Best Virtual Assistant Courses

If you want to work whenever and wherever you like, and charge your own fee, then a career as a virtual assistant might be for you. 

Whilst that might sound like a dream, over 25,000 people have made it their reality. And there are a range of courses that can help you find work. 

But what does it take to become a virtual assistant? Is it possible to learn how to become online? Where is the best place to learn?

All of these questions and more will be answered in this article on the ten best virtual assistant online courses. I’ve spent some time researching, sampling and learning about virtual assistant courses and I’m here to tell you everything you need to know. 

Alongside the best virtual assistant courses, I’ll be covering the advantages of becoming a virtual assistant, what to look out for before you purchase a course, the length and the prices of a virtual assistant course. 

So, let’s begin. 

What is the best online virtual assistant course?

These are my top virtual assistant course recommendations:

1. The Savvy system (The Savvy system)
2. Must have skills (training) for virtual assistants in 2023 (Udemy)
3. The 90 Day VA (The 90 Day VA)
4. $10K VA ($10K VA)
5. VA ninja (Teachable)
6. Work from home as a virtual assistant (Udemy)
7. Virtual Excellence Academy (Virtual Excellence Academy) 
8. Start a virtual assistant business: Create services that sell (Skillshare)
9. Must-have tools for virtual assistants in 2023 (Udemy) 
10. Working for podcasters as virtual assistants (Skillshare)

How I made my selection

My top pick is The Savvy system because this course is the most comprehensive class on becoming a virtual assistant. You’ll learn everything you need to know to start making money whenever and wherever you want. 

This course has a very experienced instructor and a range of additional resources including templates, live tutorials and more that will help to get your journey as a virtual assistant really underway. 

Other in-depth courses on this list include The 90 Day VA, the Virtual Excellence Academy and $10K VA. These are also comprehensive courses which provide a wide range of materials for aspiring virtual assistants.

When it comes to an in-depth virtual assistant course you are spoiled for choice.   

Alternatively, if you want a pick that requires a little less in terms of time and financial commitment, check out Udemy’s Must have skills (training) for virtual assistants in 2023. 

Here, you’ll be introduced to all the essential skills of a virtual assistant in a shorter series of accessible lessons. Udemy’s courses are also often on sale, making this class great value for money. 

So, overall, there are a range of options for online virtual assistant courses. If you’re serious about becoming a VA, The Savvy System could be for you. If you’re curious and are interested in exploring the idea, Udemy’s Must have skills (training) for virtual assistants in 2023 could be a better option. 

Best virtual assistant course reviews

1. The Savvy System (The Savvy System)

Platform: The Savvy System | Teachers: Abbey Ashley | Course length: Self-paced, 14 modules 

At the number one spot on this list, we have the Savvy System. I’ve chosen this for number one because it is the most comprehensive course on being a VA out there. 

Here, you’ll receive a step-by-step guide that will cover absolutely everything you need to know about being a virtual assistant. 

The lessons are taught by Abbey Ashley who, like many others, found virtual assistance by researching ways of making money online. She’s been very successful since and is ready to pass on all of her insight to you!

You will learn about:

• Discovering your skillset 
• Ways you can offer services now 
• Packaging your services 
• Pricing your packages 
• Getting clients 
• Discovering your brand personality 
• Introduction to canva 
• Logo creation 
• Branding board creation 
• Processes 
• Facebook pages 
• Proposal and portfolio creation 
• Payments, invoicing and taxes 
• Legalities 
• Marketing 
• Web development 
• The virtual assistant lifestyle 
• Raising your prices 
• Building your team

Pros: 

• Extremely comprehensive 
• Systematically covers everything you need to know about VA 
• Different pricing options and schemes based on what you need 
• Continuously updated, with new content every month 
• Includes one-to-one training 
• Lots of bonuses, including templates and personal support 

Cons: 

• Quite expensive, although I feel you get what you pay for   

Best for: Anybody who’s serious about being a virtual assistant 

Overall: The ideal course for anyone serious about considering the virtual assistant lifestyle. The classes are extremely comprehensive, systematically covering every aspect of being a VA, combined with an instructor who has years of experience and personal, one-on-one tuition, which is quite rare for online courses. 

