Working as a virtual assistant or online admin support

A virtual assistant (VA) helps businesses and busy professionals with admin, customer support, scheduling, research and social media, remotely. It's one of the most accessible online jobs: you need reliable internet, a laptop, good communication and organisation, and everyday digital skills taught on this learning hub.

What VAs do

Skills and tools to learn

Soft skills matter as much: clear written English, reliability, confidentiality, time management, and asking good questions.

Build proof before you apply

1. Pick a focus: e.g. "Email and calendar management for real estate agents" or "Customer support for online shops".
2. Create sample work: an organised inbox system with labels, a cleaned-up spreadsheet, a social media calendar, a research report. Put them in a simple portfolio (Google Drive folder or website).
3. Take free certificates: Google's free courses, HubSpot Academy (customer service, social media), and others.
4. Practise locally: help a local business, church or school with admin for a testimonial.

Where to find work

• Freelance platforms: Upwork, Fiverr, OnlineJobs.ph-style boards, LinkedIn Jobs (filter "remote").
• Remote job boards: We Work Remotely, Remote OK, and company career pages.
• Direct outreach: offer help to local businesses, agencies and entrepreneurs on LinkedIn.
• Referrals from satisfied clients (the best source long-term).

See the Freelancing platforms and Profile and proposals lessons for writing winning proposals.

Pricing

Start with an hourly rate or a monthly package ("20 hours per month of inbox and calendar support"). Use the rate calculator in the Pricing your work lesson, factor in internet and power costs, platform fees and taxes, and raise your rates as you gain reviews and experience.

Working professionally

• Agree on the scope, hours, communication channel and response times in writing.
• Use a password manager or the client's shared-access tools; never ask clients to send passwords in plain messages.
• Keep client information confidential (and follow data protection rules).
• Send a short weekly report: what you did, what's pending, questions.
• Track your time (Toggl, Clockify) if billing hourly.
• Have backup power and internet (a power bank, a mobile data bundle) for reliability.

Getting paid in Kenya

Common options include payment through the platform to your bank or M-Pesa (via supported withdrawal methods), Payoneer, PayPal (withdrawal to M-Pesa is available), and direct bank transfers. Compare fees and exchange rates, and keep records for tax purposes.

Avoid VA scams

• No legitimate job asks you to pay to get hired or to buy "training materials" first.
• Be careful with "clients" who want you to receive money and forward it, or to buy gift cards.
• Keep communication and payment on the platform until trust is established.

Why virtual assistance is a strong starting point

Business owners, coaches, consultants, real estate agents and e-commerce sellers around the world need help with emails, scheduling, research, social media, customer support and admin. Virtual assistants (VAs) provide this remotely. Kenya's strong English skills, mobile-money culture and growing digital workforce make VA work a practical entry point into online work, with room to specialise and earn more over time.

Specialisations that pay more

Specialised VAs can charge more because they deliver measurable business results.

Creating a portfolio of proof

Even without clients, you can show skills:

1. Sample inbox clean-up: describe how you'd organise a messy inbox with labels, filters and templates.
2. Calendar plan: a sample week for a busy consultant with meetings, focus time and travel.
3. Research report: "Top 10 co-working spaces in Nairobi with prices and contacts" in a neat Google Doc.
4. Social media calendar: two weeks of posts for a sample business with captions and Canva graphics.
5. SOP (standard operating procedure): step-by-step instructions for a task, with screenshots.

Put these in a simple portfolio (Google Drive folder, Notion page or website) and link it in applications.

Writing proposals that win

Hi Sarah,

I saw you need help managing your inbox and calendar for your coaching business.
I've organised busy inboxes using Gmail labels, filters and reply templates, and kept
calendars for clients across time zones (I'm in Kenya, GMT+3, and available 9am–2pm
your time).

For your first week, I would:
1. Sort and label your inbox and create templates for your 5 most common emails.
2. Set up booking links so clients schedule calls without back-and-forth.
3. Send you a short daily summary of anything needing your decision.

Here's a sample of an inbox system I designed: [link]
Happy to do a short call this week.

Best regards,
Grace

Personalise each proposal: show you read the post, explain how you'd solve their problem, and keep it short.

Working professionally with clients

Internet and power reliability

Remote clients expect reliability:

• Main internet (fibre or reliable 4G) plus a backup (mobile data bundle or second provider).
• A UPS or power bank for your router and laptop during outages.
• A quiet space and a headset with a microphone for calls.
• Communicate early if an outage affects work.

Pricing and growing income

• Start with competitive rates to build reviews, then raise rates as you gain experience and testimonials.
• Offer packages (e.g. 20 hours/month of inbox and calendar management) for predictable income.
• Upsell related services (social media, bookkeeping) once you've earned trust.
• Aim for long-term retainer clients rather than many small one-off tasks.

Getting paid

Common methods include freelance platform payments, PayPal, Payoneer, Wise or direct bank transfers, with withdrawals to Kenyan bank accounts or M-Pesa where supported. Compare fees and exchange rates, keep records of income, and understand your tax obligations with KRA.

Avoiding VA scams

• Fake "clients" who send cheques or ask you to forward money.
• Requests to pay for "training" or "equipment" before starting.
• Asking you to use your own accounts or identity for their activities.
• Jobs moving you off platforms immediately to avoid platform protections.

Practice

1. Choose a VA specialisation and list the tools you'll learn first.
2. Create two portfolio samples (e.g. a research report and a social media calendar).
3. Write a personalised proposal for a real VA job post.
4. Write an SOP with screenshots for a task you know well.
5. Set up a backup internet option and test it.