Hi!
Your wife and I have a similar path, I started out with exploring possible side hustles, and 5 years later it has turned into a passion project business (shelovesherbiz.com) helping women entrepreneurs start, grow, and pivot their business.
So, here are my suggestions based on my own experience and that of helping lots of other women build businesses.
- Any of the options that you listed can be a great way to earn money on a part-time, flexible basis.
- Facebook, LinkedIn, NextDoor can be great places to find clients and talk about what you are doing. I advise my clients to first leverage the network they already have. So, if she is active on FB already, just talk about what she's doing, what kind of people she'd like to work with, and ask her network if they know of anyone who could use her help.
-I think it's 100% appropriate to ask the financial advisor if there is anyone in their network who is looking for help.
-In terms of earning potential, I think being a VA specifically for financial firms would be a great niche. $25 an hour isn't horrible, but I think she could (and should) raise her prices if she focused on building an offer for that specific niche. Remember that out of that hourly wage comes retirement, taxes, health care, etc. that an employer would normally have to provide to an employee. There are some great VA and OBM programs, Tasha Booth is who I would recommend if your wife wants to explore one of those options. Of course, I'd also be happy to talk to her to sort through her options based on ideal lifestyle and what feels most aligned.
-Things always evolve and change in business, but I recommend sitting down and listing out what she really wants. What are the hours she is generally available? How many hours a week does she want to work? How much does she want to charge hourly? How will she accept payment? How will she communicate with her clients? What will her onboarding process with a new client look like? It doesn't have to be "perfect" or complicated, but before she starts talking about her services she needs to know the basic way she wants to provide them. Then, when opportunities come along she can decide if it's a good fit.
I only pop in occasionally here on the forums, but I'm on FB and Instagram under @shelovesherbiz if you would like to connect on the socials.
Best of luck! Starting my own business has brought me much joy and abundance.