2. Must have skills (training) for virtual assistants in 2023 (Udemy)

Platform: Udemy | Teachers: Erin Booth | Course length: 3.5 hours

This is Udemy’s most popular virtual assistant course with over 9,000 students.

This course will equip you with all of the basic skills required to be a virtual assistant. Unlike other options on this list, this class is much shorter and it is better thought of as an introduction to what it means to be a virtual assistant for those who are interested. 

This is mainly because Udemy is a platform which offers courses in a wide variety of disciplines. Because each class is also priced individually, they are also often on sale. 

You will learn:

• Calendar management 
• Inbox management 
• Expense reporting 
• Social media maintenance 
• Research 
• Lead generation 
• Travel management 
• Online purchases 
• Event planning 
• Working through unfamiliar tasks 
• Back-office skills 

Pros: 

• Gets you to grips with the basics of VA 
• Insightful and engaging instructor 
• Less commitment than other courses this list 
• Easy-to-follow and allows you to truly understand the role 
• Good value for money and often on sale 
• Provides you with a strong foundation to take VA more seriously 

Cons: 

• Could go into more depth and be more comprehensive (this might be at the expense of its accessibility however)  

Best for: Anyone interested in VA who isn’t sure about some of the more intense options on this list 

Overall: A great snappy introduction into what it means to be a virtual assistant. Despite its relatively short length, this course is able to cover all the essential skills of being a virtual assistant with an insightful instructor making it ideal for beginners and the most popular VA course on Udemy. 

3. The 90 Day VA (The 90 Day VA)

Platform: The 90 Day VA | Teachers: Esther Inman | Course length: 11 modules 

Like the first pick, The 90 Day VA is a great option for those who want a deep dive into what it takes to be a VA. 

The classes here are led by Esther Inman, who saw rapid success in her VA business, which allowed her to travel, fit work around her schedule and enjoy a much more fulfilling life. 

90 Day VA has helped over 5,000 students find work as virtual assistants. 

You will learn how to:

• Work online for others effectively
• Repurpose content and content marketing 
• Blog and copywrite  
• Carry out social media management, including instagram and Pinterest
• Edit and manage podcasts and videos 
• Conduct Lite email marketing and web management 

Pros: 

• Really delves into the skills required 
• Covers specific social media platforms 
• Also teaches you how to be a VA for specific areas like videos and podcasts
• Content based on what real clients ask of VA’s 
• Includes exclusive bonuses  
• Led by an insightful and engaging instructor with a motivational story

Cons: 

• Quite a lot of commitment, especially if you aren’t sure about being a VA 

Best for: People interested in becoming a VA as a means of working flexibly 

Overall: Another great option for anyone seriously considering becoming a virtual assistant. It’s led by an insightful and motivational instructor who has their own fascinating VA story. What makes this course stand out is the range of bonus classes and options available, meaning you can put together a curriculum that suits you and your learning goals. 

4. $10K VA ($10K VA)

Platform: $10K VA | Teachers: Kayla Sloan | Course length: 7 modules 

$10K VA is named as such because it aspires to have students earning over $10,000 a month from their VA business 

Your instructor, Kayla Sloan, managed to grow her own VA business to make this much and more, from nothing! And in this course, you get to see exactly how she did it. 

Despite being very comprehensive, this option is a little cheaper than some of the other in-depth VA courses on this list, so it is worth checking out if you are very interested in being a virtual assistant, but aren’t sure about the financial commitment of courses. 

You will learn:

• What a virtual assistant is 
• How to find and pitch VA jobs 
• Pricing services and getting paid 
• Building client relationships 
• The day-to-day running 
• Making your business legit 
• Leveling-up 

Pros: 

• Very comprehensive 
• Includes bonus interviews with successful VA assistants 
• Worksheets and templates to help your own business 
• Embeds you into a network of successful assistants 
• Cheaper than some of the other options 
• Taught by a successful virtual assistant 

Cons: 

• Could go into more detail about specific tools  

Best for: Anybody interested in pursuing VA for monetary reasons 

Overall: This course promises to provide you with the guidance and advice that will see you making $10,000 a month from virtual assistant work. On top of the lessons, you have access to a network of successful virtual assistants.

