Written by: Rebecca Mason, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
In December 2020 alone, 140,000 US people lost their jobs. All of them were held by women.
This report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics sent shock waves across the nation. Women who once thought that job security meant a pension, a 401k and the same one-hour commute for the next 30 years were smacked with a harsh reality.
A pandemic doesn’t care for how long you’ve worked at a company.
However, not all women were struck; some thrived.
As global lock-downs catapulted businesses to go remote, set up online ordering, and replace in-person meetings with Zoom. There was one industry that was already way ahead of the curve.
Virtual Assisting
Virtual Assistants (VAs) are remote, independent contractors who conveniently support businesses with back-end administration, online tech, marketing, and design: a lucrative (read: profitable) online industry currently dominated by powerhouse women.
VAs saw an uptick in business as clients scrambled to stay economically afloat when the world started dramatically sinking. They supported yoga instructors that suddenly needed to teach remotely, they assisted brick & mortar stores with setting up online shops, and they saw an increased demand for help with web tech. The veil had finally been pulled back, and we were suddenly exposed to the real truth about job security. It comes from working for yourself, totally independent of location.
Lockdown orders, such as staying-at-home, kept piling on, but Virtual Assistants were already set up and ready to go. They threw on their capes and came to the remote rescue helping businesses quickly get established online. They took on multiple clients to diversify their income security (in case one client’s business went under) and scheduled their work around impromptu homeschooling. You could throw almost anything at Virtual Assistants, and they could handle it.
Women who were brave enough to start a Virtual Assistant business or side-hustle amidst a pandemic were hugely rewarded for their entrepreneurial forethinking. They went from abruptly losing their 9-5s to making more money as a VA from home, and that was only the beginning. The pandemic forced many women to make uncomfortable choices between work or homeschooling and between income or safety, which launched the old-aged adage of “go to school, get a job, and retire happy” into an eye-opening question.
Why go back to the same carpet that was ripped out from underneath you when you could be your boss and work from home as a Virtual Assistant?
Take that, Pandemic.
Rebecca Mason, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Rebecca Mason is a business coach for virtual assistants. She runs the successful Laptop Freedom Program, which empowers women to embrace their dreams and build a remote business. Join thousands of other women in learning how to start your business, find clients, and develop the skills you need. Sign up for her free guide at thewanderlustva.com.
