Starting a Virtual Assistant business is easy but in order to be successful in your virtual assistant business, you need motivation, commitment, good planning skills, and perseverance.

Working for yourself has many benefits – being able to spend more time with your kids or caring for elderly family members.  Whatever your reason may be, you are in charge of your day to create the type of life you want to create.

You may only want to work evenings because you don’t want to pay for childcare during the day or you may have decided that the corporate rat race isn’t for you.  Virtual work can be flexible if you find the right clients.

What is a Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant (typically abbreviated to VA, also called a virtual office assistant) provides professional administrative, technical, or creative (social) assistance to clients from a home office.

It’s a great way to earn income working from home and getting paid for the skills you already have.

The internet has made it possible to do any type of work “virtually”.  Rates for virtual work range from anywhere beginning at $15.00 to $100.00 per hour, depending on your skillset.

You can take your hobby or your business experience and turn it into a Virtual Assistant Biz or any type of online business.  Take a look at the list below to get an idea of what jobs match your skills. You may just find your “niche” or specialty here.

  • Administrative Work – document creation (reports, letters, Power Point, ebooks, etc)
  • Transcription – general, legal, medical (digital and tape)
  • Bookkeeping – bank accounts, invoicing, can be done remotely
  • Virtual Legal Secretary
  • Litigation Document Coder
  • Bankruptcy Assistant/Forms Preparer
  • Real Estate Virtual Assistant
  • Coaching Virtual Assistant
  • Personal Assistant
  • Customer Service
  • Virtual Receptionist
  • Website Design – set up, posting, maintenance
  • Email Management
  • Professional Organizer
  • Internet Research
  • Social Media Marketing VA – manual or scheduled posts to FB, Twitter, and other social media accounts, create and maintain social accounts, create and maintain social bookmarking sites
  • Internet Marketing – article and blog management, proofreading, content writing, keyword searches, submission to online directories
  • Podcast Editing & Submission
  • Webinar Assistant – technical, set up, moderation, transcription
  • Forum Moderation
  • Newsletter/Ezine Creation
  • Email Marketing
  • Database Management
  • Calendar/Appointment Management
  • Faxing
  • Scanning Documents
  • Project Management
  • Graphic Design
  • Blogger/writer
  • Resumes/CV’s
  • Event management
  • Digital photos
  • Data Entry
  • eBay Sales Assistant
  • Meeting Minutes Taker (can be done remotely)
  • Translation Services

Below are important aspects to consider when starting your Virtual Assistant business.

Evaluate your reasons for wanting to be a virtual assistant. Do you want to:

  • Be your own boss?
  • Work from home?
  • Have more time for your family?
  • Utilize your skills and knowledge?

Everyone has their own reasons for wanting to operate a home business but you should know why you want to start a virtual assistant business.  This will help you stay motivated when you find roadblocks in your path.

Evaluate Your Current Situation

You need to take a good look at your current situation and ask yourself some honest questions:

  • What skills do I have?
  • What are my strengths and weaknesses?
  • Do you need additional training?
  • What are my short and long term goals?
  • What type of clients am I looking for?
  • What is my niche or specialty?
  • How do I offer specific services?
  • What does my budget look like for starting a business?

Now that you’ve assessed your situation, you’re ready to start on the next steps of establishing your business.

Business Name

You should choose an appropriate name that will reflect what your business is about. Create one that people can remember and leaves room for expanding your services.

Create a Business Plan

A business plan is a tool for understanding how your business is put together. Even if it’s a slim plan that you can expand on later, it will be a road map for the direction of your business.

Items you can include are:

By having a business plan, you can try to minimize any unexpected surprises that you may come your way.

Prices For Your Services

The first mistake when deciding your rates is under-pricing.  You may get tons of work in the beginning but it will catch up with you.  You need to set your rates to cover your salary and operating expenses. Since there is no industry standard for virtual assistants, you should set your rates according to the market. Administrative services are generally lower than a website designer.  Do your research on comparable services to set your rates.

Bookkeeping Management

You don’t have to have an elaborate system to keep track of the financial aspects of your business.  However, you should have an understanding of basic accounting principles for running a business. This will give you a picture of your overall financial situation.

If bookkeeping isn’t your strongest point, you can outsource it.  There are many reliable small business bookkeeping services you can use.

Legal Aspects

Once you have your business name and your plan, you need to look into the legal aspects of your business.

Check with your state or local county to get information about licensing, permits, zoning requirements, your particular business type, and tax requirements.

Designing your Home Office Space

When starting your business, you need to have to set up and design your own office space.  You’ll be spending most of your day in this area so it should have good lighting, all the necessary equipment, and an efficient layout.  This space doesn’t have to be a large area but enough to meet your needs.  You can check online for ideas on setting up your home office.

Finding Clients

Now you’re ready to find clients.  Consider these options for finding clients or attracting people to your website.