5. VA ninja (Teachable)

Platform: Teachable | Teachers: Megan Johnson | Course length: 6 chapters 

Halfway down the list, we have VA ninja. 

This course is unique in that it focuses specifically on being a virtual assistant on Pinterest. The upside to this is that you can get real insight into how VA works on a specific platform. 

This course is led by Megan Johnson, who has helped thousands of people become online virtual assistants on Pinterest. 

You will learn:

• Why you need a website for your business
• Pricing, packaging and services 
• Processing 
• Registering as a business
• Taxes
• Banking and business insurance 
• Onboarding new clients and invoicing 
• Portfolio 
• Marketing and landing clients  

Pros: 

• Focuses on a specific site, allowing for detailed insight
• Pinterest is a great area of work for VA’s
• Affordable group coaching
• Lifetime access to template and worksheet library 
• Often on sale or included in other Teachable bundles 
• Led by an instructor with a deep knowledge of the market 

Cons: 

• Some may not like the specific focus 
• Requires a few prerequisites in terms of knowing about Pinterest and marketing  

Best for: Anyone who knows about Pinterest functions and is interested in becoming a VA

Overall: Pinterest surpassed $1 billion dollars in ad revenue in 2021, with virtual assistants able to make over $5,000 per month from the site. This course will tell you exactly how. If you have a bit of an understanding of how marketing on Pinterest works, this class is a great option for showing you how you can be making some money from it on the side. 

6. Work from home as a virtual assistant (Udemy)

Platform: Udemy | Teachers: Tina Marie Hilton | Course length: 3 hours 

Work from home as a virtual assistant, like my other Udemy pick, is ideal for those students looking for a very basic introduction to what it means to be a virtual assistant. 

There actually isn’t much of a difference between this course and Must have skills (training) for virtual assistants in 2023. They’re led by instructors with similar credentials and are also similar in length. However, you can preview both courses to see which one fits your preference. 

The lessons here are led by Tina Marie Hilton, who has been providing services since 2007. This course has over 5,000 subscribers. 

You will learn:

• Whether being a virtual assistant is right for you
• How to create your business 
• Business licensing and structure 
• Creating your policies 
• Finding your niche 
• Preparing for clients 
• Proposals and contracts 
• Client intake
• Initial contact 
• Consultation
• Managing expectations
• Handling client problems 

Pros: 

• Really hones in on the business side of being a virtual assistant 
• Takes you through the working process systematically and methodically 
• Very easy to follow and gets you the knowledge quickly 
• Lots of helpful additional resources 
• Instructor has years of experience in the field 
• Provides you with a strong foundation 

Cons: 

• Could do with more examples and focusing on skills 
• Presentation isn’t very engaging 

Best for: Those interested in starting their own business, who feel being a virtual assistant might be for them 

Overall: More and more people are considering being a virtual assistant as a means of making money online, and this course shows you exactly how. With lots of additional materials and a systemic process that guides you through the running of a virtual assistant business, this is ideal for those looking for a quick and easy introduction. 

7. Virtual Excellence Academy (Virtual Excellence Academy) 

Platform: Virtual Excellence Academy | Teachers: Hannah Dixon | Course length: 10 modules 

Virtual Excellence Academy contains some of the most comprehensive lessons and resources out of any option on this list. 

The lessons are led by Hannah Dixon, who has trained over 16,000 VA’S, spent 14 years continuously traveling and worked with over 26,000 other virtual assistants. 

Could there be a better mentor?

