10 TECH SERVICES EVERY VA SHOULD LEARN

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Abbey Ashley

Are you wondering about what tech services you should offer? Yup, I totally get it!

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me, “What are the most in-demand services for virtual assistants?”…

Well, I would probably be able to entirely feed my Coke Zero and Netflix addiction for the rest of my life.

I am a huge proponent of starting off your Virtual Assistant business with offering the skills that you already have. That could be skills that you learned from a previous job or past experiences.

However, once you get into the “VA world”, you’ll quickly see that there are certain tech skills that are very useful to learn, as soon as possible.

Today I’ll be explaining 10 of the most in-demand tech services for virtual assistants. If there are 10 services you should add to your list of offerings, this is it.

Want to master MORE tech so you can land HIGH END clients for your business?

Check out our tech membership site SavvyVault!

Without further ado…

10 TECH SERVICES EVERY VA SHOULD LEARN

#1 Canva

Canva for Virtual Assistants

What is it?

Canva is my hands-down favorite graphic design tool! It is easy to use, and their program makes it simple to create social media graphics, blog post graphics, documents, logos, eBook covers, ad graphics, email headers, marketing materials, and MORE on the fly! Canva comes with free layout designs to spark the creative side of your business. This program also makes it easy to impress clients with your newfound graphic design skills. Ten blog post graphics? No problem, coming right up!

 

Why should I learn it?

Canva is the biggest bang for your buck in terms of a beginner to moderate design program. No Adobe subscriptions or courses required to start creating beautiful, catchy graphics! This program makes it easy to create consistent, branded social media graphics for yourself or a client. Even if design isn’t your strong suit, every VA should have some knowledge and capability to create graphics as needed. You never know when or where it might come in handy. 😉

 

Does it cost or is it free?

Canva has a free forever plan, which includes two folders to organize your designs, 1GB storage for photos/assets, access to 8k+ templates, and uploading your own images. You can upgrade to Canva Pro for $12.95/month (TOTALLY worth it in my opinion!). Canva Pro features include unlimited folders to organize your designs, unlimited storage for photos/assets, access to 300k+ templates, a search function, priority support, and the ability to upload your own images, magically resize your designs, upload custom fonts/colors for your brand, and create team templates. For more information on Canva’s pricing, click here


What a VA has to say… 

Yvonne Graham from Yvonne Graham Virtual Solutions considers Canva her “little secret”:


Lindsey Page, of Lindsay and Co Virtual Business Management, also highly recommends Canva. Here is her perspective:

 

Video Overview:

#2 ConvertKit

Convertkit for Virtual Assistants

 

What is it?

ConvertKit is an email service provider (a company offering email marketing and bulk email services). An email service provider is the place that holds email addresses for your email list and allows you to blast out newsletters and other marketing materials as needed. ConvertKit itself is geared towards content creators, such as bloggers, podcasters, and other businesses building an audience through their email list.

Why should I learn it?

ConvertKit seems to be all the rage right now, and for good reason! ConvertKit is SO simple – easy and intuitive to learn and use – but has amazing automation and tagging features that infopreneurs NEED. If, as a VA, you have any interest in working with bloggers or other infopreneurs, ConvertKit is where it’s at. ConvertKit itself claims they have “the power of Infusionsoft, but easier to use than MailChimp.”

Does it cost or is it free?

ConvertKit starts at $29/month for 0 – 1k subscribers. For more information on what’s included, click here

What a VA has to say… 

Becky Linot, of Tech Side Simplified, LOVES her some ConvertKit!

 

Video Overview:

#3 Trello

Trello for Virtual Assistants

 

What is it?

Trello is a productivity tool that is AMAZING at organizing projects. Whether your project is on a small or large scale, Trello is robust enough to handle it. Trello’s “claim to fame” is that it is a “visual” organizer, placing items in a visually pleasing way in a board format,  using lists and cards to categorize smaller.

Why should I learn it?

Trello is very intuitive to learn, and it is a powerful project organizer. This is a great place to keep track of details for your business, projects for your clients, and even any and every facet of LIFE, if desired. 🙂 The best part is that you can share boards with separate clients without any crossover or unease that a client might see something that’s not their business (literally).

Does it cost or is it free?

Trello is completely free to use, and as a single user, it can be used almost to full capacity in the free plan. If a team needs several integrations (called power-ups), larger storage, or more security, a business plan might be the way to go (starting at $9.99/month/user). For a full range of features and pricing, check out Trello’s pricing page here.


What a VA has to say… 

Samantha Semans from Ten10 Social LOVES using Trello for her business:

 

Video Overview:

#4 Leadpages

LeadPages for Virtual Assistants

 

What is it?

