You have heard about how virtual assistants from the Philippines and other countries do well…getting clients…getting hired and paid well?
It is time to put more Kenyan virtual assistants (VAs) within reach of more work and good pay.
This article is a guide to help you be clear about what you want as a VA.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links. When you click on something I recommend and purchase it, I will receive a commission for the sale – at no extra cost to you.
What you’ll find here will help you answer a lot of questions.
The answers to these questions will help you get work, reach more clients, promise, deliver, get your money and thank yous.
Why become a virtual assistant in Kenya?
Table of Contents
Becoming a VA is not for everybody.
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It is something you shouldn’t try if the need to get money is so intense that you’ll try to do several things at once (which lead to a lot of frustration and overwhelm) or get in the trap of becoming unreliable (unavailable when needed, failing to meet deadlines, overcharging, doing a shoddy job, not saying no to work you can’t do).
Be clear about what you can offer first. Don’t rush into thinking only (99% of the time) about what you’ll get out of being a VA.
Think about what your clients will get from you.
It doesn’t always work like this, especially when you are desperate for work, but you can do it.
You can put more emphasis on fulfilling their needs, which in reality will work in your favour.
You can slam on those brakes and take things slowly; taking your time to do your best every time you get work.
What do you have to offer as a VA in Kenya? Examples of virtual assistant tasks [services clients can hire you for]
VAs do lots of things. So, when you are getting started, or getting distracted because of focusing on so much, cut down on the services you offer.
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At least maintain a focus and branch out to other areas, as you grow and acquire new skills.
Why do this?
You get more experienced (in a specific area) and probably create an opportunity to meet more clients (in your chosen niche) because as you guessed it, if your work is awesome, chances of being recommended by your clients to others increases.
And then? You find that a client who came to you for help editing and proofreading their blog posts and ebooks, hires you to write tutorials, write and edit emails for their email subscribers, moderate discussions and respond to comments on their blogs.
Not every VA starts like this.
Not every VA works like this.
Some start by offering three, four, five, seven or ten services.
So, you have to choose what works for you and the people who hire you.
Talk about it with your clients.
Tools of the trade – what you need to start working online as a Kenyan virtual assistant
Get your own computer
A desktop is cheaper compared to a laptop, but you still can get decent used laptops from shops around cities and towns in Kenya.
Why you need a computer as a virtual assistant:
- because you don’t want your clients’ work scattered in public computers (like the ones in cyber cafes) or one that belongs to a friend or member of your family
- because it will save you more time and keep you from getting all jittery when a deadline is nearing
- because that way, you’ll reduce chances of introducing malware (if you take good care of your machine) to your files
- to reduce the chances of someone messing up your work, accidentally deleting what you’ve been working on for hours on end
- because your work will get easier. Now, imagine if you edit audio, video, create graphics, or have to customize WordPress themes but don’t have your own computer to work on? Can you do all this without a computer of your own? It is doable, but can be a little tough, especially when you lose something you’ve been working on for days
- because there are some things that need a test environment, and what a good place than a computer you own
- if your work involves a lot of writing, you want to make sure that you have a computer to work on whenever you want
Reliable internet
Going to a cyber café all the time can become an inconvenience after a while.
So, get a modem.
If your work is going to involve a lot of Skype calls, downloading and uploading of big files, you need a provider that can give you internet with speeds to achieve this.
Learn how to buy Safaricom internet bundles.
Backup
Do your best to protect your machine from anything that could destroy the data in it.
Get external drives that are large enough to hold copies of all the files that are important to you. Check the ones available on Jumia Kenya online shop.
There are also many online services that offer free storage.
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You might want to check them out.
Online resources
You want to continue learning and constantly improving your skills because you love your work and you’re interested in helping your clients achieve their goals.
There are many resources ranging from free blog posts (e.g. how to become a freelance writer in Kenya – there are great tips to glean from the post – read it), ebooks, videos, podcasts, email (lists), courses to premium products. You can find some of those on this site.
Go out there and learn. Then implement. Meet other VAs and share.