Tag: Virtual Assistants

14 Opportunities and Ideas to Help Add Additional Income During the Pandemic

Hello loves!  I wanted to share some information that may be helpful for those that recently were laid off and/or you are looking to supplement your income during and beyond the Convid-19 Pandemic. Like many online business owners,  I have a unique birdseye view because of the work that I do and the business I run. None of it is a secret or a ninja trick, and much of it you already have likely heard about, so most of it is just a re-iteration.  

I have compiled a list of 14 opportunities and ideas to help add additional income during the pandemic for yourself and your family in these times of uncertainty.  

As we start to do more and more delivery and curbside shopping, eating and etc… we will see that we simply do not have the force to support it.  Here are places that you can look into if you are looking for work.

1) Grocery stores are hiring and their services are in high demand.  Check into Clicklist and Instacart shoppers particularly

2) Doordash and Uber Eat Drivers – Even Pizza Delivery as well

3) Talk to your local marijuana dispensers and liquor stores – See about helping them with their curbside services…and in some cases delivery options

4) Amazon warehouses are hiring as well as drivers and customer service agents.  Amazon alone is providing over 100k jobs

5) Become a secret shopper.  I know that times are different right now, but there are many online secret shopping opportunities, for instance, customer service secret shopping with Expedia.  The restaurant and retail store options won’t be available (unless they pivot) is my guess, but there are other opportunities. Let me preface that this is NOT a huge moneymaker, but it is great for supplemental income. https://www.bestmark.com/  I always had fun with secret shopping and I think you could too.

If you are looking at making some extra money in the online sphere here are some pretty great options. 

6) For online work look into https://jobs.sykes.com/ , these are customer service jobs that you can do from home.  You must have a dedicated phone line (not a cell phone) and highspeed internet. 

7) Working Solutions is another home-based customer service opportunity as well – www.workingsolutions.com/

8) United Health Care for those that work in more of a medical field, they are hiring to help with the influx of calls that are coming in.  

9) If you have a special craft, like content writing, graphic design, etc… you can look into www.upwork.com  or www.guru.com and if you make and sell your own goods, look at facebook market place, www.etsy.com and www.ebay.com.   

10) I realize that the stock market is a pretty scary place right now, but it also offers a lot of opportunities.  Stocks are at a record low right now. The market will not be this unstable forever and it is guaranteed that there will be a boom (just don’t know when).  The beauty of that is if you can get in at a cheap buy-in, like now, it could provide a huge return in 6-months. Only look into this if you feel empowered to do so.  You can start up through Robinhood, which is a free platform for buying and selling stocks in the stock market. It is pretty intuitive and if you use this link you can earn free stock to start your journey with. Truly investing in stock (if you have the means) now might set you up for life. It could be like buying Amazon in 1997 if you get my drift!  For Robinhood, though, it doesn’t require any investment right now, just sign up, get your free stock and start dabbling. Use this link to get your free stock >>> https://bit.ly/freerobinhoodstock-jg 

11) For those that are toying with taking their business or ideas to Facebook, I have a free mini-training “8 Ways to Revive your Facebook Business Page Organic Reach” that you can take. It is a tiny bit outdated, but the content is still very relevant. www.va.alpinesbsolutions.com  

12) If you are looking to take your vision into an online setting and getting serious about taking this time to pivot instead of panic, I would like to offer up some of my time to help you brainstorm. While I do have limited time,  I still would like to offer up my own time as a resource. I am offering free 30 minute consults for a limited amount of folks (no strings attached, just value, value, value) the rest of the month. Private message me if you are interested.  

13) I am also working on some additional free training and webinars to help people with making supplemental income online or to finally start your own online business journey.  If you have a topic you would like me to touch on or have someone in the community talk about, please private message me or put your request below.

14) Lastly (for now), I would love to create a container for those interested to network together and join in on the opportunity to join think tanks, masterminds, engagement circles, and other self-promotion threads so we can all build each other up, stay connected, and love one another.

Do you have things to share or add to my list, please do? The more the merrier. The more information we can put out there the better.  I will continue to harvest more ideas around this as the days and weeks unfold.  

For those that are in a position to help, please help people, offer your time and what resources you can. This is a time to band together, practice impeccable hygiene, be compassionate and remember we are all in this together.  Do not lead in fear…keep being amazing and I am rooting for those that are having a hard time. Please share with someone that you think might benefit from this information as well. I love you!

Back to School Organization for Virtual Assistants

Back to School Organization for Virtual Assistants
Number 2 pencils are being sharpened, school buses are traversing through the city, kindergarteners are waddling around wearing backpacks as big as they are – it’s back to school time once again!

The start of the school year is a natural fresh start in our calendars, regardless if you are sending children off to classes (or heading off to class yourself). It’s a time to shift gears from hopping aboard the boat at the lake to hitting the books. Back to school organization is just as important for virtual sssistants as it is for students.

Get ready to start the year strong with our back to school organization guide for virtual assistants.

  1. Get Your Schedule Sorted Out

Students rely on a schedule to be where and when. Sure, virtual assistants may not have to report to geometry in room A203 anymore. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t follow a schedule.

It’s the paradox of the virtual assistant life. You hold autonomy over your schedule, but you should use that autonomy to set restrictions. Ask any successful virtual assistant and they will tell you a schedule is key (not convinced? Check out this post on why you need to set your work hours when you work from home).

Take some time to develop a work schedule that will work for you. Maybe your peak productivity hours are early morning and late afternoon. Schedule your workout for the midday slump. Maybe at 3 you need to shuttle your kiddos around to after school activities. Start your workday a bit earlier. Making a schedule sets you up to be organized and ready to rock this year.

  1. Stock Up on Supplies

Most stores host back to school sales for supplies like paper, pens, post-it notes, and even electronics. Conveniently, all tools you use to run your Virtual Assistant business! Take advantage of these sales and stock up on anything you will need throughout the year.

If you are lucky enough to have a storage area, pack it to the brim with discount supplies. If you haven’t already, make sure your supplies are organized and easily accessible.

  1. Get Ready to Learn

Students everywhere are getting ready to learn and so should virtual assistants! Plan out a duoable learning schedule you can follow throughout the school year.

Maybe you take an online course through Udemy where you dedicate one hour Tuesday evenings to. Maybe it’s reading a business development book for twenty minutes a day (try this list of top books every Virtual Assistant should read). Always be learning. It’ll make you a better Virtual Assistant (and more well-rounded person).

  1. Gather Up the Timelined Checklists

Checklists are a great organizational tool for virtual assistants. They help you remember those dozens of small tasks you need to do without letting something fall through the cracks. Checklists are a virtual assistant’s friend. At the start of the school year, collect ones you will rely on the following months.

Here are a few we recommend:

  • Beginning of the Year Checklist
  • Summer Slump Checklist
  • End of Year Checklist
  • Linkedin Personal Branding Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly Checklist

  1. Test Out Productivity Hacks

Productivity hacks are great for virtual assistants. They let you work smarter, not harder. Pick a few new productivity tricks to try out this school year. You can even pick a new trick each month to continually make yourself a more effective Virtual Assistant.

Here’s a round-up of some great tips to get you started:

  • Streamline your business with these free tools
  • Keep your to-do list short (a few items or less)
  • Test out the pomodoro method of time management
  • Try batching your tasks
  • Plan your day the evening before

Use these organization tips to start your school year off right. Don’t forget, The Virtual Assistant Roadmap is always here to lend a helping hand. We can assist with any aspect of building your Virtual Assistant business. Let us help your company grow this school year. Reach out today with a quick email to get started.