travel arrangements, process important documents, set up meetings, and basic HR tasks among others. The main difference with office administrators is you will be completing these tasks online.

Virtual Research Assistance.

Researchers normally have a workload that they need help with. Your role, in this case, will be completing the different research tasks assigned to you. Some of these tasks include compiling research data, analyze and present the information among other tasks.

Data Entry Virtual Assistant.

This role entails inputting raw data into a computer and converting it into useful information. Some of the tasks could include, managing database systems, compiling data, reviewing the accuracy, and generating reports from the data among others.

Virtual Bookkeeping Assistant.

Bookkeeping is important for any business, regardless of how big or small it is. That is why many of them look for bookkeepers who will ensure the business won’t experience any financial headwinds. Some of your tasks include processing payments and payrolls, managing inventory and expenditure, end of year accounting and budgeting, and reconciling banks with credit cards and project cash flow.

Virtual Marketing Assistant.

Entrepreneurs and producers are always in need of help to market their products and/or business. They need someone who can help promote what they offer on different platforms, be it, social media, email, or websites. Developing content for marketing, starting and managing marketing campaigns, and generating business leads among others.

Where can you find Virtual assistant jobs in Kenya?

Today, you’ll find many online platforms where clients post job offers, looking to hire Virtual assistance. Such sites work in either one of two ways or both. Clients can bid for your service or your bid for their job offers along with other freelancers who are interested. Either way, the sites are very competitive. That is why you must be sure to highlight the best skills, to stand out from the rest.

Four of the most reputable platforms you can try out are the following:

Up work.

This is one of the most common platforms when it comes to online writing jobs. It mainly operates on a bidding system. Clients will post jobs and you have the chance to send your proposal and bid for the job. There is also a system, where you can also create a package of your services and sell them instead.

Fiverr.

This is a great platform if you want a platform where you can market your service and rates. It operates on a gig system. That means you create a gig which is a package of your service and rates and market them to clients. That way clients approach you and not the other way around. Simply create what is known as a gig and circulate it. You are even allowed to share your gigs and market them on your social media platform.

People per Hour.

This particular platform uses both the bidding and gig system simultaneously. That means you can either create a package showcasing your services or you can bid for the jobs clients post on the platform. You can also do both.

Legiit.

If you’re looking for a Fiverr alternative, this platform is similar to it in terms of operation. You have the chance of showcasing your best skills and presenting them as a package. Clients looking for your type of service will then approach you with an offer.

How much can you earn as a virtual assistant in Kenya – what are the rates?

Like most online jobs, the rates offered and frequency of payment for Virtual Assistant depends on several factors. It will depend on the type of job, your level of experience and skill, the client, and the platform you use. In a platform like Fiverr, the rates start from as low as $5. But as you start, you shouldn’t be hung up on the rates. Rather focus on building a reputation with your clients, that way you get consistent work and can increase your rates as you progress.

As for how you can access your earnings, the most common method of payment is PayPal. A lot of the platforms utilize it and most clients prefer it. It’s especially useful when it comes to small amounts. PayPal has even come up with a way of transferring your funds from your PayPal account into your Mpesa. Payoneer is another alternative for online transactions, especially if you need a US bank account for global transactions.

What do you need to get started – what are the qualities of a good Virtual Assistant?

As mentioned, if you’re planning to build a successful career as a Virtual Assistant, there are certain requirements to be fulfilled. To start with, there are some desirable qualities you should have to increase your demand among clients. These qualities involve you being, reliable, honest, trustworthy, self-motivated, flexible, open to criticism, resilient, and a good communicator. You should also be able to manage expectations and work independently with minimal supervision. On top of these, to be able to efficiently and effectively perform your tasks you also need:

A reliable PC and stable internet connection. Since all your tasks will be completed online, these two things are very important. You don’t need to have an expensive laptop for this job but reliable internet is important if you expect to deliver on time.

The commitment to succeed. Regardless of what online gurus will tell you, nothing ever comes easy. You have to first put in the time and effort before you can reap the fruits. To succeed as a Virtual assistant, you must be committed to it from the beginning.

Marketable skills set. We saved skills for last because it is the most important. Every job whether online or offline requires a certain set of skills. Virtual assistants are no different. You need to know how to use the tools you’ll need to complete tasks like file conversions or bookkeeping. You’ll also need research skills to collect needed data and compile them into useful information. So, you see, skills are very important if you aim to succeed.

And where and how do you get these skills? Simple, through training by taking up short courses.

About Wingu’s Courses.

Lucky for you, here at Wingu we have come up with four amazing courses that will equip you with the skills you need to become a high-value Virtual assistant. Trust us you won’t find better quality that’s more value for your money, anywhere. Each of the four courses is tailored to suit the Kenyan market and Africa as a whole, and they include:

Professional online article writing training

In the course, we go into painstaking detail about what article writing entails, the skills to write different types of articles, and how to generate money from it. We also train you on how to become a better writer, the common mistakes to avoid. With this course, you will gain the necessary writing skills you need as a Virtual assistant. You’ll be able to write product descriptions, come up with written marketing content and so much more.

What skills do you gain from it for you to work as a virtual assistant?

