Many people think that VA's work for someone else and get paid for it. While some VA's do,most are business owners who serve others. A VA is a business owner who is selected by someone to perform a service for them. We set our own hours and our own rates for services based on a consultation with the clients. They are not held to a specific schedule by an employer , but rather, they set their own hours around their lives. It is always spelled out with the client before we do any work for them. VA's can choose to work nights , weekends even holidays, if so desired without having to take away from family time.

VA's can also work for someone else while building their business as a means of income. Most VA's are independent contractors and have to go the normal procedures of applying for a job, except that we are not considered employees unless that opportunity arose. VA's generally join groups ( like this one) and submit what is referred to as an RFP ( request for proposal) to bid on job openings.Once we have decided on a rate of pay and completed all needed paperwork, we can submit the proposal to the client who posted it. VA's are expected to complete the work and do all that is required once that happens as we are under contract and can be penalized for breaking it. The difference in this industry, is that we are able to select the skills that we are good at and tailor our profiles to specific tasks. This saves both VA's and the employer time.

VA's can even focus on employers in specific industries, which I will discuss in a later post. This allows us to further focus where our strengths lie.

If someone tells you that VA's are just regular employees, you can now educate them on the difference between a VA and an employee


John Hardy
Certified Microsoft Office Specialist