Freelance
Virtual Assistant Side Hustle UK
Published 26/11/2025 By James
Make Money Online
The ever-growing digital industry has provided a number of side hustles for those with a valuable skill set to earn money on a freelance basis. Any tech-savvy individuals looking to make a bit of extra money on the side may be interested in the concept of a virtual assistant side hustle.
This particular role is based on working remotely to provide administrative technical or creative assistance to potential clients around the world.
The role of a virtual assistant became more common during the Covid pandemic as businesses had to operate remotely. Business owners soon realised that certain roles could be performed at home instead of in offices which could help with trimming costs.
If you’re looking for a way to leverage your digital skills and increase your income, the virtual assistant side hustle UK could be the perfect way for you to do so.
More companies than ever before are using the Internet to outsource work, which provides a great opportunity for skilled individuals looking to earn a bit of extra money.
This could mean helping with anything from organising emails and appointments to creating content for social media channels or websites! If the virtual assistance side hustle sounds well suited to your skillset, this article may be of interest.
What Is A Virtual Assistant?
This side hustle offers a lot of variety regarding the jobs that are available; this means that you can choose the jobs you take based on your skillset and free time. Those looking to spend a short amount of time each day may prefer admin roles like setting reminders, sending emails or managing schedules.
If you have a bit more free time to work on your side hustle, the roles in content creation, like freelance copywriting, could be a better way of earning extra income.
The virtual assistant side hustle offers a lot of development potential that is not included in many other side hustle ideas. Proving your value to a client can open doors to more work opportunities with the same or similar clients. Alternatively, developing skills in your free time can lead to more potential virtual assistant roles that bring greater returns.
It doesn’t matter if you’re considering a change in career or just wanting to make some extra money, the role of a VA provides plenty of opportunities.
You could consider some or all of the following services:
- Social Media – publish new content, maintain posts and engage with followers.
- Scheduling Appointments – set up meetings and locations for company employees.
- Customer Service – handle customer questions, process orders and handle complaints.
- Accounting – process invoices and salaries.
- Admin Support – prepare reports, manage appointments and emails.
The Benefits Of A Virtual Assistant Side Hustle In The UK
There are a number of benefits to running a side hustle in the 21st century and many reasons that virtual assistance is a great option for doing so.
Here are just some of the reasons that this side hustle is proving so popular amongst those professionals looking to make a bit of extra money.
Flexible Working
The main benefit of a virtual assistant side hustle is the flexibility that it offers the worker to complete tasks at their convenience. This is thanks to the remote style of working and commission-based pay that allows the individual to choose their hours and work from anywhere with a secure internet connection. This can be important for the right work life balance.
This could make virtual assistance great for anyone looking to make money on maternity leave or alongside a full-time job.
This means that workers can take on the virtual assistant roles that they have time for and can increase or decrease their responsibilities at will. Instead of being paid by the hour, the virtual assistant side hustle is based on work completed how and when the worker decides.
Diverse Opportunities
Another advantage of working in this fast-paced role is the various different industries that are looking for assistance. This could provide the opportunity to fill roles in administration, marketing, customer service and more in which the individual can further develop their existing skill set.
The virtual assistant side hustle offers the chance to work with a variety of clients in different sectors, resulting in a deeper understanding of numerous industries and roles!
Career Development
Along with the ability to enjoy flexible work with the virtual assistant side hustle UK, there is also the opportunity to turn this side hustle into a career should you wish. This begins with developing a portfolio of work that shows your skills and accomplishments that set you apart from the other 16 million Brits with a side hustle.
Alongside a network of clients, this can help increase the amount and value of work you are completing, which could result in it becoming more available than your full-time job!
The virtual assistant side hustle can help the individual further develop their skills through the range of tasks and companies looking to complete them. Along with helping to develop the skill set for this specific side hustle, it can help to develop skills used in many full-time roles, including management, communication and technical know-how.
Cheap Start-up
As side hustles go, this is definitely one of the cheapest to set up. Firstly, you don’t need any specific qualifications but the more skills you have the better.
There’s no need for a posh office as you can set yourself up as a virtual assistant with a laptop and an internet connection.
Income Opportunities
As a sole virtual assistant, you can pick which jobs are worth your time and what pay rates to charge. As you gain more experience, skills and customers, you’ll be able to increase your rates.
These are the typical rates a virtual assistant could expect:
- Foundation: £10 – £15 per hour for basic admin duties.
- Medium: £15 – £40 per hour form VA’s with advanced skills.
- Expert: £40 – £70 per hour for the most experienced virtual assistants.
The Disadvantages Of A Virtual Assistant Side Hustle
Along with the range of bonuses already mentioned, there are some disadvantages to the virtual assistant side hustle that it may be worth noting.
- Isolation – The isolation of this side hustle may not suit people who prefer collaborative working. Whether you prefer personal interaction to get a second opinion on work or to remain motivated when working within a time frame, the virtual assistant side hustle UK involves more independent working.
- Income – As with many side hustles, the income from virtual assistant work can be inconsistent as being paid is based on the need for your skills and spare time to complete tasks. This is why virtual assistance work is described as a side hustle alongside another, more reliable stream of income to begin with. The work available is dependent on the clients’ demand, which is where building up a portfolio and a network of clients can be particularly useful.
- Research – To remain competitive in this fast-paced digital age, it is important to stay up to date with industry trends and developments for your virtual assistance side hustle. This could include learning anything from the specific clients’ industry rivals to more generic skills like the use of Affiliate Marketing. This research will have to be completed in your free time and will not directly yield payment, which can reduce the return on time invested in your virtual assistant side hustle.
Advice For Starting A Virtual Assistant Side Hustle
If you like the sound of this virtual assistance role as a side hustle idea, here are some important points you should take into account before you start.
It is important to identify your skills and see how these can prove valuable in the virtual assistant job role. It could be worth starting off with a niche expertise or industry to work in while you learn more about the various roles that are looking for freelance workers.
This could mean targeting roles that require experience with social media, content, technical support or customer service as you start out.
Presenting your skills and work to potential clients is one of the most important aspects of a virtual assistance side hustle UK. It is vital that a professional online presence is created to showcase all of the skills, qualifications and assignments you have completed so far.
This could include:
Job Boards
- Join freelance websites such as Fiverr, PeoplePerHour and Upwork.
- Keep an eye out for job listings on social media.
- Consider signing up to job sites such as remote.co and Indeed.
Networks
- Use family and friends to get your name out there.
- Sign up to any virtual assistant forums available.
- Take part in network events so you can interact with people from the same industry.
Marketing
- Consider creating a YouTube channel and blog/vlog to promote the virtual assistant services on offer.
- Always keep contact details of previous customers so you can send them newsletters and offers etc.
- Once you’re established with a good source of income, it might be worth paying for adverts on platforms such as Facebook and Google.
Other Side Hustle Ideas
If you are looking for a way to make money online, but the virtual assistant side hustle does’nt suit you, there’s plenty of other ways to make a bit of extra money. No matter what skills you already have or what you are interested in learning more about, there is guaranteed to be a side hustle job for you.
This could include anything from becoming a photographer to publishing your own book to dropshipping; there is a huge range of ways in which people are making extra money online. If you are looking for a more niche market to dip your toes into, perhaps the 7 unusual ways to make money that we have noticed could be of interest to you. No matter your skills, from the virtual assistant side hustle UK to becoming an Instagram influencer, there is bound to be a side hustle for you!
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