Leadpages is a landing page builder. A landing page, or sales page, is a place to collect leads, offer opt-ins, and is considered one of the BEST places to convert visitors into customers.

Why should I learn it?

As a VA, having experience in Leadpages is a great skill to write on your resume to show off your talent and worth. Building landing and sales pages for your customers, especially ones that convert, is a very VALUABLE skill to have! It’s a win-win for everyone, really. Leadpages is the #1 landing page builder (the most popular), which makes it a great choice to learn.

Does it cost or is it free?

Leadpages starts at $25/month paid annually, or $48/month paid monthly. Feel free to check out their annual and monthly plans and what features are available here.

What a VA has to say… 

Julianne Shrum, LOVES Leadpages!

Leadpages for Virtual Assistants

 

Video Overview:

 

 

#5 Pinterest Management

 

What is it?

Pinterest Management is basically setting up and managing a Pinterest account to use Pinterest at its full capacity. Pinterest is a search engine, as opposed to a social media. Therefore, managing Pinterest includes adding SEO-rich keywords to key boards and pins in order to be found by ideal customers, optimizing graphics, following influential pinners, and repinning lots of pins in order to be found on Pinterest and to stay on top of the Pinterest game.

Why should I learn it?

Pinterest Management is a valuable skill to have right now. Several business owners are starting to learn more about how to leverage the power of Pinterest as a marketing tool, and how to get found by ideal customers on Pinterest. If you experiment with Pinterest and can show positive trends in case studies as a result, this might be a valuable ($$$) skill to add to that resume!

Does it cost or is it free?

Pinterest management is free to learn and use! There are a few third-party paid services that might help boost Pinterest results, such as Tailwind, but the ability to learn and effectively execute Pinterest is completely free. 🙂 What a VA has to say… 

Elizabeth Melone from ElizabethMalone.com says that “Pinterest is one of the best ways to drive traffic to your blog”:

 

 

Video Overview:

 

#6 Webinar Setup

What is it?

Webinars are one of the hottest list building and selling tools used by internet marketers and online business owners today. The basic idea is to gather a group of people online, give them some valuable information via web presentation, and then give them some kind of offer for your course or program.

Webinars get huge results, as they show immediate value to the prospective client. There’s usually some element of urgency added to the webinar to increase live sales (like a bonus that is only available if you purchase live, during the webinar).

Why should I learn it?

While webinars are SUPER effective, they can also be SUPER time-consuming. There’s a lot to do to set up a webinar well, so entrepreneurs are often looking for someone to help them lighten the load.

Does it cost or is it free?

There are some paid tools out there that you can purchase to help facilitate your webinar. However, you can also put on a completely free webinar using simple tools like Zoom and Facebook Live.What a VA has to say… 

The Virtual Savvy’s very own Becki Johnson considers Zoom a super simple & easy way to connect face-to-face in a virtual world!

 

Video Overview:

 

#7 Facebook Management

 

What is it?

Facebook Management is becoming an admin of a business owner’s page or group and managing it effectively. This is going to look vastly different depending on what the client needs, and whether you are managing a page or group. Facebook management can look like anything from moderating comments to regularly scheduling and posting social media graphics.

Why should I learn it?

Facebook is basically the new internet. Everyone has a Facebook, and if a business isn’t on Facebook, it might as well not exist. Facebook Management is pretty simple to learn and easy to do, especially since so many of us use Facebook for business and pleasure. Almost every single client that you sign will have some type of Facebook page or group, so knowing how to manage it effectively will be a valuable skill to have in the holster.

Does it cost or is it free?

Facebook management is completely free, just like the platform itself. 🙂

What a VA has to say… 

Samatha Semans from Ten10 Social says that Facebook Management is one of her “favorite things to do” because it is FREE advertising:

Ashley Burnside from Marketing With Ash considers Facebook Management to be “a strategy lovers paradise”:

 

Video Overview:

 

#8 Facebook Ads

 

What is it?

Facebook Ads consist of creating and targeting a marketing ad campaign to an ideal customer but in the Facebook platform. Facebook Ad skills consist of a wide range of actions, from setting up and running the ad, to A/B split testing and tracking/measuring ad conversions.

Why should I learn it?

Facebook Ads are all the rage right now, as they generally have a very high ROI (return on investment). Generally, Facebook leads are low cost, serving most business owners with what can be a great value for a really reasonable advertising budget. Facebook Ads are one of the most popular forms of advertising right now, so adding this marketable skill to your resume can give YOU some very high ROI!

Does it cost or is it free?