You will learn about:

• Workspace set-up
• Setting yourself up for success 
• Interacting with clients 
• Managing money 
• Networking 
• Content creation and marketing 
• Tools and resources 
• Levelling up your career 

Pros: 

• Extremely comprehensive 
• Combines a variety of teaching methods to get the best guidance 
• Focuses on ethical business practices and is led by a diverse team 
• A range of additional courses that go into even more depth 
• Totally self-paced 
• The opportunity for meet-ups 

Cons: 

• Might be overwhelming for someone new to VA  

Best for: Anyone who has left or wants to leave the 9-to-5 world in order to experience the life of a virtual assistant

Overall: Hannah Dixon became a virtual assistant because she wanted the opportunity to make legitimate income from anywhere in the world. Since then she has shared her knowledge of doing just that with over 16,000 students. This course is extremely comprehensive and contains a range of additional materials any VA will appreciate. 

8. Start a virtual assistant business: Create services that sell (Skillshare)

Platform: Skillshare | Teachers: Billie Gardner | Course length: 41 minutes 

Here, we have the first entry from Skillshare. 

This is the shortest pick on the list. At 41 minutes, you can whizz through this course as it takes you through exactly what being a virtual assistant means in a series of short videos. 

41 minutes might not seem worth the investment. However, like Udemy, Skillshare offers courses in a wide range of disciplines. It is also a subscription service, meaning you pay a monthly fee for access to all of its content, including this course. 

You will learn:

• What a virtual assistant is 
• 11 traits that make a great VA
• How to determine if VA is for you
• Finding your niche 
• Deciding your ideal client 
• Creating your services 
• Pricing your services 

Pros: 

• Rapidly provides you with the essential knowledge 
• Very accessible and easy to understand 
• Includes a class project that provides insight into VA work 
• Includes an additional workbook 
• Can be taken alongside other Skillshare courses 
• Motivational 

Cons: 

• Some may find it a little too short 

Best for: People who want a quick introduction to VA 

Overall: The world of virtual assistants is very new for many people. So, if you’re looking for a quick but clear and helpful guide for what it is all about, this class might be worth checking out. Skillshare is also a subscription service, so you can take this course in conjunction with other Skillshare classes on starting your own business. 

9. Must-have tools for virtual assistants in 2023 (Udemy)

Platform: Udemy | Teachers: Erin Booth | Course length: 3 hours

This class is unique in that it is offered by the same instructor as Must have skills (training) for virtual assistants in 2023. However, whereas that course focused more on what it takes to be a virtual assistant, this one is more about the practical tools and items needed to be successful. 

With over 5,000 students and a 4.7-star rating, Erin Booth has produced another one of Udemy’s most popular and acclaimed virtual assistant courses. 

You will learn about:

• Data security 
• Protecting yourself with a contract 
• Time tracking 
• Finances 
• Emails
• Calendar 
• Communication 
• Social media 
• CRM/spreadsheets 
• Project management tools 
• Self-care 
• New client information capture 

Pros: 

• Gets straight to the practical tools needed for success 
• Professional insight 
• Good for beginners with zero prior knowledge 
• Provides learners with an understanding of the day to day 
• Useful forms and pdfs for aspiring VAs 
• Uniquely practical 

Cons: 

• Similar content to Erin Booth’s other course  

Best for: Any new virtual assistants seeking more practical guidance 

Overall: Virtual assistants have a variety of tools at their disposal that make them valuable to clients. In this course, you will get a quick but detailed overview of the essential tools and how they can be used in the day-to-day world of a VA in order to create success. 

10. Working for podcasters as virtual assistants (Skillshare)

Platform: Skillshare | Teachers: Fei Wu | Course length: 1 hour and 28 minutes 

To round off our list, we have a course that focuses more specifically on how to be a virtual assistant working in particular businesses. 

I’ve tried to make this as diverse a list as possible, so alongside the more general courses, I’ve included a class that focuses on being a virtual assistant in podcasting. 

As podcasting becomes a more and more popular method to produce content online, podcasters will be looking for assistants to help them with all manner of things. And this is the ideal course to help you get started.

