Technical skills? Home office? Business cards? There is so much to think about when setting up your new business. It can be quite overwhelming. When you are new and just getting started there are truly only a few things you need in order to begin working as a virtual assistant. Assuming you already have a computer and Internet service, be sure to have these 5 things ready when you open your doors for business.
Business Name
My recommendation is to keep this pretty basic. As you work and grow you may find yourself offering a variety of services, or even moving on to a completely different area. You don’t want to find yourself stuck with a business name that will not fit into your future business plans. Many virtual assistants use their own name for their business name. You can even use more general terms like “virtual services” or “online assistant”.
Website
You need 3 things for a website – a domain name (your web address), website hosting (the physical place your website is stored) and a website platform (the application that allows you to design and personalize your website). There are plenty of options out there. You can check out my Resources page for my personal recommendations.
Social Media Accounts
Social media is huge when it comes to promoting your new business. I recommend choosing 2 or 3 platforms, to begin with. Create accounts specifically for your business. With these accounts, you can showcase your products or services, provide free value to your audience, and connect with potential clients.
Services
It’s helpful to have a list of services you can provide to your clients. This will most likely change and expand over time. Begin with your specialties. Do you have experience managing social media accounts? Have you written blog articles? Are you excellent at creating spreadsheets? Include the tasks you excel at in your services list.
Prices & Packages
Now that you have a list of services, you need to price them. There’s no specific set of rules for how to create prices and packages. As you do, remember 2 things. 1 – You are responsible for paying all of your own taxes and expenses. 2 – You will probably undersell your services. Do not be afraid to price your packages higher than what you have originally chosen.
For more help with setting up your virtual assistant business, visit Setting Up Your Biz.