Facebook Ads cost money to use (an advertising budget), but that cost will be provided by the client if you are offering Facebook Ads as a service. The real skill comes in when you can start to learn how to MASTER those ads. 

What a VA has to say… 

Ashley Burnside from Marketing With Ash suggests getting “crystal clear on who your audience is” on Facebook when running ads:

 

Nicola Scoon TOTALLY agrees about the low cost and high value of Facebook ads in the market right now. Check out what she has to say:

Video Overview:

#9 Acuity Scheduling

What is it?

Acuity Scheduling is an online scheduling software that will help you get your calendar in order! From creating different appointment types, building intake forms, and taking payments for your appointments, Acuity Scheduling will simplify your scheduling needs down to one simple software.

Why should I learn it?

Everyone is busy and no one has time to play the back and forth game to try and figure out what appointment will work for everyone involved. Instead, with this simple tool, you can easily send your clients a link to your calendar and they can find an open slot that works for both of you! It’s easy peasy! 

Does it cost or is it free?

Acuity Scheduling offers a free version that has limited functionality. But with it’s premium packages, which start at only $14 per month, you can have access to some of it’s more rich features such as calendar syncing, Quickbooks integration, and the ability to accept payments. You’re sure to find a plan that works for your business needs with Acuity Scheduling!

What a VA has to say… 

Rachel Dorsey from RAD Virtual Support is a BIG fan of Acuity Scheduling!

Acuity Scheduling For Virtual Assistants

 

Video Overview:

 

#10 Squarespace

 

What is it?

Squarespace is a website builder in an all-in-one content management system. It essentially acts as the website developer, and the user is the website designer. Squarespace has hosting, domains, email, and storage built natively into its system, so no plugins or themes are required to build a beautiful website.

Why should I learn it?

Squarespace is one of the best services on the market right now that allows users to learn how to build and design a website. It’s easy for beginners! Their service is intuitive and simple to learn, and the ability to add website design to your portfolio/resume is SO worth it ($$$)!

Does it cost or is it free?

Squarespace is free to learn, as they offer two-week trials with no credit card required. There are tons of free tutorials online that can help you get started. Squarespace starts at $12/month annually or $18/month monthly as a paid service (i.e. to make your website LIVE). Learn more about pricing here!

What a VA has to say… 

We found lots of VAs that have mad love for Squarespace! Check out what they had to say:

Sharice Enis, from Sharice and Co says:

 

Kate George agrees, saying:

 

 

Video Overview:

 

What tech are YOU most excited to learn for your business!? 

If you’re ready to level up your skill check out The SavvyVault!  The SavvyVault helps you increase your Virtual Assistant skills so you can increase pricing (in less than 30 minutes a day!) 

 

AbbeyAshley3-21Print-5033

Meet Abbey

Abbey Ashley is the Founder of The Virtual Savvy. She helps aspiring virtual assistants launch and grow their own at-home business from scratch. She's since gone on to grow a multi-six figure business and retire her husband ALL from her at-home business. It's now her passion to help others start their own VA business so they can taste the freedom and flexibility of entrepreneurship as well.

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This free one-hour training combines thousands of hours of research, years of experience in growing a virtual assistant business!

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37 Comments

  1. Candice Williams on June 9, 2017 at 3:59 pm

    Wow, thanks for posting this! I’ve been wondering what new skills I should learn as my business grows!

    • Abbey Ashley on June 10, 2017 at 7:48 pm

      Thank You!

      They’re always changing but knowing these make a big difference!

  2. prag on June 10, 2017 at 2:26 am

    A very informative post! thank you 🙂

  3. Maggie on June 10, 2017 at 10:45 pm

    Thank you, Abbey! You always deliver a lot of value…in a very classy way.

    • Abbey Ashley on June 20, 2017 at 7:51 pm

      Thank you so much for the feedback! 🙂

  4. Yoluanda on June 13, 2017 at 10:35 am

    This is just great! Thank you for posting. Some I know, some I’ve been too intimidated to learn. You laid it very simply to understand. Thanks again!!!

    • Abbey Ashley on June 20, 2017 at 7:48 pm

      That is awesome! We are glad we could help! 🙂

  5. Diana Lago on June 16, 2017 at 5:44 am

    Thank you so much. I know now the tech skills that I need to learn to be a skilled VA.

  6. Artur on June 21, 2017 at 4:32 am

    Hi Abbey, thank you for great post. Do you use any tools for keyword research for SEO? Thanks!

