Is there a market for more expensive virtual assistants?

Just how much more would they be able to do? I believe that's what matters.

If you know a lot, you can charge a lot. I don't take in less than $1k per month for doing it part-time. If you have the right tools, you can name your price.

I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but if you're looking to earn more than what you typically see quoted all over forums like this one, look at Assistu: AssistU: Virtual Assistance information and referrals, and Virtual Assistants training.. You can additionally set your own prices and market yourself at popular outsourcing sites (vWorker.com, etc.).

If you have better skills than philipinians or indians who are several times as cheap - then yes, why not. Alternatively, you could find a unique skill that those people don't have and market it.

You live in Canada, which has the same time zones as the U.S. (I assume)

Since there are lots of U.S. marketers who would LOVE to have a VA working the same times that they do, I'm sure you can find work.

You just have to prove that you know what you're doing, just like any writer, copywriter, SEO, or other service provider.

If you know everything then you can charge what you think is right for your services.

If you have the free time, I would suggest semi-interning/bartering for some training.

When I first got started, I contacted a local guy (when I lived in Omaha) who was looking for someone to do a few hours of accounting every week. I came in once a week for about an hour, sometimes two, and took care of the accounting things for him. In return, we went out to a bar and I got pick his brain about IM for a few hours. (Plus, people tend to let their guard down and open up more after a few drinks)

About 6 months later I moved to Portland but, I learned what I could and we parted ways...

While you don't get the additional source of income while getting trained, small trades like that also take up less of your time - which means more time working on your own projects.

I'd say its always a race to to bottom for some while others appreciate using someone else as an aid rather than a slave and paying them well to reflect that.

To begin, you are in the wrong forum asking for advice about a career in virtual assistance. While many of us (VAs) do hang out here for various reasons, there are a ton of non-VAs (mainly clients of cheap VAs, seemingly) who litter these VA threads with misinformation, and much of it is based on hiring very cheap overseas VAs...

Here in the US (and even the UK and Canada), the VA game is a lot different in terms of pay. How?

• The majority of us aren't anyone's assistant, per se. Hence, the title (VA) in itself creates the distortion that we are employees. And this is why many of us don't even use the title Virtual Assistant.
• Regardless of what people on here are saying, VAs here do manage their own businesses and aren't employees, as someone implied yesterday. We have LLCs, sign contracts and collect signatures, send invoices, have business licenses, EINs, business bank accounts, DNB accounts, hire assistants, write blog posts, tweet, manage our Facebook/Pinterest/LinkedIn pages, etc...just like any other business owner.
• We command higher prices because we have to eat and stay sheltered. Overseas VAs are able to charge the super lower prices they charge because they can afford to live on that type of income. If you choose a niche and establish yourself as an expert, clients here expect to pay you more. As a newbie, don't start off as a generalist because then you're expected to do everything, even stuff beyond your capacity and you'll wind up working more hours than you have in a day versus working part-time hours earning full-time pay as a specialist.

I can sit here and type a whole e-book right now on the VA Industry and the misconceptions of VAs, but if I did, I may as well put a tag on it (kidding). The point is, however, do your own research and find mentors in the game you are looking to play because these VA threads are over saturated with negative opinions based on overseas VAs, which people apply to all VAs. And as someone in the Industry, it's frustrating. But, I keep my lips sealed for the most part because the last time I added my $.02, it was a pointless merry-go-round arguing with someone who knew nothing about the business.

As far as competition, if you are looking to find clients on oDesk, Elance and other similar sites, yes, you will encounter steep competition, especially with overseas VAs whose prices you can't compete with if you're trying to live...What you need to do is hang out in VA forums, follow similar people on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. There are so many groups and individuals, American, Canadian, UK or whoever relevant, with so much useful info than you can handle. My mentors make 6 figures per year...

Don't be fooled by what you read here in these VA threads. Some of the information is true, much of it is not. But don't go off generalizations. If you need any more accurate information, PM me...

Best of Luck

I paid my first american VA $3K a month and wouldn't think twice about it. Inexpensive overseas labor has its place, don't get me wrong, I do that too. Especially with routine, repetitive tasks, etc.. But where overseas VAs tend to fall short is with "thinking" type tasks as opposed to "doing" type tasks.

For example, the American VA I could say "we need new online marketing strategies" and get good ones, because he/she could think that way. If I tried that with someone overseas, I would get the results of extensive article/blog reading. The difference between a "book report" (overseas VA) and term paper (american VA).

Also an American VA is well suited to manage a team of overseas VAs.

I'm not a VA so I can't tell you how to position your services, only provide insight on how to look at what you have to offer from a different angle.

It all depends on your skillset. I think the transition to actually making decent $$ would end up being the transition from Virtual Assistant into Freelancer. Just my .02

Thanks for the input, everyone.

It's good to know people are willing to pay a premium for someone in a similar timezone, with a good command of the English language, experience in customer support, etc.

Now, where would someone like myself find clientele? I'm aware of oDesk, etc, but like I said earlier I don't want to race to the bottom when it comes to prices since I'm absolutely confidant that I can outperform someone else who's only charging $2 per hour. I need to find the type of clients who take their business seriously and realize the importance of being represented well. Where do they hide? Lol.

Good luck with your endeavors.

I think that this correlates with what a lot of people have said, but it depends what you mean by "more expensive".

My experience is that "more expensive" often equals better value for money.

If I can spend a certain value and get more from a VA who costs more per hour, but delivers more in that hour than someoe who is cheap, but requires training, I'll consider that a hour a good investment.

Of course, there's lots of people you'd need to convince, but it's definitely worth competing on value against investment rather than price.

Thom

I think Jim Rohn said it best... "You are paid according to your value to the marketplace"...

As someone who has outsourced a ton over the years, people generally earn better pay by proving themselves.

In short, there is an excess of people claiming they can do "xxx" or that they are worth "xxx", but not very many who are actually worth that much. Any virtual task is going to be somewhat difficult to compete with others around the world if you live in a western country. The cost of living is just so much different.

If you use odesk or guru, your best bet is to find some small jobs you can do better than others and get your foot in the door that way. Not to many va's get hired out of the blue for a $1500+ a month gig.

Most good outsources that can actually pay a decent wage dont just go hire a guy for a big project or full time work without first testing their skills and work ethic with smaller projects.

---I'm aware of oDesk, etc, but like I said earlier I don't want to race to the bottom when it comes to prices since I'm absolutely confidant that I can outperform someone else who's only charging $2 per hour. ---

Look at how other oDesk workers, with higher rates and substantiated work, position themselves.

yeah, I do a lot of work on oDesk, and I'm kind of like an all-in-one VA. My hourly rate goes from anywhere from 13 - 27 an hour, depending on the work AND the CUSTOMER. Mostly 14 though for 6 months on oDesk.

My first job paid 8 an hour.
Now I'm venturing out and getting a lot of referrals.
I do the skype, wordpress design and management, sales copy, and graphics. Learn those four things, and you'll have more customers than you know what to do with.

Hi there

If you are good at what work you do and have good skill then there is always demand for you.

Thanks

Depends on what you mean by more expensive...I'm looking for someone that is already trained and can talk to me (American) via phone (maybe Skype) to workout instructions. Because I need "everything" (old noobie), I'm willing to discuss terms, conditions, expectations, salary etc. ASAP.

Thx

wildcater

It depends on how high level the tasks are. If you can do complicated analysis like medical, legal, engineering, or other high level professional work, you can charge more.

But if your skill set involves basic English reading and writing and filling out forms or research, you have to contend with the fact that $50 a month (low end) VAs are a reality.