This interview is with Kayla Sloan, virtual assistant, and creator of the online course 10KVA. I discovered Kayla through another blogger, and when I learned that she not only generates $10,000 a month as a VA, but teaches others how to do it too, I had to meet her and share her inspiring story with you. 

I hope you find this article helpful. If you want to take a deeper dive into how to earn more money as a virtual assistant, click here to check out Kayla’s $10KVA course.

Can you tell me little bit about your background, and how you became a virtual assistant (a.k.a. VA)?

I started my blog in December of 2013, just as a hobby. I was frustrated about my debt and living situation, and wanted to put my thoughts and feelings into the world for accountability and to help me work through my debt.

When I first started my blog, I had never heard the term virtual assistant. I didn’t even know that you could make money online from home – at least not in a legit way!

I read a lot of blogs back then for inspiration, and they are how I found out about working from home and earning extra money. I was motivated to get started, so I decided to try freelance writing.

A few weeks later, I landed my first freelance writing job by reaching out to my blogger friends to see if any of them knew of any opportunities. To my surprise, one of my blogger friends became my first client!

After a few weeks of working together, I noticed that the posts I wrote for her hadn’t been published. So I asked her if there was anything I could improve on. She said that she was just overwhelmed and had gotten behind, and then asked me if I’d be willing to be her VA. I was desperate for extra cash, so even though I had no clue what that entailed, I said yes!  

Can you describe what a virtual assistant is?

A VA, or virtual assistant, can do just about anything. It’s a pretty broad term. A VA is basically someone you bring into your business to help you with tasks so you can focus on higher level activities, like revenue generation or where the business as whole is headed.

If you become a VA, you can find opportunities that best fits your skills, knowledge, and interests because there many things that VAs can do to help business owners.

What does a virtual assistant typically do?

Like I said, VAs can do anything! Administrative VAs will do simple tasks like sending emails, scheduling meetings, light bookkeeping work, and other tasks that relate to admin work. Some VAs are research based, and can research anything you need, from sponsorships to data.

Other VAs focus on blogging, marketing, social media, WordPress, creating and maintaining courses, etc. If you need help with anything in your online business, you can find a VA that specializes in it.

What type of services do you provide?

Although I have mostly moved away from virtual assisting these days to do higher level things with my own business, I provided administrative services, blog management, social media, and Facebook ads services.

How do you typically market your services or get clients?

I got most of my clients with cold pitches and word of mouth. I’m not a fan of job boards at all unless you have absolutely no other options to get your first client. Instead, I always recommend to new VAs that they start with their existing network.

How much can a VA make?

VAs in the United States will typically earn between $15-$35/hour, but if you have very advanced skills or knowledge in certain areas (like coding, technical knowledge, project management, etc.), you could earn more hourly, or even charge a project rate to help you earn more.

Do you do all the work yourself or do you outsource to other VAs?

When I first started I did all of the work myself, but once my business took off, I hired a subcontractor to help me. This is one of the greatest things about being a VA. You can keep a minimum amount of clients to only work by yourself, or build up a team and work with more people.

Where can someone learn more about to become a VA?

You can start by reading blog posts from other VAs, joining a course or program (like $10K VA 😉 ), and even reach out to another VA to see if they would mentor you. I’ve found that most people are willing to help and answer questions because there’s more than enough work to go around, so they aren’t afraid of helping new VAs get started.

Of course, if you decide to invest in a course or coaching program to help you get started, you’ll probably be able to build your business faster than if you go at it on your own. But either way, becoming a VA will change your life!

Conclusion

Kayla has built an incredible virtual assistant business. She was in debt with student loans mounting, and unhappy with her job. Today she earns an estimated $10,000 a month from her virtual assistant business and teaches others how to do the same.

Click here if you’d like to check out Kayla’s $10KVA course. 

Have you thought about becoming a Virtual Assistant? Leave a comment or any questions you have, and I’ll be happy to answer them.