  7. Yael on August 2, 2017 at 12:30 am

    Are you saying that after watching your Tech In 10 videos that we can offer these things as services? 🙂

    • Abbey Ashley on August 9, 2017 at 8:33 pm

      Hi Yael, that’s completely up to you and your skillset. If you have some experience with webinar set up/Pinterest management, Facebook page management, then it’s definitely time to get out there and find some clients. Here at the Virtual Savvy, we usually recommend starting in between $20-$40/hr. Check out our free Facebook group or our flagship course The VA Bootcamp, if you’d like to learn more! 🙂

  8. Yael on August 2, 2017 at 12:31 am

    Also, how much can you charge for these things, I.e. webinar setup, Pinterest management, Facebook page management…

  9. Maureen on September 18, 2018 at 7:33 am

    thanks a lot Abbey for this learning opportunity

    • Abbey Ashley on September 20, 2018 at 7:24 pm

      Not a problem, Maureen! Thanks for being a part of my community. 🙂

  10. Stacy Connelly on November 8, 2018 at 12:00 pm

    Thank you, Abbey. This is so helpful! Excited for Tech in 10.

    • Abbey Ashley on December 11, 2018 at 2:02 pm

      Did you enjoy Tech in 10? What kind of tips would you like to learn next time?

  11. Bonnie on November 8, 2018 at 12:58 pm

    I agree about those skills but I don’t have the patience to learn them. I wonder if it would be ethical to offer these services but outsource them? Our group on Facebook has so many qualified people who offer these services.

    • Abbey Ashley on December 11, 2018 at 2:03 pm

      That’s the great thing about outsourcing! You can find someone who enjoys those tasks and does them well. It takes it off your plate and gives you more space to do what you do best.

  12. Andrea on January 10, 2019 at 11:36 am

    Very useful 🙂 I use some of these already, but I need to get going on the others! Thank ya

  13. Michelle Lawrence Macafee on January 27, 2019 at 10:44 pm

    Do you train on any of these in your Bootcamp?

    • Abbey Ashley on January 29, 2019 at 6:04 pm

      We cover Canva in the Bootcamp! If you are needing Tech tutorials, make sure to check out the SavvyVault!

  14. Diana Andrade on March 12, 2019 at 9:27 pm

    Thank you for the information. There is so much about being a virtual assistant I am not sure that I want to start my business now. I am overwhelmed with fear since I am not currently working. Do you have provide tutorials on booking travels and accommodations. Do you have a templates on contracts and welcome package for client including questionnaire.

    • Abbey Ashley on March 13, 2019 at 11:43 am

      It can be overwhelming, that’s why it is so important not to go into this alone. Find an accountability partner or a great community, like the Virtual Assistant Savvies, to keep you energized and on track. Make sure to check out the VA Toolbox for all your template needs

  15. Denise on April 12, 2019 at 8:53 am

    I’ve heard we have to be careful when creating in Canva if we want to resell our work.

    Also wondering if there are any downsides to switching away from WP? Can you still easily SEO your website? Does Square SPace integrate with other tools you may need?

    • Abbey Ashley on April 15, 2019 at 6:39 pm

      Yes, you can use SEO on a SquareSpace site. You will want to check specific integrations to see if they offer the one you are looking for. SS does not have all the capabilities that a WP site, does, but it is definitely a great option to get started!

  16. Emilia on November 14, 2019 at 10:19 am

    Thank you for this article, there is so much valuable information in it! Have a great day!

    • Abbey Ashley on November 14, 2019 at 12:55 pm

      Hey, Emilia! Thank you so much! So happy to hear you’re finding value!

  17. Brenda on November 14, 2019 at 11:34 am

    Thank you Abbey for all this valuable information 🙂

    • Abbey Ashley on November 14, 2019 at 12:56 pm

      Hey, Brenda! You are so welcome! Have a great day!

  18. Christian Morales on November 19, 2019 at 12:08 am

    Thanks for sharing VA’s tools. It is very useful. 🙂

    • Abbey Ashley on November 19, 2019 at 2:00 pm

      Hey, Christian! Thank you so much, I am glad you’re finding it beneficial 🙂

  19. Linda on December 27, 2019 at 11:38 am

    I am just beginning your course but this post has really helped give me a starting point for when I’m ready to launch.

    • Abbey Ashley on December 27, 2019 at 12:11 pm

      YAY! We are so glad to have you here. Let us know if you have any questions, and GOOD LUCK! 🙂

  20. https://trello.com/cachchophunulendinh on January 3, 2020 at 11:02 pm

    Have you ever considered writing an ebook or guest authoring on other sites?
    I have a blog based on the same information you discuss and would really like to
    have you share some stories/information. I know my viewers would enjoy your work.
    If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to send me
    an e-mail.

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