• Detailed training on how to write content like product descriptions and product reviews, Press release, Blog posts, Landing pages, Case studies, social media posts, YouTube scripts, About us page and sales copies.
• A step-by-step blueprint on how to land clients and jobs on multiple platforms like Upwork.
• Tips on how to write relevant quality content that clients love.
• Powerful research strategies and access to tools that will help you produce the highest quality work
• You learn how to create format and publish an eBook
• You learn how to create a free WordPress website/blog for use as a marketing tool and your online portfolio
• How to use surfer SEO to optimize contents for your client’s website for better rankings in the search engines.
• How to use tools like Yoast SEO

 

Professional data entry training

In this course, we first begin by explaining what data entry is and then take time to clear out the misconception you or others may have about Data entry. In addition, we familiarize you with the ethics code involved in data entry. We also teach you different services involved in data entry, such as file conversion and web research services among others. You’ll learn the required skills and tools you need as a Data entry Virtual assistant to conduct online research, collect and compile data, and come up with things like lead generations, as well as, contact and email lists. You will also gain administrative skills; in case you want to be an Administrative Virtual assistant.

What skills do you gain from it for you to work as a virtual assistant?

• Detailed training on the different data entry jobs like file conversion and in-debt web research among others.
• Insights on how to offer quality services that clients appreciate.
• A plan of action on how to land clients and jobs on multiple platforms like Upwork.
• Contact research – You learn how to research for contacts for clients. For example, A client in Upwork may ask you to create an excel sheet with 60 contacts for all black owned businesses in Florida including their names, contacts and address.
• Learn Data scraping skills and how to format data well in an excel sheet.
• Learn trustworthy sites where you can source data entry jobs
• Get access to tools and essential qualities to be an excellent, ethical, professional data entry service provider.

 

Professional transcription and captioning training

Transcription and captioning are part of the tasks you may be expected to complete as a virtual assistant. With our course, expect to get detailed information about what transcription and captioning are and the different types that exist. Not only do we equip you with the necessary skills you’ll need we also point out the mistakes most transcribers and captions make and why you should avoid them. We go into detail about the various platforms where you can get clients, how you can set up the online accounts, create a portfolio, and approach clients. We give you tips on how to set yourself up for success as well as the right mindset and mentorship to have.

What skills do you gain from it for you to work as a virtual assistant?

• Detailed training on the different types of transcription like Real-time transcription and General transcription among others.
• Detailed training on the different types of captions like closed and open captions among others.
• Knowledge on how to produce quality transcripts and captions that clients love.
• Insight on where to find clients, how to approach them and how to land the job.
• You learn how to build a WordPress Website for Your Transcription Business

 

Professional Affiliate marketing and SEO training

Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to make a passive income online. It’s also something you can do alongside being a Virtual assistant. We teach you how to build a site that will be earning you money each month Passively as you can monetize it with Ads and linking to affiliate offers.  We break down affiliate marketing into its elements and go in-depth into what each entails. We will also teach you how to build a website from scratch without any coding experience. We will also teach you keyword research and how to use it to grow your site. Additionally, through SEO training, you’ll learn how to get organic traffic to your website from Google. We’ll walk you through how to get paid through affiliate marketing, as well as, familiarize you with the different affiliate programs. But the cherry on top is that you get a free student domain to practice on, on top of the practical assessments you receive at the end of the course to help you understand all the concepts. All these skills and marketing knowledge you gain from this course will benefit you if you choose to become an eCommerce or marketing assistant.

What skills do you gain from it for you to work as a virtual assistant?

• With proper skills and adequate knowledge to start and build a career as an affiliate marketer and marketing skills, you’ll need a virtual assistant.
• You’ll be able to create a blog from scratch without any coding knowledge, which will come in handy if a client wanted a website created.
• Access to our Wingu student website where you can practice how to publish and format content in WordPress before venturing on your own.
• How to manage client’s a website: some duties may include content planning, scheduling content, researching competitors
• WordPress publishing and formatting skills including publishing content to client’s website, using essential plugins, formatting images and videos, headings and more.
• How to set up a WordPress website from scratch for example you set it up to look like yardthyme. We teach you how to install a theme, set up the homepage, add header and footer widgets, arrange content on the site, change site colors, change font, add logo and more to make the website look professional.
• Keyword research skills and knowledge on the best keyword research tools
• Keyword competition and analysis
• How to choose a good domain name
• How to create a logo for an affiliate site for clients
• Outsourcing royalty free images for blogposts
• Pinterest pin creation, publishing and interlinking to create more traffic to a client’s site.
• Learn how to set up email marketing campaigns
• Backlink building to increase authority and traffic to client’s site.
• Improving site speed for clients
• Networking with other bloggers
• How to write quality, original, SEO-optimized content.
• Knowledge on on-page SEO

 

Overall, why are our courses the best online training courses for online jobs?

• They contain in-depth and comprehensive content that is simple to understand. We use as many relatable examples to help you understand by applying them to your life. All the while, covering all the necessary bases.
• You get both comprehensive text and video lessons that make it easier to consume the content from anywhere be it your laptop or mobile phone, in the house, or on the road.
• Each course has a practical assessment with detailed feedback from our team to ensure you master the skills taught in each course.
• At the end of each course, you’ll get a detailed plan of action that’s a step-by-step blueprint of how to get started and progress after training.
• We teach you how to build professional portfolios using the assessments you complete.
• We also teach you how to use the portfolio to land jobs.
• We are also constantly updating our courses to keep up with the evolving market, so our students always remain ahead of the curve.
• After the training, you will continue to receive expert mentorship and support through our Wingu Master Minds community on Facebook as well as by reaching out to us by email or call. Our team will be available for you, 24/7.

We don’t expect you to just take our word for it, reach out to us for more information, and we can get you set up for a course that will be worth your time and investment.

Conclusion.

Becoming a virtual assistant is one of the best ways to make money online. You can work for anyone, anywhere in the world, while in the comfort of your home. There’s no need to worry about a stressful schedule or long commutes. What’s more, you have a variety of options when it comes to the type of job; not to mention, the numerous opportunities available for you. So, what are you waiting for? Enroll with Wingu Digital Training and we can help you build a successful career as a virtual assistant.