Remote working tips for would be VAs

I have been getting emails from around the world asking me how to become a Virtual Assistant. To me, the very first step is to become comfortable with working remotely. So, if you are a would-be VA or are a PA who occasionally works from home here are my top 3 tips:

• Set up your office – have a dedicated work space

It sounds obvious but when I first worked from home during a transport strike, I worked at the kitchen table and ended up with back pains as kitchen tables and chairs are not designed to be used for 7-hour stretches. Set up a small corner of your house or spare room. I have an Ikea desk and chair, not dissimilar to the pic on my website, and they are fine. Have all the stationery you need to hand.

• Have discipline

You need to have the discipline to get up at a set time, get ready and dressed for the day and be at your desk for a set time. When you know you have no commute and some flexibility, it can be very tempting to hit the snooze button and get up 5 minutes before you start work, but you might feel sluggish and disorganized which does not lead to good productivity. Ask yourself if you really have the discipline for this. The time you will save not commuting is wonderful but not if you spend time getting distracted by housework, tv, internet or your bed.

• Face to face communication

Consider that you might, in fact, miss human interaction. It might sound like bliss not having to deal with raucous colleagues and curious co-workers, but isolation can be an issue. Aim to have the odd lunch/coffee meeting or go to a networking event about once a week. It can help a lot in my experience.

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