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VA Ready: virtual assistant course: how to become a VA
Six lessons: what VAs do, services and rates, finding clients, agreements and client data, registrations and records, and the scams that target would-be VAs. Australia, UK and US. Self-paced, not an accredited qualification.
About this course
virtual assistant course: how to become a VA.
Starter · About 1 hour of learning · 6 lessons · 12 quick checks · 1 download
Who it's for
Career changers, parents returning to work and admin professionals in Australia, the UK, the US and elsewhere.
How it works
6 guided lessons in your browser, with worked examples, exercises and a quick check after each lesson. Progress is saved in this browser only, and you can restart at any time.
Sources we rely on
19 published sources, mostly regulators and official bodies, listed below so you can check the original guidance yourself.
By the end you can
- Describe VA work and tell an employee role from a contractor arrangement
- Package services and calculate a floor rate that covers costs
- Find first clients and check offers for VA job scams
- Onboard clients with a written scope, safe access and careful data handling
- Identify the registrations and records a contractor VA may need
Downloads
- VA starter kit .xlsxSkills audit, floor-rate calculator, onboarding checklist, access log, time and invoice log, and an offer scam check, with Dana’s example.
Rules by country
Learning time
About 1 hour of learning. May count towards your CPD or professional development; check your professional body's rules. Estimated from reading time, exercises, quick checks and downloads.
Sources
Check the originals.
Drafted with AI assistance and run through automated quality and source checks. How these courses are made. Spotted an error or out-of-date rule? Send a correction.
Education only. We make no earnings or income claims: results depend on your skills, effort, market and many other factors, and most new ventures earn little at first. We don't teach investing, crypto trading, network marketing or dropshipping schemes, and we don't use affiliate links.
- Independent contractors · Fair Work Ombudsman (Australia)
- Independent contractor (self-employed) or employee? · Internal Revenue Service (US)
- Employment status · GOV.UK
- Guidance on privacy and the use of commercially available AI products · Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
- Password managers: using them to remember your passwords · National Cyber Security Centre (UK)
- More than a password (multifactor authentication) · Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (US)
- Job scams · Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice (US)
- Advice for small and medium organisations · Information Commissioner’s Office (UK)
- Applying for an ABN · Australian Business Register (Australian Government)
- Income and deductions for providing services (sharing economy) · Australian Taxation Office
- Register for Self Assessment if you’re self-employed or a sole trader · HM Revenue & Customs, GOV.UK
- Self-employed individuals tax center · Internal Revenue Service (US)
- Understanding your Form 1099-K · Internal Revenue Service (US)
- Bogus business opportunities · Federal Trade Commission, Business Guidance (US)
- Jobs and employment scams · Scamwatch, National Anti-Scam Centre (ACCC, Australia)
- Online reviews for products and services · ACCC (Australia)
- FTC announces final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (14 August 2024) · Federal Trade Commission (US)
- Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, Schedule 20, paragraph 13 (fake reviews) · legislation.gov.uk (UK)
- Report Fraud: the place to report, prevent and learn about cyber crime and fraud · Report Fraud, City of London Police (UK)
Publisher
Who publishes this course.
Published by trainyourself.org, a trading name of Combine TRS Pty Ltd (ABN 42 112 983 678), Brisbane, Australia.
How it's made: drafted with AI assistance from published official, regulator and platform guidance, then run through automated quality checks against our course depth standard and automated source checks that match each rule to its official source, listed above. The course guide is an AI presenter and is labelled as one. Read how these courses are made.
Last updated:
General information, not tax, accounting, legal or professional advice. Spotted an error or an out-of-date rule? Send us a correction.
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