← Start and Run a Virtual Assistant Business
Free lesson 2 · 1. What a virtual assistant sells · 444 words · updated 2026-11-04
Lesson 2: Services clients actually pay for
A service is worth selling when a busy person would rather pay than do it. Use three tests: repeatable (it comes back every week), describable (you can explain it in one sentence), and checkable (the client can see it is done).
Common service families
| Family | Typical tasks | Skill you need |
|---|---|---|
| Inbox and calendar | Sorting email, drafting replies, booking and moving meetings | Clear writing, careful reading |
| Data and records | Entering data, cleaning spreadsheets, updating a contact list | Accuracy, a spreadsheet tool |
| Bookkeeping help | Sorting receipts, preparing invoices, tracking payments (not tax advice) | Basic numbers, one accounting tool |
| Content support | Formatting posts, scheduling social updates, simple graphics | A scheduling tool, a design tool |
| Customer support | Answering common questions from a written script | Patience, a help-desk tool |
| Research | Collecting lists of sources, prices, contacts, with a written summary | Search skills, clear notes |
| Travel and events | Comparing options, booking within a stated budget | Attention to detail |
How to choose from the table
- Circle two families you already have some skill in.
- For each, write one task a client could hand you in the first week.
- Mark each task: is it repeatable, describable, checkable? A task with three yeses is a service. A task with fewer is a favor.
Worked example
A beginner circles “Inbox and calendar” and “Research”. For inbox she writes: “Clear a client’s inbox by 5 pm and answer routine requests from a list of approved replies.” That passes all three tests. For research she writes: “Find stuff about competitors.” That fails: it is not describable or checkable. She rewrites it as “Make a table of 10 competitor websites with their prices and one-line offers, due Friday.” Now it passes.
Rules to protect you and the client
- Stay inside your skill. Do not offer legal, tax or medical advice. Say “I prepare the paperwork, a professional advises.”
- Ask before touching money. Paying bills on a client’s behalf needs written permission and a clear limit.
- Never ask for a password. Use each tool’s invite or delegate feature.
Practice task (about 20 minutes)
Fill a table with three rows: service family, one task in a sentence, and yes/no for repeatable, describable, checkable. Keep only the rows with three yeses. You will pick one for your niche in Lesson 3.
No income claim is made. What clients pay depends on your skill, your place and the market.