7 Ways Virtual Assistants Can Earn Recurring Income Without Adding More Hours

For many Virtual Assistants (VAs), income is directly tied to time. More hours equals more pay. But there comes a point when your diary is full, and taking on more clients simply isn’t an option. The good news? There are smarter ways to grow your income that don’t involve working longer days.

Recurring income streams allow you to earn consistently, without trading time for every pound you make. Over the past few years, we’ve worked with hundreds of VAs, Online Business Managers (OBMs), and small agencies who’ve added recurring income into their business models. Here are seven of the most effective ways to do the same.

1. Turn Services into Subscriptions

Instead of billing per task or hour, package your services into ongoing bundles. For example:

• A set number of social posts per month

• Regular client inbox management

• Monthly reporting and analysis

Clients prefer predictability, and you’ll benefit from stable, recurring revenue.

2. Create Digital Products and Templates

VAs are natural process builders. If you’ve created client onboarding checklists, proposal templates, or ready-to-go content calendars, you can turn these into products. Once created, they can be sold many times over via platforms like Etsy, Gumroad, or your own website.

3. Build Evergreen Training or Micro-Courses

You don’t need to be a “guru” to teach. Packaging up skills you already use—whether it’s CRM setup, inbox organisation, or task automation—into short courses is a great way to earn while you sleep. Host them on sites like Teachable or Kajabi, or include them as part of a membership.

4. License Your SOPs and Workflows

Over time, you’ve developed efficient ways of working. Those workflows are valuable. Other VAs, agencies, or even your clients may be willing to pay for plug-and-play Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) or automation templates.

5. Partner with Trusted Software Providers (Like MarketerM8)

One of the most effective routes to recurring income we’ve seen is through affiliate or partnership programmes. Rather than promoting random tools, choose platforms that you genuinely trust and already recommend to clients.

At MarketerM8, we run an Affiliate Partner Programme designed with VAs and OBMs in mind. We know from experience that VAs are often the ones suggesting the right software to their clients—yet rarely share in the financial upside. Our programme changes that.

There are different levels of involvement:

• Simple referrals (you recommend, we do the heavy lifting, and you earn ongoing commission)

• Implementation partnerships (you onboard and support the client directly, earning both setup fees and recurring income)

• Agency building (for those ready to create their own HighLevel-powered SaaS model with our guidance)

The reason we mention it here is not because every VA should jump in, but because we’ve seen it work. VAs who join programmes like this are often able to create a reliable, scalable income stream without taking on more client hours.

6. Launch a Membership or Community

A membership model can work well for VAs who specialise in a niche. For example, a monthly “content vault” for coaches, or a private group where you share templates, advice, or regular live Q&As. Members pay a small subscription fee, and the value compounds as your community grows.

7. Retainer Agreements with Clients

Sometimes the simplest option is the best. Move away from ad-hoc tasks and instead offer structured retainers. Clients like knowing they have guaranteed support each month, and you gain predictable income without chasing project after project.

Final Thoughts

Recurring income isn’t about chasing “passive income” dreams—it’s about building smarter business models that give you stability, scalability, and freedom.

At MarketerM8, we’ve worked closely with VAs and OBMs who have successfully layered in recurring revenue streams—whether through subscriptions, digital products, or affiliate programmes like ours. The key is to choose a model that fits your skills, client base, and long-term goals.

👉 If you’d like to learn more about how the MarketerM8 Affiliate Partner Programme works—and see if it could be a fit for you—click here to read the full details: MarketerM8 Affiliate Program