You will learn:

• How to use a content calendar 
• Social media content calendar using Spreadsheet 
• How to use Notion for YouTube and video creation 
• Keywords and hashtags for SEO and social media 
• Social media management 
• AgoraPulse content calendar
• Sendible as social media management for podcasts 
• Using Canva for podcast content creation 
• Content creation and repurposing 
• Using repurpose.io 
• Creating audiograms and headliners as soundbites
• Categories, tags, keywords and topics  

Pros: 

• Offers specific, detailed guidance 
• Covers a range of necessary tools 
• Includes a hands-on class project 
• Comprehensive but doesn’t take long to complete 
• Led by an instructor with knowledge of both podcasting and being a virtual assistant 
• Provides you with a leg-up in a specific Virtual Assistant industry 

Cons: 

• Some of the content is quite intuitive and might not require an instructor  

Best for: People who want to get started in a specific virtual assistant area and think podcasting is interesting 

Overall: Much like being a virtual assistant, podcasting is becoming a more and more popular pursuit online. So combining them just makes sense. This class will give you specific insight into how to be a virtual assistant for a podcast, with lots of specific guidance and an overview of all the necessary tools. 

What are the advantages of taking an online virtual assistant course?

As these classes will show you, there are many advantages to becoming a virtual assistant 

These include: 

• The freedom to work when you like 
• The freedom to work where you want 
• The freedom to choose who to work with 
• Setting your own rates 
• Minimal costs 
• Can create your own environment to work in 
• Allows you to travel if you want to 

There are also many advantages to taking a virtual assistant course online:

• Access to top instructors who are all experienced virtual assistants
• You can learn when you like and fit everything around your schedule 
• You can combine different platforms 
• There’s access to endless additional materials
• The skill will stay with you 
• Your general administration skills will improve 
• Learning a new skill is great for engaging the brain 

Buyers guide: what to look out for

With so many choices, it can be hard to know what to look out for when selecting the best virtual assistant course for you.

So here’s a helpful buyers guide to look out for: 

• Positive reviews and feedback from both users and sites like Learnopoly 
• The credentials of the instructor 
• How long the course is and what each lesson will teach you 
• Any additional materials like workbooks 
• Does the course specify what kind of virtual assistant you’ll be 
• How many people are enrolled 
• Is there any free trial or refund available? 

How much does it cost?

Costs on this list range from $39.99 to $1497.00.

There are a couple of things to consider with the costs. You shouldn’t just take them at face value. Also have a look at what you’ll get in return and reflect on whether your learning goals are met and if this is worth the investment. 

Also, many of the courses on this list will often have sales and deals. For example, VA Ninja can be purchased for a lower price with the Pinterest Ninja marketing course. Udemy courses are often on sale and can be as cheap as $17.99. 

Make sure you refresh or revisit the page in order to not miss out on any sales, promotions or deals. 

How long does it take to learn how to be a virtual assistant?

This is a difficult question to answer. Courses on this list can be anywhere from 41 minutes of video lessons to hours and hours. 

I say this because most of the options here include a range of additional materials, such as guidebooks, bonus videos and live streams and are constantly being updated. 

So how long it takes to master being a virtual assistant will depend on your commitment and to what extent you want to engage with everything on a particular site. 

Also, becoming a successful virtual assistant will require you to apply what you’ve learnt in your profession. Only by actually practicing and taking on clients in the real world will you be able to truly be at the top of your game. 

Conclusion

My top choice is The Savvy system. This is because it is the course with the most comprehensive insight into what it means to be a virtual assistant and how you can be successful. 

It’s led by a top-quality instructor and the lessons are all super engaging, with a range of additional materials to help you along the way. 

There are a few very comprehensive virtual assistant courses on this list, all rivaling The Savvy system. My favorites are The 90 Day VA, the Virtual Excellence Academy and $10K VA. 

Each has their own strengths. The Savvy System is my favorite because I feel it sets you up the best for actually being a virtual assistant.   

However, The 90 Day VA and the Virtual Excellence Academy are good choices if you want to learn how to work and travel at the same time, whereas $10K VA is best suited for those interested in the ins and outs of making money online. 

You can check out the course website for each of these to see which is the best fit as they all have their own strengths. 

If you’re looking for something a little less intense that will give you a flavor of what it means to be a virtual assistant, I recommend Must have skills (training) for virtual assistants in 2023 offered by Udemy.  

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Virtual assistant courses – frequently asked questions